The King Cobra

Episode 3

Miguel was practicing his punches, trying to perfect the techniques Johnny had drilled into him. Across the dojo, Johnny was buried in a pile of bills and paperwork, his frustration growing evident with every passing minute. After a while, he tossed the papers aside and walked over to Miguel.

"Do you have any friends that want to learn karate?" Johnny asked, rubbing his temples. "Oh, what am I saying? You don't have friends. Sorry." His tone was blunt, but there was a hint of frustration underneath.

Miguel paused his punching and turned to face Johnny. "Hey, Sensei, when am I gonna learn kicking? I saw this video on YouTube where this guy broke boards, and it looked totally badass."

Johnny nodded, though his mind seemed elsewhere. "Yeah, kicking is badass, but you're not ready. Besides, if I don't get more students in here, I won't be able to teach you anything."

Miguel shrugged his shoulders slightly, trying to offer a solution. "Have you thought about advertising, Sensei? You know, getting the word out?"

Johnny looked at him with a mix of realization and frustration. "Yeah, duh, of course." But his face was unconvincing, betraying the fact that he hadn't really given it much thought.

Just then, the door to the dojo opened, and Jason walked in, fresh from home for morning training. He had a determined look on his face, ready for another round of training. He noticed the tension in the room and approached Johnny and Miguel.

"What's up, Sensei? Something wrong?" Jason asked, sensing the mood.

Johnny sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Just trying to figure out how to keep this place running. We need more students, or this dojo won't last."

Jason thought for a moment, then glanced at Miguel. "We could help, you know. Maybe put up some flyers around school or talk to people we know. I mean, Cobra Kai's legit; we just need to let people know about it."

Johnny looked at Jason, appreciating the initiative. "Flyers, huh? That's not a bad idea."

Miguel chimed in, "Yeah, we could spread the word, especially with the first day of school. Everyone's gonna be looking for something to do."

Johnny nodded slowly, the gears in his head turning. "Alright, let's do it. You two handle the school side, and I'll figure out something here."

Jason grinned, feeling a sense of purpose. "We got this, Sensei. Cobra Kai's gonna be packed in no time."

Miguel, now more excited, added, "And once we have more students, you can teach us those kicks, right?"

Johnny smirked, the tension easing a bit. "Yeah, once you've earned it. Now get back to work, both of you. We've got a dojo to save."

As the teacher droned on about cyberbullying, Jason sat a few seats behind Miguel, Demetri, and Eli. His eyes were half-closed, but he was alert, catching bits and pieces of the conversation. The lecture wasn't particularly engaging, and Jason found his mind drifting. He had more important things to think about, like his next training session at Cobra Kai.

Miguel leaned in toward Demetri and Eli, trying to keep his voice low. "You know, if you're sick of being bullied, my karate dojo is looking for recruits."

Demetri raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips. "Yeah, right. You hear that, Eli? You learn karate, and you're gonna kick some major ass."

Jason's ears perked up, and he subtly leaned forward, interested in where this was going.

"I'm serious, Demetri," Miguel insisted. "My Sensei is the real deal. I'm sure I could get you both discounts."

Jason decided to join the conversation, leaning in from his seat. "Miguel's right. Sensei Lawrence knows his stuff. He doesn't just teach us how to fight; he teaches us how to survive."