𝖫𝗈𝗏౿ᑲ𝗈ოᑲ -𝖤ᥣꪱᜒ 𝖬𝗈ડƙ𝗈⍵ꪱᜒ𝗍ʑ

1.10

Johnny stood atop the hood of a car, a cold beer in hand, overlooking the junkyard where his students had gathered. "You've all put in the work. You're stronger, tougher, faster," he declared, his voice carrying over the group.

"Do you think you're ready for the tournament?" he asked, scanning their faces.

"Yes, Sensei!" they chorused in unison.

Johnny's expression darkened. "Wrong!" he snapped, tossing the beer can at their feet. "Your best isn't good enough if you want to win the All Valley under 18 karate tournament."

"Are you losers?" he demanded.

"No, Sensei!" they replied firmly.

"Are you nerds?"

"No, Sensei!" they repeated.

Johnny rubbed his temples, feeling the weight of their aspirations. "Are you sure?" he pressed.

"No, Sensei!" they admitted, their voices wavering.

He put them through a grueling regimen, from running through tires to smashing car windows and traversing a board over rusted debris.

Handing out pieces of jerky, Johnny's eyes gleamed with intensity. "To win, you've got to be hungry. Are you hungry?"

"Yes, Sensei," they replied, their determination shining through.

"Yeah, well, so are they," Johnny added cryptically before blowing a dog whistle.

The sound of barking dogs echoed through the junkyard, sending a shiver down Hazel's spine. Panic surged through her as she scrambled atop a car for safety, her eyes widening in horror as she realized Eli was trapped below, unable to escape the pursuing dogs.

"Eli! Grab my hand!" she screamed, reaching out desperately as the dogs closed in on him. But before he could reach her, one of the dogs lunged, sinking its teeth into his leg.

Hazel's heart pounded in her chest as she watched in terror, helpless to do anything but pray that Eli would be okay.

-

In the end, Eli emerged relatively unscathed, much to Hazel's relief. Johnny had called both Miguel and Hazel to train at the dojo one morning. Now, after a session of sparring, the twins were casually practicing their punches on a dummy.

"Why are we the only ones here, Sensei?" Miguel asked as the blond old man emerged from his office.

"'Cause let's face it, you two are my only shot at winning this thing," Johnny replied honestly, earning a nod of agreement from Hazel.

"Am I your favorite student then?" Hazel quipped, feigning flattery as she batted her eyelashes and made a heart shape with her fingers.

"Don't flatter yourself," Johnny retorted, avoiding eye contact.

"I'm offended you didn't deny and say it's me," Miguel chimed in, checking his phone when a message came through.

"Have you seen the others?" Johnny inquired, shaking his head. "What's so funny?" he asked as he noticed Miguel laughing at his phone.

"Probably his girlfriend," Hazel whispered to Johnny, who nodded, still perplexed.

"You're one to talk. Hawk looks at you like I would look at a pepperoni pizza after years of fasting," Johnny remarked, rolling his eyes.

"She just posted this funny picture," Miguel shrugged, showing Johnny and Hazel the image.

"Is that Daniel LaRusso's daughter?" Johnny asked incredulously, prompting frowns from Hazel and Miguel, who both nodded. "We need to talk."

They followed him outside and sat down. "It was the summer of '82," Johnny began, his gaze distant. Hazel found his theatrics amusing.

"Wait—are you really that old?" she asked, wide-eyed, as she looked at the aging man beside her.

"Shut up and let me finish," Johnny retorted.

-

Hazel was on the phone with Aisha, pouring out her concerns about Eli. "I don't know, Aisha," she sighed, frustration evident in her voice. "We've been hanging out a lot lately, and he hasn't even mentioned making things official."

Aisha listened attentively, offering words of comfort. "Maybe he's just taking things slow," she suggested. "Give it some time, Hazel. He'll come around."

"But what if he doesn't?" Hazel fretted. "What if he's just not that into me?"

"Don't jump to conclusions," Aisha advised. "Have you talked to him about how you feel?"

Hazel paused, considering Aisha's question. "Not really," she admitted. "I don't want to scare him off or seem too needy."

"Just be honest with him," Aisha encouraged. "Communication is key in any relationship. If you're feeling unsure, it's okay to talk about it."

Hazel nodded, feeling a sense of reassurance from Aisha's words. "You're right," she conceded. "I'll talk to him about it next time we're together."

"That's the spirit," Aisha cheered. "And remember, I'm always here for you, no matter what."

"Thanks, Aisha," Hazel replied, feeling grateful for her supportive best friend. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Miguel, Hazel, Aisha, and Eli found themselves at the movie theater. Eli amused himself by tossing popcorn at the girls sitting in front of them.

"What's gotten into him?" Aisha whispered to Miguel, casting a perplexed glance at Hazel and Eli, who seemed more interested in mischief than the movie.

Hazel shrugged, annoyed by Eli's antics. "I thought it was supposed to be just us," she muttered, hoping Eli's behavior stemmed from boredom rather than flirtation.

"I wanted all of us to go out together." Aisha shrugged and looked at Miguel waiting for an answer.

"I can't stop thinking about what Sensei said about Sam's dad," Miguel confessed, his mind preoccupied with their karate instructor's words.

Aisha furrowed her brow in confusion. "What does Sam's dad have to do with you?" she asked, puzzled by the connection.

Miguel sighed, meeting Aisha's gaze. "Sam's dad has a history with Cobra Kai. If he finds out I'm part of it, he'll hate me," he explained, his concern evident.

"You're overthinking it, man," Eli interjected casually, still fixated on teasing the girls.

Hazel shot Eli a glare, fed up with his behavior. "Seriously, brother, who cares," she snapped, her patience wearing thin.

"Why are you so moody today, Hazel?" Miguel inquired, sensing her tension. Before he could continue, Hazel cut him off sharply.

"Don't even go there," she warned, her tone firm.

Aisha intervened, trying to diffuse the tension. "Look, Mr. Larusso is a nice guy. Maybe you should talk to him," she suggested, hoping to steer the conversation away from conflict.

Miguel remained silent, his gaze fixed on the movie screen. "I haven't even been invited over. Maybe she's too scared to introduce me," he admitted with a hint of disappointment.

Eli chimed in with a mischievous grin. "Just make a move, man. It's the alpha move," he suggested, earning a skeptical look from Hazel.

"What does that even mean?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion. "And could you please stop harassing those poor girls?" she added, rolling her eyes at Eli's antics.

"I'm not—wait, are you jealous?" Eli smirked, teasingly eyeing Hazel. "Ah, you're jealous. I mean, who wouldn't be?" His grin widened.

"Uh, whatever," Hazel muttered, rolling her eyes again and focusing on the movie.

Eli tossed another piece of popcorn, inadvertently hitting a burly man in the back of the head. The man stood up, demanding to know who was responsible. Eli quickly feigned innocence, and Hazel couldn't help but laugh at his failed attempt at mischief.