Cracks in the Armor

Ren fidgeted nervously at the counter as she waited for Riku's arrival. 

Ever since this Saturday morning session had gotten set up a few days ago, she had been anxiously awaiting it. Even her excitement for her normal classes - which she still loved - paled in comparison to her excitement for today. 

What made this so special? Was it because Sota would be there? Was it because it was coordinated just for her? 

Someone was going out of their way to treat her nicely. It was the best feeling in the world, but it also scared her. 

"What're you doing, brat?"

Ren's attention turned towards the voice. Her grandfather exited his bedroom, yawning as he made his way to the coffee machine. 

"We talked about this, grandpa. We have a special class today for tournament prep, so I'm waiting to get picked up."

"Right," he muttered, grabbing his mug. "As long as everything gets done, then whatever. Don't go getting any crazy ideas, you hear me? If I find out your pretending to be at class..."

"I would never, grandpa."

She didn't need him to finish his thought. She understood that pushing for this extra class time was risky. It would tighten her schedule further, and special 'tournament prep' implied that she would have to perform even better when the time came. 

Still, it was the safest way for her to get approval for the extra lesson. She'd focus on being present for today, and she could navigate any issues as they arose. 

With that, she heard the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. A quick glance revealed that Riku had arrived. 

"Alright, I'm heading out!"

***

"The queens have arrived!"

Riku called this out and laughed as they pulled into the dojo parking lot. Ren took in her surroundings as they parked and got out of the car. It was usually evening when she arrived, and there were a lot more cars here. 

The dojo looked different under the morning sun, and the only car in the parking lot was the one that belonged to Sota. For some reason, that thought made her heart skip a small beat. 

"You're face is a little flushed there, honey..." Riku noted. "Has someone been looking forward to this?"

"What!? Well, yeah... but, no! It's just cold out, is all."

Ren squirmed a little bit at Riku's teasing. It was just a training session for her to work on improving further. Still, it was weird for her to be this excited about it compared to usual classes. The only difference was Sota's involvement, and she wasn't sure how to process that. 

"Of course," Riku smiled, laughing off her nerves. "Anyway, let's go get started."

They grabbed their things... crossed the parking lot... opened the training hall doors...

And there he was. 

Sota sat off in the corner - eyes closed and posture structured. He had pulled out a mat and was going through one of their common meditation exercises. As the door closed behind them, he finished one deep breath, opened his eyes, and stood to his full height. 

"Good morning..." he greeted, picking up the mat and setting it off to the side. "How are we doing today?"

It was so small - a formal greeting that the assistants always gave at the beginning of a class. In this moment though, after so long without a proper class interaction from him, it was enough to send Ren over the moon. 

"Super excited!" she blurted out, grinning from ear to ear. "I'm glad to see you, Senpai!"

***

It was not only the most excited Ren had been for some time - it was also the most productive training session she'd been in for weeks. 

Without the typical class structure as a limitation, Sota wasted no time getting to work. They had a very brief warmup, but then jumped right into the meat of things. Sota meticulously reviewed every form and technique Ren had learned in his absence. The notes through phone were helpful, but this in-person training was far more efficient. He could point out certain movements in real-time, or physically adjust her stance in real-time if it was off. 

Best of all, his undivided attention was on her. Riku was there as well, but he mainly practiced his own material. Sota would send a correction his way or answer a question from time to time, but it was clear that his focus today was to fix her stuff. 

Three hours flew by in a blissful flash. Before she knew it, she had finished her final performance for him to review. 

"Much better..." he praised, his demeanor as calm and direct as ever. "That's a significant improvement over when you walked in this morning. Keep up the good work, Ren."

Ren almost squealed with excitement, although quickly got it under control. She was used to praise in class, but hearing it from Sota - after so long without it - was a blessing. 

"Thank you so much, Senpai!" she exclaimed, bowing her head. 

Sota didn't respond to her enthusiasm. If anything, he almost seemed to take a instinctive step back in hesitation. 

"Man...I'm starved!" Riku interjected, making his way over. "I know we were just looking to train...but any reason we wouldn't go get a bite to eat?"

Ren immediately wanted to agree, but she held herself back. Instead, she looked to Sota for an answer. This had been his idea, but he was also the one who was still in a tough spot. She knew this had been a big step for him, and she didn't want to push him past his limits. 

Sota pondered it for a few moments, clearly weighing the options available to him. 

"Yeah, that's fine..." he finally sighed. "It's perfectly reasonable to grab lunch after class. there's a shop nearby that we can visit."

***

Ren sat down at the restaurant table, focused on taking in every moment of their time together. 

The three of them had all gotten their food at this point and began digging in. Ren did her best to keep her excitement in check. She had never really had a "hangout" moment in her life, but she also knew it could unravel quick if Sota got too overstimulated. 

Fortunately, Riku had a keen grasp on things. As the social butterfly that he was, he was able to keep everyone engaged and talkative throughout the meal. Ren wished she could be as well-spoken as Riku was, but she appreciated his presence nonetheless. By the time they managed to finish their meal, they had been talking for over an hour and  the tension in the air had relieved significantly. 

"Excellent," Riku called out with a stretch. "I gotta head to the bathroom, then we can all head on our way!"

He left it at that - throwing in no extra quips or pokes before heading off towards the restrooms. A kindness of his, given the small tension that invaded the table once his presence had been removed. 

The air had become a bit palpable - Sota became fidgety and his eyes were locked onto his empty plate. Ren was sad to see it, but she understood. Ren didn't know his current situation, and Ren wasn't a longtime friend like Riku was. 

Her mind flashed back to her altercation with Riku before Sota's last visit to class. How avoidant Riku had been at answering her question. 

Does he have anyone there to support him or not?

She knew it wasn't her place to interject or intrude, but she had to do something. However little it was. 

"Just so you know..." she began, being selective in her wording. "I've really missed training with you, Senpai. The other teachers are good, but you're the one I appreciate the most..."

The air of the room tightened instantly. Sota's expression widened - a protective veil lifting from his face as her words cleaved right through it. Behind the veil was a mixture of awe and horror that felt dangerously uncontained. 

Ren held her breath and braced. She didn't know if it would help or hurt to hear that from her. She prayed it didn't make things worse...

Sota motioned to speak, the words not quite leaving his mouth. He looked ready to dismiss himself from the table if he couldn't get the words out...

"You've GOT to be kidding me!"

The voice from across the room was sharp and loud. Both Sota and Ren's attention turned towards it. There, standing in front of the doorway, was Ren's grandfather.