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THE GIRL PACED BACK AND FORTH in the quiet corner of the aquarium, her phone pressed to her ear as her voice cracked with frustration and exhaustion. The glass walls around her displayed tranquil marine life swimming in colorful harmony, a sharp contrast to the storm raging inside her.
"I just... I don't get it!" y/n's voice rose, and a nearby group glanced over before moving along, but she didn't care. "I mean, how am I supposed to trust anyone after all of this? No one told me anything! Not Tory, not Kreese, not Sensei Kim, no one! And now they're all acting like I should just 'get over it.'"
Aisha's voice was soft but firm on the other end. "y/n/n, I know it's hard. But--"
"No, you don't know! You didn't just find out your friends were hiding this massive secret about Miyagi-Do. Or- or catch the one person you thought you could count on making out with your fucking bully. He said he hated her, Aish! He said it!" Her voice cracked at the end, and she stopped pacing, resting her forehead against the cool glass. "And Miguel— I just... I don't even know how to feel about him anymore. He doesn't even look at me the same way. Not after what I did."
The other end of the line was silent for a beat. Then Aisha sighed. "You've got a lot going on, I get that. But you need to take a breath, y/n. This tournament isn't going to wait for you to sort through your feelings."
Y/n scoffed, turning away from the aquarium tank. "It's not just about the tournament. It's about everything. Kwon, Tory, Miyagi-Do, Miguel... God, Miguel. He was my best friend. I practically ruined his life, and no matter what I do, I can't undo that."
"You didn't ruin his life," Aisha interrupted, her voice taking on a comforting but no-nonsense tone. "He's walking again, isn't he? And from what I know, he's doing pretty damn well for himself."
"But it's my fault he got hurt in the first place!" The girl's voice cracked again, and tears welled up in her eyes. She rubbed them away angrily, frustrated at herself for still feeling this raw after all this time. "If only I'd been faster, if only I caught him on time--"
"Stop it, y/n," Aisha said firmly. "You're doing that thing again where you take all the blame for stuff that's not just on you. You weren't the only one in that fight, and Miguel doesn't blame you. I'm sure he doesn't."
Y/n sniffled, her voice quieter now. "He doesn't have to say it, Aisha. I can see it every time he looks at me. Like I'm this... this reminder of everything that went wrong."
