Lukas stood in front of his Aunt Jenna, trying to muster up the courage to tell her his plans for the day. He lived with his Aunt ever since his parents tragically died in a car accident, and she had taken him in with open arms. She was a jokester, always cracking puns and making Lukas smile even on his toughest days.

She always had a knack for cheering him up, but always felt powerless to help her nephew, who was a lot different than herself.

"Hey, Aunt Jenna," Lukas began, trying to act casual, "I'm heading out to hang out with Hannah today."

Aunt Jenna raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a knowing smile. "Hannah, huh? You two are pretty tight, huh?"

Lukas laughed nervously, playing along with the cover story he had crafted in his mind. "Yeah, we're just good friends, you know? Gonna grab some pizza and catch a movie or something."

Aunt Jenna gave him a playful wink. "Alright, alright, have fun with your 'good friend.' Don't stay out too late."

"It's not like that," Lukas replied sheepishly. "she's just my friend."

"Keep telling yourself that."

"Goodbye!"

With a sigh of relief, Lukas left the house, feeling the weight of his secret plans heavy on his chest. He was headed to Daniel LaRusso's home in Encino.

Ever since Daniel had saved him from Tyler and his gang, he had offered to train Lukas in self-defense. It was a generous offer, but Lukas couldn't shake off his nerves and hesitations.

Nevertheless, he decided to give Daniel a chance.

Leaving Aunt Jenna with her playful smirk, Lukas made his way to his car. He drove from Van Nuys to Encino, the anticipation building in his chest. He had seen Daniel's karate skills in action and knew that training with him would be a whole new experience.

Upon arriving at Daniel's house, Lukas was surprised when the training started with seemingly mundane tasks like wax on-wax off, which was basically waxing the cars outside of his home.

Then they got to sanding the floor, which was a bit weird if this was considered karate training.

He couldn't help but feel like he was being used to do house chores, for cheap labor. He thought Daniel was taking advantage of a vulnerable kid to do his house chores for him.

He is a car salesman anyway.

However, he trusted Daniel enough to see where this was going.

Weeks went by, and Lukas diligently followed Daniel's instructions, waxing cars, sanding the floor, and performing other seemingly mundane tasks. His worries began to intensify and he really began to wonder if he was just being used for cheap labor, but he kept his doubts to himself.

One day, Lukas couldn't hold back his hesitations any longer and decided to confront Daniel. Shyly, he asked, "Um, Mr. LaRusso, I've been doing all these chores, and I was just wondering if you're using me for free labor or something."

Daniel let out a sigh, realizing Lukas's concerns. "I get why you might feel that way, but trust me, there's a method to my madness," he said with a reassuring smile. He showed Lukas how the cleaning movements were teaching muscle-building techniques and defense moves.

Daniel let out a sigh, realizing Lukas's concerns. "I get why you might feel that way, but trust me, there's a method to my madness," he said with a reassuring smile. He showed Lukas how the cleaning movements were teaching muscle-building techniques and defense moves.

Lukas watched with his eyebrows raised, he was curious as to what Daniels methods to his madness really were.

"You see, every move has a purpose, and it's not just about cleaning," Daniel explained. He then demonstrated the practical application of the movements, showing Lukas how they could be used in real-life self-defense situations.

"Show me 'Wax on, wax off,'" Daniel said, demonstrating the motion.

Lukas mimicked the action, and Daniel followed up with "Show me 'Sand the floor.'"

Lukas followed suit, seeing the practicality of the move.

The boy grinned, realizing that Daniel's methods were clever and effective. He had been learning all along, and he felt a surge of trust and confidence in his new teacher.

"Holy shit," Lukas exclaimed. "that's actually really clever."

Daniel laughed, recalling his own training with Mr. Miyagi. "I'm treating you a lot better than Mr. Miyagi treated me," he joked.

Curiosity sparked within Lukas as he heard the name Mr. Miyagi. Daniel mentioned him a bit ago, but Lukas still had no idea who he was.

"Who's Mr. Miyagi?" he asked, eager to learn more about Daniel's karate mentor.

As they continued training, Daniel shared stories about Mr. Miyagi, his wisdom, and the life lessons he had imparted.

As their training continued over the next few weeks, Lukas found himself opening up to Daniel. He shared with Daniel the pain of losing his parents and how Aunt Jenna had become his guardian angel. In turn, Daniel revealed that he had lost his own father when he was just eight years old, understanding the void that losing a parent could leave in a person's life.

"I lost my Dad when I was eight," Daniel explained. "trust me man, it's not fun."

Lukas nodded, he knew that his Aunt was trying her best with raising him, and he loved her for it. It felt nice to talk with someone that had experienced something similar.

The summer days were long and hot, but Lukas's dedication to training grew. He admired Daniel's patience and determination in teaching him the art of karate, not just as a means of defense, but also as a way of life.

During one of their training sessions, Lukas confidently mentioned Tyler and his gang. "Now that I'm learning karate, I feel like I could take them on," Lukas said, his fists clenching with determination.

Daniel shook his head with a chuckle, knowing all too well why Lukas would want to get back at him.

Daniel put a hand on Lukas's shoulder, gently stopping him. "I know it's tempting, but I want you to promise me something. Karate is not about seeking fights or revenge. Mr. Miyagi taught me that a big rule of Miyagi-Do is to let the fight come to you. Don't engage unless you have to. Okay?"

Lukas nodded, absorbing the wisdom in Daniel's words. He promised not to engage Tyler and his friends in a fight, understanding the true meaning of karate and the responsibility that came with it.

—————

The summer had been eventful for the LaRusso family, especially for Sam, Daniel's daughter. She had noticed her father spending more and more time with a boy named Lukas, someone she had never met and only heard about a few weeks ago. While she was glad her father was mentoring someone, a part of her couldn't help but feel a bit jealous. She had always been close to her father, and now it seemed like Lukas was taking up a significant portion of his time.

This jealousy made Sam a bit more rebellious, challenging authority in small ways. She pushed back on some of the family rules and questioned her father's decisions, something she rarely did before. Amanda, Daniel's wife, noticed the change in Sam's behavior and decided it was time to have a chat with her husband.

One evening, as they sat together after dinner, Amanda gently broached the subject with Daniel. "Daniel, I know Lukas seems like a nice kid, but is it possible for him to look at other dojos in the valley?" she asked, concern etched on her face. "I just want to make sure you're not spreading yourself too thin, especially with the dealership and our family."

Daniel paused, taking a moment to reflect on Amanda's words. He didn't want to give up on Lukas, he saw so much of his younger self in the boy, without being a hothead. He knew how important it was to have someone believe in you, especially during challenging times. He had all of that with Mr. Miyagi.

However, he also understood Amanda's perspective and the need to prioritize their family.

"I won't give up on Lukas," Daniel replied firmly, looking into Amanda's eyes. "He needs someone in his corner, and I see so much potential in him. But I promise I'll find a better balance. Family and work are my priorities, and I won't forget that."

The following day, Daniel sat down with Lukas, explaining that their training sessions wouldn't be as frequent for a while. Lukas nodded understandingly, knowing that Daniel had other responsibilities and commitments.

"Hey, don't worry. I never thought you were ditching your family for me or anything," Lukas joked, trying to lighten the mood. "I know you have a life outside of karate."

Daniel chuckled, appreciating Lukas's understanding and sense of humor. "Thanks, Lukas. I want to help you, but I also want to be there for my family," he said sincerely.

Meanwhile, Sam came into the kitchen one morning and saw her dad making his famous Banana Rama pancakes. She was surprised to see him at home instead of out with Lukas. "Hey, Dad," she said, curiosity getting the better of her. "Aren't you supposed to be with your protege today?"

Daniel smiled warmly at his daughter. "I wanted to spend some time with my favorite girl," he said, flipping a pancake in the air. "Lukas is doing well, and I'll still be training him. But family time is important too."

Sam was pleasantly surprised, she hasn't seen her Dad around a lot this summer, which resulted in her being with her friends more. At the same time, it was a nice change of pace that Daniel was going back to his normal routine.

But a part of her was curious about this boy her Dad has talked so highly about.

—————-

The sun was starting to set on a warm summer day as Sam LaRusso returned home from Moon's beach house. Her parents were at work, and the house was quiet when she walked up the driveway. However, as she neared the dojo in their backyard, she heard the distinct sound of commotion, as if someone was training inside. Curiosity piqued, she decided to investigate.

As she entered the dojo, she saw a boy about her age, kicking a punching bag with impressive speed and precision. Sam assumed this must be Lukas, the boy her dad had been training. She approached him with a friendly smile and tapped his shoulder, causing him to spin around, surprised.

"What the? O-oh, hey." He stammered, immediately smitten with her presence.

"Hi, you must be Lukas," she said, extending her hand. "I'm Sam, Daniel's daughter."

Lukas shook her hand, trying to regain his composure. "Uh, yeah, I'm Lukas," he replied, his cheeks still flushed. "Nice to meet you, Sam."

Sam noticed his flustered reaction and couldn't help but find it cute.

They struck up a conversation, with Lukas admitting that he was sorry for keeping her dad away from the family. Sam chuckled and waved it off. "Oh, don't worry about that. Actually, when he's not here, I can get away with a lot more," she said playfully, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Lukas laughed, finding her humor and easy-going nature refreshing. "I'm glad I could be of service then," he teased, feeling more at ease in her company.

"So, you go to West Valley High?" Sam asked, trying to find common ground.

Lukas shook his head. "Actually, I'm at East Valley. My Aunt works that way, so it's more convenient."

Sam raised an eyebrow, impressed. "Wow, East Valley is a bit rougher, isn't it?"

Lukas nodded, "Yeah, it has its moments, but it's not so bad. I guess it's preparing me for life or something like that."

Sam chuckled, "Well, you seem to be doing pretty well with your karate training."

Lukas blushed again, "Thanks, I'm trying my best."

Throughout their conversation, they found common ground and shared laughter. Lukas was relieved to see that Sam wasn't judgmental or distant, as he had feared. Instead, she was welcoming and easy to talk to.

As the sun began to set, Sam realized she had to head inside. "Well, I better get going. It was great meeting you, Lukas," she said with a warm smile. "I think we'll be seeing a lot more of each other."

Lukas's heart fluttered at the thought of seeing her again. "Yeah, I-I guess so."

As he returned to his training, Lukas couldn't help but think, "Wow, she is something else." He felt a newfound determination to become a better martial artist, not only for self-defense but also to impress Sam.

The issue now becomes, out of respect for Daniel, he shouldn't know about his crush on her daughter.

Composing himself quickly, Lukas continued his swift assault on the punching bag. School was approaching quickly, and he was determined to show everyone at East Valley that he was a changed boy.