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YESTERDAY WASN'T JUST ANY DAY... It was Halloween—a day full of horrors, both imagined and real. Children feared the ghosts and monsters in their storybooks. Parents braced for the chaos of sugar-fueled kids and angsty teenagers. But for y/n l/n, the horrors were more personal, more intimate, and far more cutting. Her monsters weren't under her bed or lurking in the shadows; they were the people she'd let get too close, the truths she'd been too afraid to face.

First, Tory Nichols—her estranged friend turned unexpected companion. Then Kwon Jae-sung—the boy she had trusted, maybe even loved, who had ripped open her deepest wounds without a second thought.

She sat alone in her room that night, surrounded by the silence of her packed bags. The shadows on the walls seemed to mock her, each one a ghost of the past she'd tried so hard to bury. Kwon's betrayal echoed in her mind, sharp and unrelenting. The image of him with the girl, presumably Yoo-mi, flashed again and again, like a cruel reel she couldn't turn off. His lips on hers, the way he didn't even hesitate. It felt like a punch to her gut every time she thought of it.

She'd told herself she wouldn't cry, but the tears came anyway—hot, angry, and relentless.

And then there was Tory.

The guilt of what had happened to her mother weighed heavily on y/n's chest. She had always known Tory's life wasn't easy, but it was only after spending that one night in her cramped, crumbling apartment that she truly understood. No father. A sick mother barely clinging to life. A younger brother who depended on her for everything. Bills piling up. Hefty loans that no teenager should have to worry about. Tory had been fighting since she was a child, clawing her way through every unfair hand life dealt her.

And now? Her mother was gone, and y/n hadn't been there. She hadn't been there for her when it mattered most.

She had been selfish. Blind.

For the first time in a long time, the girl felt like a coward. She had run away from her problems, from her guilt, and from the people who might have needed her the most. She thought leaving everything behind—Cobra Kai, Miguel, Tory, even herself—was the answer. But it wasn't. She had dragged those ghosts with her all the way to Seoul.

Her chest felt tight as she zipped up the last of her bags. The decision had been made. The first step toward redemption was sacrifice...

The airport was crowded, chaotic even, but y/n barely noticed. Her hood was pulled low, her hands stuffed into her jacket pockets as she sat in the corner, far away from the bustling crowds. She didn't want to be seen. Not by her teammates. Not by her senseis. And certainly not by Kwon.

Earlier that morning, before anyone had arrived, she had surrendered her captaincy. The conversation had been brief—calm, calculated. Kreese and Kim hadn't questioned her decision, though the woman's sharp gaze lingered just a little too long, as if searching for cracks in y/n's resolve.

She hadn't given them an explanation. She didn't need to. The perks of leadership would benefit Tory far more than they ever could her, and y/n knew that victory under the name "Nichols" would mean opportunities that her friend desperately needed.

Now, across the room, the two senseis were speaking to the blonde in hushed tones. y/n didn't need to hear their words to know the weight of what was being said. She could see it in the way Tory stood stiffly, her hands clenched at her sides, her gaze flicking toward the floor and back again.

Y/n stayed where she was, her eyes fixed on the scene from the corner of the room. She didn't move, didn't speak. Some choices didn't need words. They were made in silence, carried in the heart, and left behind without a trace...

A few minutes later, Kwon, dressed in a black hoodie and sweatpants, plopped down beside y/n in the corner, his usual swagger replaced with an unusually cheerful energy. He had no idea, of course, what y/n had witnessed the night before, nor that she had been avoiding him like the plague. No. Instead, he was still on cloud nine, his grin wide as he leaned in a little too close to her.

"You know, I can't wait to get out of here," he said, his tone light and carefree, like nothing was wrong. "Finally, away from all the shit back home. Away from school and... well, everything, honestly. This trip? Perfect. The tournament? Even more perfect!" He was practically bouncing with excitement. "Can't believe we're actually flying together. I mean, first class, right? Reserved only for the Captains of South Korea's Karate team."

Y/n's heart tightened as he continued on, her gaze drifting to the floor, her mind still reeling from everything. She had no intention of letting him see how much his words hurt, but the reality of the situation pressed on her chest like a weight. Still, she forced a smile, though it was more of a grimace.

Kwon wasn't paying attention to her. He was too happy, too oblivious to notice that she hadn't reacted to him at all. It didn't matter. It wasn't like she wanted him to notice, anyway. It wasn't like she wanted to open up to him again.

But then he dropped a bombshell.

"My grandma's surgery went well!" His voice carried the excitement of a man who had just received the best news of his life. "It was a success. They said she's recovering well. Can you believe it? I thought I was going to lose her, y/n/n. You were right, everything did turn out to be fine. I thought you were just saying that for the heck of it but it was the truth!"

She looked at him then, briefly. She couldn't help it. His eyes were so full of relief, of joy, and she knew, deep down, that he wasn't lying. His grandmother was the last person Kwon had in this world. Sure, she could be angry with him for a thousand different reasons—like his betrayal, like his kiss with "Cleopatra"—but hearing the raw relief in his voice made her pause.

She didn't want to rain on his parade. She wouldn't do that. Even with everything, even with her rage, she couldn't take away that moment of happiness for him. Not after knowing how much his grandmother's health scared him.

Her lips pressed together tightly, and she gave him the slightest nod, just enough to acknowledge his words. But she didn't say anything. Her throat felt tight. She couldn't bring herself to speak.

Kwon didn't seem to notice. He was too busy rambling, caught up in his excitement. "And get this, Sensei Kreese got me a new phone last night, right? I texted you from it, actually. You probably didn't get my message, huh?" He chuckled like it was some inside joke, clearly ignorant of the fact that she had purposely ignored the texts.

Y/n just stared ahead, biting the inside of her cheek. She could feel the phantom buzz in her pocket from the messages he'd sent her—unknown number, a new phone number, a different one than what he had used to text her all those times before. She had seen it, but she had been too hurt to respond, too torn to even care. The sight of the message, the name attached to it—Kwon—had stung too much. She wasn't sure what was worse: him kissing someone behind her back or him texting her like nothing had changed. Like it was all fine.

Her nails dug into her palms as she clenched her fists, but she didn't say anything. She wouldn't. She refused to. Not when she had nothing left to say. Not when every word felt like a betrayal.

Kwon, oblivious, pressed on. "But hey, the best part?" He grinned widely, looking at her like he had just won a prize. "We're flying first class! Even Do-jin, the golden boy of the dojang doesn't get that luxury." He nudged her lightly with his elbow. "It's gonna be a 15-hour flight, and it's just you and me, so we're gonna have all this time to kick back and relax. Maybe watch some movies or talk or, I dunno, whatever. It's gonna be awesome."

His words hung in the air for a moment, the excitement in his voice deafening in its contrast to her silence. y/n opened her mouth to respond, to tell him what she couldn't keep bottled up any longer, but before she could, Kreese and Kim appeared in the distance, walking toward them with purpose. Tory was with them, and the group was already preparing to board.

Y/n stood slowly, her body stiff. She didn't want to look at Kwon. She didn't want to face him. Not like this. Not with all the lies hanging between them.

But as she began to walk in the direction of the other students, the ones who weren't captains, Kwon's voice rang out behind her.

"Hey, where are you going?" His tone was still that of a guy who had just learned the best news of his life, his voice bright and full of hope.

She froze mid-step. Her heart pounded in her chest. She could feel the tension in the air, the weight of his words pressing on her like a suffocating cloud. She didn't want to turn around. She didn't want to see him look at her with confusion, with that ever-present spark of hope that seemed so misplaced right now.

But she had no choice.

Before she could answer, Kim Da-eun, who had been standing silently nearby, spoke up, her voice cold and calculated. "She's not the Captain anymore, Jae-sung."

Y/n's breath hitched, caught in her throat. Her eyes locked on the floor. She didn't look up. Didn't say anything. The words were already out there, and she wasn't going to try and explain. She couldn't.

Kim continued, her words slicing through the air. "Miss l/n has made her choice."

The finality in the woman's tone hit her harder than she had anticipated. It felt like a door slamming shut, a choice made, a future altered in an instant.

Kwon's mouth opened and closed, his eyes darting between y/n and Kim. He didn't get it. Didn't understand why she wasn't a captain anymore, why she was so quiet the entire time, not even revealing her face... Why she wasn't there with him, like before.

But it didn't matter.

y/n turned away, her back to Kwon, her heart heavy with the weight of everything she had given up to make this decision. She didn't look back as she walked toward the other side of the airport. She didn't need to see his face. Not anymore. For the events of last night had lit a fire inside her—one that burned hot and fierce, fueling the resolve she had buried for so long. The kind of fire that would push her forward, no matter the cost. 

The kind that would lead her to victory, and destroy everything standing in her way...

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