Okinawa
Daniel and Chozen are standing in the middle of the mat. Daniel is sporting a white gi while Chozen is in a brown one. Rosalía is sitting on a bench on the side, ready to see what's about to go down. "Are you sure you just don't want to show me the scrolls?" her husband asks his old foe. Chozen doesn't answer as he just shifts his weight, making Daniel sigh and do the same thing. They bow to each other, making sure to maintain eye contact. "Now let us see how much you really know," Chozen states.
"I don't know what you want to–"
Daniel is abruptly cut off when Chozen suddenly tries to hit him. He quickly defends himself, blocking Chozen's hand. Chozen continues to come at him with multiple punches and kicks, which Daniel blocks before the former finally lands a kick to his torso. Rosalía raises her eyebrows as she witnesses this, sneakily reaching into her purse. She grabs a few corn nuts before popping them into her mouth when she knows Chozen isn't looking. She's not sure if he'd yell at her for eating in here or not but she'd rather avoid finding out.
Daniel launches at Chozen, who effortlessly defends himself. The match continues until Chozen eventually manages to strike Daniel in the stomach before bending down and hitting him under his butt. Daniel grunts and falls to his knees as he holds his aching thigh. "God! What the hell?!" he exclaims, shooting a glare at Chozen. Rosalía discreetly pops more corn nuts into her mouth as she watches. Daniel turns to her with a look as if to ask: did you just see that? She gleams and gives him a thumbs up. "You're doing great, babe!"
He lightheartedly rolls his eyes at her words before standing up and facing the man across from him. Chozen sends him a mocking grin. "So, your sensei did not teach you everything," he says. Daniel just gazes at him suspectingly. "Are you sure that was Miyagi-Do karate? Didn't seem like self-defense to me," he accusingly retorts, not convinced. "Defense takes on many forms," Chozen conveys.
Rosalía nods when she hears this, agreeing with him. It makes a lot of sense. "That is so true," she voices, catching the men's attention. Chozen eyes her suspiciously. "Are you eating?" he inquires, having heard a crunch. The woman slightly tenses up but rapidly hides it. "No," she denies. The man narrows his eyes at her and she sends him an innocent smile. "Mmm," Chozen grumbles, deciding to let it go.
Chozen explains the story behind the special techniques the Miyagi ancestors designed to kill their enemies as the two men continue training. When Daniel tries to reason that perhaps Mr. Miyagi never told him about any of this because he wanted to protect him and that there was no more reason to kill, Chozen responds with, "sometimes you have no choice but to kill." The two men are currently outside on a sparring deck. Rosalía is sitting by the deck on a folding beach chair, watching them. She feels like she's at a WWE event, but with karate instead of wrestling.
The men continue to fight. Chozen kicks Daniel in the butt, making his knees buckle. He lunges at him again but Daniel pushes himself off of the deck, jumping out of the way. Chozen goes to kick him but Daniel catches his leg, flipping both of them to the ground. Daniel strains a bit to get back up and walks to the opposite side of the deck. Meanwhile, Chozen slowly straightens up, shifting his eyes to his opponent. "Ah!" he yells as he hits the deck underneath him with his fist before fully standing up.
Rosalía watches in anticipation as her husband gets into his fighting position. Chozen stands across from him with his arms down. Suddenly, he balls his fists and crosses his arms before opening them until they're shoulder-width apart, breathing deeply as he does so. He waves his arms around and turns his body to the side, bringing his open palms in front of him, one facing up and one facing down. He then lowers his left arm, extending it out to his bottom left, while raising his bent right arm above his head as he focuses his gaze on Daniel.
Daniel throws a punch but Chozen swiftly spins around, swinging his arm around to block his opponent's hit. Daniel tries to punch him with his other hand, which Chozen catches as well. Rosalía leans forward in her seat, fully invested. Suddenly, Chozen strikes Daniel under his bicep, causing his arm to go limp. He glances at his arm in shock before gazing at Chozen. "What did you do?" he fearfully queries. Chozen doesn't respond. Instead, he sends a powerful kick beneath the other man's knee, making his leg go numb.
Daniel's knee buckles and he falls onto it. He internally panics, horrified by the fact that two of his limbs are completely numb. He tries to defend himself, swinging his able arm at his opponent. Chozen catches it, however, and steps behind him, striking that bicep as well. Daniel's arm falls limp as he loses all feeling in it. He pants as he remains kneeled on the deck, not being able to move. Chozen straightens his gi as he smugly walks around the man. He grips Daniel by the hair on the back of his head, lifting his head.
Daniel stares at the man with huge eyes, utterly petrified for his life. Chozen lifts his free arm up in the same way that Daniel did all those years ago. Daniel desperately wants to turn his head to look at his wife but he can't due to the current state he's in. "R-Rosalía... run!" he chokes out, hoping his wife will hear and listen to him. She doesn't listen, however. Instead, she gets out of her chair to get a closer look. "I have waited a long time for this," Chozen threateningly claims. "Chozen... no," Daniel pleads, fearfully gazing up at the man.
Chozen releases a loud yell and swings his hand down. Daniel flinches when his hand stops right before it could touch his face, his eyes practically popping out of his head. Suddenly, Chozen squeezes his nose. "Honk," he voices before letting his opponent drop to the floor. He starts cackling, absolutely satisfied with what he just did. Daniel, on the other hand, isn't as amused. "I'm glad... you're having fun at my expense," he snaps, glancing at Chozen before looking down again.
"Oh, you should've seen your face!" Chozen pokes fun before imitating Daniel's face and mock whimpering. He bursts into laughter again and turns to Rosalía. "Did you see his face?" he asks through his laughter, pointing at the man who's now standing in front of him. The woman nods as she lets out a loud cackle. "Yeah," she chuckles. "It was way funnier than I thought it was gonna be," she remarks, laughing again. Daniel shoots her a shocked look. "What? You were in on it??" he exclaims. Rosalía nods as her laughter starts to calm down.
"He told me what he was gonna do before we came out here," she explains as she climbs onto the deck. She approaches Chozen and high-fives him as they both chuckle. Daniel looks between them in shock. How did he not notice when they were plotting this? No wonder she was silent while it was happening, he thinks.
He shakes his head, focusing on the question he has for the other man. "What..." he murmurs, glancing at his arms before lifting his gaze to Chozen. "What technique was that?" he asks. He looks down at his hands before meeting Chozen's eyes again. "My limbs were totally numb!" he claims in pure awe.
Rosalía smiles fondly, finding his amazement so adorable. "Secret Miyagi pressure points," Chozen answers. His whole demeanor has changed. He finally looks relaxed and happy rather than angry like he previously did. Daniel tilts his head and furrows his eyebrows, totally baffled. "If an enemy insists on war... then you take away their ability to wage it. Yeah?" Chozen depicts calmly. Rosalía can practically see the light bulb turning on in her husband's head as he softly grins and nods.
"Can you teach me?" he hopefully asks, gazing at the other man like an excited child. Chozen sends him a closed-lipped smile. "Hm," he deeply hums as he firmly nods. Rosalía sets her hands on her hips as she smugly grins at Chozen. "You know, this is like the first genuine smile I've ever seen on you since..." she pauses as she thinks. "All of time," she finishes, causing her husband to quietly chuckle. Chozen's grin broadens, amused by her claim.
[[[[[[[[[[]]]]]]]]]]
Diaz Apartment
The two teens are laying in Miguel's bed, cuddled up together. The boy has his arm around Selena while her head rests on his chest. Selena had helped him onto the bed three hours ago before lying down next to him, snuggling into his side. The two eventually fell asleep like this and are barely waking up now. The boy slowly opens his eyes, and the first thing he sees is the ceiling. He rubs his eyes and lets out a yawn before his eyes fall upon the girl's head on his chest. A soft smile makes its way onto his lips, his heart swelling up at the sight.
He can't believe that she's here, cuddling with him in his bed. He still can't believe that she has feelings for him. It all seems too good to be true. He truly hopes it's not some sort of dream. If it is, he never wants to wake up. Selena begins to stir before her eyes flutter open. Feeling a warm body underneath her, she lifts her head to look up at the boy's face. A lazy smile creeps onto her face as she meets his eyes. "Hey," she groggily voices. "Hey," Miguel whispers back, grinning at her. He finds the slight raspiness in her voice adorable.
"Ah, man, I didn't realize when I fell asleep," Selena chuckles as she rubs her eyes. "It's okay. Neither did I. I just woke up too," the boy informs her. The girl nods and moves off of his chest to lay down next to him. She lays on her side as she gazes at the boy. Said boy gazes back with a twinkle in his eyes, entranced by the girl's beauty. A certain thought crosses his mind, something he's been thinking about for a while. "Soooo," he trails off with a sheepish grin. The corners of Selena's mouth curl up. "Soooo," she repeats, making Miguel chuckle nervously.
"There's something I've been meaning to ask you," he mentions. The girl only hums in response, waiting for him to proceed. The boy clears his throat, becoming more anxious by the second. "Um, we know about each other's feelings and everything but, uh... we're not exactly... official, are we?" he questions in a matter-of-fact tone. Selena has thought about this too so she's glad that he's bringing it up. "I mean, technically, I guess not," she replies. "Right..." Miguel trails off, looking away from her nervously.
He doesn't know why he's so nervous, he already knows that the feeling is mutual. "So, um, what I wanna say is, uh... What I wanna ask– Um, you know– if- if you want–" he stumbles over his words. "Miguel," Selena cuts off his babbling, setting her hand on his chest. The boy stares at her with his lips slightly parted and shocked eyes. The girl sends him a warm smile. "Are you trying to ask me to be your girlfriend?" she queries, the amusement clear in her voice. Miguel's face heats up at this. "Y-yeah," he mumbles, mentally slapping himself for acting so dorky.
Asking a girl out has always been scary to him but this time it's beyond petrifying despite there being no reason for him to be afraid. Although this is Selena Juarez LaRusso we're talking about... "I would love to be your girlfriend," the girl states with bright eyes. Miguel gulps, feeling like his heart is about to leap out of his chest. "Really?" he mumbles, ogling at her. The girl gleams, nodding in confirmation. "Yeah... As long as you'll be my boyfriend," she jokes. Miguel's smile widens. "Of course I will," he accepts.
The two gleefully chuckle, feeling on top of the world. They gaze at each other for a moment and Miguel's eyes dart to the girl's lips, which she takes note of. She lifts her upper body and leans her head toward the boy's face until their lips collide. She smiles into the kiss, her heart beating like crazy. Bidi bidi bom bom, she thinks. She finally found the person to make her heart sound like that. They pull apart, leaving Miguel with a dazed facial expression, which makes the girl giggle. He beams at her until his eyes wander past her.
His smile fades when he spots the wheelchair in the corner of the room. Selena notices his mood shift and turns around, spotting the wheelchair as well. She feels a pang in her heart, realizing that he just got reminded of his current situation. She turns back to him and softly utters, "Hey... I know this is hard, but it'll get better. You'll walk again." She never knows what the right thing to say is. Is there a right thing to say about this? She wishes she knew exactly what to say to make the boy feel better. Miguel lightly sighs, shaking his head.
"But what if I don't? What happens then?" he inquires. He looks at the girl with vulnerable eyes. "Will you still be here?" he asks, his voice small. Deep down, he knows that she'll always be here but he can't prevent the intrusive thoughts from invading his mind. He's terrified. Selena's heart aches when she hears this. "Of course I will! As I told you at the hospital, I'm not going anywhere. Okay? I promise," she assures him, taking his face in her hand. Her words calm the boy down a bit and he nods.
Selena pecks his forehead before propping her elbow on the pillow and resting her head on her hand. Silence takes over as she plays with her boyfriend's hair in an attempt to soothe him. Miguel closes his eyes, relaxing at her touch. A few seconds later though, he opens his eyes and stares up at the ceiling. He turns his head to look at the girl and quietly asks, "do you really think I'll walk again?" Selena just gazes at him for a second before lightly nodding. "I do," she affirms. "In the meantime though, we could upgrade your chair," she adds, confusing Miguel.
"We could put X's on the wheels so you can be like Professor X... but minus the telepathy," she says, giving the boy a small playful grin. Miguel huffs out a laugh and shakes his head, leading Selena to laugh along. He shakes his head as he continues laughing, completely entertained by her words. "Ah, man, I hate you," he chuckles. "No, you don't," Selena slyly counters, smiling smugly. "No, I don't..." Miguel trails off, grinning adoringly at her. "I'd like to have telepathy though," he randomly mentions, looking up in thought.
Selena scoffs. "Who wouldn't?" she remarks. All of a sudden, there's a knock at the door before Carmen opens it and walks in. "Miggy?" she calls, smiling when she sees the pair laying down, knowing it's totally innocent. She's noticed how Selena is the only thing that's made Miguel genuinely smile lately. Selena sits up when the woman enters, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Sorry," she nervously speaks. "No, no, it's no problem," Carmen assures her, waving her hand dismissively.
"Anyway, Johnny offered to take you guys out for a few hours," she reveals what she came in here for. Selena gives her a surprised look. "You guys?' Including me?" she inquires, taken aback. "Mhm," Carmen hums, nodding. "Que dicen? [What do you guys say?]" she questions. The teens turn to each other and shrug, nonverbally agreeing that they're down. "Sure," they simultaneously reply.
[[[[[[[[[[]]]]]]]]]]
Okinawa
Rosalía and Daniel hold hands as they walk behind Chozen down the side of a mountain. "Well, that was definitely a side of Miyagi-Do karate I never knew existed. But I get why Mr. Miyagi didn't want me to know it," Daniel remarks. "Oof, yeah. Especially with how angry you get. I can imagine the catastrophe," his wife teasingly comments. Daniel shoots her a pointed look, slightly smiling. She just grins smugly before speaking again.
"I'm actually not that surprised about this side of Miyagi-Do. One time, Mr. Miyagi said that you can never stop a war by taking part in one. I told him that I didn't think staying neutral was always an option and he didn't disagree. I guess he already knew that," she conveys. "Hai," Chozen agrees. The trio makes it to the bottom of the steps, finishing their trail along the mountainside. "Your sensei is a man of great honor. I can only hope to be like him," the man expresses. The couple is now walking by his side and they send him a sympathetic look.
"Hey, you only did what your sensei told you to do," Daniel tells him. "Yeah, and you've clearly changed a lot since then. I think you truly are a man of honor now," Rosalía chimes in, hoping to make the man from her past feel better. Said man smiles gratefully at her. "Thank you," he replies. He suddenly stops in his tracks while the couple keeps moving. They halt as well when they notice that he's no longer walking with them. They turn around, eyeing him skeptically. Chozen has an ashamed look on his face as he lowers his gaze.
"After our fight, I felt great shame. I... I wanted to die," he embarrassedly admits. "But my uncle saved me. He gave me a chance to prove myself. I spent my life trying to do just that. But... regret is sometimes difficult to overcome," he expresses. Rosalía feels bad for him upon hearing this. She's just glad that he was able to redeem himself. It's proof that people can change. Not everyone who starts as a villain stays a villain. "I understand... And if it means anything, Chozen, I... I forgive you," Daniel pipes up.
A small smile graces Chozen's lips. "It means a great deal," he states. His eyes shift to Rosalía, hoping she'll say something too. The woman sends him a kind grin. "I forgive you too... The important thing is that you redeemed yourself, turned your life around," she addresses him. The man is relieved by her words. He's glad he's finally making amends with the people he hurt so long ago. "Thank you. That means a lot," he responds, grinning at her. Rosalía's smile widens as she nods.
"Oh, and since we're putting all our cards on the table... um, I'm sorry for trying to choke you," she adds, slightly grimacing. The man releases a chuckle. "Ah, it's fine. I deserved it," he assures her. "Yeah, you did," the woman agrees, causing the three to laugh. Daniel comments once the laughter dies down, "if only every rivalry could end like this." He releases a short dry chuckle at the thought. His wife nods and hums in agreement, knowing who he's referring to. "What do you mean?" Chozen inquires, puzzled.
"Uh, nothing. It's a different situation," Daniel dismisses, making the other man nod. "Hey, we're meeting Kumiko before our flight. You should join us!" Rosalía suggests, smiling kindly. Chozen offers her a small grin. "Thank you but, uh, I have a class to teach," he politely declines. "So, uh, you go down this path and you catch a taxi from there," he instructs the pair, gesturing toward the path. "Well, uh, I'd say thanks but you kinda kicked my ass today," Daniel chuckles. "And it was really funny," Rosalía chimes in, making Chozen laugh.
Daniel playfully rolls his eyes before focusing on the man across from him again. "So I'm... just gonna say goodbye," he concludes. Chozen smiles at the two before bidding farewell and bowing his head. Rosalía offers him a final smile and waves goodbye before she and her husband spin around and begin to stride away. All of a sudden, Chozen calls out, "Daniel-san!" The pair stops in their tracks and turns around. "What?" Daniel asks as they go back to the man. Chozen reaches into his satchel and pulls out a small scroll.
The same scroll he refused to show Daniel. He holds it with both hands and lifts it out in front of him. "You keep for your collection," he tells Daniel with a kind look on his face. The couple turns to each other, smiling before looking back at Chozen. Why am I getting deja vu? Rosalía wonders, swearing she's heard Chozen say that exact line before. Daniel takes the scroll and grins, happy that Chozen decided to trust him with it. The two men bow to each other.
When they straighten up, Chozen looks at Rosalía. Now they bow to each other, grinning when they straighten up. With that, Rosalía and Daniel turn around and finally walk away, both filled with a sense of peace. It feels so great to bury the hatchet with an old enemy. If Daniel can make amends with someone like Chozen, who literally tried to kill him, then there's hope for ending another long-lasting rivalry... At least that's what Rosalía believes.
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Daniel 🤝 Miguel = Being whipped for the Juarez women
Selena and Miguel are gonna be so adorable, I can't wait 🥺 "Quiet" by Camila Cabello reminds me of them! 🥰 And I loved Rosalía and Chozen pranking Daniel haha, they're gonna be iconic in season 5. Speaking of season 5, I really do hope Mike Barnes comes back because his interactions with Rosalía would be... oh, gosh. We all know why 👀