𝐉𝐮𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐭 | 𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐛𝐲 𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐞 (DISCONTINUED)

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 32

Alora's body was protesting at her as she forced herself to stay consistent in her combos with everyone else. During the past couple of weeks, her body had gotten more accustomed to the strenuous work and it didn't hurt nearly as bad as the first few days. She had also found herself thinking of America less and less as she settled into her new life in Korea. She'd even begun learning Korean, courtesy of Kwon, her very impatient teacher. They had gotten closer and she had started picking at his walls and slowly learning more about him. He wasn't as hard and cruel as he liked to present himself as.

Sensei Kreese had arrived at the dojang late at night during a day when their training had stretched into the dark hours and the night had chilled. When the other students noticed him walking up to the circle they had formed, Joon shouted a command and they all stopped and turned to the man in eerie sync. Alora's eyes roamed over him in the dim torchlight, trying to remember the last time she saw him before he was arrested. But he spoke before she could pinpoint when.

"Tell Kim Da-Eun that Cobra Kai is back."

Alora's eyes widened and she almost instantly recoiled at the mention of Cobra Kai as if recalling everything and everyone she had tried so hard to forget. It caught Kreese attention and he squinted at her and then smiled slowly once he realized who she was.

"Ms. Sanchez," he nodded to her in greeting. He looked toward the path that led deeper into the dojang. "Walk with me?"

"Of course, Sensei," she bowed slightly, willing her voice to stay neutral. The class's eyes followed Alora as she left her position to meet him at the front. She nodded at Joon to continue before she took her old sensei down the winding dirt path.

"So, how've you been?" Sensei Kreese asked.

She glanced over to see if he was being for real and when she saw that he was, she directed her gaze back in front of her and responded. "As good as anyone can be here."

He laughed lightly. "Yes, trust me, I know. Their methods seem very extreme but you can't deny that they're very effective when needed."

She agreed and they walked a little while longer in silence until she asked the question she had been wondering about since she heard he was coming to Korea. "Sensei Kreese, how did you...get out of prison? I thought you had a lot more time in there."

"Small details," he shrugged it off, turning to her with a smile that made her stomach turn. "Don't you worry your pretty little head about it."

She nodded and left the topic alone as they were coming upon Sensei Kim's teepee. She left him there and began back down the path to where she left her class to see them packing up and leaving.

"Seupiteupaieo," Kwon beckoned her over to where he was sitting by the patch of bushes where they had left their bags. That was the nickname he had come up with for her; it meant spitfire. She felt it was all a little bit on the nose but she responded to it nonetheless. She slung her bag over her shoulder and looked down at him with a questioning look.

"You know what I'm about to ask," Kwon said, not skipping a beat.

She sighed, "That's Sensei Kreese. I'm sure I've mentioned him before."

"I'm sure you haven't," he raised an eyebrow. She pinched the bridge of her nose and blinked for a long moment. She would be lying if she said that she hadn't been avoiding telling him much about her life back in America. She told him the basics of her life and he told her the basics of his. Besides that, it usually never came up in their conversations; they just enjoyed each other's company.

"Come on, walk with me," she said, turning away and walking down a different path that led them farther out into the forest. She blew out a breath, staring up at the moon through the tall trees. Kwon didn't say anything, waiting for her to talk on her own time; that was one of the things about him that she appreciated.