Time After Time 🌹 Daniel LaRusso [1]

Chapter 35: These Weirdos

"Hey!" Daniel yells, enraged that Mike tried to hurt his girlfriend. Mike's head snaps to him and he shouts, "come on, punk! Come on! Let's see what you've got!" Daniel positions himself in a fighting stance as he nears him. He throws a few kicks at him, causing Mike to taunt him. "Nice kick. Not bad."

Daniel tries to punch him but he blocks each one. "Better. Good but not good enough," he mocks as he kicks the boy. Daniel fights back but Mike goes insane as he continuously kicks him into the screen behind him. "Come on! Get up!" he yells before yanking the boy off the floor. "Why are you being so stubborn??" he questions, shaking Daniel by his collar. Daniel tries to punch him, making Mike mock, "don't do that." He tries again but this time Mike throws him into the wall. Daniel's back and elbow hit the window, making it shatter into pieces.

"Daniel!" Rosalía worriedly calls, setting her food down on the table before running up to him. Mike sticks his hand out, stopping her before she could get close. He turns his attention back to Daniel. "I am running out of patience, LaRusso. Now sign it and let's get on with it!" he barks, handing the application to him. Daniel takes it and tears it, immediately straightening up to attack the pale boy. Mike is fast to defend himself and grabs Daniel, harshly tossing him across the room. "Now I'm gonna kick your ass!" he yells as he does so and Daniel goes flying into his girlfriend's arms.

"Hey, are you okay?" she asks him. Daniel spots Mike coming at them so he pushes the girl to the side. Just as she's out of the way, Mike kicks him in the face, making him fall to the ground. The other two goons get up and approach them. "No! Stop-" Rosalía yells, cutting herself off when she sees a figure in the glass doors. Mike grabs the back of Daniel's shirt and is about to punch him when one of his friends yells, "save it for the tournament!" They all pause when the glass doors slide open, revealing Mr. Miyagi. Oh, thank God, the girl thinks.

"Nail him!" Mike commands. "Mike, come on. Let's get out of here," Dennis suggests while the gold-chained guy tries to strike the older man. Mr. Miyagi easily flips him over his shoulder, tossing him aside. He comes face-to-face with Mike, who yells, "come on, old man!" He throws a few punches, which Miyagi effortlessly blocks. He kicks Mike, making him stumble out of the shop. The other two had already escaped and got in their car.

"Mike, let's go," one of them shouts as he hops into the car. "Let's go! You wimp!" they yell again as they take off. The trio walks up to the door, watching them recklessly drive around in circles while howling. "I'll be back, LaRusso! I'm gonna get you, man! You hear me? You're finished! You're finished! You can't watch him forever, Buddha-head!" Mike shrieks. That last part was so uncalled for, Rosalía thinks, shaking her head. They all whoop as they zoom over the tracks, barely avoiding getting hit by the passing train.

"Damn, so close!" Rosalía remarks, just a little upset that they didn't get hit. Daniel and Mr. Miyagi both give her a quizzical and stern look. She turns to them and says, "what? I know I wasn't the only one thinking it." Mr. Miyagi slightly shakes his head while Daniel chortles, amused by her words. "Come, time go home," Miyagi declares as they move away from the door. Rosalía sets a gentle hand on her boyfriend's back as they walk inside. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. How about you, did they hurt you?" Daniel asks concerned. "Yeah, I'm okay. Don't worry about it," the girl replies before taking his face in her hands, checking for injuries. She sighs when she sees the bruise on his cheek. "I saw you block that kick, by the way. It was good," he mentions, smiling proudly. Rosalía meets his eyes and smiles when she notices his proud expression. "Thanks... come on, let's go," she responds, grabbing their things before exiting the shop with the two men.

*Time skip*

The car ride has been quite silent due to Daniel fuming in his seat. Rosalía holds his hand, squeezing it every once in a while in an attempt to remind him to cool off. Mr. Miyagi begins singing out of nowhere and the girl can sense her boyfriend's annoyance. He lets go of her hand to touch his aching jaw before exasperatedly turning to the older man. "You know, I can't believe you're singing. I- forget it," he stutters frustratedly. Rosalía stays quiet, knowing it's better to let him express himself right now. She can feel the outrage radiating from her boyfriend as Mr. Miyagi keeps singing.