Rosalía sits with Lucille in the front row of the bleachers. Daniel and Mr. Miyagi stand beside them. "I'm so glad you're with my son," Lucille suddenly says. The girl chuckles and responds, "thank you, I'm also very glad." The older woman smiles giddily. "I know it just happened last night but I have a good feeling about this," she speaks in a singsong voice. "You're gonna have a wonderful relationship, I just know it," she adds, giggling. Rosalía's face heats up and she chuckles awkwardly. "I hope so," she answers.
"Ladies and gentlemen! May I have your attention, please," the announcer booms. Lucille leans over to Rosalía and questions, "you think my boy has a chance at winning?" The girl turns her head to look at her. "Absolutely... I have a gut feeling about it," she sincerely responds. When Daniel first commenced his training, he asked her the same thing. She believed in him then and she still believes in him now without a doubt. "This is the first semifinal match of the afternoon," the announcer continues.
"Defending champion, John Lawrence of the Cobra Kai: two-time winner of the All Valley Under 18 golden trophy. He'll be facing Darryl Vidal of Locust Valley Karate Club. Three points wins. Will the contestants please come to the ring? Good luck, gentlemen."
Daniel anxiously bites his nails and fidgets as he observes Johnny across the room. This doesn't go unnoticed by Rosalía. "Hey," she voices, reaching her hand to him. He grasps it and the girl squeezes his hand. "This will be over soon... no matter what happens, I'm right here," she consoles him. He nods and Rosalía lets go of his hand to let him interact with Mr. Miyagi.
The Cobra Kai cult cheers for Johnny as he enters the ring. The referee initiates the fight and Vidal throws kicks and punches, Johnny blocking every move. They're almost evenly matched, Rosalía thinks as she watches. The blonde performs two kicks but Vidal moves back before he could touch him. He suddenly sends a high kick Johnny's way, and the blonde swiftly grabs that leg and sweeps the other one, throwing him to the mat. "Kiai!" he grunts as he kneels over his opponent, flexing his bicep. Rosalía becomes nervous, worried that Daniel will have to face him. She knows he could take him but she's concerned about how far Johnny would go.
"One point, Lawrence."
The two contestants get back in their fighting stances. "Ready? Fight!" the referee shouts. Vidal begins doing flips, trying to kick Johnny, who just steps back to avoid getting hit. He blocks one hit with a kick and Vidal backs up before springing forward again. He's mid-air when Johnny briskly ends him with a kick. Man, this guy was so fancy and he didn't even win, Rosalía thinks, shaking her head. Daniel continues to fidget, shifting his weight from one foot onto the other. He becomes more and more anxious as he realizes that he's most likely going to have to fight Johnny. "Lawrence, back at your line," the referee orders.
"You alright, Vidal?" he addresses the boy doubled over on the mat. "I'm okay," he replies as he stands up. He gets back on his line and the two position themselves. "One point, Lawrence. Ready... Fight!" the referee announces. This time, Johnny strikes first and he runs at Vidal, throwing kicks at him. He spins into a kick, striking Vidal in the abdomen. The boy cries in pain and doubles over. The crowd cheers and the Cobras cheer even louder. "Point, Lawrence. Winner!" the referee declares. Johnny shakes Vidal's hand before returning to his group.
"The next semifinal will determine who will face the defending champion," the announcer's voice sounds. Johnny high-fives and shakes hands with his teammates, turning around to glare at Daniel. His eyes shift to Rosalía and he just stares at her for a moment. She hasn't seen him in action in the ring since she left for Texas, and he initially hoped to impress her with how far his skills have advanced since then. Although deep down, he knows that that won't work because she doesn't care about that. He tried not to hold onto that notion but a small part of him still hopes that she is at least a little impressed.
"Will Daniel LaRusso..." the announcer starts, making the crowd go wild. "Yeah!" Rosalía cheers, standing up and shaking his shoulders. "...Of the Miyaji-do Karate and Bobby Brown of the Cobra Kai please come to the ring?" the announcer finishes. Of course he butchered the name. Lucille sits quietly with a worried facial expression. Rosalía places her hand over hers and leans closer so the woman can hear her. "He'll be okay, he made it this far," she assures her. Lucille nods and sets her other hand on top of the girl's. "You're right," she responds.
"Let's go, fellas! Good luck!"
Daniel looks at Mr. Miyagi, who gives him an encouraging nod, before turning to his girlfriend. They high-five each other before he walks away. Boy, am I glad she's here, he thinks as he steps into the ring. Both boys step on their designated lines. "Do what you gotta do, Bobby," someone shouts. Rosalía furrows her eyebrows, studying Bobby's guilty face. What's wrong with him? She follows his line of sight when he peers back at Kreese. The man gazes back with a malicious smirk. She even notices the questioning look Johnny throws between the two. Oh, no, something bad is going to happen.
"Face. Bow. Ready? Let's watch the control, gentlemen." Johnny is no fan of Daniel's but this doesn't seem right to him. He worriedly glances at Rosalía and sees that she's already looking at him with squinted eyes. His eyes linger on her for a second before looking back at Bobby. "Ready... fight!"
Bobby jumps at Daniel, striking him in the back of the knee. He cries out in pain, falling to the floor. "Ohh!" the crowd roars as they see this. Rosalía, Lucille, and Mr. Miyagi immediately stand up and dash over. "Daniel-san!" Miyagi calls, running onto the mat. The girl stays behind with Lucille, trying to calm her down. "Daniel! Daniel, I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!" Bobby desperately apologizes, feeling awful for what he just did. Daniel cries out in pain and Mr. Miyagi crouches beside him, holding his head as a doctor arrives. "Bobby Brown of the Cobra Kai has been disqualified for excessive and deliberate contact," the announcer declares. Rosalía covers her mouth, horrified by what just happened. She glances around, her eyes landing on the Cobras. Johnny is giving Kreese the stink-eye, which confuses her.
"Under rule 41-2, Daniel LaRusso has 15 minutes to return to the ring. If LaRusso is unable to return, John Lawrence automatically will be awarded first place by default," the announcer concludes. Daniel is carried out and Lucille and Rosalía follow. The girl looks back at the Cobras and sees them all looking shocked. Tommy and Johnny stare at Kreese with petrified faces. Well, at least they sort of have a heart.
———(🌹)———
The doctor checks Daniel's knee as he lays on a cot in the locker room. "I'll inform the judges. You did well out there, young man," he discloses before walking out with the two officials. Rosalía takes his spot at Daniel's side. "Damn it," he curses. Lucille caresses his face and says, "honey, forget it. Hey, you were great! I couldn't be prouder. It was just bad luck." Daniel sniffles in anger. "Honestly, you would've won if they hadn't cheated," Rosalía chimes in. The boy just scoffs. "Just leave me alone for a minute, okay?'
Ouch. The girl is taken aback by this but gives him his space, knowing that he's just upset. "We'll be outside," his mom mutters, kissing his cheek before walking away. Rosalía goes to leave too but Daniel grips her wrist, stopping her. "Thank you for being my cheering section," he utters, making her giggle. "Always," she returns before walking out. Mr. Miyagi stays behind at Daniel's request. After a few minutes, Daniel comes out of the locker room, shocking his mother. "He did the hand-rubbing thing?" Rosalía questions, remembering the first time he did it. The boy nods. "Rosalía-san, go tell judges Daniel-san fight," Mr. Miyagi tasks her. She smirks at him and runs away.
"Alright, ladies and gentlemen! This is the moment we've been waiting for... the presenta-" the announcer cuts himself off when Rosalía taps him on the shoulder. "Daniel LaRusso is gonna fight," she informs him. "Daniel LaRusso's gonna fight? Daniel LaRusso's gonna fight!" the man repeats. The boy in question walks into the arena and Rosalía approaches him. The crowd cheers when he appears and the man announces, "Now, isn't this what it's all about, folks? You know it!" Johnny and Kreese glare at him. "You got this," Rosalía inspires him, patting his back before going to her seat. Johnny looks away angrily. "How's the leg, son?" the announcer asks as he goes up to Daniel. He responds and the man walks away.
"Alright! The big event! The final match to determine who will emerge victor and champion of the All Valley Under 18 Karate Championship... Daniel LaRusso, Miaji-do Karate..."
"Miyagi. Miyagi-do," Daniel corrects him. "Miyagi-do Karate versus John Lawrence of the Cobra Kai. Three points wins. Good luck, boys!" the man announces before stepping out of the ring. People throughout the crowd cheer Daniel on, making Rosalía happy but she still makes sure she's the loudest. He walks onto the line, facing a scowling Johnny. Oop- he's mad, the girl thinks. "Face me, bow. Face off, bow. Ready... fight!" The referee speaks. Johnny wastes no time in attacking Daniel. He jumps at Daniel and he blocks his move. "Get him, Daniel! Get him!" Rosalía yells as he dodges every move the blonde throws at him. Finally, Daniel punches him in the abdomen. "That's right! Show him how it's done!" she bellows enthusiastically.
Johnny shoves Daniel and the referee commands, "Lawrence, return... one point, LaRusso!" They return to their designated lines. "You're dead," the blonde hisses before positioning himself. "Ready? Fight!" Johnny sends a punch and throws Daniel to the floor, but Daniel rapidly kicks him off of him and shoots back up. "Yes, Daniel! Let's go!" Rosalía screams. The two boys circle each other before the blonde goes for a high kick. Daniel throws himself on the mat, using his legs to sweep Johnny off his feet. The blonde lands on his face and Daniel karate chops his back, causing everyone to go insane. "Yeah! Exactly, Daniel! Let's go!" Rosalía especially goes crazy. "Point, chop! That's two for LaRusso!"
The referee checks on Johnny and notices his bloody nose. "Time out, time out. Go to your Sensei," he tells Johnny. "Turn. Kneel," he acknowledges Daniel. Wow, he's bleeding. I kind of feel bad... oh, well, he's fine, the girl thinks, shrugging. Johnny goes up to Kreese and he wipes his nose. "Sweep the leg," he suddenly orders. The boy's eyes widen as he gapes at his Sensei. A cold feeling shoots through his body. "You have a problem with that?" the man menacingly questions. This doesn't feel right and it's certainly something he doesn't want to do, but he feels obligated to. "No, Sensei," he answers. Kreese just stares at him with a cold expression. "No mercy."
Johnny heads back into the ring. She's gonna hate me... more than she already does. He gulps as he steps onto the mat. He looks at Rosalía for a second before quickly averting his gaze. He puts on his mean face, hiding his fear. "That's two points, LaRusso. Lawrence, nothing. Ready? Fight!" the referee voices. Johnny immediately goes for Daniel's leg and kicks him in the face, making him collapse. The blonde's friends cheer him on as he goes back to his line. "One point, Lawrence. 2-1, LaRusso!" the announcer speaks. "Come on, Daniel! Get that vanilla man!" Rosalía yells again.
"Ready... fight!"
Johnny attacks Daniel with everything he's got, continuously knocking him down. Despite the sudden setback, Rosalía cheers louder for her boyfriend, wanting him to know that he's got her support. "Kick to the side. One point, Lawrence. 2-2. Ready... fight!" the ref calls. Johnny goes full-on psycho on Daniel, which seemingly works for him, making the dark-haired boy stumble out of the ring. "Out of bounds, come back in," the ref tells Daniel. The boy limps back into place. Rosalía feels a little scared when she sees the blonde. He looks almost ready to kill the boy. Daniel goes for a kick, and Johnny briskly ducks and sweeps his leg, making him topple down. Daniel gets back up, however, and Rosalía cheers.
The match continues to escalate, Daniel getting the better of Johnny and then Johnny getting the better of him. Daniel smacks the blonde down into the mat, but he trips him, bringing the dark-haired boy down as well before bouncing back up. The fight intensifies as it goes on, and Johnny eventually lands a punch to Daniel's face, knocking him down. The crowd boos while Rosalía and Lucille gasp. He remains on the ground for a second, just holding his face. "You're strong, Daniel, come on!" the girl praises, hoping he gets up. He soon scrambles to his feet and the referee asks if he's okay. "Yeah, I'm okay," he answers.
"Whoever wins the next point will be our new champion!"
"No point. Ready... fight!"
Daniel performs a kick, but Johnny rapidly catches his leg. He strikes his injured knee with his elbow, making the boy fall and cry out in pain. Rosalía gasps, concerned for her boyfriend's leg. Daniel rolls on the mat, groaning. "It's over, Johnny! Yeah, you did it!" Tommy shouts. The girl's eyes flicker to Johnny. He glances at her, his face softening when he sees her horrified expression. He immediately turns away, switching back to his hard exterior. Rosalía stares at him in bewilderment. He looks remorseful but why is he trying to hide it? Why'd he do that to Daniel? She looks at his Sensei and notices his sinister smirk. It clicks in her mind. It's all him.
Daniel stands up and the ref questions, "LaRusso, are you okay? Can you go on?" Daniel bends over, resting his hands on his knees for a moment, and nods. "Yeah! Get him a body bag, yeah!" Tommy maniacally yells. Oh, he's sick, the girl thinks. Johnny jumps to his feet and the ref warns, "alright, that's a warning for illegal contact to the knee."
"Finish him, Johnny! Finish him! No mercy! No mercy!"
"You got this, Daniel! Show him what you got!"
"Ready?" the ref starts. The two boys get in position, Daniel lifting his bent knee and raising his arms up. Oh, my God, he's gonna do it. Rosalía watches intently, anticipating what's going to happen next. "Fight!" Johnny lunges at Daniel. Just as he does, Daniel performs a crane kick, striking the blonde right in the face, earning the last point. "Winner!" the ref announces. Mr. Miyagi grins proudly as the crowd roars. Rosalía jumps out of her seat, screaming as she runs onto the ring and into Daniel's arms. Lucille runs up, hugging him as well. "What did I tell you? I knew you could do it!" the young girl claims, planting a kiss on his cheek.
More people run up to them and they're surrounded by a lot of West Valley High students. Freddy and his buddies congratulate Daniel, as well as Ali and her clique. "Looks like you're dating a karate champ," Freddy comments as he hugs Rosalía. She just laughs, wondering how he knows about that. Ali comes up to her and gives her a hug as well. "Cobra Kai has finally been dethroned," she squeals, making her laugh. Freddy's crew surrounds Daniel, so the girl stands back with her homies. They all hug and holler, celebrating the win.
"The new champion, Daniel LaRusso!"
Johnny takes the trophy from the announcer and approaches Daniel. "You're alright, LaRusso. Good match," he tells him as he hands him the trophy. "Hey, thanks a lot," Daniel responds as the small crowd around him lifts him off the ground. He whoops along with the crowd, proud of himself for winning. Rosalía cheers before spotting Johnny smile softly at her and walk away. Her eyes linger on him for a second before she turns her focus back on Daniel. "Hey! Hey, Mr. Miyagi! We did it! We did it! Alright!" he calls to the man. The crowd chants his name for a while longer before finally putting him down. He scans the crowd, searching for his girlfriend. He shimmies his way through everyone until he finally spots her. They beam at each other and Rosalía jumps into his arms. Daniel wraps his arms around her tightly, stroking the back of her head with his hand. "I knew you could do it," she says into his ear.