An Unwavering Love (A Yuri Plisetsky Fanfiction)

Chapter 28: What Goes Around, Comes Around

[Nagoya Tokyu Hotel, Nagoya—1st week of December]

It was already past 9 p.m. in Japan, and the exhaustion that overcame every step Ayumi took was becoming more and more unbearable.

The past two days have been a long one. Her Cathay Pacific flight was scheduled just a few hours after her classes, so she had to head to the airport without stopping to take a break. The 32-hour journey was not a comfortable one either. Her workload invaded the early hours and did not allow her to sleep for its entire duration. So there she was, stepping off the car weakly while wearing the same clothes she attended her Economics class with... all for the Grand Prix Final.

There was no time for her to complain though. The Grand Prix Final just so happened to be a week before Columbia's finals, and there was much to do. There were term papers to submit, exams to study for, and deadlines to meet. She entered the hotel completely absorbed in her textbook, ignoring the incessant pounding in her head.

"Miss Ayumi," Kamoshita called, directing the bellhop who was carrying their luggage. "Please do find a place to sit and be comfortable while I go ahead and check us in. It wouldn't take long."

"Okay," she answered nonchalantly, her nose still stuck in her book. Let's see... 'Monetary policy refers to the actions of the central bank to manage the country's supply of money and credit. It does so through short-term interest rates and open market op—'

"YAAAAAHHH!!!"

The feeling of something wet and slimy running along her shoulder made her pause. She ran her fingers across it and saw a runny, light yellow liquid. Before she had time to register what was happening, she was pelted with more.

"That's what you get for hurting Yuratchka, you whore!!!" screamed the girls huddled at the lobby. Yuri's Angels, the same girls who once welcomed her into their group, were attacking her with raw eggs. She tried to shield herself with her book, but they still managed to hit her. The hotel's staff and security team saw this and immediately acted, controlling the crowd and blocking their view of her.

Her eyes were watering as she stared at the ground. She felt wretched. Wrapping her arms around herself, she almost crouched down to the floor if it were not for a pair of hands keeping her steady.

"Are you hurt, Miss Ayumi?!" Kamoshita asked as he fussed over her. "Please allow me to check you, miss."

When he brought her head up to examine her neck, she saw the multitude of eyes staring at her pathetic form—the eyes of her fellow skaters who just also just arrived. Among them were Yakov, Lilia and her former rink mates. They all stared at her with a mix of shock and pity.

Kamoshita tried to shake her off her trance. "Miss... miss... please, come with me. I'll get you cleaned up."

Ayumi could not offer him a word in response. She simply gave him a stiff nod and allowed him to wrap his arm around her, leading her away.

------

"This is unacceptable! Those rabid girls just attacked my student! Why do you even allow fans to get into the hotel in the first place?! I demand for a better security detail for the rest of the final!!!"

Yuri felt like the biggest moron as Yakov yelled the event organizers and Lilia admonished the hotel staff. He did not do anything when his own fans assaulted his ex-girlfriend right in front of him. He felt utterly pathetic and useless. When his mind finally returned to earth, he scoured the hotel looking for Ayumi. Viktor, Yuuri and Mila followed close behind.

Ayu, he thought. Where are you?!

He turned at a corner that led to the restrooms, and that was where he saw her. She already changed out of her soiled clothes, wearing a thick hoodie while being tended by Kamoshita. Yuri felt like he got punched in the gut when he saw that there were tears running down her cheek. What Kamoshita said next, however, made him feel much worse:

"I think we should just go home, miss."

He held his breath waiting for Ayumi's reply. She simply shook her head, wiping the tears away. "No. I'm not going home."

"But Miss Ayumi," Kamoshita protested. "This has gone far enough. Those girls are not going to stop, and as your guardian I cannot allow anyone to harm you. What's more, you are already not at the best of health. Please, miss, it is not too late to withdraw from the competition."

At that point, Yuri was already surrounded by his rink mates, and judging from the looks on their faces they heard what the butler just said. They all wanted to go out there and comfort her, but the knowledge that she was likely to run for the hills held them back.

"I know, but I want to stay and compete. I know that I've stretched myself too thin and that the probability of me winning the final is slim, but I'm not gonna give up. Not when I've made it this far."

Kamoshita knew, just as he did, how stubborn Ayumi was. Once she set her sights on something, there was nothing that could change her mind. "Still, miss. We need to do something about those fans. I can hire more bodyguards to protect you, and I will have your lawyers start drafting an intentional tort lawsuit against—"

"No. You're not going to do that, Kamoshita. It's just eggs."

"It's not just eggs, miss! They're lucky we did not file a case when they pelted you with rocks!"

Ayumi sighed, then forced a smile to reassure him. "It's okay. There's no need to overreact. The bruise healed, and they haven't killed me yet. Besides..." she breathed out. "I deserve whatever it is they throw at me. They weren't wrong, you know? I did hurt Yuri... and what goes around comes around, right? If this is the punishment for my mistake, then I'll take it."

"Miss Ayumi..." Kamoshita whispered, bringing her in for a fatherly hug.

"It's okay," she replied. "I'll be okay. Everything's going to be fine."

A single tear actually escaped Yuri's eye as watched the whole exchange in frustration. Ayumi was planning to absorb every blow without complaint, and he knew it was only a matter of time before she was critically incapacitated. Seeing how much she blamed herself for their breakup, more than she blamed herself for anything else, was disheartening.

NO! Stop it! You don't deserve that!

He wanted to approach her so badly. He wanted to tell her how stupid she was for walking around like a human punching bag, how sorry he was for everything, and how much he still cared about her. But seeing Ayumi feel so defeated like that because of his fans, he lost the will to do it. She saw him stand at the lobby like a limp noodle while she was bathed in eggs. She saw him make no move to protect her, just like the day she was stoned down in Singapore. There was no chance in hell she was ever going to talk to him. He knew that all too well.

Yuri turned to walk away from the scene, his face marred with disappointment. "Yurio!" he heard Yuuri call out, but he did not look back.

I'm so sorry Ayu! I promise, those vedmas are never going to lay another finger on you, ever!