Who Are You?
Thud! Crack! Crisp, rhythmic impacts echoed through the boxing club's gym.
"Oh, Lee Jeongho is actually doing pretty well?" one of the club members muttered, sounding surprised.
At first, everyone had a similar reaction. After all, Lee Jeongho was the one aggressively pushing the action.
The way he threw non-stop punches throughout the entire first round looked quite impressive for a beginner.
But Seo Yeonha's thoughts were slightly different. Is Hyunwoo holding back?
He had kept his guard tight from the very beginning and hadn't thrown a single punch. There was really no other way to interpret it.
"Excuse me... you're Senior Yeonha, right?"
"?"
Someone approached Seo Yeonha as she watched the sparring session alone.
"I'm Kang Haneul, the new manager for the boxing club. It's nice to meet you! I'm a huge fan of yours, Senior. I've watched all your amateur tournament videos online."
"Ah, um..."
Seo Yeonha felt a bit overwhelmed by Kang Haneul's sudden friendliness. I'm a fan. I loved your tournament videos. She had no idea how to respond to that. Oh, okay. I see. Um. If she watched them, she watched them. What other reaction was she supposed to give?
Since she's a fan, should I give her an autograph? No, no. We're still students, an autograph is too much. A handshake then? But who am I to smile and offer a handshake just because I fought in a few amateur matches...
After a brief moment of agonizing deliberation, Seo Yeonha finally spoke. "I see. Thank you."
It was the absolute best response a human with a social-skills stat converging on zero could muster.
Despite the blunt reply, Kang Haneul beamed, seemingly thrilled just to be having a conversation.
"What do you think, Senior?"
"About what?"
"The sparring. Even to me, Senior Lee Jeongho's punches look... how should I put it? Weak? Lacking power?"
"They're garbage."
"Exactly! That's the exact word I was looking for!"
Giggle as if she had found her soulmate, Kang Haneul laughed while trash-talking Lee Jeongho. "But why is that other guy just taking all the hits? He doesn't seem like a beginner."
"..."
Seo Yeonha didn't answer. Why? Because she didn't know for sure either. Maybe he's trying to drain his stamina first.
Ignoring Kang Haneul, who kept pestering her with questions, she focused on the ring. Seo Yeonha was like a cat—she would retreat if someone approached her, and only draw near when left alone. She was completely incompatible with the noisy Kang Haneul.
"So the first round ended with him just getting beat up. Still, his stamina is pretty good."
"..."
The second round began, and the dynamic of the sparring match completely flipped.
"Whoa, his style changed so much I wonder if he's even the same person."
"Mm."
Jung Hyunwoo was treating Lee Jeongho—whose stamina had completely evaporated after the first round—like a human heavy bag.
He never had any intention of taking this seriously from the start.
The gap in skill was simply too vast. This wasn't sparring; it was a private lesson. Though Hyunwoo didn't say a word, even the onlookers could clearly see him gesturing for Jeongho to raise his guard every time it dropped.
The second round ended. After Coach Lee Gwangwu checked on them, the third round commenced.
"Huh? Wasn't that guy right-handed?"
"...He's absolutely insane."
"Senior?"
Jung Hyunwoo had switched to a southpaw stance. On top of that, he dropped his hands below his waist—a completely defenseless, no-guard style. He began to pressure the tightly guarded Lee Jeongho using nothing but his right jab.
This time, he frequently picked apart the open gaps. Despite being light jabs, they carried immense destructive power due to his perfect weight distribution.
His head snapping back from the impacts, Lee Jeongho tried to throw cautious punches, but Hyunwoo effortlessly slipped and ducked beneath them. Whenever the distance closed, Hyunwoo initiated a clinch, pushed his opponent back, and repeated the cycle. Though several perfect opportunities for a counter-punch presented themselves, Hyunwoo never once threw his rear hand.
"Alright, both of you stop. Time's up."
"Good work, Jeongho."
Having finished the sparring session, Jung Hyunwoo tapped the gloves of the collapsed Lee Jeongho and stepped down from the ring.
"Phew..."
"Aren't you holding back too much?" Seo Yeonha asked.
Hyunwoo spat out his mouthguard and replied, "I held back just the right amount."
"What was with the southpaw stance?"
"Just felt like doing it, and it worked. You switch stances too."
"True. Hehe."
"What? Why are you laughing like that? You look really dumb right now."
Seo Yeonha's mind was already filled with schemes to drag Jung Hyunwoo to her gym so they could train together. Money would not keep them apart. Even if she had to throw a tantrum to her father, she would absolutely bind him to the gym. A high-level toy like him... no, no, a boxing friend like him was impossible to find anywhere else.
"Let's spar together next time."
"No way. You're a total hard-sparrer."
"Hmph..."
"Anyway, let's go. I'm too tired to do anything else."
"..."
Completely ignoring Kang Haneul, who was staring blankly at them, the two packed up their gear and abruptly left the gym.
"Are they dating? I'm basically a ghost here."
The aftermath of the sparring session was quite something. The coach was grinning like an idiot, muttering about how the boxing club was finally saved from dissolution. Lee Jeongho sat on a chair, head hanging low, barely breathing. The third-years went out of their way to stand in front of him, mimicking the sparring match.
"...Sigh!"
Disappointed that she couldn't talk more with Seo Yeonha, Haneul busied herself tending to the completely demoralized Jeongho.
Hit and don't get hit. It's the simplest rule of combat sports, not just boxing.
Some might call it violent or barbaric. But what can I say? I absolutely love this barbaric sport.
It was just a light sparring session, but I couldn't control the rush of dopamine surging through me.
Slipping an opponent's strike by a hair's breadth. Feeling the sheer ecstasy when my own strike lands with absolute, pinpoint precision. The thrill, unmatched by any other sport, was driving me crazy.
The Ju-jitsu Dog author who blocked me... I no longer held a grudge against him. Giving me a fully functioning body and allowing me to fight again—that was a debt of gratitude I couldn't repay in a lifetime.
Since I had no idea who he was or where he lived, I'd never have to repay him anyway. In a way, maybe that was for the best?
Buzz.
"Does she not have any friends besides me? Why is she so obsessed?"
It was around 6:00 PM when we left the school. The sun was setting, and I was heading home after parting ways with Seo Yeonha.
Let's see, my monthly expenses...
I checked my bank account details, recalling what I had briefly seen this morning. Looking through it, my fixed expenses, excluding rent, were about 200,000 won.
Did the past me in this world survive on photosynthesis? How does a human live on 200,000 won a month?
My total balance was 650,000 won. And that was the bare minimum. I needed to find a part-time job.
An easy, comfortable, high-paying dream job.
Unfortunately, no such thing existed.
A Korean BBQ restaurant. The hourly wage here is decent. I'll take a shower and go straight for an interview.
I sent a text to the owner. Just as I arrived home and was about to hop in the shower—
Buzz.
"Wow, the owner replies fast."
I checked, assuming it was the restaurant owner.
"?"
Show up where? I didn't have a job. The sender's name was Baek Jieun. It was obviously a woman's name.
"No way, a girlfriend?"
I wondered for a split second, but the next text immediately shattered that theory.
Is she crazy? Her mental age is practically on par with Jeongho's.
I sent the text and actually blocked her. It was a trade technique I had learned from the Ju-jitsu Dog author. Say what you want to say, then immediately block the other person. Having been on the receiving end, I knew firsthand how incredibly infuriating it was.
"But seriously, who is that?"
I scrolled up to read the previous chat history.
"What kind of conversation is this?"
Judging by the lack of income in my bank account, it didn't seem like a part-time job. Was she some bully who used to torment the extra, Jung Hyunwoo?
"If it's urgent, she'll come find me."
I decided not to worry about it. Why should I care about his past relationships? I was too busy adapting to my new life.
The job interview was at 8:30 PM. The restaurant was near my house, and since it was 7:00 PM now, I had just enough time to shower, eat, rest a bit, and head out. A cold shower after sweating for the first time in ages... pure bliss.
I stepped out of the bathroom, roughly dried my hair with a towel, and opened the fridge to grab some water.
"Oh, for fuck's sake."
It was crammed to the brim with chicken breast and eggs. Just looking at them made me want to gag. Was it just my imagination, or was there even more than this morning...?
I couldn't just throw food away, so I had to eat it, but once I got a job, I swore I would eat real meat dripping with fat. With that single-minded determination, I grilled the chicken breast.
"That bastard of an author. Is he trying to pick a fight with me?"
As I stuffed the dry, chalky meat into my mouth, my fleeting gratitude evaporated, replaced by a boiling hatred for the man. Seriously, typical of a Ju-jitsu Dog, his personality was completely warped. How could a human do this to someone using food?
I forced the pseudo-meat down my throat and left the house.
Soon, I arrived at the Korean BBQ restaurant. Fortunately, the owner took a liking to me and hired me on the spot. With this, my immediate living expenses were sorted.
Now, all I had to do was build up my stamina, pick up another part-time job, and register at a gym. As for the rest... well, the UFC was a given. The only question was whether I'd stop at becoming the champion or go even further.
Should I ask Seo Yeonha about gyms? But she probably doesn't know much about MMA. Maybe it's better to look for one myself.
*Tap, tap.*
On my way back home with a grin on my face, someone tapped my shoulder.
Seo Yeonha?
No. A slightly shorter woman with sharp, intense features was glaring at me.
"Why didn't you reply?"
"Who... Ah, are you Ms. Baek Jieun?"
"Ms.?! 'Ms.'?! Have you lost your mind?"
She looked ready to deck me. For the record, I am a firm believer in gender equality.
"I don't hold back just because someone's a woman. Think carefully before you swing."
"...Are you sick? Did you hit your head?"
With a face full of genuine worry, Baek Jieun stood on her tiptoes and patted my head. As if doing that would tell her whether I'd lost my mind or not.
Well, she doesn't seem like a bad person.
"Excuse me, but could you tell me why you were looking for me?"
"What do you mean why? You didn't show up to clean the gym."
Clean? Why the hell would I clean your gym?
"Why would I do that?"
"...? You're the one who suggested it in the first place. You said you'd clean the gym in exchange for food."
"I did?"
"Yeah. And you said you felt bad taking cash, so you asked to be paid in chicken breast and eggs. I literally just filled your fridge this afternoon."
"..."
Ah, my head is spinning.