"Look closely, don't you remember him?" Santiago raised his eyebrows and looked at the guy standing at the entrance as if he, too, couldn't find the similarity he wanted others to see.
Dash shook his head slightly and, sitting on the floor, said, "If I had remembered, I would tell you. But now that you mention it, he does seem vaguely familiar."
"Don't lie; you don't know who that guy is," Devon stopped Dash, who was lying and was very obvious about it.
"Antoni Silva, the guy whose head you smashed in your first competition," Santiago said, pointing to the guy standing at the door who seemed visibly uncomfortable.
When Santiago mentioned the name of the guy standing in front of them, Dash nodded slightly and asked, "I understand everything, but I want to ask, what exactly is the solution he will give us to our problem?"
"This guy trained in Mexico for some time, returned here after having some problems at school, and I took charge of looking after him," Santiago said, not giving much importance to the past.
Devon looked at Dash as if she were waiting for his decision in this situation and said nothing. She didn't trust someone who had caused her a certain degree of discomfort. Remembering what Antoni had done to Dash a long time ago raised her level of distrust. However, they were kids back then, and she could understand that things might have changed.
Standing up, Dash walked towards Antoni. When he was at a certain distance from him, he extended his hand and said, "Welcome to Sakura Bushido. I hope you bring all the love that this dojo can offer into your life."
"Thank you. By the way, if it helps, I would like to apologize for what I did in that tournament," Antoni said, feeling a bit uncomfortable mentioning this.
Looking at Santiago, Dash smiled slightly and said, "Well, I remember that I paid you back for what you did to me that day. But I don't live in the past, so let's focus on the present. I hope everything has gone better for you now that we've all grown up."
When Dash said this, he left the dojo. After all, he couldn't train rigorously, so he only came to support some students and pick up Devon, who was training in the same way as before.
In the car, Devon drove back home and asked, "Do you really trust that guy?"
"Do you mean Antoni? Santiago told me that he ordered me to be beaten in that tournament. He considered my elimination necessary back then so that his dojo could continue getting good students," Dash replied in a calm tone.
In the Japan tournament, Santiago told him everything that had happened in that tournament, so in a way, he understood it. Everyone in life seeks to eliminate competition in some way, so he didn't give it much importance. However, he would test Antoni, and depending on his performance within the dojo, a judgment would be made to decide if he stays in Sakura Bushido or not.
"You trust people a lot. I wouldn't do that if I were you in other places," Devon said, visibly worried.
...
The next day, Dash returned to classes after a long time.
Those who looked at Dash thought he was a bully looking for fights on the street, but those who recognized him felt visibly excited to see him back.
"I told you to use makeup to cover those visible bruises," Devon said, looking at all those glances they were receiving.
Dash shook his head and said, "No need. Does a lion hide its wounds from others? No, a lion shows its scars with pride, knowing it has won every battle."
"Yes, a lion," Devon said while ignoring this sarcastic behavior.
When they entered the school, Hawk, who had changed noticeably, approached Demetri. Seeing Dash back, he said, "The dragon warrior is back."
"We thought you were dead, but everyone was hiding this. I mean, I'm glad you're here," Demetri said, looking at Dash, who was staring at them without saying a word.
"I didn't die, and I haven't participated in that Dragon Warrior tournament for a long time. Have you thought about the beating you'll get without me in the tournament?" Dash asked, visibly smiling.
Hawk was stunned and said, "We won't be defeated. If we see that Jack easily sweeps us, then we'll figure out a way to win."
"Yeah, I even considered substituting for you," Demetri said with a slight smile.
Devon shook her head and said, "Let's go to class; that's what matters now."
"Talking only about Karate ends up numbing our brains. Come on, let's talk about the new movie about a cannibal worm," Dash suggested.