The day dawned in Los Angeles with soft shades of pink and gold, the sun slowly rising over the hills as the weight of departure for Barcelona danced in the air, a bittersweet melody that echoed in our hearts. Sam's room was a haven of light and warmth, the suitcases scattered around like silent witnesses to what was to come, the smell of coffee and wood enveloping us like an embrace I didn't want to let go of.
"Clark, did you get a hold of Tory?" Sam asked, her voice filled with a soft sadness as she stared at me, her blue eyes shining with a concern that cut like a gentle knife, the weight of Tory's absence dancing across her face like a shadow she couldn't erase.
"Unfortunately not, Sam…" I replied, my voice deep as I stared at her, my love for Tory pulsing through me like a flame I wanted to rekindle, but it was out of my reach. "At her mother's funeral… She didn't even talk to me. She just stood there, and then she left. I called her, but she didn't answer… I think she just wants to focus on karate now…" The weight of that distance echoed in me like a dark thunder, the worried face I carried reflecting the love I felt for her, a girl lost somewhere I couldn't reach. "The only thing we can do is wait, Sam…"
"I see…" she murmured, her brown eyes steady as she clenched her fists, a determination dancing there like a flame that would not go out. "She'll come to Sekai Taikai… I'm sure…"
"I hope so…" I said, a slight smile curving my lips as I stared at her, the love for her glowing in me like a soft flame that warmed the weight of that uncertainty.
"What about you?" she asked, her brown eyes sparkling with a curiosity that cut through the air like a gentle breeze. "Why don't you join? It would be amazing to see my boyfriend win a grand tournament like that…"
"HAHA," I laughed, the sound echoing in the room like a melody that erased the weight of the question, my hand rising behind my head in a shy gesture as I looked at her. "I wouldn't be a good addition to the team, dear… With my powers, it would be unfair to the others, and without them, it would be unfair to you. I would be a burden. I wasn't cut out for this karate thing… That beating I got from Tory that day says a lot…" The laughter danced inside me like a soft thunder, the love for her mixed with the shame of those memories that still sparked in my chest.
"Hmph…" she huffed, her brown eyes shining with a mixture of teasing and tenderness as she stared at me, the weight of goodbye dancing there like a soft shadow. "For everyone here, this could be their last tournament… So they all want to do their best in this world championship. They want to make memories before they enter adulthood… And all the burdens of responsibility that come with it…"
"You're right…" I replied, my voice filled with understanding that cut like a gentle knife as I stared at her, love for her and the others dancing in me like a flame I wanted to protect. "We only live once. I hope everyone does their best in this tournament… I have no idea who will win, but I'm sure new adventures await us in that place…"
"Yeah, me too…" she said, her smile softening as she finished packing, her brown eyes shining with a determination that danced like a soft melody. We were in her room, the morning glow seeping through the curtains like a promise I wanted to keep.
I lay down on her bed, the mattress sinking under my weight as I stared at her, my love for her pulsing through me like a flame I couldn't extinguish. "Tell me, Sam… Are you going to study something in college?" I asked, my voice thick with soft curiosity as I traced the contours of her face with my eyes.
"!!" Her eyes widened, shock flashing across her face like lightning as she stared at me, her brown eyes shining with an excitement that cut through the air like a gentle breeze. "Yes, Clark, I want to study psychology…"
"Hm, interesting…" I murmured, my tone laden with admiration that danced through me like a soft melody as I stared at her, my love for her rekindling a flame I wanted to share.
"And you?" she asked, interest sparking in her brown eyes as she leaned closer, the weight of that question dancing between us like a promise I wanted to keep.
"Honestly, to tell you the truth, Sam, I wasn't really into it…" I replied, my voice filled with a sincerity that cut like a soft knife as I stared at her, the love for her mixed with the introspection that danced in my chest. "But your father talked to me… He said that, even though he's rich, I'm still young and I need to have things to do. So, I'm interested in going to college to be an architect… I like building things, so why not?"
"I can get into any college on the planet," I continued, my tone filled with a humility that came from the bottom of my heart as I looked at her, "but I don't want to burden someone else's life. I mean, I'm rich, why take away someone else's chance at Harvard? I could end up taking someone else's place…"
She smiled, the sweet glow in her brown eyes dancing like a soft flame as she stared at me, her love for me pulsing there like a melody I could feel. "That's why I like you, Clark…" she said, her voice full of tenderness as she leaned closer, her warmth against me like a refuge I wanted to protect. "You're funny and also kind to others… Even with all your power, you haven't lost yourself in it all… I'm sure most people with what you have would do whatever they want…"
"Do you really think so?" I asked, laughing softly as I stared at her, the sound echoing in the room like a melody that erased the weight of doubt, the love for her dancing inside me like a flame that I wanted to rekindle. "Life has taught me many beautiful things so far… One of them is to respect every life on this earth. No one is better than anyone else—money, status, power, none of that is worth anything after death… Living like a frivolous person who only sees themselves is not seeing the suffering of others, it is one of the great sins of this world… Even the smallest can help the greatest with small gestures…"
"What's the point of having something and not sharing it with others?" I continued, my voice filled with a determination that cut through the air like a soft knife as I stared at her, the weight of that idea dancing through me like a melody I wanted to play. "I'm thinking about opening a charity center… It's still in my mind, but in a few years I'll take this project forward…"
"!! Seriously, love?" she exclaimed, her brown eyes wide with fascination as she stared at me, the weight of that promise dancing there like a flame that warmed her. "This is incredible…"
"Yes…" I replied, my voice filled with soft passion as I stared at her, my love for her dancing inside me like a flame I wanted to share. "Every day that passes, I discover more and more things about life… Respect is loving each other as I have loved you…"
"…" She fell silent, her brown eyes shining with an understanding that cut like a soft knife as she stared at me. "That's a verse from the Bible…"
"Yes…" I confirmed, my tone filled with certainty that danced in my chest like an eternal melody as I stared at her. "It's not just a verse, but also a saying for everyone's life…"
"DAUGHTER, ARE YOU READY?" Daniel shouted from downstairs, the sound cutting through the air like a soft thunder that shattered the moment.
"YES, DAD, WE'RE GOING…" Sam replied, his tone filled with soft determination as he turned to me, his brown eyes shining with a flame that danced between us. "Well, shall we go, love?"
"Yes, let's go…" I replied, getting up from the bed as I stared at her, the love for her pulsing through me like a flame that I wanted to take with me, the weight of that journey dancing between us like a melody that I knew I would never forget.
We left for Barcelona, the roar of the car cutting through the silence as the morning sun guided us, the love for Sam and the longing for Tory dancing inside me like twin flames that I wanted to protect, the weight of that new adventure echoing like a promise I wanted to keep.