Chapter 31: Loss
"What are you doing after your fight today?" Miharu ask, a smile in her voice. I change the phone to the other ear and feed some more coins into the payphone slot. My mobile has no credit left on it. Can you believe they don't do top-ups here? What are they, stuck in the nineties?
"Er, I'm not sure." I lie. I actually sorta have plans to track Jin down and talk with him. Just talk, nothing else, okay? Yesterday was a prime example of me losing control. I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it, and I did feel ready last night, but if I do… do it… with Jin, I want it to be at the right time, not in the midst of a tournament and Jin's whole revenge plans, and the possibility of being killed by the God of Fighting. There's a God for everything now, I swear. Honestly, I don't want Jin's mind to be elsewhere if we're going to… y'know.
"Okay. Just asking because I was gonna call you. I've seen these shoes in that store that you like, and they're perfect. I took a photo of them with my phone. I'll send you a picture, and then I'll call you and we can plan how the hell to earn enough money to afford them. Is there a cash prize for winning the tournament?"
"I dunno. But yeah, send me a pic. I'll decide if they're bank robbery worthy or just save up worthy."
She laughs, and I can hear her brother's voice in the background.
"Oh, I gotta go. I have to help mum with the grocery shopping. Maybe I can manipulate her into pitching in for those shoes." She jokes. "Bye, Xiao."
I hang up and press coin return. Nothing happens. Great, even the payphone is against me today. Well, no time to dwell on it. I have my fourth match to go to, it starts in fifteen minutes. And I actually got up and got dressed and prepared this time. I'm wearing the red outfit my grandpa bought me. I wore it for my second match and kicked supreme amounts of ass, so I consider it my good luck charm. Look out, Forest Law.
Okay, so maybe telling Forest Law to look out was a teensy bit presumptuous of me. I knew he was fast, but I wasn't aware he was this fast. In every other battle, I've been able to use my speed as an advantage, but me and Law seem to be pretty evenly matched in that department. It's been fifteen minutes and I can't have landed more than five hits yet, all I seem to be capable of doing is dodging fists and feet. If this carries on, he's gonna wear me out and I'm gonna lose.
I duck under a flying kick and take the opportunity to punish Law before he can right himself. A swift kick to the head sends him toppling to the ground, and I grab his arm before he can fall to flip him over. He twists out of my grip though, dancing away from me and then countering with a machine gun punch aimed straight at my head. I block, defending my face from his fists. I'd rather my nose was kept in one piece, thanks. My forearms ache where they've taken the brunt of his attacks, my legs ache, my ribs are screaming. But I take comfort in the fact that he's probably the same. He has to be.
Alright, Xiao. Be calm. All you need to do is keep blocking and hit when you can. Just stay strong.
That's the key to winning these battles. Just stay strong.
Law's slippered foot sweeps the air just above my head, and I flatten myself to the ground, rolling sideways and rising in a Rain Dance stance. From the way the fight's gone so far, I'm convinced he's studied my techniques, so I know he's expecting me to kick, as that's what I normally do when I turn my back. Instead though, I flip over his head, landing behind him and grabbing his leg. My sudden grip overbalances him and, still having hold of his ankle, I spin his body in mid air and send him falling back first onto the ground. He grunts in pain, getting shakily to his feet as I watch, waiting for any warnings signs of his next attack. There are none, he simply stands still, breathing heavily.
I guess he's waiting for me to make a move. Well, I'd hate to disappoint.
I inch closer, cautious, pondering what the best move would be right now, and he suddenly comes to life, a backhand punch connecting with my stomach before I have chance to react. I cry out in pain and surprise, and another blow to my midsection sends me doubling over. He finishes with a solid uppercut that catches me under the chin so hard that it actually launches me into the air. I think I scream, I'm not sure, but one thing I am sure of is that I'm in a whole lot of pain. There's the metallic taste of blood in my mouth, and I somehow manage to drag myself to my feet, all my limbs straining to keep me upright.
I can't lose. I can't lose.
I still have the same chance as Law does to win this battle. I can tell he's pretty much as tired and broken as I am. Maybe that attack cost him the last of his strength. Well, I still have mine. I take a leaf out of his book, standing motionless, daring him to get close before I attack. He advances, and I snap my foot towards his face. This'll do it.
I hit air. Law backflips. Perfect timing on his part. I don't have time to block. There's impact, excruciating pain, and then nothing.
A ceiling fan rotates squeakily as I open my eyes, quickly scrunching them shut in reaction to the sunlight. I can smell disinfectant.
"Looks like you're coming round." A female voice states, and I can hear movement around me.
"It's about time. You've been out since yesterday."
There's a sound like blinds being closed, and I open my eyes cautiously. There's a woman standing by the window, the cord for the blinds still in her hand. She comes forwards and I tolerate having a light flashed in my eyes, then she stands back and smiles at me.
"Looks okay. How are you feeling?"
I try to sit up, but as soon as I move, my whole body screams in protest.
"You took quite a beating there." The woman says, turning to a desk and sorting through some papers. "You're lucky nothing's broken."
"I… I lost…" I croak out.
"You put up a good fight, I'm told." She suddenly drops the papers onto the desk. "Oh, your friend! I made him go outside to smoke." She winks at me. "Quite a good looking lad. I'll go get him for you."
Her heels clack on the floor as she crosses the room, and I stare up at the ceiling fan and try to blink back tears. I lost. I'm out. I feel physically sick.
"Xiao, hey." Hwoarang's voice reaches me from somewhere to my right, and I turn my head to the left, closing my eyes. I don't want him to see me like this.
"C'mon, don't be like that." There's the sound of a door closing. I guess the nurse has gone somewhere.
"She says nothing's broken. That's good, huh? You had me worried, kid."
"I lost."
He sighs. "Yeah."
I turn to face him, he's sitting on a chair next to my bed, eyes fixed on the wall behind me.
"I'm sorry."
He frowns, looking at me in confusion.
"What?"
"I couldn't keep our promise." Tears slip down my face.
He reaches forwards, then seems to think better of it and withdraws his hand, shrugging.
"It was a stupid idea anyway."
"No it wasn't. Not to me." I try to move my arm to wipe the tears from my face, but it hurts too much.
"Okay." He smiles. "Well, you know, Xiao, sometimes you don't have to win to do better than the other guy."
"You're just saying that to cheer me up." I sniffle, and he grins.
"Really?"
"It won't work, Hwoarang. I lost."
"Yeah, so what?" He leans forward, brushing the tears from my cheeks. "It could have been worse. You could have got knocked out in the first round."
He's right, but I'm not ready to feel better just yet.
"How did your match go?" I mumble. "You had one in the afternoon, right?"
"My match?" he repeats. "I dunno. I wasn't there."
"Stop being stupid." I snap, trying to sit up.
"I'm not. I didn't go."
"Hwoarang." I say, propping myself up against the pillows, wincing through the pain. "If you don't show up, you forfeit."
"Yeah. But I was worried about you. I didn't want you to wake up and there be no one there."
"But…" I stare at him, wide-eyed, and he smiles easily.
"Hey, it's not about winning matches to me. It stopped being about that when Baek disappeared."
I can't do anything but stare. He forfeited his match just so I wouldn't be alone?
"Anyway." He's saying. "Now we can focus on more important stuff, like getting that old bastard to spill."