𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐄𝐍. baby

NEW FRIENDS CAME ALONG about as often as lottery wins for Jieun and she burnt through them just as fast. One moment they were joined at the hip and the next they vanished from her life taking every precaution to avoid accidental contact.

Maybe that was why she wanted to keep Sam so close, she never left her.

She was one of the few people who believed in her. She was the one who made the cradle for her soul, the very fabric that kept her warm. And she thanked the universe and every star above that they both made their way together, that their life paths were woven so intricately.

Friends to Jieun were stars and the black velvet on any night, bringing comfort within whatever reality she found herself in.

She sat on the edge of one of the room's chairs, her eyes trained keenly on her beaten shoes as she held her phone in her palm. "You work at a roller rink? Weren't those outlawed in the '80s for being totally lame?" Jieun laughed, a loud chuckle on the other end from Tory Nichols.

After her father's death, Tory Nichols to Jieun was the warming spring sun, a sense of brightness and light in her soul.

And Jieun Kang made a promise to protect her for as long as Tory would keep her.

"It's 80's night." She replied, "This would be a great time to talk to Miguel, too."

"Right." Miguel and Tory were, right now, everything to her. But something was happening to her, something horrible, and it was beginning to gnaw at Jieun that she hadn't told Miguel. She tried to put those thoughts out of her mind, "Okay, I'll be there." Then hung up after Tory's cheers.

A knock at the door startles her. When she doesn't respond, the knocks come louder, followed by a voice. "Ms. Kang." it's a woman with a gentle voice that cracks when she spoke.

Walking at an ambling pace to the door, she opens it with no hesitation. "Good evening. Mr. Sparrow has requested your presence in the dining room for dinner," the fragile woman says. She was probably in her early sixties, with dark hair full of silver that glistened in the light. Jieun's more drawn to her eyes ― they held fear. For whatever reason, this lady seemed tense. Her hands were folded neatly in front of her apron, which led her to believe she was an employee.

She begins to walk away, and Jieun follows, each step drawing her closer to the voices downstairs. She couldn't make out what they were saying, but when she reached the bottom and stumbled, it grabbed their attention because the chatter stops.

Seconds later, Ben rounds the corner from the sitting room. "Looking much better now that you've cleaned up that mess on your face." He steps past her and pulls out a chair opposite her. "Have a seat."

Another room with bare walls, yet there's a beautiful glass chandelier hanging over the twelve-seat oak table and it gave the room all the decoration needed. It was absolutely beautiful.

The voices she heard before just being the employees of the home. Grabbing the glass of water in front of her, her hands tremble as she takes a sip. Sheer exhaustion has taken over her mind and her body from the nonstop training.

The days of such easy lessons passed sooner than she thought, and she became more proficient, every little advance in her technique was paid for with the pain of constant repetition, and on occasions when she failed to concentrate, with blood and humiliation.

But she was better, way better. She was confident in her newly found talent and she had Ben to thank.

"I was gonna go out today." The cook comes out holding a platter in each hand, breaking the awkward tension. He places one of the silver platters in front of her before lifting the lid. Rice pilaf, steamed broccoli, and salmon. It smelled good. "Thank you." She looked up with a smile.

Ben straightens up in his chair, leans forward with his elbows pressed firmly on the table, and pulls out the toothpick. "Finish your food then you can leave." She nodded, something about Ben offered her warmth and a sense of calm. It could be because he reminded her a lot of her own father. A man of few words, but the way he carried himself said it all. He's fierce, strong-willed, and doesn't help just anyone.

"Where will you be going?" He finishes his food. She replies, and he laughs, "what year are we in again?" Jieun ignores him, handing the employee her plate and whispering a 'thank you. "Don't do anything stupid, you hear me?" She stares blankly at him. "I'm serious." He says in a darker tone.

"You don't scare me."

The corner of his lip tugs up and a fire lights behind his eyes. "Then you're dumber than you look."

He stands up, heads back to his office, and leaves her alone with her thoughts.

Her insides jittery and her heart beating too fast, she finally found herself on the roller rink. She didn't pay much mind since she only wanted to find Tory or Miguel, whoever got into her line of view first.

"You okay, Madonna?" Jieun looked at her with concern, finally finding her new friend amongst the crowd. "Have you taken your break yet?"

She huffs out a breath, and though ecstatic Jieun finally showed, she hated the way Sam looked at her new boyfriend, Miguel. "It's that bitch Sam." She rattles off her bracelet, and Jieun's left frowning ― not that she could see that. She continued in an officious tone. "I know what it's like to break up with someone and still have feelings, she so obviously likes Miguel. And it's pissing me off."

"I mean, as long as she doesn't act on it." She muttered, "Sam's not like that, you don't have to worry about her."

She laughs without humor, "I'll believe it when I see it."

"Well," Jieun says, desperately reaching for calm. "You know where I could get some customer service around here? My yelp review will not be nice."

A slow chuckle rumbled in her ear. "Let me just finish these orders and I'll be right with you, ma'am"

"Thank you." She kisses her on the cheek before she grabs her bag and phone, then slips on her skates. When she turns her head she sees Miguel. She goes over, slowly.

He didn't say anything since all his attention was on his phone as he tapped the screen. He was dressed in what she could only assume was Michael Jackson's Thriller attire.

"Hey there, wheezie." She finally says, but she wasn't sure he heard her over the music. A few seconds pass before he finally put his phone in his pocket.

"Mousie."

"Hi."

"Hey," He repeated. In the small time, she's known him, she's only ever seen him not smiling three times. Once, when he and Sam broke up, second, when he was competing in the tournament not too long ago and now, and it made her want to die.

Miguel had been nothing but a ray of sunshine since the moment she met him. And whereas she herself was a little storm cloud, she hoped his kindness would make this confrontation easier for her.

Her swallow was so loud she felt it could practically echo in the room. "I'm sorry." She clears her throat and tears her eyes away from him, nervous, "I don't..." God, she thought, this is harder than I thought. "I don't know how to talk about this without having a breakdown ―"

"― It's okay." He blurted. "I saw the rumors on some blogs, with the way you're acting I put two and two together." He dropped his hand to his side, "I should be the one apologizing, I should've been there for you."

"You didn't know."

"But I should've reached out, I should've known after you didn't respond in the five-minute time frame." He says, his heart ached as he saw the wave of sadness cross over Jieun's face. Miguel felt like a bad friend, perhaps because he had yet to learn what a friend was. What was going on inside of her right at this moment was difficult, from the way she behaved it must have been painful for her, he figured.

Miguel wanted to walk with Jieun through any and every storm, but it was impossible with the lack of communication both struggled with. He was so thankful to have someone like her, someone who loved him and treated him well. As a person and not as the nerd or her friend's ex.

"We have to deal with our crap better." Miguel lets out a chuckle and pulled the girl in for a hug, landing a small, chaste, kiss on her forehead. Jieun let out a small tear, wiping it almost immediately. "So, how did you and Tory get together?"

"She kicked my ass and then I asked her out."

The conversation went long, Tory showing up a few times to ask if they wanted anything and then leaving to prevent her from getting fired. All in all, she was just so happy that Miguel and Jieun seemed to talk like nothing ever changed, which Jieun was grateful for.

Strolling outside the skating rink, a plate of chili cheese fries in one hand, she weaved through the maze of '80s-dressed teens. She noted all the interesting outfits and all the ones she's seen a thousand times before ―

"Oof," she grunted as her plate connected with a chest. "Oh shit, I'm so sorry."

"Baby?" His hands steadied her shoulders, as she managed to find a pile of napkins, smearing the food that fell on him, making it worse, "This is the second time you've dropped something on me, except, worse because now I'm gonna smell like cheese the rest of the day."

She clears her throat, "What did you just call me?"

Robby gave a sly smile, "Baby? From Dirty Dancing?" Almost smoothing a hand over his attire before remembering, he then brings it to the back of his neck and scratches, which he learned over the years to be a nervous tic.

"Okay, come with me I have a shirt in the car." She blurts out, grabbing his hand.

He blushed and dropped his hand to his side once they arrived at her car. "You just have a guy's shirt in your car?" Leaning in, he lifts one eyebrow and says conspiratorially, "should I be jealous?"

She resists the urge to smack him. "Put this on." Before she could take a step back and turn around he takes off his top revealing his chest. She cleared her throat and tore her eyes away from his body. "Maybe a heads up next time."

"Liked what you saw?"

"You wish." She scoffed. To get rid of the awkward tension this time, she struck up another conversation. "Who were you supposed to be, anyway? Young David Schwimmer?"

This made Robby want to laugh a little, he and Sam came as a duo from Pretty In Pink. As a couple. ❨ which, he now regretted, since being back in the presence of the girl in front of him ❩ Though, who he was dressed as must've not made sense because Andie, who Sam was dressed as, hated Steff, who he was dressed as.

It was like Hermione Granger going to prom with Draco Malfoy. "Steff from Pretty In Pink."

Jieun laughed lightly when the words escaped Robby's lips. The air that had been so still on previous days had gained a slight movement, playing with her hair and giving it the same buoyant wave as the sea. "You watched Pretty In Pink?"

"My mom made me, but it wasn't her favorite."

She furrowed her eyebrows at the boy, "What was her favorite movie?"

Robby smiled at the girl, "Dirty Dancing."

"Wow." They now sat on the trunk of her car, turning to swing her legs, "Sounds like it was meant to be," she points at his new attire. A black tank top, just like the one in the movie where Baby and Johnny Castle practice. Robby huffed.

"Mmm, she named me after him."

"You're lying."

"I wish I was."

"Swayze. I like it."

As time passed, Jieun grinned wryly. "It's kinda beautiful, don't you think?" She started, staring off at the scene beyond the traffic that accumulated on the road.

"The traffic? Oh yeah, the headlights really capture our good side." Robby laughed at his joke.

"No no..." She murmurs. "That area over there," she pointed, "― used to be full of lights and people. Now, it's empty." She paused, "because of that, your eyes start wandering off and you sort of start to admire the nature of things." Robby stared at her as she spoke, fascinated by her words. "A few weeks ago, I hated just about everything. Today, I'm grateful to see it. I think that's a wondrous thing."

She continued to stare out before she spoke again. "I have to ask..." She checked behind her, making sure it was just the two, "did you hear anything? From that day? From that guy?"

Robby looked at her up and down, and the side of his lips curled into a frown. "To be honest," He started scratching the back of his neck again, "I did hear him, but didn't understand." His heart was pounding, "do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really." She said, she then took a closer look at him, he had spreading purple with yellow blotches near the side of his face. She grabbed his face to look at the bruise. "What happened?" He looked at her confused, "you have this look on your face as someone gave you a hard time. You know that, right?"

"No." He says, "there was an incident at the mall, some of the Cobra Kai students ganged up on us."

"Oh." She finally let go, "well, you look like this most of the time, though." He turned his head down, the asphalt becoming more interesting to him. "Forget about karate for a second." He nods, "when someone fucks with you..." Index finger, pinky, middle finger, thumb. All four fingers.

"Try it." He did and failed miserably. She laughed. "Hey, forget it. Jesus." She clicks her tongue, "All right, look." She grabbed his hand and gently curls his fingers, "fold this, this, and this." Only his pinky stood up.

Her touch was gentle and warm. While he flinched with the contact, there was something graceful and controlled about her. "Just go like this." She then connected their pinkies.

"What?" He chuckled.

"You just promised me." She mumbled.

"Promised you what?" Robby let out a breath, his hand trembling, but then he smiled ― that signature smile, using only the corner of his mouth ― and glanced at their connected fingers.

Jieun allowed herself to stare into his eyes. "It's a secret." She whispered. She grabbed his thumb, having them connect, too. "Promise."

It was so quiet at that moment that Robby and Jieun could hear their own hearts thudding in their chest.

Sam looked at the two, a frown on her face. It was heartbreaking. It felt like concrete drying in her chest. This heartbreak was unexpected, as they always are - on top of the world one minute and cut down the next.

A loud bang was heard beside them, starting them both. Cold shock and disbelief slam into Robby as it rang out and took notice of the one who made such a noise.

"Oh my God!" Sam's cry was shrill, horrified, and enough to have Robby and Jieun snapping out of their frozen surprise. They both scramble to their feet, "Jiji, what the hell?" She practically shouted.

"What? What's wrong?" Jieun quickly moved closer to Sam, thinking something horrible had happened like a sprained wrist or twisted ankle. That could be the only reason why Sam had screamed. "Are you okay?"

She doesn't move. Sam just stands there, glaring as if Jieun was some interloper she found with her man.

"First you take Miguel's side now I see you with Robby?" She shouts at her, "are you serious?"

Jieun felt a surge of confusion flow through her, take Miguel's side? What was wrong with being with Robby?

"Sam." Robby starts. "I promise this isn't ―"

"Isn't what it looks like? God that is so predictable." Sam's eyes narrowed. "Because it looks like you two were having a moment, while I was in there, alone."

Jieun almost wanted to laugh. How is this the way she got to speak to Sam? Like this? She expected a call of warning, a 'hey, we should talk.' text. Not a screaming match.

Jieun's brows wing up. "Wait you came with her?"

Sam snorts in amusement. "He's my boyfriend."

Behind her, Robby cursed. "Blossom," Jieun says calmly, even though she was anything but. Jieun herself had no feelings for the long-haired boy, she tells herself, but in the third person, their act could've been seen as anything but. "I would never do that to you." She used the tone a mom would use when they're about to lay down the law. "we were just talking."

Jieun's heart was going like a metronome, slamming too fast against her ribs. Sam LaRusso was accusing her of what? Trying to get at Robby? Someone, she hardly knew, someone she only saw once in a blue moon. Someone she hated the second they locked eyes. And this very moment just reminded her of the fact.

"Don't call me that, only a friend can call me Blossom."

Jieun scoffed, "since when aren't we friends?"

"Since you ignored me after Miguel broke up with me." She says, "since you ghosted me after the tournament. Oh, and let's not forget, when you left with Tory and Aisha after they pushed me into the buffet."

"I left with ―" She stopped herself. "― someone else. Look, you're making this a bigger deal than it is." She ran a hand through her hair. She then turns her gaze to Robby, "when were you going to tell me you two were together?"

"I didn't know you didn't know?" Robby replied but it sounded more like a question. Dread swelled up within him, he was in the wrong, he knew that much. Dating a girl but having feelings for someone else, was unfair to Sam. Though, he wondered if Sam felt the same as he did, considering.

Jieun stayed silent. Her gaze was a mixture of anxiety and anger. "I didn't choose Miguel over you, I was dealing with something." She says softly.

Sam crossed her arms over her chest. "Cut the shit, what could the Jieun Kang be dealing with?" She doesn't blink. "A broken nail? No, wait, daddy didn't put money into your account on time. Please, enlighten me."

Silence rang out. Because what could Jieun say to all that? Her nostrils flared as she stared at Sam. "My dad was murdered." Jieun laughed coldly. A light trill that worked like nails on skin. "The day of the tournament, and," her voice was thick and unsteady. "And I think it was my fault, so I'm sorry that I didn't want to be a part of the Sam LaRusso show. Some of us had shit to deal with."

Sam had never felt so ashamed of herself as she did at that moment, taking a step forward, Jieun shook her head at the both of them. "No." She gets in her car and leaves.

And if hearts could shatter, Robby's and Sam's just did.

𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄

IM NGL I HATE MAKING SAM SUCH A VILLAIN IN THIS I JUST WANT THEM TO BE FRIENDS AGAIN

but if it took tory and sam 4 seasons to even talk to each other without fighting it might be the same for jiji i fear

how did u guys like that lil part w robby

idk i felt like it was so corny but i like corny hehehe

much love,