Time After Time 🌹 Daniel LaRusso [1]

Chapter 14: All Valley Karate Championship Pt. 2

Rosalía sits with Lucille in the front row of the bleachers. Daniel and Mr. Miyagi stand beside them. "I'm so glad you're with my son," Lucille suddenly says. The girl chuckles and responds, "thank you, I'm also very glad." The older woman smiles giddily. "I know it just happened last night but I have a good feeling about this," she speaks in a singsong voice. "You're gonna have a wonderful relationship, I just know it," she adds, giggling. Rosalía's face heats up and she chuckles awkwardly. "I hope so," she answers.

"Ladies and gentlemen! May I have your attention, please," the announcer booms. Lucille leans over to Rosalía and questions, "you think my boy has a chance at winning?" The girl turns her head to look at her. "Absolutely... I have a gut feeling about it," she sincerely responds. When Daniel first commenced his training, he asked her the same thing. She believed in him then and she still believes in him now without a doubt. "This is the first semifinal match of the afternoon," the announcer continues.

"Defending champion, John Lawrence of the Cobra Kai: two-time winner of the All Valley Under 18 golden trophy. He'll be facing Darryl Vidal of Locust Valley Karate Club. Three points wins. Will the contestants please come to the ring? Good luck, gentlemen."

Daniel anxiously bites his nails and fidgets as he observes Johnny across the room. This doesn't go unnoticed by Rosalía. "Hey," she voices, reaching her hand to him. He grasps it and the girl squeezes his hand. "This will be over soon... no matter what happens, I'm right here," she consoles him. He nods and Rosalía lets go of his hand to let him interact with Mr. Miyagi.

The Cobra Kai cult cheers for Johnny as he enters the ring. The referee initiates the fight and Vidal throws kicks and punches, Johnny blocking every move. They're almost evenly matched, Rosalía thinks as she watches. The blonde performs two kicks but Vidal moves back before he could touch him. He suddenly sends a high kick Johnny's way, and the blonde swiftly grabs that leg and sweeps the other one, throwing him to the mat. "Kiai!" he grunts as he kneels over his opponent, flexing his bicep. Rosalía becomes nervous, worried that Daniel will have to face him. She knows he could take him but she's concerned about how far Johnny would go.

"One point, Lawrence."

The two contestants get back in their fighting stances. "Ready? Fight!" the referee shouts. Vidal begins doing flips, trying to kick Johnny, who just steps back to avoid getting hit. He blocks one hit with a kick and Vidal backs up before springing forward again. He's mid-air when Johnny briskly ends him with a kick. Man, this guy was so fancy and he didn't even win, Rosalía thinks, shaking her head. Daniel continues to fidget, shifting his weight from one foot onto the other. He becomes more and more anxious as he realizes that he's most likely going to have to fight Johnny. "Lawrence, back at your line," the referee orders.

"You alright, Vidal?" he addresses the boy doubled over on the mat. "I'm okay," he replies as he stands up. He gets back on his line and the two position themselves. "One point, Lawrence. Ready... Fight!" the referee announces. This time, Johnny strikes first and he runs at Vidal, throwing kicks at him. He spins into a kick, striking Vidal in the abdomen. The boy cries in pain and doubles over. The crowd cheers and the Cobras cheer even louder. "Point, Lawrence. Winner!" the referee declares. Johnny shakes Vidal's hand before returning to his group.

"The next semifinal will determine who will face the defending champion," the announcer's voice sounds. Johnny high-fives and shakes hands with his teammates, turning around to glare at Daniel. His eyes shift to Rosalía and he just stares at her for a moment. She hasn't seen him in action in the ring since she left for Texas, and he initially hoped to impress her with how far his skills have advanced since then. Although deep down, he knows that that won't work because she doesn't care about that. He tried not to hold onto that notion but a small part of him still hopes that she is at least a little impressed.