Chapter Thirteen: At Karate's Core

Sam explained to Moon quietly.

"Miguel was sure he was the best student my dad had at Miyagi-Do. Chozen went with Robby to train this weekend."

Moon was confused. "Didn't he just meet him though?"

"I told him that too. My dad got into an argument with Miguel," said Sam. "That who's the best or isn't should be his top priority."

Sam frowned.

"Miguel took that personally," Sam muttered. "Especially because of what happened at the last All Valley."

"Is he okay? Are you both okay?"

Sam frowned. "I don't know. He's been having a rough time. He doesn't know how he's gonna manage to go to college with how little his family makes, and he's not the best at school."

"Have you tried to explain that you're there for him?"

Sam sighed. "Yeah. But he's been distant and touchy, very unlike him. This is the first time I've known him to care about winning, money, and stuff so much."

Sam sat down on the lawn chair next to Moon.

Moon smiled and put a hand on Sam's shoulder. "He'll be okay. I'm here for you both alright?"

"Thanks."

Moon patted her own shoulder. "Here. Lean."

"I would. But you're completely naked under that bathrobe so." Sam shrugged.

Moon laughed. "Forgot."

I watched Moon and Sam enter Moon's house from Moon's backyard from the guest bedroom upstairs in Moon's house.

Great, the girls were going to hang out now of all times.

It looked like Sam was going through something though, I was glad Moon was willing to help anyone and everyone the best she could.

I turned around and saw Yasmine close the door behind her.

"That was pretty uncool. I had just as much a right to hear them as you." I say.

Yasmine smirked, walking over to me. "That so?"

"Yeah. I bet it was about Miguel."

Yasmine placed her arms around my shoulders. "Ah. Your greatest rival." she said dramatically, giggling quietly.

"No I mean-" I sighed. "Nevermind."

Yasmine placed her thumb on my chin. "You could use a shower. Wanna take one with me?" she glanced over at the bathroom connected to the guest bedroom.

I smiled, I thought it was adorable, and pretty hot how Yas tucked her upper lip beneath her lower one and looked blankly at me.

"They'll hear us downstairs."

"Right." I was surprised by how quickly Yasmine was able to guide me from the window to the bed and straddle my lap. "Guess we'll have to be quiet." Yasmine kept smirking as she cupped my face and pecked me on the lips.

I think the guys in my garage squad were right. I'm pretty sure the effect I had on chicks, some very very hot like Yas, was some sort of magic.

Yasmine let her long hair fall after she released it from a tall hair clip and started to make out with me.

I abided by what Yasmine said, it would be awful if Sam heard us while she hung out with Moon downstairs.

So Yas and I made sure to stay quiet during our activities in the guest bedroom.

I don't think I'd ever have a summer much like this one.

After my grandfather insisted he'd 'Seen too many teen girls in varying states of undress around his house' and Mom now being married to Johnny Lawrence, he insisted we get our own place.

And it ended up being a godsend.

Mom found a place within a week, I wouldn't have expected less considering she earned more than the average doctor which was saying a lot, and this left me with an incredible opportunity.

Because my dad, Gregory Schwarber was technically still my legal guardian until I turned eighteen next May, I could live in either Mom's new house in Pasadena or with my grandparents who still lived in Encino.

The kicker was neither Pops nor Mom really cared where I slept as long as it was in the others house. This was perfect because they weren't the best at communicating with each other.

Frank 'Pops' Mills had a very simple rule whenever I stayed over on occasion: No girls. Not in the garage, not anywhere.

And I couldn't blame him in the slightest.

The poor man was well into his eighties, I physically wouldn't enjoy having my slowly aging heart withstand the sights of a very beautiful, busty, and bodacious girl like Tory Nichols strutting around my pool in a bikini.

I mean, I would enjoy it, but I didn't have an eighty plus year old circulatory system.

So, because Mom and Pops were on sort of bad terms ever since he pretty much kicked her out of his house, I slept wherever I pleased pretty much.

Pops assumed I was staying with Ma most nights, and Mom the opposite.

When in reality, I was staying at Moon's. Which was excellent, because I didn't plan on bringing Yas and Moon over to the old Mills Manor anytime anyway.

I didn't have much stress this summer.

My Mom was happy, as was my sister. Mom found a job as a doctor, my sister started to do cheer, and I helped Sensei Kreese run Cobra Kai on Lankershim.

Despite the lack of stress, there was a very obvious reason why I enjoyed my time with Moon and Yasmine.

First, the obvious.

Yasmine was a bit flat on both front on back but had amazing curves, skin, and gorgeous, long, golden blonde hair.

Besides the sex, Yasmine and I could talk a whole lot about a variety of subjects.

We had a ton of similar interests outside of school, including a variety of movies and TV. Yasmine even enjoyed a few comic books I finished reading.

I chuckled quietly one evening, Yasmine and I read Tintin comics while Moon snacked on Yasmine's neck quietly, running her hands up Yas' sides.

Moon was delightful to be around too.

While Moon was blessed with a pair of naturally full and larger than average breasts, Moon's true asset was her bottom. Besides being, very very beautiful, and having a melting smile, that was indeed Moon's greatest asset.

It even rivaled Tory's. Which as I read comics and made out with Moon and Yas in Moon's room I realized, and Moon had too.

I was using both girls as a rebound from breaking up with Tory.

They were fine being my sexy side pieces for this summer since they knew I was hurting.

Moon was right. At my core I was hesitant, but I loved winning. Tory almost literally had victory as part of her name.

I do think what the girls wanted was working.

I finished karate practice at six o'clock most days, and from then on I was at Moon's house spending my time reading comics, watching TV, snacking, fucking, and talking with both Yasmine and Moon until the next morning when I went to Mom's or Pops' house shortly after.

It was healing, to know girls as attractive as Yas and Moon wanted to fuck me and be with me so often and so much.

With Yas watching quietly from a nearby chair while she also tapped away on her phone, Moon stood in front of me. I was sitting on Moon's bed with a comic book in my lap.

"So what do you think?"

I loved this too, almost more than actual sex.

The girls wanted to know what I thought of them. It went without saying I thought they were hot, I mean who didn't, but that I liked how they looked in certain outfits.

Lingerie, certain swimsuits, and dresses they bought.

Moon was wearing nothing but a pair of black panties with her back turned to me.

"Do you think I look good in black?"

I chuckled, putting away my comic book. "You look good in just about anything."

"I sowed it myself," Yasmine said quietly while she crossed her legs under her spot on Moon's chair. "That fabric is perfect for you."

"I'll say." I nodded.

Moon's bracelets made a slight jingling sound when I turned Moon around and lifted her under my arm. She gave a tiny yelp of surprise before I started kissing her.

Moon gasped quietly as I squeezed her rear softly and she moaned.

"Lulu."

Even though it was a poetic shortening of my name, it really turned me on how Moon would always whisper it to me.

Moon sat in my lap as we started to make out, and without word, Yas joined us, walking onto the bed on her knees.

She took off her gym shorts and t-shirt, and Yasmine kissed both of us. First me, then Moon, then I made out with Moon again.

I don't know why people thought it was possible to kiss three ways, the girls never suggested it and I thanked them. Bad idea, physically improbable and uncomfortable.

We moved on from kissing. It was touching that the girls still enjoyed kissing during the, fun we all had afterward.

Chozen and Kreese trained Robby and Hawk respectively exactly how they were trained.

Kim Sun Yung was an elderly man in the Korean mountainside who taught John Kreese that above all else, victory was paramount.

It required John to be vigilant, smart, agile, and strong.

So Kreese made Hawk carry him on his back, jumping over tree roots. He made him do pushups on one hand on a tree log.

Hawk had to jog around the forest constantly, and after the first day, Kreese taught him how to track deer and small animals.

Kreese didn't teach Hawk any fancy karate techniques. Just the essentials.

The jab punch, the reverse punch, the round kick, and the hook kick. Nothing else.

Chozen likewise trained Robby in a similar fashion.

He refused to have Robby learn any elaborate katas, he taught him how his uncle taught him.

To pierce his hand through wood and slabs of thin stone when he could. To balance himself in extremely stressful environments like a rushing river, or with his eyes closed when Chozen would randomly yell at him.

Chozen broke Robby's technique down at the 'kime' level.

In karate, the kinetic force drawn from the ground starting at the foot and released at the fist was an entire motion requiring perfect zanshin 'awareness' and technique.

Chozen would hit Robby's knuckles, feet, and shins with a bamboo pole to ensure structurally, each strike and block was perfect.

It hurt Robby, but he was muscular and tough from a young age.

After a few days, both boys were exhausted from their training in the woods, but they handled it well.

Kreese watched Hawk scarf down a hot dog and two entire bags of chips in under two minutes.

Kreese pointed to the scratch on Hawk's hand while watching him eat constantly near their campfire.

"Sorry about that last exercise. You took that fall like a champ."

Hawk shrugged. "Sorry does not exist."

Kreese was blank for a moment, and then chuckled, surprising Hawk who merely ate his meal in silence while watching his Sensei quietly.

Hawk finished chewing. "I thought you'd bring Luke up here."

"I already did. Once."

Hawk was surprised. "Really?"

"A friend of mine was sick. Luke decided to say goodbye to him with us."

Hawk put his empty bag of chips away slowly. "Who was he?"

"A friend Eli. That's who."

Oddly to Kreese, Hawk didn't react when being called by his actual name.

"Was he part of the dojo?"

"He was." Kreese nodded as Hawk then sat nearby on a blue camping chair they had brought. "Part of the original team."

Hawk nodded as well. "You were saying goodbye to him. Where did he go?"

"A place I'll be visiting soon."

Hawk frowned. "Oh."

Kreese looked from the campfire over at Hawk. "Get some sleep. Still got a few more days left before we're finished here."

"Sure."

Kreese began to walk past Hawk to his tent when Hawk spoke. "Sensei I- Nevermind."

"What?"

Hawk looked at Kreese. "What do you. What made you enjoy about teaching karate the most? What is karate about to you?"

"Your kata. Very good."

Robby smiled, he had finished his dinner quickly and nodded to Chozen. "Mhm."

"Technique very strong." Chozen nodded. "Daniel-San and your father, must be very proud."

"I think they are. But I was wondering. Ah forget it."

"Say it." Chozen said.

Robby sighed. "Miguel is the only person in the entire Valley able to score on Luke. Why not teach all this to him?"

"Miguel is very honorable, very skilled, very trusting and trustworthy, reminds me a lot of Daniel-san at his age." Chozen smiled weakly. "But Miguel is not competing in a few months."

"Then still, why not go with him? I thought our karate wasn't about competing."

Chozen sighed.

"I was sure karate was about winning at first." Kreese said to Hawk quietly, staring into the campfire.

"That was how I was raised sure," Chozen muttered. "But I learned and grew too," he said to Robby.

"I met someone who changed my perspective." Kreese sighed. "And that was Lucas ironically. He lifted that trophy into the air and."

Hawk was surprised. John Kreese wasn't tearful at all but he sure looked emotional when he reminisced about the tournament a month prior. "Redeemed my old losses. Proved Cobra Kai could beat Miyagi-Do, proved I could beat Miyagi. But it didn't matter."

Chozen spoke to Robby quietly. "I lost to Daniel because I was fight against. Not for. I wanted to prove I was better fighter than Daniel-san. Daniel-san fought to protect himself, Kumiko, and village. Miguel has a pure heart, but since he has lost he's fought for the wrong thing."

"Winning." Kreese said quietly and slowly, chuckling as he threw a left near his legs and away into the darkness of the forests around Big Bear Lake. "What is winning?"

Hawk couldn't answer as Kreese spoke. "What is winning next to feeling proud of your student? Even if Lucas had lost, I would've been impressed with who he's become. He left it all on the mat against Diaz. I've watched with my own eyes, as Lucas grew from being a boy. Into becoming a young man."

Robby watched as Chozen explained to him. "Miguel will learn this in time. But you must learn it first. The greatest battle is always the one within. Losing has made Miguel bitter, anxious, and afraid, when his heart is still pure."

"Why do I have to learn it first?"

"Even though our karate is not about winning. It's about truth. The truth is," said Chozen. "You will be the next karate champion."

"I can't win Taikai, not in a million year-"

"No not the Korea Open." Chozen laughed loudly. "Heaven forbid. No, National Championship."

"This isn't the All Valley, not even close." Robby scoffed too. "Forget beating Cobra Kai, I'd have to beat the best dojos in the country to even reach the semis."

Chozen shrugged. "You are your father's son. Taught by Daniel-san and his two greatest rivals. If we can't help you become your best self, we have failed as teachers."

"If you haven't failed, why did Cobra Kai beat us?"

Chozen froze. "I do not know this champion constantly mentioned. Lucas. But from what I understand, he is not exactly evil. Evil never wins."

"Terry Silver won. If he's not evil then I don't know what is," said Robby.

Chozen froze again.

"Sometimes in life. The easiest and shortest path available is taken. We lie to ourselves about what we do and who we become." Chozen said, shrugging. "Your friend can do this for as long as he can. But, the truth will catch up to him. When it does, your friend will return to you."

"Forget him." Robby frowned. "I tried to become his friend again. But Mr. LaRusso told me what Silver did to him. For Lucas to remotely support that? Unforgivable."

"Forgiveness makes strength Robby-san." Chozen nodded slowly. "In your heart, you miss these friendships. Choose forgiveness and you can heal anything that has happened."

"I know he's a mixed bag, I both miss and hate him at the same time. But what kind of friend supports Terry Silver in any way shape or form?"

Chozen inhaled quietly. "When I was disgraced by everyone I ever knew back home in Tomi Village. I only had one friend, my uncle. He convinced me life was worth living again. I got up off my feet and soon held the record for most years teaching karate in all of Okinawa."

Robby raised his eyebrows, nodding.

"My uncle forgave me for my foolishness. For my anger, for my violence, for my pettiness." Chozen raised a finger. "It took decades for those around me to forget what happened. And the person I wronged the most forgave me as well. Since then, I've never felt more whole."

Robby sighed.

"Wow."

Hawk and Kreese had sat in silence for a bit.

Hawk spoke. "So you think karate is about growing?"

"Yes." Kreese muttered. "After I lost the dojo I lost everything,"

Kreese remembered stumbling down the street, unshaven and drunk, into his dilapidated karate dojo on Lankershim boulevard.

"My pride, my respect, my dignity. I became a shell of a man after it became clear I could never have Cobra Kai again. It humbles me to know that a fourteen year old kid brought me back from the dead. It wasn't Johnny Lawrence, it wasn't men I'd taught years ago. It was a child I never met in any way at all, the son of a girlfriend my best student used to date."

Kreese turned to Hawk. "He convinced me I could teach the world some discipline again. Some strength. But be proud of myself for once while doing it. That's what karate's about Eli. That's what I want you to fight for."

"But I do."

Kreese shook his head. "No. No you don't."

"What are you talking about?"

Kreese chuckled quietly, rubbing his knee through his jeans. "You fought specifically to defeat Diaz. Same way Johnny wanted to beat LaRusso. Same reason he lost too."

Hawk laughed. "You, think I, can beat Miguel Diaz?"

"Haven't seen any reason you can't." Kreese said. "Your greatest enemy in the ring is always yourself kid."

"How so?"

"Stop fighting for revenge. Stop fighting for some girl, for your wounded pride." Kreese patted his chest. "I've been doing the same ever since Miyagi blackened Johnny's eye. You strike out of emotion, and you've already lost the fight."

"In a metaphorical way? Like my emotions-"

"No I mean, the best fighters are never angry. Literally, you get emotional, and you get sloppy, your technique starts to fall apart."

Hawk nodded.

Kreese smiled a bit. "You tend to fall apart too. Night kid."

"Night Sensei." now Hawk and Kreese rested in their own tents for the night.

The next morning, both Chozen and Kreese sent the boys off into the woods to search.

Chozen was hiding somewhere, a small cave formed by differing heights of earth and trees, and instructed Robby to find him.

Kreese had discovered a deer, a large buck judging from its tracks, had been wandering around nearby.

Although illegal to hunt it outside of registered zones, Kreese told Hawk to find it and kill it with a bow and arrow and that they'd have no trouble as long as they disposed of the deer's body properly.

"Shit."

After searching for an hour and a half, Hawk found foot prints near the deer tracks.

He picked up his pace and stayed low and close to the ground. Another half hour he trudged quietly but quickly around the forest floor around Big Bear Lake.

Soon, his target was picked. But Hawk lowered his bow instead of loosening his shot.

Instead of a huge, proud, strong buck, Hawk found a person in his crosshairs.

Robby Keene was trying to climb a tree for a better view.

Hawk lowered his bow and sighed, his fear of another person stealing his kill gone.