While Ma dropped Ali home, Mr. Miyagi drove me home. I held my 1st place trophy and kept staring at it. My mind was ripping me in to different directions: I was proud that I won but I was still coming to grips with what happened to Johnny, I was happy that Ali and I are together, but I feel like she's holding me back and making me chase her.
"Oi, Daniel-san?" asked Mr. Miyagi.
"Yeah?" I asked.
"Miyagi sorry for what happened to friend".
It was like Mr. Miyagi could read my mind, or maybe I was just making it obvious for him to see.
"I just want to make sure he's ok", I said.
"You have good intentions, Daniel-san, friend may not see it that way", he said.
"I guess so".
"Just remember, wounds disappear, scars remain, for wound to disappear, must seek healing, otherwise it become scar, and never disappear".
Hearing Mr. Miyagi trying to get me to understand my thoughts on Johnny was not making me feel any better, but maybe that's the point: I didn't need to feel better about it. It wasn't my wound to heal, it was Johnny's wound.
"You're right – thanks, Mr. Miyagi", I said.
"You're welcome", he said.
Now that my feelings about what happened to Johnny were gone, I needed to focus on Ali, and how to fix what I'm feeling.
"Hey, Mr. Miyagi", I said.
"Hai", he said.
"Were you young when it was your first time?"
"First time for what?"
"Falling in love with someone".
Hearing me say that, Mr. Miyagi looked at me with an unexpected look of hesitancy and looked away shaking head.
"Daniel-san, your mind like ping-pong ball, bouncing around from one thing to another", he said.
Realising it wasn't the time or place, I felt kind of embarrassed asking such a personal question.
"Sorry", I said.
"No matter, Miyagi once teenager too, was 16", he said.
"Did she love you back?"
"Hai".
"I think I'm in love with Ali".
Hearing me admit something so personal had Mr. Miyagi smiling.
"Tell her how you feel", he said.
"What if she turns me down?" I asked.
"Won't know until do".
I don't know how he does it, my own mother can't even set me straight sometimes, but Mr. Miyagi always said the right thing to me, and had all the answers.
-/-
Three weeks had passed and we were back at school. Christmas was the worst: Sid got drunk and we ended up in a fight. I didn't like leaving Mom alone with him, but she said it will be fine. Not wanting to be around him, I ended up crashing at Tommy's house. New Year's wasn't bad, spent it at Jimmy's, getting wasted and listening to some records all night. Ended up in bed with some babe named Lynette.
Back at school, I did everything I could to avoid LaRusso and Ali, but we were in some of the same classes, so running in to either one was going to happen. Despite this, I didn't even speak or make eye contact with them. What was I going to say: how was Christmas? Happy New Year? Did you get what the teacher meant by the end of the Boxer Rebellion?
One afternoon at lunch, I saw LaRusso and Ali sitting together and flirting with each other. That used to be me, I thought. I wanted that to be me again. But Ali obviously hates me, so what can I do? Plus LaRusso won, and I lost. Not wanting to see any more, I shoved my lunch off the table and walked off. I didn't care who saw, I just wanted to hit something.
-/-
I can't believe the Christmas break went by so quickly. It was great: Ma cooked her famous cacciatore, and she even invited Mr. Miyagi over. I made sure I got him the best present: a fly-fishing set. He smiled as soon as he opened it. New Years was even better: I took Ali to Santa Monica and we watched the fireworks. I told her how I felt, and she did surprise me. But that's a story for another time.
Back at school, people were still talking about the tournament and how I won. It was kind of nice but it got old quickly. I didn't see Johnny much, just in history and bio. I wanted to talk to him to see if he was ok. Didn't see any of his friends much.
At lunch one day, Bobby came up to me, while I was talking with Ali.
"Hey, Daniel", he said.
"Hey, Bobby, how you doing?" I asked.
"Yeah, doing ok".
"Great".
There was an uncomfortable moment of silence for Ali and I, where Bobby was trying to find the words to talk to me, and eventually he came out and said what was on his mind.
"Look, Dan, I'm sorry about the tournament, man, but my Sensei told me to do it, and…"
Realising that he was full of blame, I decided to follow the way of Miyagi Do, which is to forgive and move forward.
"Bobby, it's okay, all is forgiven", I said.
Ali looked at me, when I said that, with a wide-eyed expression.
"Really?" he asked.
"That wasn't you, that was Cobra Kai, and we're all better off without it, right?" I asked.
"Damn straight!"
We both smiled, and Bobby and I high-fived. Mr. Miyagi was right, a person should always have forgiveness in their heart.
I wanted to make things right with Johnny, but every time I would call out to him, or go up to him, he would walk away. I suppose I don't blame him. I didn't see him much until graduation.
-/-