"Can I help you?" she asked.
"I am here to observe," the man replied, his English precise but heavily accented.
Rick emerged from the back, his eyebrows rising at the sight of the visitor. "Are you with the local newspaper? We've been expecting someone to cover our upcoming tournament."
The man bowed slightly. "I am Kenji Tanaka. I am here for personal interest."
At the sound of his name, Thelma froze. She was partially hidden behind a display case of trophies, but her eyes locked with Kenji's across the room. A moment of silent recognition passed between them.
Rick, oblivious to the exchange, guided Kenji to a seat along the wall. "Well, you're welcome to watch. We have an advanced class starting in fifteen minutes."
Thelma slipped out the side door, but Kenji followed shortly after, catching up to her in the parking lot.
"Thelma-san," he said softly.
She turned, her posture straightening subtly. "Kenji. It's been a long time."
"Forty-one years, seven months," he confirmed. "Since Tokyo?"
A shadow crossed Thelma's face. "Why are you here?"
"People will learn who you are," Kenji said, his voice low and urgent. "Are you ready for the consequences?"
Thelma looked back at the dojo, then to the horizon beyond. "I'm done running from ghosts, Kenji. They find you anyway."
Inside the dojo, Mia was preparing for the advanced class when she spotted Thelma and the Japanese visitor talking in the parking lot. Their body language suggested an old acquaintance, formal but familiar.
After class, Mia approached Thelma as she was leaving. "Miss Gardner," she called. "I need to talk to you."
Thelma paused, her expression guarded. "Yes, Mia."
Mia pulled the library book from her backpack, opening it to the page about American martial artists in Japan. "This is you, isn't it? The paragraph mentions the Tokyo Open of 1974, but the next page was torn out. What happened there? And who's the man you were talking to earlier?"
Thelma gently closed the book. "Some doors are better left shut, Mia."
"But why are you pretending?" Mia pressed. "You're clearly a master, not a beginner. I saw you in the park. You move like... like water."
Thelma's eyes softened. "Let the past die, Mia. Focus on your own journey."
As Mia watched Thelma walk away, she felt a presence behind her. It was Josh, his gym bag slung over his shoulder.
"What was that about?" he asked.
Mia hesitated, then decided to trust her instinct. "I think there's more to Miss Gardner than she's letting on."