Cobra Kai: The Dragon Warrior

When Dash realized he had a new chance to live a different life, he felt inexplicably happy and calm at the same time. There weren't many things that caught his attention beyond what could be done with the body.

That is, he had been bedridden for a long time, and now the air he could breathe was more abundant than he enjoyed even with an air mask attached to his body. When Dash could feel that he had more strength at eleven than at thirteen, that's too long before he died. Seeing all those sports competitions, he wanted to do something now that he could. He didn't want to let his greatest treasure, which is now his body, rust without doing anything.

After dying in an inexplicable feeling of fear, anguish, and loneliness, Dash wanted to erase those feelings from his heart and knew that the only way to do it was to be someone better.

"Mr. Hale, your father requested a complete check-up right after leaving school," said the driver who picked him up as soon as he left school.

Dash, who was immersed in his thoughts, shook his head and said, "The teacher definitely exaggerated things; it wasn't as dramatic as she mentioned on the call. The last thing I want is to spend the rest of the day in a hospital. I'm fine, and if you don't think I am, let me talk to my father, and I'll handle it."

Perhaps it was because Dash's father was someone very serious, at least the one he remembered in his bold life; he knew that things would be understood if a detailed explanation was given.

Still, memories with his father were few. He spent most of his time managing the liquor company he owned, a very large one, and the profits were, of course, unthinkable.

But in general, that company kept him far away from the family, and now that he thinks about it, it's natural. Dash now wishes more than ever to train his body; he wanted to see how far he could go, and for that, he needed to face his father.

Usually, to achieve this, it's just a call to his father, and the only way to contact him is for his employees to call him.

"[Mr. Hale, I talked to your son, and he said everything is fine. I insisted on taking him to the hospital, but he refuses and instead requested to talk to you...]"

There was a slight silence after that, but a minute later, there was a response: "[Put me in touch with him.]"

"Here you go..."

Dash nodded and received the cell phone; then, he put it to his ear and spoke, "Father, it's Dash..."

"[Give me a valid reason not to consider what you're doing as an immature tantrum. You know my time is limited, and I just postponed a meeting for ten minutes because of you.]"

Yes, that was his father that he very well remembered. Maybe it was because of the time, but then Dash could swear that his father expected him to die to stop causing trouble to the family; it often sounds a bit harsh, but that's the reality.

Many people mention that money matters, and they're right, but the rich sometimes have the most bitter life. Only those who have been through hell can say that every life has its difficulties, and it's no different to cry on a half-million-dollar bed than in a family where people love each other unconditionally.

After arranging his plans, Dash said, "It was just an anxiety attack. I fell asleep and dreamed that I was kicked in front of Devon... It was embarrassing, so from now on, I want to start training my body. To be honest, it would be fun if I could learn some martial art like Karate or Kung Fu..."

The moment Dash said that, there was a long silence, and he thought he had made a mistake in giving such a cheap excuse not to go to a hospital. Truth be told, he didn't want to set foot in a hospital in his life if possible.

"[If you can't withstand the words you said, you will be punished. If the coach says you are incapacitated with some quality related to what happened at school, then you will also be punished. Do you understand what I'm telling you?]"

"I understand, Father; I won't retract my words..." Dash immediately hung up the call, passed the cell phone to the driver, and sighed.

...

In a large building, Frederick Hale looked at the call that had been hung up by his son and frowned slightly. A call ends when the one you called hangs up, not the other way around.

"It seems you pushed his son into a somewhat tough decision by mentioning the meeting. Do you think he's lying?" John, who is Frederick's secretary, asked.

"My son doesn't lie, but it did catch me off guard with the training..." Frederick was happy yet angry that his son disappointingly gave up on the training, which doctors claimed was precisely what he needed to improve his weak-born body's condition.

"Did you contact any martial arts masters?"

"No, I'll send Mr. Kim; he mentioned in his resume that he learned Chinese martial arts, so while he trains my son, everything might be fine." Frederick thought that, with luck, something would be gained from this. Weak people are often prey in society's food chain, and the last thing he wants is to see his son humiliated by inept children.

...

At the Hale residence, Dash got out of the car that picked him up, and only one word escaped his mouth: "Shit!"

The house he used to live in increased by ten. What kind of further changes had there been in his life that seemed the same but different? He had the same parents; obviously, Devon Lee didn't know her in his previous life, but that was understandable since he never attended school. Still, there were subtle details that changed overnight.

The moment Dash walked toward the house, there were no noticeable changes in his face, but his thoughts were in chaos.

Generally, life had treated him so badly that very few things surprised him. But when he believed everything would be the same as in his previous life but without that horrible disease, he was completely wrong.

Upon entering the house, as expected, there was no one except some workers helping in the garden or cleaning the house. His mother, as usual, should be with his father, so he immediately walked to his room.

How did he remember it? Intuition. He walked slowly, and when he saw the door to a room, he immediately knew it was his, so upon entering, he was not mistaken.

"First, I'll take off these clothes and put on something more comfortable..." Dash came to this conclusion, so he quickly changed, left the clothes he had worn before in a special basket, and then lay down on the bed.

Bip-bip!

But at that moment, his cellphone vibrated, and seeing that it was a message from Devon Lee saying, "[Were you able to avoid going to the hell they call the hospital?]"

"Luckily, I did. I'll stop watching only those stupid movies you recommend about serial killers..." Dash replied with a smile on his face.

Having a friend, even if it's a girl, was what Dash always longed for. Memories with Devon Lee were very clear, and although they prefer enemies, their friendship is sincere between them.

Devon Lee: "[I told you to watch those movies together. It's a shame your father will punish you by taking away access to the home theater after failing the Spanish exams... Idiot, I told you to quit those stupid video games that not only suck the life out of you but also make you more foolish.]"

Dash smiled and replied, "Being a YouTuber is the highlight now. Maybe you're a girl who spends her time reading books and wasting time arguing, but that doesn't rule out other things. Keep an open mind."

Devon Lee: "[Give me more reasons not to help you with things you don't know... Anyway, if something comes up, see you this weekend.]"

That "if something comes up, see you this weekend" for Dash is like saying, "Don't bother me; I'll read a marathon of an unknown writer talking about some idiotic topic that Devon feels curious about." Her strict rule of adapting to any situation after losing at something is really hard to deal with.

"I'll spend my time locked up playing..." Dash said jokingly, and just as he was about to turn off his cellphone, he received a new message.

"Now what? I remember I don't have another friend..."

Murmured Dash, but when he saw the message, he frowned.

Dre Parker: "[I'm going to China, bro. This is freaking crazy.]"

"[They're going to feed me cats, for the love of all heavens, I don't want to leave Detroit...]"

"Why does this sound familiar?" Dash thought as a déjà vu crossed his somewhat muddled memories.