by the sidelines • haechan

epilogue

Six months later...

"Hong, seung!" The referee announced as I gave my opponent a hug after our heated match, before proceeding out of the mats.

"Nice work," Coach Yoon praised as she patted my back, "You've really improved a lot on your footwork and speed. I guess sending you to Yeoljeong turned out to be good after all."

I frowned. "You didn't send me there, and didn't we agree not to talk about that anymore?" Ever since I came back, Coach Yoon had been complimenting how much I've changed after going to Jeju, so much that I was starting to get sick of it. She rubbed my sweaty head sheepishly and said, "Alright, go rest up for your finals."

I gave her a quick bow before skipping up the stairs, heading to my belongings for a small snack. I haven't had a chance to eat ever since the varsity tournament started, so I was pretty famished once I finished my second bout. I've got to say, I was astounded by my performance during both matches. My stamina had somewhat kept up with me until now, but it wasn't enough to completely overthrow my opponents. Not to mention, I only won by a hairline.

But one thing is for sure; I'm gonna beat Son Yeonhee today.

My eyes immediately scanned the spectator stand for her, finally spotting her in a distance. I decided to head over to her for a good luck, but I didn't expect her to be rubbing her ankle with an ice pack when I got there.

"Yeonhee? What happened?" I asked, genuinely curious as she looked up at me sheepishly. "Yoon Seyoung pushed me out and I fell," she replied with a wince. The sound of the familiar yet unfamiliar name caused me to furrow my eyebrows.

"Yoon Seyoung? You mean-"

"Yeah, the national player, and your final opponent." If horror was a sentence, this would be it. Yeonhee shifted the ice pack around her foot while I stood rooted to the ground. I've only ever seen her spar from the stands and have never met her as my opponent, probably because she was always one weight category above me.

"What is she doing at our weight cat?" I asked, but she only gave me a shrug. "I don't know, maybe her coach requested he drop?" Her words made my shoulders slouch. The last thing I want was to get trashed.

"Anyway, you better watch out, she's very powerful," Yeonhee reminded and I gave her a small nod. "Look after your foot too," I replied before walking back to my spot, my body filled with fear.

There were two problems. First, I wasn't going up against Yeonhee, whom I thought could have a rematch with. Second, and definitely worse, I was going up against a national player, how bad could my fate be?

Apparently, even worse because right at that moment, the announcer called for my bout to assemble at the waiting area. I stood up, my guards feeling tight around my limbs as I trudged down the steps. I tried to think positively, like how it was good Yeonhee had warned me first, if not I would be going into the mats still thinking I was fighting her. Of course, to no avail.

"Don't think too much and just do your best. You got this," Coach Yoon assured me right before I headed in, and that finally calmed a nerve in my body.

"Charyeot! Kyeongnet!"

Yeah, maybe I've got this.

---

I haven't got this.

It was already the final round. I was losing, not by a few points, but a whole 20. What's worse was that I only have two, both by her penalties.

But this was the most expected when you compete against a national player. She was around my height, but definitely faster and fitter. Her kicks made me feel like a feather and her speed made me feel like a snail; it was like sparring a kangaroo. I had lost most of my hopes the moment I stepped onto the mats, but our point gap just stomped on the remaining part of it.