◟⊹ 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐃𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑  ╱  chapter three

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─ ─ ─ ⊹ ࣪ ˖ snakes on a plane !⌇

( real life )

✸ REAL LIFE . . .

miguel watched the aftermath of the event unfold with a heavy heart. the participants had been thrown off the mat left and right, leaving miyagi-do in a chaotic state.

some people were groaning in pain on the sidelines while others were busy trying to help each other up. johnny stood watching over the mess with a disappointed look on his face, likely wondering how things had gone so terribly wrong. the air hung heavy with the weight of disappointment and failure.

miguel watched as the others lay defeated on the mat, groans of pain and frustration filling the room. With a tone of annoyance

he turned to robby and spoke up. "hey," he started, "watch and see how it's done." with that, miguel stepped onto the mat, ready to show them all how it was supposed to be done.

in under five minutes, miguel effortlessly defended himself against not one, but two opponents. his moves were swift and precise, each one calculated to counteract his attackers' every blow.

the others stood in awe, watching in awe as he flawlessly defended himself against such odds. it was a level of skill and precision that they could only dream of matching. the crowd cheered after his victory, impressed by his performance.

robby watched with a mix of frustration and annoyance as miguel fought against both opponents, his face a mask of irritation.

he knew deep down that he was partially responsible for the team's current state, as tory's decision to switch sides had significantly weakened their odds.

despite his regret, robby couldn't help but feel a sense of jealousy as he watched miguel effortlessly defend himself.

the arena was filled with excitement as the announcer's voice echoed through the microphone. "incredible performance from miyagi-do's miguel diaz!" he shouted.

"his triumph sends miyagi-do to the next round!" the crowd erupted into applause, celebrating miguel's victory and miyagi-do's advancement to the following round of the competition.

after the intense competition, all the dojo's retreated to their respective hotels to rest and recover. however, the miyagi-do competitors decided to unwind and let loose a bit

heading over to a nearby bar for some much-deserved relaxation. they huddled together, discussing the events of the night and enjoying each other's company over some drinks.

atarah stood next to robby, sipping on a colorful cocktail as she spoke. "we were so excited about exploring barcelona together," she said with a tinge of disappointment. "and now..." she trailed off,

looking over at robby with a concerned expression. "how are you feeling?" she asked, recognizing the change in his mood since tory left for the other dojo.

robby sat beside atarah, sipping his coke, a cold tone in his voice. "not great," he replied, looking down at his drink. "thinking about adding rum to this coke," he added, his mind clearly elsewhere.

shot him a skeptical glance. "yeah, right. you don't drink," she said, seeing through his tough exterior.

robby leaned back in his chair, staring down at his drink before speaking. "now might be a good time to start," he muttered sullenly.

"i've been screwing everything up since tory put us on a break," he continued, his voice tinged with sadness. he swirled his drink in a slow circle, lost in his thoughts.

he sat there, stewing in his own emotions as he spoke. "and you know what makes it worse?" he said, a hint of annoyance creeping into his voice.

"it's not even affecting her. she's fighting better than ever." he clenched his jaw, clearly frustrated by tory's seemingly unfazed attitude.

atarah looked at robby with a concerned expression, her voice gentle. "tory chose the other side," she said quietly. "and i feel terrible for her," she continued, her voice laced with empathy.

she paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts, before speaking again. "but we can't keep letting her get in our heads like that," she said firmly, trying to snap him out of his funk.

as tory and kwon entered the bar, atarah couldn't help but scoff. she turned back to robby and said, "It's time to accept that she's against us." she watched as robby sat there quietly, his mind seemingly elsewhere.

with a sigh, she added, "i'm gonna get some air." she then got up from her seat and made her way outside, needing a break from the growing tension inside the bar.

atarah stepped out of the bar and found herself on the beach, the soft sound of waves lapping against the shoreline filling the air.

the cool night breeze washed over her as she breathed in the salty ocean air, taking a moment to collect her thoughts. it was a welcome respite from the loud atmosphere inside the bar and the tension between robby and tory.

as atarah walked along the beach, she suddenly noticed someone training nearby. intrigued, she approached and took a closer look.

to her surprise, she recognized the boy as the one who had gotten beaten up by his sensei a few days ago. She watched him closely, a mix of curiosity and concern on her face.

the boy whipped his head around when he noticed atarah, a fleeting expression of panic crossing his face before it was replaced with surprise. as she spoke, he visibly tensed, but relaxed a bit as she hurriedly apologized.

"oh, sorry, i.." she said, her voice tinged with anxiety. "i..i didn't mean to startle you, um..." she trailed off awkwardly, unsure of what to say next.

"i'm atarah, by the way," she replied, her voice soft and gentle. the boy eyed her with a hint of wariness, as if sizing her up, before responding with a single word.

"axel," he said, his tone guarded. his body language remained tense, his shoulders slightly bristled, as he waited for her next move.

atarah noticed the boy's tight and guarded stance as she complimented his kata. trying to ease the tension, she spoke up again, her voice still gentle.

"that's a pretty cool kata," she said. "what's it called?" axel looked at her, clearly not used to casual conversation or compliments. he was hesitant, his expression guarded as he contemplated whether to engage with her or not.

he shifted nervously, his expression guarded, as he mumbled "i..i am not supposed to speak with the opponent." atarah looked up at him, their height difference striking her.

when she spoke again, her tone was casual, almost friendly. "we're not on the mat," she stated simply, a small smile playing upon her lips. axel couldn't help but notice her nice behavior, her lack of aggression surprising him.

he took a moment before replying, his voice laced with a hint of weariness. "it's pretty late to be training," she pointed out.

axel turned his back to her, moving to grab his shirt from the sand. as he did so, atarah couldn't help but notice the red marks on his back, her eyes widening in surprise.

he replied, his voice somewhat tense, "always time for training." the marks on his back looked recent and painful, stirring a sense of concern within atarah.

her eyes widen in shock as she exclaimed, "whoa, whoa!" she quickly moved closer to axel, her tone filled with concern.

"what happened to your back?" she asked, her voice laced with worry. axel shifted uncomfortably under her gaze, clearly trying to downplay the situation. "uh, it's from the bo staff competition," he responded, offering a flimsy excuse.

atarah's gaze was unwavering as she looked up at axel, her words cutting through the tension. "nobody's even been able to land a point on you," she pointed out, her voice firm.

he avoided her gaze, looking away uncomfortably. she spoke up again, her tone gentle but understanding. "i saw what happened with your sensei," she murmured quietly.

the statement hung in the air, leaving no doubt that she had witnessed the altercation between him and his sensei.

axel gazed down at her, his expression a mixture of pride and resignation. "my sensei wants me to be the best," he said, his voice laced with a subtle hint of defense.

"it's because of him that I never lose," he added, his tone taking on a slightly bitter edge as he spoke. atarah looked up at him, her face etched with concern for him and the circumstances he found himself in.

she spoke gently, her words intended to coax Axel to see beyond his circumstances. "there are other ways of teaching," she said with a soft tone. A hint of a smile played at the corners of her lips as she continued

"i gotta admit, though, your dojo is pretty great." axel found himself captivated by her, as he looked at her. her eyes sparkled, her features were lovely, and she exuded a kind of beauty that momentarily stunned him. he couldn't help but be drawn in by her presence.

the corners of axel's lips curled up into a small, shy smile, his demeanor softening slightly. "thank you," he replied, his voice filled with a newfound gentleness.

as he spoke, he stumbled over his words a bit, struggling to find his footing. "you're pretty," he managed to say, the words coming out slightly flustered. "your.. your dojo's pretty good, too," he added, his compliment genuine but tinged with a hint of nervousness.

as axel stepped closer to her, atarah found herself looking up at the much taller boy. her smile softened as she replied gently, "we try." he then spoke again, gesturing toward the sand, "mind if i join?"

she looked at him curiously, his words surprising her. "you want to...switch dojos?" she repeated, her voice filled with a mixture of confusion and surprise. the suddenness of his suggestion caught her off guard, leaving her slightly bewildered by his proposal.

axel broke the tension with a soft chuckle, a hint of amusement in his voice. "your walk, i was going back to the hotel," he explained, his words bringing a slight flush of embarrassment to her cheeks.

she chuckled awkwardly, mentally cursing herself for the unintentional double entendre. "oh, yeah," she said with a strained smile. "yeah, sure." despite the awkward moment, she nodded, agreeing to take the walk back to the hotel with him.

atarah and axel walked together towards the hotel, an awkward silence settled between them for a moment. the night air was cool and slightly humid, the sound of their footsteps softly echoing on the pavement.

the streetlights cast a warm glow, creating pools of light on the sidewalk as they meandered down the street.

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today was so boring at school i swear to god i'm gonna die and i have one more year till college😭 i actually wrote half of this chapter in class

i'm really sorry if any of the words are wrong, english isn't my first language, i'm actually from europe, romania 🙏🏼

anywayssss!! what are y'all's thoughts on these chapters so far?? :) thank you so much for 1k reads already and i've barely started the book 🫶🏼