The end of the training camp arrived sooner than Kai expected. The final day was marked by rigorous sparring sessions and group Kata performances, as Sensei Osaka watched each of his students. For Kai and Takeshi, this week had been transformative; they'd trained alongside some of the best fighters in Japan, learning new techniques and improving their skills. But Kai's mind lingered on Rae, whose presence had made the experience better, even in the gruelling physical demands of camp.

Kai and Rae had barely been able to speak without her brother's dark eyes watching. Masahiko's protectiveness never fully eased, and he barely tolerated Kai's presence, even when they crossed paths in public. Their tense encounters were enough to keep Kai cautious around him, though Rae would always slip him a small smile when her brother's back was turned, a quiet encouragement that kept Kai grounded in the friendship they'd built.

On the final evening, the camp came to a close with a farewell dinner in the hall, and as everyone said their goodbyes, Kai found Rae waiting for him outside. They walked to the edge of the grounds, and for a moment they stood in silence, listening to the faint sounds of the others as they celebrated behind them.

Kai pulled his phone from his pocket. "You have your phone?"

Rae nodded, and they exchanged numbers.

She looked at him, her gaze steady but softened by something he couldn't quite name. "You'll call, right?"

"Yeah, of course," Kai said, and they both knew that this wasn't really goodbye, even if it felt like it, "it'll be different training at home again, after all this."

Rae grinned. "Keep up what Sensei Osaka taught you. You were already strong, but I think you're only going to get better from here."

They stood there a moment longer, neither wanting to be the first to turn back. Finally, she took a step closer and gave him a quick hug, brief but warm. Kai smiled, hugging her back before she gave him a final smile and walked back to where everyone else was.

"What kept you?" Takeshi asked when Kai finally reunited with him.

"Nothing..." he lied.

Takeshi smiled to himself, he knew what was going on. He didn't miss the small looks Kai gave this mysterious girl and he certainly did not miss Kai sneaking off in the evenings, leaving Takeshi to fend for himself.

When Kai and Takeshi returned to Okinawa, the familiar landscape welcomed them, but the week's experience was evident in every movement they made. At Tiger Claw, they were met by their sensei, who listened with an approving nod as they recounted their training. Kai demonstrated the techniques he'd learned under Sensei Osaka's eye - the sharper strikes, the disciplined timing, the patience he'd developed to keep his mind as steady as his stance.

Across the ocean, in the Valley, Sam LaRusso was struggling with her own thoughts. Time had passed since Kai had left, and the gap he left in her life felt as raw as ever. The arguments, the misunderstandings, and her own pride - all of it lingered, heavy with regret. She was haunted by the way she had pushed him away and by the things she'd never had the chance to say. Her guilt had only grown with time, gnawing at her, until one night she couldn't hold back any longer. Against her parents' clear instructions to leave the situation in the past, she picked up her phone and sent him a message.

I don't know if this will reach you, or if you'd even want to hear it. But I'm sorry for everything. I wish I could have been the girl you deserved. I hope you're okay, Kai. And if there's any chance you'd want to talk, I'm here.

She pressed send, her heart pounding as she held her breath, not knowing if he'd ever respond - or if he'd even seen it.

Kai was in the dojo when his phone buzzed. His hands paused mid-stretch as he looked at the name.

Sam.

Who was Sam? Was he someone Kai had met at a competition?

The message was brief, apologetic, and strangely familiar. Though he didn't recognise the name, something in him stirred as he read it, a faint familiarity that he couldn't quite place.

But as he sat there reading it again, he felt an uneasy tension. There were memories somewhere in his mind that didn't fully surface, but the name felt like an echo from a past he couldn't remember.

He immediately went to Takeshi for advice, whose face fell the second he saw the name.

"Show me the message," Takeshi said, taking the phone and reading it with a frown, "this is from...Sam? She's trying to reach you again, after all this time?"

Kai shrugged, his brow furrowed. "I...don't remember who she is. But the message, it feels like I should."

"Forget her, Kai," Takeshi said firmly, his expression darkening, "you're here now, and this - this is your life. She wasn't good for you, and she's not going to start being good for you now. Don't let her pull you back into that world. Block her."

Kai hesitated, glancing at his phone. There was still a faint tugging, that trace of recognition he couldn't dismiss. But the way Takeshi spoke, the harshness in his voice, made it clear that he didn't want this part of Kai's past following him. So he listened to his closest friend and blocked the number before continuing with his training.

Later that day, when he knew Kai was out running errands, Takeshi dialled the number and waited for the call to connect. After a few rings, Sam picked up on the other end, her voice tentative and hopeful.

"Hello?"

"It's Takeshi," he said flatly, "I'm calling for Kai. I don't know what you think you're doing, reaching out after all this time, but it needs to stop. You left him when he needed you most, and now he's better off without you."

Sam's voice faltered, her shock evident. "Takeshi, I...I didn't mean-"

"It doesn't matter what you meant. He's moved on. He's where he belongs now, in a place where he's safe and focused. So for both your sakes, don't contact him again."

There was silence on the other end, and Takeshi could hear the emotion in her shaky breath.

"Please, Takeshi," she whispered, her voice thick with tears, "just let me talk to him."

Takeshi's tone hardened. "Sam, don't make this harder. You were part of a past that's best left behind. Don't try to pull him back into something that hurt him. Leave him alone."

He ended the call before she could say anything more.

Sam stood there, her face dripping with tears as the call disconnected. She held her phone still to her ear as if he might come back on the line. His words echoed harshly in her mind, each one like a small, heavy stone:

He's better off without you.

Her grip tightened, her knuckles white, and the phone trembled slightly in her hand. Takeshi's voice had been unyielding, cold, and final. She felt as if the air had been pulled from her lungs, leaving an ache in her chest she couldn't quite reach. She'd expected resistance, but not this - the solid wall he'd put up.

She had barely recovered from the conversation when, later that evening, her parents asked her to sit down in the living room. Their expressions were serious but soft, concern mingling with the same weary protectiveness that Takeshi had expressed. Her mother's hand rested gently on her shoulder as she sat, and Sam immediately felt her pulse quicken.

Daniel cleared his throat, his eyes both steady and filled with concern. "Sam," he began, his voice gentle but firm, "we heard from Kai's parents. They spoke to us about you reaching out to him."

Sam's heart sank, a heat rising in her chest that she couldn't ignore. "You heard from them?" Her voice trembled as she met her father's gaze. "Did they say anything? About Kai?"

Her mother gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Honey, Takeshi told them that he thinks it's better if you...let things be," she said, choosing her words carefully, "they're thinking of visiting him soon, and they said he's doing really well over there. He's in a good place, Sam."

"But when is he coming back?" Her voice was barely above a whisper. She could feel her mother's gaze, warm yet full of concern.

Daniel hesitated, exchanging a look with Amanda. He took a breath. "We don't know, Sam. From what we've been told, he's happy there. He's working hard, training with some of the best. It sounds like he's found a place he belongs, a...a kind of peace."

Sam's heart pounded as she listened, the implications of his words settling in her mind, uninvited and unwelcome. "You're saying he's not coming back," she said, a raw edge of disbelief in her voice, "he can't not come back! How can he find peace if he's forgetting so much of his life? Of what happened here?"

"Sam, we're not saying never," her mother began, her tone gentle, "but he's building something for himself there. His family want to support him in that, and they think it's best for him right now."

Sam's gaze drifted to the floor. She felt trapped between her own feelings and the reality her parents were presenting. The urge to argue, to make them understand, was powerful, but the reality of Takeshi's call loomed heavily over her thoughts.

"Couldn't I just...go there?" She looked up, voice tentative. "If he's really doing well, maybe seeing a familiar face would be good for him, a reminder of-"

"No, Sam." Her father's voice was resolute. He met her gaze firmly. "This isn't about what's best for you. It's about Kai. He's finding his rhythm there, it's helping him recover. It wouldn't be right to pull him out of that."

Amanda nodded, her eyes softening as she added, "Sweetheart, I know this is hard. I know you care about him. But trying to reconnect might only reopen old wounds."

Sam swallowed hard, forcing down the growing frustration. She knew her parents loved her, but it felt as though everyone was conspiring to keep Kai away from her. She struggled to hold onto her voice, a quiet defiance breaking through her sadness.

"You don't understand." she murmured, looking away.

Her father softened. "Sam...we do. We really do. But there's a time to hold on, and sometimes, there's a time to let go. If he finds his way back on his own, we'll be there for him. But for now, you need to let him find his own path."

She looked back at them, her heart aching at their words. She knew they meant well, but that only made the feeling worse, the sense that no one understood what it felt like to carry this guilt and regret alone. But she could see there would be no changing their minds, no convincing them of what she was feeling. With a heavy sigh, she nodded, standing to her feet, feeling the weight of their words settle heavily on her shoulders.

During training sessions, Sam tried to drown herself in the motions, pushing herself harder than ever as if physical exertion might quiet her mind. But focusing was harder than it used to be; her regrets and memories kept slipping in. At one point, Johnny noticed her distracted state and pulled her aside after practice.

"Look, LaRusso," he said, a bit more gentle than his usual gruff tone, "I know you've been going through a lot, but you can't let it mess with your head. You'll just end up losing focus and get yourself hurt."

Sam nodded, her expression tight. "I'm trying, Sensei. It's just...hard sometimes."

Johnny gave her a sceptical look, but there was a touch of understanding in his eyes. "Yeah, well, if you're really serious about this karate thing, you'll need to find a way to work past it. If you're not all in, you're out."

Sam nodded. It wasn't what she wanted to hear, but perhaps it was what she needed to.

Maybe her parents were right, maybe the only way for her to move on was to just let it all go.