A Frustrated Daniel

Lately, Daniel had been dedicating more time to the dojo than to his own work, but he couldn't ignore his responsibilities much longer due to ongoing issues with a competitor.

While he felt a strong urge to immerse himself further in martial arts, his family came first. He decided to take a day off from everything else.

"Alright, everyone, gather around," Daniel called out to his students. However, as soon as he saw the bruises on their faces, he immediately questioned, "What happened?"

"Nothing, we were just practicing," one of the students replied.

"Those injuries aren't from practice. Robby, tell me what happened," Daniel said, turning to the student he trusted most for the truth.

Robby exchanged glances with Joey, hesitating before finally explaining, "We went to a party, ran into some Cobra Kai kids, and when we tried to leave, they challenged us to a fight."

"You fought with the Cobra Kai kids? You did exactly what I told you not to do. What were you thinking?" Daniel's frustration was evident; he knew his students weren't ready to face Cobra Kai's ruthless tactics.

Joey, sporting a black eye, admitted, "We were crushed…"

"They were just more coordinated," another student interjected.

"Coordinated? When I turned around, all of you were on the ground. What are you even talking about?" Daniel exclaimed, exasperated.

Running his hands through his hair, he finally said, "Alright, calm down. I'll handle this."

As Daniel walked out, Robby tried to stop him, knowing that going to confront Cobra Kai would only escalate things. But Daniel was already gone, determined to take action. He couldn't ask for explanations when his students had started the fight—but that didn't stop him from wanting accountability from Cobra Kai.

Cobra Kai MMA School

Max lay sprawled on a couch, scrolling through the messages Zara had sent him before boarding her flight. She had returned to China, but her warm goodbyes lingered with him.

"Dude, I still can't believe that girl kissed you," one of Max's friends said, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, it was pretty magical," Max admitted, a slight grin forming on his face.

The group buzzed with excitement, unable to fathom how the enigmatic Max had managed to win over such a beautiful girl.

Ryan, always the loudest among them, chimed in, "Obviously, she's into strong guys. Max must have left a big impression during those tournaments in China."

"That's nonsense. I've got some charm, you know," Max countered with a laugh.

"Yeah, the charm of knocking out every fighter who challenges you," another quipped.

Just then, Hawk approached the group. "Hey, I think Miguel broke up with his girlfriend."

"That's terrible," someone said.

"Was it because of last night?"

"Could be."

Ryan, however, admired Miguel's decision, proud that he had prioritized his friends over a relationship. Ryan even planned to introduce him to a friend later.

"What do you guys think about the tournament?"

"Easy. We'll win," one of them declared confidently.

Max, however, wasn't so sure. "I think there'll be some surprises, but always keep in mind that this is just preparation for the true global karate tournament."

"That sounds amazing," someone responded, excitement evident in their voice.

Ryan knew Max had competed in the global tournament before and that he had friends in China who were part of a martial arts school that had dominated the championships for years.

"Do you think we'll be chosen to compete?"

"Not all of us, but we'll represent Cobra Kai," Max said. In truth, he was torn. He didn't know if he'd compete with the team from China or with his friends here. Deep down, though, he wanted to represent Cobra Kai. But for now, it was too soon to decide.