III
Cobra to Bonsai
III
If you've ever met me, you'll notice the black headband Sensei used to wear that I do now all the time, the brown hair, brown eyes, nihilistic and sarcastic attitude, lack of friends, but you'll never get to notice the minor details about me. I'm an admirer of beautiful women, a poet, I've bullied to hell and back when I lived in Denver, and...I'm just lonely as hell. But most of all, I'm out to turn my shitty life around.
Wow the rich Karate all star Valley boy with a dirt bike has a shitty life? Well you try being my lonely ass for a day.
And if you haven't noticed by now, I'm David Mills-Schwarber. The guy everyone hated when I tried to break open Sam LaRusso like my punching bag. But I failed.
If you're still here listening to what I have to say, I honestly have no idea why. I mean, everyone won except for me. Sensei realized winning wasn't everything and so did I, his Sensei walked off into the sunset after his weird ass epiphany following mine, and Sam the Lamb beat me in the tournament and lived happily ever after with my ex-bro Miguel along with everyone else...except me of course.
Oh you thought Miyagi-Do would turn my life around on its own? Well life isn't a damned Saturday morning cartoon. Except for Ms. All Valley Champ Sam the Lamb.
Which is just stupid, I mean I wanted to win more than anyone, I trained harder than anyone, and I loved Karate more than anyone. I lived doing Karate for Chrissake. And then she beats me using the power of love or some bullshit? Get the hell outta here, what is this, a Saturday morning cartoon or a cheesy 80s movie? Or hopefully a nightmare?
If it is, wake me up soon then.
You honestly have no idea how much it pisses me off that she used my favorite move to beat me. That spinning heel kick is mine dammit mine.
To rub salt in my wound, on top of losing the All Valley, I lost everyone at the dojo, and I got banned from ever fighting at the All Valley again. Plus, everyone at school hates my ass for hurting their queen, so yeah. My life is just...great right now.
Do I really deserve that? Argument A would say yes, I'm an arrogant bastard who enjoys hurting people to win because I'm a sociopathic violent and asshole Johnny Lawrence wannabe. Argument B would say no however, I'm the unsung hero who no one really cares about, because I've got some really tough life issues and I'm actually a good person on the inside.
I'm seventeen years old, just like Sensei was when he lost. I'm a badass with no dojo, no Sensei, and no bros, just like Sensei had when he lost to my new trainer Dan LaRusso. I'm a Valley boy with a dirt bike...just like Sensei. And you know what? I freaking earned that headband he gave me that Mom gave him, I still wear it all the time of course.
And if you're wondering, I'll still call Sensei Sensei until I die. Why? I'm always a Cobra Kai at heart, no matter what Miguel and his posse of my ex-bros say.
Of course I'd wear it all day everyday, what do you want me to do, be a pussy and not do that? God, Hawk acted like such a pussy in that stupid hospital, he'd never say something like that if you ask me.
"Hurting people makes you a bully." Wait, are you Hawk the bully Cobra Kai or not? Ah, everyone would say I'm the bully Cobra Kai, because bullies are the only people who hurt people, even though said people are the ones you're fighting in a goddamn Karate tournament with.
Did everyone just so happen to forget that the point of the tournament was to win by kicking and punching people, and I very much wanted to do so? Like any other star student of Johnny Lawrence's would? No, I should've acted like Miguel had, not given a single shit, and let Sam win because she's pretty.
What utter nonsense.
At least I didn't cheat, but Miguel did, and everyone still rooted for him. Why again? Oh right he's a dopey, nerdy and shy low income dip shit who everyone can relate to. Who in their right minds can relate to David goddamn Mills? A pent up rich kid Valley boy who pretends he's his Sensei all the damn time but who really just looks like an asshole?
No one said a word when Miguel convinced everyone I should've been kicked out. Bros to the end my ass. I was there when Miguel needed to tell my little sis Hannah he wasn't into her, but he still kicked me outta Cobra Kai, my favorite thing in the whole world.
Is that what a true bro would do? I mean I am David goddamn Mills, son of two prodigal doctors, kicker of asses, lover of hot babes, and I held the bro code to my heart whenever Hawk needed me, Demetri needed me, or even little four eyed Bert, who's in like first grade or something.
By the way, his older sister Yasmine? 10 out of 10 babe, absolutely smoking.
All's well that ends well, but I'm still a cynical asshole going through the hardest time of my life. Which begs the question, why the hell are you still listening to what I have to say? Ah, the true stories just begun hasn't it? It's time for a new ace degenerate to rise. Or just a loner slash bad boy who wants to have friends because of self esteem issues. A poor man's Johnny Lawrence if you will.
Unless...you actually do care about what happens to me? Or you just care about my little sister Hannah?
Nope, probably just Sam or Miguel.
The king and queen of West Valley High, Miguel She-az and Ham Durrr-usso are all anyone talks about and they're fine and dandy. Same with the people everyone heard about the first time around back in 2018, Hawk, Moon, Aisha, Demetri, hell even those douche bags Sensei's Sensei trained, Kyler and Brucks are...actually I should talk to those guys I think they're doing worse than me somehow.
If you're wondering why I'm claiming my life is so shitty and how I'm so cynical, I'll get to that later.
Still, if you're still here listening to me for some reason, it'd be like the equivalent of following what happened to Sensei after Mr. LaRusso beat him in the All Valley like how his daughter did to me instead of following Mr. LaRusso and his Sensei.
Not...that I'm saying...that I'm Sensei... God mom even bought me a dirt bike...but of course, I've got no bros to roll with...
I'm like the master of loneliness.
Still though, I'm not Sensei. Totally.
Because there was one thing I couldn't believe, which separated him from me entirely, and it was that I was in love with my own psychologist. But if you sat in my shoes, which people don't often do, they find themselves spectacularly blown away by the beautiful women around me, and just how precarious my situation is.
I've stared at her daughter before in the cafeteria the day I first saw her, of course, that was before I gave her a bruise so strong that they had to put her in a damned hospital ward for two nights, and everyone started hating me after I lost...Just like Sensei, my life went to shit the moment a LaRusso knocked me into the mat using handwaving bullshit.
I should've won. Tell me I'm wrong. I deserved to win, I played fair like Sensei asked, I didn't cheat like how Miguel won, and yet, I'm a bastard for using excessive force? Uh...Hello! Cobra Kai is built using anger and teen angst to turn people into badasses, I shed my loser skin and came out a Cobra...just to be bitch slapped by life.
Cobra Kai is the epitome of excessive force, yet I'm the goddamn bad guy for using it. Piss off honestly.
I might as well have been dating Miguel beforehand because the missing piece from the retreaded story was the stolen ex...who ironically was Ali Mills in Sensei's story, who's my mom if you didn't know that. But Sam's a chick not a dude, which might be a fact that'll make my senior year the biggest bitch socially for me.
Anyway, it's time for me to shut the hell up for a second so you can hear about how I fell in love with the most beautiful woman I've ever met: Amanda LaRusso. Holy shit was this woman hot, you'd drop dead at her feet like I try not to half the time. Mr. LaRusso is one lucky guy, not just for training me, but for being married to her.
Just the sheer irony of how she sat like a goddess in the chair in front of the sofa I sat on, was so bizzare that I couldn't help but smile. I hurt her daughter Samantha pretty badly, and for some reason, she was helping me along with her husband.
Sam was hot but...
Her mother in question...god if you woulda seen her in her psychiatrist's outfit, the simple black and straight frill-less skirt and her nice and smooth legs, tight coat that showed off god David shut up! And her face god, never seen one prettier.
Oh so I'm supposed to be redeeming myself like Sensei did, got it, back to the conversation between me and Mrs. LaRusso in her small office upstairs in Mr. LaRusso's house.
"David are you feeling all right?" She asked me.
"I dunno do I look all right?" I shifted myself on her sofa, "I can't train right with uh...you know your husband, my game's off when I strike, block, when I test at school, when I do anything. Hell, I could be taking be taking a shit and I'd probably be doing it wrong."
Amanda looked up from the notepad she was scribbling on, "How do you really feel, and what do you think put you into this funk you're having?"
"How do I feel?..." I trailed, "Like total shit Mrs. L, and losing to Sam you know, your daughter, that put me into this funk...anyway I gotta ask you, are you really a psychiatrist?"
"I minored in Psychotherapy before I met Dan yes." Amanda nodded.
"So you know all about Freud and all that stuff?"
She nodded again.
I looked at her, "So he talked about how everyone wanted to sleep with their mother at some point, you know, sexually...but did he ever say we have this attraction towards someone else's mother inherently?"
"I think that's just something pending on the individual." Amanda shrugged, "A certain attraction towards anyone can be caused by a number of different things, intelligence, wealth, a certain skill-"
"Beauty." I cut her off.
"Yes that can be a big factor David." Amanda nodded, "So tell me, when did you become so violent and aggressive?"
"I'm not gonna blame Sensei, ever since I left Denver I've had this obsession to become stronger, to never lose...because I was tired of being a loser that everyone made fun of. Nevertheless, I was just waiting my turn to become the bully I guess. Maybe wanting to win so much blinded me somehow."
"You were bullied?" Amanda took notes.
"Very horribly yes. Every day." I said.
Amanda looked at me, "For what?"
I shrugged, "I dunno...For being too skinny, I wasn't nearly as muscular as I am now I mean look at me, and I reacted too quickly when someone made fun of me so I was an easy target. There was no one to back me up so they just ganged up on me. They'd call me names and I...I just did nothing about it. Like a loser." I leaned back on the sofa and rubbed my eyes, "Got tired of that and wanted to hit back I guess."
"Did you interact a lot when you lived in Denver? Socially?"
"My only friend was Hannah."
"Your younger sister." Amanda kept writing notes, "And-"
"I value your time more than mine Mrs. LaRusso, so can you please tell me how to avoid being miserable all the time?"
Amanda spoke back to me, "Okay then...here's what I recommend. Find...someone, it doesn't matter if it's a boy your age, probably a girl...find someone that you're interested in romantically...and try to get to know him or her better."
"That's not gonna work out for me. I mean, the girl I'm currently interested in probably hates my guts because I beat her and all her friends in the All Valley last week."
"Ah, well then find someone else."
"I have but I can't try to go out with her." I said, "She's married."
Amanda looked at me, "This is...this is a woman, not a girl...that you want to pursue romantically?"
I shook my head, "I'm in love with her."
"A grown...woman." Amanda dropped her pen in shock.
"Yup." I popped my 'p'.
Amanda looked at me again from her clipboard, "David you're only seventeen years old that's highly illegal for you and for her."
"I know, but the heart wants what it wants y'know?" I smiled and shrugged.
"Well then what I recommend...is that you find some friends." Amanda said.
"Can't. Everyone at Cobra Kai's pissy over the tournament, your daughter, and I can't blame her for this, hates my stupid ass for giving her a bruise so awful she's on Advil for it, Hawk and Demetri still treat me like some pity case, and Miguel's on the verge of trying to fight me whenever he sees me when Sam's not around, and I'm just...one inch away from losing it and kicking his ass like I know I can...everyone else at school is either afraid of me...or they ignore me."
Amanda frowned when she heard this, "How's your sister doing?"
"Hannah's angry at me for hurting her friend. But! She's still the only person who'll talk to me like a normal human being. Mrs. LaRusso, I'm guessing you never had it as rough as I did."
"I didn't, I had it worse."
"Really? Even though you're...perfect?"
Amanda laughed in surprise before covering her mouth with her hand, "I wouldn't exactly call myself perfect David, but I only had a tiny group of friends I talked to in highschool."
I was appalled, "Seriously? I'd talk to you all day Mrs. LaRusso if I had the chance."
Amanda kept the questions coming, "Why do you idolize Johnny Lawrence so much? I've seen firsthand how much of an...issue he can be with Dan. Came into my house and nearly knocked my husband into our pool."
"Who wouldn't idolize him? I mean life had sent a kick right to his sack, he was the biggest loser in All Valley one minute, the next, he brought the legendary Cobra Kai back to victory. He had been sent a cheap shot by life, but instead he struck back so hard life cried like a little bitch at Sensei's feet. Ali Mills left him for your husband one minute, the next, he's dating Miguel's mom."
My drop dead gorgeous psychologist nodded, "So you admire how far he's come?"
"Of course I do." I nodded back to Amanda, "He's given me his headband," I pointed to my forehead as I always wore it, "...And sometimes I wonder if I'm even worthy of it. I act like I do, because I guess...my confidence is a mask for my insecurity somehow? But I don't really know if I deserve it or if I'm a good person."
"But you are David." Amanda smiled kindly, "Even if you were a bit...overzealous, you had heart, you had skill, you admired how far Johnny came in his life and...I think...you're a kind boy...with a heart of gold. You tried to demonstrate the best of Johnny Lawrence, and you ended up demonstrating the worst unfortunately, your heart was in the right place I think."
"Overzealous? I hospitalized your daughter Mrs. LaRusso. I'm just an ass..."
Amanda sighed, "Sam's still taking Advil for the bruise you gave her. But I don't think that you wanted to hurt her."
"I wanted to win. I don't now, but I did. I needed to win for Sensei." I corrected, "No matter the price, even though I regret it now. I should've won...what did Sam have to win? I had so much to lose. Her stupid boyfriend?...Winning the All Valley wearing Sensei's headband was my dream...I lived for that dream! That dream was my life! And she took it from me...and then I got myself kicked outta Cobra Kai."
My psychologist gulped as I kept speaking, "But who the hell cares about me? I'm just David Mills, some loner who likes to train in Gojo-Ryu Karate with your husband while feeling miserable all the time, as he wears a headband he didn't even earn." I went back on my word, like a self pitying loser.
"David you wanted that headband...I think almost as much as you wanted to win the All Valley right? Why would you ever think you didn't earn it? You made Johnny proud. The same pride any mother or father or teacher could feel when you'd win a trophy."
"He did it out of pity. I could tell looking back now, he knew I was crazy for it and that I had a fantasy built up in my head where I'd win on the mat wearing it. I'm surprised you don't care more about your own daughter, or her boyfriend Miguel Diaz, or their friends, like everyone else does."
"Dan told me how sad you're feeling, I did it because I want to help you David." Amanda said, "You deserve to be happy, and I want to help you out of this rut you have yourself in."
I smiled at her beautiful face, "You're so kind Mrs. LaRusso, the world needs more people like you."
"Thank you David." Oh my god, her smile made me melt. This woman...god I just wanted to kiss her till I dropped. But, I know that's just a stupid dream like the whole winning with Sensei's headband thing was.
If you think that I'm awful for falling in love with Mr. Larusso's wife after he helped me at my lowest, you're very very right. But remember, Sensei pushed Mr. LaRusso down a damn hill and bullied the shit out of him back when they were kids, but everyone still likes him including me. And I like Mr. LaRusso more than most!
Also you have to remember that Amanda LaRusso is probably the most perfect woman to ever exist, and my new trainer, Daniel LaRusso, is the luckiest man in the whole world for being married to her. Also I should thank him for giving her those birthing hips I glance at 'occasionally'.
But, even I'm not dumb enough to know that'll never happen. Only in your dreams right David?
Amanda sighed when she checked her watch, "I have a Pilates class to get to." She stood up out of her chair, "You're a good person David, you just need to work on self control."
"So hurting Sam was fine?"
"It never will be, but it's time you grow and mature to where it'll never happen again."
"I already did, I saw what I did to her and I promised to never hurt again."
Amanda shrugged, "Sounds like you're saying that quickly to get people to forgive you easily. I'm being as nice as I can right now, but I have to be honest too David. Same time next week?"
"Yup. Thank you Mrs. LaRusso."
"Anytime." She nodded to me when I walked down the stairs out of her little office.
I saw Sam and Miguel cuddling on the couch together watching a movie and Miguel asked me something when I walked past him, "Hey Dave? Could you get me a water from the fridge? Pretty thirsty right now."
I responded by checking the silver Tag-Huer Schwarber family wrist watch Dad gave me for my sixteenth birthday, "Shouldn't you be at practice?"
"Decided to start training less and hang out with Sam more." He smiled and nodded to me as he rubbed Sam's arm.
"Isn't that a nice little metaphor?" I muttered under my breath.
"What'd you say?" I smiled at how I just triggered Mig's temper.
"Nothing...Miggy." I chuckled to myself, "How's the side Sam?"
Sam shrugged, "Still aches a little."
Understanding, I sighed when I passed Mr. LaRusso in the hallway of his own home.
He smiled in his classic boyish way, "Hey Dave, wanna train?"
"Sorry Mr. L, I'm busy today, but I'll make sure to practice Tensho later."
"Good, you're still rusty on the last part!" He called after me before I left his home.
I revved up my dirt bike and left Mr. LaRusso's driveway, I could've gone across the street and helped Hannah with her AP Bio summer assignment I knew she was working on, but honestly it was one of Robby's better subjects so I think he had it covered.
That's an inside joke of course, but I am not going to start talking about my little sister's intimacy with her boyfriend. The only couples I knew that did that sort of thing at all were Hawk and Moon, who were like rabbits- Okay, that's enough from me about sex! Anyway, if you're wondering why I'd make such a joke slash pun about my sister, is because I know for a fact her and Robby are like the shyest people when it came to that.
Me on the other hand? Eh, you probably don't care. I couldn't get a girlfriend even with all my money grades and Karate.
Anyway I pulled up to the last place you'd think I'd be needed, the Cobra Kai dojo I fell in love with in Reseda.
Surprisingly, Sensei wasn't leading class and Aisha was doing it instead.
"Aiheet!" She was smiling as she crossed her arms like Sensei would and made the class do knuckle push ups on the mat.
"Yuss!" The class grunted.
"Aihe-"
"Hello Ms. Robinson." I smiled after I bowed into the dojo.
She turned to me and fixed her glasses, "Attention stance!"
"Yuss!" The class sprang onto their feet and the rows of well trained and well disciplined Cobras formed lines of still warriors.
Aisha kept crossing her arms, "What do you want Dave?"
"To know if I can come back here and train full time. I still love this place even though I don't come here anymore."
"Uh...lemme check." She checked her watch-less wrist sarcastically, "Nope!"
"Well then I'm here for what's mine." I crossed my green shirted arms, "My second place trophy I got last week at the All Valley."
"You won that for the dojo. It's not yours Dave." Aisha snorted.
I sighed, "Miguel won his trophy for the dojo, and he was about to give it to Sam to get her to come back to him." I looked around my old classmates when I bowed onto the mat after I took off my shoes and socks, "Did anyone object to that by the way?"
"Did I say you could you step onto the mat?" Aisha always had good control over her emotions, so she did little more than flare her nostrils when I approached her.
"Did I ask?" I smirked, "Or what? What're you gonna do Robinson? Knock me off my feet?"
"I'd really like to." Aisha acted as calm as she always did and just balled her fists, "I like how you claim you've grown past your smug arrogant attitude, but you come back here claiming our second place trophy is yours."
I shook my head and spoke loudly so the whole class could hear me, "I understand the way things are, I also understand! That no one said anything when Miguel was running around school waving his trophy around and was about to give it to his ex girlfriend for crying out loud!"
"Why do you want it?" Aisha asked.
"It's mine." I just remembered how strange it was to see Aisha lead class instead of Sensei, "Where's Sensei?" I looked around the dojo.
"He called in sick." Aisha fixed her glasses again and I could tell that was a cover for something.
"Sick? Sensei never calls in sick, he always says getting sick is for pussies."
She sighed, "He's too hungover to come to class."
"He's drinking again." I blinked disbelievingly at Aisha.
"He drinks whenever he loses, life or otherwise, you know how Sensei works Dave."
I checked my watch, "So can I have my trophy now?"
"It's not. Your. Trophy." Aisha said to me.
"If anyone's gonna stop me, they better do it now!" I called out.
"We won't stop you." Aisha gave me a disappointed look, "Cobra Kai isn't about cruelty, it's why we kicked you out of it Dave."
"I get that you're Sam's best friend, and Miguel's her boyfriend...but lemme be as clear as possible...It wasn't an attack on her...She was my enemy in the tournament!...So I used excessive force! That's what we're about! At least I didn't cheat."
Aisha balled her fists and widened her eyes at me, "Get out of this dojo David. Or we will be forced to make you get out."
I smirked, "Ohohoho you wanna play it like that huh Robinson? You know how Sensei always chooses the best in the class to lead when he's gone? What if I swept your leg right now...what if...I started coming here because I don't give a shit because Imma Cobra Kai and I'll always be one? What if I took my trophy back because, I dunno, it's mine and I want it back?"
"When're you gonna learn Dave? Being a Cobra Kai isn't just about not giving a shit, it's more than that now. You're acting like a jackass, hell, a bully again."
"A bully?" I looked at Aisha.
"Yes David, a bully. Now get the hell outta this dojo, or I'll have to take you out of it myself."
I chuckled, "Go ahead."
"Fine." Aisha nodded and smirked at me.
I noticed she'd picked me up like a sack of potatoes and was carrying me off the mat and out of the dojo, "Waiiit! Aisha wait! I'm sorry for acting like an ass okay?! I won't do it again! Wait!"
I reached for my closest bros on the mat who kept staring ahead like statues from attention stance, "Demetri! Hawk! Help please!"
Aisha tossed me barefoot onto the sidewalk outside the dojo, "Come back in and I'll wipe the mat with you Dave."
"No one can." I looked up from the ground, "Not even Miguel can anymore, and everyone knows it."
"You're better at Karate than everyone else, but that doesn't mean you're a better person." Aisha went back inside the dojo. My eyes widened hopefully when she came back out and threw something at my face, "Oh and here're your shoes jackass."
I grunted when Aisha threw my shoes right into my cheek, marking it. I sighed and put them back on, then I mounted my dirt bike again and rode off from the dojo. Trophy-less, bro-less...and a little hopeless I'll admit it.
The next place I went to was the central park near where I lived in Encino Hills, where Yasmine Mitchell and her bitch-brigade went to yoga.
"Bye Lia see you next week!" She waved and smiled to one of them with her back turned to me in this small gazebo in the park where she did yoga. I bit my lip when I tilted my head over and checked her out from behind. Yasmine was looking fine in those yoga pants.
That ass though...
Unfortunately it turned around and Yasmine frowned at me with her usual perfect blonde hair and gorgeous face in her resting bitch face, "Ugh." She cringed slightly at the sight of me, "What do you want?"
"Uh...hey Yasmine, I wanted to let you know I'm sorry for beating you at the tournament."
"Yeah! Cool!" She tried to brush past me but I blocked her exit out of the gazebo, "Now can I get to my car please?"
"You actually moved pretty great, your strike timing was a bit off but-"
"Awesome! Whatever!" She rolled her blue eyes and brushed some blonde bangs out of her eyes, "Why aren't you with your Cobra Kai losers?"
I shrugged, "Got kicked out."
"And why should I care?" Yasmine squinted at me when she let go of the side of her head.
"Because I was wondering if you'd like to...you know...maybe hang out sometime, go for a coffee or some ice cream or a movie. I think you're very pretty." I shrugged.
"David, let me get this through your thick skull." Yasmine raised her right hand Italian style and it bounced with jingling bands when she spoke, "I am never. Never. Gonna wanna be with you. Ever."
"Yasmine-" She cut me off.
Yasmine snapped, "Shut the hell up David!" She was definitely still pissed I beat her and her whole dojo of assholes at the tournament last week, "No one cares about you, I don't care about you, and I never will! Now go, get outta here." Yasmine threw her hands away from her as if she was shooing away a dog, "Run off and go do some more graffiti or something!"
"No one cares about me?" I realized Yasmine was probably right, "Yeah...see ya later Yasmine."
"Don't ever talk to me again!" Yasmine said from the gazebo as I walked to my dirt bike.
I honestly felt like giving up as I drove my dirt bike down the road towards this really tall abandoned building I trained alone at.
Eventually, I reached it and took off my bike helmet in front of it. It was abandoned in construction, and there was this little training area I set up for myself so I could have some peace and quiet in the middle floor.
There was a small mat there for Kata practice and knuckle pushups and other strength exercises, complete with a dummy I could practice my strikes on and an old rotating log with sticks extending from it so I could practice blocks Wing Chun style.
The second the tournament ended, I trained my ass off here from how angry I was...but now...it all came crashing down and I collapsed on the mat and tried not to cry by myself.
It just hit me how alone I was and how much of a loser I was. Yasmine was right, Aisha was right, and...I was wrong.
Who the hell was I? No one. Not someone people cared about.
Ohhh! Boo-hoo, let's all cry for the rich boy with the perfect grades and the prodigal Karate.
You know what? I did feel like crying. I fell onto my black gym shorted ass on my little mat and sniffled.
I mean, my life was no fairy tale like it was for the two everyone cared about. Sam and Miguel.
Me on the other hand? Who the hell's even heard of or cares about some ego-ed up asshole who does homework and Karate all day? David Mills?
The truth hurt like the worst strike to my damn heart.
Not a single person did hear of me or care at least.
But screw them then. I stood up and it was like a supernova unfolded in my chest, right where my heart was beating.
I hit my dummy with everything I had. I did knuckle pushups until I collapsed. I practiced strikes on my little wooden machine until I had bruises on my forearms and knuckles. And the summer sun glazed off my sweaty and pretty toned muscles (not joking I trained like a beast for a year, still lost though...).
I felt super angry at how bullshit everything was and I vented it through training. I would train until my heart gave out.
Unluckily for me, my body did first.
Two things, one, All Valley during the summer was like a deserted island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, it was like 100 plus degrees out and I was in an un-airconditioned training area in the middle floor of an abandoned building made of concrete, so I was basically being baked alive.
Two, I had no water with me and I had sweated a lot out, so yeah I'm pretty sure I got hit by heat stroke...
The last thing I remember was hearing my panting as I looked at the concrete ceiling of the building...and then I fell into a super deep sleep.
III
Heat stroke hallucinations were no joke, but I had a super weird dream that felt vaguely real.
"David-san." I heard a voice say, "David-san wake up."
My eyes had closed in my secret training area in some empty concrete building in Reseda and I woke up in a fishing village in Okinawa, "Wha..." I was laying in some sort of Japanese cot.
"It okay David-san. It okay." I heard the same voice assure me, "No one ignore you here. No heat stroke."
I looked at the bald Japanese man sitting by my bed, "Who the hell are you?"
"Name Mr. Miyagi. I already know you David-san, Miyagi live in David-san's head for long time."
Mr. LaRusso had shown me pictures of him when we trained a little, so I'm guessing my brain was imagining him and what he would sound like from what Mr. LaRusso said to me?
"You're..." I stood up in my bed slightly, "You're Mr. LaRusso's Sensei."
"Hai. I also come here to dream to help you deal with...emotional stress."
"Emotional stress?" I laughed at this weird sort of Jedi force dream ghost caused by my heat stroke, "What emotional stress?"
"David-san, you very distressed." Mr. Miyagi nodded.
I chuckled, "No...way! What're you talking about?"
"You feel lonely. You feel sad. And angry which cause blackout during training. Don't worry, you find nice girl eventually. You...You Ali-chan son yes?"
"Uh...yeah?" I looked at the balding man.
The old man nodded, "Ah, Miyagi remember Ali-chan. Daniel-san's first girlfriend, you remind Miyagi of her."
"So...why're you here then?"
Mr. Miyagi nodded to me, "I always with you, like Amanda-san. To offer help for boy."
"But Mrs. LaRusso's real." I corrected, "You're not."
The Japanese man actually chuckled at me in a hearty laugh, "Miyagi real. Miyagi very real. May be imagine ghost Miyagi in David-san's head but still real."
"Well, what do you have to say to help me then?"
"I want to ask David-san question." Mr. Miyagi blinked as he sat by my cot.
"Okay then...shoot."
He asked his question, "Why you want to hurt Sammy-chan in tournament?"
"Hurt Samantha? I wanted to be like Sensei of course. She was the enemy, she was an obstacle to my victory."
"Sensei?" Mr. Miyagi looked worried, "Oh no...you...Cobra...boy?"
I shook my head, "Was. I got kicked out."
"Ah. It okay, Cobra boys very violent."
"No they're actually a buncha pussies now. Their best is Miguel and I can beat him no problem, no joke Mr. Miyagi." I chuckled to him, "Kicked me out, literally for kicking too hard."
"Ah, yes it need to happen for grow. David-san become too cruel."
"Grow?" I looked at Mr. Miyagi closely, taking in his calm face, "What do you mean by grow?"
Mr. Miyagi began to explain, "David-san. You admire Johnny-san yes?"
"He's my idol." I nodded.
"Johnny-san was like you when Miyagi met him. Violent. Angry. He hurt Daniel-san many time...but. Johnny-san care about boys and girls today, he help them with their karate. Johnny-san…he...he grow."
This caught my attention, "What do you mean?"
"Like bonsai tree." Mr. Miyagi nodded and pretended there was some soil in his palm and a seed in the fingers of his other hand, "Karate is more than fighting...Karate art for grow...when you plant seed of bonsai in soil, tree...grow. David-san like sapling, firm yet growing. Still need to be stronger."
"So I'm weak?" I started to cry a little.
Mr. Miyagi reached out and wiped one of my tears away kindly, "No, you strong of mind and body, but not heart. David-san lose all his friends. David-san lose dojo and tournament. David-san has no friends. David-san has no dojo. David-san has no girlfriend...but David-san...can grow. David-san lost tournament, but not ability to grow. You strong, but, you can always be stronger of heart, be kind and close to Sammy-chan and others. When David-san grow, no matter what happen...David-san and Miyagi happy."
"Th-Thank you Mr. Miyagi." I sniffled.
"Before Miyagi leave, tell boy one thing. Always find forgiveness in heart and show kindness to friends lost. Then friends come back always." The old man smiled, "David-san good boy, like Johnny-san. Miyagi go now."
"Wait!" I called out to him and he turned around and left, "Will you ever come back? You're like the nicest guy I've met."
He nodded, "Miyagi always with boy to help him in boy's mind. You imagining Miyagi of course, but still, I with you."
I wiped my tears aside with a smile, "Thank you so much Mr. Miyagi."
Mr. Miyagi gave me his warming and kind smile, "Stay strong David-san. Stay strong and grow. You have good heart like Johnny-san."
I closed my eyes again on the cot in the fishing village and I opened my eyes in another…Only to see another old and unfamiliar Japanese face hover over mine as I laid in another cot ridden with heat stroke.
"Mr…Mr. Miyagi?" I mumbled out weakly with half lidded eyes.
The face was kind but it turned to one of disgust quickly, "Do not ever say that name in my presence again. It disgrace my honor."
"Who…who are you then?"
He bowed his bald shaven and monk like head, "Name Chozen Toguchi. Yours?"
"David Mills." I said.
Well shit. Who the hell was this guy?
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Author's note:
Well I know that David is no one's favorite character but the intro will be from his eyes as he's the only guy who got screwed in the end. The focus of this story will mostly be on his relationship between him and himself (His version of Miyagi in his head) and everyone else around him.
I mean, their relationships are already finished. Miguel and Sam are in love, Kreese retired, and everyone else lived happily ever after. But things are not so rosy, and loose ends always have to be tied up.
I already know what the next few chapters are gonna look like so stay tuned folks!
P.S. thank you so much Libertine Past, your books are so good that they inspired this story a whole bunch! Please update your stories too they're so so so good!
Also when are you gonna upload again, you're like a super writer!
Peace!