ASD 47

Of course… since I had seen Gijun fight with my own two eyes, maybe I shouldn’t have been this worried. I had been trying not to show my anxiety, thinking that all this time.

But back then, his opponents had been ordinary people, and in the competition held today, he was fighting against other athletes in the same sport, so I couldn’t be completely at ease. Still, Gawon decided to trust the numerous medals and trophies displayed in Gijun’s trophy case. He had to calm his heart that way.

“Well then, I’ll be back.”

As if he didn’t know Gawon’s heart, whose hands were even trembling slightly from extreme nervousness, Gijun waved his hand with a fresh-faced smile.

Gawon gnawed on his parched lips, then suddenly grabbed the wrist of Gijun, who was turning away.

“Gijun.”

“Yeah!”

“Jun-ah.”

“…Huh?”

Gijun’s eyes, which had turned back casually, widened. He blinked with a dumbfounded expression. He must have been surprised because I had never once called him that before.

I had stubbornly attached his last name until now because just calling him by his first name felt overly sentimental. As expected, it was indeed embarrassing. Still, I had to say what I needed to say, so I looked at him steadfastly.

“Actually… I don’t care about medals or anything.”

“…”

“Just don’t get hurt. That’s all I want.”

I looked at Gijun, my heart full of emotion. I know he’s strong, but still, my worries just wouldn’t go away.

It was probably because of what happened a year ago. The image of this kid getting beaten to a pulp by his seniors, and by his father. That horrible afterimage, deeply engraved in Gawon, was not easily erased.

Gijun, who had been staring at Gawon in surprise for a moment, grinned, his face filling with a mischievous smile.

“Okay. I will.”

It was the smile Gawon loved so much. So much that just seeing it made his heart ache.

“I’ll win before I even have a chance to get hurt.”

Gijun leaned his upper body forward. His gentle face came closer. As if he was about to kiss me. But only just enough not to draw too much attention.

The boisterous voices flowed past my ears. As I quietly gazed into Gijun’s eyes as he slowly stroked my hair, for a moment, I had the illusion that it was just the two of us in this wide space.

Gawon slowly nodded his head. From now on, it was up to Gijun, so he had no choice but to trust and cheer for him.

After briefly stroking Gawon’s cheek, Gijun turned and ran off. Over there, his coach and teammates offered Gijun water and honey.

―The men’s high school, semi-pro, light heavyweight match will now begin. Team K-One Multigym’s fighter Gijun. Roden FC Yeongdeungpo branch’s fighter Kim Myeong-seop, please come out and be on standby.

At the in-house announcement, the arena stirred for a moment. Gijun ripped off the shirt he was wearing and put the honey to his lips, squeezing it into his mouth. At that moment, a noisy group of fighters took their seats next to Gawon.

“Whoa, shit. Gijun’s out. Has it been a year?”

“I know, right? He wasn’t showing up, so I thought he’d become a cripple somewhere.”

Gawon’s brow furrowed on its own. He glanced to the side, but the three or four men paid him no mind and continued to chatter while looking at Gijun.

“Looks like he’s gotten taller in the meantime? Damn… he’s gotten even bigger.”

“That bastard Kim Myeong-seop was making a big fuss about taking home the trophy, but that’s all down the drain now.”

A couple of the men snickered. Then, another one gestured at Gijun with his chin in a bewildered voice.

“What? Who’s that guy?”

“You… you don’t know him?”

The tone of the question sounded almost incredulous. But that was only for a moment, as two or three of them burst into laughter at the same time.

“That’s right. This kid hasn’t been training for long, so it makes sense he wouldn’t know.”

“Hey, still. How can you not know him?”

“What is it? I can not know one guy like that, shit.”

The boy who was being treated like a fool snapped angrily.

“He looks like some pretty boy. Isn’t he a trainee somewhere? What, was he supposed to go to an audition but came to the wrong place?”

This time, Gawon also felt a surge of anger at the mocking tone. He glared at them, fuming, but there was no way the men, who were all worked up among themselves, would pay any attention to Gawon. The man who had first brought up Gijun gestured toward the top of the ring with a relaxed chin movement.

“Just watch first. Let’s talk after you see. What he does.”

I whipped my head around. Something far more important than those bastards’ chattering was right in front of my eyes. Gawon balled his hands into fists, which were getting damp with sweat.

“Alright, now we will begin the semi-pro… men’s high school, light heavyweight match.”

At that moment, the three men sitting at the officials’ table began their commentary.

“Red corner, fighter Kim Myeong-seop. He’s from the Roden FC Yeongdeungpo team. A fighter who’s gone 3 wins and 0 losses in Roden FC matches this year alone. The hooks and kicks he throws with brute force are top-notch, and his counters are just as good, so he’s been getting a lot of attention.”

“That’s right. Now, next up is the blue corner… fighter Gijun, from the K-One Multigym team.”

The slightly business-like tone of the ongoing match commentary immediately shifted. The commentators cast excited gazes toward Gijun, who was lightly warming up.

“It’s been quite a while since we’ve seen him on the ground, hasn’t it? His physique seems to have gotten even better.”

“He’s a famous fighter, right? Could you give us a brief introduction?”

“Fighter Gijun is seventeen years old, internationally. First of all, his physique is overwhelming, isn’t it? He has a great ability for strategic thinking in a standoff, detailed setups, and above all, his KO punch is a very distinctive feature of this fighter. His fighting style is flashy yet fundamentally sound, and his fight IQ is evaluated to be on par with a pro.”

“Above all, his record… is undefeated, undefeated, undefeated, he’s a monster of a fighter. In fact, based on his skills alone, he should have debuted as a pro long ago. I’ve heard he’s only competed in amateur matches until now due to personal circumstances, but I’m looking forward to seeing if he can continue his KO winning streak in his return after a year.”

Amidst the string of praises for Gijun, the two fighters entered the ring. Unlike the previous matches, which were amateur or hobbyist fights where fighters went into the ring fully geared up, the fighters in the semi-pro division were all shirtless and not even wearing headgear.

Gijun, who appeared bare-faced, jumped lightly in place a couple of times. As he stretched his arms and legs, an excited cheer echoed through the arena. Even though it was an amateur competition, the reaction was reminiscent of a pro main event match.

Among them was even a group that had brought professional-looking cameras. They had been sitting without any reaction the whole time, but as soon as Gijun entered, they started moving actively, snapping pictures of him. Gawon couldn’t help but be inwardly surprised.

“Oh, the reaction is already on par with the pros. Don’t you think?”

“I know, right. I’ve heard that although small, he already has a fanbase formed. Fighter Gijun’s looks are so appealing, it’s naturally more advantageous for fan service. Showmanship is an important part of being a pro, after all.”

The commentators also exchanged joking remarks and laughed. As if to prove the words about fan service right, loud cries echoed following Gijun’s movements. It was a roar mixed with admiration from his fellow fighters, and affection and support from his fans who had come to watch the match.

The referee stood between the two boys. After making eye contact with the fighters and briefly explaining the rules, he checked that the fighters were at the edges of the ring and shouted loudly.

“Round one, fight!”

Finally, with the referee’s booming voice, Gijun’s first match began. Unlike his opponent, whose face was rigid with tension, Gijun looked relaxed as he rolled the mouthpiece around in his mouth and stared at his opponent.

The two fighters’ gazes locked in silence. As the opponent narrowed the distance, Gijun subtly widened it. The moment the opponent tried to rush in, Gijun’s expression changed abruptly.

“…Is he smiling?”

A dazed voice erupted from above my head. The man who had been speaking mockingly of Gijun just moments before gaped with a vacant expression.

Gijun really was, smiling. Had I ever seen that kind of expression on him before? Gawon followed Gijun with a dazed gaze.

His eyes, full of exhilaration, gleamed to a chilling degree. The corners of his mouth were pulled wide to the side, his dimples deeply indented. Gijun, lightly dodging a hook coming swiftly toward his face and stepping, was genuinely enjoying himself.

Clearly provoked, the opponent’s face hardened fiercely. A shout that sounded like it was scraping his throat burst from him. The opponent, attempting to gain the upper hand, stepped quickly and charged at Gijun. At the same time, Gijun raised his hand to parry.1)

Up to that point, it looked like he was smoothly blocking the first attack. There was no need to rush from the very first move. However, Gijun boldly stepped inward. In an instant, he exploited the opening and landed a right hook to his opponent’s chin.

Bam!

It was just one time. That Gijun threw a punch. A sound almost like a sandbag bursting echoed across the ring. The opponent, who took a clean hit, clutched his jaw and staggered to the ground.

Gawon’s jaw dropped. It was before his eyes could even fully register the situation. Gijun, having taken control of the fallen fighter’s back, smoothly applied a submission hold. The choked fighter couldn’t even last three seconds before frantically tapping the canvas with his palm. It was the tap-out sign, admitting defeat.

“…”

The spectators, who had been chattering noisily, all fell silent. It was a moment when even the commentators, who were supposed to narrate the match, were at a loss for words.

“…Did he just land a counter with a single right hook?”

“Y-yes. And he immediately transitioned to the ground… and got the tap-out with a rear-naked choke.”

Having come to their senses, they regained their composure and made the call.

“Fighter Gijun takes the win in round one by submission in 15 seconds!”

Waaaah! The arena heated up intensely. Gijun, Gijun, Gijun… The teammates from the same gym who were cheering for him chanted his name in unison. The gym director handed him water and patted his shoulder with a pleased expression.

Gawon let out a huge breath. Only then did he realize he had been holding his breath. He had been tensing his whole body, and now his shoulders ached. He said he wouldn’t even give him a chance to be hit… I was so proud, so very proud of him for keeping his promise.

At that moment, Gijun, who was drinking water, suddenly whipped his head toward Gawon. Their eyes met.

‘Did I do well?’

With the shape of his mouth, the boy asked that. Gawon, who had been watching Gijun in a daze, broke into a smile. He nodded and gave him a thumbs-up. Seeing that, Gijun showed a face full of a mischievous grin.