❛ i can handle this fight just fine on my own. ❜

AYANE COULD HAVE CHEWED THE
nail off of her finger.

Miguel and Vincent faced each other.

"Bow," the referee said. Neither of them did, only getting into their fighting positions.

"I can't watch," Ayane muttered, glancing away. Tory looked over at her, raising her eyebrows.

"Ready? Fight!"

Ayane looked up. Miguel made the first move, throwing a kick that Vincent sidestepped and came back around with a strike. Miguel leaned back, grabbing at Vincent's shoulder and kneeing him in the stomach. Vincent doubled over and Miguel kicked him, hard, knocking him to the ground.

"Point, Diaz!"

She let out a breath. Ayane did not know why she was nervous, she already knew who would win. Although it was surprising to her that Vincent had made it this far.

After getting to his feet, Vincent got back into position as well as Miguel.

"Fight!"

Vincent pulled a familiar move. He charged Miguel and gave him no time to react, taking Miguel to the ground and striking him in the face. Some people around the room began to exclaim.

"Point, Hayes!"

Miguel glared up at Vincent, climbing to his feet. Johnny called a time out, and Ayane could see that Miguel's lip was bleeding.

Vincent walked over to Kreese and Silver. She could see Silver saying something to Vincent, balling her fists.

Tory looked at Ayane again. "You good?" she asked.

Ayane tapped her foot rapidly, only giving a small head nod.

They both returned to the mat. The referee stood between them.

"Ready? Fight!"

Miguel went forward with fast strikes, and blocking was not Vincent's strong suit. The more strikes Miguel put forward the harder it became for Vincent to deflect, until Miguel finally swept a leg out at his shin. Vincent fell, but moved before Miguel could get the point. He jumped to his feet and used a roundhouse kick, knocking Miguel out of bounds.

"Point, Hayes!"

Johnny and Daniel both began protesting, as everyone had seen Miguel get kicked out of bounds. Ayane's mouth fell open and she had to fight hard not to say anything, taking a step back.

Miguel had become determined, now. He looked over at Ayane for reassurance, who nodded at him.

This time, Miguel was not playing around.

They got back in their stances. "Fight!"

Miguel ducked under Vincent's punch and elbowed him in the stomach, grabbing Vincent over his back and flipping him onto the ground with all the strength he had.

With his heel he kicked Vincent in the shoulder, tempted to go for the face but deciding he was better than that.

"Point, Diaz!"

Ayane smiled a little. Vincent got up, turning to look at the senseis. Silver gave a small nod, and Ayane's smile dropped.

Vincent turned back around, assuming his stance.

"Fight!"

Miguel stayed where he was, as did Vincent. Finally Vincent moved, turning on his heel to kick Miguel. He stepped back, advancing on Vincent with a double strike and then a side kick. Vincent absorbed the kick, grappling Miguel's leg and pulling him on the ground. Ayane watched as Vincent stomped on Miguel's knee, causing him to cry out in pain.

Ayane impulsively stepped forward, her stomach lurching.

"No point!" the referee called, stepping between Miguel and Vincent.

Johnny stood there, waiting for Miguel to get up. He grabbed his knee and winced, drawing in deep breaths.

"Come on Miguel," Ayane muttered, folding her hands over her face.

"Did you say something?" Tory asked.

Ayane hesitated, then shook her head. She watched Miguel anxiously, wanting to run onto the mat.

Finally, he clenched his jaw and began to get to his feet. He was stumbling a little, slowly putting up his hands.

A man can't stand, he can't fight, Silver's words echoed through Ayane's mind. She glared over at him, and he looked back at her with a smile.

"Ready?" Ayane held her breath. "Fight!"

Miguel raised his leg and his arms, much to the confusion of Vincent. Some of the others knew what he was doing though.

Vincent went forward and Miguel jumped, using the crane kick right to Vincent's nose. He collapsed to the ground, and the referee grabbed Miguel's hand and held it up.

"Winner, Diaz!"

Ayane smiled, forcing herself not to clap. Miguel looked over at her with a wide smile, then hopped off of the mat.

Vincent had trouble getting to his feet, and when Robby and Kreese went out to help him he stood up for everyone to see his bloody nose.

"That looked like it hurt," Tory remarked, placing her hands behind her back.

Ayane held back a laugh. "Yeah, I bet it did."

Vincent went to the locker rooms while the next fight began between Kenny and Robby. Ayane had no particular interest in watching, as she already knew who would win this match as well. Still, it was impressive that Kenny had come as far as he did.

With the last move, Kenny ran forward and Robby jumped, sending a kick to Kenny's face that could be heard across the room.

Everyone went silent, Ayane included. Her eyes widened, shaking her head. Why the hell had he done that?

Kenny walked back over to the Cobra Kais, and Ayane put an arm around him.

"Don't worry about it, kiddo. Hey, look at me. You alright?"

Kenny looked up. His nose was bleeding. Ayane glanced over at Robby who looked over at her, and she gave a disappointed shake of her head.

"Go to the locker room and get some tissue to stop the bleeding," Ayane instructed him. "Sit down for a minute and get some water."

Kenny turned and ran off to the locker room.

Ayane approached Robby.

"Was that really fucking necessary?"

Robby turned to her, scoffing. "To win, yes. I'm doing what I came here to do."

Ayane crossed her arms. "Yeah, well you need to learn to do it without acting like a little bitch."

He stepped toward her and Ayane tilted her head with a smile, holding her ground.

"Is everything alright over here?" Kreese walked over, looking between the two.

Ayane looked at him with a nod. "Yep. I was just telling Robby that his last kick was a little sloppy. Next time he should be more consistent with it."

She cut her eyes at Robby before walking away.

Ayane looked up at the leaderboard. Next up was Miguel and Eli.

She figured Miguel would probably win this one too, provided that he had sustained a bad injury from Vincent's kick.

He seemed okay now, or at least Ayane hoped. She had her fingers crossed that she and Miguel would be sharing the title of All Valley Champions together.

It was time for the fight. Eli for Miyagi-Do, which Ayane never thought she would see, and Miguel for Eagle Fang.

This would make for an interesting match. They shared a handshake before getting in their stances, bowing to each other.

"Ready? Fight!"

Miguel and Eli both staggered, but Miguel went forward to strike. Eli dodged and they turned, fighting in the opposite direction and ultimately ending up doing the same move. Miguel blocked and jumped with a kick, knocking Eli down.

"No point, that's a block. Continue."

Eli got back to his feet. Ayane leaned forward, watching intently. She had an indescribable amount of anxiety as she watched Miguel come off of his feet and into the air, turning into the move that they had both practiced.

Then, she heard a crack.

Miguel fell to the ground, and her heart nearly stopped.

"No," she choked out, her breath catching in her lungs. Ayane took a step forward, her chest rising and falling heavily.

"SENSEI!" Miguel cried out, beating the mat with his fist. Ayane nearly ran forward, trying as hard as she could to hold herself back. The paramedics ran onto the mat, and Ayane suddenly felt her stomach sinking. This couldn't be happening.

They started to carry Miguel off to the locker rooms, and Ayane watched with horror. She turned, looking at Silver and Kreese.

Silver shook his head, warning her.

Ayane hesitated. "Screw this." She broke off in a sprint to the back.

Silver stepped toward her, grabbing her arm to stop her.

Ayane glared, snatching her arm out of his grip.

"Don't you dare go back there–"

"If you touch me again, I'll forfeit this goddamn tournament. You need me too bad."

They exchanged a look, and then Ayane continued to the locker room.

She stood around outside, knowing they would not let her in. Ayane paced, going back in forth in front of the door.

At once, the door opened. Ayane turned, coming face to face with Carmen.

"Ms. Diaz, is he okay?"

She nodded, giving Ayane a huge feeling of relief. "You can come in and see him if you want."

Ayane nodded. "Thank you."

She ran into the room, seeing Miguel standing. Ayane let out a breath, running forward and hugging him. Miguel winced, but hugged her back.

"What happened?" she asked, pulling away.

"Pulled muscle," he replied, glancing down. "I'm gonna be okay."

Ayane pushed her hair back. "Thank God, you scared me so fucking bad."

She noticed Johnny standing behind her, seeming like he wanted to talk with Miguel. Ayane licked her lips.

"Uh– I'll wait for you outside."

Miguel nodded, watching her leave.

Ayane stood against the wall, tapping her fingers as she waited. She knew she was about to be in deep shit with practically everyone, but she didn't care in the slightest. Ayane only cared about making sure Miguel was okay.

A few minutes later Johnny left, seeing Ayane still standing there. He stopped, facing her.

"That was a nice kick, kid. Best I've ever seen it," he told her.

Ayane smiled a little. "Thanks. I learned from the best."

She remembered what Miguel had told her from the other night, about his conversation with Johnny. Ayane pulled her lips in, pausing.

"Miguel loves you, you know," she said before Johnny could walk away.

He stopped, not knowing how to respond.

"I just– thought you should know," she continued. "He really, really looks up to you more than anyone else."

Johnny hesitated, then only nodded and walked away.

Miguel came out a few minutes later. Ayane looked up and pushed off of the wall, smiling.

"Feeling better?"

He shrugged, glancing down. "I... I don't think I'm gonna finish the tournament."

Ayane's smile faded. "What– what do you mean?" She frowned.

Miguel swallowed, forcing himself to meet her eyes. "I just– I didn't really feel like I was fighting for me anymore."

She understood where he was coming from. Ayane started to smile.

"It's okay, Mig. As long as you're comfortable with the decision you make, I'll always support you."

Miguel softly smiled, looking down at Ayane. He reached out and pushed her hair out of her face.

"I love you."

Ayane leaned in, slowly kissing Miguel. She pulled back, still grinning. "I love you too. And I'm considering this my good luck charm, so if I lose I'm blaming you."

Miguel laughed. "You won't lose."

She shrugged. "Anything can happen. Wait– so does this mean you're not gonna watch me fight?"

He scratched the back of his neck. "Uh..."

"I'm just messing with you," Ayane replied. "Go do what you need to do. I'll see you afterwards."

Ayane knew she needed to be getting back out there. She sighed, stepping away.

"Alright. Good talk, Mr. Diaz."

He gestured with his hand. "Always a pleasure, future Mrs. Diaz."

Ayane turned quickly, raising an eyebrow. He held her gaze, and then they both started laughing.

"Oh– and by the way, Sam's been training with Eagle Fang too. Her fighting is a little more aggressive now. Just a pointer."

At once, Ayane nodded. "You know you're not supposed to be helping me, right?"

Miguel shrugged. "Our little secret."

She smiled once more, then returned to the tournament area.

Ayane rejoined the Cobra Kais. They all glanced over at her with equal looks of disdain on their faces. Tory was the only one who didn't look mad.

"I'm sorry," she said from beside Ayane.

She looked up, blinking, wondering if she had just heard Tory correctly.

"Huh?"

Tory inhaled. "I said I'm sorry. For everything. You– you really care about Miguel and I-I was just so angry to see someone like you be happy. I felt like you didn't deserve it because you've got more privilege than I do. But I can see that you and Miguel really love each other and I-I'm sorry for trying to get in the way of that. I wasn't in a good place then."

Ayane had to process what she was hearing. Never did she think she would actually get an apology from Tory. And a genuine one, at that.

"I..." Ayane looked up at her. "I forgive you. And I'm sorry too. Sometimes I took things further than I should've. I've had a lot of hate towards a lot of people for a long time."

Tory nudged her with her elbow, cracking a smile. "Us girls gotta stick together, right?"

Ayane raised her eyebrows, smiling back. "Right."

"Well, it looks like Miguel Diaz is not gonna fight," the announcer said. Ayane looked up, forgetting that there was a timer going.

"Where is he?" Tory asked quietly.

Ayane shook her head with a knowing smile. "He made his own choice."

"...the winner by default is Eli Moskowitz, who advances to the final where he will face Robby Keene. The finals are up next."

Ayane stretched her arms, clearing her mind. She had no idea why she was so nervous to fight Sam, until she realized it was because she had no idea how Sam fought anymore.

She had not had time to observe Sam, and it had not even crossed her mind that they would be fighting.

Nonetheless, Ayane ignored it for now. First, they had to watch the boys' final.

"Since Cobra Kai scored the most points," the announcer said, "they only need to win one match to be crowned Grand Champion. But, if Miyagi-Do wins both matches, the title is theirs! Up first, the boys!"

Ayane looked over at Robby. He did not appear nervous as he talked to Silver and Kreese. Deep down, or really not so deep down, Ayane didn't want him to win. She thought he could have used some serious humbling.

Eli and Robby both stepped onto the mat. They faced the referee and bowed, then faced each other and bowed.

"Ready, and... fight!"

They jumped back and forth for a moment until Robby kicked first, Eli blocking and kicking. They moved back and forth with a great deal of speed, one of the fastest fights Ayane had ever seen. Robby punched Eli in the abdomen, taking a point.

The two got ready again. Then, Eli called a timeout.

Robby turned and walked over to the senseis. Then he stopped, and started toward Ayane.

"What?" she asked impatiently.

"I need your help," he said. "You've fought him more than I have. What do you know?"

Ayane glanced over at Daniel and Eli conversing. She looked back at Robby.

"This is your fight, not mine. I can't always be there to help you out."

Robby clenched his jaw, glaring at her. Ayane shrugged, unfazed.

He turned and walked back onto the mat. From beside her, Tory laughed.

"What?" Ayane questioned.

Tory raised her shoulders. "You're funny."

Ayane furrowed her eyebrows, replying, "You being nice is gonna take some getting used to."

"...Fight!"

They turned their focus to the fight once more. This time Eli came forward and attacked first, which threw Robby off guard. Eli had been at Cobra Kai longer, Ayane realized. He was better than Robby in that aspect.

Robby and Eli both jumped in the air at the same time, but Eli's kick was faster.

"Point, Miyagi-Do!"

The fight was becoming more intense. Ayane was a bit mesmerized by watching.

Only one point on each side had been scored when the buzzer sounded off. Their time limit was up.

"For the first time since 1985," the announcer spoke, "we'll be deciding this match by sudden death overtime!"

Ayane arched an eyebrow, crossing her arms. Robby turned to go talk again, and he seemed angry. Ayane shook her head. That was one of his weaknesses. He got too blind when he was angry.

Robby walked back onto the mat with the top of his gi hanging loose. He fidgeted with it, trying to fix it, until he aggressively tore it off of him. Turning, he tossed it to Ayane.

She made a face of confusion and disgust, passing it off to Tory.

Eli did the same moments later, tossing his shirt to Demetri who made the same face.

Now that they both looked like they were playing Street Fighter, Robby and Eli assumed their positions.

"Ready, and... fight!"

Robby moved first, kicking. Eli backed away, and then charged Robby. He caught the Moskowitz boy and turned him over onto the ground. Ayane could see the match was over now.

But Robby looked up at her, hesitating. He looked between Ayane and Kenny, and then Eli kicked him off.

They continued, neither making bold moves until Eli grabbed Robby from behind and threw him down, striking his heel down onto Robby's chest.

"Point, winner!"

Ayane's mouth fell open with shock. "Holy shit," she said as cheers erupted from around the room.

The announcer came out with a trophy. "Your boys champion, Eli Moskowitz!"

Robby walked off of the mat without a word.

"Now," the announcer continued, "it all comes down to the girls' final."

Ayane suddenly felt nervous. She had not been before, but now that had changed.

"Cain."

She looked up to see Silver calling her over. Ayane reluctantly did so, standing between him and Kreese.

"What are LaRusso's weaknesses?" he asked.

Ayane glanced back at Sam on the other side, then turned back. "I-I honestly have no idea."

"Were you not observing her earlier during preliminaries?" Silver quickly shot back, already knowing the answer. She had been watching Miguel the whole time.

Silver took a step toward her. "You let your weakness get in the way. And now you're facing an opponent you know nothing about."

Ayane scoffed. "Is that what you think? I trained with Daniel LaRusso. I trained with Johnny Lawrence. And I've trained with both of you. If there's one thing I know, it's that I can handle this fight just fine on my own."

She turned, facing the mat as the announcer walked up.

"Now, it's time for the moment everyone has been waiting for. Representing Cobra Kai, we have the Kickass Cobra, Ayane Cain!"

Ayane made a face at the nickname, ignoring it.

"And representing Miyagi-Do Karate, the Bonsai Badass... Samantha LaRusso!"

They both stepped onto the mat at that, going to their spots.

Ayane smiled at Sam, who smiled back. They turned to the referee and bowed, then turned to each other and bowed.

"Good luck," Ayane said, nodding.

Sam put her fists up. "You too."

Ayane bounced on her feet, taking a deep breath.

"Ready, and... fight!"

Ayane waited, as did Sam. People were beginning to get angsty waiting for someone to make a move, so Ayane did. She went forward with a side kick, Sam blocking. Ayane switched sides and did a double kick, barely giving Sam time to block. Sam advanced with strikes, Ayane blocking and bringing her leg up to kick Sam back in the stomach.

"Point, Cain!"

Ayane exhaled, shaking her hands. Sam hesitated, but shook it off. She got back into place.

"Fight!"

Sam went forward first, bringing out her aggression like Miguel had told Ayane. While Ayane should have been prepared for it, she wasn't. Sam got a kick to her side, causing Ayane to stumble back a bit.

"Point, LaRusso!"

Ayane brushed it off, ignoring the stare of Silver. She knew what she was doing.

They got ready. "Fight!" Ayane let Sam come at her again, ducking under her high kick and wrapping her leg around Sam's waist, taking her to the ground. Ayane had her pinned and took a strike to her arm.

"Point, Cain!"

Ayane stood up, pushing her hair out of her face.

Sam got to her feet, calling a timeout.

Catching her breath, Ayane walked over to her senseis.

"She shouldn't have even scored on you," Silver said as soon as Ayane was in earshot. "What the hell was that?"

Ayane had tried hard to ignore Silver's words during the whole tournament, but he was getting to her now. She tilted her head, and started to smile.

"Well, are you gonna win this fight or not?" he asked.

She laughed. "Are you gonna shut up and let me?"

He took a step forward and Kreese stepped in the way, forcing Silver back. He looked at Ayane.

"I've known you for a long time, Cain. We both know you've got what it takes to win."

Ayane tried to calm down, turning to get back on the mat.

She was ready this time. Ready for anything.

She and Sam bowed to each other, then got into their stances.

"Ready? Fight!"

Ayane kicked, and she kept kicking until Sam stepped out of bounds.

"No point, continue."

Sam suddenly changed her stance, but Ayane was not fazed. She remained the same, switching sides.

Ayane let Sam come to her, dodging her kick and blocking her strike. Sam's elbow grazed her cheek, but Ayane shook it off. She stepped back, deciding what to do next. She only needed one more point to win. Now, Ayane had to decide how she wanted to win it.

Sam came forward running, with a strong kick that swept Ayane off her feet while she was distracted thinking. Ayane fell, rolling out of the way before Sam could strike. Ayane, lying on her back, pushed off the ground and her foot came up and made contact with Sam's face. Sam fell back onto the ground and grabbed her face.

Ayane, worried she had hurt Sam, stood up to check on her.

"Point, winner!"

She looked over, taking a second to register that she had gotten the point. The referee held up her hand as Ayane looked around the room to see people cheering.

The Cobra Kais all ran onto the mat as the announcer came back onto the stage.

Before they could grab her, Ayane went over to Sam and held out her hand.

"Come on."

Sam took her hand, tears welling in her eyes. Ayane sighed, pulling Sam into a side hug.

"Don't cry. You did great."

Before Sam could reply, the Cobra Kais dragged Ayane back.

"Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for your first female champion, Ayane Cain!"

The trophy was handed to her as the Cobra Kai students surrounded her, and it all felt surreal in the moment. Ayane was picked up, unable to help but smile as she held the trophy up.

"And the winner of the Grand Champion trophy, and still the baddest dojo in the Valley... Cobra Kai!"

Kreese accepted the award with a bow.

Robby approached Ayane first. She cut him off before he could speak, hugging Robby.

"You're my best friend, you know. Even though we fight like– all the time. But I guess that's what makes us so similar."

Robby hugged her back, then pulled away. "Congratulations. You deserve it more than anyone."

Ayane smiled. Tory walked over, throwing an arm around the girl. "You ready to celebrate, Cain?"

Ayane glanced over at the Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang dojos. She chewed her lip.

"Just a second."

Ayane handed her trophy to Tory, then made her way over to Daniel and Johnny.

They both turned to her, and Ayane bowed.

"Thank you," she said. "I couldn't have done this without either one of you. Even if you aren't currently my senseis."

Johnny and Daniel both smiled, and Ayane went forward to hug them.

"By the way, don't worry about Miguel. He's fine."

Ayane stepped back, seeing Eli with his trophy. She walked over to him, holding out a hand.

"That was some of the best fighting I've ever seen," she said. "You fight better than most dudes who've been at martial arts for years."

Eli shook her hand, smiling back. "Thanks. But no one's a better fighter than you."

"Go celebrate your victory," Ayane replied, turning and walking away. The last people she had yet to face were her parents.

Ennis and Liana approached her. He looked pleased, at least for the time being.

"You fought well," Ennis said as Ayane got her trophy from Tory.

Ayane's smile was gone. She tilted her head up.

"I know," she replied. "I always will."

With that, she followed the Cobra Kais out. They celebrated even more outside, but Ayane was starting to think about Miguel again. She pulled out her phone to text him.

"You coming to the victory party?" Tory asked.

Ayane looked up, putting her phone away. "Uh... I think I might head home. I hate to be the mood killer but I am... very tired."

Tory shrugged. "Understandable. Don't worry, I'll take an extra shot for you."

Ayane laughed, nodding. "See you guys tomorrow?"

"Bright and early," Piper replied.

She started to walk away, when someone followed her.

"Ayane."

She stopped and turned around, seeing Vincent standing there. He scratched the back of his neck.

"I... owe you a big apology. You know, I just got so caught up in all this karate stuff and I think I let myself lose control. And I wanna apologize to Miguel, too. Where is he?"

Ayane glanced down at her phone, seeing an unread message from him.

"Uh, I'm not sure. But I forgive you. Just– don't forget that above all of this karate stuff, you have to stay true to yourself. Yeah?"

Vincent smiled a little, then nodded. "Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow."

Ayane nodded back, then turned and headed to her car. She looked for the keys in her bag.

When Ayane looked up, she nearly screamed.

"Jesus fuck– Miguel?"

He stood by her car, reaching out to shush her. "Shh. I don't want anyone to know that I'm here."

Ayane shook her head with confusion. "What– what is going on?"

Miguel licked his lips. "Come on. Let's get in your car and talk."

Ayane narrowed her eyes, unlocking the door and opening it. "Miguel, if you're just trying to have sex–"

"No, no," he shook his head quickly, getting in the passenger seat. "I'm not. I just... um–" Miguel swallowed, hesitating. "I'm leaving for Mexico."

Ayane frowned. "Huh?"

"I decided that I'm gonna go to Mexico... to look for my dad. And I– I want you to come with me."

Ayane sat there with her mouth open, unsure of what to say.

"Like... now?"

Miguel checked his watch. "The bus leaves in forty-five minutes."

Ayane sat back, staring off for a moment. She didn't know what to say.

"So... will you come?"

Miguel sat there expectantly, awaiting an answer. Ayane blinked a few times.

"Do you realize what you're trying to do?" she asked slowly. "I mean– are you really sure you want to do this?"

Miguel nodded. "But I can't do it alone. I need you, Ayane. Please."

He reached over and took her hand with a pleading look in his eyes. Ayane stared at him for a long time, until she finally started up her car.

"I need to go home and pack a bag. Does– does your mom know? Your yaya?"

Miguel nodded again. "I left a note."

Ayane drove out of the parking lot, trying to reason with herself. She was quiet for a long time, until Miguel caught on.

"Congratulations, by the way," he said, gesturing to the trophy in the backseat. "I'm proud of you."

Ayane poked her tongue in her cheek. "That makes one of us."

Miguel frowned. "What do you mean?"

She shrugged a little. "I don't know. It's just– not as rewarding as I thought it would be. It wasn't worth everything I had to go through with Cobra Kai."

Ayane pulled up to her home. "Alright, my parents aren't back yet. You stay here and let me know if they show up. I'll try to make this quick."

She did just that, running upstairs and grabbing an empty backpack. She set her trophy on her dresser and Ayane filled her bag with everything that she needed, ignoring the second thoughts she was having. This was Miguel, who would do anything for her.

And now, Ayane had to return the favor.

She packed as much stuff as she could, her phone buzzing. Miguel texted.

"Shit," she grabbed her medication of the nightstand, running down the stairs. Ayane walked out of the front door as she heard the garage door open, running down the steps and sprinting to her car parked in the street.

Ayane threw her bag in the backseat, putting the car in drive.

"If I'm eighteen I can't be reported as a runaway, right?"

Miguel nodded.

"Good. That means I'm finally fucking free."

They arrived at the bus stop with five minutes to spare, grabbing their things.

"Wait, what about your car?"

Ayane looked over at Miguel, swearing in her head. She took the keys and put them in there, shutting the door.

"I've got an idea."

Ayane pulled out her phone, sending a text to Robby.

She put her phone away and looked up at Miguel, drawing in a breath.

"Ayane, are you sure you want to do this? I-I don't want you to feel like I'm dragging you–"

"Hey. Now is not the time for self doubt. If we're gonna do this, we're gonna do it. I trust you, Miguel. You know that."

Miguel looked up at the bus with the words 'Mexico City.'

Ayane stood between him and the bus door, waiting. He nodded.

"Alright. Let's go to Mexico."

notes.
lol

YAWLLLL I'M SO SAD I FINISHED THIS SEASON NOW WTF AM I GONNA DOOOOO

but anyway our girl miss ayane cain is THE all valley champion i know that's right ‼️

the way i decided for ayane to make amends with everyone and then go off to mexico is so funny to me idk

so since i have no idea what's happening in season 5, i guess all we can do now is wait besties 💔 i love you all so much and once again, thank you guys for reading and showing love to this story, it means the world to me ❤️

until season 5 (;

p.s. i made a wp tiktok! it's @cobrakaiswp and i've posted some ayane and miguel edits there!