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Y/N WAS FUMING... Her blood boiled as she stomped ahead of Kwon, arms crossed tightly over her chest, jaw clenched so hard it might crack. The dinner they had planned to enjoy was long forgotten. They had barely stepped out of the elevator before their argument escalated, and now they were in some empty side room of the hotel, still going at it.

"You had no right," The y/h/c-haired girl hissed, her voice sharp and unwavering. "No right to get in Tory's head like that!"

Kwon groaned, running a hand through his hair, clearly exasperated. "For the last time, I didn't do anything to her! She made the choice herself, I just... gave her a push."

"A push," y/n echoed, eyes narrowing as she turned to face him fully once they were inside her room. "You mean you manipulated her."

The boy scoffed. "Oh my god, stop making me sound like some evil mastermind! Do I look like that man... Jerry Withers to you? I didn't brainwash her. She was already doubting herself, already thinking about dropping out. I just--"

"You just conveniently put the paperwork in her hand, conveniently told her about the form you saw that pony-tailed asshole discuss with Gunther."

"That's exactly what happened!" Kwon threw his arms up. "What was I supposed to do? Just ignore it? Just sit there and let her stress about it when I knew she wanted out?"

Y/n inhaled sharply through her nose, trying to steady her breathing. "You should've talked to me first."

"Oh, right. Because you would've totally been reasonable about it," Kwon deadpanned. "Look at you now! You're acting like I just committed a war crime."

"Because it's Tory!" Y/n's voice rose, her anger spilling over. "She- she fights harder than anyone, and she wanted this!"

"Did she?" The boy challenged, stepping closer. His tone was calm, but there was something almost taunting in his voice. "Because from what I saw, she was barely keeping it together. She was thinking about dropping out even before I showed her the form. You wanna blame someone? Blame the pressure, blame Kreese, blame whatever messed-up sense of loyalty she has to this team. But don't blame me for giving her the way out she already wanted."

The girl clenched her fists. She hated that there was truth in what he was saying. Hated that, as much as she wanted to be mad at him, she couldn't fully deny that the blonde had been struggling.

But it still didn't sit right with her.

"She deserved to make that decision without your interference," she muttered, her voice quieter now but no less firm.

Kwon exhaled, shaking his head. "I didn't interfere. I just... made sure she knew she had an option."

Silence stretched between them.

For the first time since the fight started, y/n actually looked at him. Really looked at him. He wasn't just frustrated—he looked tired. His shoulders were tense, his usual cocky demeanor dimmed.

And that's when it hit her.

"You didn't just do this for her," she said slowly, realization creeping in. "You did this for me."

Kwon tensed but didn't deny it.

Y/n swallowed, feeling the weight of it settle in her chest. "You wanted me to be on that podium beside you. That's why you said that on the beach the other night!"

Kwon ran a hand down his face, muttering something under his breath before meeting her gaze.

"Look, I know you think I'm an idiot, and yeah, I kind of am, but I'm not blind, y/n/n. You're the only one who has a real shot at winning this thing. Tory's strong, but she fights angry. And anger burns out fast. You don't. You fight like you have something to prove."

Y/n stared at him, her heart pounding.

Kwon sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I just—I trust you to win. That's all."

The words hung in the air, heavier than they should've been.

Y/N wanted to be mad. She wanted to keep yelling at him, to keep accusing him of overstepping. But instead, all she felt was the crushing weight of everything—the tournament, the team, Tory, Kwon's unwavering belief in her.

And it scared her.

Because what if she lost?

What if she let them all down?

Kwon must've noticed the shift in her expression because his face softened, shoulders slumped slightly, and when he spoke again, his voice was quieter but no less firm. He took a step closer to her, carefully, as if sensing her stress. "Look... I know this is a lot to take in last minute. And yeah, I get it. You're pissed. But trust me, you got this."

The girl didn't say anything, still glaring at him, but Kwon wasn't done.

"You fight like no one else, y/n," he continued, his tone softer now. "You think fast, you don't rely on just brute force, and when you want something, you don't stop until you get it. You're not just strong—you're smart. And you belong here more than anyone. Tory saw it. I saw it. Everyone you've ever fought saw it."

A reluctant twitch of y/n's lips almost gave her away, but she forced it back, keeping her glare. Kwon, as if sensing the slight shift, smirked. "So do me a favor and stop being a hardass for one second and accept that you're a badass. A beautiful badass with a head of steel."

Y/n exhaled through her nose, the tension in her shoulders loosening—just a little. "...Whatever."

The raven grinned. "That's the spirit."

But of course, because he was Kwon, he couldn't leave it at that. He took another step forward, tilting his head with a smirk that immediately put y/n on high alert. "Besides," he said smoothly, "if you need some help de-stressing, you know, I could always--"

"Out."

Kwon blinked. "Huh?"

"Out!" Y/n snapped, face instantly heating up as she shoved at his chest. Kwon let her push him but barely moved, clearly amused by her reaction. "Go sleep in your own damn room!"

"Okay, okay, no need to get violent—" he said, hands raised in surrender, but the stupid grin on his face made it clear he was anything but sorry.

Y/n practically slammed the door in his face, breathing hard.

From the other side, she heard him chuckle. "Damn. That much of an effect on you, huh, princess?"

The y/h/c-haired girl groaned loudly. "GO AWAY!"

Kwon just laughed, but as he turned down the hall, his smile faltered slightly at the thought of having to endure Yoon's obnoxious 4 AM alarm again.

"And people say I'm the menace," he muttered under his breath.

Then there was the AC issue.

Do-jin hated air conditioning while sleeping—always had. He liked to "let his body adapt to nature," as he so wisely put it. Which basically meant sleeping shirtless with no blanket like some kind of modern-day sage.

The boy sighed dramatically, muttering something in Korean about Yoon being a spy from the North.

But even as he grumbled to himself, the smug grin never really left his face.

And as he finally took a turn, he collided with someone, forcing him to take a step back.

Miguel.

Holding a cupcake.

Kwon barely managed to suppress the eye roll. Of course.

The Latino stood there, small dish in hand, his expression somewhere between mild annoyance and resigned determination. Clearly, he was on a mission. And Kwon, being the sharp and ruthless observer he was, instantly knew what was up.

This floor? No Miyagi-dorks.

This cupcake? Too delicate-looking to be for just any random reason.

Miguel 'Burrito' Diaz? Too damn obvious.

Kwon raised a brow, his lips curling into a slow smirk. "Wrong floor, buddy."

Miguel didn't flinch. "Nah, I think I'm right where I need to be."

The tension between them was subtle but unmistakable. Kwon, unamused and cocky as ever, stared down the enemy student like he was sizing up prey. Miguel, to his credit, held his ground—but the slight tensing of his jaw was enough to tell Kwon what he needed to know.

Without another word, Kwon plucked the cupcake from Miguel's possession.

Miguel blinked. "Dude-"

Kwon took a massive bite.

Miguel watched, incredulous, as the cupcake—his hard-earned, perfectly stolen cupcake—disappeared between Kwon's sharp teeth. The Cobra Kai fighter chewed slowly, maintaining intense eye contact like he was personally disrespecting every ounce of effort Miguel had put into retrieving that dessert.

Finally, Kwon swallowed, licked his fingers, and let out a quiet hum of contemplation. Then, with all the arrogance in the world, he muttered, "Needs more sprinkles."

Miguel just deadpanned.

Kwon? He just turned on his heel and walked off like he owned the entire goddamn planet.

"Unbelievable," Miguel muttered under his breath.

As Kwon strutted away, he was mentally patting himself on the back for how positively he handled that situation. No violence, no threats. Just psychological warfare.

He smirked to himself. "Damn, I'm good. Ronaldo would be proud."

Meanwhile, Miguel stood frozen, staring at the now empty plate in his hand, completely at a loss.

"...That was the last piece I had to steal from a kid," he sighed to himself, rubbing his forehead.

He glanced at y/n's door.

Looks like he'd have to try his luck again tomorrow.

With that, he turned and left, while Kwon continued down the hall—full, satisfied, and still thinking about how much of a saint he was for handling things so "maturely."

"Really needed more sprinkles though..."

1.5k words

A/N:

shout-out to @miawwwwwwwe !

✨ HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LOVE! ✨

hope you have an amazing day filled with happiness, love, and all the good things you deserve. may all your wishes come true 💖 

i'm so lucky to have you here, and even though this isn't much, i'll try to drop a few extra chapters today just for you🎉

sending you all the love! 💕🎂🥳

(y'all better wish this adorable bean or i'll be sad :p)