❝ how could i not like you? ❞
―
THE TWINS STOOD ON THE MAT AT COBRA KAI.
Practice was just about over. Sensei was working them extra hard today, pushing their limits and making sure that their stances were perfect. All Decha wanted to do was go home and take a shower and then lay in his bed listening to music. There was nothing that sounded more peaceful. Achara just wanted to eat food. She could feel her stomach aching and growling and gurgling throughout practice.
Sensei was observing their fighting stance, making his way through the lines of students.
"Holy shit," he said. "We got a room full of flinchers."
"Yes, Sensei!"
"That was not a question!" Sensei shouted. "Raise your hand if you've never been punched in the face."
Achara and Decha didn't raise their hand. Both of them had been punched in the face. Decha by the numerous people he had broken up with after they got mad or upset that he had ended the relationship and Achara when she was sparring with Aisha and Aisha's fist made direct contact with her nose. It'd been an accident, but Achara thought it still counted.
They glanced around the room, noticing that Miguel and Aisha were the only ones besides them who didn't raise their hand. Everyone else's was up in the air.
"Put your hands down," Sensei instructed. "All your lives, you've been avoiding fights so you don't break your nose or lose a tooth. This concussion nonsense. So, there's only one solution, and that is before you leave this dojo, each and every one of you is gonna take a punch very hard, to the face. Ms. Robinson, line them up. Unflinch this group."
"Yes, Sensei," Aisha obeyed.
Sensei walked away, making his way into the office. The town's watched as Aisha cracked her knuckles and stepped in front of one of the other students and punched him in the face.
"Next," Aisha said.
This continued one by one until the dojo was full of students with a bloody nose, busted lips, or a red mark that was sure to turn into a bruise. Having enough of watching punch after punch, Achara walked towards Sensei's office where she saw Miguel had gone. She stopped when she heard them talking. Not wanting to walk in on their conversation unannounced, she raised her fist to knock on the door. But she stopped when she heard what Miguel said.
"Well, there's a girl..."
"Is she hot?" Sensei asked.
"...and she's super smart."
"Hot?"
"...funny and cool."
"Hot?"
"Yes, she's hot," Miguel answered. "Super hot. I think you'd really like her. She likes karate, and...I mean I wanna ask her out, I just don't know how."
Achara's breath hitched and for a split second, her heart felt like it had stopped beating. He had to be talking about Sam. Achara noticed how the two of them had started to grow closer. She saw them talking in the hallway at school before class and as they walked to lunch together. She heard how Sam giggled and how Miguel just smiled as if it were his favorite sound. There was no doubt in Achara's mind that he was talking to Sensei about Sam.
Achara stepped away from the door and stood next to Decha.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
Achara nodded, forcing a fake smile. "Fine."
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Achara was dreading school. She knew that Miguel was planning on asking Sam out and she didn't want to be anywhere near them when it happened. Every time Achara saw Miguel, she turned the other way. She was trying to avoid him at all costs. She didn't want to hear about how Sam had said yes to going on a date with him.
Achara walked out of her math class and made her way towards her locker. When she turned the corner, she was met face to face with Miguel.
"Hey, Achara," Miguel greeted her.
Achara tried not to look disappointed. "Hey, Miguel. What's up?"
"I've been trying to talk to you all morning," Miguel told her. "Where have you been?"
"Oh...just...around," Achara replied.
"Uh, anyways..." Miguel spoke before he started to ramble. "I'm glad I finally ran into you. Um, I've been thinking about you a lot lately. I mean, not "a lot" a lot. Just the normal amount that someone would think about someone else."
Achara furrowed her eyebrows and nodded her head in confusion. "Uh...are you okay? You look like you're shaking."
"Um, yeah, I mean I was..." Miguel stammered. "Do you want to go out on a date with me?"
"Alai na?" Achara asked in disbelief.
Was she dreaming? She had thought for certain that Miguel was going to ask Sam out. She had to have heard him wrong.
"I...I don't know what that means," Miguel replied, confusion written all over his face.
"Can-can you repeat that?" Achara asked.
Miguel was confused, but he asked again, the confusion more evident in his voice. "Do you want to go out on a date with me?"
Achara smiled. She had heard him right. "I'd love to."
Miguel smiled back, grinning from ear to ear. "Great! What about tonight?"
Achara nodded. "Pick me up at eight."
"Yeah! Totally!" Miguel exclaimed. He turned away but then stopped and turned back around. "Oh...I have a bike."
Achara just smiled. "Okay, then I'll pick you up."
"Okay, yeah," Miguel agreed.
Achara gave him one last smile before she clutched her notebook in her hands and walked away. She couldn't believe it. Miguel asked her on a date! He asked her and not Sam. How could she have read the signs so wrong? How could she misinterpret Miguel's feelings so easily! Achara felt like she was on cloud nine. She couldn't stop smiling. She anticipated the date for the rest of the day.
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Decha walked into Cobra Kai alone. Achara wasn't going to be attending practice. Decha walked into the locker room to change into his gi. When he walked back out, he took a seat on the mat next to Miguel, Aisha, and Hawk. As he started stretching, Hawk gave him a confused stare.
"Where's Achara?" he asked.
"Dentist appointment," Miguel answered before Decha had the chance. He turned to him, followed by Aisha and Hawk. "What? I spoke to her earlier..."
"How's that going by the way?" Hawk asked.
Decha looked at him, puzzled. "How's what going?"
"You mean you don't know?" Hawk asked him, receiving a head shake in response. "Miguel has a huge crush on her."
Decha raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"
"Not...not like a huge crush," Miguel stammered. "Just like, a regular crush. A perfectly reasonable amount of crush."
"Dude, it's fine," Decha chuckled. "I just so happen to know that she has a perfectly reasonable amount of crush on you too."
"Yeah, I thought as much when I asked her out today," Miguel announced.
"Wait, seriously?" Decha asked.
How could Achara not have told him? Even though she hadn't been able to take him home from school because of her dentist appointment, he figured that she would have at least been texting him raving all about it.
"That's awesome! Way to go!" Hawk congratulated him.
"Now she can finally stop going on and on about how she's convinced you don't like her back," Aisha said.
Decha nodded in agreement. "You're telling me."
"Wait..." Miguel said, bemused. "Why would she think that? I've been dropping hints like crazy."
"Does the cafeteria fight ring a bell?" Decha asked. Miguel looked even more confused. "You defended Sam. She thought you liked her."
"Sam's a nice girl and all but she's just..." Miguel trailed off, trying to look for the right word. "She's just a friend."
There was a brief moment of silence where none of them said anything.
"Anyways, I need somewhere romantic but not too romantic," Miguel spoke up.
"You could take her to get tattoos," Hawk suggested.
Aisha and Decha looked at each other and laughed.
"What?" Miguel asked.
Hawk stood up and undid his belt before turning around. He lowered his uwagi—the jacket of his gi. "I know a guy, just hooked me up with this bad boy."
A ginormous tattoo of a hawk adorning a bright blue mohawk covered his back. Decha's eyes went wide at the sight of it.
"Oh shit," Miguel said.
"Oh!" Aisha exclaimed. "That is badass!"
Decha didn't even think twice about the words that came out of his mouth. "That's hot..."
"Right?" Hawk replied in response to him and Aisha. "Fourteen hours in the chair."
"Wait," Aisha said as Hawk flexed in the mirror, making it look like the tattoo was flying. "Are your parents okay with it?"
Hawk's smile faded as he put back on his uwagi. "Oh, they have no idea. Definitely going to have to wear a T-shirt until college. Probably longer. Please don't tell them."
"Uh...any other suggestions?" Miguel asked as Hawk sat back down, glancing over at Aisha and Decha.
"She likes skateboarding," Decha informed him.
"I don't know how to skateboard," Miguel admitted.
"She could always teach you," Decha suggested.
"I guess, yeah," Miguel replied. "But that's not much of a date, is it?"
"She likes astronomy," Aisha told him. "It's one of the first things she talked about when we first met."
"Skateboarding and astronomy...I think I can work with that," Miguel said with a nod.
"Banned? What are you talking about?" They heard Sensei Lawrence shout.
Miguel stood up and ran into the office.
"Are we really ready for all of their lovey-doveyness when Achara and Miguel start dating?" Aisha asked.
"Definitely not," Decha responded quickly.
"It's gotta be better than the constant questioning of whether or not they like each other, right?" Hawk said.
"I hope so," Aisha replied. "The he likes me, he likes me not routine was starting to get old."
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When Achara picked Miguel up, she didn't think that he'd be taking her to Golf 'N Stuff. She pulled into a parking space. She got out of the car and looked around, the nostalgia instantly hitting her. Even though she had only been there once for her and Decha's eleventh birthday, it still brought back memories that she thought had been long forgotten.
"I can't believe you wanted to come to Golf 'N Stuff," Achara said as she stepped over the curb.
"Oh, I mean, we could go somewhere else if you don't want to be here," Miguel responded.
"No, way," Achara replied. "I love this place. I haven't been here in years."
"Really?" Miguel asked.
Achara nodded. "Yeah. My brother and I had a birthday party here one year. It was totally fun."
They walked up to the entrance of the mini-golf course, stopping at the counter to pay for their golf balls and putters. When they reached the frost hole, Achara took her turn. She missed the hole by a mere inch. When it was Miguel's turn, he hit his ball, sending it right into Achara's and knocking it in the hole.
"Hole in one!" Achara said excitedly.
"What? No way!" Miguel asked, a playful tone to his voice. "That was totally unfair! I would've had a hole in one if your ball wasn't in the way."
"Sorry!" Achara smiled as she picked up her ball and ran to the next hole. "Better luck next time!"
"Oh, it is on!" Miguel laughed as he followed her.
Hole after hole, Achara somehow managed to win. Whether it was because Miguel kept hitting her ball into the hole or because his ball kept getting stuck, Achara won every single time.
With mini-golf checked off the list, they made their way inside to the arcade. The first thing they did was play foosball hockey, huge grins on their faces as they looked at each other over the plastic bubble that covered the foosball table.
"What next?" Miguel asked when they finished, Achara beating him once again.
"Hmm..." Achara glanced around the arcade. "Skee-ball!"
Achara grabbed Miguel by the hand, pulling him over to the skee-ball lanes. She let go of his hand and pushed the coins into the slot, watching as the balls rolled out. Miguel followed suit, and it turned into a competition to see who could win the most points.
Miguel was throwing the balls left and right, scoring so many points that Achara was being left in the dust. Until Achara threw a ball flying into the ten thousand hole. Tickets started to pour out of the of the ticket slot.
"Oh my god!" Achara said in surprise as she watched the tickets continue on and on.
"You're amazing!" Miguel complimented.
Miguel grabbed the ticket pile off the floor and held it out in front of him.
"How about we go spend these, Superstar?" Miguel asked.
"Superstar?" Achara asked.
Miguel smiled. "Yeah. You're so good at everything. You're a superstar."
Achara couldn't help but smile. She felt her cheeks start to heat up. She knew for a fact that they were bright red as they walked up to the prize counter. Miguel placed the tickets on the glass counter.
"All right, this is a lot," Miguel looked down at the prizes in the glass. "Let's see, you could get fifteen necklaces, an eraser, or thirty-seven lamps."
Achara laughed as she looked up. She saw the perfect prize. "I want that one." She pointed above them.
Miguel followed the direction of her finger. It was a large rabbit wearing a halo. The lady at the counter grabbed it and handed it to Achara. She smiled as she looked down at it. It was perfect.
"Why this one?" Miguel asked.
"Rabbits are my favorite animal," Achara told him. "It's also pretty symbolic in Chanthaburi, a town in Thailand. It's called the 'City of the Moon.' It's an old folklore tale that there's a rabbit on the moon. The seal of Chanthaburi has a rabbit in the center of the moon, surrounded by an aura. It symbolizes peace and tranquility."
Miguel smiled at her. "That's really cool."
"And it's wearing a halo. Achara means angel, so I thought it was perfect," Achara mentioned.
"I didn't know that," Miguel replied.
Achara smiled back at him softly. It was like they were both in a trance for a few seconds.
"Uh, are you ready?" Achara asked, breaking the eye contact.
"Yeah," Miguel said as Achara started to walk away. "Where are we going?"
Achara stopped in front of Hoop Fever. "Are you ready for some basketball?"
Miguel grinned. "Are you challenging me, Superstar?"
"Sure am."
She grabbed a ball and threw it, sending it right into the hoop. Miguel threw a ball and it circled the rim before it fell into the hoop.
"Good shot," Achara smiled.
"Hey, so, uh," Miguel started, continuing to throw the basketball. "Earlier at school when I asked you out, you said something. What did it mean?"
"You mean alai na?" Achara asked. Miguel nodded. "It's Thai for what. I was surprised that you were asking me out."
"How come?" Miguel asked.
Achara shrugged. "I didn't think you liked me."
"Are you crazy? How could I not like you?" Miguel asked.
Achara smiled again. "Ja bâa rór."
"Huh?" Miguel questioned what she said.
"It means are you crazy?" Achara translated.
"Ja ba lor?" Miguel tried to say.
"Ja bâa rór," Achara corrected him. "When you say bâa, it has a falling tone. Think of it as climbing a steep hill and then going down the other side." Achara stuck her pointer finger out and moved it up and then back down, symbolizing the climbing of the hill. "The last 'a' in bâa should sound like it's falling."
"Ja bâa rór?" Miguel tried again, moving his pointer figure as he said bâa just like Achara had done.
Achara smiled. "There you go. Much better."
"Do you speak Thai often?" Miguel asked.
"Only sometimes," Achara told him. "My parents moved to America when my mom was pregnant with us after my dad got a job offer. They both already knew how to speak some English. They taught Decha and I English and Thai. My mom thought it was important that we know it."
Miguel just listened as she talked.
"Most of the time we just speak English. It's easier that way," Achara continued. "But sometimes we'll say things in Thai. I don't know if you've noticed or not, but my brother and I have a slight accent. Even though we grew up in America and listened to American accents, our parents having a Thai accent while trying to teach us English impacted us a lot. It's not very prominent though."
"I did notice," Miguel said. "I didn't really think anything of it though."
"Growing up here and being around English speakers really allowed us to speak English so fluently that most people don't even think twice about it," Achara informed him. "So, I'm not surprised."
"Have you ever been to Thailand?" Miguel asked, throwing another ball into the hoop and then focusing on Achara again.
"Yeah," Achara responded. "We go visit my grandparents. It's been a couple years since our last visit though."
Achara set the ball she was holding down. She looked up at the scores. "Looks like you finally beat me at something."
"You sure you don't want to continue?" Miguel asked. "How about this—last shot wins."
"You're on," Achara threw the ball, but it bounced off the rim and came bouncing back.
Miguel threw the ball, but missed the net by a millimeter. He kept trying, glancing at Achara to see her throwing the ball. Miguel looked back at the net and threw the ball. It went flying right into the net.
"Score!" Miguel celebrated.
"Looks like you were meant to beat me after all," Achara said. "Now come on, let's go take some pictures to remember tonight."
Achara grabbed Miguel's hand and walked over to the photo booth she had seen earlier in the night. Achara pulled back the curtain and took a seat on the bench. Miguel sat next to her. Achara looked into the camera and smiled. She glanced at Miguel to see an awkward smile on his face.
She stuck her tongue out at him, causing him to smile and then puff his cheeks out. They both turned to the camera. As soon as the flash went off, Achara faced Miguel and smiled. He just stared at her, a look of pure adoration on his face. They stepped out of the photo booth and looked at their pictures. Achara was going to treasure them forever.
They walked outside and sat on a nearby bench. Achara held the stuffed rabbit in her arms. "Chanthaburi would like to know, are you really the best in karate like you think you are?"
Miguel raised his eyebrows. "You can tell Chanthaburi that sensei says I'm the best. I'm sure you've seen just how good I am at practice."
"I've seen you at practice," Achara said. "Pretty average if you ask me."
"If I knew any better, I'd think you were challenging me," Miguel looked at the stuffed rabbit. "Chanthaburi, what do you think? Is she challenging me?"
Achara stood up and placed the stuffed rabbit on the bench. "What are you waiting for, Diaz?"
"Absolutely nothing, Thirasawat," Miguel said as he stood up and faced Achara. "Fighting positions."
Achara adjusted her stance, getting in her fighting position. Miguel mirrored her. Miguel threw a punch her way, but Achara darted away. He lifted his leg and tried to kick her, but Achara spun out of the way and while Miguel was distracted, watching her circle around him, Achara grabbed him by the waist and flipped him onto the grass.
"I don't think I'll ever get used to the ballerina spins," Miguel spoke.
"This makes how many times I've knocked you on the ground?" Achara asked.
"Far too many," Miguel admitted.
Achara reached her hand out to pull Miguel up. When he was on his feet, their hands remained intertwined. Miguel pulled Achara closer so that they were chest to chest, their hands between them. They looked deeply into each other's eyes. Miguel slowly started to lean in. Achara closed her eyes, anticipating the moment that their lips met.
But they never did.
Achara opened her eyes to see Miguel looking back at her. Achara gulped and decided that if Miguel wasn't going to, then she would be the one to strike first. Achara leaned in, pushing her lips onto Miguel's. He was taken aback for a few seconds, but he kissed her back.
— EMILIA'S NOTES + TRANSLATIONS
whewwww this was a dive into some thai beliefs and culture. when i read about the rabbit on the moon while researching thai culture, i thought it was really interesting so i just had to include it. i didn't dive too deep into explaining it though...
i love this chapter not only because miguel and achara went on a date and their feelings are known and they kissed, but because we got to learn more about the thirasawats.
i hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. i personally think it's the most impactful chapter yet.
alternative chapter title: achara is dumb and really needs to be more socially aware.
TRANSLATIONS:
- Ja bâa rór.
bâa is the word for crazy. as achara translated for us ja bâa rór means are you crazy? bâa is the word for crazy.
are you crazy? can also be written as bâa réu bpàao but i thought ja bâa rór was easier. :)
also i really hope i described how to say bâa in a way that makes sense. after watching videos on how to pronounce it, that's how my brain was able to understand it.