❝ why tell the truth now? ❞

―

THE COURTYARD WAS FULL OF TEENS.

The celebration was in full swing, with music blaring and cups of alcohol scattered around both the inside and outside of the apartment. Crowds of people were gathered everywhere, spilling out into the courtyard.

Achara and Decha stood in the living room next to the kitchen with Hawk and Robby as Miguel picked up abandoned cups around the living room.

"What, uh, what happened to the green?" Robby asked as he sat on the counter, pointing to Hawk.

The green dye from Hawk's hair was long gone, revealing his natural hair color.

Hawk shrugged. "Uh, didn't really work for me, so, still, uh, figuring it out."

"You should dye it red or blue again," Decha suggested. "You seemed the most confident with those colors."

Achara nodded in agreement. "Definitely. Although, with the red, you were a bit of an..." Achara trailed off.

"Asshole?" Hawk asked, finishing her sentence. "Yeah. The Red Hawk phase was definitely not one of my proudest moments."

Miguel set the cups in his hands down before he joined the conversation. "Dude, this is insane. How did everyone find out about this?"

"Moon invited a ton of people from East Valley," Hawk answered. "Guess the word got out."

Achara nudged Decha in the shoulder. "Are you doing okay?"

"You mean with all the alcohol around?" Decha asked, receiving a nod in response. "I'm fine. I haven't touched anything, and I promise I won't. Demetri already gave me an entire lecture."

"You talking about the whole Demetri telling everyone to keep an eye on you thing?" Hawk asked.

Decha glanced at Hawk, a look of disbelief in his eyes. "He did what?"

Achara, Miguel, and Robby all shot stares at him, unable to believe he had said that.

"Uh...my bad," Hawk said as he looked around at them, scratching his head nervously. "I guess the cat's out of the bag."

Decha groaned. "I promise I'm fine. I don't need you guys to be my babysitters all night."

"Where is Demetri anyway?" Robby questioned. "If he's so worried about you drinking, then why isn't he here?"

"Dinner with his grandparents that are in town," Decha told him. "He couldn't get out of it."

"Hey. Came to party with us 'cause we got into the Sakai Taikai?"

The group of teens turned their heads at the sound of Mitch's voice. He stood in front of the keg. Three girls were next to him as they stared at him in confusion.

The brunette girl shook her head. "I have no idea what you just said. We came to drink."

"Oh, well, the Seikai Taikai—"

"Penis Breath," Hawk interrupted him. "Grab the girl a cup."

The two girls smiled and giggled. Achara chuckled and shook her head as she turned to look at Miguel, who was already looking at her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, smiling down at her. Achara smiled back, a feeling of uncertainty in her stomach.

She turned her head, seeing Sam entering the apartment. Achara smiled at her and waved at her. Sam greeted her with a huge grin, returning the wave as she began to approach the group of teens.

"Hey, how's the party so far?" Sam asked as she stood across from them.

Decha shrugged. "I've never been to a party and not drank anything, so it's definitely a new experience for sure."

"Right," Sam nodded. "That's a good thing. You know that you aren't drinking, I mean. I'll totally kick a cup out of your hand if I have to."

Decha laughed. "There will be no kicking of cups because I'm not going to drink anything other than water or soda."

"He knows, by the way," Hawk pointed out.

Sam furrowed her eyebrows at him. "Knows what?"

"About Demetri asking us to keep an eye on him," Hawk told her. "I kind of fumbled the ball."

Sam chuckled at him, shaking her head, and then directed her attention at Decha. "How's that going, by the way? Tired of everyone hovering around you yet?"

Decha shook his head. "Nah, it's annoying, sure. But it's nice to know that you all care."

"Of course we care," Robby replied. "You're our friend."

Decha smiled. "I'm glad we're friends again, Robby. It was weird not having you as a friend or visiting you at the skatepark."

Robby nodded his head. "Oh, one hundred percent. It seemed like we went from being close to not speaking in a matter of seconds. I never told you this, but I missed you, man."

Robby hopped down from the counter and patted Decha on the back.

"Yeah, I missed you too," Decha replied.

Achara opened her mouth to tease them, but before she had the chance, a boy pushed through the gap that was between the group of friends instead of going around. He squeezed through them, bumping into Decha and then tripping. The contents of his drink spilled all over Achara's shirt.

Achara gasped, looking down at her drenched shirt, and then back up at the boy. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Oh my god, are you okay?" Sam asked.

Achara nodded her head as the boy started apologizing profusely.

"Could you not have walked around?" Miguel asked, coming to her defense.

"Or said excuse me at least?" Decha asked. "Instead, you had to push your way between us without even bothering to say anything."

The boy continued apologizing, asking what he could do to help.

"I think you've done enough," Robby told him.

The boy stood there, glancing among the group. They all fixed their gazes on him, wondering why he was still standing in front of them.

"Why are you still here?" Hawk spoke. "Get lost, man, before you get your ass kicked."

The boy apologized one last time before he walked away. Achara sighed as she stared down at her shirt.

"I can't believe he did that," Sam said, rolling her eyes. "What a jerk."

Miguel nodded his head. "Seriously." He looked down at Achara. "Are you okay? Do you want a shirt to change into?"

Achara shook her head. "No, it's fine. I think I've got an extra shirt in my car."

With a sigh, Achara announced that she would be back and then walked away from the group. She exited the apartment and walked through the courtyard to her car. She unlocked it and grabbed her backpack, which lay in the backseat. Luckily, she was right, and she did have an extra shirt to change into. She pulled it out of her backpack and then shut her car door, making sure to lock it before she walked away.

"Chara."

Achara turned at the sound of the familiar voice.

...

Chae stepped into the apartment and looked around the living room, scanning the party guests for Hawk. When she caught sight of him, she pushed her way through the crowd of teenagers. When she finally reached him, his back was turned as he talked to his friends. Chae inhaled a breath and held it in for ten seconds before exhaling. It was now or never.

"Eli?"

He spun his head around, sadness taking over his face as his smile disappeared. "Chae? What are you doing here? How'd you even know about this?"

Miguel, Robby, Sam, and Decha exchanged a look before they gave the two space to talk.

"I saw something about the party on Instagram, but that's not why I'm here," Chae told him.

"Then why are you here?" Hawk asked. "To lie to me some more and pretend that you weren't working with Cobra Kai this entire time?"

Chae gulped. "I never meant to hurt you, I swear. I want to explain everything to you. Please, just let me explain."

Hawk stared at her, deep in thought. He shook his head, crossing his arms against his chest. "What's there to explain, Chae? You lied to me. You were working with Cobra Kai. Was any of it even real?"

Chae nodded her head, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "It was real. I promise it was. I really do care about you. It was all part of Terry Silver's plan. He flew my mother and I out here, and—and he told me everything about you and the other Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fangs."

Hawk blinked a few times as Chae continued to speak, her words all running together. "I didn't meet you by accident. Silver told me to go to the water park and to get to know all of you. I went in there with every intention of befriending one of the girls—Achara or... or Sam—but then I bumped into you."

"Wait, so let me get this straight..." Hawk said, confused by what she was saying. "Are you saying that you're basically a spy for Cobra Kai? That all this time you were trying to get information out of me?"

Chae shook her head. "No, no, that's not what happened. I mean, yes, at first I was trying to get information, but the more that I talked to you, the more I realized how terrible Cobra Kai was."

"Then why did you stay?" Hawk questioned. "If you liked me and realized that Cobra Kai was terrible, then why didn't you leave? Why didn't you tell me the truth then? Why did you not say a word and let me see you at the Sekai Taikai qualifiers? Do you know how hurt I was seeing you standing across from me in that Cobra Kai gi? Do you have any idea how much my heart hurt?"

"I couldn't leave," Chae replied, shaking her head. "You know the other sensei that was there? Sensei Kim?" She didn't wait for an answer before continuing. "She's my mother. I was afraid of her—of what she would do if she knew I was turning against her."

Hawk crossed his arms, not entirely sure what he was supposed to say.

"She taught me everything I know," Chae told him. "She taught me karate. She taught me how to be ruthless and to never show any signs of weakness. What I told you about my mother teaching me karate from the moment I could walk was true. When I told you that I'd never met my father, that was true. It was all true. Give or take a few brutal and traumatizing childhood experiences."

Hawk furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

Chae's face visibly sank. "My mother hasn't always been the greatest. For as long as I can remember, she's drilled the Way of the Fist into my head. My first words were, 'No mercy!' and 'Yes, Sensei!' I was nothing more than a weapon to her. I didn't want to believe it at first, but the more time went on, the more I began to realize that she didn't love me. Not like a mother should."

"Chae, I'm sorry," Hawk replied. "I didn't know."

Chae shrugged. "It is what it is. But things are different now. I lashed out at my mother during the Sekai Taikai match. I told her she wasn't my mother and that I was done being her puppet."

Hawk raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

Chae nodded. "She was so mad after the match was over and said I was a disgrace and a disappointment."

Hawk's heart sank in his chest. "Shit, really? I'm sorry, Chae."

"It's okay." Chae smiled softly at him. "That's not the first time I've heard her say those words. Over the years, I've learned not to let her get under my skin. But I think she meant it for real this time, and now I don't know what I'm going to do, but I can't go back to her. I can't let her control me anymore."

Hawk pulled her into a hug. "Don't worry, Chae. We'll figure something out."

Chae hugged him back, thankful that he had chosen to forgive her instead of pushing her away.

"You know something else I realized?" Chae asked.

"What?" Hawk asked.

"The more I talked to you, the more I started to like you," Chae admitted.

A smile spread on Hawk's face. "Really? Y-you do?"

"Yeah," Chae said with a nod. "I wasn't supposed to, but I did. That's another reason why I finally stood up to my mother—for you."

His grin grew even wider.

...

"Chara."

When she turned, Achara was face-to-face with Tory.

"What are you doing here, Tory?" Achara questioned.

"I came to talk," Tory responded.

"About what?" Achara asked.

"About Silver. I saw him paying the referee at the All Valley," Tory confessed.

Achara stared at her in confusion, wondering why she was choosing now to admit the truth.

"Achara, just listen to me. When I went back in the arena, I saw them talking, and then a while back, I was talking to Silver at the dojo. He admitted to paying off the ref, but it didn't matter. You won fairly," Tory explained.

"Tory, I know," Achara told her.

"What? You do?" Tory asked.

Achara nodded her head. "I overheard the entire conversation. But why tell the truth now?"

"Because...because I've realized just how corrupt Terry Silver is," Tory responded. "And I've been working with Sensei Kreese because Silver framed him for what happened to Stingray and—"

"You've been working with Kreese this entire time?!" Achara raised her voice at her. "Are you insane? That—that letter that Mr. LaRusso got asking him to go to Silver's house—that was you, wasn't it?"

Tory gulped and nodded her head in shame. "I didn't know he would get hurt."

"My dad got hurt because of you?"

Achara and Tory both turned their heads to see Sam standing a few feet away from them.

"My dad was attacked because of you!" Sam shouted as she pushed Tory. "And you knew all along that Silver tried to cheat at the All Valley, and you did nothing?"

"Sam..." Achara tried to pull her away.

Sam yanked her arm away from Achara's hand.

"You don't know what it's like in there, what I've had to deal with," Tory replied.

"Tory, you could have come to me," Achara told her. "I would have listened. I understand what Cobra Kai can do to you. What Silver can do."

"I know..." Tory sighed. "I just...I was afraid."

Sam was seething, balling her fists at her sides and clenching her jaw tightly as she glared at Tory. When Tory turned to look at her, Sam's fury grew even more. She raised her fist, swinging it in Tory's direction.

"Fight!"

The crowd of teens in the courtyard began to gather around them as Sam continued to try and push, punch, and kick Tory.

"Sam, stop!" Achara shouted at her, trying to pull her away. "Stop!"

Sam kicked Tory in the stomach, pushing her back into the metal garbage can. A loud clang rang out as Tory slammed against it. Tory moved quickly as Sam tried to kick her again, causing her to kick the garbage can instead.

"My entire family has suffered because of you!" Sam screamed at her.

Sam went to punch her again, but Miguel and Robby stepped between them. Decha grabbed Achara by the arm and pulled her to the side, out of the way.

"No!" Miguel said as he held her back. "Sam, that's enough!"

"She's been working with Kreese this whole time!" Sam told the boys.

"What?" Robby asked, turning to look at Tory.

"Why did you only come forward now? Huh?" Sam yelled at her. "Because you're a coward."

"Sam, stop!" Achara shouted. "Just stop! Can you at least give her a chance to explain?"

Tory shook her head. "You know what? Screw you, LaRusso. You just had to insert yourself. I knew this was a mistake."

Tory stormed off, leaving the parking lot.

"Tory!" Achara called out after her.

But it was no use; Tory had already disappeared. Achara turned to look at Sam, a disappointed expression on her face. Sam clenched her jaw and then walked away.

"Did you know about any of this?" Miguel asked.

Robby shook his head. "No. I had no idea."

"Nothing," Decha replied.

The three boys turned to look at Achara.

"Chara, did you know about this?" Miguel asked.

Achara gulped. "Uh...sort of? Not about the working with Kreese thing, but I did know that Silver tried to pay off the referee at the All Valley. I still won, though, fair and square. He said it was like an insurance policy, just in case. I didn't think anything of it, really. I mean, we all knew he was corrupt and a crook, so I—"

"It's fine, Chara," Miguel said, placing his hands on her shoulders to calm her down.

Achara sighed. The group of teens exchanged a look with each other as they tried to process everything that just happened.

— EMILIA'S NOTES

and with that i leave you. this chapter was kinda short, but i'm aiming for 70 chapters so that's the end. it was also really dialogue heavy...

trying to change up the whole "you didn't lose the all valley" thing was harder than i thought it would be, but it worked out. also i hope it made sense??

alternative chapter title: sam is #1 achara defender