𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘-𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄. vega deneb altair

MOVIES WERE A POWERFUL COMMUNICATION. THE METAPHORS they carry, linguistic and non-linguistic speak directly to the viewer, the writers seeking to 'write' the population into the ways of love.

Movies were societal medicine, as are songs. They were the echoes of humans. Perhaps that was why Jieun was so drawn to them, to the stories of the stage and screen, the writers, the cast, and the crew working together to help millions with each new release.

Perpetually early, Jieun laid on the hood of her car for a few seconds as she always did. Stretching away in between the rows of metal, revving engines. Never once did she acknowledge anyone around her until she'd sampled her popcorn.

Only a few years back it was tatty with an ever-present odor of stale popcorn. The refurbishment was kind, tasteful, and elegant. The saltiness had to be just right. A smile stretched on her lips as the kernel dissolved. Theatres varied so much, but this little palace of the film was her all-time favorite. The slightly smaller screen was more than compensated for by the ambiance.

It reminded her of the outdoor cinemas in Europe her father had taken her to as a girl. In those days there had been an intermission for the ushers to bring ice cream and candy down the aisles of picnics or cars, an interruption that would be unthinkable in today's action-packed blockbusters.

With a small creak, she knew she wouldn't be alone for much longer. The happy chatter and munching were all part of it, but she had chosen a place far from the other Cobra Kai students.

In moments her crisp ironed outfit sank into the cushion of her heavy weighted blanket. With soda to her right and the family-sized popcorn on her left, all was right with her world. Nothing could go wrong now. The ritual had been perfect, all she had to do now was sit tight and wait for the stars.

The movie started, and though the crowd loved it, Jieun couldn't help but roll her eyes. Yet another karate movie, she was almost sick of it. Knowing all the moves and what could've been better to defend a kick or punch. No amount of expensive equipment could make up for the lack of a plot.

The movie started like a tortoise and she knew it would end like road kill. Each actor stood around delivering their lines with less feeling than a kindergarten play. The special effects were really 'special' and if the guy behind her coughed one more time, she was going to give these fine folks the show they paid for.

All she could do was exhale in short puffs, thinking back to the times she and Sam Larusso would have their weekly movie nights.

Sam only had one rule. Either read the book or see the movie but not both. Sam preferred to soak in the novel first and then her fun was in dissecting and comparing the plot, analyzing the characterization, and bemoaning casting errors.

Jieun, personally, her entertainment wasn't in analysis, but purely the joy of being sucked into the story, riding along on the crest of a literary or cinematic wave until the climax before unwinding and returning to normal life. She absolutely never ever watched movies twice. She'd make an exception for their guilty pleasure; the Twilight Saga. They would make caramel popcorn and cover the couch in blankets.

It was no movie theatre, but the feeling was all the same.

Robby sat, engrossed, barely noticing the popcorn that failed to make it to his slack mouth.

Slammed by the critics and loved by the punters, he thought Bloodsport was a great movie. The scriptwriter must have been about as intellectual as lobotomized chicken but the action just didn't quit. The hero was earthy and gritty ― the kind of guy any man fantasized about being. He kicked ass, was unapologetic, and made a virtue of disobeying orders. For the full two hours, he barely blinked. Maybe that's why his father loved it so much.

The area was swarming, fast-moving, until she stepped into his peripheral vision. Then time stopped. His stomach turned unhelpfully and he felt his skin turn clammy. She lit up with a smile as she ordered another pack of candy, and what can Robby do but follow suit?

"Not enjoying the movie?" He laughed softly. "Yeah, I'm not a big fan of karate either." Robby was grinning, but Jieun was wearing that 'you really thought that was funny?' look that seemed to be on her face a lot when it came to his jokes. "Where did you park?"

She pointed to her car in response, "why so far?"

"Oh, I take movies very seriously." She says in a menacing tone, "I almost have fifty followers on Letterboxd. Can't let them down." Robby blinked, her words echoing inside his head.

Then, something unhitched inside of her. The conversation made a snort bubble its way up her throat and reach her lips, leaving her quickly and loudly. As if it had been a rush to get out. "I don't think I can stand one second near Kyler and the rest of those Cobra dorks, that's why I parked so far away."

Robby bit back a burst of laughter. "Yeah, If I hear him talk about how he could beat all their asses I think I might tear my ears out." He made a show of looking right and left. "Mind if I join you?"

"Swayze," she started with a toothy smile. "What if I say no?" He shrugged, "you wouldn't be upset?"

A pause. Silence. And then; "Nope." His voice was deep. So deep. Really deep. Dreamy deep.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"Maybe a little."

That had her. She sighed, slumping against the concession wall. "What if Kyler misses you?"

A sharp sound ― some kind of snort. "He's fine." He waved a hand. "Gave him my leftover popcorn."

She laughed. The sound of her laughter was a soul elevator for anyone blessed enough to hear it. It was like sugar to him. Nodding, they walked side by side to her car.

About three seconds later Jieun went on a rant about how before it was a drive-in, long ago it used to be a community garden, now it's a theater and the tracks they're walking on are owned by a corrupt company.

Before, the ground was pretty bumpy, and when she would come down there with her bike she'd have to go slow and still she'd sway wildly.

There would be hedgerows on either side, and the area almost had an English feel to it, not quite though, too straight.

The trails used to be so long that by the time someone would get to the other end, the air was fresh again, with no highway fumes at all. They could take the garden path and head up to the bridge before hunkering left and following the river for a way. Sometimes there were ducks, mallards mostly, with their iridescent green heads, swimming and turning tails up, beautiful. And it was quiet too, which was her favorite.

Now it's just a drive-in, what a shame.

"Sorry." She muttered. The boy looks to his side, and Jieun turned away quickly. "I just wish you could've seen it."

Despite being considered the Queen B of her peers she still struggled with social interactions, she'd guess it didn't help that her only close friend was her ex-best friend's nemesis and current boyfriend, plus Yasmine who she thought was a total ass before. And of course Moon, her lovely Moon.

Though maybe she was doing a decent job, because he laughed ― just a huff, but Jieun could tell. And she kind of liked it.

They hadn't been watching the movie for a while, just stuck in their own conversation while looking up at the stars.

After a few minutes of silence, Robby spoke, "is it going to rain?"

"Hm?" She inspected her surroundings, "but the sky's clear." She then sat straight, looking down at the boy who laid on the hood of her car. "Are you psychic?"

He positioned his head comfortably on his arms, looking up at the sky again. "I can't see the big triangle because the clouds are moving fast."

"The big triangle?" She whispered, her eyes inspecting the sky once more. "A large triangle?"

Robby internally laughed, sitting up as well, "the three constellations that you can see most clearly." He smiled down at her, like speaking to a child. "Vega," he pointed to one star, "Deneb," then another, "Altair."

Jieun followed suit, unknowingly pointing at the wrong set of stars. "It kind of looks more like a straight line..." she outlined the image with her finger, "Oh! I think I see it."

Robby chuckled beside her, not loud enough for her to catch, for she was in her own little world.

His fingers grabbed and curled around her hand, the sudden grab lifting her heart and soul.

"Altair. Here." He whispered, in her renewed silence, only her eyes glowed. They weren't yellow like a comic book cat, but the softest of brown ― like they soaked in the sand only hours ago and are now letting it radiate out gently into the night sky.

Her eyes were everywhere but on him. Then he moved closer with those eyes that looked so deeply into her own, "See? Triangle." Her breathing became softer, her usual pensive look melting into a smile as soft as the morning light. Her body squirmed just a little as her muscles relaxed. There was something about that gaze of his she'll never find in another as if at that moment their souls have made a bridge.

Robby thought of putting his arm around her, but something stopped him.

Her eyes froze over like the surface of a winter puddle, robbing them of the warmth. She's in there, he knew it, but it was like she just took a huge step back from life.

And he wanted to reach in and tell her it isn't hopeless, but she won't believe him. He wanted to rekindle her heat but her insides were too damp with uncried tears. He always knew she had pain inside, but now it's visible on her face and he wished it would go away. He knew that was a selfish want, people have a right to their pain, and they don't ask for it ― it just arrives like the gift you never wanted.

Here was this beautiful, funny, fascinating girl who, the miracle of miracles, might also like him. But she was heartbroken, in mourning in her own weird way about her late father. And that was enough to give anyone a pause.

The next thing he knew, Jieun's hand was on his arm. Then her head was on his shoulder, and he could feel the top of her head tracking slowly toward his face.

Robby adjusted himself with his right arm over her, pulling her in. It took him a little more time to get comfortable. Jieun noticed his breathing increase with each small movement he made.

She tried not to notice these things, but it was hard. She was oblivious to his crush on her, remembering days when Tory would joke on and on about it in between breaks, she paid no mind, clearly.

Tory had known for months, even though Robby was too chicken to tell her. Of course, Tory prayed for the miracle when he would confess his undying love for her best friend, but that sort of thing wasn't a miracle that happens in real life.

Not to two oblivious, stubborn teenagers, at least.

"I'm so tired of this ongoing battle with the Miyagi-do's," he whispered.

His words were so out of line with his usual ❨ well, usual for her, ❩ positivity, and for some odd reason, it comforted her. Of course, she didn't want him to be sad, but she needed him to be sad with her right now. "Me too."

"When a koi fish loses its mate, it can die from sadness. Did you know?" Robby let out a laugh that is probably the most pathetic, sad laugh to ever leave his mouth. They could both hear the despair in it and he holds her tighter, but not much tighter. He had very little strength, holding back for another rumble that was said to be in thirty minutes. His hand soothes her head and he presses his lips into her hair. "They can die from heartbreak," he says quietly. "When I die, I want to come back as a koi fish."

"Where is this coming from?"

"Telling you something about myself that no one else knows." He smiled. Thinking back on the day he asked her to tell him something about her when she visited him in Juvie.

He loosened his grip from around her and makes a tremendous effort to bend his body in a way that has them facing each other.

One could argue that his eyes were a light green, but they weren't, not entirely. There were slight layers of greens and browns, touching but never blending, creating the most intense pair of eyes that Jieun had ever had the chance to look in her direction. The same eyes that were once the brightest part of him but were now too defeated by this untimely fate that is the battle against the two dojo's, slowly draining the color out of them.

"One wants the snow to fall when they die and the other to be reincarnated as a fish. What a pair, huh?"

He smiled and brought his hand up to her face. His thumb brushes over her lips and she could feel her heart lunging towards him in a desperate attempt to remain there. It wasn't fair that he had this effect on her with little effort.

"We're so tragic." She smiled. He then sighed and shook his head, taking his hand back to let it rest on his side again.

"What?" She asked, confused.

He gave her a sheepish grin. "Jiji, when you smile at me, it makes my heart do crazy things." He blushed and flicked his gaze back toward his free hand. He took a deep breath. "Okay, here it goes. I'm trying to prepare myself for the letdown, so bear with me."

Jieun Kang was flipping out.

She stared at him, waiting for the words.

Then, Kyler interrupted, his body turning towards the two. "Yo, it's time to beat the Miyagi-do's"

"Right." Jieun dragged, letting a soft smile tug her lips as she made her way off the hood.

Robby turned towards Kyler, a frustrated sigh leaving his lips.

𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄

look who finally updated :D

i've been so busy but don't worry i finally have everything handled and i cant wait to continue this story again !!!

and yes, robby and jiji will be together soon i just love this corny slowburn shit so much HA

also one of my smaller chapters im so so sorry i just wanted more jiji x robby content, plus let u guys know that im alive

cant believe cobra kai is finishing after s6 :c i hope they do everyones characters justice bc theres so many story lines that have so much potential of being better or having an amazing send off, gonna miss seeing this group of amazing ppl together but i know theyre just gonna kill it with their career and i cant wait to be a supporter !!

especially u xolo, my lil blue beetle

much love,