Chapter Seven: Miyagisms

…

Lucas typically found that between Encino and around Van Nuys where Mr. Miyagi lived was too far to use his bicycle to ride to.

So, in the mean time, he learned from Daniel LaRusso how to drive.

"You drive like your mom." Daniel chuckled.

"Is that a compliment?" he asked, braking before a stop light.

"It is," Daniel said. "One time, she crashed one of Mr. Miyagi's favorite cars."

"So then how is that a compliment?"

Daniel sighed. "Because admittedly, the brakes were shot and Ali'd been warning me for months."

"You let my mom drive a car without brakes?"

Daniel frowned. "I was stubborn at the time and didn't want to admit she was right. It was why we broke up at the time."

"So if she hadn't crashed that car. I might not have even been born?"

"You're asking me if I'd be your dad?" asked Daniel calmly.

"Well no I'm just." Lucas pulled into the street next to Mr. Miyagi's house. "Asking a hypothetical."

They began to leave Daniel's luxurious car when he asked. "As long as we're asking hypotheticals. Do you have feelings for my daughter?"

Lucas froze. For a fifteen year old he was rather concise, but failed to be so at the moment.

Daniel chuckled, patting Lucas' shoulder. "It's fine, let's get to work."

They walked to Mr. Miyagi's backyard and he spoke. "Today's task is simple."

Daniel waved a hand to the pond full of real koi. "Catch a fish."

"Excuse me?"

"Without fishing rods or any equipment of any sort." said Daniel. "Miyagi-Do karate, as per Okinawan tradition, prides itself on only needing open hands to complete tasks."

Daniel spoke and Lucas listened. "Kara means open, and te, hand. Karate. You will use your open hand, to catch a fish by day's end."

Lucas took a long sigh.

"Fine."

"I'll leave you to it."

"Where are you going?" asked Lucas.

"To help Amanda with paperwork. It's inventory day."

"Shouldn't I be there?"

Daniel shook his head with a smile. "No. Your internship is served best here, good luck."

Daniel left Lucas alone in Mr. Miyagi's backyard, and he began to fish with his bare hands.

After several minutes, he had no luck at all.

Lucas glanced towards Mr. Miyagi's home with a mutter. "Hope I'm making you proud my man." he then rolled his eyes.

…

Yasmine muttered, her fake nail tapping Sam's phone screen. "Hm."

"So?"

Yasmine, Moon, and Sam were all sitting together in a cafe booth.

"Hm," Yasmine repeated.

Yasmine kept scrolling through Sam's texts until she reached the bottom.

Yasmine nodded, putting Sam's phone down and sliding it to her across the table.

"Yeah." said Yasmine quietly. "He's definitely interested. Very interested."

"Did I mess up? He hasn't texted me in almost a week and I know he sees my dad like almost every day for karate."

Moon shrugged. "Guys will ghost when things get awkward. I do the same, it's no big deal."

"Look you screwed up when you brought up Mackenzie," said Yasmine. "For all you know nothing actually happened."

"But hasn't she been flirting with him?" Sam asked.

Moon rolled her eyes. "Yeah but it's not like you two are together."

Yasmine was looking at her sitting directly on her left, sipping her boba.

"What?" Moon shrunk in her seat a little.

Sam looked at Yasmine. "What should I do?"

"The best way to get a guy's attention is to play the flirt game." Yasmine said. "Flirt here with one person, flirt with another. And then, flirt with him."

"You mean talk to other people?"

Yasmine smiled. "You know who's hot? Miguel Diaz."

Moon took a casual and quick sip of her iced tea.

"Yeah so?" asked Sam.

"Ask him out," Yasmine said. "Or, better yet. Hit him up, see when he asks you out."

"Wait." Moon paused. "Miguel hasn't asked you out yet?"

"No. Should he have?"

Moon and Yasmine spoke over each other, saying "No!" and "Yes!" respectively.

"Wait." Sam looked at Moon. "Why shouldn't he have yet?"

"Because you're clearly still interested in Luke." Moon shrugged, frowning.

"See? This is exactly what I'm talking about." Yasmine said. "Miguel's probably thinking the same thing. You show interest in just him, and Luke will come running with his tail between his legs."

Yasmine pouted, making a frowny face.

"But isn't that dishonest? I really want to be with Luke, Miguel's pretty cool but I just met him."

"So?" scoffed Yasmine. "Boys are dumb like that, they'll only show maximum interest when you stop caring. Besides, guys have dated like that for ages, nothing wrong if it's your turn."

Moon squinted, slightly rubbing the back of her head. "Um, have you ever given any thought as to if this blows up in your face? And Lucas legitimately gets sick of you flirting with both him and Miguel?"

"Why would he? He knows Mack is just messing with him?" Yasmine said.

"Yeah but if I knew a guy was talking to another girl just to piss me off and get me interested again," muttered Moon. "I'd just bail."

"Luke's desperate, trust me. I bet all he can think about when he's at karate is you." Yasmine turned from Moon to look across the booth table at Sam. "Again, des, per, ate." Yasmine enunciated clearly.

…

"Come on!"

Lucas splashed the water of Mr. Miyagi's pond angrily as he roared.

He did squats, practiced kata, and trimmed the grass of Mr. Miyagi's backyard lawn a little. Anything to get his mind clear, the entire time staring at the pond trying to figure out how to catch a fish with his bare hands.

It seemed no matter how hard he tried, the koi fish always moved around at the last second, he could barely get close.

"This is such bullshit." he muttered with his sleeves rolled up.

…

Amanda sipped her coffee in the LaRusso Auto head office.

"You left him alone at your childhood home?" asked Amanda.

"I've done it all summer too, nothing new." Daniel shrugged while watching Anoush sell a Kia to a newly wed couple from his office window.

Amanda raised an eyebrow. "But you knew he couldn't have done it on his own. Why torture him?"

"That's the lesson Mr. Miyagi taught me," Daniel said. "Sometimes, you just have to ask for help."

"Honey." Amanda winced. "Sometimes I feel like you create your problems on your own."

"What are you talking about?"

"This Cobra Kai nonsense." sighed out Amanda. "Don't get me wrong, John Kreese sounds like a nut case. But his students are all a bunch of kids, and can be reasoned with. Maybe talking to them all could solve things."

"Not even Johnny Lawrence has changed since high school. Why would teenagers change?"

"Johnny came up with his own dojo for the last All Valley." corrected Amanda. "It was just him and his son, not some deranged gang of violent psychopaths."

Daniel frowned. "I thought we were talking about Lucas."

"I don't think metaphorical lessons are what's meant for him. Trimming bonsai, washing cars, nailing fence boards. He's been doing chores for the past five months, you need to accept he's a very competitive person."

Daniel listened.

"Didn't Mr. Miyagi teach you actual karate at some point?"

"Amanda I-" Daniel frowned. "I taught Lucas the moves. He learned pretty much all of them already."

"In only a year?"

"What he could've he more than learned." summarized Daniel. "But this kind of training is just as important as the rest."

"Maybe if you'd accept his competitiveness instead of trying to squash it he'd grow more. And you could grow more as a teacher." Amanda shrugged, clicking and working on paperwork for the LaRusso Auto dealership. "I don't know. That's just me."

Daniel nodded silently but still left the office to try the popcorn offered to customers.

"Hey cus look at this nonsense."

Louie walked up to Daniel and showed him a yellow paper John Kreese was using the advertise his dojo.

Strike like a Cobra - The Real All Valley Champions

"Can you believe this freaking guy? Acting like you're some sorta fake?"

"I'm sure that's not what he meant," said Daniel.

"Then what did he mean?" asked Louie.

Daniel shrugged. "I really just don't care."

"You don't?"

"No."

"Sometimes I feel like this Zen thing you got going for you, is what lets this asshole think he can get away with shit like this." Louie handed Daniel the flyer and then walked off.

Daniel held the yellow paper in his hand, showing two pictures of John Kreese extending a fist forward and of an unknown karateka in a white Cobra Kai GI and belt breaking a board with a round kick.

Daniel shook his head, sighing and then throwing the paper away.

…

Daniel returned to Miyagi-Do to see Lucas completely wet, he had gotten into the pond himself.

He watched silently, Lucas was struggling to even get his hands or feet close to the fish.

"You okay?"

"Having some." Lucas splashed wildly, even trying to smack a koi out of the water to hopefully get it to land anywhere on the grass nearby. "Trouble here."

"Need some help?"

"Nope!" said Lucas.

Daniel watched carefully.

"Although, that's the lesson isn't it?" Lucas kept his back turned to Daniel. "You help me, and I trust you?"

Daniel wasn't even that surprised Lucas had learned the lesson mostly on his own, he was just surprised at Lucas' refusal to get out of the pond water.

Lucas turned, shaking his head. "What was the point of the lesson? Trust? Respect?"

Daniel muttered calmly. "Humility." he glanced away.

"Well that's the thing, humility isn't something you're supposed to try at. If it doesn't come naturally, it's not humility now is it?"

Lucas then walked out of the pond soaked from head to toe.

He used a towel and spoke. "I'd appreciate an awkward car ride home so I can wash up please."

Daniel nodded in thought as Lucas walked off toward his car.

…

Lucas stayed completely silent on the drive between Mr. Miyagi's house and the Mills Manor in Encino.

"You did well."

"Thanks," Lucas said dryly.

"No I mean, for telling me when I was wrong."

"It honestly almost never happens so." Lucas smiled down at his lap.

"Thanks but," Daniel chuckled. "You're right. I shouldn't have forced you to try to ask for help."

"I honestly needed it, the only way I was gonna catch one of those damned fish was with a net of some kind or another person."

"Lucas the reason why I tell you to learn to stand before you can fly applies to more than just the crane kick. It applies to life."

Lucas listened.

"You have to learn all the aspects of Miyagi-Do to make sure you're prepared. Mr. Miyagi taught me to respect him, myself, and the time it took to grow and learn. Without that, I never could've raised a family, started my own business."

Daniel smiled and Lucas smiled back. "Or met you."

Lucas nodded a tiny bit in thought. "Mr. Miyagi shaped you."

"More importantly, I shaped him," said Daniel. "He never had a son before, and through that I think I made him a happier person."

Lucas smiled again.

"You have to realize that Luke." Daniel said. "Karate, just like anything you do. Doesn't lie in the achievements or the prizes or the titles. It lies inside of you, it starts with you, and what you do. It's faith, faith in yourself."

"Strong roots."

"Exactly."

Lucas nodded to himself.

…

At West Valley the next day, the Lucas and his friends chatted together.

"What do you think that all means?"

"That you should probably find a new Karate Sensei," Robby said.

The boys all chuckled together next to their lockers, even Lucas broke a smile.

"I'm serious, faith in myself? How can I ever have faith in just myself when I'm not even old enough to drive a car?"

"Dude, you have to take it with a grain of salt." said Robby. "He just wants you trust everything he teaches you. You're his only student, your dojo technically isn't open."

Demetri shrugged. "You've spent so much time with him at this point of course he'd trust you right? I think he is worried about you and Sam though."

Eli nudged him and Robby turned to him.

"Can you two give us a second?'

The Binary Brothers walked off, and Robby spoke to Lucas.

"The offer still stands man," said Robby, leaning on his locker. "Anytime you want to train with me and my dad. Just ask."

"I don't think I'm ready to become a, Steel Eagle just yet."

Robby chuckled. "Luke my dad's competed for years, he helped me reach the semis of the All Valley in just my first competition. I've never seen him as excited to see anyone fight as much as he saw you fight."

Lucas nodded and Robby scoffed. "Almost makes me jealous man."

"Thanks dude."

"Just train one time with us. You tell me almost every week about how weird Miyagi-Do is, I get you're tight with Sam's dad but. You can drop the charade, learn how to fight." Robby squinted. "We'd kick so much ass together."

Lucas smiled a little at the idea and then Robby turned. "Besides."

Dieter, Miguel, Edwin, Mitch, and the other Cobra Kai boys were all chatting nearby.

"Someone needs to put those guys in their place. At the rate they're growing, they'll have a full team ready for the All Valley next May. It's a historic occasion, the fiftieth anniversary, we can't let them win."

"You'll always lose a fight if you look for one."

"That's what I'm talking about man," said Robby. "You need to look at what's right in front of you. Stop with this Dalai Lama stuff." Lucas kept listening as he watched Miguel chat with his friends. "You let him come between you and Sam, he made her think the wrong thing about you."

Lucas glanced back at Robby. "His Sensei tried to kill my dad. These people are messed up man, they're just messed. Up."

"So what do you want to do?"

"Join Steel Eagle, help grow the dojo. And-"

"Then what?" asked Lucas. "Get into a turf war with the Cobra Kais over a girl and some bullshit texts? That's literally letting them drag us down to their level."

"Which is what I'm saying! Don't let them have an opportunity to keep messing with you."

Lucas spoke quietly and calmly to Robby. "You're my best friend man, but against Cobra Kai? You do not Strike First."

"Luke, you could end this whole thing with one conversation."

Lucas sighed.

"Tell them. Tell them you were Kreese's student, tell them you chose to train with Mr. L and my dad, and they'll realize they messed up."

"I shouldn't have told you about any of that. But look," Lucas shook his head. "The worst they've done so far is fake a text. They wouldn't listen to me."

"So they swoop all the hot girls around and you just take that?"

Lucas walked off.

"Hey!" said Robby.

…

Miguel sat down next to Demetri and Sam in Mr. Palmer's Biology class.

"Afternoon guys."

"Hey." Sam smiled while Demetri merely kept taking notes.

Miguel spoke to Sam quietly taking a seat next to her. "You catch that Dodger's game?"

"Not really. I'm more into basketball."

"That's why you picked a Laker's girl outfit on Halloween?"

Sam nodded. "Yup. I get courtside seats all season."

"Nice. I've, I mean. My family's never really had the money to go to a basketball game so, I'm sure it's probably fun."

Sam smiled at Miguel slightly. "Do you wanna go with me?"

"W-What?"

"Do you wanna go to a Laker's game with me? My dad hasn't really used the tickets in a minute so I think we'd both have fun."

Miguel smiled brightly. "Definitely. Sounds great to me."

Mr. Palmer began class and both Sam and Miguel had smiles on their faces doing their assignments.

…

Cheer practice at West Valley High School consisted mainly of stretching, followed by several minutes of practicing synchronized cheers, dances, and tumbling.

By the end of it, the girls were all sweaty, sore, and tired after nearly an hour of a half of non stop practice.

Sam, Lindsay, and Mackenzie all were sharing a metal shower machine that sprayed hot water in different directions as they talked happily.

The girls all had pearly white smooth skin, and long perfect curves and hair. After rubbing hot water and soap on themselves for a few minutes they dried up put on underwear and an assortment of clean gym clothes and then chatted amongst themselves in the locker room.

Sam fixed her hair using a mirror Mackenzie let her borrow. "Miguel and I are going to a Lakers game."

"Very nice." Yasmine chuckled, starting to apply makeup to her face. "Taking my advice will get you very far I'm sure."

"Remember," Mackenzie said. "No matter how cute he is, don't let him get far at all on a first date."

Moon froze at the statement, she was already getting to leave and appeared upset at what Sam said for a moment.

"Honestly it's weird, the two cutest guys I can think of around here both take karate." Mackenzie chuckled.

"What's the name of Miguel's karate dojo?" wondered Sam.

"No clue." Yasmine popped her lips, as she was done with her lipstick. "I swear, this karate trend makes no sense at all. There's a guy in every one of my classes who joined."

"How can people like a trend sooo dumb?" Lindsay groaned.

"Give it some time," said Mackenzie. "And people will definitely forget about it."

"I think I have an essay I forgot to finish for English due," Moon said, putting her backpack over her shoulder.

"You sure you're not coming to our usual spot?" Lindsay asked.

Moon shook her head. "Sorry I can't."

Everyone waved to her and Mackenzie muttered. "Wonder what has her in such a hurry. I'm pretty sure Moon has a C in English."

"No idea." said Yasmine.

Sam appeared to know, however.

She wasn't fooled at all for a fleeting second.

…

Lucas and Eli were the highest scoring sophomores in their Honors World History class.

They regularly competed for top grades on tests and projects and everyone knew were the best of friends.

Eli wasn't chatty in class at all, and Lucas appeared to be the only person he talked to in fifth period World History class.

The teacher was a very old man with glasses and a long beard, who spoke in the driest voice.

"Alright class today we're gonna be learning about the Industrial Revolution."

After the most boring lecture possible, he assigned groups of three for a project.

"Hey." Moon smiled, walking over to the two boys.

"Hey." Lucas nodded as Eli shrunk into his seat, sticking his nose instantly into a book.

Lucas spoke quietly. "I think we've got it covered, no need to meet up with us or anything."

Moon was surprised. "Don't need a top cheerleader to waste her time with icky nerds."

Moon was shocked and almost insulted. "What?"

"I'm saying that Eli and I can get an easy A."

"I'm sure you two can but I want to help too." said Moon. "I actually read the textbook."

"Really?" Lucas looked apologetic. "Sweet!"

"Yeah." Moon frowned, glancing at her phone as the class discussed together in groups of three.

"I mean, I didn't." Lucas cleared his throat. "Anyway. I think I'll make a group chat with you and Eli, and we can knock this out in one weekend."

"That sounds fine but um." Moon cleared her throat. "I was actually thinking we could all go to my place to do the project."

"That sounds fine too." said Lucas. "And I'm sorry for-"

"Don't worry about it. Please."

The two chuckled awkwardly and began writing down ideas for their assigned Industrial Revolution project.

…

Later that week on a Friday evening, Eli and Lucas went to Moon's house.

It was a luxurious home that could easily host a back to school party at the end of a summer, but for the night it was a place where Moon, Lucas, Eli all spent hours writing, drawing, and researching.

It had taken an entire afternoon, but they were sure they completed all the steps necessary.

"Alright." Lucas snapped his laptop shut, rubbing eyes. "Looks good to me."

Eli said among the few words he had all day. "I think my mom's here."

"Well hey man, I'll see you-"

Eli rushed out of the house and Moon's living room.

Lucas and Moon were well aware of how shy he was around girls.

Moon chuckled, nodding in the direction of Eli's flight. "He's pretty cute you know. Is he seeing anyone?"

"Not really. Are you?"

"Nope."

"You don't have some giant super quarterback boyfriend?"

Moon chuckled. "That's flattering but no, I'm not seeing anyone."

Lucas checked his phone. "I should probably get going soon."

"Great work on the project though." Moon smiled.

She curled her hand slightly around his arm, inching closer to him on the couch. "I really appreciate all your help."

"Thanks." Lucas noticed this but didn't say anything.

"I got some new indica my mom gave me for my birthday. Wanna try it?"

"Is that weed?"

Moon smiled. "Yup!"

Lucas nodded, looking around Moon's living room in thought.

"Okay, sounds good to me."

…

Moon and Lucas spent the next two hours smoking marijuana together, watching random things on her couch, eating snacks, and having sex.

Moon snuggled with him, the two nude beneath a blanket.

"So that project was fun." said Moon.

Lucas laughed, speaking in a slightly deeper voice now after all the weed he had smoked with her. "It really was."

Moon giggled, rubbing her nose against her chin. "Did you have fun?"

"I did, but I have to be back home in a bit for dinner with my grandparents."

"There's gotta be something I can do to convince you to stay."

Lucas sighed when Moon pecked his cheek. "That sounds fun but yeah I really do have to go soon."

Moon climbed onto Lucas' lap, the blanket falling just off her bare shoulders for a moment. "Hey."

"Yeah?"

"Sam asked out Miguel to make you jealous."

Lucas' expression changed instantly. "I'm sorry what?" he blinked repeatedly as if slapped.

"She did. I didn't actually think she'd be that petty but she was 'cause you ghosted her for a week." Lucas stayed frozen when Moon kissed his chin and neck for a moment, resting her head against his shoulder. "Sam sucks dude, you deserve better."

"Thanks."

Lucas shook his thoughts away and then he spoke.

"Hey Moon."

"Yeah?" she kissed Lucas' bare shoulder for a moment and closed her eyes, nuzzling against his body.

"Do you know what it means to have faith in yourself?"

"Speaks for itself doesn't it?"

Lucas shook his head. "No but actually."

"Hm." Moon sighed. "I think I do."

"What is it?"

"You have to only do the first thing that comes from your heart. It's how I live my life actually." Moon picked up a blunt and lit it, then sharing it with Lucas.

Lucas smoked it as well and nodded slightly. "So, the first thing from my heart?" he coughed quietly.

"Definitely." said Moon.

…

"Promise you won't get worried?"

Daniel nodded, crossing his arms and watching Lucas the next day. "I promise."

Lucas removed the wooden board and the bonsai atop the pond in Mr. Miyagi's backyard.

Daniel watched curiously and quietly.

Lucas then stood up on the edge of the pond, turned around, and closed his eyes.

Daniel's eyes widened when Lucas plunged back first into the pond water.

Several water droplets flew about, a koi fish's tail even appeared to fling about for a moment, and there was an inordinate amount of splashing.

Then there was some silence after all the aquatic chaos.

When Daniel neared the pond, a hand was raised upwards.

A victorious fist clenching a koi within it.

…

A towel over his shoulder, Lucas was driven home by a very happy Daniel.

"Even Mr. Miyagi would've been surprised." Daniel said. "You're still all wet behind the ear."

Lucas sighed. "Thanks."

"How'd you do it?"

"I don't know, it sounds dumb but eh. I followed my heart."

Daniel laughed quietly. "Sounds like you followed my lessons the right way."

"Again, thanks."

"I met this kid named Miguel last night, Sam introduced us, they went out to see the Laker's game."

Lucas turned away. "Cool, good for them," he said, despite him hiding the fact he didn't feel that way at all.

"What? You're upset?"

"I've got dates of my own lined up Mr. L, I don't think Sam ever liked me that much."

"Alright then." Daniel said, unconvinced on both accounts.

For the rest of the car ride, neither said a word, Lucas too deep in thought, and Daniel unable to break the silence.

…

…

…