“Come back and enter tournaments more often, yeah?” Ken opened the hotel door for his best friend.
“…If I happen to make my way back here." Ryu answered cautiously as he passed by Ken. "I’ll take a break in Japan before I decide where to go next. It’s been a few years since I was there.”
Ken grimaced. “Yeah, I get it.” It pained him a bit to see him so eager to leave. But he knew Ryu had no malice for keeping his rare visits short. That was just Ryu: he wanted to see as much as the world as he could after living in Japan all his youth. It just so happened Ryu was here in this city, entered the same tournament Ken was in by chance.
Maybe it was fine like this, Ken thought. Ryu always came when he missed him most. Ken wasn’t feeling as confident going into the tournament but then--there was Ryu. And Ryu was always receptive to the attention Ken wanted. The hours of sparing they both put their pride on. Ken had a desperate urge to gauge how far he's come. They spent their cool down hearing each other’s adventures. Ken couldn’t help but beam when he talked about his family (His numerous champion wins were whatever) yet he would feel a pang of jealously when Ryu talked about the incredible warriors he met traveling.
Ken reiterated, "Don't be a stranger." Ryu smiled, nodded and walked down the sidewalk, his bag in tow, wearing his freshly cleaned dogi thanks to Ken. He walked by a cat, who startled but strode up next to him before turning another direction. Ken then thought of how Ryu is a lot like an outdoor cat. He snickered at the thought--opening the door to let him out, free to do his own thing. But eventually coming home for rest and companionship.
