Klaus was exhausted and heavy-hearted after the thrilling battle against Mikael and his North Dakota team. As much as he knew the New York team was proud of him, Klaus couldn't help but feel hurt by their defeat. He wondered if he could have done more, if his choices were the right ones and if he really helped the team or just hindered it, since unlike Riley, who is a talented fencer, he is just a beginner who had no coordination with the other individuals.
He walked slowly down the hallway from the locker room exit, still hearing the sound of the ecstatic crowd in his mind.
Meanwhile, a feeling of disappointment began to rise in his chest. He fought with all his might, but in the end, it was not enough to win.
However, before he could sink further into his thoughts, a familiar voice called his name:
"Klaus!"
He raised his head and saw Ashley running towards him, a bright smile on her face.
"Ashley?"
The black-haired, green-eyed girl reached him as quickly as possible and hugged him tightly, wrapping him in her loving arms. "You were amazing in there, Klaus! I knew you were the best!" she said, her eyes shining with admiration.
Klaus was surprised by Ashley's reaction. He had expected her to be sad that he hadn't won, but instead she was bursting with pride, a smile on her face. His eyes met hers, and he saw an unwavering confidence reflected in them.
"Ash, but I... I lost." Klaus said, his voice breaking.
Ashley held his face between her hands, looking deeply into his eyes. "Klaus, don't worry about it. You may not have won the tournament, but you went beyond the expectations of the vast majority, you scared them so much that you shut them up and proved to everyone what you are capable of. I am so proud of you that my heart is pounding hard even now. You are a winner in my eyes."
Ashley's words touched Klaus' heart. He felt a weight being lifted off his shoulders and a wave of gratitude for having someone like her by his side.
"I wanted to win so badly, Ash. I wanted to honor the team's efforts and prove to myself that I can be a real fencer." Klaus admitted, letting his emotions show.
Ashley smiled gently and stroked Klaus' cheek. "You are already a real fencer, Klaus. You defeated people who will become professionals soon after the special program, and most of all, you fought with passion, courage and skill in there. Everyone saw it, the world saw it. You have so much potential and I'm sure we'll see many reports about you tonight."
Klaus felt embraced by Ashley's words. She had always been his safe haven, his biggest supporter and his source of inspiration. Her presence helped him believe in himself when he needed it most.
"Thank you, Ash. I couldn't have gotten this far without you by my side." he said, sincerely grateful.
Ashley smiled and kissed him softly on the forehead. "I will always be here for you, Klaus, no matter what. You deserve all the recognition for your brilliant fight."
While Klaus and Ashley were talking and sharing that moment of affection, in one of the corridors parallel to the locker room hallway, a red haired figure was leaning against the wall, just listening to them with wide eyes. It was Emma. She had been in the audience for the entire round and not just to watch her friend Riley. However, Klaus' defeat in the battle stirred her feelings, because she saw the passion and dedication he put into those matches.
However, before she could get close to Klaus, Ashley showed up and she decided to stay in the shadows and wait until she went, thinking that Ashley was just a friend or part of the team, but it seems she was wrong.
Listening to Klaus and Ashley's conversation without permission, Emma seemed to be in conflict with herself. Her face was serious, and she looked contemplative. She knew Klaus was a good guy, handsome and very talented, so it wouldn't take him long to find someone if she didn't act, but she had tried to convince herself otherwise, to convince herself that hiding her feelings was best for both of them and now she was deeply regretting it. However, she liked Klaus too much to try and cross Ashley's relationship with him.
Emma had always been a reserved person who usually didn't express her feelings easily. The culmination of her efforts was when she left her parents' house on an impulse and went to become a model, so she admired Klaus' determination and his courage, because from a young age he always knew what he wanted and ran after his goals, and when he didn't want to play professionally anymore, he stopped, without forcing himself to do something that wouldn't make him happy.
As Klaus and Ashley hugged each other and exchanged words of support, Emma clenched her fists. She knew that if she had been more open with him, it could be her instead of Ashley. She could be the one he was hugging so lovingly, but her insecurity and reservations prevented her from doing so. Deep down, Emma felt a twinge of envy for Ashley's relationship. She had never had the courage to open up emotionally with someone and had always kept her emotions under lock and key. Seeing the mutual support and trust between Klaus and Ashley made her feel a little isolated and helpless.
Suddenly, the crowd began to stir again, Emma turned to see what was happening and saw that several reporters had managed to break through the security blockade and were running towards the New York team's locker room to get an interview with Klaus. So she smiled and turned away, so as not to risk being noticed by any of them.
...
Edited by: DrHitsuji
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