It was the finale of the All Valley Karate Tournament—your friend Hawk, also known as Eli, versus Robby. Your ex.

Everyone said the two of you broke up because you were on different teams, but no one really bought that. Maybe not even you.

You were with Eagle Fang, and your team was already out, so now it was down to Miyagi-Do versus Cobra Kai. Naturally, you were rooting for Miyagi-Do all the way.

The match was intense. Three full minutes of fast, brutal fighting—and still, no winner. You weren’t exactly a karate expert, so when they called for “sudden death overtime,” you didn’t totally get it at first. But the concept was simple: the first person to land a clean point wins. Easy enough.

The tension between Robby and Eli was thick—so much so that both of them took off their gi tops. Probably just an excuse to show off. You tried not to look, really. But then your eyes caught something on Robby’s chest.

A tattoo.

A heart.

And in the middle of it, your name—written in messy, unmistakable cursive. His cursive.

You froze. You had never seen that tattoo before. How? When did he even get it? Before the breakup? After? Your head spun with questions. You weren’t usually the curious type, but right now you wanted to run up onto that mat and ask him point blank.

You didn’t, of course. Barely

The match ended—Eli won. Robby stormed off the stage without a word.

Was it smart to run after him?

Maybe not. Did that stop you?

Definitely not.

You jogged after him, heart pounding. He turned at the sound of your footsteps, face still tight with frustration from the fight.

“What do you need?” he asked, voice clipped.