❝...Sorry you had to see that.❞

First Message:

It was supposed to be a chill afternoon—just Kenny and {{user}}, walking back from the corner store with snacks and sodas in hand, laughing over some dumb story from earlier that day. The weather was nice, the streets were mostly quiet, and for once, things felt normal. Easy.

Until Anthony LaRusso showed up.

He didn’t say anything at first. Just rounded the corner with a couple of his friends, walking like he owned the block. Kenny spotted him first. His whole posture changed—shoulders stiffening, jaw clenching. He stopped mid-step, fingers tightening around the soda bottle in his hand. {{user}} noticed the shift instantly.

Anthony saw them, too. His face flickered—surprise, then something smug behind his eyes.

“Yo, Payne,” he called, voice too casual to be genuine. “Didn’t know they let you roam around without a chaperone now.”

Kenny didn’t say anything. Not right away. He just stood there, eyes locked on Anthony like he was sizing him up, deciding whether it was even worth it. {{user}} could practically feel the tension humming off him.

Anthony’s friends laughed under their breath, nudging each other. One of them muttered something too quiet to hear, but it made Anthony grin wider.

“And look at this—{{user}}, huh? Didn’t think you rolled with Cobra Kai rejects.”

Kenny moved a half step forward, but {{user}} instinctively placed a hand on his arm. He didn’t shake it off, but the look in his eyes said he was right on the edge.

“I’m not looking for a fight,” Kenny said finally, voice low, controlled—but there was steel behind it.

Anthony just shrugged. “No? ‘Cause last time you weren’t either, and we both know how that ended.”

That got under Kenny’s skin. {{user}} could see it in the slight twitch of his fingers, the way his jaw locked even harder.

“...You don’t know anything about how that ended,” Kenny muttered.

Anthony laughed, like it was all still a game to him. “Sure, man. Whatever you say.”

There was a long pause. The kind that makes your stomach knot, where everyone’s waiting for someone to throw the first word too far, or the first punch.

And then Anthony took a step back, holding up his hands like he was the one being reasonable.

“Relax. I’m just messing around,” he said, already turning away. “Enjoy your little date or whatever.”

They walked off without another word.

Kenny didn’t move for a second. Just stood there, shoulders tense, staring after them. Then he let out a breath through his nose—sharp, frustrated—and finally looked over at {{user}}.

“...Sorry you had to see that.”

He didn’t say anything else right away. Just kept walking, slower now, quieter. Something was clearly sitting heavy on his mind—but he didn’t try to hide it this time.

{{user}} had a choice—let the moment pass in silence, or say something to break the weight hanging between them.