"It's a fitting idea to establish influence in this country if you're looking to participate in national tournaments in the future." Mr. Kim was more familiar with this world and knew the influence that the Chinese had in terms of tournaments.
For foreigners, privileges were not abundant, and if you weren't recognized, you might not be admitted to tournaments. But if someone like Mr. Han is involved with the Sakura Bushido Kung Fu school, things could improve significantly.
Not only would their martial arts school be considered for prestigious competitions, but they would also be immediately recognized every time they entered a venue.
Dash simply wanted his home to shine, to keep his loved ones close, and to teach them the true meaning of sacrifice.
...
The next day, in the area where the tournament would take place, Dash, along with Mr. Kim and with the help of Mr. Han, completed the registrations.
After finishing the registration preparations, Dash could see the name Sakura Bushido in the competition, and a smile of satisfaction had appeared on his face since it happened.
For many, this might not mean much as he would leave the country a few days after the tournament ended. However, for Dash, this was a total pride as it would make many see his journey and be inspired to imitate his strong desire to be powerful.
"This is an amazing place. How many people do you think are here?" Devon, who had accompanied him to this place along with her family, saw the surroundings and couldn't help but exclaim while imagining the competition in a few days.
"About five hundred, many of the seats would be taken, so you're lucky that as a competitor, you got a good place to witness the fights."
When Dash said this, he looked at the arena and nodded; everything was exactly as he remembered, so there wasn't much to pay attention to beyond knowing a few things before the tournament started.
The two continued to explore the place and agreed that there was a significant difference between Karate competitions and Kung Fu competitions, showcasing the diversity of both tournaments.
"So far, what do you like the most about this place?" Dash asked her while looking into the distance as Dre had his emotional conversation with Mr. Han.
"My experience is normal, I suppose your friend must go through tough times when the elders point at him as if he were a never-before-seen doll." Devon looked at Dre in the distance and couldn't help mentioning this while recalling all the things she had seen on her trip.
"Chinese people don't usually see individuals with dark skin. It would be like sending a Chinese person to another country where Asian features are rare, like Africa..."
Beyond racism, it was normal for such situations to arise; curiosity is something that makes people uneasy, and it can't be avoided.
During his time in the hospital, Dash had seen numerous special cases where patients from other countries were sent to the hospital where he was treated due to its high success rates in treating rare diseases. So, he understood something about what he was talking about when it came to curiosity.
"Let's go for some ice cream; the heat is killing me in this place..." Devon dragged Dash to an ice cream shop in search of her chocolate ice cream.
...
Inside a building was a spacious area where many people were sitting, enjoying desserts and ice creams that looked very appealing. Right ahead was the area where one could buy them, and at that moment, Dash, who had accompanied Devon, drew much attention because of his foreign features.
Although he was young, he had a good appearance, which made him look good in the eyes, according to his own judgments.
As this place was full of locals, Dash, who felt like a fly in a beehive, walked stiffly to the line just behind Devon, who was unfazed by those glances.
"They should at least try to disguise their looks, what a mess..." Devon, who had already decided to buy an ice cream, tried to push other thoughts out of her mind.
"I've heard from Mr. Han that there are female Kung Fu tournaments, but only starting from the age of fifteen. There are even couple tournaments where this year's champions are from South Korea. The best part is that the prizes are high."
While Devon was choosing the ice creams to buy, she nodded upon hearing Dash's words and then said, "Are you now considering entering me into a tournament here?"
"Isn't that fantastic? Both of us would be unstoppable in competitions. Just a few more years, and we could become the golden couple of martial arts."
While Dash said this, he watched as Devon put out the fire and indulged in a mint-flavored ice cream, which was one of her favorites.
"You know I love to compete, but now I just want to eat my chocolate ice cream..." Devon, with all the discomfort around her, didn't want to talk about tournaments and martial arts-related things as her fists were itching.
"Look at that kid, a complete little devil..." Dash looked at a child who was dropping his ice cream while wiping his nose.
"Let's head back; I want to tell you about many of the things I've seen so far..." Devon, not wanting to stay a minute longer in this place, returned with Dash to the place where everyone had agreed to meet.
Unknown places are terrifying, especially the city. Many try to scam you, and many more try to sell you things you don't even know the purpose of.
At some point in the walk, Dash, who thought they charged for a photo to take one with a parrot, was about to buy the parrot directly without realizing it.
After wandering through different places and taking a dozen more photos, Dash and Devon returned with the others to the hotel to rest.