❝ is that supposed to make me feel bad for you? ❞
AYANE WAS NOT SURE WHAT her plans for the day were going to be, but she certainly didn't expect to be doing a photoshoot with Johnny Lawrence.
"You're not supposed to touch it," Ayane sighed, regarding the painting Johnny was supposed to be posing in front of.
And then, they got kicked out.
Next they went to this alley where Johnny stood in front of a graffitied wall. Ayane looked down at Miguel's phone as he took the pictures, contorting her face.
"You're really doing all of this just for one woman? Who- by the way- you haven't even talked to in thirty plus years?"
Johnny shot Ayane a look, walking over to them.
"It's called putting in an effort. That's what we used to do back in the day."
Ayane and Miguel looked at each other, both shaking their heads.
They went to a sushi place next, which was good because Ayane was starving. Johnny had a plate of dragon rolls in front of him, stabbing a chopstick into it.
"That's- not how you-" Ayane just shook her head, sighing.
"What is this? It smells like shit," Johnny said, examining the sushi roll with a rather disgusted face.
Miguel explained for Ayane, because she probably would not have explained it as nicely.
"Just try to have an open mind," Miguel said hopelessly, shaking his head.
Johnny held it up to his mouth and Miguel snapped the pictures as Johnny attempted to eat it, spitting it back out after Miguel got the pictures.
"I'm gonna go wash this shit out of my mouth," he said, standing up and walking inside.
Ayane turned to Miguel, laughing a little.
"Remind me again why I'm helping you guys do this?"
Miguel pursed his lips. "Um... because you think I'm really cute?"
"You're not that cute," Ayane joked in response, to which they both laughed.
He was about to reply when Miguel's smile suddenly dropped, looking behind Ayane. Her back was turned to the building, so Ayane turned to see what he was looking at.
Ayane, for whatever reason, stood up instinctively as she saw Tory standing there. Tory took a step back, a deep frown on her face.
"Chill, bitch," Tory said bitterly. "I'm not here to fight. This is where I work."
Miguel looked between the two nervously, seeing that familiar look in Ayane's eyes.
"I thought you worked at the roller rink," Ayane replied with suspicion in her voice.
Tory rolled her eyes. "Not that it's any of your business, but that's at night. Some of us have to work two jobs to get by."
Ayane could have laughed.
"Is that supposed to make me feel bad for you?"
"Ayane," Miguel said in a quiet voice, grabbing her hand.
Tory scoffed. "Yeah, go ahead and side with her like you always do. Even though her dojo almost got you killed." She glared at Ayane, then opened the door to walk inside.
But Ayane continued, "You were the one who started the fight. You're the reason for all of this."
Miguel looked between them helplessly. If a fight broke out, there was nothing he could do to stop it.
Tory stepped toward Ayane threateningly.
"You broke my ribs and fractured my spine," Tory spat. "And yet, everyone still thinks I'm the crazy one. I can't wait for everyone to find out who you really are. Kreese told me all about your family. It's only a matter of time before you end up just like your dad."
She walked inside before Ayane could react, leaving the girl outside shaking with anger.
Miguel took her hand again, trying to make her sit down.
Ayane turned at once, sitting in the chair and running her hands through her hair.
"Why is it that no matter how hard I try, I can't escape this? This- this stupid Cobra Kai, Miyagi-Do bullshit."
Miguel frowned at her, taking pity on Ayane. He wanted to help her but he just didn't know how.
She looked up at Miguel, continuing, "Hawk broke Demetri's arm. I-I haven't told you because I wasn't sure how you'd handle it but- this is too much. Kreese- that man is insane and no one seems to want to do anything about it. He's teaching Cobra Kai more than just karate... he's trying to make them into literal fucking soldiers."
Miguel was a bit jarred by this, hearing what Hawk did to Demetri. It scared him, even.
"I'm sorry I didn't listen to you about Kreese, before," he replied quietly, glancing down. "I just- I trusted him because Sensei trusted him. It- clouded my judgment."
Ayane nodded, looking around for a moment.
"Let's make a deal," she said finally, turning back to him.
Miguel slowly nodded. "Okay... what kind of deal?"
"Neither of us go back to Cobra Kai or Miyagi-Do. We can still do karate, just not with either of those dojos. Deal?"
He chewed his lip, thinking for a moment. Johnny certainly wasn't going back to Cobra Kai, and Ayane didn't want him to be in it either.
"I have to get out this thing before I can do any karate again," Miguel replied, almost a little bitter. "But I agree. No more Cobra Kai, no more Miyagi-Do."
Ayane smiled, a little sadness lying behind it. Miguel was so close to being on his feet again, and Ayane knew he could do it. They just had to figure out how.
"You're going to walk again," she said firmly, meeting his eyes. "Whether you like it or not, I'm going to make you walk because I know you've got it in you. Got it?"
His eyes went a little wide, searching for a response.
"I-I don't know if that's how that works-"
"I will not kiss you until you can walk again. So you better get to figuring it out."
Miguel looked at her in disbelief, his mouth slightly agape.
"You can't do that," he protested at once.
Ayane smiled a little, standing up as Johnny walked back out.
"What are you gonna do, chase me?"
. . . .
AYANE WOKE UP THE NEXT morning and changed clothes, put in her earbuds and ran around the block.
She felt guilty for what happened to Demetri, not being there to help them. Because instead of helping, Ayane was at a rock concert of all things.
But she kept trying to remind herself that this wasn't something she wanted to be involved in anymore. As long as she had Miguel, and as long as they were on good terms, she was happy.
And yet, that little nagging guilt in the back of her mind was still there.
Daniel and Amanda seemed to be treating Ayane like she was fragile, and she could not understand why. Whenever she was in a room with one of them they acted like she was about to break.
So to get away from them, Ayane went to Reseda.
She was redirected from Miguel's apartment to Johnny's, no surprise, walking right inside.
Ayane wasn't sure was she was expecting to see when she walked inside, but it certainly wasn't Miguel being suspended from the ceiling in a harness.
"Should I even ask...?"
Miguel groaned. "You always show up at the worst times."
Ayane laughed a little, shutting the door.
"Want me to try again?"
Johnny was holding a rope which she guess was holding Miguel up, although she was not really sure what was going on.
"Ayane, come hold this," Johnny said, gesturing to the rope.
She raised her eyebrows, walking over. "Did you just- say my name correctly?"
Johnny rolled his eyes. "Don't get used to it. I'll be right back, try to fix Diaz's legs."
Ayane grabbed the rope, turning to Miguel as Johnny walked outside. She could not help but to laugh, amused by this contraption Johnny had thought up.
"Is this funny to you?" Miguel asked, side-eyeing her. He didn't seem to be in a very good mood.
She shrugged. "Kinda."
He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well it's not very amusing to me."
"Are you even trying?" Ayane retorted, shaking her head. "You need to make those things move!"
For the first time ever, Miguel yelled at Ayane.
"I'M TRYING!" he snapped, Ayane flinching a little in surprise.
"Do you not understand that this is all that I want?" Miguel said with trembling anger in his voice, looking away from her. "All I want is to walk again, and for things to go back to normal between us."
"What do you mean?" Ayane said, shaking her head with confusion. "Everything is fine between us, isn't it?"
Miguel refused to meet her eyes.
"I don't know."
Ayane frowned, realizing her grip on the rope had slackened. She looked down, her eyes going as big as saucers.
"Miguel- Miguel. You're doing it- you- look!"
She held both of her hands up, not holding the rope. His eyes widened as he looked down, laughing in disbelief.
"Holy shit- I'm doing it-" Miguel looked back up at her, almost tearing up a little as he pulled Ayane into a tight embrace.
Ayane threw her arms around him, laughing and still partially in shock.
"Thank you," Miguel said. "I'm sorry for yelling at you."
She smiled, shaking her head. "Nah, I probably deserved it."
He laughed softly, Johnny walking back in just then with a gas can and a box of matches in his hands.
"Alright, I have a new method I want to try- holy shit, are you standing up by yourself?"
Johnny dropped the items he was holding, walking over with a face of disbelief. Miguel smiled and hugged him, looking over at Ayane with a soft expression. He didn't know what he would do without her.
"Well you know what we have to do now," Johnny said, looking to Ayane.
They were thinking the same thing, both turning their heads to Miguel who looked between them suspiciously.
"Training."
. . . .
OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS, Ayane went to Reseda after school.
Today, she went by before school because Miguel said he had something to show her.
Miguel was making fast progress, even with Johnny's elaborate makeshift obstacle course.
"You've gotten rid of the crutches?" Ayane noticed as she approached them, seeing Miguel freestanding.
"Yeah," he laughed, shrugging. "I told Sensei he should be a doctor."
Ayane wrinkled her nose, as she did not exactly think the same.
They went inside to Johnny's apartment, Miguel informing Ayane on their plan for a new dojo.
"We just need a badass name," Miguel explained, sitting down across from Johnny at the table. Ayane sat down too, biting her lip as she thought.
"Hmm... well, Cobra Kai is just the name of a snake combined with the Japanese translation for 'sea'. It doesn't really make sense, but I never questioned it," Ayane said, tapping her fingers on the table. "What are some other 'badass' animals?"
Miguel and Johnny both sat there in thought, naming off a few.
"Tigers, lions, jaguars, cougars- ooh, Cougar Claw sounds badass!" Johnny suggested.
Ayane squinted. "Mm... it kinda sounds like a class for middle-aged white women."
Miguel began to laugh, dismissing Johnny's look of irritation.
"Whatever," Johnny huffed, "first we need to find some students."
Both Miguel and Johnny looked to Ayane, who scoffed a little.
"Don't look at me. The whole school thinks I'm a social pariah."
Miguel rolled his eyes, standing up. "It's my first day back at school. I'm sure I can talk to some of them."
Johnny nodded, standing up as well.
"Alright, well you do that. And try to avoid any fights on your first day back."
"I can't believe Johnny Lawrence is telling someone to avoid a fight," Ayane remarked, leaving his apartment with Miguel.
Carmen dropped them both off at school, Ayane looking to Miguel as they were about to walk inside.
"I think we could just skip today," she suggested, smiling rather anxiously.
Miguel laughed, frowning a little. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, yeah," Ayane nodded assuringly. "It's just... things are a lot different. I'm basically hated by the whole school- well, except for Moon- and I just want you to know what you're getting yourself into by hanging around me."
They entered the building, going through the security check. Miguel pulled her to the side.
"I don't care if the entire world hated you. I'll always be by your side."
Ayane smiled up at Miguel, glancing down.
"Thanks." She hesitated, then reached up and planted her lips on Miguel's briefly.
She pulled away to see the familiar dumb smirk on his face, Miguel saying, "I thought you didn't like PDA."
Ayane shrugged, walking alongside him.
"I guess I can make an exception, just this once."
NOTES!
guys idk what i'm gonna do when this ends- WHAT AM I GONNA DOOOOO I LOVE THEM SO MUCH