"I wish I could have fought Dre fairly; I wouldn't have felt good winning knowing he was injured," Dash stepped out of the venue where the tournament had taken place and looked up at the clear sky.
"You're injured too, with your shoulder and leg. Isn't that similar to what your friend had?" Devon asked, annoyed that Dash was downplaying his victory. He had won the tournament; what was wrong with disqualifying a fighter due to injuries sustained in multiple rounds of competition?
Of course, Dash was happy to have won and proven once again that all he needed to be a winner was a strong and healthy body. Now that Devon mentioned it that way, Dash supposed he might be wrong, and perhaps this wasn't his true victory.
Maybe, at some point in the future, he would face Dre in a tournament and maybe even Cheng. But for now, all he wanted was to rest; the blows, despite not showing it, had taken a toll on him.
Still, there was a banquet-like meal planned for that day where everyone, including Dre's mother and his charming friend, was invited. Whether they attended or not was not Dash's concern as he began to enjoy a good meal with the people closest to him.
"It seems Mr. Kim is back; is there anything new we don't know? Dash won, but he says he doesn't feel it's a victory. Should I consider scolding him a bit?"
"Well, he should consider that more deeply for himself… I've been told the tournament will happen again next year, and you have the chance to defend your title, but that depends on you."
"Very well, then let's eat!" After seeing Dash in higher spirits, they got into the car that came to pick them up and headed to the restaurant. They didn't think about anything related to martial arts after that meal.
On that same day, Dash began to feel pain all over his body, but for him, it was a victorious feeling, something telling him that all his effort was because he was alive. During his training, he had dreamed of participating in the Dragon Warrior tournament, wanting to know if his skills were enough to stand out in the world of martial arts.
Now he realized that he did have talent, beyond the hard work that not everyone could surpass. He believed that at least a bit of talent was needed to get as far as he had come.
By nightfall, Dash and Devon started talking in the group they had from the Dojo, which was, in reality, a Kung Fu school. All the members were students of Sakura Bushido, and upon learning they were winners of the tournament in China, they all got excited. Hard work was unique, but working with the thrill of overcoming someone filled them with a tough will to continue training even when Mr. Kim wasn't around.
At Mr. Han's house a few days after the tournament, Dash had visited him before knowing his decision about the proposal he had made.
"I managed to take about thirty photos of your whole match; the most outstanding ones are marked with a heart, and the others are discarded," Devon showed her phone to Dash, who began to look at the photos she had taken.
"Wow, all this will go straight into my documentary when I'm fifty…" Dash murmured while taking Devon's phone and seeing those incredible photos.
"Do you think so? Then you should pay ten dollars for each photo. No photographer was interested in taking pictures of you when you were the star, so you should consider that my photos are worth more than gold itself."
"That sounds good; I'll pay you when I'm a millionaire…" Dash nodded serenely, believing that Devon would forget about this in a few years, so as time passed, the photos would be free.
"You can come in now; come closer." Mr. Han's voice came from inside his house.
"Thank you for receiving us, Mr. Han. I must say we managed to record a bit of the fight you had with that master, and if we put that video on a huge screen, it will attract students like fish in a net."
Devon widened her eyes upon hearing Dash's words, so she nudged him lightly to make him stop talking so casually with someone they barely knew.
"That wasn't a fight; I was containing an anger-filled man," Mr. Han now understood why Dre was friends with this boy; they were not so different after all.
"Look at this place; they were selling it at a low price because the owner can't maintain it, and taxes should be an unnecessary expense. So, we would buy this place for the Kung Fu school you would manage here."
Pulling out a large smart tablet, Dash showed him the photos of the place that Mr. Kim had presented by request of his father, so he was very excited about it.
"That is…"
Dash raised his hand and said, "Don't worry, Mr. Han; all the remodeling is included in the contract. You will be the headmaster of that school, have the complete right to hire more teachers, and accept students as you see fit. In return, you will have thirty percent of the profits and total rewards from tournaments with monetary prizes."
"I really…"
Devon, who was watching how interested Dash was in opening the Kung Fu school in this place, said, "Many need it, those kids who didn't know about true Kung Fu need a real teacher. You could be that; you should be the guide for all those kids."
"So, I…"
Dash raised his hand and said, "Think it over, Mr. Han; you could consider your answer for a few minutes."
Mr. Han sighed and finally said, now that these kids let him speak, "I will open a Kung Fu school under the name Sakura Bushido, teach the principles of true Kung Fu, and accept your business proposal. But don't expect my method to work on everyone."
"No problem, Mr. Han; here's the contract." Dash smiled with happiness, knowing that he now had an incredible master in his Kung Fu school, even though it would be here in China.