"What a pleasant dream..." murmured Devon as she slowly opened her eyes. However, upon feeling a hand around her waist, she got scared. Just as she was about to get up, she remembered the previous night. She rose, looked at Dash, who was still deeply asleep, and got up very slowly without making any noise.
"How careless I was, damn it...," she muttered to herself. If her parents were already making jokes about her ambiguous relationship with Dash, she couldn't imagine what they would say if they found out she had slept in the same room as her friend.
"This is insane; I hope my father isn't home, or it will be a headache..."
Just as Devon was about to enter her room, her father's voice came from behind, "Good morning, daughter. Just woke up?"
"Oh, yes, just now..."
"I made hot chocolate; wake up Dash when you change, and tell him he can try it. Don't forget that hot chocolate is my specialty."
Devon nodded and with an unnatural smile said, "I'll let him know, Father. I'm sure he'll love your hot chocolate."
Zac looked at his daughter, who rushed into her room, and smiled. Youthful love was the best thing in life, and he was glad she was experiencing it with someone worthwhile.
...
Not long after, Dash woke up refreshed and full of energy. The first thing he did was some warm-up exercises before taking a shower. Since Devon had disappeared from his room, he assumed she had returned to hers and didn't worry at all.
As it was a Saturday, Dash invited Devon to the amusement park for what should be an enjoyable day. In the San Fernando Valley, California, there weren't many places for entertainment, but there were places to spend pleasant moments.
"Isn't it bad for you not to train?" Devon walked alongside Dash after her father left them here before going to work.
"Not at all. Mr. Kim advised us to relax on the weekends because next week he'll start supervising our battle simulation training."
Dash smiled as he heard Devon's questioning, but he had made his own decisions regarding Kung Fu.
Many people make good friends in high school, but most of them drift apart due to the paths each chooses in life. Childhood doesn't always last long, and when it ends, the nostalgia that follows can lead to thoughts of regret for not making certain decisions.
Dash didn't want to regret anything in this life, and because he spent all the time he remembered in a hospital in his previous life, he wanted to enjoy a little now.
"Alright, then let's buy a lot of food because we need to replenish the energy we'll need." Devon dragged Dash to a stall selling churros with chocolate.
"Since I visited my vulnerable side yesterday, and you helped me, today I'll treat you to everything you eat." Dash smiled as he paid for the churros, then said, "The games will be open all day today; we could try each one."
"Are you so generous?"
"I haven't spent on anything related to my previous tastes for months, so I've saved a lot from what my father gives me."
"Alright, then let's try them all."
Devon felt much better letting go of all those worries that made her nervous and enjoyed this day.
...
After passing by a dozen food and game stalls, Dash and Devon were sitting under a tree, resting from the infamous heat.
"The heat is crazy..." Devon, who had been the most enthusiastic in trying each of the games, smiled after getting tired enough to suggest taking a break. "Don't forget to drink water; it would be a bigger madness if you get dehydrated."
Dash had been recently chatting with Dre, who had told him about having a master named Mr. Han.
"I've been investigating, and I found out that every year there's a Karate competition where all the dojos in the Valley participate. This year's tournament will be held soon, so if we train a lot, we could try our luck in that competition." Devon then told Dash about what she had found online.
"Is there something like this, and we haven't heard about it?" Dash asked, slightly interested.
"There's a long history of Karate in this place. I didn't have the patience to investigate, but if it's before the tournament you want to participate in, you could consider joining."
"Is there a women's division?"
Devon shook her head but said, "It's just one division, but we could participate in that same division, and I don't think there would be a problem."
"But it would be more interesting if there's a women's division; that way, we could be possible winners in both."
Dash said as he watched the sun being covered by a massive cloud.
The two trained together, progressed as a team, but both were aware of the biological differences between a man and a woman. Devon had just had a discussion with a girl who denied this in all physical senses; a man would always be better than a woman if they weren't limited by some kind of illness. Yes, there might be a chance that certain women outperform some men, but in most cases, this is not the way.
That was precisely why Dash talked about this. He knows Devon better than anyone and knows she's a girl who boasts of not making the same mistake twice, but she may face many challenges before becoming an expert in any discipline.
The same goes for Dash; this tournament might help him learn much more about Karate and, in the meantime, prepare for the Kung Fu tournament in China.
"I'll talk to my father about this; maybe he can do something for the next tournament." Now that Dash knew about a Karate tournament, he couldn't help but be interested.