❝ cat got your tongue? ❞

―

ACHARA TOOK A DEEP BREATH.

She looked up at the new Cobra Kai dojo, trying to get the courage to walk in. This was going to be her last day at Cobra Kai. The only problem was that she hadn't told Silver yet. Though she feared what his reaction would be, Achara had to go through with it. She made a promise not only to those she cared about, but to herself as well. Achara would no longer allow herself to be controlled by the manipulation of Cobra Kai.

She reached for the handle and pulled the door open. Achara walked through the dojo, seeing the other students lined up on the brand new mat. In front of them stood Silver and several other adults dressed in various gis. All eyes were instantly on Achara as she placed her bag by the door.

"Let's all give it up," Silver spoke, holding his hand out towards her. "Champ is in the house."

They all applauded and cheered. Achara couldn't help but think that they wouldn't be reacting that way to her arrival if they knew that she was quitting.

"She's allowed to be a little late. Today," Silver joked, causing several laughs in response.

Achara bowed before she stepped onto the mat. She claimed the spot at end of the line next to Tory. Achara gave her a small smile. Tory's eyes immediately darted at the floor. Achara furrowed her eyebrows, saying her name, but Tory didn't budge. Her gaze remained fixated anywhere that wasn't on Achara as she gave her the silent treatment. Achara didn't understand why Tory was acting like this.

She thought that their conversation during the tournament had been the first step towards fixing the strain between them. Achara started to think that maybe she had read the conversation wrong or that there was something that Tory wasn't telling her. She always did seem to shut her out when there were things she didn't want Achara to know.

"Hey, Chara," Kenny whispered, looking past Tory. "When are you going to bring your trophy in?"

"Not today," Achara answered, shaking her head.

Kenny's smile faltered as he looked away from her. Achara looked straight ahead, her eyes scanning the senseis that stood in front of her.

"All right, warm up," Silver announced. "The senseis will instruct you. Let's see what they know."

Achara looked around the dojo, watching as the other students dispersed and teamed up with one of the senseis. The sensei who was wearing a blue gi began to walk up to Achara, but he was stopped by another man wearing a white gi. Achara gave him a confused look as he approached her.

"So, you are champion, eh?" he asked. "You are Achara Thirasawat?"

Achara nodded her head. "Yeah, I am."

"Good," he replied. "I have heard a lot about you."

"I'm sure Sensei Silver has told you a lot of things about me," Achara responded. "None of it matters anyway."

"Oh, trust, I know," he replied, winking at her. "And not from Silver."

Achara's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion before she realized what he meant. He wasn't just any new sensei looking for a job. He was an insider, gathering information about the inner workings of Cobra Kai.

Achara nodded in understanding, a smile appearing on her face. Together, they walked to the corner of the dojo near a training dummy.

"You know my name," Achara said as she followed him. "Don't you think it's only right that I know yours?"

He turned to look at her, stepping closer before softly whispering, "Chozen. But you do not call me that. Here, I am Sensei Joe."

Achara nodded her head. "Understood, Sensei Joe."

"Now, let's see how the champion fights."

He reached for a nearby punching pad and held it out in front of her. Achara got into fighting position and waited for him to tell her to begin before she started to punch and kick.

After several rounds, Achara stopped, standing with her normal posture as she waited to hear what Chozen had to say.

"I see why you are champion," he told her. "Strong kicks. Good punches. But one flaw. You hold back."

"So I've been told," Achara responded.

"It is obvious. You are torn," Chozen continued. "You do not know if you want to quit or stay. Maybe you give up now that you are champion."

"Quitting was always part of the plan," Achara replied. "But it was never just about a trophy or being paraded around like a show pony. I wanted to prove myself and correct my mistakes. I'm not giving up. I'm just letting go and starting a new era."

"Good reasons," Chozen nodded.

"And you? Why did you decide to become a sensei?" Achara asked him.

"Honor," Chozen replied quickly.

Achara nodded her head. "That's a good thing to have." When he didn't say anything else, Achara spoke again. "Is there...anything else?"

Chozen shook his head. "Honor is everything. I thought I had lost. Eventually, I understood. No one can take honor from you. Only you can take honor from yourself."

Achara stared at him, letting his words soak in. He was right. There was nothing that was more important than honor.

Achara didn't get the chance to say anything in response before Silver's voice sounded in her ear.

"How's it going here, Sensei..."

Chozen turned to face him. "Jokichi Tatsuya. Everyone calls me Joe."

"Sensei Joe," Silver nodded, turning his head to look at Achara. "What are you working on with our champion?"

Achara quickly averted her eyes, staring down at her feet.

"First train mind," Chozen told him. "Then train body."

"Don't let me interrupt," Silver said.

Achara glanced up just in time to see him give Achara one last look before he stood off to the side. Achara turned her head towards Chozen.

"If you want to break free of troubles, you must face them directly," Chozen told her.

Achara nodded her head, tilting it in the direction where Silver stood. He stared back at her, waiting to see what she was going to do and assessing Chozen's teaching.

"Now, focus," Chozen told her. "Center."

Achara looked away from Silver, getting into fighting position.

"Breathe."

Achara inhaled deep breath through her nose before letting it out as Chozen held the pad in front of her. When he told her to attack, Achara swung her leg around and kicked, causing her foot to collide with the training pad.

"Nice work, Thirasawat," Silver told her.

"Now, like this," Chozen said as he dropped the pad and walked over to the training dummy. Achara watched him closely, taking note of his movements as he threw kicks and punches at it.

"You know Tang Soo Do," Silver proclaimed, receiving a nod from Chozen in response. "Where are you from exactly, Sensei Joe?"

"Kyoto," Chozen replied.

"Ah, beautiful," Silver nodded. "I've always loved the Fushimi Inari Shrine."

"Too many tourists," Chozen spoke. "Nanzen-ji Temple, much better for your next visit."

Silver didn't say anything as he stared at him, almost as if he were questioning his words. He nodded before motioning his hand between Chozen and Achara, telling them to continue training. As Silver turned around and walked away, Achara released a breath that she didn't realize she had been holding.

...

After practice was over, Achara waited for Silver to finish talking to the other senseis. She stood up from her seat on the bench when he turned around.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" Achara asked as he approached her. "There's something I need to tell you."

"What's on your mind?" Silver asked her. "Excited to take things to the next level?"

Achara gulped. "I—I'm, well, there's not really an easy way to say this, but I'm quitting."

Silver let out a laugh. "Quitting?"

Achara nodded her head. "Yes. I'm more than happy to be champion and I'm so thankful for everything you've done for me, but I've been under a lot of pressure lately and I—"

"Do you know how many people would kill to be in your shoes?" Silver asked. "You were weak before I took over Cobra Kai. You let your emotions cloud your judgment."

Achara scoffed. "Excuse me? I was never weak. Would someone who was weak and clouded by their judgement be able to manipulate you for so long?"

Silver stared at her blankly. "I beg your pardon?"

"Oh, you mean you didn't hear?" Achara asked, stepping closer to him. "You claim to be so clever, yet you didn't even realize that I was double-crossing you this entire time."

Silver was speechless. Achara could practically see the gears turning the past few months replayed in his head.

"Cat got your tongue?" Achara asked. "I might have helped you win the tournament and shut down Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang because I believed that it was my best chance at proving myself but believe me when I say that they will persevere. And when they do, you can bet that I'll be on their side."

Achara turned on her heels and started to walk away.

She turned back around. "Oh, and one more thing. To quote one of my mother's favorite sayings, adit kae khai mai dai tae anakhot rao tham hai di kwa doem dai. It means we cannot fix the past, but we can make the future better."

Achara straightened her posture, holding herself with as much lingering confidence as she could muster. "And that's exactly what I'm going to do."

She turned around once again, walking out the door. She felt relieved as the summer breeze hit her face. It was like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. For the first time in months, Achara felt like she could finally breathe again.

Achara walked towards her car and got inside. As she started her car and prepared to drive out of the parking lot, she realized that she had forgotten her bag. Achara groaned and opened the car door, preparing herself to walk back into the dojo.

She opened the door and bent down to grab her bag, but paused when she heard Tory and Silver talking. Achara quickly and quietly hid behind the wall, listening to their conversation.

"I know what you did," Tory's voice spoke.

"I'm not sure I know what you're referring to," Silver replied.

"I saw you with the referee after the tournament," Tory explained. "I know you paid him."

Achara's heart sank. There was no way that was true. She had won the tournament fair and square. But it also explained why Tory had been ignoring her earlier.

"Have you told anyone else?" Silver asked.

"Not yet," Tory responded. "So, you don't deny it?"

"Not at all," Silver replied. "I didn't even need to. It was just an insurance policy in case we didn't pull through and we did."

"Trust me, I know you didn't need to," Tory told him. "Achara is the best damn fighter I know. I had no doubt that she would win from the very beginning. She deserved to win. But the fact that you didn't believe in her? You thought you had to pay off the ref to guarantee a victory?"

"You wouldn't be speaking so highly of her if you knew that she betrayed us," Silver responded. "Betrayed the dojo. Betrayed you."

"What?" Tory asked.

"She was working with Eagle Fang and Miyagi-Do the entire time," Silver replied.

Achara suddenly felt like she couldn't breathe. She had planned to tell Tory the truth, but now she couldn't. Silver had taken the opportunity away from her, using it as a ploy to keep Tory on his side.

"That's—that isn't true," Tory responded, shaking her head.

"Oh, but it is," Silver replied. "She's no longer apart of this dojo and you're more than welcome to follow her. If you choose to leave, I won't hold it against you. But if you come back tomorrow, I will make you the new face of Cobra Kai. You will be the future of this dojo. The decision is yours."

Achara shook her head, unable to believe what she was hearing. She peered her head around the corner, hoping to catch a glimpse of Tory's face. Tory faced the opposite direction, preventing her from seeing her expression.

Achara took a deep breath before she decided to just hurry up and grab her bag. She reached down and grabbed it before walking out the door. She got back in her car and drove out of the parking lot, leaving Cobra Kai behind.

When Achara arrived home, she immediately trudged up the stairs and down the hall to her room. She threw her bag on the floor and walked towards the shelf where the All Valley Champion trophy sat. She grabbed it from the shelf and held it in her hand as she glanced down at it.

Achara gripped the trophy tightly in her hand. As a tear began to stream down her cheek, Achara threw the trophy towards the wall. It smashed against the wall before falling to the floor, the pieces scattering onto the floor. Achara slowly walked towards the trophy, looking down at it.

Winning was worth it. The trophy wasn't. She didn't need the trophy to know that she was a good fighter. She didn't need the trophy to know that her parents were proud of her. It was just a piece of plastic.

────────────

When Achara woke up the next morning, the first thing she saw when her eyes opened was the broken trophy. She went downstairs and grabbed a trash bag before going back to her room to toss the pieces into the bag. She stared down at it, wondering what to do with it.

She crossed her arms, a small smirk tugging at her lips when she got an idea. Achara changed out of her pajamas and grabbed the bag off the ground, slinging it over her shoulder as she walked downstairs.

"What's that?" Decha asked.

"My trophy," Achara told him. "I threw it at the wall and broke it into pieces."

Decha raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Achara shrugged as she placed the bag on the floor next to the door. She walked over to the couch, taking a seat next to Decha. His eyes were red and puffy as if he had been crying all night.

"How are you holding up?" Achara asked, referring to his breakup with Demetri.

Achara had comforted him the night after the party when he came into her room bawling his eyes out. He told her about the breakup. Achara didn't think she would ever forget the look of pure sadness on his face and the sound of hurt that was present in his voice.

"Are breakups usually this awful?" Decha asked.

Achara nodded her head. "Unfortunately, yes. Trust me, you'll get through it."

"I don't know how to get through it. I've always been the one that did the dumping, not the one getting dumped," Decha responded. "I just want him back. He's the first person I've ever loved. The first person I've ever really cared about."

"Then fight for him," Achara placed her hand on his shoulder. "Be a better person for him and yourself."

"And how do I do that?" Decha asked.

"Well, first off, admit that you have a drinking problem," Achara said, quickly continuing to speak before Decha had the chance to protest, "And don't even say you don't. You and I both know you do."

Decha sighed, defeated. As much as he didn't want to admit it, it was true. Demetri was right. Achara was right. He drank to avoid his problems. He drank to keep himself going and without it, he was a nervous wreck.

"You know, you could consider going to therapy or maybe a support group," Achara suggested. "I didn't want to go to therapy at first, but it's helped me so much."

Decha nodded his head. "Yeah. Okay. I can do that."

"First things first, you have to tell Mae and Pa," Achara told him.

Decha groaned. "Ugh. Do I have to?"

"They need to know," Achara replied. "Even though you don't want to tell them, they need to know. I'll talk to them with you if you'd like."

"Please," Decha responded. "Do you think they'll be mad at me?"

"I think they'll be disappointed more than anything," Achara replied honestly.

"It's just that I'm finally in a good place with them. I'm not just the screw up kid or the problem child," Decha said with a sigh. "What if I ruined all of that just like I ruined everything with Demetri?"

Achara shook her head. "That won't happen. I won't let it and I promise, things will work out with Demetri."

"You think so?" Decha asked.

Achara nodded. "I know so." She pulled him into a hug. "It'll all be okay."

It only lasted for a few seconds before she pulled away and stood up. She walked up to the door and grabbed the trash bag once again.

"Now, if you'll excuse me," Achara said as she placed her hand on the doorknob, "I have to return this trash to its rightful owner."

Decha gave her a questioning look. "Huh?"

Achara didn't give him an answer before she shut the door behind her. She unlocked her car door and tossed the bag in the passenger seat. She pulled out of the driveway and started to drive.

After having to stop at every single light, Achara eventually made it to her destination. She parked her car and then reached for the trash bag. She got out of the car and looked up at the sign reading, "Cobra Kai."

Achara opened the door to the dojo and walked inside. Silver was standing near the training dummy, repeatedly hitting it. Achara cleared her throat, causing him to turn to look at her.

"Miss Thirasawat," he spoke. "Back so soon?"

Achara rolled her eyes. "You wish. I just came by to give this to you."

Achara opened the trash bag and dumped the trophy pieces onto the mat. Silver's eyes widened as he watched the pieces fall.

"I would apologize for breaking it, but honestly, I'm not sorry," Achara said before she turned on her heels and exited the dojo.

— EMILIA'S NOTES

okay so it was supposed to be this chapter which was going to include spa day with the girls + tattoo/necklace shopping with the boys and then the water park chapter, but i wrote more than i intended to & didn't want it to be too long just in case i get carried away.

achara breaking the trophy and then giving silver the broken pieces might just be one of the most iconic things she's done.

my dechmetri heart </3. it will be fixed, i promise.

alternative chapter title: achara thirasawat is an icon.