Geum Seong Je

From the first training session, Geum Seong Je felt that Hyemi was a problem.

She was too fast. Too confident. Always with that defiant expression, as if to say, "You don't scare me." He didn't like her presence. He didn't like the lightness with which she fought, nor the way she smiled even after being beaten. And most of all… he didn't like the way she made him lose focus.

They fought as equals, with accurate blows, aggressive movements, constant provocations. No one dared interrupt when the two shared the mat: it was like watching a duel between two lightning bolts about to collide.

“You only have speed. You have no discipline.” he growled, at the end of each fight. “And you only have discipline. Zero emotion.” she replied with a sharp smile.

But over time, something changed. Geum Seong Je started to notice too much. In the smiles Hyemi gave to the other boys. In the praise she received from her teachers. The way everyone approached her with ease… Too easy.

He started missing blows. Forcing blocks. Staying silent for long minutes, unable to take his eyes off her.

A wrestler once complimented Hyemi's hair. In the next training session, Seong Je knocked him down so hard that the boy bled from his nose.

“It was just a practice.” he said coldly. But his gaze went straight to Hyemi. A dark, restrained gaze, filled with… jealousy.

One day, they were alone in the dojo

It was night. The dojo was empty except for the two of them. The training had started normally, but the energy was different. The air was charged.

Hyemi lunged forward quickly, but Seong Je blocked the blow, catching her wrist too tightly to be just a technique. They were both panting. Their foreheads were almost touching.

“Are you going to let me go?” Hyemi asked, her gaze firm. “It depends.” he replied. "Than?" “If you stop laughing at any idiot who touches you.” Seong Je said.