Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
A scrap yard was a highly unusual place to hold a karate lesson, and yet, it was far from the strangest thing Johnny Lawrence had done yet.
The California sun was brutal, situated in the middle of the clear blue sky, beaming down at the students. They stood huddled together, hands in front of their faces to shield away the sun in order to see their Sensei properly. Dogs barked in the distance, and Cristina fanned herself with her free hand.
Stood on top of an old bus, Johnny opened a can of beer and tipped his head back, taking a big swing out of it. "You've trained hard. You've gotten stronger, tougher, faster. You've done your best. You're ready for this tournament, am I right?" Johnny asked, shouting so they could hear him properly.
Confidently, the students replied in unison. "Yes, Sensei!"
"Wrong!" he threw the half-full beer can to the ground in front of them, and the liquid splashed.
Cristina jumped back, grimacing in disgust as she wiped small beads of beer off her face. Spitting beside her was Declan, who looked just about ready to grab the beer can and throw it back at their Sensei.
A whine left his mouth. "I got it in my mouth."
Amused, yet sympathetic, Cristina concealed her grin and patted his shoulder.
"Your best ain't shit!" Johnny declared loudly, earning glum looks in response. "If you want to win the All-Valley Under 18 Karate Tournament, you gotta give me better than your best. Which is why from now on, you're gonna get my worst. You understand?"
Grimacing, Cristina let out a skeptical noise. Being on the receiving end of Johnny Lawrence's worst seemed like a nightmare.
"Yes, Sensei!" the students of Cobra Kai chanted.
"Are you losers?" Johnny questioned, eyebrows raised as he paced back and forth on the bus. One wrong step and he'd plummet to the ground. There was no way he'd be able to catch himself, especially since he was half-buzzed from the beers he consumed earlier.
"No, Sensei!"
"Are you nerds?"
"No, Sensei!"
Johnny raised his brows quizzically. "Are you sure?"
Not catching onto his change in wording, the students replied before they could comprehend his sentence.
"No, Sensei!"
Defeated, Johnny buried his face into his hands. Confused murmurs rose and Cristina winced at their mistake. She shared a look with Declan.
This was going to be a long day.
ʚїɞ
When Johnny said he was going to give them his worst, he really wasn't kidding. Half an hour in, and Cristina had strained every muscle in her body, some she didn't even know she had. Everything hurt and was sore. And the scorching sun didn't make it any better. Despite their many complaints, they weren't granted a single break.
