🇱​🇦​🇷​🇺​🇸​🇸​🇴​ ₂.₀

He scoffs. Barely two years into his teenagehood, and he's got the apathy and angst downpat. He always has been a gifted child. ❛ Yeah, right. Our roles would've never been reversed. ❜ Never in a million years. Even trying to entertain that thought would be a waste of brain cells.

What is he even doing?

He spent most of his life dodging all this karate shit, and now he's--what? Just another gi in the crowd? Except no. He's a loser with a bloody nose and nothing to show for it. He went out like a chump, and it sucks because for a while, he was doing so well and it felt...It felt so good. He saw how much Dad lit up when Military Haircut announced his name; he can't even remember the last time he made Dad that proud. Had he ever? And to go out like that? It's embarrassing.

He's embarrassed.

"look," sam begins, "i know you're pissed. and i get why you might be feeling like crap. but... you can't seriously tell me that one bad fight means you’re done, right?" she leans in a little closer, trying to search his gaze for an answer. "you don’t just give up because things didn't go the way you had hoped. trust me, if i let every screw-up i ever had dictate how i saw myself... well, i’d have quit a long time ago."

He's dabbing at the crust underneath his nose with the sleeve of his gi when he hears the door slide open. Oh, God no. He doesn't think he could survive another one of his dad's pep talks without blowing up right now.

It's his sister...and that's only marginally better, honestly. Doesn't she have a boyfriend to smooch or an ex-boyfriend to congratulate or something other than dealing with her loser brother? Because that's what he is: a grade-A loser.

she's not surprised that even after one of their dad's good ole' pep talks, he's still in a sour mood. although she loved him and knew he meant well, hearing the same mantra over and over again eventually causes it to lose its spark. " don't worry, i'm not here to give you another inspirational monologue. although i think mine would be a lot more encouraging, if i'm being honest. " she reassures while raising her hands up in surrender. " and c'mon... you're not the tiniest bit excited for me? " sam questions playfully, settling next to the other on one of the dojo's oak benches. " you know i would be if the roles were reversed. "