"When I close my eyes, I can still remember it. His figure... his presence... he who was always surrounded by others had a back I could only call 'wide.' He wasn't the largest, nor the eldest, yet it always stood firm... it felt like it would never falter. I was always watching. Even now, I can still remember that feeling, that yearning. I want to be... I need to be-"
A loud slam reverberated in the gymnasium, followed by an even louder applause. As loud and boisterous as the audience was, their reaction was warranted.
As a combat sport, Judo was focused on throwing your opponent to the ground. While technique would be lauded as the prevailing factor, it was always implicitly understood that one's size and weight would give them a clear advantage in any bout between two practitioners.
So then, it was no surprise than even in this gymnasium, housing but a simple friendly exhibition match between two schools, that a thunderous cheer would ring out upon the sight of a person effortlessly achieve Ippon, a full throw, against a person practically double their size.
As much as in awe as the curious spectators were, none were more bewildered than the man whose back was sprawled out onto the mat.
"How did-"
He was left effectively speechless, as though being thrown down had knocked the wind out of his lungs.
The man on the ground was a teenager, 16 years of age. He was youth confident in his body, as any at his level would be. He was the uncontested strongest at his school, and felt confident he could prove the same in this school.
"What just-"
That same youth was still reeling and trying to process what had happened, struggling to complete even a single sentence.
The man was confident, but he was never over confident. He was confident in his physique, but it was his technique that carried him through from match to match. He knew he could win, he simply needed to let his technique speak for itself.
This is all to say that said man was only slightly taller than the average teen. What had left his mouth agape was how short his opponent was.
The figure before him was a mere 4'11, and was currently just nonchalantly moving their arm in circles in an attempt to crack their shoulder.
Their hair was unkept, but so was it prior to the match. Their gi was pristine, as thought it had just been freshly pressed. Their breathing was steady, not a single hint of physical exhaustion. At this very moment, they were the very text book definition of "-without breaking a sweat."
"Good match." Their voice was confident, yet somewhat high. Some may even say prince-like. With their sharp eyes, they gazed down on their defeated foe, offering them a hand to pick themselves up. Unfortunately-
"_______"
"...Oh"
Their opponent had already fainted. While their spirit had been crushed by their overwhelming defeat, it was more so the force of what he would later recount as "a freight truck slamming me into the ground at 80 kph" that did him in. Regardless, their loss of consciousness had left their opponent to awkwardly withdraw their hand and promptly step off the mat.
"-Amazing!"
Meanwhile, off to the side, another hot blooded youth had been taken in by the exhibition. Their eyes burning with passion, they could scarcely hold their tongue. "That was Amazing! That technique, that speed, THAT POWER! Who even is that?! I've never seen him before?!"
At this avalanche of praise, a figure smirked and sneered behind the youth. He turned around to face the figure and gasped maybe a bit too loud. "COACH?!"
YOU ARE READING
C^2
Romance"I want to be _ _ _ _ _ _" "I need to be _ _ _ _" Everyone has a version of themselves they try desperately to achieve. The same is the true for both of them. Max had just transferred to a new school, and has already made a name for themselves as th...
