"Are you sure you don't want to come with me? You can teach Karate at the dojo we trained at. You could even meet Daniel LaRusso and greet him. Don't you want to do that?" Dash looked at Mr. Chozen with a teasing look.
"It's not the right time. I'll travel when you have a place to live, as you mentioned. I don't want to sleep on the couch; that would hurt my back." Chozen waved his hand carelessly.
Dash grinned, looked at the sunset, and said, "I'll buy a house, and you can live there. You'll have many young students, so as the new sensei, you'll guide us to new tournaments."
"You can come whenever you want, young Hale. Remember that, as long as you're not feeling well, you should set everything aside to focus on your well-being." Chozen's words were much more serious; he was a very tough man after all.
Dash approached Chozen and cheerfully shook his hands. "From now on, you're my second master. The first one taught me Kung Fu, and although he doesn't want us to call him master, we all do it secretly. You're my life master, Mr. Chozen."
Chozen looked fierce at this moment, but he didn't say anything upon hearing Dash calling him a life master. He had lived a quite complicated life, and being called a master was nothing but annoying, especially when all he had done was crawl through life to reach where he was.
"It's better if you leave. The sooner, the better."
Dash opened his eyes in surprise and murmured, "Isn't it because you're getting sentimental? We spent some weeks living together, but I don't think you're an old softie after all... I remember you made me buy several sacks of rice with the prize money. What sentimental old man would do that?"
What Chozen couldn't stand were Dash's jokes, which were quite contrary to his tranquil life. After hearing those jokes again, he shook his head and, before Dash left, he brought out a huge stick wrapped in a blanket.
"You said you won a match with a Bo, I have this one that's very special because I used it when I felt frustrated. It's of very good quality, take good care of it and train until you break it." Chozen walked towards the cabin and pulled out a huge Bo staff that was similar to the weapon Dash had used to defeat his opponents in the tournament.
Dash held the staff; now that he was walking with the help of a crutch, he thought it would be a good idea to use it as a cane. However, he refrained from making such a joke, fearing that Chozen would kick him off the mountain.
After having lived here for some time, all that weight on Dash's chest began to fade much faster than he had thought, and it was all thanks to Chozen, who spoke a lot with him.
During all this time, the only person Dash had entrusted his pain to was Devon, who was not near at the moment. Therefore, having someone like Chozen by his side is incredibly good due to all kinds of experiences he had with loneliness, pain, and anger.
There were not many things Dash had learned from life, but he had learned a lot from his problems. According to Chozen's words, anger is fleeting, and it's always better to solve those problems by talking about them.
It's good to distance oneself from people who cause anger, pain, or any other feeling that ends up making the whole day bitter. One is not obliged to please others but to live life in the best possible way.
"Take care, kid. Solve those problems, and you'll live much better," Chozen said after seeing Dash admiring the Bo staff.
Dash smiled and nodded, walked towards where Elliot, who would help him carry his things, was, and after a longer farewell than he intended, he descended from the mountain.
"Wow, when I'm old, I'll move to a lonely place like this with my wife... You should consider the same, Elliot. We would live longer surrounded by so much nature," Dash said as he descended the stairs very lightly, despite having a injured foot.
er.
"Dash, how are you?" Since winning the tournament, Devon had only exchanged messages with Dash. Therefore, receiving a call from him now was quite surprising.
Dash heard Devon's words and said, "I'm fine. I just wanted to let you know that I'm about to land at the airport, so after arriving, I'll stop by my parents' place, and then I'll come to see you. Don't you want me to bring you things that can be bought?"
"Did you think about that during the trip?" Devon asked with a curious voice.
Dash nodded, knowing that his idea of a gift was correct, and said, "Of course, once I arrive, I'll give you that incredible gift."
"Then I'll wait for you with even more excitement. Do you want me to prepare a feast?" Devon joked, as if she had ever cooked for anyone other than herself or her family.
Dash thought about it and said, "I'll arrive like a ghost; it's better if I surprise you. Later, I'll try to teach you a Japanese dish that Mr. Chozen told me about."
"Well, I'll patiently wait for that."
After talking for a few more minutes, Dash hung up the call and sighed afterward. He deeply wished the best for Devon; he hoped she wouldn't have to feel something that, according to Chozen's words, would change her life.
Elliot beside him, carrying the luggage, smiled and said, "To be able to live on a mountain, we should first own it or a piece of it. Everything in the world today costs."
"I guess you're right, money is terrifying."
After descending from the mountain, Dash took a taxi to the airport. Even though Mr. Chozen is a master of life, he didn't even take him down the mountain, something Dash reproached him a bit, but in the end, he forgave him.
After taking the right flight, Dash spent a lot of time thinking to himself about what would happen and how much he could be of help. In the end, the conclusion he came to was that, no matter what he did, any outcome was subject to two paths, and the only thing he could do was to be there for Devon.
She didn't need a guardian angel, nor someone to take care of her like a child when she was very strong, even stronger than Dash himself. That's why he would just be by her side, giving her that small piece of support that everyone needs at some point in their life.
Mid-flight, Dash, who thought Devon should be awake, decided to call.