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AN HOUR HAD PASSED SINCE THE PLANE HAD TAKEN OFF, and Kwon sat rigidly in his first-class seat, the luxurious comfort doing nothing to ease the tension knotting in his chest. His earlier excitement about the trip had evaporated, leaving behind a simmering frustration that even the demonic thrashing of his death metal playlist couldn't drown out. The music blasted at a deafening volume through his headphones, but it didn't matter—his jaw was clenched tight, and his teeth ground audibly as his thoughts spiraled into a darker place.

He still couldn't believe it. Tory. Of all people, Tory was the captain.

What kind of underhanded trick had she pulled to convince y/n to surrender her leadership? He knew y/n—stubborn, determined, and fiercely proud of what she'd earned. She wouldn't just step down without a damn good reason. Yet here they were, with Tory smugly strutting around like she'd actually earned the position. Kwon's eyes narrowed involuntarily at the thought.

To him, Tory was undeserving—a cheat who took fought dirty instead of putting in the blood, sweat, and tears that y/n had poured into becoming captain. And though he admitted he wasn't any better, and fighting fair wasn't on his own bucket list... he had still proven himself over and over again to Sensei Kim and her dojang. In fact, it wasn't until Sensei John Kreese arrived that someone finally acknowledged even a sliver of his potential.

Y/n, however... He'd seen the way she pushed herself harder than anyone else, going the extra mile during every drill, staying late after practice, perfecting every technique. She was born to lead. Not just because of her skills alone, but also because her chemistry with the team was dynamic. She listened to them as much as they listened to her. And seeing that role snatched away by someone as... disinterested as Tory was infuriating.

But if he was being honest with himself, what pissed him off the most wasn't Tory becoming captain. No, it was the fact that her newfound title meant he didn't get to sit with y/n. After having canceled their date the other night, he was hoping to make it up to her before Barcelona one way or another. Instead, he was stuck in first-class purgatory with Tory Nichols herself, who sat across the aisle, glaring daggers at him like he'd personally ruined her life. 

She'd been sneaking glances at him ever since the plane took off, her cold blue eyes narrowing every time he so much as adjusted his seat. It was unnerving, and it made him feel like prey being stalked by a predator.

For a moment, he considered closing the privacy door to block her out, but something about her blatant hostility annoyed him too much to back down. No, if she wanted to keep glaring at him like that, she'd better be ready to answer for it.

He yanked his headphones off with an audible snap, letting the silence between them hang heavily for a moment before he leaned into the aisle, his voice low and sharp.
"What's your problem?"

Tory didn't even flinch. Her gaze snapped to his, her eyes icy and unyielding. "Excuse me?"

"You've been staring at me for the past hour like you want to throw me out of the emergency exit," he shot back, folding his arms across his chest. "So, what is it? You got something to say, or are you just trying to make this flight unbearable?"

She leaned back in her seat, a smirk playing on her lips. "Oh, please. Don't flatter yourself, Kwon. If I wanted to make your life unbearable, you'd know."

Her tone was as venomous as her smile, and it set his teeth on edge. He leaned further into the aisle, his dark eyes narrowing. "Cut the crap. You've been giving me the stink eye since we boarded. If you've got a problem, spit it out."

Tory's smirk faltered, and for a brief second, something flickered in her expression—something raw and defensive. But it was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by her usual bravado.

"You wanna know my problem?" she said, her voice dropping dangerously low. "Fine. My problem is that you're a selfish, clueless prick who doesn't deserve half the chances you get handed to you."

Kwon blinked, taken aback by the sudden ferocity in her words. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You," she spat, leaning forward now, her knuckles whitening as she gripped the armrests. "You strut around acting like you're the center of the universe, completely oblivious to the people around you—people who actually care about you, by the way."

His stomach twisted uncomfortably at the accusation, but he masked it with a scoff. The tension in the cabin was palpable as Kwon and Tory locked eyes, their hushed whispers cutting through the ambient hum of the plane.

"Do you ever just shut up?" Kwon hissed under his breath, leaning closer to ensure no one else could hear.

"Not when I'm stuck sitting next to a self-absorbed idiot," Tory snapped back, her tone sharp and biting.

Before he could retort, the air hostess glided through the aisle, passing between them with a polite smile. Both of them fell silent, their glares momentarily breaking as they pretended to be two normal passengers enjoying the comforts of first class.

As soon as the hostess disappeared into the economy section, Tory turned back to him, her icy stare burning into his skull.

"You don't even deserve to sit here," she muttered. "You're a joke, Kwon. A complete joke."

"And you're a broken record," he shot back, his voice a harsh whisper. "If you hate me so much, why don't you just mind your own fucking business?"

"Because this isn't about me!" Tory's voice rose slightly before she caught herself, lowering it to an angry whisper again. "This is about y/n."

At the mention of the y/h/c-haired girl's name, Kwon's brow furrowed. "y/n? What the hell does she have to do with this?"

Tory let out a frustrated laugh, leaning forward slightly. "Stop pretending to care about her. It's embarrassing."

Kwon's jaw tightened, and his patience frayed further. "What are you even talking about? Why do you care so much? Don't you and y/n hate each other?"

The blonde's eyes narrowed, her expression hardening. "This isn't about whether I like her or not. It's about the fact that she's been played yet again by a complete asshole, you're too busy playing dumb to notice."

"Played?" Kwon repeated, his voice softening slightly. Something about the word hit him harder than he expected. "What... what do you mean--"

"Don't play innocent," Tory interrupted, her voice dripping with disdain. "Go back to Cleopatra or whatever."

The jab landed with precision, and Kwon froze. His stomach dropped as her words clicked into place. Cleopatra.

It wasn't hard to figure out who she was talking about.

His mind raced back to the night before, to the long ass paragraph text on his phone from Yoo-mi—claiming to be bruised and bloody in the essay for a message she'd sent.

"Your little student thinks she's hot shit. You'd better handle her before I do."

He hadn't responded. He hadn't even cared. Yoo-mi had long since lost any sympathy from him, especially after everything she'd done. But now, sitting here with Tory practically breathing fire in his direction, he realized exactly what had happened.

"You beat her up," he said, his voice calm but edged with disbelief.

Tory didn't flinch. She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "And I'd do it again."

He wanted to be angry, but the truth was, he didn't care. Hell, he was almost glad. Yoo-mi deserved a taste of her own medicine after the way she'd treated him in the past. But his relief was short-lived, overshadowed by a more pressing concern.

After all, the faux-blonde wasn't just any ex. She was trouble wrapped in a designer bow, and worse, her father had saved his grandmother's life—again—just yesterday. It wasn't the first time Yoo-mi's family had come to his aid, footing medical bills or rushing specialists when emergencies arose. And now, with his grandmother's health hanging by a thread, losing that connection wasn't an option.

But Kwon said none of this aloud. He wasn't about to share something so personal with Tory. She wouldn't understand. Hell, she didn't need to. No one did.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" Kwon asked, his voice quieter now, tinged with frustration.

"What I had to do," Tory replied, her gaze cold and unrelenting. "She had it coming, and you know it."

He exhaled sharply, leaning back in his seat. "You don't know what you've done," he muttered, brushing her off.

Tory's eyes narrowed. "I know I stood up for my friend when she needed it. Be nice if you learned what that was instead of just sulking in a corner 24/7, starting fights to cure your own boredom."

"I still don't understand what she had to do with anything." He scoffed, getting impatient.

The blonde tilted her head, her smirk returning. "Everything. But you're too wrapped up in yourself to see it. Typical." She didn't wait for a response this time. With one last glare, she reached for the privacy door and slid it shut with a forceful click, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

Kwon slumped into his seat, his chest heavy and tight. He stared out the window, a hint of realization slowly sinking in. He didn't remember much about the night before, but he knew one thing: it wasn't what it looked like.

And yet, it didn't matter.

Y/n had seen, and Tory's words rang in his head, louder than the music he'd been blasting earlier.

The damage had been done... again.

The boy's jaw clenched, frustration bubbling in his chest. He couldn't afford to lose Yoo-mi's family's aid, not with his grandmother's life depending on it. But losing y/n...? That wasn't an option either.

For the first time in a long time, Kwon didn't know how to fight his way out of this battle.

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