𝕮𝖆𝖗𝖕𝖊 𝕹𝖔𝖈𝖙𝖚𝖒 - ʀᴏʙʙʏ ᴋᴇᴇɴᴇ

𝟝

The next few days were neutral. Lexi and he had gone to another lesson at the dojo once more but didn't get another chance to practice fighting on their own time.

While Julian was waking up during the week, he could see Robby leaving his flat with a duffel bag, only coming back late at night clad in a white gi. He didn't know if the boy had lied about going to a different school, but for now, it looked like he was spending the majority of his time at the Cobra Kai dojo.

Now it was the weekend, and since Miguel had sent messages last night saying both sensei's had canceled Sunday's lesson, he woke at the break of dawn, rolling out of his bed. He was tired of trying to force his mind to shut down so he could get some sleep. He knew he was tired, but his body didn't seem to think the same - keeping him up all night as he lay on his mattress thinking.

There were dark circles under his eyes, but he didn't bother covering them up as he quietly exited the house to go for a walk.

Leaves rustled on the trees as he passed a park, following a trail that eventually led him into a wooded area. Beams of sun glimmered on and off his body as he kept walking - catching the drops of morning dew on the leaves.

Eventually, he stopped at a creek - watching the water trickle down the rocks endlessly as it flowed without a stop. A big stone was in the middle, the stream parting around.

Gingerly picking his way across stable rocks with a slight smile, he finally settled on the stone - arms hugged around his knees because of the lack of space.

It was peaceful here. Julian sat like this for a few minutes, chin resting on his knees as his eyes closed. The light breeze was comforting, as were the sounds all around him. In the house at night, it was too quiet, too still. Too lonely.

After a few more minutes, the sun had fully risen - his signal to start heading back. Acting on impulse, he cupped water in his hands, splashing his face with it and instantly regretting it as the cold left him shivering.

Instead of standing up, he grabbed more water and combed through his hair with a wince, now realizing how weird he would have looked to people when he walked to the trail if they were outside. The circles under his eyes, the pajama shirt and rumpled jeans he had thrown on - plus the half-dead look on his face and crazy hair going everywhere. Yikes.

Starting his walk back to the house took longer than he remembered, although the early morning always ended up being a bit of a haze. The route took him near the Cobra Kai dojo, and he paused just for a second to see the students moving in synchrony.

He wasn't sure when they didn't train; it seemed like almost every time he walked past, they were there.

From afar, he couldn't tell if Robby was there, and after a few moments, he continued to move. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a girl walking near the dojo, looking similar to the waitress who the staff had fired from the sushi restaurant - Tory, he remembered.

Shit. Julian remembered something in Hawk's story, a brief mention of Tory and Miguel - although Demetri quickly shushed him when the latter came to join the conversation.

Hightailing it home, he raced through the front door at top speed. Lexi would definitely appreciate this knowledge, he knew.

"Lexi, Lexi," He whisper-shouted when he arrived at her room, after realizing their mom was still fast asleep.

"Yes, yes," She responded from her desk, apparently catching up on some schoolwork.

"Remember the waitress from the sushi place? Tory?"

"Oh yeah, the Scorpio?"

"Scorpio? Nevermind. I just figured out she was the one who dated Miguel - the one in Cobra Kai."