Lukas sat in the classroom, staring at the SAT prep booklet in front of him. His pencil tapped absently on the desk as he tried to focus on the questions, but his mind kept drifting. He did want to go to college—he really did—but the thought of affording it seemed almost impossible without a scholarship. And right now, the idea of competing in the All Valley tournament kept creeping into his thoughts.

He thought about Daniel's stories of his own experiences in the tournament, about the honor and glory that came with winning. It seemed like a long shot, but Lukas had been training diligently for most of the year. Maybe, just maybe, he had a chance.

As the exam wore on, Lukas found it harder to concentrate. His thoughts kept slipping back to the dojo, to the moves he practiced with Daniel and Robby, to the dream of winning the tournament. Eventually, the bell rang, jolting him from his reverie. He quickly scribbled down his final answers and handed in his test.

Walking out of the classroom, Lukas spotted Sam in the hallway. He smiled at her, and she returned the gesture warmly. But just as he was about to walk over, he noticed Miguel approaching Sam from the opposite direction. Lukas's smile faltered as he turned away, trying to avoid any awkwardness.

Miguel reached Sam and greeted her with a kiss, but his eyes lingered on Lukas. There was a mixture of jealousy and hurt in Miguel's gaze. How could such a good friend of his, someone he trusted, be so close to his girlfriend?

As Lukas turned away, leaving Miguel and Sam to their conversation, Miguel couldn't help but feel a storm of emotions brewing inside him. The jealousy and hurt were almost too much to bear, and his judgment was clouded, fueled by his recent experiences with Cobra Kai.

Sam noticed the change in Miguel's expression. "What's with the doom and gloom? Come on, I'm sure you did amazing, again."

Miguel sighed. "Yeah, I was just a little distracted."

Sam tilted her head, looking concerned. "What? Why?"

"The tournament. I don't have a lot of time to prepare, so..." Miguel's voice trailed off.

"Well, you had to have done better than me. The guy in front of me definitely did not shower. Made me completely forget how to calculate the volume of a sphere, but he definitely helped me remember the word 'malodorous.'" Sam tried to lighten the mood with a nervous chuckle.

Miguel forced a smile. "So what did you do last night?"

"Ah, just a family dinner," Sam replied, hoping to shift the conversation.

"I'd like to meet them sometime. I've never been to your house," Miguel said, his tone slightly edged with frustration.

"Well, I've never been to your house either," Sam pointed out.

"You're more than welcome to come whenever you want to come. My mom would love to meet you. Or I can come to your house, meet your mom, your dad," Miguel offered, trying to hide his annoyance.

"You know, tonight's just really not a good night. Um, but we should totally hit up Ventura. Two shakes at Salt & Straw on me?" Sam suggested, hoping to defuse the tension.

"Yeah, um, I should go train. Maybe another time," Miguel said, his mind racing with thoughts about Lukas.

"Um, okay," Sam replied, feeling a bit uneasy.

"But I'll call you later," Miguel added.

"Yeah," Sam nodded, watching as Miguel's expression shifted once more.

Miguel paused, then asked, "So, are you and Lukas close?"

Sam looked a bit surprised but answered honestly, "Yeah, we're friends. My dad's been teaching him karate. Why?" She wasn't sure why she felt the need to explain this to Miguel.

"Oh, that's nice," Miguel said, though his voice betrayed his anger.

As Miguel walked away, the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place in his mind. Lukas had lied about where he took karate. It wasn't a family friend; it was Sam's dad. The fact that Lukas had met Sam's dad before he ever did, and he was Sam's boyfriend, gnawed at him.

Cobra Kai's influence was clouding his judgment, making him wonder what was really going on between Lukas and Sam. The jealousy and mistrust festered as he headed off to train, his mind swirling with doubts and suspicions.

🐍

Lukas made his way to his house, feeling the weight of the day start to lift off his shoulders. As he walked in, he found his Aunt Jenna bustling around, putting on the final touches to her outfit.

"Wow, you look great, Aunt Jenna," Lukas said with a smile.

Jenna smiled back, a little nervously. "Thanks, Luke. I'm meeting this guy at a bar, so we'll see how it goes."

Lukas nodded, giving her a thumbs up. "Good luck on your date. Just have fun and be yourself."

Jenna chuckled and gave him a quick hug before grabbing her purse. "You too. Have fun studying, if that's even possible."

As Jenna left, Lukas turned to find his friend Hannah already at the kitchen table, books and notes spread out. They settled into their study routine, quizzing each other and going over practice problems. But it wasn't long before their focus began to wane, and they found themselves laughing and joking more than studying.

At one point, Lukas noticed Hannah's expression shift, a shadow passing over her face. "You okay?" he asked, concern lacing his voice.

Hannah hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, it's just...school stuff. East Valley's been rough lately."

Lukas furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"

"Ever since you left, Tyler's been getting worse," Hannah admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "He's even been bullying me. One time, he and his friends cornered me in the hallway and knocked my books out of my hands. I thought it was just a one-time thing, but it's been happening more often."

Lukas clenched his fists, anger flaring up at the thought of Tyler tormenting Hannah. "I'm so sorry, Hannah. I didn't know it was that bad. You should have told me."

"I didn't want to bother you with it," she replied, shaking her head. "But now I'm thinking I might have to transfer schools too."

Lukas took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "Hey, why don't you come with me to train at Mr. LaRusso's dojo? Karate might be a good way to build your confidence and learn to defend yourself. Plus, you can meet Robby, a new friend of mine. I think you'll like it."

Hannah looked hesitant but curious. "You think Mr. LaRusso would be okay with that?"

"Yeah, he's cool," Lukas assured her. "And it might be fun for you to see what I've been up to. Let's go, I'll introduce you."

With that, they packed up their study materials and headed out. The drive to pick up Robby was filled with more light-hearted conversation, the earlier tension starting to fade. When they arrived at Robby's place, he greeted them with a grin.

"Hey, Robby," Lukas called out, waving. "Ready to go?"

Robby nodded, hopping into the car. "Yep. Who's this?"

"This is my friend Hannah," Lukas introduced. "She wanted to check out the dojo and see what we're up to."

Robby smiled warmly at Hannah. "Hey. The dojo's pretty awesome. I think you'll like it."

Hannah smiled back, feeling a bit more at ease. "Thanks. I'm looking forward to it."

🐍

Lukas, Robby, and Hannah walked up to the LaRusso home. Hannah looked around, taking in the grand surroundings.

"So this is where the princess lives, huh? Pretty nice," she commented with a smirk.

Lukas shot her a look. "Don't make me regret bringing you."

Robby chuckled. "She's got a point, man."

They knocked on the door, and Amanda answered, looking pleasantly surprised.

"Hey, guys, what's going on?" she greeted them.

"Hey, Mrs. L. Is Mr. LaRusso out back?" Lukas asked.

Amanda shook her head. "No, he's out all day dealing with the... You know what, never mind. Come on in. You can wait for him in here."

Lukas introduced Amanda to Hannah, and Amanda welcomed her warmly. They made their way into the living room where Sam was rummaging through her bag.

"Hey! Don't even think about it," Amanda called out.

Sam groaned and stood up, looking frustrated.

"Hey, how's it going?" Robby greeted her.

"I am a prisoner. Gotta get out of here," Sam replied with a sigh.

Lukas shrugged, and they all headed to the back dojo. As Robby and Lukas started training, Hannah looked around, her curiosity piqued by the pictures and memorabilia decorating the walls.

"What's all this?" she asked, gesturing to the various photos and items.

Lukas paused to catch his breath. "It's Mr. LaRusso's collection. A lot of it has to do with his time training under Mr. Miyagi. Pretty cool, huh?"

Hannah nodded, clearly impressed. "Yeah, it is."

During a break from their sparring match, Lukas and Robby leaned against the wall, catching their breath.

"We're gonna kill that tournament," Robby said confidently.

Lukas grinned. "You know it."

Lukas checked his phone and saw a story post from Yasmine, someone who didn't follow him back. The post mentioned a party going on at the Canyon later that day. He brought it up to Hannah and Robby, who were both interested.

"I'd love to bring Sam, but she's grounded," Lukas said, glancing towards the house.

Robby's eyes lit up with an idea. "I think I might have an idea. Follow my lead."

Intrigued and a little skeptical, Lukas and Hannah exchanged glances but nodded in agreement. They were curious to see what Robby had in mind.

🐍

Sam was sprawled out on her bed, a book resting on her face as she let out an exaggerated sigh. "So boring," she muttered, letting the book fall on her head.

Just then, Robby hobbled in with a dramatic limp, holding his ankle. Amanda, noticing him, rushed over.

"Robby, what happened? Are you okay?" Amanda asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I just twisted my ankle a little bit," Robby replied, wincing.

Amanda looked around. "Where are Lukas and his friend?"

Robby shrugged nonchalantly. "Lukas had something to do with his Aunt that he forgot about. I told them to go. I should be fine, but I might have a hard time on my skateboard."

Amanda sighed, glancing at her watch. "I don't know when Daniel's going to be back, but do you need a ride home?"

"Sure, but I know you have those reports to finish, so I can wait," Robby said, trying to sound casual.

"Oh, don't even worry about it," Amanda said, turning to Sam. "Sam?"

"Yes, warden?" Sam replied, rolling her eyes.

"Robby sprained his ankle, he needs a ride home. So drop him off and come right back, okay?" Amanda instructed.

Sam, sensing something was up, nodded. "Yeah, uh, sure. Okay. Come on. Do you need some help?"

"No, I just need to walk it off," Robby said, then suddenly straightened up and walked normally. "Ha ha! Oh, there it is. All better."

Sam stared at him in disbelief. "Wait--wait. Did you just pull a Keyser Soze?"

Robby grinned. "You said you were a prisoner. We figured you needed to be broken out."

Sam's eyes lit up with excitement. "So... Where we going?"

At that moment, Lukas and Hannah pulled up in Lukas's car.

Lukas leaned out the window. "To a party. How does that sound?"

Sam beamed. "That sounds great."

Robby nodded. "Awesome."

As Sam got into the car, she hesitated. "My boyfriend's probably wondering where the hell I am right now. Come on, let's go."

Lukas's smile faltered slightly. "Wouldn't want to keep him waiting," he said, trying to mask his disappointment.

Hannah, sensing Lukas's feelings, gave him a sympathetic look.

Sam, now in the car, playfully urged Lukas. "Come on, Lukas, let's go!"

Lukas introduced Sam to Hannah, and the two girls quickly hit it off.

"So you're the infamous Hannah," Sam said with a smile.

"That's me," Hannah replied, grinning. "Nice to finally meet you."

🐍

They arrive at the canyon, Sam driving at breakneck speed.

Robby shook his head as they all got out of the car. "I like to drive fast, but that was crazy. We're lucky we're alive."

"Sorry," Sam said, her voice tinged with guilt. "I just... I know Miguel's been waiting for me."

Hannah, stepping out of the car, chimed in. "So you're a little late, big deal. He shouldn't give you a hard time about it."

"It's not just that," Sam murmured as Lukas opened the door for her.

"Um, thanks," she said, stepping out.

Lukas glanced at her, concern in his eyes. "Sam, what's going on?"

Sam sighed. "I haven't told my dad that I'm dating Miguel, and I think Miguel knows now that I'm keeping it a secret. So it's been kind of awkward."

"Why have you been keeping it a secret?" Lukas asked, genuinely puzzled.

"Because my dad hates Miguel's sensei. Like, with a passion. And I know if he found out, he would totally lose his shit," Sam explained.

Lukas nodded, understanding dawning on his face. "Johnny Lawrence. He's talked about him once or twice."

Hannah, curious, asked, "What's his deal?"

Lukas shrugged. "He put Mr. LaRusso through a lot of shit, even pushed him off a hill. He sounds like a tool."

"This is some Romeo and Juliet type shit," Hannah remarked with a wry smile.

"Yeah," Sam agreed, her voice heavy with guilt. "But I just feel so guilty. Like I've got to come clean to everyone. Sorry, I know this sounds like a total soap opera."

Robby, who had been quiet until now, spoke up. "No. I can relate."

Sam looked at him, hopeful. "I need help with this."

"Just..." Lukas began, but was interrupted as Sam almost stumbled.

"Okay, it's actually a little more steep than I was expecting," Sam said, grabbing onto Lukas's hand.

"Okay," Lukas replied, blushing uncontrollably.

"I'm pretty sure I couldn't come down that hill on my own," Sam admitted.

Lukas smiled, trying to steady his nerves. "Your dad said I should always be a gentleman."

"Oh, is that so?" Sam replied, a small smile playing on her lips.

Hannah gave Robby a knowing look. "Lukas is down horribly," she whispered.

Lukas led Sam down the hill carefully. As they approached the bottom, they saw a drunk Miguel among the partygoers. His expression darkened as he saw Lukas and Sam holding hands, talking, and laughing. Grinding his teeth, he stormed towards them in his intoxicated state.

Miguel, swaying slightly, approached Lukas, Robby, and Sam. "Hey, hey," he slurred.

Lukas greeted him cautiously. "What's up, man?"

Sam tried to diffuse the tension. "Hey."

Miguel's eyes were unfocused as he turned to Robby. "Who's this guy?" he demanded.

Sam tried to explain. "Hey, I--"

Robby cut her off, confused. "Wait. This... This is your boyfriend?"

"Yeah. I am," Miguel confirmed, his words heavy with accusation.

Lukas could tell that something was wrong. He looked at Miguel more closely and realized he was drunk. "Miguel, relax. This is Robby. He works for my dad," Sam explained.

Miguel laughed bitterly. "Oh, with your dad. Okay, that makes a lot of sense," he said, turning his glare to Lukas. "Just like Lukas here. All these people get to see your dad, but not me. Someone who I thought was my friend lied to me."

Lukas, trying to keep the peace, replied, "Miguel, I was gonna tell you--"

Sam interjected, worried. "What is that supposed to mean? Wait, have you been drinking?"

Miguel's temper flared. "No, no, no. You don't get to turn this on me. I texted and called you all day, and you couldn't answer me back once?"

Sam's voice was filled with frustration. "No, I literally couldn't. My mom took my phone."

Miguel's words dripped with sarcasm. "Oh, that's so convenient."

Hannah stepped forward, trying to calm things down. "Hey, not everyone is on their phone all the time. Chill out."

Miguel rounded on her, his anger palpable. "I'm sorry, who the hell are you? And did I ask for your opinion?"

Lukas tried to placate him. "Miguel, you wouldn't be saying this shit if you weren't drunk. Go sit down, and we can talk."

Miguel's response was immediate and violent. He swung at Lukas, his fist connecting with Lukas's face. "How about you shut the hell up and stop moving in on my girlfriend!"

Lukas staggered back, shocked. "What the hell?"

Hannah rushed to Lukas's side. "What was that for?"

The commotion attracted the attention of the partygoers, who began to circle around them.

Robby stepped forward, attempting to intervene. "Hey, man--" But before he could say more, Miguel pushed him down.

Miguel's fury was unrelenting. "You get out of here!"

Sam's voice cut through the chaos. "Miguel, stop it!"

Robby, getting back to his feet, challenged Miguel. "Hey, man, you want to try that again?"

Miguel, fueled by rage, taunted him. "Try that again, huh?"

At this point, Eli, sporting a bright blue Mohawk, strutted over. "There a problem?"

Lukas, surprised, called out, "Eli, what the--"

Eli snapped back, "It's Hawk!"

Robby, not impressed, sneered, "Is that because of that dumbass haircut?"

Hawk, enraged, stepped forward, ready to fight. The four boys squared off, tension crackling in the air.

The first punch was thrown by Miguel, aiming for Lukas, who dodged and tried to reason with him. "Miguel, this isn't you. Just calm down."

Miguel responded with another wild swing, his voice a growl. "Shut up, Lukas! You've been lying to me!"

Lukas blocked the punch, his own anger rising. "I wasn't lying. I was going to tell you!"

Meanwhile, Robby and Hawk had started their own scuffle. Hawk fought aggressively, throwing kicks and punches with abandon, while Robby used his training to defend himself, looking for an opening to disarm his opponent.

Hawk launched a high kick, but Robby caught his leg and flipped him over. "Nice haircut, by the way," Robby taunted, as Hawk scrambled to his feet.

Miguel, still focused on Lukas, shouted, "You think you're better than me? Think you can just steal my girl?"

Lukas, dodging another punch, fired back, "I'm not trying to steal anyone, Miguel. Just listen!"

But Miguel wasn't listening. Fueled by alcohol and anger, he lunged at Lukas, who blocked and countered with a swift jab to Miguel's side, hoping to wind him enough to stop the fight.

Hawk, now even angrier, lunged at Robby with a series of rapid punches. Robby blocked most of them, but one hit his jaw. Shaking it off, Robby countered with a well-placed kick to Hawk's chest, sending him staggering back.

Miguel and Lukas continued their brutal exchange. Miguel swung wildly, his fists fueled by rage. Lukas blocked and parried, trying to stay calm. "Miguel, stop! You're going to regret this!"

But Miguel was beyond reasoning. He charged at Lukas again, and this time, Lukas had enough. He sidestepped and swept Miguel's legs out from under him, sending him crashing to the ground.

Hawk, seeing his friend fall, tried to rush at Lukas, but Robby intercepted him, tackling him to the ground. The two grappled, each trying to gain the upper hand.

The crowd of partygoers cheered and shouted, their excitement feeding the chaos.

Finally, Lukas, breathing heavily, stood over Miguel. "Fine, you want to fight, man? We can fight."

Miguel, struggling to his feet, snarled, "Great."

Sam, desperate to stop the madness, stepped between them. "Stop! Both of you!"

But in his drunken rage, Miguel swung again, not realizing Sam was in the way. His fist connected with her shoulder, sending her stumbling back.

Miguel's face paled with horror. "Sam. Sam, I'm sorry."

Sam, tears in her eyes, glared at him. "God, you asshole! What the hell was that?"

Miguel, his voice breaking, tried to apologize. "I didn't mean--"

Sam cut him off, her voice shaking with anger. "My dad was right about Cobra Kai. Good luck at the tournament. I won't be there."

Lukas, filled with anger and disbelief, shot a final glare at Miguel before turning to follow Sam, Robby, and Hannah back to the car. Hannah called out, "Sam. Sam. Sam, wait!"

Miguel watched them go, his heart filled with rage and betrayal. As Lukas got into the car, Miguel's anger burned hotter. How could someone he thought was his friend betray him like this? And why had Sam shut him out of her life?

What he did understand was that he had to end Lukas at the tournament. No mercy.

🐍

The drive back to Sam's house was filled with an uncomfortable silence. Lukas kept his eyes on the road, occasionally glancing at Sam to make sure she was alright. She stared out the window, lost in her thoughts, while Hannah tried to lighten the mood.

"Nice friend you've made at West Valley, Lukas," Hannah quipped, attempting a smile.

Sam didn't respond and simply said, "I don't want to talk about it," before heading inside her house the moment they arrived.

Robby turned to Lukas, looking determined. "Drop me here too. I need to get some stuff out."

Lukas gave Robby a concerned look but nodded. "Alright, good night."

"Good night," Robby replied, before heading inside with a heavy heart.

Lukas then drove Hannah home. As they arrived, she turned to him, her usual playful demeanor replaced with genuine concern. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired," Lukas sighed.

"Alright, take care. See you tomorrow," Hannah said as she stepped out of the car.

"See you," Lukas responded, watching her go before driving back home.

When Lukas entered the house, he found Jenna sprawled on the couch, watching TV. She looked up as he walked in. "Hey, how was your night?"

Lukas shrugged, "Eventful."

Jenna noticed the bruises on his face and sat up, her concern evident. "What happened to you?"

Lukas rubbed his temple, wincing. "Had a disagreement with Miguel. He was drunk, and it escalated. He's mad at me."

Jenna frowned, worry etched across her face. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Lukas assured her. "I just need some sleep."

"Alright," Jenna said, though she still looked concerned. "My date went well, by the way, but I don't know if I'll call him back. He's this egocentric car salesman from Van Nuys. But whatever."

Lukas offered a small smile. "Good night, Jenna."

"Good night, Lukas," she replied, watching him head to his room.

🐍

Over the next few days, Lukas noticed Daniel's strange behavior. Daniel had pretty much ghosted him. It was confusing and disheartening. After finding out that Robby was Johnny's kid, Daniel felt lied to and used. He banned Robby from the dojo and the dealership and stopped any karate activities.

Daniel had felt bad that he cut Lukas off, but after that night, he just needed a break from karate.

Concerned, Lukas decided to seek out Robby and found him at the skatepark. Robby was practicing tricks, but his usual enthusiasm was missing. Lukas approached him cautiously.

"Robby," Lukas called out. "We need to talk."

Robby turned, his expression darkening. "I don't want to talk."

"Tough shit," Lukas replied firmly. "I don't know what's going on with Daniel."

Robby sighed heavily. "You know that kid's sensei?"

"Lawrence? Yeah, why?" Lukas asked, perplexed.

"He's my dad," Robby admitted, his voice laden with bitterness.

Lukas's eyes widened in shock. "Are you kidding me?"

Robby shook his head. "No. Johnny Lawrence is my dad."

Robby explained how Johnny and Daniel got into a fight after Lukas had dropped him off, and that Daniel found out and banned him from the dojo and the dealership. He hadn't been over since.

Lukas shook his head in disbelief. "Why didn't you tell me any of that?"

"I started working at the dealership to piss my dad off," Robby confessed. "He wasn't ever present in my life. But then Mr. LaRusso was more of a father figure to me when I started the whole karate thing, and I didn't want to ruin that."

"I get it, but you should have told someone," Lukas insisted. "Mr. LaRusso would have understood."

Robby scoffed. "After the other night? He wouldn't have."

Lukas sighed, repeating what he had said weeks ago to Robby. "We all have things we aren't proud of. But the important thing is you're trying to be better. Going against your dad is ballsy, and Daniel doesn't get it now, but he will."

Robby looked away, his expression conflicted. "I don't know if I want to compete in the tournament anymore."

Lukas placed a hand on his shoulder. "We've come all this way to not compete. We can be individual competitors. We've got a couple of weeks to train some more. Might as well finish it."

Robby hesitated, then nodded slowly. "Alright. Let's finish it."