PART 2- hey, it's a living
Looking back on it now, the next upcoming years were the best of my life. They were full of adventure and mischief. If only I had listened to Baek more... It doesn't matter, he is dead and I am here. But his death will not go unavenged. God things were so different back then...
I never saw Marge much but the lady seemed to be obsessed to know more about me, she tried to talk to me but I was never at the house long, I liked to wander about town looking at the different people. The city was always filled with important people coming and going, much more exciting then anything going on at my apartment. It was that day I would meet a man I will certainly never forget. I was sitting by an ally when Steve came walking by. We said our hellos and he asked if I wanted to run join him on a little errand he was running. I said what the hell I had nothing better to do. We went walking a little ways and 3 collage guys were coming toward us. I didn't pay much attention. One of them wasn't looking and knocked Steve over. They laughed as they started to walk by. When the one who had knocked him down was beside me, I reached out my left hand, and quickly grabbed him and pulled his face close to mine "Help him up"
He quickly pushed himself away from me, "Hey who do you think you are kid!?"
"I said, help him up"
"Oh..." he started to laugh "And if I don't? " I was in no mood I lunged my foot back and hit one of his friends square in the ribs sending him to the ground
The one who had knocked over Steve said, "What the?.....GET him!" His other friend came charging after me. I took my right foot, and smacked it across the kids face as blood came out of his mouth. Before he could realize what had happened, my foot came back the other way with a thud spinning him to the ground. "Kid, your gonna pay for this!" he ran towards me and I threw his body up against a brick wall. Before he knew what was what I had my foot pined against his chest, pushing him against the wall. "Say you're sorry"
"Ok ok I am sorry!"
"Good!" I punched him in his face knocking him out. Steve stood up amazed
"Wow you haven't lost your touch I see"
"Of course not..."displaying my usually attitude which I have to admit has never went away.
Then I saw him in the corner of my eye, a blonde haired man in sunglasses leaning against a wall on the other side of the road. Even through his sunglasses, I could feel his stare. The street was quiet. Steve looked at me wondering what was wrong. I didn't move. Something didn't seem right about this guy to me. I couldn't put my finger on it but there was something dark about him. He started to slowly walk across the street. Something in my gut told me to run but I didn't want to. I was confident I could take him too if that is what his goal was.
"Steve go" I didn't want Steve here for whatever this guy was planning
"Hwoarang?"
"I SAID GO" Steve walked away and didn't look back just as the man had crossed the street.
"Impressive kid where did you learn to do that?"
"What is it to you?"
"I could use your services," he said with a smile
I gave a smirk, "Not interested" and I started to walk away
"Hold on" he grabbed my shoulder. "You can make a lot of cash" He said the magic word
"How much cash?" I said this made me very curious
"Come with me I will introduce you to some people" Every instinct in my head told me not to go with him but when money is involved, he peaked my interest. I followed right aside him as we talked.
"My name is Ken, some call me a hustler, but I am a simple gambler and you are certainly tougher then you look. Together we can make an unbeatable pair!"
"I am pretty unbeatably solo......"
"Ah I see....but I can show you riches beyond your wildest dreams" that was it for me. I was sold. Somehow I knew he would use my talents to become rich. That is what I had wanted. It was not that I wanted to live like someone rich and famous, I wanted money security to live off of. I didn't want to depend on anyone. In this life the only one you can truly depend on was yourself. At least, that is what I thought at the time. He led me to this old run down building. Let me introduce you to my adopted son Jeff, Jeff Hwoarang.
"Hey" I could tell right away Jeff was an odd kid, and I soon learned he wasn't the brightest firefly in the field
"What!?" he said in a confused loud voice.
"He may not look like it, but Jeff here took 2^nd place at the youth Korean martial arts competition. He lost to some kid up at Baek's Dojo."
"Chang?" I asked
"Why yes... how did you know?" Ken asked
"I saw the match it was obvious with your stance you were vulnerable to a sweep" I told him. Jeff took offence to this
"NO!?" he said in his loud and confused voice. Of course I had to prove him wrong so one quick foot movement and Jeff came crashing to the floor
"See" I told him
"Quite impressive!" Ken told me, "Now on to business, care to sit down?" He pointed to and old wood table and chairs that looked like they could turn to dust at any second.
"No thanks... I think I will pass, so what do you have in mind?"
"Fighting.... I am talking about pushing up the odds and just laying it to people. Do you have any idea how much money we could make?"
"Jeff here is a pretty accomplished fighter why not let him do it? Why me?"
"That is just it Jeff has received too much publicity from his 2^nd place finish. It is hard for him to fool anyone. But you, you no one knows about, you're a no body and therefore expected to lose."
"I see what you are getting at so... why do I need you?"
"Simple, I can pump up the money, what you have fought for before you will consider chicken scratch have you done street fighting before?
"Yea"
"Anyone ever beat you?"
"No"
"Thought so. Kid we are going to make each other very rich! Come on now I will show you how it works, Jeff you stay here, Hwoarang follow me" I knew right he was going to do something incredible. He led me to a bar across the street and pointed to a huge man sitting on a stool. "You see him, do you think you could take him?"
"I don't know he looks big, probably pretty slow...shouldn't be a problem."
"Well let's find out shall we" he walked over the guy who was already talking with some friends of his.
"And then, I took his head, and shoved it into the wall!" he was bragging to his friends
"Your just a big baby, you couldn't beat up anyone" Ken told him
"Oh yeah you want to take this outside ken!?" he asked
"Hey anyone in this bar could beat you up I would bet 100000 won on it.
"Oh yeah ha ha fine how about your little friend there then!"
"Oh come on you would fight a kid? Come on...." Ken said egging him on
"I thought you said I couldn't beat anyone?"
"Alright fine but give me 3:1 odds ok?"
"Ha ha fine with me, you better pay up ken!"
"Lets go outside" It was not till the man stood up that I realized just how big he was. He stood about 6'2 and I would guess 280 pounds. However most of that seemed to be fat. He wore a white tank top and his head was bald. I had never fought someone this big before but I knew the concept would be the same. Speed over strength. The punches would be flying but I knew not a single one would land. A crowd circled around us yelling things like come on dude he is just a kid. Ken was preoccupied taking other bets. Then he came out and told us that the fight was to start.
"Kid I will make this fast don't go crying to your mommy!" he walked toward me and threw a right. I dodged it by leaning to the right and gave him a kick to the stomach. He hardly flinched. I was awestruck. He threw another punch, which I dodged and went for a kick but that too didn't work. He was getting frustrated I could tell. That is when I came up with my idea. I yelled at him. "Come on tubby losin to a kid?" Just as I had expected him to do he came charging at me. I quickly grabbed his arms, put my right foot on his stomach and leaned back. His weight was enormous but I managed to flip him over me on to the street. He stood up staggering as a car started to come toward. He held out both hands and the car stopped about two inches before hitting him. With his attention diverted, I came in with a flying jump kick right to his face and boom. He was knocked out cold. I had won the fight, a feat that I didn't even feel confident I could do. The crowd's mouths dropped. Ken
had a huge smile as he collect the cash. He made a killing. Everyone wanted to congratulate me but ken got the money and hurried us to his house.
"I am impressed, you're as good as you said after all"
"Yeah well... what about the money?"
"Oh here you go, handing me a stack of bills not a bad days work aye?"
"Hey that was awesome!" Jeff said, "Can you teach me some of that"
"Sure no problem" I said as I counted out the bills "But right now I better head home, it has been a long day"
"Alright kid" ken said "Come back here soon, we will do this again.
"Sure thing" I told him after all how could I pass up on that kind of cash.
I went bark to my apartment. Marge was there waiting for me.
"What have you been up to?" she asked
"Same old same old I told her" I don't know why but at the time I didn't want any kind of relationship with Marge, I didn't want her to know anything about me fighting or anything. I knew she would just be against it. She felt obligated to be my mother, something I did not want. So I brushed her off and decided to call it a night. It had been a long day.
Looking back on it now, the next upcoming years were the best of my life. They were full of adventure and mischief. If only I had listened to Baek more... It doesn't matter, he is dead and I am here. But his death will not go unavenged. God things were so different back then...
I never saw Marge much but the lady seemed to be obsessed to know more about me, she tried to talk to me but I was never at the house long, I liked to wander about town looking at the different people. The city was always filled with important people coming and going, much more exciting then anything going on at my apartment. It was that day I would meet a man I will certainly never forget. I was sitting by an ally when Steve came walking by. We said our hellos and he asked if I wanted to run join him on a little errand he was running. I said what the hell I had nothing better to do. We went walking a little ways and 3 collage guys were coming toward us. I didn't pay much attention. One of them wasn't looking and knocked Steve over. They laughed as they started to walk by. When the one who had knocked him down was beside me, I reached out my left hand, and quickly grabbed him and pulled his face close to mine "Help him up"
He quickly pushed himself away from me, "Hey who do you think you are kid!?"
"I said, help him up"
"Oh..." he started to laugh "And if I don't? " I was in no mood I lunged my foot back and hit one of his friends square in the ribs sending him to the ground
The one who had knocked over Steve said, "What the?.....GET him!" His other friend came charging after me. I took my right foot, and smacked it across the kids face as blood came out of his mouth. Before he could realize what had happened, my foot came back the other way with a thud spinning him to the ground. "Kid, your gonna pay for this!" he ran towards me and I threw his body up against a brick wall. Before he knew what was what I had my foot pined against his chest, pushing him against the wall. "Say you're sorry"
"Ok ok I am sorry!"
"Good!" I punched him in his face knocking him out. Steve stood up amazed
"Wow you haven't lost your touch I see"
"Of course not..."displaying my usually attitude which I have to admit has never went away.
Then I saw him in the corner of my eye, a blonde haired man in sunglasses leaning against a wall on the other side of the road. Even through his sunglasses, I could feel his stare. The street was quiet. Steve looked at me wondering what was wrong. I didn't move. Something didn't seem right about this guy to me. I couldn't put my finger on it but there was something dark about him. He started to slowly walk across the street. Something in my gut told me to run but I didn't want to. I was confident I could take him too if that is what his goal was.
"Steve go" I didn't want Steve here for whatever this guy was planning
"Hwoarang?"
"I SAID GO" Steve walked away and didn't look back just as the man had crossed the street.
"Impressive kid where did you learn to do that?"
"What is it to you?"
"I could use your services," he said with a smile
I gave a smirk, "Not interested" and I started to walk away
"Hold on" he grabbed my shoulder. "You can make a lot of cash" He said the magic word
"How much cash?" I said this made me very curious
"Come with me I will introduce you to some people" Every instinct in my head told me not to go with him but when money is involved, he peaked my interest. I followed right aside him as we talked.
"My name is Ken, some call me a hustler, but I am a simple gambler and you are certainly tougher then you look. Together we can make an unbeatable pair!"
"I am pretty unbeatably solo......"
"Ah I see....but I can show you riches beyond your wildest dreams" that was it for me. I was sold. Somehow I knew he would use my talents to become rich. That is what I had wanted. It was not that I wanted to live like someone rich and famous, I wanted money security to live off of. I didn't want to depend on anyone. In this life the only one you can truly depend on was yourself. At least, that is what I thought at the time. He led me to this old run down building. Let me introduce you to my adopted son Jeff, Jeff Hwoarang.
"Hey" I could tell right away Jeff was an odd kid, and I soon learned he wasn't the brightest firefly in the field
"What!?" he said in a confused loud voice.
"He may not look like it, but Jeff here took 2^nd place at the youth Korean martial arts competition. He lost to some kid up at Baek's Dojo."
"Chang?" I asked
"Why yes... how did you know?" Ken asked
"I saw the match it was obvious with your stance you were vulnerable to a sweep" I told him. Jeff took offence to this
"NO!?" he said in his loud and confused voice. Of course I had to prove him wrong so one quick foot movement and Jeff came crashing to the floor
"See" I told him
"Quite impressive!" Ken told me, "Now on to business, care to sit down?" He pointed to and old wood table and chairs that looked like they could turn to dust at any second.
"No thanks... I think I will pass, so what do you have in mind?"
"Fighting.... I am talking about pushing up the odds and just laying it to people. Do you have any idea how much money we could make?"
"Jeff here is a pretty accomplished fighter why not let him do it? Why me?"
"That is just it Jeff has received too much publicity from his 2^nd place finish. It is hard for him to fool anyone. But you, you no one knows about, you're a no body and therefore expected to lose."
"I see what you are getting at so... why do I need you?"
"Simple, I can pump up the money, what you have fought for before you will consider chicken scratch have you done street fighting before?
"Yea"
"Anyone ever beat you?"
"No"
"Thought so. Kid we are going to make each other very rich! Come on now I will show you how it works, Jeff you stay here, Hwoarang follow me" I knew right he was going to do something incredible. He led me to a bar across the street and pointed to a huge man sitting on a stool. "You see him, do you think you could take him?"
"I don't know he looks big, probably pretty slow...shouldn't be a problem."
"Well let's find out shall we" he walked over the guy who was already talking with some friends of his.
"And then, I took his head, and shoved it into the wall!" he was bragging to his friends
"Your just a big baby, you couldn't beat up anyone" Ken told him
"Oh yeah you want to take this outside ken!?" he asked
"Hey anyone in this bar could beat you up I would bet 100000 won on it.
"Oh yeah ha ha fine how about your little friend there then!"
"Oh come on you would fight a kid? Come on...." Ken said egging him on
"I thought you said I couldn't beat anyone?"
"Alright fine but give me 3:1 odds ok?"
"Ha ha fine with me, you better pay up ken!"
"Lets go outside" It was not till the man stood up that I realized just how big he was. He stood about 6'2 and I would guess 280 pounds. However most of that seemed to be fat. He wore a white tank top and his head was bald. I had never fought someone this big before but I knew the concept would be the same. Speed over strength. The punches would be flying but I knew not a single one would land. A crowd circled around us yelling things like come on dude he is just a kid. Ken was preoccupied taking other bets. Then he came out and told us that the fight was to start.
"Kid I will make this fast don't go crying to your mommy!" he walked toward me and threw a right. I dodged it by leaning to the right and gave him a kick to the stomach. He hardly flinched. I was awestruck. He threw another punch, which I dodged and went for a kick but that too didn't work. He was getting frustrated I could tell. That is when I came up with my idea. I yelled at him. "Come on tubby losin to a kid?" Just as I had expected him to do he came charging at me. I quickly grabbed his arms, put my right foot on his stomach and leaned back. His weight was enormous but I managed to flip him over me on to the street. He stood up staggering as a car started to come toward. He held out both hands and the car stopped about two inches before hitting him. With his attention diverted, I came in with a flying jump kick right to his face and boom. He was knocked out cold. I had won the fight, a feat that I didn't even feel confident I could do. The crowd's mouths dropped. Ken
had a huge smile as he collect the cash. He made a killing. Everyone wanted to congratulate me but ken got the money and hurried us to his house.
"I am impressed, you're as good as you said after all"
"Yeah well... what about the money?"
"Oh here you go, handing me a stack of bills not a bad days work aye?"
"Hey that was awesome!" Jeff said, "Can you teach me some of that"
"Sure no problem" I said as I counted out the bills "But right now I better head home, it has been a long day"
"Alright kid" ken said "Come back here soon, we will do this again.
"Sure thing" I told him after all how could I pass up on that kind of cash.
I went bark to my apartment. Marge was there waiting for me.
"What have you been up to?" she asked
"Same old same old I told her" I don't know why but at the time I didn't want any kind of relationship with Marge, I didn't want her to know anything about me fighting or anything. I knew she would just be against it. She felt obligated to be my mother, something I did not want. So I brushed her off and decided to call it a night. It had been a long day.