CHAPTER 6
A FRIENDSHIP DIVIDED

The car ride to our next class was silent. Emilio looked out his window. I played with the handle of my bag in an attempt to distract myself from the awkwardness.

Finally, Mom cleared her throat. “Excited for the demonstration?” she asked.

I’d filled her and Dad in on the event the night before. They’d been so proud when I told them, and they were excited to watch me spar with Emilio. With them watching, I had to make sure I won.

Neither Emilio nor I responded. Mom glanced at us in the rearview mirror, but she didn’t say anything else.

Ben and Emilio, seen through a car's rearview mirror, turned away from each other, each staring out the window in the backseat.

Things didn’t get much better between Emilio and I at the studio.

“Today we’re going to practice the different moves we’ve learned so far in camp,” Master Kim told us at the start of class. “Then we’ll work them into a group sequence for our demonstration. That way your friends and family can see how much you’ve learned.”

Master Kim walked us through all the different moves. The sequence would include a few side kicks, followed by a spinning roundhouse kick, and even a small flying kick. Then, we would move on to a mix of punches—a jab punch, an uppercut punch, and a cross punch. We would end with some ki-haps—shouts to show our energy and power.

“Okay, let’s get into pairs and start practicing,” Master Kim said.

Everyone started pairing up. Normally I would’ve practiced with Emilio, but things were awkward between us. Plus, I was wearing my magic belt under my uniform, and I didn’t want Emilio to be suspicious.

Instead, I walked over to the corner of the room. I was going to practice hard and win the mock match. I began working on my jab punches on the wall mat.

“Good form, Ben,” Master Kim said, complimenting me. “But don’t you want to practice with Emilio? Maybe you can start preparing for the sparring competition.”

I peeked at Emilio from the corner of my eye and saw him helping a few kids.

Hmph. He is such a show-off, I thought.

“I want to practice on my own today,” I replied.

Master Kim raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything. He just nodded and walked over to another group of students.

I worked on my jab punches, then moved to the roundhouse kick. It was a tough skill. I had to move my hip sideways, kick out my leg, and then snap it back quickly. It would have been impossible without my magic black belt, but with it on, I did the kick easily.

After a few minutes, I decided to take a break.

“Can I get a drink of water?” I asked Master Kim.

“Of course,” he replied. “There’s a drinking fountain in the hallway.”

I walked past Emilio. He was cheering on another student who was practicing a kick. I ignored him and kept walking.

In the hallway, I leaned over to get a drink from the fountain. The cool water felt so refreshing. Standing upright, I wiped the sweat off my forehead.

“Ben!” I heard a voice say from behind.

I turned and saw Mr. Wiz standing there wearing his tae kwon do robe.

Ben talking to Mr. Wiz in the hallway of the tae kwon do studio. Both are in white robes. The faint glow of the magic black belt can be seen beneath Ben's robe.

“Hi, Mr. Wiz,” I said.

He smiled at me. “Tae kwon do going a little better?” he asked.

“Yep,” I said, smiling.

“Have you been practicing with Emilio?” he asked.

My smile immediately turned into a frown. “Not really,” I replied.

“Hmm…” Mr. Wiz murmured, but luckily, he didn’t ask more about it. “I’ve seen you a few times when I walked by your classroom. I’m amazed at how quickly you improved. It’s almost like magic.”

“Oh… yeah. I’ve, uh, been practicing really hard,” I lied.

“I see,” Mr. Wiz said. I caught sight of the pendant glowing under his shirt. “You know, I was thinking about our conversation from the other day. There’s one tenet of tae kwon do that people often forget—integrity. If you’re not honest, then you aren’t able to show your true skills.” He rubbed his beard thoughtfully.

Not honest? I thought. Was it possible that Mr. Wiz knew about the belt? I felt goosebumps form on my arms.

“W-what do you mean?” I stammered.

Mr. Wiz smiled. “Just reminding you of the tenets. Each one is there for a reason,” he replied. “You should be heading back now. I’m sure Master Kim is wondering what’s taking you so long.”

That afternoon, Dad found me watching Tobot V alone on the couch. “Where’s Emilio?” he asked, sitting down next to me.

“Not coming,” I said. He’d made up some excuse about being tired. “What’s going on with you and Emilio?” Dad asked.

“Nothing’s going on,” I mumbled.

“It doesn’t seem like nothing. I heard you two didn’t say a word to each other this morning,” he said.

I shifted uncomfortably. “We sort of got into a fight,” I said.

“A fight?” Dad said. “About what?”

I sighed. “About the sparring match.”

Dad nodded like he understood. “Ah, good old competition, huh?” He stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Think about this, Ben. Are you having fun in tae kwon do right now?”

His question made me think. I was having fun. I liked being one of the best—maybe even the best—in my class. But I also missed my friend.

“I’m not sure,” I finally replied.

“Don’t you think you’d be having more fun if you and Emilio were talking to each other?” Dad asked. “You wanted him to do tae kwon do with you for a reason.”

I sighed again. I knew Dad was right. Emilio and I were supposed to be doing tae kwon do together. But now that I had the black belt, did I have to choose between being the best or having a best friend?