Honestly, You're a Beast, Aren't You?
After the match, inside the cage.
A woman approached me with a microphone in hand.
She was the broadcast host who interviewed the winner right after a fight.
"Han Daewong! Congratulations on your victory! How are you feeling right now?!"
The mic was shoved right in front of my face.
Tens of thousands of eyes locked onto me at once. Cameras and lights packing the arena all swung this way, bathing me in white glare.
……Honestly, I had no idea what to say.
I had never been the talkative type. And I still wasn't used to spots like this.
But that didn't mean I could give some half-hearted answer. This many people had stayed to watch me, after all.
I took a short breath, then slowly opened my mouth.
"……First, I'd like to thank everyone who helped me get this far."
Word by careful word.
"My coach who guided me every step of the way. My manager who always worked hard for me. And…… the person who never left my side. Without them, I wouldn't be standing here today."
"Ohh! Then how would you rate this match?!"
"……It wasn't an easy opponent."
That wasn't a lie.
Of course, I wasn't talking about the fight inside the Octagon. Thinking about everything that had happened outside of it, this had been anything but a comfortable match.
"But it was a match I absolutely had to win. So I won."
It was a calm answer. Yet at those words, the stands roared even louder.
That attitude of simply stating the facts, without a shred of bravado, seemed to pull an even bigger cheer out of the crowd.
"Finally! Your entry into the UFC has been confirmed. Please give us a word of resolve for the world stage!"
I thought for a moment.
The world stage.
UFC. The real Octagon where Dominic Carter had stood.
The stage I had always wanted to stand on someday.
"……There's still a long way to go."
I answered quietly.
"But one step at a time. My own way, all the way to the end. I'd appreciate it if you keep watching."
No grand ambitions. No flashy declarations.
But that was enough. I was just that kind of guy, after all.
Better to show it with my fists than with words.
When my short remarks ended, another thunderous roar erupted through the arena.
Right then.
"Bear Boy!!"
The cage door burst open and Seo-yeon came flying in.
She charged straight at me and leaped into my arms. That small body buried itself deep against my chest.
"You won! You really won! Our Bear Boy is the best!!"
Seo-yeon's eyes were already red and wet. She looked up at me with a face that was half laughing, half crying.
Seeing that face, something hot I couldn't put into words welled up in my chest.
"……I'm glad."
The words slipped out before I knew it.
"Huh? About what?"
"……That you're smiling like this."
Seo-yeon stared blankly for a second, then smiled even wider, tears dripping down her cheeks.
"……You dummy Bear Boy. What kind of thing is that to say, really."
After that, Rachel stepped into the cage with leisurely strides.
"Congratulations, Mr. Han Daewong. That was a perfect victory."
Rachel held out her hand. I carefully took it, the way I always did.
"But as I said earlier…… from now on is the real thing. In the UFC, there are monsters who wouldn't even bother putting today's opponent on their resume."
Rachel grinned. She wasn't trying to scare me—her face was full of anticipation instead.
"You'll need to steel yourself."
"……Yes. That's what I was hoping for."
I answered briefly.
Seo-yeon in my arms, Rachel standing in front of me, and Coach Bae Jong-gap watching from somewhere in the stands.
As long as I was with these people, no matter what stage awaited us, I didn't think I'd be afraid.
I lifted my head and looked out at the crowd filling the arena.
Tens of thousands of cheers were calling my name. Me—who had once been a bear, and was now called Han Daewong.
……I've come a long way.
The victory celebration was held at a meat buffet.
"It's all-you-can-eat today, Bear Boy! Eat as much as you want! It's for the championship!"
Seo-yeon shouted excitedly. Even though she wasn't the one paying, she puffed her shoulders out with pride.
……All-you-can-eat. Those words somehow made my heart race.
The moment I sat down I piled a plate high with meat.
When I laid it on the grill, a sharp sizzle rose with a rich, savory smell. My mouth watered before I could stop it.
To be honest, I loved meat.
No—"loved" wasn't strong enough. Even after becoming human, something deep in my body still stirred whenever I saw meat.
Maybe the instincts from my bear days were still there.
Especially when I saw meat that was a little underdone… with red juices seeping from the center. Reason went out the window. I just wanted it in my mouth.
I brought the meat to my lips the second it was done.
……It was delicious.
The juices coating my tongue made my eyes close on their own. The next moment, when I came back to my senses, I already had a whole mouthful of meat stuffed in.
"Wow…… Bear Boy, you really can eat."
Seo-yeon stared at me with her mouth hanging open.
"I'll grill for you! As your manager, I should at least do this much!"
Seo-yeon enthusiastically grabbed the tongs and started laying meat on the grill. But then—
"Hmm, is this done? Ah, it looks so good…… maybe just one."
……Before I knew it, Seo-yeon was picking up and eating the meat she had grilled herself.
She'd been grilling it for me. In the end the manager vanished, and she was just someone eating alongside me.
"Ms. Seo-yeon. Wasn't that the meat you were grilling for Mr. Han Daewong?"
From across the table, Rachel pointed it out with a snicker.
"Ah, right! S-sorry, Bear Boy! This is yours!"
Seo-yeon startled and plopped the half-eaten piece onto my plate. It was already half-bitten, but I just accepted it and ate it whole.
We ate like that for a long time.
Plates emptied and refilled several times over.
People at nearby tables kept glancing our way, but I didn't care. I couldn't remember the last time I'd been able to fill my belly this freely.
"……Um, Mr. Han Daewong. Even eating like that, you don't have a single ounce of fat on you. It all turns into muscle, I guess. The way you eat…… it's more like a wild beast than a person."
Rachel looked at me with genuine wonder, then added playfully:
"Be honest. You're actually a wild beast, right?"
"……!"
I almost spat out the meat in my mouth.
……How did she know.
Of course Rachel wasn't saying it because she actually knew. It was just a joke about how well I ate. But that one line that hit the bullseye made me flinch before I could stop myself.
"……Well. I just eat a lot, that's all."
I mumbled, trying to sound casual.
In truth, no matter how much I ate, my body stayed the same.
Whether it was because I used my body so much, or because I was simply built this way, I wasn't sure.
But one thing was certain: this voracious appetite was almost certainly a remnant from my days as a bear.
Only after filling my stomach to a reasonable degree did I turn my eyes toward the dessert corner.
……There was cake.
Colorful slice cakes sat in neat rows on the display.
The moment I saw them, another space strangely opened up in the belly that had just been packed with meat.
When I stared hard at the cake section, Seo-yeon giggled.
"As expected, our Bear Boy. Your eyes completely change the second you see something sweet."
"……Was it that obvious."
"Totally obvious. Go on. Bring as much as you want!"
I quietly got up and came back with a plate piled high with cake.
After my stomach was somewhat full, Rachel took a sip of coffee and suddenly spoke up.
"Alright then. Now that we've eaten, shall we talk some serious business?"
Rachel's eyes had already shifted into those of a matchmaker.
"The UFC contract will be formally processed soon. Probably within a few weeks, your first opponent will be decided."
"Already?!"
Seo-yeon asked in surprise.
"Yes. The world stage is on a completely different scale from here. Much faster, much fiercer."
Rachel looked straight at me.
"I'll be honest. The fighters you've faced so far…… coldly speaking, they were still rough gems. Talented, but unfinished. The UFC is different. That place is crawling with finished monsters."
I listened quietly.
"The real deal who rose up from every corner of the world. Veterans tempered by dozens of real fights. Monsters who layered ruthless effort on top of raw talent. ……Those kinds of guys will be waiting for you in that Octagon."
There was no intent to scare me in Rachel's voice. It was closer to calmly laying out the facts.
"But……."
Rachel grinned.
"I'm not worried. I'm looking forward to it, actually. How far you can go among those monsters. What my greatest fighter of all time will show on the world stage."
I fell into thought for a moment.
The world stage. Finished monsters.
Hearing those words, Dominic Carter suddenly came to mind.
The champion I had first taken down back when I was still a bear.
The man who even now would be aiming for a comeback somewhere at the very top of the world.
If I ever stepped into that real Octagon, I might face him again. This time not as a bear, but as a human.
Thinking that, a corner of my chest grew hot.
I wasn't afraid.
I was excited.
How strong the guys waiting for me would be.
How far I could go against them.
I wanted to know.
"……I'll do it."
I answered quietly, but clearly.
"No matter who comes out. My own way, all the way to the end."
Rachel nodded, satisfied.
"Good. That's the answer I was waiting for."
"Awesome! Then this is a place to celebrate advancing to the UFC and steel ourselves for what's ahead! Come on, everyone raise your glasses!"
Seo-yeon excitedly lifted her cola high. Rachel snickered and raised hers as well, and I quietly lifted my honey wine.
"To our Bear Boy's UFC debut! And to continued success from here on! Cheers!"
Clink— the glasses met.
……It was a strange thing.
Until just a little while ago, I had been a single bear being chased by people.
A being with nowhere to stand in the world.
But now I was here eating and laughing with these warm people.
Drawing the future together.
As long as I was with them, no matter what stage awaited, there was nothing to fear.
I set down my glass and picked up another piece of meat.
……My stomach was full. And so was my heart.