Kai's days in Okinawa took on a steady rhythm. He was beginning to find a peace that made him forget about his mentally draining rehabilitation and the after-effects of the car accident. The majority of his days consisted of helping his Sensei around the house and the dojo, intensive training and spending his free time either with Takeshi or talking to Rae.

Yet, even as he threw himself into his training, something gnawed at the back of his mind, restless and persistent. Ever since the mysterious text from Sam weeks ago, he couldn't shake an odd sense of disquiet. The memory of the message blurred like fog when he tried to remember her words exactly, but that faint sense of recognition - of someone important just out of reach - lingered in his thoughts.

And as hard as Kai tried to listen to Takeshi's advice, the echo of that missing piece stayed with him, lingering like a half-forgotten dream.

After his session with Takeshi, Kai quickly grabbed a shower before he slumped on his bed pulling his phone out. He saw the messages from Rae and smiled to himself before clicking on the call button.

It didn't take long for the girl to pick up.

"Hey Kai."

"Hey, Rae," he said, feeling the now-familiar flutter in his chest whenever he heard her voice, "got plans for today?"

"Not really. I'm supposed to be helping my mother cook later but my brother also wants me to help him train."

Kai respected Masahiko, despite the fact he beat him up. He respected him for being protective of Rae. If Kai had a younger sibling, he would certainly be the same with everything the two had gone through.

"How have you been?" she asked through the phone.

Kai hummed. "I've been alright, training hard. Preparing for more competitions."

"You've been training a lot." Rae said thoughtfully. "Ever since the camp."

Kai was unsure of how to respond. "The camp was intense, I've never trained at that level before consistently. Me and Takeshi have been the best fighters our age for as long as I can remember. I've never been pushed by anyone better than me. It's good though, it makes me better."

"I saw you at the camp," Rae mused, "you're one of the best I've ever seen."

Kai couldn't help but smile. "Thanks Rae. But I know I can be better. That whole camp, it just made me realise I want to do this for real. I want to represent Japan."

"It's nice to see you like this."

"Like what?"

"So passionate, so focused about something. I don't know, it just makes me happy."

He smiled feeling a tint of pink creep into his cheeks. There was a comfortable silence that didn't feel awkward at all, simply just two people enjoying each others company.

That evening, Kai found Takeshi in the dojo. He wasn't practicing, he was simply meditating. Takeshi's focus had been devoted to Emiko, helping her readjust. The police were doing everything they could but there was little progress in her case - she was simply a ghost that reappeared out of thin air.

But Emiko herself was beginning to piece together fragments, often in jagged, terrifying glimpses. In the weeks since she'd returned to Okinawa, her nights had become plagued by dark, unsteady memories - haunting, fragmented flashes that seemed to hint at a grim ordeal she could barely process. She'd awake screaming, drenched in sweat, visions of darkness and confusion dissolving as soon as she opened her eyes. There was a reason her brain wouldn't let her remember what had happened, her brain was protecting her.

"Takeshi, are you ok?" Kai spoke out and Takeshi opened his eyes.

"I'm fine, just calming myself down."

It had been stressful on Takeshi, so many emotions consumed him. He still loved her, but he made no attempt to try and be with her. He knew that she was recovering and that her healing process could take months, maybe even years. So for now, he chose to be the close companion she needed to get through this difficult period.

Emiko had returned to karate, although she was gently eased back. The loud noises and the controlled violence often frightened her and triggered something within her so she chose to practice her Kata. This allowed her clear her mind and only focus on the precision of her moves.

Her movements were fluid but hesitant, she was slowly remembering something that was deeply ingrained within her. She used to train with Kai and Takeshi when they were younger so it came naturally back to her.

"She's improving." Sensei Yazuko told the two boys as they watched her practice one morning.

Kai nodded. "It's like it never left her."

They continued watching as Sensei Yazuko went over to offer Emiko gentle feedback.

"You think she'll ever remember?" Kai asked quietly to Takeshi.

Takeshi sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know. Maybe part of her doesn't want to. Sometimes she looks terrified of what's in her own mind. But I think..."

He hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "I think the more she trains, the stronger she'll feel. And maybe one day, she'll have the strength to face whatever's hiding in there."

Kai thought of his own struggle with memory. There was always this nagging within him that something was missing. That there were periods of time unaccounted for but he never really thought about it. Ever since the mysterious message it consumed his thoughts more than before.

Now he knew that something was missing and that the nagging feeling wasn't just a figment of his imagination.

But maybe Takeshi was right, maybe it was for the best he couldn't remember. Everything seemed to be going so well for him right now, why change it? It didn't feel like something he had to chase.

Just then, a notification buzzed from Kai's phone. He pulled it out from his pocket to find a message from Rae waiting. A smile flickered across his face as he read her text - a simple message about something funny that had happened during her brother's training session. He could picture her laughter, the way she would try to stifle it when Masahiko glared at her, and the thought warmed him.

"Is that Rae again?" Takeshi asked, noticing the smile on Kai's face.

Kai nodded, not bothering to hide it. "Yeah. She's a good friend."

Takeshi raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Just a friend, huh?"

Kai felt a blush creeping up his neck. "It's complicated. We're friends...but I guess." he trailed off, not sure how to put into words what he felt with Rae.

Takeshi nodded knowingly. "She's good for you, Kai. I can see it."

And Takeshi truly believed that. To him, anyone who took his mind of the idea of Sam was good for him. He resented her, she ruined Kai's life and he could never forgive her for that. She was the reason he got into that car crash. Her and the stupid Diaz boy...

Over the following weeks, Kai and Rae continued to grow closer and Kai longed to see her again. She left a hole that Kai ached to be filled. They hypothesised on their calls, joked how funny it would be if one of them took a flight to see the other but these were just silly jokes.

After a morning run, alone as Takeshi was checking up on Emiko, Kai returned and noticed two figures.

His parents - William and Rebecca Hilton - were stood there, looking out of place. His father dressed in a perfectly tailored suit and his mother a red dress.

Wiping the sweat from his face, Kai approached them cautiously. Memories of his parents were scattered and distant, mostly of them leaving him here, sending money now and then, and the occasional phone call that rarely delved beyond the superficial. He hadn't seen them in years.

Well, that's what he remembered anyways.

"Mother. Father," he greeted them, his voice polite but stiff, "I didn't know you were coming."

"We wanted to surprise you," his father said, his voice quiet yet still commanding, "it's been a while."

There was an expression on both his parents' faces that Kai couldn't decipher. Happiness? Sadness? Gratitude?

Kai nodded, a small but unmistakable distance in his expression. "Yeah. It has."

Rebecca stepped forward, her face softening as she looked at her son. "You look well...you look really well."

She reached out to touch his arm but Kai shifted just slightly, pulling back instinctively.

He knew his parents visited briefly during his recovery but then he never saw them again, this was the first time he had seen them since the accident. To him, it took a life-threatening accident for them to re-enter their son's life.

How wrong he was.

"Mr and Mrs Hilton." Sensei Yazuko greeted, his English thick with an accent.

"Mr Yazuko," William replied, "a pleasure to see you again."

"How has he been?" Kai's mother asked.

"He is strong. He is doing well."

William and Rebecca exchanged a look, both filled with a multitude of emotions. They desperately wanted to bring their son back to America with them but they weren't selfish. They knew that it was in Kai's best interests to let him stay in Japan.

"Would you like to go to dinner with us later?" his father proposed.

Kai hesitated. Part of him wanted to say no, to brush them off, but there was another part - the part that had always longed for their attention - that nodded. "Alright. Dinner."

They chose a small, quiet restaurant tucked away in the streets, a place with warm lighting and traditional décor. Kai sat across from his parents at the low table.

"We're so glad you're doing well." his mother broke the quiet.

Kai nodded, his eyes fixated on the food in front of him.

His parents tried to make conversation but Kai gave them nothing more than a nod or the occasional murmur.

Finally, his emotions got the best of him. "Why did it take you this long to be in my life? It took me almost dying for you to come back."

His parents were taken aback, they looked heartbroken. If only their son knew.

"Son," his father began, "you don't understand-"

But his mother interrupted. "We're sorry darling. We really are. We had the wrong priorities but you're what matters to us now."

William shot his wife a look but she gave him a subtle nod. It was true, they hadn't been present in Kai's life. Granted they re-entered earlier than Kai thought but the point still stood - for years they were absent parents.

"You know you always have a home in America if you ever want to come back." she added.

"My life is here. I can't just leave Sensei and Takeshi."

"And we understand," his father responded, "we just want you to know that you are always welcome. And we will visit more, if you would like us to."

Kai didn't respond.

They made their way back as his parents dropped him off at his house before they went to the Hilton hotel nearby.

His father cleared his throat.  "Do you think we could see the dojo tomorrow? We'd love to watch you train."

Kai shrugged. "I guess. I'll be there in the morning."

Rebecca's face lit up, a small smile breaking through. "We'll be there."

He nodded, stepping back from the door. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Kai." his parents replied, their voices soft and filled with an emotion he couldn't quite read.

The next morning, as promised, his parents showed up at the dojo. They watched as Kai trained with Takeshi and a few other students, their eyes filled with both pride and something that looked like regret and pain. He could feel their gaze on him, but he forced himself to focus.

When his training was over, William approached him, a small smile on his face. "You're really good, Kai. I can see how much this means to you."

Kai nodded, not quite meeting his father's gaze. "It does. It's my life."

"We know." his mother smiled, she remembered how big of a role karate played in his brief visits to America. It was what got him to come back to the Valley in the first place.

"We're so proud of you, Kai. And we know we have a lot to make up for. But...we're here, if you'll let us be." she added.

He looked away, his heart conflicted. Part of him wanted to let them in, to believe they were truly here for him. But another part still held on to the hurt, the years of feeling abandoned.

His parents understood. It broke their heart to see their son like this, still thinking his parents didn't care but they understood that rebuilding their relationship would take time.

And they were willing to wait, to prove to him that this time, they were here to stay.