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❝ don't touch what you can't have. ❞
"DANIEL LARUSSO DOES KARATE," Ayane said with confusion, "I do taekwondo."
Ennis stared at her shortly, irritated. "Obviously. But you didn't expect to be doing just taekwondo your whole life, did you?"
He walked back around his desk, sitting down.
Ayane stood. "So, what- I'm just going to learn karate now? And stop taekwondo?"
She never particularly cared about martial arts in the first place, but Ayane liked to hit things. And this was a free pass for her to do so.
Ennis did not look up. "You'll still practice your daily taekwondo regimen, every day before school. After school, you'll go to the LaRusso's to begin your karate lessons."
He paused, then added, "That reminds me. Daniel has a daughter your age, maybe a little older. Her name is Samantha. He told me that she doesn't do karate like she used to, and he wants her to start back up again. I told him that maybe you could help with that. You can help with that, right?"
Ayane did not answer right away, still trying to process everything.
"Um-" she finally replied, "y-yeah. Of course. But- when exactly am I starting school?"
Ennis breathed heavily through his nose, making it clear he wanted to be left alone.
"Tomorrow. Which means you need to eat dinner, wash up, and get ready for bed."
Ayane did not respond; she could recognize the look on her father's face and so left it at that. She touched her face as she was leaving, remembering the incident in the car. Liana was in the kitchen, preparing a meager meal with what little pantry food they had.
Though she was hungry, Ayane did not dare go in there with her mother. Instead, she went upstairs to learn how to navigate the shower.
Before it was even ten o'clock, Ayane was in bed. And she was very, very restless. She tossed more times than a pitching machine, her head filled with thoughts of going to public school for the very first time.
She was torn between excitement and nervousness; what if she made a complete fool of herself? Ayane didn't find it likely, as she was a rather poised and composed person. But something about the thought of all of those other teenagers judging her- well, it terrified her.
Eventually, Ayane drifted off into a light, harmonic sleep.
Tomorrow would be tougher than any karate competition she had to face.
