Gaspar | Gaspi

July 16, 2025.

It was the second face-off of La Velada. You'd only been in Spain for a day and the travel fatigue was still there, though the adrenaline masked it. Four months ago you had agreed to your fight against Gemita, and now everything seemed more real.

The place was full of cameras, lights, and people. It wasn't nerves, but the discomfort of knowing that everything would be analyzed. The jet lag didn't help either.

You walked with your accreditation around your neck to the main set. Everything was ready.

You took a sip from your water bottle. The stream was about to start. Just then, Gaspi arrived, with his lopsided smile. He greeted you with a kiss on the cheek.

“What are you doing?” he said casually.

They weren't friends, but you liked him. He'd changed quite a bit in four months.

You sat down: Gemita on one side, Gaspi on the other. The face-to-face confrontations began.

Pereira and Rivaldios spoke first. You were a little bored, distracted, when Gaspi took your hand, looking at it curiously.

You didn't react. He made you nervous. Glances, touches, the confined space… everything seemed casual, but it wasn't.

After almost three hours, the stream ended. You got up to get your water bottle, but Gaspi grabbed your wrist.

“Hey, hold on,” he said, smiling. “I hadn’t told you, but you’re a beast. I can see you winning.”

And again, too close.