Four days passed.
The venue for the youth tournament was packed. The constant murmur of voices, footsteps, and loudspeaker announcements filled the air. They had already registered and were now walking through the facility with competitor wristbands on.
Dowoon looked around, his shoulders slightly tense.
"T-there are quite a lot of people compared to the tournaments I've been in…," he said, swallowing.
Taehun gave him a sharp smack on the head with his palm.
"It's the same as always," he said irritably. "At least make it past the first round. I don't want you getting eliminated."
Dowoon's eyes lit up a little as he looked at him with hope.
But then Taehun added, with a mocking laugh.
"Otherwise you'll damage the dojo's reputation, hahaha."
Dowoon froze.
For a second, he had thought Taehun was encouraging him, but even so, he clenched his fists and replied.
"Don't worry… with what I've learned, I'll do my best."
Byeoto, walking beside them, calmly observed the surroundings.
"By the way… aren't you nervous, Taehun?"
He was curious. Did that guy really have nerves of steel, or was it just the arrogance of a genius?
Taehun snorted.
"Tch. Who would be scared? The only thing that worries me is that they'll all be weak."
"Did you at least check the opponents?" Byeoto asked simply.
Taehun looked at him as if he had said something stupid.
"Huh? Are you an idiot? Do you think I'm one of those guys? I'll figure them out when I fight them."
Byeoto looked at Dowoon.
Dowoon averted his gaze.
"Well… I did check them a little."
Taehun turned sharply.
"What?"
Shrugging, Dowoon said,
"Nothing too deep…"
While they were talking, they arrived at a side area of the venue. There were long wooden benches; it was the designated area for competitors. Since there was still time, they sat down.
Around them, some participants stretched in silence, others talked quietly, and some simply looked at their phones with indifference.
Byeoto rested his elbows on his knees.
"So… who are the most interesting ones?"
"Most of them are," Dowoon replied.
Taehun raised an eyebrow.
"That's your answer after researching them?"
Dowoon coughed.
"S-sorry…"
Taehun didn't say anything, just glanced at him sideways.
Dowoon took a deep breath.
"Alright… since not many have arrived yet, I can recognize a few. See the one who's stretching?"
The three of them looked up.
A young man with his back turned moved his body fluidly, stretching his legs and waist.
"That's Seojun Kang," Dowoon said. "He has a bad reputation, he's a troublemaker…"
He shot a quick glance at Taehun.
"What?" Taehun said. "Are you saying he's like me?"
"N-no…," Dowoon looked away and muttered. "They're pretty similar…"
Then he added,
"He also practices Taekkyeon."
Taehun looked interested.
"Taekkyeon?"
"That sounds interesting," Byeoto said. "Fighting him should be fun."
Dowoon lowered his voice when he noticed the participant was closer.
"And the one on his phone is strong too…"
They looked in the direction he pointed. Despite how close they were, they stared without shame.
He was a guy with his hair tied into a bun, a few short strands falling over his forehead. He had droopy eyes with faint dark circles underneath, and a relaxed expression.
"His name is Dogyu Na," Dowoon explained. "He's a grappler. He's won several youth tournaments, so his reputation is pretty good. They consider him a young prodigy."
As if he had sensed their stares, Dogyu looked up.
Dowoon immediately looked away.
The young man simply raised an eyebrow, as if he found them strange, and went back to his phone.
"That bastard…," Taehun said. "I feel like he's looking down on me."
Byeoto sighed but didn't say anything. He turned his head in another direction.
There was a large figure sitting there, arms and legs crossed.
Byeoto narrowed his eyes.
That silhouette felt familiar.
"See the one sitting over there?" Dowoon said.
Both of them nodded.
"She has a really good reputation," he continued. "She's very strong. A judo genius. She's like a legend."
Taehun's eyes widened.
"Wait… what the hell? Is that a girl? That thing?"
Byeoto was surprised as well.
So it was her.
"That's rude, Taehun," Dowoon said. "Her name is Mary Kim, not 'that thing.' And her nickname is...."
"The Empress of Two Seconds," Byeoto interrupted.
Dowoon and Taehun looked at him at the same time.
"You know her?" Dowoon asked.
"You know that thing?" Taehun added.
"No," Byeoto replied. "But I've heard of her. She's strong, actually. That's where the nickname comes from. It's not metaphorical… it's quite literal."
Taehun smiled.
"So she's strong…," he said. "I think this tournament is going to be pretty entertaining."
Byeoto stood up.
"Alright. Let's start getting changed."
With that, the three of them stood and headed toward the locker rooms, while the noise of the tournament continued to grow around them.
...
The announcer raised his voice, echoing throughout the venue.
"The youth competition will begin right now!"
The murmur of the crowd turned into cheers and applause. Parents, coaches, and onlookers filled the stands, watching the combat area with anticipation.
Twelve participants were lined up at the front. Some stretched in silence, others looked around nervously, and a few seemed completely indifferent, as if this were no big deal.
The announcer smiled, enjoying the tension in the air.
"Twelve young talents, coming from different martial arts, will compete today to prove who is the strongest! Representing their respective clubs, only eight will advance to the next round. Let's see who's up to the challenge!"
A screen behind the stage lit up.
"First, the competitors who advance directly to the quarterfinals, chosen by draw."
The names began to appear one by one.
Mary Kim.
Seojun Kim.
Joo Woo.
Seungwoo Lee.
A murmur ran through the crowd.
Taehun clicked his tongue.
"Tch… some people are just born lucky."
Dowoon swallowed.
"S-so… we're starting…"
The announcer continued, pointing at the screen.
"And now, the first-round matches! The four matchups that will decide who advances!"
The pairings appeared one by one.
Dowoon Lee vs Woo Seo.
In surprise, Dowoon's eyes widened.
"First…?"
Taehun gave him a sharp smack on the back.
"Don't freeze up. You've been in tournaments before, this is no different."
Dowoon tensed up, but nodded more firmly.
"Yeah… okay."
The next match appeared.
Taehun Seong vs Min Kang.
He smiled, showing his teeth.
"Perfect."
Then appeared,
Byeoto Nam vs Mincheol Choi.
Out of curiosity, Byeoto calmly lifted his gaze, looking at his future opponent. He seemed fairly calm.
And finally,
Dogyu Na vs Tae Shin.
Tae Shin wore a smile, while Dogyu barely reacted. His gaze was calm.
....
The announcer wrapped up enthusiastically.
"Competitors, get ready! The first match will begin now!"
A referee approached the edge of the mat.
"Dowoon Lee, Woo Seo. Forward."
Dowoon took a deep breath. His hands were cold.
"W-well… I'm up first…"
Byeoto glanced at him.
"Relax. Remember that you're strong."
Taehun crossed his arms.
"And remember one thing," he said firmly. "No matter who you fight… you represent the dojo."
Dowoon nodded firmly.
"Yes."
He walked toward the mat, each step feeling heavier than the last.
When he reached the center, he stopped.
Standing in front of him was his opponent.
Woo Seo.
Dowoon slowly raised his gaze, more determined than ever. He couldn't fail now.
The referee gave the signal.
"Taekwondo versus Muay Thai!"
Dowoon took a deep breath.
In front of him, Woo Seo raised his hands in a solid guard, his right leg forward. He advanced with short steps, slightly lifting his knee, typical of his style.
Dowoon turned sideways.
Woo Seo attacked first.
A low kick shot straight toward his thigh.
Dowoon stepped back slightly and rotated his body, leaning forward. In the same motion, he launched a heel kick, striking his opponent's chest and forcing him back several steps.
Woo Seo frowned.
Without wasting time, he rushed in. A punch grazed Dowoon's face, and immediately after, a kick landed on his ribs.
Dowoon raised his knee.
Woo Seo's shin crashed into it.
It hurt.
Dowoon clenched his teeth. After all, his disadvantage was still his body. He couldn't afford prolonged exchanges.
Before Woo Seo could react, Dowoon counterattacked with his other leg, striking his opponent's thigh. Woo Seo leaned slightly, and in that instant, Dowoon lifted his knee and extended his leg, striking straight into his chin.
Woo Seo jolted violently.
Even so, he clenched his teeth and managed to grab Dowoon's leg.
"Now…!" he thought.
But Dowoon didn't stop.
Using the trapped leg as an axis, he jumped, twisted his torso in midair, and fired his free leg forward. The blow struck Woo Seo squarely in the face, forcing him to let go and stumble back.
Dowoon landed and breathed heavily.
He looked forward… then glanced sideways at Taehun.
Taehun frowned.
"What is that bastard trying to do?"
Byeoto smiled.
"He wants to show how incredible taekwondo is."
Dowoon smiled as well.
Woo Seo staggered back to his feet, his breathing ragged and his guard messy. Even so, he charged forward.
Dowoon stepped back and adopted a different stance. His torso upright, his supporting leg firmly planted, the other ready.
The crowd fell silent.
Then…
Dowoon exploded.
He propelled his body upward. His supporting leg extended with force, and his arms followed the rotation to gain speed.
The first spin rotated him on his axis. The second accelerated the rotation, and the third lifted him even higher, completing the sequence of the 1080 kick.
At the final instant, Dowoon extended his attacking leg.
The instep struck Woo Seo's face directly.
"OOOOOOOOOH!!!!"
The crowd erupted.
Woo Seo was sent flying backward and crashed to the ground, completely defeated.
Silence.
One second.
And then…
"INCREDIBLE!!"
"At that age!!"
"Did you see that?!!"
"That was amazing!!"
Dowoon landed with control, lowered his leg, and recovered his guard. He was breathing hard… but smiling.
The referee raised his arm.
"Winner… Dowoon Lee!"
The applause didn't stop.
.....
Taehun smiled.
"Arrogant idiot."
Byeoto spoke calmly.
"Looks like you'll have to do something better, right? You can't let your student be better than you."
Taehun replied arrogantly.
"Hah? Just watch how I destroy that little piece of shit."
Dowoon was still breathing heavily at the center of the mat, his smile still there. Hearing the noise, he stiffened slightly and then swallowed.
"O-okay… I did it…"
He returned to them, still red from the effort and attention.
"S-sorry if I took too long…"
Taehun gave him a sharp smack on the head.
"Too long? Idiot, you almost stole my spotlight."
Dowoon smiled awkwardly.
The announcer took the microphone again, raising his voice to overpower the noise.
"What a spectacular start to this youth tournament! But this is only the beginning!"
He paused dramatically.
"Next match!"
The referee called out firmly.
"Taehun Seong… versus Min Kang!"
The murmur surged again.
"Isn't that the taekwondo prodigy?"
"The previous one was from his dojo too, right?"
"This match is highly anticipated…"
Taehun stepped onto the mat with an arrogant smile, his hands relaxed, his stride confident. He seemed to enjoy every gaze fixed on him.
Across from him, Min Kang was already there, wearing a serious expression.
The referee positioned himself between them.
"Taekwondo… versus MMA."
From the outside, Byeoto watched attentively.
"Now this is it… Let's see how he fights when he's being compared."
The referee raised his hand.
"Ready…!"
Taehun stretched his neck, his shoulders relaxed, his eyes shining with excitement.
Min Kang clenched his fists, lowering his center of gravity slightly.
"Fight!"
And the instant the hand came down…
Taehun took the first step.