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THE JOURNEY BACK TO THE HOTEL WAS A QUIET ONE... Kwon and y/n walked side by side, exhaustion written in every line of their bodies. The events of the night—the beach, the ambush, and everything in between—clung to them like the sand embedded in their clothes and hair. The early morning sun was beginning to rise, casting a warm orange hue across the sleepy city, but neither of them paid it any mind.

As they reached the entrance of the hotel, the girl glanced at Kwon. His shirt was rumpled and stained, his hair disheveled, and traces of dirt and dried sweat clung to his skin. She was sure she didn't look any better.

"We look like we crawled out of a dumpster," she muttered, her voice dry.

Kwon glanced at her, smirking despite his weariness. "Speak for yourself. I always look good," he quipped, though his tone lacked its usual sharpness.

Y/n rolled her eyes but didn't bother replying. They entered the hotel lobby, the cool air conditioning washing over them like a relief from the chaos of the night. Fortunately, it was still early enough that the lobby was empty, sparing them the embarrassment of being seen in their current state.

As they stepped into the elevator, she broke the silence. "Let's just... get cleaned up and meet downstairs for breakfast," she said, avoiding his gaze.

Kwon nodded, leaning back against the elevator wall. "Yeah. Breakfast sounds good. I'm starving and craving... well, food."

When the elevator dinged and the doors slid open, they parted ways without another word.

Back in her room, the y/h/c-haired girl headed straight for the bathroom, peeling off her sand- and sweat-covered clothes with a grimace. The shower was scalding hot, but she welcomed the sting—it felt like it was washing away the grit, the grime, and the weight of the past 24 hours.

As she scrubbed her skin clean, her mind wandered to the events of the night: the goons in the alley, Kwon's protective fury, the way he had hugged right after that fight. Her fingers lightly traced the bruised and tender skin on her cheek where the crowbar had grazed her. She winced at the touch.

After what felt like forever, she finally stepped out of the shower, wrapping herself in a towel and wiping the steam off the mirror. The faint, purplish bruise on her cheekbone stood out starkly against her y/s/c skin, and dried blood was still faintly visible along the edges of the cut.

"Great," she muttered to herself, sighing.

After drying off and changing into a pair of loose jeans and a soft hoodie, she rummaged through her bag and found a disposable face mask. It wasn't perfect, but it would cover the worst of the injury without the need of any makeup, and hopefully, no one would ask too many questions.

Satisfied, she grabbed her phone and room key and headed downstairs.

However, the minute y/n opened her door, she nearly collided with Kwon, his hand raised as if about to knock. Startled, she blinked up at him. His face was drawn tight, his jaw set with an intensity she hadn't seen since the alley.

"Kwon?" she said, her voice soft but puzzled. "What are you doing?"

He didn't answer at first, his sharp eyes darting briefly down the hallway as though to check for eavesdroppers. Then, without warning, he grabbed her wrist—not harshly, but firm enough to convey urgency. "Come with me," he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

Y/n's brows furrowed as she stumbled slightly, keeping up with his hurried pace. "Wait, what's going on?"

He glanced over his shoulder at her, his expression unreadable but tinged with something that made her stomach twist. "Not here," he said cryptically. "Elevator."

Without another word, he pulled her toward the end of the hall. The hotel was still quiet in the early morning, the soft hum of air conditioning the only sound as they moved.

Once inside the elevator, the boy pressed the button for the lobby, his hand still loosely around her wrist. y/n leaned against the mirrored wall, her pulse quickening—not from the grip but from the unnerving tension radiating off him.

"Hey," she tried again, more firmly this time. "What's going on?"

He finally turned to face her, his voice low and hushed. "I overheard Kreese talking to Kim," he said, his words clipped. "Senseis are not letting last night slide. They're already making plans to... how do you say that word? Josa- investigate."

Her eyes widened. "Investigate?"

He nodded, his expression dark. "Yeah. And from the sound of it, they're not talking about calling the cops. They're planning to handle this themselves. Quietly."

Y/n shivered, though the elevator was warm. The idea of Kim and Kreese taking matters into their own hands was unsettling, to say the least. A traumatized war veteran and... the granddaughter of a crazy yet wise old man.

"What does that even mean?" she asked, her voice hushed.

Kwon's gaze flicked to the elevator doors, his jaw tightening. "It means we're dealing with people who don't like loose ends. And after what those guys pulled last night..." He didn't finish the thought, but the implication hung heavy in the air.

Before y/n could respond, Kwon's eyes drifted to her face—or more specifically, the mask she was wearing. His brows furrowed slightly. "What's with the mask?"

Her hand instinctively went to adjust it, a flicker of insecurity crossing her features. "Just didn't want to deal with questions," she admitted quietly. "...It's nothing."

Kwon tilted his head, studying her with a look that made her feel both exposed and oddly comforted. Without thinking, he reached out, his knuckles brushing against her cheek through the fabric of the mask. The gesture was so gentle, so uncharacteristically soft, that it made her breath catch.

The elevator hummed softly as it descended, the two of them standing close. Y/n leaned slightly against the wall, her fingers brushing absentmindedly against the spot he touched. Kwon, on the other hand, stood with his hands in his pockets, his eyes flickering toward her every few moments.

It was quiet, save for the occasional creak of the elevator cables, but the silence between them wasn't awkward—it was heavy with something unspoken, as though both of them were acutely aware of the strange intimacy that had crept into their dynamic over the past hours.

Finally, Kwon broke the silence. His eyes narrowed slightly, a smirk tugging at his lips. "You know," he said, nodding toward her face, "that mask isn't doing you any favors."

Y/n turned to glare at him, though the effect was muted by the mask itself. "The fuck is that supposed to mean?" she asked, her voice defensive.

"I mean, it's not like anyone's fooled by it," he continued, his tone maddeningly casual. "You walk in like that, everyone's just gonna assume you're sick... If word gets out, you won't be able to compete anymore."

She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. "I don't care what people think. If Gunther wants to take it up with me personally, I'll be up for that. I just... I don't want the others to see, okay? I don't need the attention. Or the pity."

Kwon tilted his head, studying her for a moment before stepping closer. His hand reached out slowly, almost hesitantly, as he gently tugged at the edge of the mask. "Can I?"

Y/n hesitated but nodded, her shoulders stiffening as he slid the mask down.

The bruise was even worse under the harsh fluorescent lights of the elevator. Dark purples and reds blossomed across her cheekbone, the skin around it puffy and swollen. It was raw and painful to look at, a glaring reminder of the night before.

The girl bit the insides of her cheek, trying to gauge his reaction, but Kwon's face remained unreadable for a long moment.

Then, to her complete surprise, he leaned in and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to her injured cheek.

The touch was so light, so gentle, that it stunned her. Her eyes widened, and for a moment, she was too shocked to move or even breathe.

When he pulled back, his lips curled into a faint smirk. "See?" he said, his voice low and teasing. "Still beautiful. Even with that."

Her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. "You-you can't just—what was that?!"

"Relax," he said with a chuckle, leaning back against the elevator wall as though he hadn't just turned her brain into mush. "Just reminding you to not be insecure, if that's what you're struggling with."

She stared at him, heat rising to her cheeks—not just the bruised one—as she struggled to come up with a response. "You're... ridiculous," she muttered finally, her voice barely above a whisper.

"And you're cute," he shot back, reaching out to ruffle her hair in that infuriatingly casual way he always did. His fingers tangled briefly in her y/h/c, y/h/l, y/h/t hair, and she swatted his hand away with an exasperated huff.

"Stop that!" she said, glaring up at him, though the flush on her face undercut any real sense of authority.

Kwon just grinned, his amusement practically radiating off him. "Can't help it," he said. "It's too much fun messing with you."

The elevator let out a soft ding, announcing their arrival on the ground floor. Kwon glanced toward the doors as they slid open, then turned back to her. "You good?"

Y/n rolled her eyes, putting the mask in her pocket. "I was fine until you started being weird."

Kwon chuckled, stepping out into the lobby with an easy confidence. "Weird? You're welcome, by the way. Just trying to lighten the mood."

Y/n followed him, her steps slower, her mind still spinning from the kiss. "You're being oddly affectionate," she muttered under her breath, but the corners of her lips twitched upward despite herself.

Kwon glanced back at her, his smirk softening into something that almost looked like fondness. "Hey, I worked hard to get you again. Let me cherish the win," he said simply.

And with that, the two of them walked out into the lobby together, leaving behind the quiet intimacy of the elevator but carrying its lingering warmth with them.

As if on cue, the doors of the other elevator slid open to reveal Daniel Larusso, the sensei of Miyagi-do Karate, striding through the hotel lobby with an air of urgency. His movements were brisk, purposeful, and entirely unlike the serene demeanor they were used to seeing. 

Y/n froze mid-step, her eyes narrowing as she watched him push through the glass exit doors without so much as a glance around. The tension in his shoulders was unmistakable. Something was up.

Beside her, Kwon followed her gaze, his expression shifting from casual to sharp in an instant. "You see that?" he muttered, his voice low.

"Hard to miss," the girl replied, her brow furrowing. "What's he rushing off for this early?"

Kwon didn't answer right away. Instead, he took a slow step forward, his eyes locked on the exit Daniel had just passed through. "Whatever it is," he said finally, his tone laced with suspicion, "it's not good."

Y/n glanced up at him, catching the faint edge of tension in his jaw. It wasn't like him to get rattled easily, but something about the combination of last night's ambush and the adults' sudden secrecy had him on edge.

"You think it's related?" she asked, though she already suspected the answer.

"Only one way to find out," Kwon replied, his voice steady but charged with determination.

He took another step, and the y/h/c-haired girl hesitated for only a moment before following. The weight of her injuries and exhaustion tugged at her, but curiosity—and the nagging sense that they were being left out of something important—was enough to propel her forward.

The two of them exchanged a brief, knowing look. It wasn't as if either of them was eager to jump headfirst into another potential mess, but the unspoken agreement passed between them in a heartbeat. Whatever the adults were getting themselves into, it wasn't something they could ignore.

"Let's go," y/n whispered, her voice barely audible but resolute.

And with a sharp nod, the two of them slipped through the lobby, their steps quick and quiet as they followed the older man's trail out into the early morning light.

Something felt off, unmistakably so...

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