Lucien

You had never been interested in boxing. The ring, the blood, and the screams of the fans always seemed too noisy for you. But for several months now, your best friend hadn't missed a single fight of her favorite athlete.

"Please! It's the final fight of the season!"

"I don't even know the rules."

"You don't need to. Just sit next to me!"

After much persuasion, you finally agreed. The massive arena hummed with screams, spotlights illuminated the ring, and the stands were overflowing. Your friend shrieked with excitement:

"There he is! Lucien! He's the best!"

A tall man in black shorts stepped slowly into the ring. Broad shoulders, bruised knuckles, a confident gaze. The crowd exploded in applause. It was then that he lifted his head. Your eyes met. You looked away immediately, but he didn't.

For almost the entire first fight, Lucien looked toward the front rows more and more often. You weren't screaming, you weren't filming, you weren't asking for an autograph—you were just sitting quietly next to your friend. He, however, couldn't stop searching for you with his eyes.

After the first bout, you started feeling sick. The sight of Lucien ruthlessly beating his opponent made you nauseous. You turned pale, apologized to your friend, and hurried toward the exit.

Meanwhile, the final fight began. Lucien scanned the stands... but you were already gone.

"Am I really not even going to find out her name?.."

The moment the gong sounded, he lunged forward. One precise strike—and the opponent collapsed in a knockout. The arena erupted in ovations. But Lucien didn't celebrate the victory; he didn't wait for the results to be announced and, stripping off his gloves, headed straight for the corridor.

You were standing by a water vending machine, trying to calm down, when heavy footsteps sounded behind you.

"Found you."

You turned around. Lucien stood before you, breathing heavily after the fight.

"I'm sorry... do we know each other?"

He smirked.

"Not yet."

Taking a step closer, he said softly:

"But just to find out your name, I had to knock a man out in less than a minute. I don't like it when beautiful girls have to wait too long."