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THE HOTEL ROOM BUZZED WITH A TENSE, unspoken energy. y/n l/n sat cross-legged on her bed, fiddling with her earphones as music blared just loud enough to drown out her thoughts. Across the room, Tory lounged on her own bed, scrolling through her phone, her body radiating defiance. The two hadn't exchanged more than a few icy words since arriving, and the silence between them was oppressive. It wasn't just awkward—it was deliberate.

Y/n, surprisingly, was handling it well. Her emotions were usually a firestorm, sparking and erupting before she could stop them, but today was different. She felt... numb. Detached. Perhaps the exhaustion from constant battles, literal and metaphorical, had dulled her. Or maybe, she thought grimly, she was just storing the storm for later.

The tension was nearly audible when a sharp knock shattered it. Tory's eyes darted to the door, then to y/n. Neither moved at first, a silent battle of wills over who would have to get up.

Finally, Tory groaned and swung her legs over the side of the bed. "Lazy clown," she muttered under her breath as she stomped to the door.

Y/n didn't bite. She let the insult hang in the air, her focus still on the tangled wires of her earphones. Her calm exterior was so out of character it almost unnerved her.

The door opened, and before the blonde could fully process who was standing there, Sensei Kim barged in, her heels clicking sharply against the tiled floor. Kreese followed her, his presence looming like a shadow.

"You two, get moving," She ordered, her sharp tone slicing through the room like a blade. "The buses are leaving. Or should I assume you've both decided to embarrass Cobra Kai in front of our sponsors?"

The girl felt a flicker of rebellion spark to life. Kim's words always had a way of igniting something in her, a potent mixture of fear, anger, and guilt. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and grabbed her Cobra Kai jacket. It wasn't worth the fight, not yet.

"Coming," she muttered, slipping her arms through the sleeves. The familiar weight of the jacket settled on her shoulders, grounding her.

Tory, however, stayed rooted in place, arms crossed, her glare fixed on Kim. "What's the point of this trip, anyway? Babysitting rich sponsors while they pat themselves on the back for being 'involved'? Seems like a waste of time to me."

Kim's expression didn't waver. "You think your opinion matters, Nichols? I don't care if you think it's a waste of time. You'll be there because I said so."

Kreese stepped forward then, his voice deceptively calm. "You want to lead, Tory? This is what leadership looks like. You follow orders, no questions, no complaints. Now, get up and get moving."

Tory's jaw tightened, her fists clenching at her sides. But after a tense moment, she pushed herself off the bed with a huff.

Kim's attention snapped to y/n as she moved toward the door. "You. Wait."

The girl froze mid-step, her heart skipping a beat. She turned slowly to face Kim, who was now standing directly in front of her.

Kim's sharp eyes zeroed in on y/n as though she could see right into her soul, or at least into the tangled mess of earbuds still dangling out of her pocket. "You're not going to do anything stupid today, are you?" she asked, her voice sharp enough to slice through her thin veneer of calm.

The question might have been straightforward, but Da-eun delivered it with enough venom to make it sound like a full-blown accusation. She crossed her arms, her gaze drilling into y/n like a laser. "No outbursts. No impulsive decisions. No embarrassing moments. You're representing Cobra Kai, not whatever childish revolution you think you're leading." She paused for effect, then added with a derisive glance at the corner of y/n's jacket where her phone peeked out. "Judging by your playlist."

Y/n blinked, momentarily thrown off-guard. "My playlist?" she repeated, her tone caught somewhere between disbelief and indignation.

Kim didn't even blink. "Yes. I follow you on Spotify. You can tell a lot about someone from what they listen to. And if your playlist: POV: i'm the supervillain dad and mom was losin' their marbles to 😈🔥🐍🥋🗣️, reflects your decision-making, then we're in trouble."

Tory, still leaning against the doorframe, stifled what sounded suspiciously like a laugh. Kreese remained stone-faced, but y/n thought she caught a twitch of amusement at the corner of his mouth. 

"Okay, first of all, that's private stuff." Y/n placed a hand on her chest, feigning deep offense. "Secondly... me? Stupid?" she said, her voice dripping with mock indignation. "Sensei, I'm hurt. Truly. I mean, sure, sometimes I--"

"—act before thinking?" Tory supplied helpfully from her spot by the door.

"Interrupting," y/n snapped, pointing at Tory before looking back at Kim. "Sometimes I act before thinking, sure. But a childish revolution? That's a low blow. Even for you, Sensei."

Kim didn't even flinch. "This isn't a joke, l/n. I don't trust you to keep it together for one day. Prove me wrong."

The room fell into a heavy silence. Kreese's expression was unreadable, but his eyes lingered on y/n, clearly gauging her reaction. The blonde leaned against the wall, her arms crossed, looking thoroughly entertained by the show.

Y/n felt the heat rising in her face. It wasn't like she was known for making excellent life choices, but this whole thing felt unfair. She hadn't even done anything today! Well, not yet, anyway. But still, the judgment hanging in the air stung.

"Unbelievable," y/n muttered under her breath, her voice thick with irritation. She turned toward the door, shaking her head dramatically. "I've done nothing to deserve this."

"Nothing except for--" Tory began, but y/n didn't give her the satisfaction.

"Don't start with me, Nichols!" She snapped, spinning on her heel to shoot her a glare. She made it a point to scoff loudly, the sound echoing off the walls as she stormed toward the exit.

Before she could disappear entirely, she paused at the end of the hallway and turned back to Kim, her expression the picture of absolute seriousness. "And for the record, my playlist is awesome."

Kim raised an eyebrow but said nothing, her face like stone.

As y/n disappeared down the hallway, Kreese let out a low whistle. "You've really got her wound up today."

Kim didn't look at the man. "She does it to herself. Now move, Nichols."

Tory rolled her eyes but pushed off the wall, muttering under her breath, "Better hope those sponsors like angsty music and dramatics. She's really selling it today."

From down the hall, y/n's voice echoed back, "I heard that!"

Tory dropped onto her bed with a heavy sigh, crossing her arms and staring at the ceiling as if it had personally wronged her. "I'm not here for a stupid field trip," she muttered, making no effort to hide her disdain.

Kim's sharp heels clicked against the tile as she followed Tory into the room, her posture as rigid as ever. "Your team is waiting," Kim said, her tone calm but cold. "And you need to keep an eye on l/n."

Tory let out a humorless laugh, sitting up just enough to shoot Kim an incredulous look. "I'm not here to babysit either. That's your job, isn't it?"

Kim's face hardened as she walked to the blonde's suitcase, slamming it shut with enough force to rattle the nearby lamp. Tory flinched but masked it quickly with a glare.

"Let's get something straight," Kim began, her voice low and laced with venom. "I didn't want you on this team. I still don't."

Tory's jaw tightened, but she refused to look away, her voice steady despite the fire in her eyes. "Well, I am. Which means you didn't have a better choice."

Kim's composure cracked just slightly, her eyes narrowing as she snapped, "You're not fit to be a leader, Nichols. You've never been fit. Do you know who is? y/n." She pointed toward the door as if the girl were standing just outside, waiting to drive her point home. "y/n could've handled the female division on her own. She doesn't even realize it yet, but she's better than you in every way that matters."

That hit a nerve. Tory shot to her feet, her fists clenched at her sides. "Your precious y/n is the one who gave up her spot at the last minute. Don't forget that."

Kim didn't flinch, her voice colder now. "Because y/n has something you are clearly taking for granted... again—a heart. But don't worry," she added, her lip curling into a humorless smile. "I'll make sure that changes soon enough."

Tory's fists trembled. "Yeah, well, your perfect little dojo wouldn't have even been here if I hadn't stepped in. You came to me because you were one member short. But go ahead, keep pretending I'm the catalyst of all your problems."

The woman leaned in, her gaze cutting like a blade. "I saw your potential right away, Nichols. But I also saw that you're a rat—your split loyalties. Whining... the boyfriend."

Tory's eyes flashed with fury. "Oh, and by you breaking my hand? Did you ever do something like that to any other of your beloved pets for students?"

The tension in the room was suffocating, but before either could break it, Da-Eun's voice cut in smoothly from the doorway. She'd been standing there long enough to catch the conversation, her expression smug. "You broke your own hand," she said with mock sympathy. "And the difference between you, and my other beloved pets is that they learn the lesson. They're not used to being babied around. They are prepared for the game of life, no matter how it may turn out for them."

Tory whipped her head around, glaring daggers at Da-Eun, who smirked as if enjoying every second of this.

The woman didn't wait for a rebuttal. She straightened and delivered her final blow with a steely calmness that felt like a slap. "You're not a leader, Nichols. l/n is. She sacrificed her position for you, not because you deserved it, but because she believed you could handle it. The least you could do is respect that—and honor it by being the last one to lose."

Kim didn't wait for a response. She turned sharply and walked out, the door slamming shut behind her.

"Now get going before I make you."

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