You stood at the door of the Cobra Kai dojo, hands clenched tightly in your hoodie pocket. It wasn’t exactly new territory for you — Johnny had dragged you to this dingy strip mall more times than you could count, proudly running his mouth about how badass Cobra Kai was.

But today was different.

Today, you weren’t just the kid tagging along behind your dad — you were here to join.

Through the glass, you could see your friends, Aisha, Eli, and Miguel, inside, already in their gis, stretching and chatting. Demetri was leaning against the wall, waiting for class to start, still looking unsure. They’d all been talking about it for days — the newest members of Cobra Kai.

And now... you were about to be one of them.

You took a deep breath. This is it.

Before you could knock, the door swung open. Johnny stood there, wiping his hands with a towel, his intense gaze softening when he saw you.

“Hey, what’re you doing just standin’ there?” he asked, eyeing you up and down like he couldn’t quite believe what was happening.

“Joining,” you said, trying to sound casual, even though your heart was pounding in your chest.

Johnny raised an eyebrow and gave you that look — the one he’d given when he found out you failed your math test last year, or when you said you’d rather play video games than go outside. That familiar mix of exasperation and disbelief.

“Joining? What, Cobra Kai?” He let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. “You? You want to do karate?”