Epilogue

"So you're really sure about this, huh, Sohma? There's not a chance of you changing your mind?"

Kyo stood in Sensei Matsuda's office, his hands behind his back and a confident smile on his face. "I'm sure, Sensei. The only I can see making me reconsider at all is if something happens to both Dad and his chosen successor before Sachi's ready to take over. I'm not gonna sit back and see her lose out on the dojo if I can prevent it," Kyo said, his voice serious. "But otherwise..."

He grinned, looking at his friend. "You said you'd keep me as long as you're in charge; that still what you want?"

"As if you've gotta ask," Sensei said with a snort. Then he smiled, looking across the desk at Kyo. "So you've decided you'd rather stay here that run your own place, huh? Do I really make it look that miserable?" he asked, and Kyo chuckled.

"Maybe not miserable," Kyo said, earning another snort, "but no, that's not it. Not it alone, anyway; I'd just much rather keep teaching and training than deal with all the bureaucratic bullshit. And don't let this go to your head, but it turns out I like you guys, too," he said, grinning. "Me, and Tohru both."

Sensei was grinning now. "Damn. Bet you never thought you'd say that, the first time you met me."

"You mean when you thought I was some incompetent kid and made sure I knew it? Can't say you were my favorite person then, no," Kyo said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, well, I learned my lesson," Sensei said. "And while it's hard to believe you're passing on your family dojo, Sohma, I can't complain about you staying."

"It was a hard decision, I'm not gonna lie," Kyo said seriously. "But it helps, knowing it's gonna go into good hands."

Sensei shook his head at that. "It seems crazy to think of that kid running a dojo, even ten years down the road. But I can't say she doesn't have the skill, Sohma, and with another decade of training under her belt...I can understand why you and Master Sohma'd have confidence in her."

Kyo smiled, memories flashing through his mind of Sachiko over the years; learning to punch into his hand, walking into the dojo for the very first time. Getting her first promotion. Competing in her first tournament. Challenging him in front of the entire dojo during her shodan exam.

'I'm gonna be a karateka, just like you, Daddy!'

She'd always said so...and she had. Just like him...but hopefully so much better.

Kyo looked up at Sensei, his grin stretching from ear to ear. "Oh, I've always had confidence in her, Sensei...and I always will, too."

And he'd always be proud of her.

"Alright then, Sohma. In that case...you ready to get to work?" Sensei asked, and Kyo grinned.

"Always, Sensei."

"Good. I wanna make sure you weren't slacking off during your sabbatical, we've got standards to maintain here, after all," Sensei said, smiling as he walked around the desk. And as the two of them left the office, Kyo chuckled.

"Don't worry, Sensei; I'm not about to let anyone down."

Not his boss, not his father. His daughter. His wife.

And not himself.

Yes...there were some ways he'd wished things were different. But he had no regrets; the future he'd envisioned at eighteen had been nice...

But the future he had was even better.