╔.𖥸. .════════════════╗

𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗬

chapter thirty-seven
undeniable

╚════════════════. .❀.╝

THEY FOUND OUT that Cobra Kai's main goal was the Sekai Taikai, which was a huge international karate tournament in Japan. If Cobra Kai won the tournament, that meant they would open dojos all over the world, spreading even more hate.

Miyagi-Fang couldn't let that happen. So, they were going to fight Cobra Kai for that spot in the tournament.

Considering that, training had been amped up to the max for the next couple of days. Alyssa assumed today wouldn't be any different, considering the judges would be coming to inspect them the next day. She stood in the backyard of the dojo with Sam, chatting aimlessly about random stuff, when she saw three boys enter the dojo like they had been friends forever.

Eli, Miguel, and Robby had cleared the air, but it was still so strange to see them acting civil. Nevertheless, Alyssa and Sam wandered over to them.

"Dude, did you catch that video I sent you of last year's Sekai Taikai?" Eli asked.

"Man, who knew people could kick that high?" Miguel replied.

"Or that hard," Robby added.

"Dude, seriously," Eli agreed.

"I guess that's why it's the biggest competition in the world," Sam cut in.

"I heard last year's winners did a big car commercial in Taiwan."

"Dude, imagine being in a commercial," Mitch said. "What would you do with all that money?"

"Buy a yacht with a hot tub on it," Chris answered. "Fill it up with Smarties and hotties."

"All right, all right, let's not get ahead of ourselves," Sensei LaRusso interjected, appearing in the middle of their group with Sensei Lawrence and Sensei Toguchi. "All right, remember, Cobra Kai is gonna do everything they can to get a spot. And if they win this time, kids all over the world are gonna have to deal with the same crap you guys have gone through."

"But if we win, we can show the world how to stop them," Sam stated.

"First you must prove you can compete with best," Sensei Toguchi told them.

"But in order to do that, you have to be better than the best," Sensei Lawrence insisted. "Which is why we're gonna kick your asses into high gear."

"Sensei Lawrence, Sensei Toguchi, and I are gonna get you ready for the presentation tomorrow, okay? So, come on. Let's get warmed up."

"Go! Move those asses." Sensei Lawrence then pointed to Alyssa as she walked towards one of the decks to put her bag down. "Knuckle push-ups are still a thing, Fairy Princess."

"Oh, God damn it," Alyssa commented, letting her bag fall off of her shoulder. "I hate those."

Eli laughed as he came up to her. "Fairy Princess is still so fitting."

"I know, right? It makes me feel like I should be doused in glitter, or something." She let out a small laugh as well before her eyes trailed across his face. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Eli's hand fidgeted by his side for a moment before it eventually reached up, dragging the hawk charm on her necklace back and forth. "Is it weird to say I'm kind of nervous?"

"No, because I'm nervous, too," Alyssa reassured him. She then put her hand over his, giving it a small squeeze. "This is our chance. And guess what? We're gonna fucking get it."

Eli smiled at her. He then leaned forwards, pressing his lips onto hers. Alyssa went to kiss him back more, only for them to be interrupted.

"Hawk, stop kissing your girlfriend!" Sensei Lawrence shouted. "Fairy Princess, drop and give me twenty!"

Eli sighed as he pulled away. "Yes, Sensei."

Alyssa rolled her eyes as she lowered herself to the ground, her knuckles digging into the grass. "Yes, Sensei."

Training had been hard that day, but it seemed to pay off for the presentation. They showed more of the Miyagi-Do side in the backyard, and more of the Eagle Fang side in Johnny's warehouse. (It involved a lot of showcasing chores, Sam accidentally exploding a watermelon with a kick all over one of the judges, a display of the balance board in the koi pond with Sam and Robby like they had never left, and Alyssa displaying some of her gymnastic skills in her fighting.)

They ended in the Miyagi-Do backyard. Apparently, Miyagi-Fang and Cobra Kai had both impressed the judges, so they needed to compete to see who would win the spot. That therefore meant they needed to choose one male and one female fighter for three-point matches.

"Sam, Ally," Sensei LaRusso called, walking up to the two as they grabbed their stuff with the other Senseis. "Our female fighters. Both of you made it to the semi-finals in the All Valley, which means both of you have a fair chance of being our champion against Cobra Kai. We wanted to ask your opinion first on who you think it should be."

"Sam," Alyssa instantly replied.

"Ally," Sam said at the same time.

The two of them looked at each other.

"Make it Ally," Sam argued. "She's improved a lot in her training. She deserves to represent us."

Alyssa shook her head. "No way, Sam. It has to be you."

"But you saw what happened at the All Valley."

"I did. And I also saw how much it devastated you." Alyssa gave Sam a small smile. "You deserve another chance to prove yourself. What kind of a best friend would I be if I stood in the way of that?"

"What kind of best friend would I be to not let you have a chance?" Sam argued.

Alyssa shook her head. "Sam, please don't make us play a game of rock, paper, scissors."

"Okay, then we'll flip a coin."

"That was not the point I was trying to make." Alyssa reached out and grabbed Sam's shoulders, forcing her to look at her. "Sam, you deserve this. You deserve a chance to prove yourself again." She slightly shook Sam. "Come on, do it for me."

Sam frowned. "Ally—"

"I want this for you." She looked into Sam's eyes seriously. "Please."

Sam hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Okay." She then pulled Alyssa into a tight hug. "That win is going to be yours just as much as it'll be mine."

Alyssa squeezed her comfortingly. "I know."

Sam stayed behind to train a little while the rest went to the LaRusso house for pizza. Alyssa stayed in the kitchen, leaning against one of the counters. Practically all the boys — minus Eli, Miguel, and Robby — were gathered around the table in the kitchen. Mrs. LaRusso and Ms. Diaz were around the stoves, cooking the pizza.

"Okay, who's ready for round two?" Mrs. LaRusso questioned, placing the fresh pizza down in the middle of the table. At once, all of them surged forwards to grab it, and Mrs. LaRusso quickly backed away. "Okay, Jesus Christ."

"Wow, you guys can really take down a pizza," Ms. Diaz voiced.

"The honeys love a man that can eat," Chris responded.

"What honeys?" Mitch countered. "Our dojo has more sausage than this pizza."

"What, are we not enough for you, Penis Breath?" Bert said.

"Definitely not."

Ms. Diaz then looked over at Alyssa. "I'll get you some pizza soon, Ally."

"Oh, don't worry about me," Alyssa replied. "Take your time."

She lowered her voice to a whisper. "There's a plain one in the oven right now we haven't told the boys about. It's all yours."

Alyssa's eyes widened. "Oh my God, Ms. Diaz, I love you."

Ms. Diaz giggled. "I love you too, mija."

Alyssa then felt two arms wrap around her waist, pulling her into their chest. She smiled at the feeling, reaching up and placing her hands on the arms. Alyssa tilted her head back, looking up at the grinning face of her boyfriend.

"You look happy," Alyssa noticed. "And don't say it's just because of me."

"I just wanted to tell you that I might be out late tonight," Eli explained. "I have to go train."

"Train? What—" Alyssa then immediately stopped, her face breaking out in excitement. "You're fighting in the Sekai Taikai?" She fully turned herself around in his arms, taking his face in his hands. "Yes! Oh, baby, that's awesome."

"I didn't even know Miguel and Robby wanted it to be me." He tugged her in a little closer. "I wish it was you and I fighting, though. We could've been the ultimate couple."

"I know, but I really think Sam deserves this chance." She pressed a quick kiss to his lips. "Looks like I'll be cheering on my boyfriend and my best friend again."

They both knew, though. Tomorrow would decide everything.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

"NO WAY," ALYSSA let out, walking up to Eli in the parking lot of the Cobra Kai dojo, where the fight would be taking place. There was a wide smile on her face as she looked up at his hair — his mohawk was small, still growing in, but it was dyed again. "I love the green."

"Yeah?" Eli responded, latching onto her hand as they all started to wake their way inside. "It was sort of a last minute thing. I kind of feel more like myself with hair dye."

They all entered. Alyssa had to admit, this was impressive. There was a smoothie bar, a large mat for training, and a lot of devices also for training. However, Alyssa couldn't help but feel . . . suffocated in here. Maybe it was because she didn't like Cobra Kai, or maybe she was just used to the backyard of Miyagi-Do. Or it could be the STRIKE FIRST, STRIKE HARD, NO MERCY displayed on the wall.

Miyagi-Fang stood on one side of the mat while Cobra Kai took the other. Alyssa glanced across the way, but frowned a little. Tory looked . . . anxious, which didn't seem like her — not that Alyssa knew her well, but considering she was going up against Sam, she thought Tory would be at least a little bit more hyped up.

She then heard a scoff next to her. Alyssa glanced over, only to see Eli smirking in the direction of Kenny, who had just appeared. It seemed like Kenny was going to be representing Cobra Kai.

"Hey," Alyssa called softly. "Just remember he's got that Cobra Kai hate in him. You know what that kind of shit can do to a person."

"Ally's right," Robby interrupted, who had just gotten out of a heated conversation with Kenny. "That's not Kenny talking. It's Silver."

"Thank you, Sensei Silver, for offering to host these matches in your dojo on such short notice," one of the judges said to Silver.

"Offering or demanding?" Sensei LaRusso argued.

"Well, we do have actual tournament regulation mats here, so it really was the only option," Silver voiced.

"We'll begin with the boys fight," the judge announced. "We have invited a local referee to ensure impartiality. First to three points wins."

The judges took their seats at the table in front of the mat.

"Time to begin. Eli Moskowitz and Kenny Payne, please take the mat."

Eli locked eyes with Alyssa. Just like at the All Valley, he rapped his knuckles against his chest, right where his heart was. Alyssa smiled softly at him and repeated the motion.

"Good luck," Alyssa told him. "You got this."

Eli and Kenny took their spots on the mat. They bowed to the ref, then to each other, before getting in their fighting positions. Alyssa fidgeted nervously in between Sam and Robby as the ref told them to fight.

Kenny advanced forwards, flying like a God damn bat out of hell. Alyssa blinked in shock as she watched him move around. In the end, he managed to strike Eli in the chest, gaining Cobra Kai a point. She let out a deep breath before locking eyes with Eli as he went back to their side of the mat.

It's okay, Alyssa mouthed to him.

He nodded at her. The ref then told them they could fight again. Kenny struck first again, and Eli blocked every single one before fighting back. He managed to kick Kenny, which should've scored them the point, but the ref said it was out of bounds.

Alyssa frowned. "No way."

"What?" Eli exclaimed. "What, are you serious?"

"Come on, ref, that's horseshit," Sensei Lawrence complained. "He made contact in bounds!"

The ref confirmed Eli wouldn't be getting a point. Alyssa's frown deepened. The same thing happened in the All Valley with Sam and Tory . . .

After the ref announced they could fight, Kenny kicked multiple times at Eli, which he blocked and dodged each time. Eli fought back and kicked, but just like what he had done to Kenny at the water park, Kenny caught his leg and brought his hand down at the back of his kneecap. Alyssa's eyes widened and her heart dropped at the sound of Eli crying out in pain.

And like the dumbass he was, the ref only gave Kenny a warning. Just like how Tory got a warning at the All Valley for elbowing Sam in the eye . . .

"Warning?" Sensei LaRusso repeated incredulously. "He should be disqualified."

"It's fine, he just caught me off guard," Eli stated.

"Are you sure, Eli?"

"No more Eli. It's time to uncage the Hawk."

"Oh boy," Alyssa muttered, watching her boyfriend step onto the mat. "Sam?"

"Hmm?" Sam hummed in response.

"I think my hands are shaking."

Sam looked down at her hands and grabbed them. "There you go."

Eli limped back onto the mat and Kenny got up from kneeling. They got in their fighting positions, but Kenny did some weird hand move that sort of looked like a bird. The ref told them they could fight, and Eli went to punch, but Kenny struck him right in the middle of his chest. Alyssa squeezed Sam's hands impossibly tight as Eli got to his knees.

Alyssa watched as Eli tried to get up, but just fell back on the mats, groaning in pain. Concern immediately shot through her veins upon hearing his labored breathing and whimpers of pain.

"Eli," Alyssa breathed out. "E, oh my God."

She let go of Sam's hands and got onto the mat. Alyssa immediately fell to her knees next to him, placing a hand on his back. She helped him roll onto his side, and he clutched at his chest. Alyssa bent down to meet his eyes, but they were squeezed shut.

"Eli," Alyssa echoed, putting a hand on his cheek. "Hey, E, talk to me, baby. What's the matter?"

"I can't . . . can't . . . can't breathe," Eli fought out.

Alyssa looked back at her Senseis pleadingly. "He needs help." She then noticed Eli trying to push himself up, and she immediately lowered him back down. "No way."

"Where's the medic?" Sensei Lawrence shouted.

"That's a forfeit," the ref voiced as the medic came onto the mat. "Winner, Payne."

Alyssa's jaw clenched as Kenny got accepted back into Cobra Kai with cheers like he was some kind of fucking hero. She then felt a squeeze on her hand, and she looked back to see Eli grasping onto her. Alyssa squeezed his hands back, a sad smile on her face.

"Can you breathe?" the medic inquired, and Eli nodded. "I think he's okay. Just got the wind knocked out of him."

"Looks like you got a new name," Kenny called from across the mat. "Faux-Hawk."

Alyssa wanted nothing more than to actually scream at him to shut the ever-loving fuck up, but she assumed that would get them disqualified in a second. So, instead, she gripped onto Eli and pressed a kiss to his forehead, trying to distract him from the laughter.

The medic helped Eli stand up, and Sensei Lawrence supported him towards the stairs. Alyssa let her hands drop from Eli, and she went to follow them, but Sensei Lawrence shook his head.

"You stay," Sensei Lawrence demanded. "I've got him, Fairy Princess."

"I'm fine, Lys," Eli reassured her. "I want you to cheer on Sam front and center."

She swallowed nervously. "Okay." Alyssa watched them go towards the stairs for a moment before turning back to her friends, her eyes flashing with anger. "I'm going to murder a child. No, seriously, I'm ready to go. Miguel, post my bail."

"I don't have the money for bail, Ally," Miguel simply responded, not even phased by her comment.

Sam patted her shoulder. "I'll get you out of jail."

"See?" Alyssa said, looking up at Miguel. "She's got my back."

"I can hold your earrings," Miguel offered.

"Oh, shit. That's some real friendship, too." She then sighed. "You know, I'm kind of glad Kenny didn't fight Eli when he was in his red-hair-Hawk era. I don't think Kenny would've survived."

Sam blinked at her. "Physically or emotionally?"

"Both." Alyssa then turned to Sam, her eyes blazing. "Sam, you're going to win. That's an order."

Sam looked over at best friend. She could practically see the energy coursing through Alyssa's veins — the way she shifted her stance, the way she glanced back at Eli worryingly with nothing short of worry in her gaze, the way she was glaring at Kenny from across the room. There was a hard look of on her face as she glanced at the mat, even though she wouldn't be stepping on it.

They had agreed that Sam would be the one to fight, even if Sam didn't exactly agree. But now, Alyssa seemingly wanted to show Cobra Kai that they were strong — a way to avenge Eli.

That anger and determination could push them through this competition.

"Dad," Samantha called. "Put Alyssa in."

Alyssa's eyes widened once she heard it. "No. No, no, no, Sam, we agreed it was going to be you."

"Maybe, but it's your turn," Sam insisted. "I represented Miyagi-Do at the All Valley. You deserve to represent us here."

"Sam, I can't take this away from you."

"You're not taking anything. I'm giving it to you." Sam squeezed her shoulder and gave her a small smile. "You got this."

Sensei LaRusso looked at Alyssa. "Ally?"

Well, she wasn't expecting this. There was a lot of energy, and definitely some anger, that was basically begging to be released. And if Sam was insisting . . .

Alyssa took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. "I guess you can put me in, coach."

He nodded. "I'll go tell the judges."

"I'm gonna be fighting Tory." Alyssa blinked. "Oh God, why did I agree?"

"You can do this, Als," Miguel reassured her. "All of us are right behind you. Go show her that your pink hair doesn't mean shit."

Alyssa gasped a little. "That's actually so true, Miguel."

"We begin our girls fight," the judge announced. "Alyssa Liu and Tory Nichols, please take the mat."

Sam held her fists out to Alyssa. "You've got this, Ally."

Alyssa grinned at her and bumped her own fists against hers. She shook her hands out and took a deep breath before stepping onto the mat. Alyssa clasped her hands behind her back and glanced back for a moment at the stairs to Eli. He seemed stunned for a moment that she was up there instead of Sam, but even through his pain, his eyes were shining with pride. Eli gave her a small nod and hit his knuckles over his heart again. She smiled softly before turning back around.

Only to see that Tory wasn't on the mat, and she also wasn't with the Cobra Kai's. It seemed like she had just vanished into thin air.

"Ally," Sensei LaRusso called, and she faced him. "They're fighting dirty, and this is dangerous. If you don't want to do this, you don't have to."

She nodded. "I know. But Sam put me in for a reason. She's giving me a shot to represent all of us, and I'm going to take it." Alyssa gave him a reassuring smile. "I'll be okay. I'm fighting for all of us."

Alyssa bowed to him, and both him and Sensei Toguchi bowed back to her.

"Tory Nichols?" the judge repeated.

Silver came back, with no Tory. Alyssa felt a little strange just standing on the mat by herself, but then Devon came onto the mat. She had been Eagle Fang's only female fighter at the All Valley. Devon was fierce, no doubt, and she had probably gotten way better from training with Cobra Kai.

"Face me, bow," the ref ordered. Alyssa turned to him and bowed. "Face each other, bow." Alyssa turned to Devon and bowed, nothing but determination etched on her features. "Ready?" Alyssa raised her fists, the adrenaline already starting to flow through her veins. "Fight!"

Devon came at her first with a punch. Alyssa quickly backed up and moved to the side to dodge her kick. She raised her arm to block a punch, and she swiftly blocked another punch and a kick. Alyssa then lifted up her leg and kicked to the side, kicking Devon's side.

"No point, that's shoulder," the ref stated. "No point."

Alyssa blinked — she had definitely not hit Devon's shoulder. "Huh?"

"Keep fighting."

She shook it off. Devon got back on her side of the mat.

"It's okay," Miguel said from behind her. "You got this, Als."

Alyssa then surged forwards with a kick. Devon blocked it, along with her two punches. Alyssa, in turn, blocked her kicks. Devon kicked again, and Alyssa quickly blocked her foot with her hand, pushing it back down towards the ground.

The ref raised his arm on Devon's side. "Point, one-zero, Lee."

"What?" Daniel argued. "There was no contact."

Something was going on with this, and something wasn't right. Alyssa turned to the ref and signaled for a time-out. She immediately turned around and went up to Sensei LaRusso and Sensei Toguchi.

"I may have blacked out for a second, but I'm almost positive she didn't hit me," Alyssa insisted. "And I definitely got her earlier below the shoulder."

"Not every point is gonna go our way," Sensei LaRusso replied.

"I mean, yeah, sure, but I'm down a point when I should be up one. Everything is riding on this match, and if I lose because of that—"

"But you fight better," Eli interjected.

Alyssa turned to see him being led to their group with the help of Sensei Lawrence, and her eyes widened. "What are you doing? You should be resting."

"I'm fine."

Her eyes went to Sensei Lawrence's arm, which was wrapped around Eli, and how he still looked pained. "Uh-huh."

"Hawk's right," Miguel agreed. "The ref might not be doing you any favors, but you've got us in your corner. All of us."

"I put you in because I know you can win," Sam added. "This is your chance. Don't let anyone, especially that ref, take it away from you."

"Referee is moron," Sensei Toguchi voiced. "Must not leave room for error."

Sensei LaRusso pointed at him in agreement. "He's right. You make every point undeniable."

"Want a kiss for luck?" Eli offered.

"Yeah," Alyssa replied. She leaned forwards and kissed him quickly. "Thanks."

That was really all the motivation she needed. Alyssa turned back around to the mat, her eyes narrowing in determination. It was now or never. She raised her fists, planting her feet firmly on the ground.

Breathe in, breathe through, breathe deep, breathe out.

"Ready?" the ref asked. "Fight!"

Devon lunged forwards and kicked. Alyssa blocked it, along with a punch. She then ducked low to the ground to dodge Devon's kick and swept her leg — something she had learned to do after seeing Eli do it to Demetri that horrible day at the mall. Devon fell to the mat, and Alyssa punched her in the chest. All of Miyagi-Fang cheered, and Alyssa smiled proudly to herself.

"Point, Liu, one-one."

Alyssa got back to her feet. She tucked some of her pink hair behind her ears and raised her fists again.

"Ready?" the ref questioned. "Fight!"

Devon came at her with alarming speed. She punched twice, which Alyssa moved out of the way for, and kicked. Alyssa turned herself around, jumped in the air, and kicked Devon straight in the chest.

"Point, two-one, Liu."

One more point. She could do this. Alyssa channeled everything she had in her for this, her energy practically bouncing off the walls.

"Ready?" the ref inquired. "Fight!"

Devon punched again. Alyssa moved out of the way and blocked Devon's arm completely. She spun herself around and got low to the ground, but Devon dodged her leg sweep. Devon went to kick, but Alyssa swiftly rolled backwards, pushing herself up onto her hands as she did so and getting back on her feet in the form of a back walkover. She raised her fists again, and her and Devon circled each other for a moment until Alyssa decided to strike. Alyssa kicked high and wide, which Devon ducked under. She kicked again, and Devon moved backwards away from it. Devon kicked in return, which Alyssa blocked.

Everything seemed to go in slow motion. Devon went to punch, but Alyssa blocked it, pushing one of her arms to the side. She raised her other arm, but Alyssa pushed that to the side, too. That left all of her open. Alyssa jumped up, and with her leg extended, she nailed Devon right in the chest.

Alyssa landed back on her feet, breathing heavily. She heard the shouts from everyone behind her, and pure excitement filled her veins. So that's what it felt like to win.

Sam gasped in excitement behind her. "Ally!"

"Yes, Ally!" Robby praised, clapping his hands together.

"Point," the ref stated. "Winner, Liu."

The ref raised her arm up in the air. Alyssa smiled wide and bright, a giggle spilling past her lips. The ref let her go, and Alyssa immediately turned to Sensei LaRusso — he might not have been her first Sensei, but he had been the one to get her here and taught her everything she knew. He grinned widely at her and extended his arms, inviting her in. She let out a small laugh and hugged him tight.

"Ally, I am so proud of you," Sensei LaRusso told her. "That was incredible. You've definitely got some Jersey tough in you."

"As a California native, that is the highest compliment I could've ever received," Alyssa responded.

"Alyssa-san," Sensei Toguchi said.

He said something in Japanese. Alyssa had no clue what he said, but it must've been good, because he had a big smile on his face. She grinned back at him before bowing. He bowed back at her, and she brought him into a tight hug for a second.

Alyssa then felt two arms wrap around the front of her chest. She turned, only to see Eli smiling down at her, pride and adoration flashing across his face. Alyssa let out a small laugh of amazement and threw her arms around his neck, pressing up onto her toes in effort to get closer to him.

"I'm so proud of you," Eli voiced to her quietly over all the excited chatter, holding her tight. He pulled back to look at her face and grinned. "You fucking did it."

She laughed and nodded. "I fucking did it."

Eli then put his hands on her shoulders, spinning her back around to face everyone. "That's my girlfriend!"

Alyssa had barely had time to think before she was swept into another person's arms. By the curls by her face, she knew it was Miguel. He picked her up off the floor, and Alyssa shrieked from the sudden movement, throwing her arms around his neck to hold on.

"Oh God, Miguel!" Alyssa shouted, giggling as he moved them in a circle. "Miguel, okay, okay, put me down."

He did, staring down at her with so much pride it made her heart swell. "That was amazing."

Sam then placed a hand on Alyssa's shoulder, making her turn to her. "See? I knew you could do it."

Alyssa then practically jumped into Sam's arms. Sam let out a loud laugh and wrapped her arms around Alyssa, hugging her back tightly.

"Thank you," Alyssa whispered.

"This win is mine just as much as it is yours," Sam replied. "I knew I made the right decision."

The excitement died down a bit. Each dojo had won a match, and they had to hear the verdict. While the judges talked, Alyssa turned to her boyfriend, who was looking in much higher spirits than a little while ago.

"Hey," Alyssa began, placing her hands on either side of his face. "How're you feeling?"

"Better," Eli answered, resting his hands on her hips.

"You sure?"

"Positive." He shook his head. "Just hate that I lost."

"We all have our setbacks," Alyssa stated. "And don't let Kenny's words get to your head."

Eli pressed a kiss to her forehead. "At least one of us won."

"We're still the winning power couple. I won this, and you won the All Valley."

Alyssa kissed him quickly — she wanted to kiss him for longer, but she wasn't sure if right now was the right time. Maybe later.

They let each other go, but stayed close, their shoulders pressed into one another's. All of them were just standing there, staring at the judges as they talked amongst themselves. The anticipation was practically killing Alyssa. And then, finally, they stood up.

"We have reached an agreement," the judge announced. "As expected, we were impressed with the skills, precision, and discipline of the new Sekai Taikai qualifier . . . Cobra Kai."

Alyssa immediately felt her entire being deflate. No fucking way. This was their one chance.

"As for our other dojo, we admired your unusual mix of styles and underdog spirit . . . and we thin you could be a unique addition to the competition."

Her head snapped back up. Did she just hear that right?

"Therefore, we've decided that your dojo has also qualified," the judge revealed.

Alyssa let out a laugh of shock. She then felt Eli's arms snag her waist and lift her up off the ground. Alyssa giggled and held onto him tightly as he spun her around.

"E, oh my God, wait," Alyssa protested, practically jumping down from him. She put her hands on his face, like earlier, making him look at her. "Your chest. Are you—"

He cut her off with a kiss. It was so full of passion that it made her head spin a little bit. Eli pulled away from her, a slight smirk on his lips from her dazed state.

"It's worth it for you," Eli told her.

Alyssa slightly smiled. She kissed him again before somebody caught her arm and dragged her away from Eli. Alyssa laughed and allowed herself to get pulled into a hug by Miguel. She then hugged Sam tightly, one that they practically jumped into and almost fell on the floor from. Alyssa hugged everyone else in the dojo in celebration. Their celebration somehow moved onto the mat, and they were all still congratulating each other as the Senseis talked to the judges.

"For now, congratulations everyone, and welcome to the Sekai Taikai," the judge said.

He bowed to them, and they all bowed back.

Eli leaned his head closer to Alyssa's. "One day, we'll both win. Together."

Alyssa shrugged, her cheeks feeling warm. "I already feel like we both won."

"Hey, we've all earned this," Sensei LaRusso voiced. "Each and every one of you brought your A-game."

"Could not be more proud," Sensei Toguchi added.

"Now, with this tournament in our future, we've got a lot of work to do. But tonight . . . tonight, go celebrate!"

All of them cheered again. Alyssa felt her smile spread impossibly wide on her face. Honestly, she felt like she was on top of the fucking world.

Alyssa then slung her arms around Sam's shoulders and leaned their heads together, and Sam let out a laugh, reaching up and holding onto her arms. "I owe you one, Sammy."

"You don't owe me anything," Sam replied. "You can repay me by saving me a dance at whatever celebration we're having."

"Oh, You Belong With Me is already queued up." Alyssa squeezed her tight for a moment before letting go. "See you later."

Eli extended his hand out to her. "You ready to party?"

Alyssa took it. "Hell yeah, baby."

•─•°•❀•°•─•

YEAHHHH THAT'S MY GIRL