Daniel had asked Rosalía to go somewhere with him but didn't reveal where. By the look in his eyes, Rosalía could tell it was important to him, so she accepted. Now, the couple is arriving at the cemetery. The woman's stomach turns as she and her husband climb out of the car, knowing they're here to visit an old friend. Daniel grabs his wife's hand and they walk through the grass, passing by various tombstones.
They slow down to a stop in front of the grave of the person they came for. They both feel a pang in their hearts as they read the name on the headstone: Nariyoshi Miyagi. Rosalía swallows the lump in her throat before asking, "why'd you bring me here?" She feels guilty as she stands in front of the grave because she hasn't been here in a while. She and Daniel have been so busy with work, they haven't had time to come here.
"Just needed to talk to him... and I wanted you here when I did because I know how much you miss him," Daniel answers. The woman gives him a sad smile. It's true, she does miss him. She wishes he was still here to give her advice or to joke with. They step closer to the tombstone and Daniel brushes a few sticks off of it before dropping to his knees. Rosalía stands close behind him, gripping her cherry blossom pendant tightly. She feels more connected to Mr. Miyagi this way. "Hey, Mr. Miyagi... I know it's been a few months but better late than never, right," Daniel pipes up.
He sighs, touching the leaves of the bonsai tree next to the grave. "I've been thinking about you a lot lately. I, um... You know, it's... it's funny. When I was a kid, you seemed to always have all the answers and I guess I thought when I got older, I'd have it all figured out too," he voices. Rosalía silently listens with a heavy heart, letting him pour his heart out. "But now I just... feel like I'm clueless. Makes me wonder, was it different for you, or were you just better at hiding it? Maybe that was it, huh?" he continues. He takes a pair of clippers out of his pocket and chuckles. His wife smiles at his words, watching as he starts trimming the leaves of the tree.
"I feel like lately, I've let my anger take control. You know me, I've always been a bit of a hothead so..." he confesses as he cuts more leaves. Rosalía slightly frowns, feeling bad about how confused her husband feels. She steps forward and sets her hands on his shoulders, soothingly rubbing them. Daniel sighs and reaches up to grab one of her hands. "I really wish you could be here right now," he softly chuckles, shaking his head. He bites his lip to keep from crying. Rosalía bends down, dropping to her knees beside him, and wraps an arm around his shoulders. Daniel leans into her, resting his head on her shoulder.
"You're a good person, Daniel... He knew that. He knows that," she softly voices. This causes tears to prick the man's eyes. "All of us feel lost sometimes... I think he'd be really proud of who you are today. He's probably smiling down on us right now," she adds, making Daniel lightly chuckle. A dismal smile forms on Rosalía's face. "He's the only adult who believed in me..." she quietly says, remembering the lack of support for her dreams that she received from her parents. She moves forward and places a hand on the headstone, staring at the engraved words. "Everything I've accomplished, I owe to you. You pushed me to reach for the stars... and I did... I did it," she voices, knowing in her heart that Mr. Miyagi is listening. She can feel his presence.
She fights the tears that threaten to spill. "I got my dream thanks to you. I couldn't have done it without you... I'm just grateful that you got to see it before you left," she adds. A tear escapes her eye and she stands up, leading to Daniel standing up as well. They back up and the man bows to the grave as if Mr. Miyagi were standing right in front of him. He turns to his wife and offers her his hand. She takes it and they're about to walk away when the woman halts. "Oh, wait," she pipes up, returning to the headstone. She inhales a breath before speaking. "I'll see you next November 2nd with pupusas and that whiskey you loved," she addresses Mr. Miyagi.
Every Dia de Los Muertos [Day of the Dead], she and her family decorate his grave with colorful flowers and she brings pupusas or another type of food she loves to make. This is her way of keeping their food-sharing tradition alive, even though he's beyond the grave. "Te quiero mucho [I love you so much]," she softly voices. She kisses her fingertips before pressing them on the top of the headstone. She keeps her hand there for a few seconds before slowly retracting it. "Hasta la próxima... tío [Until next time... uncle]," she concludes, smiling warmly before walking away. She takes her husband's hand and they return to their car.
When they get into the car, Rosalía pipes up, "remember when he lectured us about balance?" Daniel smiles softly and nods. "Yeah..." he chuckles. He looks off in the direction of the grave as he vividly recalls that moment. He can hear Mr. Miyagi's voice in his head, "Daniel-san..." Rosalía stares out the windshield as she thinks about that same moment, hearing Miyagi's voice in her head. She remembers it like it was yesterday. "Lesson about balance for you too." They both smile as they think about his words. Mr. Miyagi may be gone physically, but he will always be alive in their hearts and in their memories. He can never truly be gone, Daniel and Rosalía will make sure of it.
[[[[[[[[[[]]]]]]]]]]
Daniel unlocks the door to the dojo and takes a step inside. He scans the packed room and sighs, he's determined to empty it. While he's moving things out of the room, Rosalía approaches and sees all the items in the hallway. She goes into the dojo and smiles when she sees her husband. "Need a hand?" she asks, smiling kindly. Daniel spins around, seeing his wife in the doorway. "Sure," he responds, returning the smile. Rosalía helps him take everything out. With the two of them, the room becomes uncluttered fast. They clean and hang up pictures frames and wall hangings. Rosalía finishes wiping down a shelf and whirls around, spotting her husband wiping a picture frame.
She nears him and peeks over his shoulder, discovering that it's a photo of Mr. Miyagi. Daniel places it on a shelf next to a small plant. The pair smiles as they study the photo. Daniel wraps his arm around the woman's waist, pulling her into his side and kissing her temple. "We did a good job," Rosalía comments, glancing around. "Yeah... wanna stay with me while I practice?" Daniel asks, turning to look at her face. His wife smiles at this. "Do you still get distracted?" she teases, making the man laugh. "Why don't we find out," he responds. Rosalía wants to stay but she suddenly remembers that she has to go to the dealership.
"Shit... I'd love to but I forgot I have to interview this kid today at the dealership. I'm sorry," she voices, slightly pouting. Daniel's a bit disappointed that she has to go but he understands. "It's okay... next time," he assures her. He leans in to capture her lips in a kiss. When they pull away, Rosalía says, "bye" before exiting the dojo to get ready for work.
*Time skip*
LaRusso Auto Group
Rosalía sits in her office with a young man sitting on the other side of her desk. "Wow, this is an impressive high school transcript. Are you sure you want to sweep up around here? Shouldn't you be in college?" she remarks as she reviews the boy's transcript. The boy chuckles and replies, "just taking some time off to figure things out. This is exactly where I want to be." Rosalía smiles at him. "Ugh, believe me, I totally understand that," she claims, remembering how she did the same thing.
"Okay, well, I'd love for you to meet my husband but he's taking a personal day," she adds, setting the sheets down on the keyboard in front of her. She looks up at the boy and questions, "can you start Monday?" He plasters a smile on his face. "Absolutely," he confirms. Rosalía smiles politely at him. "Great! Welcome to the LaRusso family," she declares as she stands up. The boy stands up too and Rosalía sticks her hand out. He takes her hand, giving it a firm shake. Oh, if my dad knew whose hand I'm shaking right now, he thinks.