Chapter 142
Chapter 142
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 142
Chapter Title: No-Holds-Barred Taekwondo (2)
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“Warm-up, staaart!”
“One! Two! Three! Four!”
The kids followed the instructor’s words and began their warm-up exercises.
“Your voices are too quiet! Louder with the calls!”
“Five! Six! Seven! Eight!”
The children shouted their calls while fixing their eyes on the instructor.
They were mimicking the preparatory movements.
However, there was one little kid scanning the other children instead of watching the instructor.
“Hmph, there’s nothing but weak humans here!”
It was Hwaryeon, scouting for someone to fight.
While doing her warm-ups, Hwaryeon scanned her surroundings and checked for no-holds-barred opponents.
“That one’s not even worth fighting. He’d run away before the fight even starts!”
No suitable opponent.
If there wasn’t one, she’d just make one.
“I’ll show them the trash talk skills I saw on TV!”
Hoo—
After finishing all her warm-ups, Hwaryeon boldly shouted.
“All the humans here are idiots!! Any humans who don’t like it, fight me!!”
Kwaaaang—!
Hwaryeon declared war and expanded her territory.
At her booming voice, everyone in the dojo fell silent.
‘What the heck is that kid saying?’
A kid who just signed up for the dojo today was suddenly acting like this.
It was ironic.
“What are you doing in this sacred Taekwondo dojo!”
The Taekwondo instructor stepped forward for the flustered kids and spoke.
“How do you expect to introduce yourself properly if you’re scaring the other kids first?”
“Hmph, if they’re scared by something this minor, that just means they’re that weak!”
“You’re Hwaryeon Lee, right?”
“That’s right! So what’re you gonna do about it!”
Hwaryeon came on strong.
The instructor covered his face with his hand and let out a sigh.
“Every time we open a new dojo, there’s always one kid like this. Such a pain.”
Hoo—
“If you wanna fight that badly, wait until sparring time.”
“Sparring?”
“Yeah, you can fight however you want then. Just behave until then. We’ve got class to teach. If we fall behind schedule, the parents these days will lose their minds.”
“I like no-holds-barred better than sparring!”
She didn’t like it since it wasn’t no-holds-barred.
Still, Hwaryeon decided to hold back.
“Holding back is something only the strong can do! The strongest me will hold back for you!”
“…”
The instructor had words rising to the tip of his tongue.
But he barely held them back and returned to the center of the dojo.
Then, he resumed the lesson for the kids.
“Today’s lesson is on forms. Everyone remember the movements well and show them off to your parents!”
“Hmph!”
Hwaryeon wasn’t particularly pleased with the lesson.
Forms were just about memorizing movements.
They weren’t especially useful in real combat.
“I could dodge attacks like that with my eyes closed!”
Hwaryeon thought it was a waste of time.
But she decided to endure until sparring time.
“Still.”
Hwaryeon glanced toward the instructors’ room and quietly muttered.
“Why do I get such a bad feeling from in there!?”
What bothered her more than the forms lesson.
Was the ominous feeling from the Taekwondo instructors’ room.
***
The forms lesson ended.
Next up was board-breaking practice.
The kids aimed kicks at the wooden boards held high by the instructors.
“Yaap!”
“So close!”
Udada—!
“Woo!”
Pajik—!
The children ran up one by one and broke the boards.
“Hmph.”
Then it was Hwaryeon’s turn.
Hwaryeon tightened the belt around her waist.
Then, she charged forward to break the board.
“Dragon Low Kick—!!”
Pajik—!!!
A board-breaking sound clearly different from the other kids.
The shattered board was already embedded in the wall.
The instructor’s eyes went wide as he announced.
“H-Hwaryeon Lee, board break success.”
“Hmph, of course! That’s super easy for me!”
Hwaryeon shrugged her shoulders and returned to her spot.
The humans watching thought to themselves.
‘That kid’s not just all talk.’
She had the skills to back up her big mouth.
She talks big, but she’s pretty cool.
The kids started looking at Hwaryeon—who’d only been disrupting class—in a new light.
“Now fight me! Not sparring, no-holds-barred! Everyone come at me!!”
“…”
Of course, they still thought she was a noisy kid.
***
Sparring.
The kids wore protective gear on their heads and bodies for sparring.
It was mainly a style using only Taekwondo kicks.
“I don’t even need to wear this!”
Hwaryeon didn’t understand why she had to wear it.
But due to the instructors’ firm insistence, she reluctantly put on the protective gear.
“Ugh, it’s stuffy!”
Still, she wore it.
While waiting her turn, the instructor called Hwaryeon’s name.
“Hwaryeon Lee! Your opponent is Han Min-su!”
Han Min-su.
The moment the name was called, the entire Taekwondo dojo shook.
Kung—! Kung—!
“E-Earthquake?”
“T-The dojo’s gonna collapse!!”
Kung kung—!!
Amid the kids’ panic, Han Min-su appeared.
Hwaryeon crossed her arms and looked up.
“W-What! Why are you taller than me!?”
A height she had to crane her neck way up to see.
And a plump belly with chubby cheeks.
An appearance reminiscent of a giant steamed bun.
Still only in third grade, Han Min-su was already physically overwhelming.
“Don’t bully the instructor.”
“You’re not a dinosaur or anything! Are you even human!?”
“I’m human. You’re not thinking I’m a pig, are you?”
Pajik—!
Han Min-su particularly hated being called a pig.
The word “pig” was like his reverse scale.
That’s why he decided to learn Taekwondo.
‘I’ll teach a lesson in Taekwondo to the guys who call me a pig.’
But.
Hwaryeon didn’t know the finer details of Min-su’s circumstances.
She just bluntly said what she thought.
“If you’re not human, you must be a pig! But can your legs even go up? Taekwondo’s all about legs!”
Hwaryeon’s question, devoid of any malice.
It was more than enough to刺激 Min-su’s reverse scale.
“I-I won’t forgive you!!”
“Huh? What’d I even do?”
“It’s worse that you don’t know!!”
Ssiik ssiik—
Min-su, wearing adult-sized protective gear, stood opposite Hwaryeon.
Hwaryeon, equally baffled, stood on her side.
“Why’s he acting like that?”
She still didn’t understand Min-su’s reaction.
With both standing opposite each other.
The instructor stood in the center and said.
“We’re just exchanging simple kicks. Try not to hit the head as much as possible. And, Hwaryeon.”
“Huh?”
“This is sparring for training in martial arts, got it?”
She didn’t like it.
But her body was itching, so Hwaryeon nodded slightly.
“Gotcha!”
With that.
All preparations for the two were complete.
“Begin!”
Sparring started with the instructor’s voice.
Contrary to his heavy body, Min-su swiftly extended his leg.
“Front kick!”
“Whoa, your body’s more agile than I thought!”
Heuk—!
Hwaryeon easily dodged Min-su’s attack.
Then she immediately went into a counterattack.
“I saw the instructors doing kicks earlier for the demo. Was it like this?”
Recalling the board-breaking demo kick.
Hwaryeon spun her body.
“Back whip kick!”
Pang—!!
A powerful kick using the rotational force of her body.
Min-su’s body swayed greatly.
“M-My body’s shaking…? I’ve never seen a kick like this…”
“It’s your last!”
Heuk—!
Hwaryeon spun her body once more.
“360-Degree Back Whip Kick!!”
Paang—!!
Min-su’s massive body floated into the air.
Thud—
“W-What is…”
All that was left was Min-su sitting there with an incredulous expression.
“Woooaaah—!!!”
“Amazing—!!”
Amid the pouring cheers from the kids.
Hwaryeon extended her hand toward the fallen Min-su.
“You’re not weak! I’m just super strong!”
“T-Thank you…”
Ungcha—
Hwaryeon struggled to pull Min-su to his feet.
Then, she helped Min-su—who couldn’t remove his gear alone—take it off.
‘W-What’s with this kid. Why’s she helping me so kindly?’
Gradually.
Just as Min-su’s face flushed from delusions.
Hwaryeon finished removing the gear and smiled brightly.
“Now sparring’s over! Let’s fight no-holds-barred!”
“No-holds-barred…? What’s that…?”
“Rules where everything except vital points is fair game! Here I go!!”
Kkwaak—!
Hwaryeon clenched her fist tight to start no-holds-barred fighting.
At that sight, Min-su felt his life in danger and began to flee.
“I don’t wanna fight you! Spare me!”
“Pig! Don’t run! Fight me no-holds-barred!”
“S-Spare meee!!”
Han Min-su with his hefty body.
When fleeing, he boasted a speed faster than anyone.
A speed that didn’t match his “pig” nickname at all.
***
Taekwondo class ended.
Hwaryeon safely returned home.
Udada—!
“Uwaa, it’s hooot! Dad, I’m eating ice cream!”
“Didn’t Dad say to wash your hands as soon as you get home!”
“Got it, I’ll wash!”
Hwaryeon grumbled as she washed her hands and stuck a popsicle in her mouth.
Then, she plopped on the sofa and looked toward the kitchen.
“Smells delicious!”
Dad was preparing dinner.
Having finished exercising, Hwaryeon sat on the sofa eating ice cream and shouted.
“Dad!”
“Yeah, what is it, Hwaryeon.”
Crunch—!
Hwaryeon swallowed the rest of her ice cream and asked.
“If there are humans I don’t like, it’s okay to fight them no-holds-barred, right?”
“Didn’t Dad say not to hit humans—”
“Bad humans!? No-holds-barred on them?!”
“…”
Lee Ha-jun set down his ladle.
He pondered for a moment before answering.
“Yeah, bad humans need to be taught a lesson.”
“Hmph, so that’s how it is?”
A satisfying answer.
Hwaryeon grinned.
“Anyway, how was Taekwondo? Fun?”
“Hmph.”
Hwaryeon answered as if it were obvious.
“Of course! Exercise makes me stronger! I’ll probably get a ton of minions too!”
“That’s good to hear.”
The Taekwondo dojo she’d attend during vacation.
Hwaryeon quite liked it.
‘Feels like something fun’s gonna happen!’
Kikik—
Hwaryeon hoped her hunch was right.
As the Red Dragon.
She just itched for no-holds-barred fighting.
‘I wanna fight soon!’