Fairytale • Robby Keene

thirteen

The morning sun beamed through the clouds, casting a soft, golden glow over the world. The air was crisp, carrying a gentle breeze that made the leaves dance and rustle. The light illuminated everything, from the natural beauty of the trees and the distant mountains to the man-made structures that dotted the town.

It was a peaceful, serene start to the day—everything bathed in golden light, full of promise and potential.

But at Miyagi-Do, the atmosphere was anything but peaceful.

Sam, Robby and Odette were gathered in the backyard training area, trying to make sense of what had happened the night before at the Valley Fest. They had worked so hard to represent Miyagi-Do in the best possible light, only for Cobra Kai to show up and completely steal the spotlight.

It was hard to shake the feeling of being overshadowed and dismissed, especially when they had worked so tirelessly to show the crowd what they stood for.

Odette was pretty sure that the whole thing was Johnny's idea.

Robby, still furious, didn't say a word. Instead, he let out a sharp breath and delivered powerful punchs to the punching bag, his frustration evident in each strike. His anger wasn't just about the disruption Cobra Kai had caused; it was also about his father's involvement, how his actions seemed to continually mess things up.

Sam and Odette, who sat on one of the sparring decks, their left legs out as they leaned forward, touching the tip of their feet, exchanged a glance as they watched Robby continue to punch the heavy bag.

"Maybe we should take a video of us sparring and post it on Instagram." Robby suggested.

Sam rolled her eyes. "Everybody already saw us at Valley Fest. No one cared."

"I think some people cared. I mean, we got plenty of applause before Cobra Kai crashed the party." Odette chimed in, trying to remain hopeful.

Robby stopped his punching and sighed. "You know what the problem is? Miyagio-Do's all about defense."

"Defense wins championships." Sam stated.

"Yeah, but people show up for the offense. That's why Cobra Kai is more popular." Robby said, frustration creeping into his voice. "All right? We need to show them we can fight too."

Odette furrowed her eyebrows, unsure of where Robby was going with this "So, what exactly are we supposed to do? Go to the mall and pick a fight? Record us defending ourselves?"

Robby shrugged nonchalantly. "It's not the worst idea."

"It's a terrible idea." Odette said with a scoff. "But let's not worry about it. If we stay patient, we'll get more students. I mean, we just opened for business."

Robby sighed deeply, letting out his frustration as he turned back to the punching bag, slamming his fists into it once more. "I know. I'm just upset, and I feel guilty about my Dad ruining our demo."