COBRA KAI: Back on the Mat

SCHOOL (DAYS LATER)

I was waiting for Sam by her locker. When she arrived, I decided to break the ice with a little sarcasm.

"Oh, hi Sam, what a surprise to see you here... at your locker," I said, feigning amazement.

She smiled and shook her head.

"Of course, because I'm never here. What's up, Miguel?"

I cleared my throat, a bit nervous but determined.

"Well... I wanted to invite you tonight to mini-golf and the arcade. What do you say?"

Sam blinked, somewhat surprised.

"Oh, Miguel... you're really sweet, but I just broke up with Kyler, and I think I need a break from dating." Her tone was a bit disheartened as she opened her locker.

I thought for a second and then dared to respond.

"And when did I say this was a date? It's just two people having a good time."

Sam looked at me, amused, raising an eyebrow.

"That sounds like a date."

"But it's not."

She smiled, relaxing a bit.

"Well, if you put it that way, fine. Are you picking me up or...?"

I interrupted her with a grin.

"Well, I've got a bike. If you want, you can ride on the back."

Sam burst out laughing.

"I think I'd better pick you up."

The bell rang, marking the start of class.

"Well, see you later," she said, smiling as she walked away.

"See you later," I replied, watching her disappear down the hall.

DOJO

We were about to start training when Eli walked into the dojo. While he was still himself, something had changed: he was sporting a brand-new haircut, bold and... well, striking.

"Nice haircut, kid," Johnny said with a grin, then turned to the rest of us. "See this? Even the shyest person can look badass if they decide to take the leap."

Johnny motioned to Eli.

"Line up, Hawk!"

Eli grinned, clearly enjoying his new nickname, and joined our line. As he passed by me, I took the chance to whisper.

"I said striking, but this is another level."

Before he could respond, Johnny started the class.

After a while of training, I approached Sensei.

"Sensei, I wanted to ask you something."

But just then, his phone rang. Johnny looked at the screen and frowned.

"Take care of the kids while I handle this call," he said, heading to his office.

In the meantime, I stayed chatting with Eli and Aisha. Suddenly, a shout from Johnny's office interrupted us.

"What do you mean it's not allowed?! You can't do this!"

I asked Eli and Aisha to wait and went to check it out.

"What's going on, Sensei?" I asked as I entered.

Johnny looked at me, frustrated.

"The All Valley committee. They say Cobra Kai is banned for life. There's nothing I can do!"

I looked him in the eye, determined.

"Sensei, look at me. In all this time, you've taught me two important things. First, how to kick ass." Johnny smirked. "And second, never to give up. Quitting is just as bad in karate as it is in life. If we try, we're already one step ahead of anyone who quits out of fear."

Johnny nodded, newly resolved.

"You're right. I'll go there and kick their asses."

"I didn't mean that, Sensei," I stopped him with a smile. "I meant being clever, smarter than them... and LaRusso."

Johnny grinned.

"Well said, Miguel."

"It's nothing, Sensei. And, speaking of which... any advice for a date?"

Johnny gave me a mischievous look.

"That's my boy. You're already leaving the loser behind. If you're going on a date, take the girl to the most epic place: mini..."

"Golf," I cut him off.

We both looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"No wonder we're Sensei and student," he said.

MINI GOLF - ARCADE (NIGHT)

The night at the mini golf and arcade had something special, with neon lights giving everything a magical glow. I walked alongside Sam, holding my golf club, trying to stay calm, though every time she laughed or glanced at me, my heart beat a little faster.

We were at the fourth hole, and there was a slight slope that made sinking the ball a real challenge. I decided to try a tricky shot, something that might impress her, but the ball clumsily bounced off the track. Sam burst out laughing, her laughter so contagious that I couldn't help but laugh too.

"Seriously?" she said, still laughing, crossing her arms. "Three tries and you're still far off." "It's strategy," I replied with a confident smile, even though I was totally improvising. "I don't want you to get overconfident."

She rolled her eyes, but when it was her turn, she sank the ball with perfect precision. She raised her arms in victory and shot me a triumphant look.

"And that's how it's done," she said, with that smile that completely disarmed me.

When we finished mini golf, we decided to head into the arcade. We hopped from game to game, collecting tickets like our lives depended on it. Sam was surprisingly good at shooting games, while I excelled at the dance machines—something I never thought I'd admit. After a while, we checked our haul and walked over to the prize counter to trade our tickets.

"What do you want?" I asked, pointing to the display cases full of prizes. "That little octopus plush is cute," she said, pointing at a small but adorable one.

We got it, and I handed it to her. She held it close to her chest and gave me a smile so sweet that for a second, I forgot where I was.

Later, we grabbed some snacks and found a bench under a tree lit up with string lights. Sam sat next to me, placing the octopus between us. We ate in silence, enjoying the moment, until she suddenly turned to me with an expression that was a mix of curiosity and determination.

"Hey, I've been thinking," she said, adjusting her seat. "Would you teach me some karate?"

Her question caught me off guard, but I smiled. "Sure, anytime. Although I doubt you'd be able to take me down."

That made her raise an eyebrow, and she immediately stood up. Before I could react, she threw a light punch, which I blocked easily, but I wasn't ready for how quick she was. In one swift move, she managed to trip me, and in the blink of an eye, I was on the ground, and she was on top of me, laughing.

"What were you saying?" she asked, amused, looking down at me.

My mind went blank, and just as I was about to respond, Sam leaned down and kissed me, soft but sure. In that instant, the world disappeared. All I felt was the warmth of her lips and the pounding of my heart. When she pulled away, still wearing that mischievous smile, I could only stare at her, lost in the moment.

"Guess I'm better than you thought," she said, sitting back on the bench as if nothing had happened.

And there I was, grinning like a fool, as the night wrapped us in its magic.

I rode my bike to the dojo after the incredible "not-a-date" I had with Sam. As I walked in, I saw Johnny wearing a suit and grinning. I shouted, "WHO'S A WINNER?" Johnny replied enthusiastically, "I AM!" Then he looked at me, just as excited, and said, "Wait, you're a winner too!" He asked me, and I nodded, saying, "This calls for a toast! Want a beer?"

Johnny shook his head and said, "No, this calls for something better." He went to the office and came back with a bottle of wine and two glasses. He handed me the glasses, poured some wine into each, and took one for himself. I stared at the glass, thinking, Not even in my past life did I try wine. I wonder what it tastes like.

I sniffed it, and the smell was strong. Without warning, Johnny clinked his glass against mine and said, "CHEERS!" I replied, "CHEERS!" and we both downed the wine in one go.

"Wow, that's strong," I said after finishing my glass. Johnny laughed. "Hahaha, for your first time drinking, you did pretty well, kid."

We spent some time talking about my date and his meeting as we drove home—he had put my bike in his car to give me a ride. When we arrived, we said our goodbyes.

Once home, the first thing I did was head straight to my computer. Sam's laugh, the light weight of the octopus plush I won for her, and the soft touch of her lips were still fresh in my mind. When I opened my laptop, I noticed I already had a message on Facebook. As expected, it was from

When I

"Who would've thought? I think we make a great mini golf and arcade team, though I'm definitely the MVP 😉."

I laughed as I read her message and quickly typed a reply.

"You just got lucky on the holes. Or did you forget I was the king of the dance machine? And the karate thing doesn't count—you caught me off guard."

She started typing immediately, and her reply came in no time.

"Off guard? Sure, sure. Whatever you say, sensei. If you want a rematch, maybe you should give me more lessons. I might learn to knock you down again."

That made me smile more than I wanted to admit. There was something about how Sam could be competitive and sweet at the same time.

"Don't underestimate your master, LaRusso. Next time, I'll teach you something more advanced… and I won't go down so easily."

The "typing…" notification popped up again, and my heart skipped a beat.

"Well, I'm not complaining. The view from above wasn't so bad."

I felt my cheeks heat up, but I tried to keep my cool as I thought of what to reply. Before I could, another message came through.

"By the way, thanks for the octopus. I put it on my bed. I think I'll name it 'Sensei Miguel.'"

I burst out laughing and leaned back in my chair, imagining her with the plush toy. There was something so natural and fun about talking to her, like everything just flowed effortlessly.

"'Sensei Miguel'... I like it. Take good care of it, okay? It's a limited edition, only for the best karate students."

The conversation kept flowing, talking about simple things like who had won more tickets at the arcade (she insisted it was her, but we both knew it wasn't true) or weekend plans. Every message made me feel more connected to her, as if the night wasn't over yet.

Before we said goodnight, she sent one last message.

"I had so much fun tonight. Thanks for making it special ❤️."

I stared at that last line for a moment, a smile I couldn't erase on my face. I replied without thinking too much.

"I had fun too. And you know, this was just the warm-up. We've got to do it again soon."

I turned off my computer a little later, still thinking about her and how a simple night out had felt so incredible.