After returning home and eating lunch, I did my homework but toned down my workout because I needed to be in my best condition to meet Mr. LaRusso. If I was tired, my image would suffer, and I would seem weak. I learned in my last life that image is crucial for first impressions. As I mentioned in my introduction, I am not a good guy, not in the slightest, but I have to hide my true self to avoid being seen as a threat. I learned a lot of martial arts in my last life, but none of them are as effective as Miyagi-Do or Cobra Kai. Even if I don't practice karate for the rest of my life, I would still be one of the best fighters in the universe. However, to become the best, I had to train with the best fighters and learn their styles.
Three hours later, I was in the car with my mom. She started by saying, "Be respectful and kind. You can play with Samantha if you want. I'm sure you'll become friends; she is lovely." I replied, "I met her at school, but we didn't really connect." She said, "Well, if you become his student, you'll have plenty of time to connect." I responded, "You may be right; I can tell she's a good kid."
The ride from my house to theirs was short, about a 15-minute drive. Our house couldn't compare to theirs. We had a standard two-story house, the most common middle-class home, while theirs could be considered a mansion. They had a two-story house, a pool, and a karate dojo, rich people stuff, in general. As we pulled into the driveway, I saw a beautiful woman waving at us. It was Amanda LaRusso, Daniel's wife and Sam's mother. She greeted us, saying, "Jessica, how have you been? It's been such a long time since we last met." Mom replied, "Well, Amanda, when my son asked to learn martial arts, Daniel was the first person who came to mind." She turned to me and said, "Jack, say hello to Auntie Amanda. We've been friends for many years, and now you can finally meet her." I said, "Hi, Auntie Amanda." She replied, "Hi, Jack!" Turning to my mom, she added, "He's such a cutie." Mom said, "I know, right? But he gets mad when I tell him how cute he is." I turned away in embarrassment while they giggled.
We went inside, and suddenly a three-year-old ran up and jumped on Amanda, yelling, "Mom!" Amanda turned to us and said, "This is my youngest son, Anthony." She then introduced him, saying, "Anthony, this is Auntie Jessica and her son, Jack." He said, "Hi!" Amanda passed Anthony to my mom, who said, "Hi, honey." Amanda continued, "Dinner will take some time to prepare, so let's go meet Daniel and Samantha."
We went to the garden, where we saw Daniel and Samantha practicing karate moves. He noticed us and, with a happy expression, said, "Jessica, it's been such a long time since I last saw you," as he walked forward to hug her. I looked behind him and saw Sam. She looked at me and said, "Jack, I didn't expect to see you so soon." I replied, "What a coincidence! I knew Mr. LaRusso had a daughter, but I didn't expect that to be you." Daniel turned to us and said, "You know each other?" Sam, looking embarrassed, said, "Yes, I accidentally fell on him during lunchtime and spilled his food all over us, so he helped me clean up." The adults looked at us with a peculiar expression that made me blush. The women smiled and giggled. Sam asked, "Why are you laughing?" Amanda replied, "You'll understand when you get older."
Daniel then interjected, "So, Jack, I understand that you want to learn karate." My expression became more serious as I said, "Yes, sir." Daniel replied, "Since your motives are pure, I'm going to be your sensei." I responded, "Yes, sir." He said, "You should call me Sensei." I replied, "Yes, Sensei." Daniel looked at me and asked, "Now answer me this." He paused and then asked, "Are you ready to learn real karate?" I replied with a smile, "YES, SENSEI!"