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@LapussoLover made me think of you <3

Y/N L/N MOVED QUICKLY THROUGH THE NARROW HALLWAY, the cheers from the arena still echoing faintly in her ears like a cruel reminder. Her legs felt heavy, but she kept walking—no, running. Away from the noise. Away from the faces. Away from Kwon's anger, senseis' disappointment... and the shocked eyes of her teammates.

The image was stuck in her head like a broken record: the boy falling. Her kick. The helpless expression in his eyes. Miguel.

She stumbled to a stop in an empty corridor, her hand gripping a cold metal railing as her knees buckled. Her breaths came in short, frantic bursts—her chest rising and falling so fast she felt like she might pass out.

"Y/n!"

The voice cut through her spiraling thoughts like a knife, and her head snapped up. The captain of Miyagi-do stood a few feet away, his brow furrowed in concern.

"Go away," she hissed immediately, her voice shaking.

Robby didn't move. "I'm not leaving you like this."

"I said go!" she screamed, her voice cracking as it echoed off the empty walls. The hostility in her tone could have sent anyone else running, but the boy stood his ground.

"Y/n, you're--"

"Shut up!" she cut him off, whirling around to face him. Her eyes were wild, tears streaming down her cheeks as her hands trembled violently. "You don't get to talk to me. You of all people—don't you dare act like you care."

Robby's expression faltered. He looked at her, his guilt written plainly across his face. "I do care."

"Why?" she demanded bitterly, her voice trembling. "Because I messed up so bad today that even you feel bad for me? Because you think I need pity?"

"No." Robby's voice was steady, though his fists clenched at his sides. "Because I know why you reacted that way."

Y/n froze.

"You saw Miguel," he said softly.

Her breathing stilled for a split second, her blood running cold.

"Shut up," she muttered, turning away from him again. "You don't know anything—"

"I do."

The certainty in his voice stopped her dead. She gripped the railing tighter, her knuckles turning white.

Robby took a step closer, his tone calm but insistent. "I know what you saw, y/n. And I know what you felt, and what you're feeling right now—because I was the one who did it."

"Stop," y/n whispered, her voice barely audible.

"I kicked him," Robby continued, his voice shaking slightly now, like he was forcing himself to admit it. "I kicked Miguel. I've watched him fall in my head every single day since then. And I hated myself for it."

"I don't care!" y/n shouted, whipping around to face him again. Her chest heaved, and her face was blotchy from tears. "You don't get to talk about him like that. To fight alongside him. You don't get to stand here and pretend you're the good guy now!"

"I'm not," Robby said quietly. "I know I'm not. But I'm not going to let you destroy yourself over something that wasn't your fault just because you haven't had the same time as the rest of us to heal."

Her lip trembled, her body shaking harder now. Her breathing picked up again, faster and more erratic.

Robby's eyes widened. "Hey—hey, look at me."

Y/n shook her head frantically. "No—go away. Go away!"

"I'm not leaving you," he said firmly, taking another step forward. "You're having a panic attack. You need to breathe."

"I can't!" she cried, her hands flying up to clutch at her chest.

"Yes, you can." Robby crouched down in front of her, forcing her to meet his gaze. 

"Follow my breathing," he said softly. He exaggerated the inhale through his nose, loud and steady, before exhaling slowly. "Come on, in through the nose. Just try it."

Y/n's breaths were still sharp and shallow, but she looked at him, desperate for something—anything—to hold onto.

"In through the nose," Robby repeated gently, nodding to her. "One second at a time."

She tried. Her first breath hitched, her shoulders jerking, but she forced the air through her nose. It wasn't smooth, but it was something.

"That's it," Robby said, his voice warm with encouragement. "Out through your mouth. Slowly."

Y/n did it again, her breath coming out shaky but slower this time. Her hands slowly relaxed from where they'd been clutching her chest, and the wild look in her eyes dimmed just slightly.

Robby nodded at her. "Keep going. You're okay."

They sat there for what felt like forever, y/n breathing in time with him. Her shoulders eventually slumped, exhaustion settling over her like a weight.

"...Why are you here?" she whispered finally, her voice hoarse.

Robby exhaled softly, his shoulders loosening. "Because you deserve better than this."

Y/n blinked up at him, her gaze wary.

"I know what it's like to feel like you're carrying the weight of it all," Robby said quietly. "To feel like you can't escape it. But you don't have to carry it alone."

Y/n looked down at her hands, her lip trembling. "It's not fair."

"I know..." Robby said. "It never is. But it's okay to let it hurt. It's okay to talk about it. Even if you hate me right now... I'm here if you need someone to yell at."

Y/n let out a weak, bitter laugh, swiping at her face with her sleeve. "You're a pathetic son of a bitch I want to stab 24 times in the chest with a rusted nail."

Robby smiled faintly. "Yeah, well... you're not the first to feel that way. Interesting choice of words though."

Silence stretched between them again, but it wasn't heavy. For the first time in years, y/n felt her suppressed anger subside.

"...Does it ever go away?" she asked softly.

The boy looked at her, his expression serious but gentle. "Not completely. But it gets better when you let people in."

Y/n didn't respond, but for once, she didn't argue.

Suddenly, the boy stood up, holding out his hand to her. 

She stared at it for a moment, unsure, before reluctantly taking it. He pulled her to her feet with ease, but neither of them let go right away. Robby's expression was unreadable—gentle but serious—as he watched her wipe the last of her tears with the back of her sleeve.

"You know... Miguel and I, we've talked about it. About that day."

The girl's eyes narrowed a little as she processed his words. "What?"

Robby nodded, staring ahead like he was reliving the memory. "Yeah. About a year ago... I never thought we would, but we made peace."

Y/n didn't say anything, her lips pursed.

Robby exhaled deeply, the sound heavy with guilt. "I didn't think he'd forgive me, honestly. I didn't even expect him to. I didn't deserve it. After juvie—after the paralysis—I couldn't sleep for weeks. Maybe months."

Y/n looked away sharply, biting her lip. She knew exactly what that kind of guilt felt like.

"But eventually," Robby continued, "I realized I couldn't undo what I did. No matter how much I hated myself for it, or how much I wanted to. Miguel—he didn't hold onto it the way I did. We just... fought it out, I guess." Robby smiled faintly, but there was no humor in it.

Y/n's lip quirked, even if only slightly. She stayed silent, but her shoulders had eased.

Robby glanced at her carefully. "Look, I'm not saying this to just make you feel better. I'm saying it because I know what it's like to carry that weight. You didn't mean for any of this to happen today, y/n. You just reacted. It wasn't your fault."

Y/n's jaw tightened, her fists clenching. "It doesn't matter," she muttered. "I still lost... And I also made my team, or at least Kwon lose because of me... I still froze. I still fucked up."

Robby shook his head. "You're not perfect. None of us are. You think Miguel didn't blame himself for your departure? You think Tory hasn't replayed that moment over and over, wishing she'd done something different?"

His voice softened, filled with sincerity. "I know you won't believe me, but you don't have to keep punishing yourself. I promise, it doesn't help. It just eats you alive."

Y/n stared at him, stunned, her throat working as she tried to find words.

"Why are you telling me this?" she asked.

"Because we all had to from somewhere to heal," Robby replied. "And... maybe it helps. Knowing the truth."

The girl looked at him hard for a long moment, like she was trying to decide if she could trust him. Robby didn't flinch under her gaze.

After a beat, her tone turned blunt. "You and Miguel—friends now?"

Robby shrugged, his lips tugging upward. "More like brothers. It's weird, I know, but... we've been through a lot. You'll catch up eventually."

"Yeah. I doubt it," y/n muttered.

They fell into a thoughtful silence until the girl glanced sideways at him, her brow furrowing. "So... what's up with you and Tory?"

The question caught Robby off guard. His entire demeanor shifted, his jaw tightening as his gaze dropped to the ground. "We're not dating."

Y/n frowned, tilting her head. "Really? You two seemed pretty solid."

Robby let out a breath through his nose, looking more guarded now. "We were. She dumped me."

Y/n blinked, surprised. "When?"

Robby's lips pressed into a thin line. "A few minutes before I came to your room. Before the tournaments started."

Y/n didn't respond right away, processing his words. It suddenly made sense—the way he had shown up, asking about the photo and telling her to look after Tory.

"...That's why you asked me to keep an eye on her," she said quietly.

Robby nodded. "Yeah. I know she puts up a tough front, but... Tory's been through enough. I didn't want her to feel like she was alone out there even if I couldn't actively be there for her."

Y/n nodded solemnly, understanding. "You must really be good if she gave you a chance."

Robby shrugged, his tone turning quieter. "I just want her to be okay. She deserves that."

Y/n didn't push further, sensing the shift in his mood. 

Finally, Robby cleared his throat. "Miyagi-Do's up against Dublin Thunder soon. We should probably head back."

The girl nodded, though she looked reluctant. She was still drained, but the weight pressing on her chest didn't feel quite as crushing anymore.

Robby turned to her, offering a small smile. "You're gonna be okay, y/n. I mean it. Just... look out for yourself. And Tory, too."

Y/n surprised herself by stepping forward and wrapping her arms around him. Robby stiffened for just a second before he hugged her back, firm and warm.

"Thanks," she mumbled against his shoulder.

Robby's voice was soft. "Anytime."

When they pulled apart, Robby gave her a look—serious but kind. "We'll catch up after all this. The whole gang. You, me, Miguel, Eli... it'll be good. Like old times except replace Demetri with me because he's been a major pain in everyone's ass lately."

Y/n let out a breathy laugh, shaking her head. "I'll think about it."

She turned to start walking back toward the arena, but neither of them noticed Kwon standing at the far end of the hallway. He froze, a bag of M&Ms crinkling in his hand as his gaze landed on the lingering moment—the way y/n had hugged Robby, the way he had smiled after her retreating figure.

Kwon's eyes narrowed, his jaw ticking as his grip tightened on the bag of candy.

"행운의 놈..."
(lucky bastard...)

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