𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐈𝐗. the prince and the dragon

JIEUN WAS NOT EMOTIONALLY READY FOR WHAT WAS GOING to come, but here she was, standing at the entrance of the gym that held the All Valley Tournament. "You promised me." Miguel started, "I won't get hurt, swear." He held his right hand up.

Jieun let out a frustrated smile in that lopsided way Miguel came to know and value. "I'm here aren't I?" One thing Jieun noticed about Miguel was he was a tad bit clingy. Not obsessed like some, but needy for attention. "And you better win, I can't have my dad find out I'm even here, he'd kill me and then I'll haunt you if you lose."

"Yeah, y'know, I still don't know what that's about." Jieun blinked, maybe another time would be better for him to learn about her generational trauma. "Does he hate violence or something?"

"Mmm, something like that."

Truth be told, Jieun wasn't sure if she'd tell him at all. If Yasmine, Moon, or Sam didn't know about it why would Miguel be the first to know?

Actually, Jieun Kang would never admit it but Miguel Diaz was her favorite. She admired the young boy, who was learning how to become a strong man, to become a person who is able to take care of himself. He also loved tea, which was way healthier than coffee, and Jieun had her own personal vendetta against coffee.

But she'll never admit that out loud.

His ego was already too big around her and she was sure he'd bring it up any chance he'd get.

"Well, he did warm up to soccer, if you join Cobra Kai and make him come to a tournament maybe he'll see it's not so bad."

"He'd never go for it."

Miguel had not had a decent sleep since his breakup with Sam. The pain in his chest was worse at night as the darkness served only to amplify the pain.

Jieun could see that he was not his usual self, and she asked what was wrong. He immediately told her about what happened.

Why Sam didn't tell her first, she didn't know. Not even a text that morning.

"Was it a misunderstanding?"

Miguel bit the insides of his cheeks. "Kind of." He started, "I think you just left, look, that guy bothered me so much ―"

"― guy? What guy?"

"Y'know the guy, you were talking to him."

Jieun's jaw dropped. After a moment of utter brainless panic, she picked it up again. "Right..."

He rolled his eyes, either she forgot his name or she didn't care. "I was aiming for him but she got in the way and I accidentally hit her instead." Yet again, her jaw dropped. This time, she did not have the wherewithal to retrieve it. "You think she'll show?"

She cleared her throat. "You think she'll forgive you if she does?" He groaned. "Look, I know she's a handful," she sent him a significant look. "start to learn to stand on your own feet. Let her heal, literally, you don't want to hover. You're not the only one going through the breakup." She smiled as she spotted Moon, walking in with a boy she remembered Miguel call Demetri. "Hey, I'm rooting for you, night fury!"

"What happened to wheezie?" He chuckled.

"Today you are a dragon ―"

"― wouldn't a snake be more fitting, y'know Cobra Kai and all ―"

"― snakes are lame, and you act like toothless from that dragon movie, so it's better fitting!"

JIEUN, MOON, AND DEMETRI MOVED to their seats. "No Buttercup?" She asked out loud.

"Huh?" Demetri furrowed his eyebrows.

Before Jieun could snark back, Moon interrupted her. "Yas still hasn't um..." She paused, "recovered from the party."

Right, the front wedgie Aisha did. Jieun refrained from laughing.

No one would've ever thought Yasmine and Jieun would be friends, like, ever.

Ever since Jieun moved to Encino the two were determined to make one another's life hell.

They were definitely a pair, Yasmine in his early years would stare at her as if she couldn't understand why they were sharing the same air. They would get along like snow and salt.

Jieun could remember the first time she met her.

All these kids waddled around as if they had just learned to walk. Whenever someone was on the monkey bars she'd scoff and say to herself, I would totally do that better than them.

Her mom, still getting used to the town, encouraged Jieun to make new friends, to which she listened, coming up to the first kid she spotted.

She was skinny, blonde, and two inches shorter than her. "Hey!" She smiled at her, "I just moved here. Can we be friends?"

Yasmine's eyes turned to her. "Are you dumb or stupid?"

Her eyes went wide. "What?" Let that be the last time I listen to mom again! This kid is rude! She yelled internally.

She shrugged. "Thought so."

Jieun wanted to tear up, she missed her old town and she hadn't started school just yet but she knew she would probably miss her old one too. But she knew if she started crying it would be embarrassing. "Why would you call me that?"

"You think I wouldn't notice someone new moving into my street? What makes you think I need more friends?"

"You're incredibly rude! I'm telling!"

"Incredibly? Are you an old lady in a child's body?"

"You're a jerk."

She smirked. "And you're annoying."

It didn't take until the arrival of Moon for the two to speak sentences to each other without throwing insults.

So when she heard about what Aisha did to the girl Jieun wished she had been there, because even if they were close friends now ― she'd like to think it was karma for their early years.

Crowds of people gathered around their respective groups, laughing and conversing with one another. Most of the attendees were either pretending to be a part of the competition or sitting in small groups.

"Welcome, everyone, to the fiftieth annual All Valley Under 18 Karate Championship!"

Jieun sighed and ran her hands over her hair, which fell free to her shoulders in soft strands. "This has been going on for fifty years?" Demetri's voice carried a hint of fallout. "Am I the only one that's been out of the loop?"

"You'll love the new mats." The crowd continued to cheer. "All right, let's start by welcoming all the local dojos competing today." With a loud yawn, Jieun nestled in her pink cardigan as he listed out the competition. "― and finally fighting unaffiliated from North Hills, we have Mr. Robby Keene."

Jieun went very quiet. "The hell..." she faltered.

"Isn't he the one you were talking to at the party?" Moon tilted her head, her dark hair falling softly around her face. "I didn't know he did karate."

"Neither did I," she answered softly. After the introduction was officially over and the semi-finals began Jieun couldn't be more excited to go home. But out of respect, she had to stay for Miguel.

Hawk and Robby began. Jieun respected both at this point in the tournament, if she had disobeyed her father and joined any dojo she would be apprehensive about which one of them she would be matched with.

They both had such different styles of fighting that in some weird way reflected their personalities. Robby Keene had the most traditional outlook on karate training, she noticed, and both boys had very good techniques and a vicious streak that lay well hidden under gregarious personas.

They both bowed with the command the referee spoke, this was followed by a shout and the sparring erupted.

When Robby had an opponent of his own size and ability he sometimes took chances in order to draw them out. His tactics would vary depending on the adversary; he could fall back into a defensive mode and give them a false sense of security, or he could be aggressive and attempt to intimidate them by throwing fast and hard combinations of punches.

Not that Jieun was keeping paying attention to Robby Keene or anything.

Against Hawk, no such options were available to him. He was the dominant one. Robby would try to attack, but whatever he threw at him was returned with interest. It was not long before his attacks were halted by powerful counter-punches to his body.

He tried another attack on Hawk but the techniques that had worked time and again failed him.

Robby's composure was being eroded, punch by punch, block by block. "Remember what you learned, Robby!" Daniel LaRusso shouted. Robby nodded.

Hawk launched another attack, Robby told himself to cool down, to wait for him to attack, and then hit him with a counterpunch as soon as he moved forward. He got the point.

Jieun let out a breath she didn't know she was holding in as the two on the mat exchanged a few words.

She saw Hawk's leg leave the ground as Robby turned, unaware.

She braced herself for the sight of impact before she heard a crack. "That's enough! Illegal contact! You're disqualified!" For a second or two Robby remained still; a harsh pain on his shoulder.

The referee took hold of his arm and asked if he was okay, and he nodded.

Jieun sucked in a breath.

"With that disqualification, Keene earns a trip to the finals. We'll see him back here after a short break." The announcer said.

"Hey, I'm gonna go get some snacks, want anything?" Jieun knelt down and grabbed her purse, Demetri nodded and gave a list of candy he was craving while Moon simply shook her head.

As Jieun made her way down the steps she noticed Robby make his way to what she can only assume was the changing rooms, she hesitated. She looked over at her surrounding for a second and followed suit.

She spotted the boy from afar dressed in his gi that fit him to perfection, he looked... frankly, like he didn't belong there.

Jieun couldn't deny that he looked handsome, with his hair up in a bun he looked like a great prince.

She didn't remember moving, but she ended up face to face, "He got you good, huh?" Robby jolted at the sound of her voice, was she concerned? Maybe a little, after all, she had her fair share of injuries. "Have you asked for anyone to come to check on it?" she asked.

"I'm just winded,"

"So if I were to just..." She moved closer, slowly moving her hand in a position that could easily be predicted. Robby responded with a wince as he moved away from her, proving her point. "Can I see it?"

"Can I see your medical license?"

"Don't be an ass, I'm trying to help." Her stern face softened. "You'd be surprised how many medics I've had to see because of soccer." she chuckled. Then changing back to a more serious tone, "so, can I see it?"

"It's just my shoulder," he replied, "I've taken a knock before but nothing like this." he carefully exposed his shoulder to her.

She began to examine him. Her touch was gentle and despite his discomfort, he smiled at her. Clearing her throat, she said, "I think it might be..." she paused, placing one hand on top of the other, she gently pressed down and it was as if an electric current had shot through his entire body. He let out a loud groan from between his clenched teeth. She frowned and then said, "it just looks like a dislocation. I don't think I'm qualified to put it back..."

"How hard can it be?" He asked.

"What if I, like, mislocate it and it becomes worse?" She stumbled over her words.

"Is that possible?"

"I don't know, is it?" The two stared at each other before laughing quietly. Jieun then rummaged through her purse and then placed two tablets onto his palm. "This is about the best I can do. They act quickly," she said.

"Maybe we should get a real medic in here, I don't know what those are."

She shook her head, as though unimpressed with his show. "It's your choice," she sighed, and then with a hint of a menace she added, "but I think I should warn you, putting back a dislocated shoulder hurts like a bitch."

As she put the tablet container back in her purse, he studied her.

She was a total enigma, but he couldn't tell why.

She was like a person that got beamed in from Mars. He didn't know a single thing about who her parents were, what her childhood was like if she had any siblings. The only clue to a past was a photograph of her in a pinafore dress she had on display in her home the day he helped with the Halloween decorations, months ago. She was leaning against a wooden pier, her hair flying back in the wind. He remembered asking her about the photo and she simply smiled, lost in a pleasant memory she wasn't about to share.

"I didn't know you liked these things." He smiled lightly.

"There's a lot you don't know about me." She twisted to face him. "I had to support a few friends," Miguel, she only meant Miguel. "What else was I supposed to do?"

His smile turned into a teasing one. "I just didn't think you would be the type." He shrugged, all too aware of her fancy outfit, the makeup she wore, and her hair styled to perfection; she was absolutely, positively, unquestionably, beyond any doubt, beautiful.

"Sorry to disappoint." there was a long pause.

When he finally answered, his voice was low, almost a mutter. "I'm not disappointed." He then looked down at the tablets in his hand and said, "you have some water for these?"

Daniel LaRusso waited for what seemed like an eternity before he showed his presence to the two teens at what seemed like an appropriate time.

Jieun quickly left and made her way to the stands once more. For several minutes it seemed as though her presence had gone unnoticed, until Demetri, "Where are my sour patch kids?" Demetri asked, upset.

"Oh shit, I forgot."

"You didn't even come back with anything! You were gone for like thirty minutes!" He exaggerated. Jieun could tell he was a tad bit annoyed until he saw the blank expression on her face. "Nevermind," he added, nodding and turning back to the mats where the announcer was getting ready to broadcast the final fight, "I'll just starve, I guess."

It wasn't long before the announcement that she became engrossed in what was happening in front of her.

Miguel was kicking his ass, badly.

As Robby attacked Miguel concentrated on throwing punches to his body, even though he was purposely covering up and leaving his head unguarded. He must've noticed his injury.

When Miguel would watch Jieun practice her drills he remembered her always telling her teammates that there were two emotions that they had to overcome; their own fear and their own anger, as both can make the muscles stiff and less efficient.

Miguel had clearly let anger get the better of him and started to attack with even more venom.

Finally, an opening, Miguel let one last blow to the shoulder and the pain seemed to travel along Robby's bones. He moved back to the starting position as Miguel was then crowned champion.

Cheers rose into the air as if the greatest of celebratory fireworks exploded, chanting 'Cobra Kai'

Jieun called on Robby, who held his head in shame as he left the mats with Daniel. "Second place not so bad," she said. She played the loyalty card very well, after all, she was here for Miguel, not Robby. "Try not to think about it, start to think about what you can gain from this."

She patted his non-injured shoulder, leaving to congratulate her friend.

𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄

hi hi ! finally done with s1 !! thank god

i just cant wait to write jiji's villain era u know

a lil cute robby moment i giggled

anyways, act 2 on its way !! i'll try to update again tomorrow if i have the time !!

much love,