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"LET THE GAMES BEGIN..."

The locker room felt colder than it had when y/n first stepped in hours ago. The faint hum of fluorescent lights overhead buzzed incessantly, the sound grating against her nerves. Her hands moved mechanically, pulling off her gi top and folding it neatly, though her mind was a whirlwind of chaos. She wanted to scream, to break something, to demand an explanation—but instead, she was silent. Hollow. Empty.

The news had hit her like a freight train, yet she felt strangely detached. A part of her had anticipated this, though she couldn't explain how or why. Perhaps it was the cryptic warnings from Kim. Perhaps it was Kreese's almost gleeful hatred when he spoke of a certain unknown dojo. Or maybe it was the way Tory had been acting lately—nervous, guilty, as though she were carrying the weight of a thousand secrets.

But none of that had prepared her for this.

Miyagi-do...

The name itself sent a wave of bitterness coursing through her veins. Two years ago, it had been nothing more than a blip on her radar. A tiny dojo started by Daniel Larusso, the car salesman who seemed to think teaching karate made him some kind of moral authority. Back then, the only students were his own daughter, Samantha Larusso, and Robby Keene—the delinquent who had shattered her world.

Her hands trembled as she tugged at her belt, as she roughly pried it off her waist, her mind replaying the scene she'd just witnessed in agonizing detail.

The arena had been bustling with energy, teams assembling, coaches barking orders, competitors sizing each other up. She'd felt the usual buzz of pre-match jitters, the electric anticipation of stepping onto the mat. But then they'd walked in.

Miyagi-do...

Her heart had stopped the moment her eyes landed on them. Six of them, standing together as a united front. And not just any six.

At the front of the group was Robby Keene, their captain. He stood tall, confident, his posture radiating sheer tranquility. Her stomach churned at the sight of him, memories flooding back like a dam breaking. Robby, the boy who had paralyzed Miguel Diaz—her best friend, her brother in everything but blood. Robby, the boy who had run away unscathed while Miguel lay in a hospital bed fighting for his life.

And standing next to him, her gaze zeroed in on Samantha Larusso. The golden girl, the princess of karate, who had always played the victim so convincingly. y/n's blood boiled at the sight of her. Samantha, with her self-righteous lectures and her infuriating moral superiority. Samantha, who had never once taken responsibility for the chaos she helped create.

But it wasn't just them.

Her heart clenched painfully when her eyes found Miguel Diaz. He was alive. Breathing. Standing tall and strong in his Miyagi-do gi. His face—once so familiar, so comforting—was now a stranger's. There was no recognition in her y/e/c eyes, no warmth, only an icy numbness.

Next to Miguel stood Eli Moskowitz—Hawk—and Demetri Alexopoulos. The Binary Brothers. The duo she had once laughed with, fought alongside, trusted. They had been her friends, her allies. And now, they stood on the other side, united with her enemies as though the past two years had erased everything.

Her nails dug into her palms, the pain grounding her as rage bubbled beneath the surface. How could they stand together like this? How could they pretend like nothing had happened?

Her breath hitched as she turned her back to the mirror in the locker room, unable to face her reflection. She didn't recognize the person staring back at her earlier—the girl who had frozen, paralyzed by shock, when she saw them all together. She had felt her composure crack, felt the sting of betrayal pierce through her like a knife.

And then there was Tory Nichols...

Y/n's jaw tightened as she thought about the other girl. Tory, who had known. Tory, who had been keeping this from her for weeks. Tory, who had looked her in the eye every single day and said nothing.

The betrayal burned deeper than she wanted to admit. Tory had been the one person she thought she could count on—the one person who might understand. But now, all she could see was another liar, another person who had chosen to keep her in the dark.

Her fists clenched at her sides as she struggled to keep her emotions in check. She wanted to scream at Tory, to demand answers, to unleash every ounce of anger and frustration she'd been bottling up. But when Tory had approached her after the announcements, y/n had walked away. She couldn't bear to look at her. Not yet...

***

A few blocks away from the stadium, the boys had already reached the hotel. The bus ride back had been quiet, the weight of the day hanging heavy over them. As they stepped through the glass doors into the brightly lit lobby, the group began discussing their room assignments.

"Kwon with me," Yoon said, tossing his bag over his shoulder.

"Park and Lee together," Kwon added, his tone neutral but firm.

"Tory and Y/N whenever they show up," Park muttered, clearly more interested in the interior design than the conversation.

The group nodded in agreement as they moved toward the reception desk to collect their keys. The sound of their footsteps echoed faintly against the polished marble floors, the faint scent of air freshener and freshly brewed coffee hanging in the air.

But as they turned the corner into the main lobby, Kwon froze mid-step.

There, huddled in the middle of the room, was Miyagi-Do...

They were deep in conversation, their voices hushed but animated. Their male captain stood at the center, his arms crossed as he spoke with quiet authority. The hispanic boy was beside him, his expression focused, while a funny-haired dude leaned casually against a nearby pillar, smirking at something the taller boy beside him had said. The female captain was talking to the taller girl that stood before her, both of them engrossed in what appeared to be a serious discussion, her gaze darting around the room as if she were looking for something—or someone.

Kwon's eyes narrowed, his mind immediately flashing back to y/n. He remembered how she had bolted the moment the formalities ended, her stride purposeful and unrelenting. On the surface, she had seemed calm, her face a mask of indifference. But Kwon had known her long enough to recognize the cracks beneath the façade.

Something about the Miyagi-do group had rattled her.

And though the girl hadn't said a word about it to him, or really anybody, Kwon was starting to piece it together. There was history here, something dark and unresolved. The tension was palpable even without her in the room.

As the boy stood there, watching the group, Sensei Kreese's words echoed in his mind. "Miyagi-Do will try to use your weaknesses against you. Don't let them. Don't forget—they aren't as innocent as they pretend to be."

For once, those words seemed to make sense.

A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he adjusted his bag on his shoulder. The world wasn't kind. It didn't reward morality or forgiveness. And from the way Miyagi-Do stood there, all huddled up like they were the heroes of some great story, Kwon couldn't resist the opportunity to remind them of their place.

After all, actions weren't always inspired by honor or morality. Sometimes, they were fueled by something far darker. And Kwon was more than willing to play the villain...

"Woah..." He murmured sarcastically, his voice laced with exaggerated awe. His eyes widened in mock admiration as he strolled toward the group, the rest of the Cobras falling into step behind him. Yoon and the boys exchanged knowing smirks. They had known Kwon for years, trained alongside him since childhood. They didn't need an explanation—they knew exactly what he was about to do. Intimidation was their forte; harassment, their motto.

"So you're the famous Miyagi-Do?" Kwon stopped in front of the group, his tone casual but his presence overwhelming. His sharp eyes scanned the team as if sizing them up.

The Miyagi-do students tensed, their postures defensive, but Kwon continued unfazed. "We've heard about you..." he drawled, his words slow, deliberate. For a moment, their expressions faltered, a flicker of uncertainty breaking through their calm demeanor.

"But I don't know why," he added with a smug grin, his gaze raking over them. "You don't look like much."

Their faces darkened, the subtle jab cutting deeper than they'd expected. Behind him, the Cobras chuckled, Lee nudging Yoon with an elbow as they silently hyped their captain's boldness.

"Yeah? You'll see a lot better when you step on the mats tomorrow," a boy with spiky, multicolored hair stepped up defensively, his glare fixed on Kwon.

Kwon's grin widened. He tilted his head, pretending to be impressed by the boy's sudden bravery. This taunt was more than was enough to provoke the boy further.

The spiky-haired boy clenched his fists, his glare intensifying, but before he could retort, their captain stepped in. "Come on, guys... It's not worth it," Robby Keene said, placing a firm hand on his teammate's shoulder. His voice was calm, measured, but his eyes were watchful.

As Robby and the hispanic began to guide the rest of their team away, the tension thick in the air, a sharp snap cut through the room.

"I can't trust ANY of you!"

All heads turned toward the sound.

Y/n stormed through the lobby, her eyes blazing with anger. Behind her trailed Tory, her pace brisk as she tried to catch up without causing more of a scene. But the y/h/c-haired girl's outburst had already drawn all eyes to them, and the tension in the room multiplied tenfold.

As she stomped past the Cobras, her fists clenched at her sides, her expression a whirlwind of fury and betrayal. But as she neared the Miyagi-do group, she came to an abrupt halt, her gaze locking with that of the curly-haired boy standing among them.

Miguel...

Her face softened instantly, the storm in her eyes momentarily giving way to something purer, something raw. Miguel's eyes widened in shock, his lips parting as if to speak, but no words came out. Instead, his expression shifted to one of hesitant relief, a bittersweet smile forming as unshed tears glistened in his eyes.

He took a step toward her instinctively, as if drawn to her by an invisible force. But before he could get any closer, Samantha LaRusso's hand shot out, gripping his arm and pulling him back.

"Don't," Sam hissed, her icy blue eyes boring into y/n with a glare that could freeze fire.

Y/n snapped out of her trance at once. Her soft expression hardened, her gaze narrowing into a glare so venomous it could kill. She locked eyes with the captain of the other team, her wrath palpable, the tension between them almost tangible.

It was clear—this wasn't just old rivalry. This was hatred, primal and unfiltered.

But instead of acting on the rage boiling within her, y/n turned away sharply, her jaw clenched tight. Tory had finally caught up, her head low, avoiding all eye contact with Miyagi-do as she muttered something inaudible to her friend.

Before they could leave the lobby, Robby's voice rang out. "Tory!"

The name hung in the air like a dagger, and both girls froze.

Robby began following them toward the elevator, his footsteps deliberate but hesitant.

Intrigued by the unfolding drama, Kwon leaned against Yoon, arching a brow. "Looks like things just got interesting," he murmured in Korean, his smirk returning as he nudged the others to follow.

As they passed the group, Kwon's eyes lingered on Miguel for a moment too long, his gaze assessing. There was something there, something between him and y/n that Kwon couldn't quite put his finger on. But whatever it was, it only fueled his curiosity.

Before leaving, Kwon couldn't resist one final jab. He jerked his head forward suddenly at the timid-looking boy standing at the back of the group, causing him to flinch and gasp audibly.

The Cobras burst into laughter as they pushed past Miyagi-do, heading for the elevator.

They didn't know what y/n's history with these people was, but they didn't need to. It was clear that the field trip had just taken a much more entertaining turn.

And Kwon for one couldn't wait for the games to finally begin...

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