The morning sun bathed Barcelona in golden hues as the Sekai Taikai stadium throbbed with life, the murmur of voices and the sound of footsteps echoing like a grand melody that cut through the warm air. We had arrived, the weight of the journey dancing on our shoulders like a shadow that dissipated under the brightness of that new horizon, a land where the past and the present intertwined like threads of a tapestry I was still learning to weave.
Minutes later, the Russian Chief Judge took the stage, his deep voice cutting through the silence like a thunderclap announcing the beginning of something greater. He greeted everyone, the sound reverberating through the stands like a promise dancing in the air, explaining that each fight would have points, and the team with the most points at the end would take the victory. "Today is a day to make friends… or enemies…" he said, his tone laden with a dark provocation that sparked like a flame before dismissing everyone, the weight of that challenge echoing in our hearts like a melody that could not be silenced.
We walked back to the hotel, the roar of cars cutting through the silence as the glow of the city danced through the windows, the heat of the day giving way to the promise of a night I wanted to share with those I loved. Daniel and Johnny organized the group, the weight of leadership dancing on their shoulders like a flame they wanted to protect.
"I want you two to get the room keys and get the staff settled in…" Daniel said, his firm voice echoing in the air as he stared at me, his tone laden with a determination that cut like a smooth knife.
"Come on, we still have to pay the driver…" Johnny added, his tone heavy with an urgency that danced like a shadow as he waved at me.
I hadn't gotten out yet, the warmth of the car against my back like an anchor that held me steady as I listened to the murmur of an argument starting on the other side. "Do you see the shit that happened because of you?" Johnny said, his voice thick with anger that cut through the air like dark thunder as he glared at Daniel. "Tory did this because of you…"
"After what we've seen, you're still going to blame me?" Daniel retorted, his tone thick with frustration that danced like a flame he couldn't extinguish. "Tory's mother just died, and you only fueled her anger by wanting to let her fight… No wonder she went back to Kreese…"
"Hey, hey, friends, calm down, no fighting…" I intervened, my deep voice cutting through the air as I approached, the love for them dancing in me like a flame that I wanted to protect, the weight of that tension echoing like a melody that I couldn't ignore.
"!!" Daniel turned, shock flashing across his face as he stared at me. "Clark, are you still here? Why didn't you go with the boys?"
"That's it, Clark, go with the boys…" Johnny said, his tone thick with an urgency that cut through the air like a dry knife as he stared at me.
"Listen, Johnny…" I began, my voice firm as I stared at him, my love for Tory pulsing through me like a flame I wanted to rekindle. "I know you think it's Daniel's fault for all of this… But it's not. What he did was right. Tory wasn't doing well emotionally, letting her fight would have been worse. If she lost because of that, it would have been even worse… Stopping the fight was the right decision. It was her choice to go back to Cobra Kai, no one forced her…"
Johnny was silent, the weight of my words dancing on his chest like a shadow he couldn't erase. "Listen, Clark… When I lost my mother, all I wanted to do was vent my anger. Not letting her do that made her snap and go back to Kreese…"
"…" I hesitated, the weight of that truth echoing through me like a dark melody as I stared at him. "What's done is done… There's no undoing it. Don't blame Daniel for this, it'll only make him feel worse… How does that help us, Johnny? Let's move forward and win this championship…"
Daniel smiled, the glow dancing across his face like a soft flame as he stared at me, the weight of my defense erasing the tension that had been enveloping him. "See, Johnny? This younger boy is much more mature than you… You should learn from him…"
"Grrr, tchi…" Johnny grumbled, the sound echoing like dry thunder as he complained to me and Daniel, the weight of that provocation dancing in his chest like a flame he couldn't extinguish.
I chuckled softly, the sound cutting through the air like a soft melody as I walked away, my love for them dancing in me like a flame I wanted to protect. I reached the lobby, where Roby was handing out keys, the weight of organization echoing in her shoulders as she handed one to Demetri. I walked over to Sam and Devon, their warmth pulling me in like a refuge I wanted to hold, and I wrapped my arms around them both. "Hey, girls, what's going on here?" I asked, my tone thick with a playful passion that danced in my chest.
"!!!" Devon jumped, shock flashing across his face like lightning as he stared at me, the blush rising to his cheeks like a shy flame. "Clark? What are you doing? That's no way to treat a lady…"
"Clark…" Sam said, her tone thick with soft curiosity as she stared at me, the weight of my absence dancing across her face like a shadow she wanted to erase. "Where were you? You were right behind us and you disappeared…"
"I stayed behind…" I replied, my tone filled with a tenderness that cut through the air like a soft knife as I stared at her, my love for her pulsing through me like a flame I wanted to rekindle. "Your father and Johnny were fighting, I had to separate them…"
She put her hand to her face, shaking her head as the weight of that news danced in her chest like a melody she knew all too well. "Those two never learn…" she murmured, her tone laden with a soft frustration that echoed like a flame she couldn't extinguish.
As we spoke, the Cobra Kai team approached, the weight of their presence cutting through the air like a dark thunderclap. Kwon led the way, a mocking smile dancing across his face as he stared at us. "Wow… So you guys are from the famous Myagi-Do? I've heard a lot about you… But I don't understand why, you don't seem like much…"
"Oh, really?" Eli retorted, his tone thick with provocation that cut through the air like a dry knife as he glared at him. "You'll understand when I get on the mat tomorrow…"
"Easy there, man…" Roby said, his tone thick with a caution that danced like a soft flame as he held Eli. "It's not worth it…"
"Roby, it's okay, never mind…" Miguel added, the weight of tension echoing in his chest like a melody he wanted to silence.
"Pff…" I placed my hand over my mouth, laughter dancing in me like soft thunder as I tried to stifle it, the love for that group pulsing in my chest like a flame I wanted to protect.
"Hm?" Kwon turned to me, his tone filled with anger that cut through the air like a dry knife as he glared at me. "What are you laughing at, you moron?"
"You're an Asian and you're talking about small things?" I retorted, my tone full of playful teasing that echoed like a wild melody as I laughed out loud. "Hahaha…"
"Huh? …!!!! YOU SON OF A BITCH…" Kwon screamed, shock flashing across his face like lightning as he charged forward, his friends holding him back with a force that cut through the air like dark thunder.
The Myagi-Do team caught the pun, laughter dancing between them like a melody that erased the tension, the sound echoing in the lobby like a flame no one could extinguish. "HAHAHAHA, GOOD THING, CLARK!" Eli shouted, the weight of the taunt dancing in his chest like a flame he wanted to rekindle.
"…" Roby was silent, the weight of something unsaid dancing across his face like a shadow I couldn't decipher.
"…" Miguel just watched, his silence echoing like a soft thunder that cut through the warm air.
"Well, it seems some people can't take a joke…" I said to the Korean, my tone thick with amusement that danced in my chest like a soft melody as Tory walked past us, the weight of her presence cutting through the air like a sharp knife, her eyes averted as she walked on.
Roby turned his neck to face her, the weight of what he felt dancing on his shoulders like a flame he couldn't extinguish, and he ran after her, the sound of his footsteps echoing like a lament that cut through the silence. Thoughts: Shouldn't I be the one doing this or something? Nah, I'm not going to stand over her with silly jealousy... The love for her pulsed inside me like a flame I wanted to protect, but the trust danced in my chest like a melody I knew how to play.
"Should we care?" Eli asked, his tone thick with uncertainty that cut through the air like a soft knife as he stared at Miguel.
"No, Roby will be fine…" Miguel replied, his tone filled with a calmness that danced like a soft flame as he stared at him.
"I wouldn't stay…" Demetri murmured, the weight of that doubt echoing in his chest like a dark melody he couldn't silence.
I wrapped my arms around the girls again, their warmth against me a refuge I wanted to hold onto. "So, girls, do you want to grab something to eat after we get things ready?" I asked, my tone thick with a playful passion that danced in my chest.
"…" Devon was silent, the weight of my hands on her waist dancing across her face like a warm shadow as she murmured, "Yeah, I'm hungry…"
Sam narrowed her eyes at me, the weight of it dancing across her face like a melody she wanted to understand. "Clark… Could you take your hand off Devon's waist, please?" she asked, her tone laden with a soft tease that cut through the air like a gentle knife.
"Hahah," I laughed, the sound echoing as I placed my hand behind my head, the love for her dancing in me like a flame I wanted to rekindle. "Calm down, beautiful, I'm just kidding…"
She kept her eyes narrowed at me, the weight of distrust dancing across her face like a shadow she couldn't erase. "You never joke about this… I know you…"
"Hahaha," I laughed again, the sound cutting through the air like a soft melody as I stared at her, the love for her pulsing through me like a flame I wanted to protect. "Calm down, beautiful, come on, let's go…"
We walked out, the weight of that interaction dancing between us like a melody I wanted to play, the warmth of the Myagi-Do group echoing like a flame I couldn't extinguish. "Damn… Why is she with that guy? He's a playboy who hits on any girl…" Miguel muttered, his tone laden with a frustration that cut through the air like a dry knife as he stared at me from afar.
"Calm down, man…" Eli said, his tone laden with a calmness that danced like a soft flame as he stared at him. "You know some girls like playboy guys…"
"I can't stand that guy either…" Roby grumbled, his fists clenched as the weight of anger danced in his chest like a dark flame. "I don't think he likes Samantha… To me, he's just messing with her…"
"I wouldn't put my hand in the fire for him anymore…" Demetri said, his tone filled with doubt that echoed like a dark melody as he stared at the group. "You know he kind of got Tory while he was dating Sam…!!" Shock crossed the faces of everyone still there, except Roby, the weight of that revelation dancing like a thunderclap that no one expected.
"Man…" Eli scowled at him, the weight of that gaffe echoing in his chest like a flame he wanted to extinguish.
"What happened is in the past…" Roby said, his tone thick with resignation that cut through the air like a soft knife as he stared at the ground. "I wasn't with Tory at the time…"
"Yeah, you're right, man…" Demetri agreed, the weight of that admission dancing in his chest like a melody he wanted to silence.
"Come on, guys, dwelling on this isn't going to help…" Eli said, his tone filled with soft determination as he stared at them, the weight of that tension echoing like a flame he wanted to extinguish.
Some time later, I took the girls out to eat, the glow of the streets of Barcelona dancing around us like a melody I wanted to share, the taste of the food erasing the weight of the day as we walked, the warmth of them against me like a refuge I wanted to protect. Thoughts: I'm wearing sunglasses today... I couldn't control the color of my eyes... I cast a spell to make my eye red like the other one, but for some reason I can't use that spell anymore... Maybe it's a full moon today...
Everyone was in an aquarium, the blue glow of the water dancing across their faces as they took pictures, the captains posing with a determination that cut through the air like a grand melody. I stood outside, the weight of that moment dancing in my chest as I leaned against a wall, the sound of voices echoing like a flame I wanted to witness.
"Is he a fighter too?" a girl asked, her tone laden with soft curiosity as she stared at me, the weight of her gaze dancing like a melody I couldn't ignore.
"Wow, I want to get lost in those muscles…" whispered another, the glow of admiration dancing on her face like a flame I couldn't put out.
"Hey, handsome, what team are you on?" asked a third, her tone laden with a playful teasing that cut through the air like a gentle breeze.
"Haha, hi, gorgeous…" I replied, my tone filled with soft amusement as I turned to them, love for Sam and Tory dancing in my chest like a flame I wanted to protect. "So, I'm from…"
As he spoke, Sam stared at me from afar, the weight of jealousy dancing across his face like a shadow cutting through the air, his fists clenched as he shook his hands. Miguel looked in the same direction, his tone filled with an anger that echoed like dark thunder. "Look at that scoundrel… He's already hitting on other girls…"
"!!" Devon turned to me, shock flashing across his face as he stared at me. "Wow, Clark is really popular with the girls…"
"I have to admit, the guy is handsome…" Demetri said, his tone laced with a reluctance that danced like a soft melody as he stared at me. "But why is he wearing sunglasses in here?"
Roby stared at Tory, the weight of what he felt dancing in his chest like a flame he couldn't extinguish, but she didn't notice him, her gaze lost until a girl spoke. "Wow, there are some cuties around here... That big guy over there... Damn..." Zara said, her tone filled with admiration that cut through the air like a gentle breeze.
Tory glanced at Roby for a moment, but when Zara mentioned "big guy," her gaze drifted to me, leaning against the wall talking to the girls, the weight of that vision dancing across her chest like a shadow she couldn't ignore. Her fists clenched tightly, the sound of tension echoing like dark thunder as a grimace split her face.
"See this…" Zara said, her tone laden with a tease that danced like a soft flame as she stared at her. "Do you know him? Damn, he's so good…"
"Shut up…" Tory snapped, her tone filled with anger that cut through the air like a sharp knife as she stood up, the weight of that scene dancing in her chest like a melody she didn't want to hear, and left, her footsteps echoing like a lament that cut through the silence.
Roby followed her, the weight of what he felt dancing on his shoulders like a flame he couldn't extinguish, the sound of his footsteps echoing like soft thunder cutting through the warm air.
"Excuse me, girls… This is my boyfriend…" Sam said, her tone laden with soft possessiveness as she approached, taking my hands and leading me to the others, the weight of jealousy dancing in her chest like a melody she wanted to silence.
"Calm down, little one, are you jealous?" I asked, my tone filled with playful amusement as I stared down at her, my love for her pulsing through me like a flame I wanted to rekindle. I grabbed her waist, lifting her easily as I spun around, the warmth of her body against mine a haven I wanted to protect.
"AHHH, Clark, stop, I'm going to fall… AHHHH!" she screamed, the sound echoing like a melody that cut through the air as she laughed, the weight of jealousy giving way to the heat of the moment.
"Hahah…" I laughed, the sound dancing between us like a soft flame as I placed her on the ground, the love for her glowing in my chest like a melody I wanted to play forever.
Some time later, I was walking through the aquarium, the weight of that day dancing on my chest like a shadow I couldn't erase, when I heard the end of Roby's conversation with Tory. Thoughts: Is it weird that I'm jealous of her with Roby? He was almost kissing her because of how close they were… I'm going to show this boy that she's mine… The love for her pulsed through me like a flame I wanted to protect, the weight of that moment echoing like a melody I couldn't ignore.
Tory walked away, her face streaked with tears that cut like soft knives as she ran, the sound of her footsteps echoing like a wail dancing in the air. Roby stared at her, the weight of distance dancing in his chest like a flame he couldn't extinguish, while I, a little further away, followed, my love for her guiding me like a flame I wanted to rekindle.
She stopped, sitting in a corner away from everyone, the weight of grief dancing on her shoulders like a shadow I couldn't ignore. With unearthly speed, I sat down next to her, the sound of movement cutting through the air like soft thunder. "So… is this how you treat your boyfriend?" I asked, my tone filled with soft passion as I stared at her, my love for her dancing in me like a flame I wanted to share.
"!!!!" She jumped, shock crossing her face like lightning as she stared at me. "CLARK? … Arf, you… Scared me, don't do that again…" she muttered, sitting back down, the weight of that moment dancing in her chest like a melody she couldn't play.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you…" I replied, my voice full of tenderness as I stared at her, my love for her pulsing through me like a flame I wanted to rekindle. "It's just that I missed you, you know…" Her eyes, previously focused forward, turned to me, the weight of my words dancing like a melody that reached her.
"Clark, I…" she began, her voice shaking with a mixture of pain and longing as she stared at me. "It's been hard… My mom… I…"
"You don't have to go through this alone…" I interrupted, my voice firm as I reached out to her, my fingers tracing her hair with a delicacy that cut through the air like a soft knife, the love for her dancing in my chest like a flame that I wanted to use to warm the darkness that surrounded her.
"…" She fell silent, the weight of those words dancing across her face as she stared at me. "What about those girls you were with just now? You tell everyone that, don't you?"
I smiled, the warmth of my love for her rising in me like the sun breaking through the clouds as I leaned closer. "You really think so?" I asked, my tone thick with soft passion as I brought my face closer to hers, desire dancing in my chest like a flame I wanted to consume.
Her thoughts: No matter how much time passes… When I'm near him, my heart races, my breathing becomes irregular… I've never felt this way with anyone… Her face moved closer to mine, the weight of that moment dancing like a melody she couldn't ignore.
We kissed, the touch of her lips against mine like a promise that cut through the air, slow and guileless, just pure love, the heat of connection dancing between us like a flame that was rekindled. Our hearts beat fast, the sound echoing like soft thunder as we lost ourselves in each other, the weight of the world giving way to the love that pulsed in our chests. I wrapped my arms around her waist, lifting her easily as I placed her on my lap, the warmth of her body against mine a refuge I wanted to protect. The kiss deepened, my tongue dancing with hers in a rhythm that cut through the air like a wild melody, the fire between us growing like a flame I wanted to consume.
"Clark…" she murmured, pushing me away with her arms, the weight of that moment dancing on her chest like a shadow she couldn't ignore. "I can't do this here… I have to go…" She stood up and ran, the sound of her footsteps echoing like a wail that cut through the silence.
"Huh? What happened to her?" I murmured, the weight of her departure dancing in my chest like a melody I couldn't play, the love for her mixed with the confusion that cut like a soft knife as she walked away.
Her thoughts: As she ran… I can't do this to him… Not now. My mother died a week ago… If I stayed there, I'm sure we would do this… So it's better this way… The weight of grief danced in her chest like a shadow she couldn't erase, her love for me pulsing like a flame she wanted to protect.
I stood up, the weight of anger dancing in my chest like a dark flame as I thought, but then understanding cut through the air like a soft melody. Thoughts: Why did she leave? Did she have another guy? … No… Or maybe she didn't want to do this because her mother had recently died? It had to be that… I walked, the weight of that moment echoing in my footsteps, when I saw Kwon taking a key from Roby's hand, his mocking laughter cutting through the air like dry thunder as he glared at him.
"Hey, guys, what's going on here?" I asked, my voice filled with soft curiosity as I approached, love for this group dancing in my chest like a flame I wanted to protect.
"Roby bet he had a bigger kick than this Cobra Kai guy and lost one of our rooms…" Demetri replied, his tone thick with frustration that cut through the air like a dry knife as he glared at me.
"Hmm…" I murmured, the weight of that situation dancing in my chest like a melody I wanted to understand. "Hey, Korean…"
"Hm?" Kwon turned to me, his tone laced with anger that cut through the air like a dark knife as he glared at me. "You're the idiot from before… What do you want?"
"If I hit that kick you threw there, how about it?" I asked, my tone heavy with gentle teasing as I stared at him, the weight of that bet dancing in my chest like a flame I wanted to rekindle. "You give me back the key. If I don't, I'll give you a million dollars… How about it?"
"!!!!!" Kwon's eyes widened, shock flashing across his face like lightning as he stared at me. "A MILLION DOLLARS?"
"Yes, I'm rich… Money is no problem for me…" I replied, my tone full of certainty that danced in my chest like a soft melody as I stared at him. "So?"
Silence fell like a heavy curtain, the weight of that offer dancing in the air as everyone's mouths dropped open, the shock echoing like a thunderclap no one had expected. "CLARK, ARE YOU CRAZY, MAN? A MILLION DOLLARS?" Eli shouted, his voice thick with a disbelief that cut through the air like a dry knife.
"ARE YOU KIDDING, RIGHT, CLARK?" Demetri exclaimed, the weight of that bet dancing in his chest like a dark melody.
"Why do you think you can?" Roby asked, his fists clenched as he glared at me, anger dancing in his chest like a flame he couldn't put out. "You were humiliated by Tory that day of the fight… So how do you think you're going to win this?"
I smiled, the weight of that confidence dancing in my chest like a soft melody as I stared at Kwon, not responding to Roby. "What's up, huh?"
"My name's Kwon, man…" he said, his tone thick with determination that cut through the air like a dry knife as he stared at me. "Are you really going to give me a million if I win?"
"Of course…" I replied, my tone filled with an honor that danced in my chest like a flame I wanted to protect. "I honor my words…"
"Okay, then… The key for a million…" he said, the weight of the bet echoing like thunder as he stared at me. "You can begin…"
Still wearing my sunglasses, I approached the board, the weight of that moment dancing in my chest like a melody I wanted to play. With a high jump that cut through the air like lightning, I spun quickly, the sound of the movement echoing like soft thunder as I broke the edge of the board with a force that danced like a wild flame.
Silence fell like a heavy curtain, the weight of what had happened echoing in the air as everyone stopped, mouths open in shock that cut like a sharp knife. "WHAT THE FUCK, HOW DID YOU DO THAT, MAN?" Kwon yelled, the weight of that surprise dancing across his face like a flame he couldn't extinguish.
"So?" I asked, my tone filled with mild amusement as I stared at him, the love for that moment pulsing through me like a flame I wanted to rekindle. "Still want to try?"
"…" He fell silent, the weight of that defeat dancing in his chest like a shadow he couldn't ignore, approaching me with heavy steps as he handed me the key and left, his curses echoing like a dark thunder that cut through the hot air.
"Wow, Clark, that was amazing…" Eli said, the weight of that admiration dancing in his chest like a flame he wanted to protect.
"Yeah, man, even I have to admit…" Miguel agreed, his tone laden with respect that cut through the air like a soft melody as he stared at me.
"…" Roby fell silent, his fists clenched as he left in a huff, the weight of anger dancing in his chest like a flame he couldn't extinguish.
"Here," I said, tossing the key to Eli, the weight of that gesture dancing in my chest like a melody I wanted to share. "Maybe it'll be safer with you…" And I left, the warmth of that moment echoing in my footsteps like a flame I wanted to take with me.
"Wow, that was really cool, man…" Eli murmured, the weight of that victory dancing in his chest like a melody he couldn't forget.