COBRA KAI: Back on the Mat

SCHOOL

"What a boring talk," Demetri said as a teacher gave a lecture on cyberbullying. The teacher continued, "This talk is happening because a mother told us about the bullying her son is experiencing due to a facial deformity." Everyone looked at Eli, and Demetri quickly corrected himself: "No offense, Eli. It's not your fault but those guys who bother you."

"Don't worry," Eli replied. Looking at him, I said, "That's why I told you to join karate. It's the best—you feel stronger and more confident." Demetri responded sarcastically, "Sure, Eli, listen to him. A few karate classes will definitely stop the bullying." I simply shrugged indifferently and said, "Well, you're missing out. You'll never know until you try."

"SILENCE!" the teacher shouted, resuming her talk. I stopped listening and finished my lunch. When she left, I took out my laptop and continued working on a project: creating a more user-friendly website for Cobra Kai.

"What are you doing, Miguel?" Eli asked as he sat next to me. "I'm programming a website for the dojo. It's easy and intuitive, almost finished," I replied. From the other side, Demetri commented, "Why does a dojo need a website? I doubt anyone in karate would understand it." I looked at him, and as always, he corrected himself: "Besides you."

I ignored him and answered, "It's to attract more people and make the dojo self-sustainable. Rent isn't free." Just then, the bell rang: "RING, RING." I closed my laptop and said, "Alright, let's head to class."

DOJO

I arrived at the dojo after school. As I approached Johnny's office, I pulled my laptop from my backpack and knocked twice.

"Come in," Johnny called from inside. "Good afternoon, Sensei. I want to show you something," I said as I opened my laptop and showed him the website I had finished.

"What's this?" Johnny asked, looking at the screen.

"It's a website for the dojo. If you click on the logo, you can register. This could help us track members and attract more people to the dojo," I explained. Just then, my phone rang. "It's probably my mom. I'll call her back later," I said.

Johnny glanced at my phone screen and asked, "Hey, is that Rats?"

"Yeah, the other day, he recommended Guns N' Roses, and I got into '80s rock. It's awesome!" I replied.

Johnny smiled and said, "Alright, meet me at the school pool at midnight."

"For what, Sensei?" I asked, confused.

"You want to learn to kick ass, right? First, you need to learn how to kick," he answered with a mischievous smile.

I nodded and went to the mat to train. Afterward, I headed home.

SCHOOL — MIDNIGHT

"Sensei, will you teach me to kick, but how will you do it in a pool?" I asked as I arrived at the place.

"This is how," he replied. He pulled out a rope and started tying my arms. Before I could ask anything else, he pushed me into the pool.

"Come on, kick to avoid drowning. This will make your legs stronger. Let's go," he shouted as I struggled to kick and catch my breath. I thought to myself, "Damn it. Even with this skill, a few days won't work miracles. But at least it feels like good exercise."

The next days were spent training, and at night, I returned to the pool to practice. One night, just before the Halloween party, a security guard kicked us out.

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Haa, haa, haa, haa... I breathe heavily, my body is at its limit, but Sensei won't let me rest. "Stronger," he commands in a firm voice. I take a deep breath, feeling the pain in every muscle, but I can't give up. HAA, HAA, HAAAA! Finally, after one last push, Sensei nods approvingly. "Good job, kid."

"So, it's the Halloween party, right? What costume are you wearing?" Sensei asks.

"I don't know. My grandma made me a costume, and I accepted it to avoid hurting her feelings, but I don't think I'll wear it," I reply.

Sensei grins and says, "I know a costume that never fails. Come to my house after you shower, kid. I'll take you there since I want to drop off some dojo flyers. Let's go home."

I entered the court where the party was being held and quickly found Eli and Demetri. I greeted them.

"Hey guys, how's it going?"

Eli gave a simple "Good," while Demetri, as usual, responded with sarcasm.

"Ah, Miguel, we're just observing all the 'options' tonight," he said with a smirk.

"Come on, Demetri, don't be like that. Who knows, maybe you'll hit it off tonight," I teased, patting him on the back.

"So, are you dressed as... a necromancer? And you, as... a surgeon?" I asked, pointing to Demetri and Eli, respectively.

Demetri smirked. "Wow, you got it. Yep, I'm a necromancer."

Eli grinned as well. "And you're spot-on—I'm a lip surgeon."

We spent the evening chatting, though the guys didn't dare approach any girls. I wasn't particularly interested in anything tonight; I was just observing Yasmine, who occasionally glanced over, and Moon, who only did so once. Both seemed to look at the guys with a bit of disdain, especially Yasmine. She held her gaze for a moment before quickly looking away.

Later that evening:

"Guys, I'm heading to the bathroom. Too much punch," I said, standing up.

"Let's go. I'm about to burst too," Demetri said, following me with Eli close behind.

After finishing, we overheard Kyler and his friends entering. They were talking about Sam, and for some reason, Eli and Demetri crept closer to listen, trying not to make noise. In the process, Eli knocked over some items, alerting Kyler and his group to our presence.

"Run!" Eli shouted, bolting with Demetri, leaving me alone with the four guys.

Kyler, with a smug grin, stepped forward.

"Well, look who we have here, Rea. Better watch yourself—your 'lazy' friend isn't here to protect you," he mocked.

"He's my sensei," I replied calmly, unbothered.

The big guy in their group let out a cruel laugh.

"Oh, Rea knows karate now? Does the new kid think he can actually fight?" They all laughed.

I wasn't angry, but I wasn't going to stand still either. Without hesitation, I delivered a front kick to Kyler, sending him flying backward along with one of his friends who couldn't react in time.

In the blink of an eye, the big guy lunged at me, grabbing me tightly. I struggled, but managed to break free and shoved him aside. As the others tried to drag me into a room, I noticed their overconfidence—they thought they had me. Big mistake.

Kyler approached, holding a stick, ready to strike. While being dragged, I noticed one of them had a weak grip. I seized the moment, stomped on his foot, and freed myself. With my free hand, I punched him in the stomach, watching him crumble as he clutched his abdomen.

One guy still held onto my arm, and the big guy was pulling me towards him.

"Hit him, Kyler!" the big guy shouted as another prepared to attack.

Kyler swung the stick, hitting my stomach. The pain was intense, but I held firm. A few more hits and the pressure was overwhelming, but I refused to go down. My footing was shaky, but I stayed on my feet.

Finally, they let go of me. That was my chance. I quickly got up, grabbed a stick nearby, and with a swift strike, hit the big guy on the head, knocking him out.

The last guy, clearly terrified, tried to retreat. I didn't let him. Another swing of the stick and he was down, unconscious.

Only Kyler and one other remained.

"Wow, Rea, you're tougher than I thought," Kyler admitted, impressed.

With a confident smile, I replied, "Oh, Kyler, you'll wish you hadn't tried this."

Just as I was about to go after him, hurried footsteps echoed. Johnny appeared at the door. Seeing him, Kyler and his friend panicked and bolted, running for their lives.

"Good evening, Sensei. I finished putting up all the flyers," I said with a smile, trying to mask the chaos that had just occurred.

Johnny looked around before asking, "Yeah, kid, but... what happened here?"

"I struck first, hard and without mercy, Sensei," I replied calmly.

Johnny gave a faint smile, seemingly approving of my attitude.

"Let's go," he said, turning to leave. I followed, feeling the exhaustion in my muscles but also a deep sense of satisfaction from what had just happened.