Miyagi nodded. "Man say, 'Kindness no change wounded snake. You pity scoundrel, scoundrel bite you.'"
"It bites you in the ass, huh?" Daniel raised a brow.
"Not just ass. For whole life." Mr. Miyagi smiled dismally.
Daniel laughed a bit, still trying to respect the story. "You have to kill the snake? That's kinda..." he pulled a disgusted face.
"Man cut snake into pieces." the elder gestured a knife moving with his hand. "Like sushi, eh?"
"Eugh, Mr. Miyagi!" Daniel groaned.
The old man chuckled tenderly. "Daniel-san," he said, patting the teen's head. "You good, kind student."
"Thanks, Mr. Miyagi."
Daniel snapped back to the present, taking a slow, deep breath. He felt the moment. He knew how to control his anger, the inner warrior yearning to fight and resist the snake's evil grip.
"You're really sick, man!" Johnny clenched his thumbs outside of his fist, ready to put up another brawl. He concealed pain in his eyes, but it gave out darkly in seconds. Like a predator on its prey, Kreese's hands shoved Johnny and forced him into a tight hold, his arms locked around the boy's neck.
Daniel felt his blood boil at the sight. No mercy. Daniel felt the rage behind those words. He never knew the powerful fist two words made. It was as if some things were made only to destroy, only to be made into weapons.
On impulse, Daniel crossed his way over, accompanied by a vigorous force in his leg that let him run. He was running. It was a gift. "Hey, let go of him."
"Beat it, LaRusso. No one's gonna defend you when you're next." Kreese threatened.
Daniel didn't have time to process those words, but maybe they were just used to inflict fear. Like weapons. But no. Daniel wasn't alone. He was perfectly capable of getting Johnny out of trouble. Suddenly, on another impulse, Daniel forced a punch on Kreese that made him drop his guard and release Johnny.
Johnny gasped for air on the rainy sidewalk, bending over for a second. He struggled to get himself back, coping with the new pace of air in his lungs. His icy blue orbs lowered to his sensei, trying to breathe out some form of apology in muddled words.
The brunet looked at Johnny with careful sincerity, not the kind of feeling either of them really explored. "You okay?" he exhaled a good rush of emotion.
"LaRusso..." Johnny exhaled lightly. "Why'd you..." he looked to Daniel, shaking his head slightly in disbelief, then panted softly. "Where'd you even come from?"
Daniel smiled softly. "Jersey."
Johnny gave a breathy laugh.
"So the man in the story was married?"
Mr. Miyagi nodded once. "Hai. Man had love, compassion."
Daniel hummed gingerly, falling into a smile. "That's nice."
"You love Ali?" the wise man probed.
"No, I don't think she loves me." Daniel shook his head. "We're just too different. Two different worlds. I'm down here in Reseda, she's up there in the hills where she belongs, and it doesn't work."
"Up, down, no different. Think different feeling."
"Different... feeling? What do you mean different feeling, Mr. Miyagi?" Daniel searched.
"You feel different. Ali like to chase. But you have gift, sensitive, deep feeling."
Daniel thought for a moment. "Deep feeling?" he laughed a bit. "What does this have to do with the story?"
One World
Start from the beginning
