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COLLAPSED AND DEFEATED, Kwon lay motionless save for the rise and fall of his chest, his lips twisted into a grimace. He groaned, his face flushed with exertion and what seemed like anger. His shoulders heaved, and though he didn't meet anyone's gaze, his loss emanated from him like a storm cloud.
The room erupted into chaos.
"She did it!" Yoon shouted, his voice splitting the tense atmosphere as he bolted toward the girl, pulling her into a bear hug. Lee wasn't far behind, his grin stretching ear to ear.
"That was insane!" Lee exclaimed, shaking y/n's shoulder like she might wake from a dream.
"Dude, you just took down Jae-sung!"
"No way..." a voice murmured from the crowd.
"It's impossible," whispered another, their disbelief mirrored on the faces of several students still glued to their spots, as if expecting Kwon to leap up and retaliate.
"Did he let her win?" someone speculated, earning death glares from Yoon and others who had witnessed every agonizing second of the fight.
"He didn't," Yoon declared firmly, his chest puffed with pride. "I trained her myself. This wasn't luck—this was skill. She earned it!"
Y/n, still catching her breath, could hardly process the noise around her. Her chest burned, her limbs felt heavy, and her mind spun with the surreal realization of what had just happened. She'd won. She'd actually beaten him.
"I... what the fuck," she panted, her voice shaky but tinged with laughter. "I thought he had me for sure."
"Well, you proved everyone wrong," Yoon said, squeezing her shoulder. "This is just the beginning."
As the crowd continued to buzz, Kim Da-eun stepped forward, her gaze cutting through the commotion. She stopped a few feet from y/n, her hands clasped behind her back, her expression unreadable.
"Well done," Kim said, her tone even but tinged with approval. "You did not falter. You did not hesitate. You fought, even when it seemed hopeless."
Y/n straightened, her breath catching as her sensei's words registered.
"For that, you have my respect," She continued, her voice softer now, almost contemplative. "But don't get comfortable. One victory does not make a champion. Stay sharp, or next time, you won't be so lucky."
"Thank you, Sensei," y/n managed, bowing deeply despite the ache in her muscles.
Kim nodded, her lips twitching into what might have been the ghost of a smile when she looked at the boy, still groaning on the ground, before she turned on her heel and strode away.
