Tai Miyazaki never really understood his parents' motives for sending him halfway across the world to a country to him wasn't much different from his native land. To him America was just like Indonesia and New York was just like Jakarta. He was used to the tall skyscrapers, traffic jams, police sirens, angry drivers, and grumpy people who have to wake up every morning at eight and get off at the end of the day.

  He didn't see the big deal about this country and couldn't see why it was considered the richest country in the world especially since the economy's been messed up severely by the former president. The only difference he did see was the people. His country had approximately three hundred ethnic groups and with him being of Javanese descent he was among the largest group in the country. Prejudice and racism did exist and he expected as much when coming to the boiling pot of the world it was just Americans seemed to be more uptight, angrier, more stressed out, and not as healthy. He now understood why so many of them were dying from high blood pressure and heart attacks.

When he first arrived to the capital of the world people didn't know how to react to him and he was the same with them. He already had an apartment set up for him in Queens the most ethnically diverse county in the country. It would've been foolish to not convert his rupiah into US dollars and of course prior to landing at the John F. Kennedy International Airport his father, Ghanghis Tai, an international trader one of the best in the world had connections. He had associates in New York which is how he was able to get his green card so easily and they managed to secure him a place to live even if it was temporary.

He was forced to deal with being the victim to nosey neighbors and the subject of gossip among the other tenants in his building. It wasn't much it was a nice simple place; 1 bedroom, 1 bath, a living room, and a kitchen he didn't have a family and didn't even have a girlfriend so it was all he needed. He left behind his mother Suzui, brother and sister Izumi and Kai, and his girlfriend Ty Lee. He left it all just to experience a new world that didn't seem so new to him and to attend a so called better school but Americans didn't value education like Indonesians had so how was the education supposed to be better.

That was five years ago when he first made it to this country and now he still resided in the same apartment and was attending the police academy in hopes of becoming one of New York's finest someday. With all the crime that was happening in his area he figured might as well become something to change it.

It wasn't a surprise that he'd be the only Asian in the academy especially one with his appearance. He didn't have that pale skin like many Asians in these kung fu movies had he actually had some pigmentation in his skin because the Javanese were darker than other Indonesians and his hair it wasn't short and spiky like in a Japanese anime it was actually long and fell down his back in braids like a lot of black guys except his were longer and looked better.

The one stereotype that he hated the most about oriental men was that they were all short and skinny he was in fact the exact opposite he was tall like six feet two inches tall and he had a well defined physique on him. He actually did work out at least three hours a week to keep up his muscled tone body and was proud of it. His looks and charm got him the affection of many beautiful girls and he has dated many of them since he's been here but none of them compared to Ty Lee and didn't even come close.

He had a special connection with her that couldn't be explained in words. Just thinking about her beautiful smile and those sexy eyes not to mention that lean gorgeous body of hers gave him butterflies in his stomach. Everything about her drove him crazy from the way she talked to the way she walked, every time she smiled that small dimple would appear, and when she looked at him with those dark eyes there would be star glitter in them. She had the sweetest voice that would flow through him like honey and when they'd kiss he definitely remembers even to this day. No one could or would ever compare to her and it bothered the hell out of him now that they were separated by the Atlantic Ocean.

Now it was half past seven and his class started at eight thirty. He only had ten minutes to finish getting ready so he can catch the seven forty-five from Jackson Heights to Long Island City and that would take approximately another fifteen minutes. He'll still have thirty minutes to make it the police academy so he had to make sure he made it to the bus stop on time or else he would be late for class and he couldn't risk being late because that could mean expulsion and he really didn't want that. Becoming a police officer was really all he had going for him and he couldn't afford to mess it up.

He took one final look at himself in the mirror then sighed. He definitely didn't look like the stereotypical Asian that eats cats and dogs that excelled in academics like math and science and was an overall nerd. To him he looked like Tai Miyazaki an average Asian American without a care in the world and didn't have time for ignorant people's bullshit especially that fed into stupid stereotypes. If he was like that then he'd believed that all white people were racist rednecks and that all black people were ghetto and uneducated but he wasn't. People were people and no one person regardless of their race were the same. He didn't judge people based on their ethnicity and background.

It was seven thirty eight and he was all ready to go. He had taken opened his refrigerator and took out a half empty box of Krispy Kreme donuts then took one out and put it in the microwave for a few seconds. He had gotten accustomed to the lifestyle of the average American they barely had time for breakfast yet it was supposed to be the most important meal of the day. That just goes to show how backwards Americans can be.

He took his donut out of the microwave then took a bite out of it then grabbed his tote bag and picked up his keys then left his apartment and locked it behind. Now he was about to begin his day to his boring life.

Harlem, Manhatten...

Lana Powers sat in the back of the Academy of Martial Arts in her office typing away on her Dell desktop. She really did enjoy teaching karate to children twelve and under but it was a shame that she could only teach the white belts to yellow belts. Once they graduate to becoming an orange belt that's when her comrade and rival Kent Hiroshi would take over their studies and progress them until they reach the green with black stripe. She couldn't understand why she was only allowed to teach two levels when he'd gotten five. She didn't doubt that he was a very skilled fighter she just doubted that he was more skilled than her. The director of the Karate department, Master Tajhaki, even stated that her skills surpassed his by far so she still didn't understand why she was given the lowest ranks to teach.

It had to be because she was friendlier with the younger kids and had more patience than Kent when it came to the beginners. He easily gotten frustrated when it takes a while for them to grasp what they were being taught she knows because she can remember when she first got into Karate. It was hard maintaining those poses and although the breathing techniques looked easy they really weren't. It was important to keep the body tranquil and at peace which is why during the white belt stage all you do is meditate, stretch, and learn the art of relaxation or else you won't be able to do any of the combat. Karate was definitely a workout.

It was a good thing her father decided to let her get lessons at an early age because that really was the best time to start. At first she didn't think she'd like it just from watching Bruce Lee movies she never really considered herself to be a fighter but after a while she'd grown to love it and now it was a way of life for her. Karate could be used for many things whether it's combat, self defense, or just a stress reliever and she needed all three. Being the daughter of the Chief of Police in New York City she was always aware that there were creeps lurking around the monstrosity of a city and to never let your guard down. So far she's never been the victim of a rapist or mugger and as soon as they see her Black Belt fifth Dan draped around her neck, or waist, or purse, or wherever she felt necessary to have it if she brought it with her they would easily become intimidated and step down even the little boys who would try to holla at her.

Kudos to you daddy for forcing her to take up a sport!

So far she had twelve students total and four of them were almost ready for their belt examinations. They would have to show their honor in front of the entire Karate department and Master Tajhaki is the one to decide whether or not they'll move up in the kyu. One of them was going up for his orange belt and the other three were going up for their yellow belts. She had three more weeks to prepare them for their examinations of course they were going to be held on different days but she especially because the younger kids always get to go first plus she had to get ready for her own examination if she wanted to receive her Black Belt sixth Dan. Then maybe Master Tajhaki will find her worthy like he does Kent Hiroshi.

She heard a buzzing sound coming from the bottom drawer of her desk and she opened it and pulled out her cell phone. She checked the name on the screen then rolled her eyes and threw it back in the drawer and closed it. Mark Hampton her clueless but incredibly sexy ex boyfriend who's made it his prime duty to win back her heart an accomplishment that will never happen. She's never ever met a man who couldn't take no for an answer and who would practically get down on his hands and knees and cry when she told him it was over.

Her friends, sister, not even her own mother could understand why she broke up with him in the first place. Sure he was drop dead gorgeous, a model, a best friend, lover, the best! Still there was something missing and she wasn't quite sure what that something was. He just didn't make the cut and every time he would ask her that same question constantly her answer would remain the same.

"What did I do that was so wrong?" He would ask her.

She'd stand there her five feet five inch frame being dominated by his six feet four in a half inches of solid muscles. He'd grab her by the chin holding her face firmly in place forcing her to look into those warm, bedroom eyes.

All she'd tell him was, "Nothing,"

That's when his lip would quiver and his eyes would plead to her beg her to take him back but she couldn't do it. She just couldn't do it. Then he would give that famous line that was all too familiar to her.

"Baby please I love you. I need you in my life. I could change if you need me to,"

She'll close her eyes, sigh, and shake her head no a silent but solemn no. In all honesty she felt bad and thought about it over and over again in her head. Did she do the right thing by letting 1 of the hottest brothas in New York go? A question she would never find out and didn't want to. She couldn't find herself to answer his phone call or return his voice mails and text messages. He was really making his pain worse and she wasn't about to add fuel to the fire by giving him false hope. It was best that she just cut him out of her life completely.

There was a knock on the door and she placed her hand on the side of her neck and winced to relieve the pain. When she opened them she sighed when she saw Kent leaning on her door still dressed in his Gi that was open because he didn't have on his belt. He cocked his head and smiled at her.

"How's it going Lana?" He asked her with that husky voice that reminded her of 1 of those popular teenagers that wore dark clothing in a eighties movie.

"Nothing much just getting some work done then I'm heading to Jackson Heights," She tells him.

He enters her office and sits down in small couch that was behind her, "Queens?"

She nodded while typing in the last information of her last student, saved it, logged out, and shut her laptop down then closed it. She heard the buzzing sound in her bottom drawer again so she opened it and pulled out her cell phone and didn't bother to answer it because she knew who it was. When will he get the point?

"Ex boyfriend?"

She nodded again and sighed. Kent was always brief with his words but could hold a decent conversation because he always seemed interested in what she had to say even if his responds were brief she still felt comfortable talking to him. She didn't really communicate with the other teachers except for Master Tajhaki but Kent was another exception. She couldn't explain it but for some reason she felt closer to him maybe because they were around the same age.

"So why are you heading all the way out to Queens for?" He asked her.

She turned around in her chair and was face to face with him. Her office was so small maybe it as well ought to've been a utility closet. Her eyes diverted away from his slanted, dark eyes and down to what she considered an average physique when it came to being built with muscles. He had a nice little something on him and he was lean and fit just like her except she supposed he was physically stronger than her. She wasn't sure what his ethnicity was all she knew was he was of Asian descent that much information he never gave away at least not to her.

She bit her bottom lip and looked back at his handsome face and noticed his eyes were focused on something else. When she released the top of her Gi was open showing a little too much than intended she closed it shut and that's when he jumped and looked a little embarrassed. He was staring at her rack.

"To pick up my little sister it's Friday and her weekend to stay with me and my dad," She tells him then turns around.

Her cell phone started buzzing again and she was inches away from throwing it against the wall. That was what bugged her most about Mark he was too clingy, super dominant, and whined when he didn't get his way. He was full of drama that she didn't need in her life besides he was a super model who traveled across the country and the world. She knew she wasn't the only girl he'd set his eye for she didn't want to deal with the paparazzi and desperate women chasing after what he had and him giving it up to whoever he wanted whenever he wanted behind her back thinking she didn't know about it. She preferred to live the simple life so he had to go.

She noticed the irritable expression on Kent's face. That's the first sign of emotion she ever saw on him. He looked as if he wanted to pick up her phone, answer it, and tell him to fuck off but he held it together. When the buzzing stopped she picked up her phone and put it in her bag.

"He just won't give up on you will he?" Kent asked her drawing his eyebrows together.

She shook her hair back a little and picked up her keys and put them in her bag, "I guess not. I don't know why he can have any girl he wants,"

"I do," He told her in a soft voice that sent chills through her body.

She looked back at him again and noticed the way he was looking at her all dreamy like. He never looked at her like that before and in all honesty it freaked the hell out of her. She noticed the sweat that was dripping down his chest to his abdomen and was caught off guard when he leaned in and their faces were about a couple of inches apart now.

His eyes had softened and he had a whole new demeanor when he spoke, "You're not like any other girl Lana. Any man would be crying if they lost you since they're begging for a girl like you. You're...special,"

He leaned in further and that's when she fell back and hit the floor with a loud thump. He was up and at her aid.

"Are you alright?" He helped her to her feet and she pushed him away a little.

"I'm fine," She told him still freaking out. She grabbed her back and her jacket then told him, "I'll see you Monday," then she left leaving him dumbfounded as to what happened.