𝖫𝗈𝗏౿ᑲ𝗈ოᑲ -𝖤ᥣꪱᜒ 𝖬𝗈ડƙ𝗈⍵ꪱᜒ𝗍ʑ

5.8

It's been a while, and everything was perfect. Eli and Robby were kind of friends now, and Hazel couldn't be happier.

They walked into the dojo on a sunny day, ready to train. Eli looked at his friends and spoke, "Did you catch that video I sent you of last year's Sekai Taikai?"

"Who knew people could kick that high?" Miguel asked with a smile.

"Or that hard," Robby continued, grinning as he exchanged a friendly handshake with Eli.

"That's why it's the biggest competition in the world," Sam said with a smile as she joined them. "And you can bet I'd kill Eli to win it." Hazel looked at Eli, and he whispered an ironic, "Thank you," before kissing her on the lips.

"Last year's winners did a car commercial in Taiwan," Miguel said, rolling his eyes at the playful banter.

"Imagine being in a commercial. What would you do with all that money?" Mitch asked excitedly.

"Buy a yacht with a hot tub. Fill it up with Smarties and hotties," Chris said proudly, doing a little dance that made everyone laugh.

Hazel furrowed her eyebrows at him, then sighed dramatically, gaining everyone's attention. "Well, it's gonna be difficult if there's only one yacht. You can't have multiples unless you clone me."

Everyone rolled their eyes, thinking for a moment that she was going to say something serious.

Daniel walked in from behind them, shaking them from their dreams, with Johnny next to him. "All right, all right. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Remember, Cobra Kai is gonna do everything they can to get a spot. And if they win this time, kids all over the world are gonna have to deal with the same crap you guys have gone through," he said, ensuring they understood the seriousness.

"But if we win, we can show the world how to stop them," Sam agreed, and everyone nodded.

"First, you must prove you can compete with the best," Chozen explained.

"To do that, you have to be better than the best. Which is why we're gonna kick your asses into high gear," Johnny continued.

Daniel nodded. "Sensei Lawrence, Sensei Toguchi, and I are gonna get you ready for the presentation. Come on. Let's get warmed up."

Johnny clapped his hands. "Go! Move those asses."

The students snapped into action, their playful energy transforming into focused determination. Hazel, Eli, Miguel, Robby, Sam, and the other students knew they had a tough road ahead, but together, they felt invincible.

Johnny pulled Miguel aside for a quick chat. "So, how's it going with Sam?" he asked, trying to sound casual.

Miguel smiled, appreciating the concern. "We're friends now."

"How sweet. Is this what fatherly advice sounds like?" Robby chimed in, standing next to Hazel.

Johnny started to panic, worried he had unintentionally hurt Robby. "Come on, we're just talking," he said, trying to diffuse the situation.

"Relax. I'm messing with you," Robby explained with a laugh. Hazel giggled, and Miguel chuckled, making Johnny relax and sigh with relief.

"I'm glad you ironed out your sh¡t. With you on the same team, we have a shot," Johnny said, looking at both Miguel and Robby. "What do you say? Are you ready to show the world who's boss?"

Miguel and Robby exchanged a smile and nodded. "Yeah, we are," Miguel replied confidently.

Hazel added, "Absolutely. We're ready."