𝖫𝗈𝗏౿ᑲ𝗈ოᑲ -𝖤ᥣꪱᜒ 𝖬𝗈ડƙ𝗈⍵ꪱᜒ𝗍ʑ

2.4

Hazel and Eli positioned themselves on opposite sides of the volleyball net as Demetri attempted to hit the ball over, adorned with the Cobra Kai logo, but missed.

"Send it back, Mulligan," Demetri called out, prompting Eli to roll his eyes. "There are no mulligans in volleyball," he retorted to his friend. Hazel, observing from the sideline, frowned at her boyfriend. "Since when are you a volleyball prodigy?" she teased.

"Wow, Hawk, even your own girlfriend is on my side," Demetri remarked with a grin. Eli shot him a look before walking away to grab a Cobra Kai towel to wipe his face. Hazel rolled her eyes and approached the net to hug her boyfriend, feeling his warmth as he planted a kiss on her forehead.

As two girls passed by, one of them inquired, "Cobra Kai? You guys won that tournament, right?" Demetri hesitated for a moment before responding, leaning casually against the net post. "The All Valley... the Rumble in Reseda? Um, yeah, we did," he answered. The girls giggled in response, expressing interest in playing with them later.

"Nice going, player," Hazel complimented Demetri. "Not gonna lie, you could've even charmed me."

"Yeah, it'd be nice if you actually earned the Cobra Kai cred you're so happy to take. When are you going to sign up anyway?" Eli inquired, wrapping his arm protectively around Hazel and pulling her closer to him.

"I don't know. I'm kinda enjoying the gain without the pain," Demetri replied, stumbling over his words slightly.

"Hawk," Miguel's voice interjected, catching Demetri's attention. Eli and Hazel joined them, Eli leading Hazel by the hand.

"What's up?" Eli asked, his tone serious. Miguel's demeanor was somber. "No. No more of this. It's a beautiful day, the beach is packed with babes. No more sulking about Sam," he declared sternly.

"I'm not sulking about Sam. It's about Sensei," Miguel confessed, his voice carrying a tinge of sadness. Eli's expression shifted to one of confusion. "Is this about his rap sheet? My parents read it online. I think it makes him more badass," Eli remarked casually.

Hazel furrowed her brow, feeling puzzled. "Wait, what?" she interjected, her eyes widening as she shifted her gaze between Eli and Miguel.

Miguel and Eli were in the midst of stretching, while Hazel watched them, feeling too exhausted to join in. "Me and Hazel did some digging online. You were right, Sensei is definitely Keene's father," Eli disclosed, his tone subdued. Miguel let out a sigh and shook his head.

"I just don't understand why he didn't tell us," Hazel chimed in, her gaze shifting between her brother and her boyfriend.

"I don't know, but it explains why he was giving us a hard time about kicking Keene's ass in the tournament. Show no mercy, unless it's his son. Then we're the pussies," Eli's voice began to edge with anger. "But he was mad at Hazel for showing mercy to her own brother," he added, his protectiveness for Hazel becoming more evident. He noticed her flinch at his rising voice, prompting him to try to ease his tone.

Aisha approached the two boys, catching their attention. "Have you guys seen the commercial?" she inquired. When they responded with confused looks instead of words, she clarified, "Sam's dad started his own dojo. And he disses Cobra Kai." With that, she held out her phone, which Miguel promptly snatched to watch the video.

-

Johnny stood in front of the class, filming a video about how free karate is a bullshit. "And cut," Aisha called out, ending the video, and Hazel gave him a thumbs-up. "Did we get it?" Johnny inquired as he stepped back. "I think so," Aisha replied.

"Make sure the Cobra Kai snake comes in at the end, I really want it to pop. Make it chrome and put 'Thunderstruck' under it," Johnny instructed. "I think the rights to that song will cost too much," Aisha pointed out.

"No, I already own it. Cassettes in the car. Oh, and put one of those hash browns after it, like 'hash brown team Cobra Kai' or something, then send it to the internet," Johnny said as he headed into the back room.
Hazel shook her head, thinking about how much of a boomer Johnny is.

Hazels managed to forgive Johnny without him even apologising, but at the end of the day, she needed him more than he needed her.

Eli and Miguel followed Johnny into the back room. Hazel kept her distance but stayed close enough to listen. "Hey, Sensei, can we talk to you about something?" Eli asked, causing the older man to turn around.

"If this is about the infomercial..." Johnny started, but Eli cut him off. "This isn't about the commercial. It's about Robby Keene." Johnny glanced between the two boys and the girl. "What about him?" He asked, hiding his emotions well.

"Hazel and I saw his picture on your refrigerator. I wasn't snooping, but we know he's your son," Miguel confessed with a sigh. When Johnny looked at Hazel with a frown, she raised her hands, indicating that she didn't want to be caught in the middle.

Eli met Johnny's gaze. "That's why you got so mad at us after the tournament, right?" His voice was calm, his expression more saddened and betrayed than angry. It was almost as if a piece of the old Eli was present, which was strange because he wasn't alone with Hazel; there were other people too. Hazel tried not to let her hopes rise too high because she knew it was the calm before the storm.

There was a moment of silence as Johnny looked at them. "Is that what you think?" He asked. Miguel and Hazel looked down. "Um..." They seemed at a loss for words.

"Yeah, Robby's my son, but that has nothing to do with the way I run my dojo," Johnny's voice was stern now. "It's also none of your damn business. Do you understand?"

Miguel sighed and nodded. "Yeah, Sensei," he muttered, and Hazel simply looked down at her feet, disappointed. Eli glanced at her before turning back to the older man. "But, Sensei..." Johnny cut him off. "But, Sensei nothing. Now get out. The three of you clean the mats for the rest of the week." Eli sighed but bowed and left the room. Miguel took a step forward.

"Anything else, you two?" Johnny asked. Miguel looked hurt, his eyes sad. "No," his voice barely above a whisper as he bowed and left, with Hazel closely following, looking back at Johnny with a crestfallen expression.