HAYDEN MADE IT A HABIT TO ARRIVE AT MIYAGI DO AT LEAST AN HOUR EARLY.

The koi pond shimmered under the morning sun, the trees swayed in the soft breeze, and the silence wrapped around her like a warm blanket. It was her hour of peace— no noise, no drama, just her and karate.

That peace was shattered the moment she rounded the corner to find Robby and Sam already practicing the wheel technique. She paused, watching them for a second before letting out a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

"Looks like you guys beat me to it today," Hayden called, forcing a casual smile.

Sam turned, her face lighting up with a smug grin. Hayden's stomach twisted. It was like a sixth sense—she knew whatever came out of Sam's mouth next would ruin her morning.

And it did.

"Well," Sam said, brushing her hair off her shoulder with an air of practiced nonchalance, "since Robby's living with us now, I figured he could hitch a ride with me."

Hayden blinked, the words hitting her like a sucker punch. "Living with you?"

Robby shifted awkwardly, glancing at her. "Uh, yeah. Mr. LaRusso found out about where I was staying. He thought it'd be better if I, you know, had a place for a while. It's just for now," he said quickly, as if that would soften the blow.

Hayden trailed her gaze to Sam, who looked as smug as ever. And it didn't take a mathematician to know how Mr. LaRusso found out about Robby's home life. "You listened in on our conversation." It wasn't a question.

"You're accusing me of eavesdropping?" Sam raised a brow.

"Kinda like how you accused me of sticking a lollipop to your sweater?" Hayden threw back.

"Guys," Robby cut in, looking between the two girls. "chill."

"All right, guys." Daniel cut their conversation short, something Hayden was grateful for as she turned sharply, "Let's see where you're at. Who wants to go first?"

Robby looked towards the girl, treading lightly. "Hayden, you wanna—"

"No," Hayden walked the other way, jaw clenching.

Before Robby could respond, two teenage boys wandered into the backyard, all wide grins and restless energy.

"Hey, uh, we're looking for Miyagi-Do?" one of them asked, scanning the space like they expected to see neon lights and punching bags.

"You're in the right place," Mr. LaRusso said, ever calm, but with an undertone of excitement.

"The commercial said lessons are free," the other boy added, his tone a little cockier than it needed to be.

Commercial? Hayden's eyes narrowed, but she stayed quiet, trailing her gaze toward Robby and Sam. Neither of them looked confused in the slightest. And somehow, that didn't surprise her.

"They sure are," Mr. LaRusso said smoothly. "You guys ready to get started?"

The boys nodded eagerly, brimming with whatever bravado they'd brought with them.

"Great," Mr. LaRusso said, his smile almost too even. "I've got a couple cans of paint out front. The fence back here could use a fresh coat."

Sam and Robby moved to stand near Mr. LaRusso, both unbothered. Hayden stayed back, arms crossed loosely, watching.

"Robby and Hayden can show you how it's done," Mr. LaRusso added with a glance behind him.

The boys turned to Robby first, searching for answers. "You want us to paint your fence?"

"Keep an open mind, guys." Robby smiled, a little too genuinely. "It'll make sense later."

Hayden could already see where this was going. She tilted her head slightly as the teens exchanged skeptical looks.

"This is bullshit," one muttered under his breath, loud enough to hear.

Hayden's expression didn't shift, but her gaze sharpened, her silence landing heavier than any snarky comeback could. She let the moment hang, the tension prickling like static in the air.

One of the teens scoffed, shaking his head, and turned to leave with his friend trailing behind.

She caught Mr. LaRusso's disappointed look as he watched them disappear, though he didn't say anything. Robby and Sam exchanged a glance, but Hayden stayed still, her arms loose across her chest, unreadable.

"You didn't try to stop them," Robby said quietly, stepping closer to her.

"They wouldn't listen," Hayden replied, calm and certain. "You know that."

Robby considered her words, then nodded faintly. "We didn't listen either. At first."

Hayden's gaze slid toward him, just a flicker of something softer passing through her otherwise stoic expression. "And look where we are now."

"You think they'll come back?" Robby asked.

Hayden let a beat pass before answering. "No."

"Not everyone gets it, huh?"

Hayden finally turned her head, her lips pursed. "Not everyone's supposed to."

—

"This could be considered stalking, you know." Hayden tightened her grip on her duffel bag, the sight of Miguel lingering outside of her apartment door making her heart drop. "What do you want, Miguel?"

Miguel turned sharply at the sound of her voice, a voice he hadn't heard in days. It hit him like a jolt to the system, sharp and electric, cutting through the quiet he'd been drowning in. He hadn't realized how badly he needed to hear it until now, like a fix for something he'd been craving but didn't want to name.

"You weren't answering my calls," he said, his voice uneven as if he'd rehearsed this moment and still stumbled over it. "I just—" He stopped himself, his eyes searching hers. "I needed to see you."

Hayden's jaw tightened. "Well, now you've seen me. You can go."

Something caught her eye, looking off to the side at the floor. Her brow raised at the sight of a fairly large basket in his hands that held an assortment of things. Chocolates, fruits, chocolate covered fruit, flowers, and other snacks that made Hayden give a small sigh, ignoring the swoon her heart felt. "A fruit basket isn't gonna fix this."

He didn't move. Of course, he didn't. Miguel had always been stubborn in ways that irritated and disarmed her all at once. His eyes softened, pleading in the way that made her insides twist.

"Hayden, come on," he said quietly. "You can't just shut me out."

"Watch me."

She moved past him, shouldering her way toward her door. Miguel turned, his voice following her like a shadow. "I don't want things to be like this anymore,"

Her hand on the doorknob halted and Miguel took it as his cue to keep going. "I'm sorry, Hayden. I wasn't myself at the All-Valley. I get that now."

Hayden paused, hand gripping the doorknob so tightly her knuckles went white. "I don't want to do this with you, Miguel."

Miguel stepped closer, his voice calm but urgent. "Hayden, come on, talk to me."

Hayden's hand froze on the doorknob, her back to him as her jaw tightened. "You really don't get it, do you?"

Miguel's brow furrowed. "Get what? I said I'm sorry. I wasn't myself at the All-Valley. You know me better than that."

"Do I?" Hayden turned to face him, her voice sharp and controlled, but there was an edge of something raw underneath. "Because I know what I saw back there— what everyone saw— and what I saw wasn't the Miguel I thought I knew. And that's the problem."

Miguel's expression flickered, caught between defensiveness and guilt. "I made a mistake. I was under pressure, okay? I'm still me."

Hayden let out a humorless laugh, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. "That's the thing, Miguel. How am I supposed to believe that? One second you're this sweet guy, the guy I..." She stopped short, biting her lip before continuing. "And the next? You're someone I don't even recognize. And it's terrifying. Just when I thought I was ready to put my trust in you, you flipped, just like that. You made me feel... I felt stupid."

Miguel blinked, his voice softening. "Hayden, I didn't mean to change, I just wanted to prove myself—"

She exhaled, slowly, her shoulders dropping. "You proved something all right." Her words were sharp, but they didn't cut as deep as before. "You proved you can fight dirty. And you could again if you wanted to. That's what scares me. I let myself believe you were different, that you were better than this." She gestured vaguely toward him, frustration rippling through her words. "You reminded me that anyone can switch up at any given moment."

"That's not fair," Miguel said quietly, guilt etched into his face. "You're acting like I'm some kind of monster."

"I'm acting like someone who's been let down too many times to ignore the warning signs," Hayden shot back. "And you gave me a big, flashing neon one at the All-Valley."

Miguel opened his mouth to argue but then hesitated, the weight of her words sinking in. "I didn't mean to hurt you," he said softly. "Or to let you down."

Hayden's gaze hardened even as something in her expression wavered. "But you did. And now I don't know how to trust you, or anyone, for that matter. I hate that you did that to me."

"You don't have to believe me yet, but I'm trying, Hayden. I want to be better. For me. For—"

He stopped short, the words catching in his throat.

Hayden tilted her head, her expression unreadable. "For who, Miguel?"

"For you," he said quietly, meeting her eyes like he was bracing himself for impact. "Because you're right. I did lose something that day. I didn't just lose you— I lost me." Miguel looked at her like he wanted to fix it, to say the perfect thing. But he didn't have it— there was no quick fix to this.

Miguel stepped closer, cautiously, like he was afraid she might shut him out completely. "Let me prove it to you. I want to do better. I don't want to lose you over this."

Hayden swallowed, her throat tight. For a moment, she didn't say anything, the silence stretching between them like a tightrope. Finally, she let out a soft sigh, looking up at him. "You don't get to flip out and then just fix everything overnight, you know that, right?"

Miguel nodded quickly. "I know. And I'm not asking you to just forget about it. But let me show you that I mean it— that I'm still me. I'm still someone you can trust."

There was something in his voice— earnest and steady— that made her defenses falter, just a little. She looked at him for a long moment, like she was trying to read between the lines of everything he wasn't saying.

"Fine," she muttered, finally uncrossing her arms and turning back toward the door. "You get one shot, Diaz. Don't screw it up."

Miguel blinked, clearly surprised, before a small, hopeful smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "I won't."

She rolled her eyes as she pushed the door open, though her voice lacked its earlier bite. "We'll see." She picked up the basket, holding it up. "And I'm taking this."

Miguel smiled, nodding. "It's yours. Always was." He wasn't talking about the fruit basket.

—

Hayden wasn't sure how it happened. How one minute she was in her bed rereading Lord Of The Flies and the next she was backstage at Valley Fest, ready to perform her skills at any given moment.

"How you guys feeling?" Daniel approached the trio, rubbing his hands together like a coach hyping up a team before a game.

"It's short notice, but I think we got it," Robby said with a nod, his gaze flickering toward Hayden for confirmation.

She shrugged, her expression unreadable. "We'll see."

Daniel grinned, apparently taking that as good enough.

"I was thinking for the finale, I could do some kind of flip kick," Sam chimed in, her voice brimming with enthusiasm.

Hayden barely glanced her way. "Of course you were."

Sam blinked, taken aback. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Chill," Hayden said, shifting her weight and crossing her arms loosely. "Spotlight suits you."

It was an offhand comment, clipped and casual, but the edge in her tone carried just enough weight to make Sam's shoulders stiffen.

She turned just in time to see a cart of ice blocks being wheeled backstage, the sight pulling her focus.

"Hey," she said, her voice calm but pointed. "What's that for?"

Daniel's smirk widened as he followed her gaze. "That," he said, his tone dripping with mystery, "you'll see."

Her dark eyes flicked to the ice blocks again, then back to Daniel. "Was Mr. Miyagi always this cryptic or is it a LaRusso thing?"

Robby chuckled under his breath, but Hayden didn't react. She just shifted her arms, her posture still and steady as the chaos of backstage swirled around her. She didn't need to say much; she rarely did. Hayden's silence, paired with the quiet sharpness in her gaze, said enough.

As the crew scrambled and Sam debated something overly ambitious with Daniel, Hayden stayed back, a steady anchor amid the noise. She watched the scene unfold, waiting, because she didn't need the spotlight.

She never did.

But when the moment came, when they stepped out onto that stage, she knew exactly where she'd land—and the audience wouldn't see her coming.

—

The next thing Hayden knew, she was on stage, standing between Mr. LaRusso and Robby, lights bright and blinding.

They moved through the routine they'd spent the last few days sharpening— every block, every step, every strike drilled into muscle memory. Hayden's movements were automatic, crisp and precise, her body operating without hesitation. By the time Mr. LaRusso brought out the bo staff to fend them off in their next sequence, she felt steady. Unshakable.

This was her space. Her element.

"And now, for the grand finale!" Daniel called out, stepping back with a grin as he rolled the cart of ice toward center stage.

Hayden wiped her hands down her pants, brow creasing as she noticed the energy shift. The crowd's murmurs changed, heads turning toward something away from the stage. Then—

The sound system cut out with a jarring crack, and the stage lights flickered before plunging into darkness.

Hayden froze, her lips pressing into a thin line as her gaze darted around. "What the..." she muttered under her breath, her voice flat but sharp, like a knife unsheathing.

Then she heard it.

"Cobra Kai!"

The chant was distant at first, but it grew louder— closer— until her stomach dropped like a stone. Her head whipped to the right, and there they were: two lines of Cobra Kai students jogging toward the stage, chanting loud enough to drown out the restless crowd.

And at the front— Miguel.

She didn't miss the way Miguel looked directly at her, his face doing his pleas for him. An unspoken way of asking her to hear him out.

Beside her, Robby shifted, his fists curling at his sides. She didn't have to look at him to know his jaw was tight, his stare locked on Miguel with an intensity that could've lit the place on fire.

It wasn't loud. It wasn't dramatic. But the moment between the two boys was charged, like a fuse smoldering underfoot.

Hayden's face didn't change. She stood perfectly still, the way someone does when they hear something they can't unhear. But inside, everything twisted. The weight of every eye on her settled like an anchor around her neck.

She didn't say a word. She didn't flinch. She just stood there, still and steady as the Cobra Kai kids poured onto the festival grounds, loud enough to drown out everything else.

She didn't need to stick around to know what would happen next.

With simmering irritation, she bent down, grabbed her skateboard and bag from the edge of the stage, and walked off. No announcement. No explanation. She weaved through the growing chaos with a quiet kind of purpose, slipping into the crowd before anyone could stop her.

authors note.
Team Miguel deserved some content and there is more to come do nottt worry anyways how is everyone?