The apartment smelled like dust and old paint.
Jennifer stood in the doorway, arms folded, staring at the narrow hallway like it had personally offended her.
"Tell me this isn't it," she muttered.
Behind her, boxes scraped against the floor. Daniel stumbled in backward, carrying one labeled FRAGILE – MOM'S DISHES.
"It's not that bad," Daniel grunted. "We've had worse."
Jennifer turned slowly.
"We lived in a house with an actual backyard in Newark."
Daniel dropped the box with a thud. "And Dad doesn't live there anymore."
Silence.
Their mother, Lucille LaRusso, breezed past them with forced optimism.
"Sunshine, palm trees, new beginnings!" she declared. "California is going to be good for us."
Jennifer gave Daniel a look.
Translation: We're starting over because we had to.
Lucille turned on the kitchen faucet.
It coughed.
It sputtered.
It died.
"…Okay," she said after a beat. "We'll call maintenance."
Daniel stepped forward. "I can fix it."
Jennifer arched a brow. "You can't even fix your hair."
"Shut up."
He twisted the handle. Nothing.
Jennifer tried next. Nothing.
Lucille sighed. "I saw an older man downstairs. Sweet, quiet. Maybe he knows something about plumbing."
Daniel groaned. "We just got here."
Jennifer grabbed the toolbox from one of the boxes.
"Welcome to California," she said lightly. "Let's go find the sweet, quiet plumber."
They found him trimming bonsai trees outside the apartment complex.
An elderly man in simple clothes, movements careful and patient. He didn't look like someone who rushed for broken faucets.
Daniel cleared his throat. "Uh… excuse me, sir?"
The man looked up slowly.
Eyes sharp. Observing.
"Yes?"
"The faucet in our apartment doesn't work."
The man stood. "Water is like life. Sometimes it needs persuasion."
Jennifer blinked.
Daniel blinked harder.
"Does that mean you'll fix it?" Daniel asked.
The man smiled faintly.
"Show me."
They walked back upstairs.
Jennifer studied him carefully. He carried himself differently. Not fragile. Not slow.
Deliberate.
Inside the kitchen, he crouched beside the sink and listened.
Actually listened.
Jennifer tilted her head.
"You can hear what's wrong with it?"
He glanced at her. "Everything speaks. You just must listen."
Daniel whispered to Jennifer, "I think we found the Zen plumber."
She elbowed him.
The man adjusted something beneath the sink.
The faucet roared to life.
Water rushed through like it had been waiting for permission.
Daniel's jaw dropped. "How did you—?"
The man wiped his hands calmly.
"Name is Miyagi."
Mr. Miyagi
Jennifer smiled politely.
"Thank you, Mr. Miyagi."
His gaze lingered on her for a moment longer than expected.
"You and brother must be careful," he said softly.
Daniel frowned. "Careful of what?"
But Mr. Miyagi was already leaving.
Later that afternoon, a group of local boys approached Daniel near the apartment complex.
"You new kid?" one asked.
"Yeah."
"We're heading to the beach. You skate?"
Daniel hesitated.
Jennifer appeared beside him like she'd been listening the whole time.
"We'll go," she said before he could answer.
Daniel shot her a look. "We?"
She shrugged. "I need to see if California beaches are overrated."
The sun was lower when they arrived.
Waves crashing. Music playing from a radio. Laughter drifting in warm air.
And then Daniel saw her.
Blonde hair catching sunlight.
Laughing at something someone said.
Time slowed.
Jennifer followed his stare.
"Oh," she said softly. "So that's the reason we came."
Daniel swallowed. "She's… wow."
"Go talk to her."
"What? No. I can't just—"
"You're staring. That's worse."
Daniel stepped forward awkwardly.
Ali noticed him before he reached her.
She smiled.
And that was it.
Ali Mills
Jennifer watched carefully.
Ali extended her hand. "You're new."
"Daniel. Yeah. Just moved here."
"From?"
"New Jersey."
She laughed. "That explains the accent."
Behind them, two boys exchanged uneasy glances.
One leaned toward Daniel.
"You might not wanna stare like that."
Daniel blinked. "Why?"
The boy nodded subtly toward the parking area.
"Because she's Johnny's ex."
Jennifer's eyes narrowed.
"Johnny who?"
The boy's voice dropped.
"Johnny Lawrence. Golden boy of All Valley."
Another added, "And Cobra Kai."
Jennifer didn't know what that meant.
But the way they said it?
It wasn't admiration.
Motorcycles roared.
Engines cutting through music and waves.
Heads turned.
Jennifer followed the sound.
Five bikes rolled in like they owned the sand.
At the center?
Blonde hair.
Red jacket.
Controlled confidence.
Johnny Lawrence
Behind him:
Tommy.
Bobby.
Dutch.
Jimmy.
Cobra Kai.
Johnny removed his sunglasses slowly.
His gaze locked on Ali.
Then shifted to Daniel.
Then lingered on Jennifer.
Assessing.
Daniel stepped back instinctively.
Johnny approached Ali first.
"You gonna introduce me?" he asked calmly.
Ali crossed her arms. "You don't get to decide who I talk to anymore."
Johnny smirked faintly.
Then he looked at Daniel.
"You got something you wanna say to my ex?"
Daniel swallowed but stood his ground.
"We were just talking."
Johnny stepped closer.
Jennifer moved forward immediately.
"Is there a problem?"
Johnny glanced at her.
He hadn't noticed her clearly before.
Now he did.
Smaller than Ali. Darker hair. Sharper eyes.
"No problem," he said evenly. "Just don't like people touching my stuff."
Ali snapped, "I'm not your stuff."
Johnny ignored her.
Daniel's voice shook. "We were just—"
Johnny shoved him.
Hard.
Daniel hit the sand.
Gasps around them.
Jennifer rushed forward, grabbing Johnny's arm.
"Stop!"
Ali stepped between them too.
"Johnny, enough!"
Johnny shrugged Jennifer off.
Too forcefully.
She stumbled back and hit the sand.
Not hard.
But enough.
For a split second, something flickered across Johnny's face.
He didn't apologize.
Didn't help her up.
Instead he grabbed Daniel by the collar and delivered a quick, sharp punch.
Daniel didn't know how to block.
Didn't know how to move.
Another hit.
Another.
Jennifer screamed his name.
Bobby finally pulled Johnny back.
"That's enough."
Johnny adjusted his jacket.
He looked at Jennifer once more.
Unreadable.
Then turned.
"Let's go."
The Cobras roared off.
Leaving sand, silence, and blood behind.
Jennifer helped Daniel sit up.
"You okay?"
Daniel wiped blood from his lip.
"I'm fine."
"You're not fine."
Ali crouched beside them. "I'm so sorry."
Daniel tried to smile. "Not your fault."
Jennifer's jaw tightened.
Cobra Kai.
Golden boy.
She memorized the name.
Johnny Lawrence.
The Next Day
The bullying didn't stop.
Whispers in hallways.
Shoulder bumps.
Laughter behind backs.
Daniel slammed his locker shut.
"I'm not weak."
Jennifer leaned against the lockers casually.
"No one said you were."
"They think it."
"So?"
"So I'm tired of it."
She studied him.
"What are you saying?"
"I wanna learn karate."
Jennifer blinked.
"From who? The Zen plumber?"
Daniel hesitated.
"…Maybe."
She snorted softly.
"You don't even know if he does karate."
"I saw how he moved yesterday."
Jennifer paused.
She had noticed too.
But she masked it with a shrug.
"Do what you want."
She turned and started walking away.
"Where are you going?" Daniel called.
"Home."
"It's your first day."
She smirked over her shoulder.
"Exactly."
Daniel shook his head.
"She's always like this," he muttered.
But she wasn't.
Not really.
Daniel walked home alone.
Wind picking up.
Something uneasy in his stomach.
Then—
Motorcycles.
Engines circling.
Johnny blocked his path.
The Cobras surrounded him.
"You really thought yesterday was over?" Johnny asked.
Daniel tried to run.
They knocked him down.
Punches.
Kicks.
Sand scraping skin.
Daniel curled up, trying to protect his face.
"Get up!" Johnny shouted.
Then—
Silence.
A hand caught Johnny's wrist mid-strike.
Mr. Miyagi.
He moved like water.
One by one, the Cobras fell.
Not violently.
Effortlessly.
Johnny staggered back, stunned.
"You teach?" he demanded.
Mr. Miyagi said nothing.
Just helped Daniel up.
"Go home," he told the boys.
They left.
Shaken.
Inside Mr. Miyagi's small home, Daniel sat on the floor.
Bruises forming.
"How did you do that?" Daniel asked breathlessly. "You know karate?"
Mr. Miyagi cleaned a cut carefully.
"Yes."
Daniel's eyes widened.
"Will you teach me?"
Silence.
Mr. Miyagi looked at him long and hard.
"Karate for defense only."
Daniel nodded desperately. "I don't care. I just don't want to be weak."
Mr. Miyagi's expression softened slightly.
"Then you learn."
Outside, unseen—
Jennifer stood near the gate.
Watching.
Listening.
Thinking.
Johnny Lawrence.
Cobra Kai.
Golden boy.
She brushed sand from her jeans.
Softly, to herself:
"Strike first?"
A small smile curved her lips.
"No."
She turned away.
"Strike softly."