COBRA KAI: The Way of the Fist (Prequel to "COBRA KAI: Clash of the Five Dojos")

CHAPTER 29: "2010 (TKK 2010)."

It was now the year 2010. In the city of Detroit, Michigan, lived a young boy named Dre Parker. Today was a very big day for him. His mother, Sherry Parker, got a job transfer in Beijing, China and it was going to be a very emotional day for him. He said goodbye to his family members and his closest friends. One of his friends gave him his skateboard as a memory. They say their final goodbyes and make it onto the plane. While waiting to take off, Sherry was practicing her Chinese. “How are you?” she says in Chinese. “How are you?” She repeats in English, trying to get her son’s attention. "Mom, I don't think we should even be moving to China. There's old buildings, old parks, and old people. See this guy is at least 100 years old." Dre said, holding a picture of an elder in the Beijing Guide Book. "Dre, this is going to be a fresh start and we're going to feel right at home there. You might as well get used to it." Sherry said. After waiting a little while, their flight took off. It was at least a ten hour straight flight. 

The Mother and Son finally made it to Beijing, China with an escort to bring them to their new home. They made it to the apartment complex and Dre started getting his bags out of the trunk. "Hey man. Here let me help you out." Dre looks over and sees a blonde boy, definitely American, approaching him and helping him with his bags. "You must be the newcomer in 305. I'm Harry." Harry introduced himself. "I'm Dre. Dre Parker." Dre said back. The two follow Sherry and the landlord to their apartment room. Dre noticed the local park outside and Harry said he should come over. The family drops all their stuff inside and Dre finds the opportunity to finally relax due to the jetlag he got. "Dre! Can you please go find the maintenance man! I need to take a shower but the hot water is broken!" Sherry yelled from the other room. Dre rolls his eyes, irritated. "Yeah!" Dre shouted back, going to find the maintenance man of the complex. Dre ran down the stairs to the front desk. “Excuse me. I’m looking for the Maintenance man.” He said to the man but all he got in return was a look of confusion. Dre remembered that they were in China and not in America anymore. “Mr. Han.” Dre added, hoping that he’ll understand that one. The man understood the name and pointed in circle formation. From the body language, Dre had a pretty good idea what he was talking about.

Dre walked around the corner and looked inside the small room and saw the maintenance man, Han, himself. Dre knocks on the wooden door. “Mr. Han? Me and my mom just moved in. 305. The hot water is not working.” Dre said. When Han didn’t turn around to look at him, Dre opened the door. “Mr. Han?” Dre asked. Han turned around, giving Dre an intensive look. Dre found it intimidating and closed the door back up. “I’m going to get out of your hair. We’re in room 305 and the hot water isn't working.” With that said, Dre left. Han watched him leave, getting the sudden sense of hope. ‘Could this be the student I’m looking for?’ Han said in his head. Dre walked to the park and met up with Harry. As they were walking around, Dre noticed a girl sitting on a bench, with a violin. He thought she was very beautiful and couldn’t take his eyes off her. After a few minutes of staring, Harry noticed and encouraged him to go talk to her. Dre denied it at first, then eventually gave in. He walks over to her and tries to introduce himself in Chinese but does a terrible job. Luckily, it made the girl giggle. “What language was that?” she asked. “To be honest, I don’t even know. Glad you speak English, though. What’s your name?” Dre asked. “Meiying.” She answered with a smile. “I’m Dre.” Dre smiled back. “Can I touch your hair?” Meiying asked the boy. “Uh, yeah.” Dre lowered his head for Meiying to touch his braids. She giggled and Dre stood up straight. 

Suddenly, their moment was interrupted when a boy around his age, named Cheng, stepped in with a few other kids behind him. (AN: Meiying and Cheng are speaking Chinese this entire time.) “Aren’t you supposed to be practicing?” Cheng asked, aggressively. “I am practicing.” Meiying answered, tensing up and Dre noticed it right away. Harry, from across the courtyard, saw Cheng and his friends and became nervous because they were the biggest bullies in Beijing. “What are these? You don’t need them!” Cheng shouted, roughly snatching Meiying’s music notes and throwing them to the ground. Dre picked them up and Cheng told him to leave them there in english, very aggressively. Meiying and Cheng begin to argue and Dre tries to hand over the notes. Meiying tries to take them but Cheng smacks them out of Dre’s hands, glaring at him. “Come on, dude!” Dre yelled, getting pissed. Meiying began packing her music stuff up. Dre packed the papers back up and Cheng noticed it. “I said, leave it.” Cheng said to him in English, also in a threatening tone. Dre ignored him and tried handing the notes to Meiying again. Cheng tries to swat them again but Dre moves them out of the way, looking into Cheng’s eyes, seriously. Cheng grabs Dre’s wrist and shoves him to the ground by his face.