❝ there is something holding you back.❞

―

WARNING; emetophobia!!!
this chapter contains brief descriptions of/the implication of throwing up. there's not a lot of detail & the specific action itself is skipped over.

the only details described are a queasy feeling, going to the bathroom, and the action of rinsing out your mouth. i  wanted to say something just in case!

DECHA TOOK A DEEP BREATH.

The time to fight Demetri for a spot in the semifinals had arrived. He walked into the mat with Demetri across from him. They kept their eyes on each other as they took center stage.

"Our next quarterfinal match will be Demetri Alexopoulos of Miyagi-Do Karate versus Decha Thirasawat of Eagle Fang," Daryl announced into the microphone.

They both bowed to the referee before turning to face each other. They bowed to one another, their eyes locking and never breaking as they stood up straight.

"Ready?" the referee asked.

Decha raised his fists and stood with his feet apart as he got into fighting position. He kept his eyes on Demetri, not daring to break eye contact.

"And fight!"

For a split second, they both just continued to stare at each other. Neither one of them made a move as they started to inch forward.

"Boyband, stop flirting and kick his ass!" Decha heard Sensei Lawrence shout from the sidelines.

Decha rolled his eyes and launched his fist towards Demetri. He quickly blocked the hit with his arm. Decha tried again and Demetri managed to block it, pushing Decha's wrist to the side. He raised his other fist and Demetri smacked his hand away. With Demetri distracted momentarily, Decha ducked down and gave Demetri a quick jab to the side.

"Point, Thirasawat!"

They'd got back into position, standing on opposite sides as they waited for the cue to fight. The second the ref's voice sounded; the two boys were stepping closer to each other. Decha threw the first punch, having it get blocked. He lifted his leg up and swung it towards Demetri.

He put his foot back down in the mat, preparing to send another punch Demetri's way. As he got into position, Demetri snuck his fist past him, and his fist collided with Decha's chest.

"Point, Alexopoulos! Score 1-1."

Decha gave him a proud nod before he turned around and walked back to his side. He stared at straight ahead at Demetri, winking at him as the referee asked if they were ready.

"And fight!"

Decha didn't hesitate to swing his leg straight up, causing it to go flying in Demetri's direction. Demetri quickly blocked his leg, pushing it to the side. Decha took a step back, jumping on the balls of his feet as he held his arms up in front of him, blocking and dodging the hits that Demetri sent his way.

Decha surged his fist forward, almost hitting Demetri in the chest before it was blocked. As Decha took a step backwards and tried to hit him again, Demetri moved his body to the side just in time and ducked, jabbing Decha in the side near his ribcage.

"Point! 1-2, Alexopoulos."

Decha sighed. As he got into position, he turned to look at the referee noticing that he was holding up a 'T' with his hands.

"Go to your senseis."

Decha looked over his shoulder to see Sensei Lawrence calling him over. Decha slowly jogged over to him.

"Boyband, get your head out of your ass," he said.

Decha gave him a confused look. "Huh? What are you even—"

"Quiet!" Sensei Lawrence shouted.

Decha sighed in frustration as he rolled his eyes.

"I get that he's your boyfriend, but stop holding back and kick his scrawny ass," Sensei Lawrence told him.

Decha nodded his head. He turned and went back to his place on the mat.

"Competitors, back on your lines," the referee called out.

Decha got into fighting position and took a deep breath as he waited for the referee to tell them to start fighting.

"Ready? Fight!"

Decha lunged forward, his fist surging through the air as he tried to hit Demetri. He barely gave him enough time to recuperate from his previous strike before sending his other fist flying.

Demetri was quick, blocking every hit that Decha sent his way. Decha took a small step back, turning his body as Demetri tried to land a punch. With his back facing Demetri, Decha turned his head to look over his shoulder. He swung his fist, and his right foot followed the path as he turned. He hit Demetri directly in the chest with the back of his fist.

Demetri faltered backwards. He managed to catch his balance before he stumbled onto the mat.

"Point, Thirasawat! 2-2."

They walked back to the marks. Decha looked over his shoulder at his sensei, seeing him nod his head.

"Ready?" the referee spoke, causing Decha to turn his head around. "Fight!"

More determined than ever to win, Decha was not holding back. For a second, the thought of taking a step back and giving Demetri a moment to breathe crossed his mind. But then he remembered what Demetri had said before the fight began, if we're going to fight, then we're going to do it right and that means not letting the other win.

Decha shook the thought from this mind, throwing a series of punches Demetri's way. All of which ended with being blocked.

Decha swung his leg up in the air. Before he could kick him, Demetri grabbed his leg and pulled him forward. Decha placed both his hands on Demetri's shoulders and yanked, turning his body around. Demetri's grip on Decha's leg loosened, providing him with the opportunity to land a kick straight to his abdomen.

Demetri was kicked backwards, letting go of Decha's leg as he fell to the mat. He gave him one last jab to the chest.

The referee grabbed Decha's wrist, lifting his arm in the air. "Winner!"

Decha smiled as he heard the audience cheering and clapping. He scanned the crowd until he saw his parents, his smile growing wider when he saw the proud looks on their faces. He turned his head, seeing Achara nod at him. With Silver standing right next to her, he knew it was all she could do.

"Decha Thirasawat of Eagle Fang is heading to the semis!"

Out of nowhere, a queasy feeling started to rise in his stomach and his throat began to feel like it was tightening. Decha gulped as his stomach started to churn. His eyes widened as he pulled his arm out of the referee's grasp and ran off the mat. He covered his mouth as he ran to the nearest bathroom and into an open stall.

"Dech?"

Decha turned his head to see Demetri standing in front of the stall. Decha flushed the toilet and leaned back against the wall as he tried to catch his breath.

Demetri leaned down, sitting next to him. "Are you okay? What happened?"

Decha stared up at the ceiling, shaking his head.

"It's okay," Demetri reassured him. "You can tell me."

Decha turned to face him. "You're going to be mad at me."

"I won't be," Demetri told him. "I promise I won't."

"You will be," Decha said as he shook his head. "You'll be mad at me."

Demetri put his hand on Decha's knee. "It's okay. Please just tell me? I promise I won't be mad."

Decha sighed. "I—I can't."

Demetri sighed softly. "Okay. I won't pressure you. It's okay. You're okay."

He didn't need Decha to tell him. Demetri had a feeling that he already knew what was wrong. Having Decha tell him would only be confirmation of his suspicions.

Demetri moved his hand that was in Decha's knee and placed it on his head instead. He started lightly and carefully running his fingers through his hair. Decha's breathing became calmer and less staggered. His chest had started to rise and fall at a normal rhythm.

"You're okay," Demetri whispered to him. "Are you okay to fight in the semis?"

Decha gulped and nodded his head.

"All right," Demetri responded as he stood up and reached his hand out in front of Decha. "Let's get you cleaned up and get back out there."

Decha grabbed his hand, letting Demetri hoist him up from the floor. Demetri led him to the sink and let go of his hand. Decha rinsed out his mouth with water and then washed his hands. He stared at himself in the mirror and took a deep breath before turning to look at Demetri.

"Okay," Decha said with a nod. "Let's go."

They walked out of the bathroom, hand in hand as they entered the arena.

"You're not mad, are you?" Decha asked.

Demetri stopped walking and turned to face him. "Why would I be mad? Because you won?"

Decha nodded his head.

"You won fair and square," Demetri told him, placing his free hand on his cheek.

Decha just nodded and leaned into his touch. Demetri lowered his hand and Decha turned, glancing up at the leaderboard.

"Shit..."

"What?" Demetri asked. "What's wrong?"

"Look who I'm fighting in the semifinals," Decha nodded towards the board.

Demetri's eyes went wide. "Well, shit."

"On a more positive note, Eli kicked Kyler's ass..." Demetri said as he pointed it the leaderboard, causing Decha to turn to him.

While Decha was happy that Eli had beaten Kyler, the only thing that he could think about was the fact that he was going up against Robby.

...

Achara looked up at the leaderboard. Her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion when she saw who she would be fighting against in the semifinals. She turned her head to look at Silver.

"I'm fighting against Tory?" Achara asked. "First, Robby and Kenny had to fight in the quarterfinals and now I have to fight Tory?"

Silver nodded his head. "It's just the way it turned out, but it doesn't matter because out there, she's not your teammate. She's not your friend. The moment you step foot on that mat, she's the enemy. You do whatever it takes to win. Is that understood?"

Achara gulped as she nodded her head. "Yes, Sensei."

"Is that understood?" Silver asked again.

"Yes, Sensei!" Achara shouted louder.

"Good," Silver responded.

Achara inhaled a deep breath and turned on her heels. She walked out of the arena, feeling like she was being suffocated and was in desperate need of air. She took a few deep breaths, counting slowly as she inhaled and then exhaled through her nose.

She took one last deep breath in and exhaled before she made her way back through the doors. She stood next to the other Cobras, waiting for the semifinals to begin.

"So, you and me, huh?"

Achara turned her head, seeing Tory standing beside her. "Looks like it."

Tory sighed. "It's like they want Cobra Kai to lose. Pitting us against each other and watching us drop like flies."

Achara found herself nodding her head in agreement. "At least we know one of us is destined to make it to the finals."

"As much as I want to win and as much as it would mean to finally know that I'm the best at something..." Tory glanced at the floor before meeting Achara's gaze. "It should be you."

Achara gave her a confused look. "What?"

"You should be the one to win this whole damn thing," Tory responded. "As much as I'd love to kick Sam LaRusso's ass, it has to be you."

"Don't tell me you're just going to throw your chances of winning away and let me win?" Achara asked her.

"Oh God, no," Tory chuckled as she shook her head. "I'm still fighting tooth and nail for a spot in the finals, but I think we both know that you're going to win no matter how hard I try."

Achara didn't say anything back. She just stared down at her feet, Tory's words repeating over and over in her head.

"And now, our first semifinal match will he Miguel Diaz of Eagle Fang versus Eli Moskowitz of Miyagi-Do," Daryl said into the mic.

Achara looked up, watching as Miguel and Eli stepped onto the stage. Her fingernails dug into her palms as she held them behind her back. Miguel and Eli did a quick handshake and bowed to each other before they got into position.

They started to inch towards each other. Miguel sent his fist flying through the air towards Eli, but he quickly blocked it. He threw punch after punch Eli's way as he tried to score a point. After a back and forth series of punches and kicks, Miguel kicked Eli to the ground, but Eli managed to block it.

"No point, that's a block!" the referee called out. "Continue!"

"Let's go, Diaz!" Johnny shouted as he and the rest of Eagle Fang cheered for him.

Miguel jumped, soaring through the air as he spun his body around. Achara's fingernails dug into her palms even deeper, so deep that she wouldn't be surprised if she had drawn some blood.

Crack.

Achara's heart felt like it had stopped beating at the sound. Her breath hitched, and her eyes widened. Miguel fell to the ground with a thud.

Memories of watching him fall from the balcony at school filled her mind.

"Miguel!" Achara shouted, eerily resembling the same terrified shriek that she had let out the day of the school fight.

Without giving it a second thought, Achara started to run onto the stage. She felt someone grab ahold of her wrist but pulled it out of their grip. She ran onto the mat and kneeled down next to Miguel. She grabbed his hand as he winced in pain.

The referee called for a medic. He kneeled down in front of Miguel next to Achara.

Miguel squeezed Achara's hand so tight that she thought her circulation would be cut off before he screamed, "Sensei!"

It echoed through the arena, causing Achara to flinch backwards.

Miguel was carried off of the mat by the medics, still groaning in pain. They wouldn't allow Achara to go with him. The medic told her to stay back. Achara stood on the mat next to Eli, her heart feeling like it was about to burst out her chest at any moment.

"Miss Thirasawat!" Silver called out, motioning her towards him with his finger.

Achara chewed on the inside of her cheek as she stepped off the mat and stood in front of him.

"I was right about you. There is something holding you back," Silver spoke, his voice low as he chuckled. "It's such an obvious weakness that we all should have been able to see."

"I'm sorry?" Achara asked, confused as to what he was talking about.

"It's Diaz," Silver responded. "It's always been Diaz. Your emotional ties to that boy are keeping you from unlocking your true potential."

That boy? Achara bit down on her cheek. He was so much more than just "that boy."

"While it may be true that I still have emotional ties to him, I can assure you that he is in no way, shape, or form holding me back from unlocking my full potential," Achara defended herself.

She knew it was true, but she couldn't let Silver know that.

"I'm going to do everything I can to win this tournament," Achara continued. "And I'm not going to let some boy get in the way of claiming the title of champion. Is that the kind of girl you take me for?"

It pained her to refer to Miguel as some boy.

A smirk appeared on Silver's face. He didn't have to say anything for Achara to conclude that she had given him the answer he was looking for.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to make sure that Miguel is okay," Achara told him. "And you're going to deal with it."

She didn't give Silver or anyone else the chance to hold her back before she walked out. As she reached the door where Miguel was being examined, Carmen and his Yaya walked out of the room.

"How is he?" Achara asked. "Is he okay?"

Carmen nodded her head. "He's going to be fine. Just a pulled muscle."

Achara felt relieved. "Thank goodness. Can I see him?"

Carmen nodded her head. Achara stepped around her, peering her head through the door and looking straight at Miguel before she walked in the room. Miguel smiled when he saw her. Achara slowly walked up to him.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Achara told him as she grabbed his hand. "I was so worried and I—"

"Hey, it's okay," Miguel cut her off. "I'm fine. Everything is fine."

"Are you sure?" Achara asked him.

Miguel nodded his head, giving her a smile.

The sound of Johnny clearing his throat caused them both to turn around to look at him.

"Don't you have a fight to compete in or something?" Johnny asked her.

"Not yet," Achara responded. "But Decha does." Achara turned her head back to Miguel. "Even if you don't feel up to fighting, Decha's still out there. There's still a chance for Eagle Fang."

Miguel nodded his head. "She's right. He's the best chance we've got at the moment and right now, his match against Robby is about to start. He needs both of you out there."

"What about you?" Johnny asked. "We have to get you back out there."

"And we can do that when the match is over," Miguel told him.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Achara asked him.

Miguel nodded. "I'll be okay. You need to be out there for Decha. He needs you there to cheer him on even if it's silently. Now, quit standing around and go before you miss it."

Achara grabbed Miguel's hand and gave it a quick squeeze before letting go. She walked towards the door, looking over her shoulder and giving Miguel a small smile before she began to walk down the hallway.

Decha was walking onto the stage by the time Achara had entered the arena.

"Next up, we have Robby Keene of Cobra Kai versus Decha Thirasawat of Eagle Fang," Daryl announced. "With the fate of Miguel Diaz up in the air, will this be Eagle Fang's last chance to soar into the finals or will Cobra Kai slither its way into the final round?"

Decha furrowed his eyebrows at him in confusion as the referee stepped in front of him and Robby.

"Ready?" the referee asked.

Decha licked his lips as he assumed fighting position, his heart pounding in his chest as he watched Robby do the same. Decha nervously jumped back and forth on the balls of his feet as he waited for the referee to clear them to start fighting.

"And...fight!"

— EMILIA'S NOTES

am i awful for leaving it there? yeah probably. but as usual, i need even chapters and i felt like this one would be waaaay to long. so 1 more chapter until the end of season 4!!!

screaming, crying, punching the wall. this chapter was A LOT and i'm not okay.

achara really said "shut up old man, i'm going to check on miguel and there's nothing you can do about it"

any theories on what'll happen next???

plssss leave comments! i wanna know your thoughts!!