Opposing Hearts - Kwon Jae-Sung x Reader

Chapter 6: "Heartless."

Your loss did not bother you anymore, nor the fact you had walked out on your team. No. You cared about this heartfelt and sincere moment with Kwon. You cared about him. And now you knew he cared about you too.
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2:45
It was the final match of the quarterfinals: Cobra Kai vs. Tiger Strike. Whoever lost would face your team in the elimination round. Currently, with the score standing at 2-0 for Tiger Strike, Tory swiftly tagged Kwon in the hope of gaining a point.

Kwon, with pure rage burning off his skin, vigorously knocked down his opponent with a brutal side kick, gaining a point. However, as the opposing team tagged in the next person, Kwon's mind started wandering.

He found himself thinking about that certain girl from the other team. The one with (your h/c) hair, her smile that made his eyes slightly twinkle, the girl he had spent most of his time with the past couple of days. Before, Kwon was merciless, with no loyalties to anybody, knocking out all of his opponents brutally in an inhumane manner. Now, Kwon still encompassed these qualities, but there was a change beginning to blossom inside him. He knew it. You did, too. He had allowed himself to become vulnerable in front of you, letting his heart dominate his actions instead of his head. Kwon would never open himself up to anybody, let alone to a girl he had only met a few days ago. But he did, and you wish you could tell him how grateful you are for this.

Back to the fight, a roundhouse kick from his opponent had knocked Kwon's shoulder: causing Cobra Kai to also be at risk for elimination. A furious huff escaped Kwon's lips as he banged his head down in irritation: "Shit." He muttered to himself in Korean.

Sensi Kreese and Kim both simultaneously shook their heads in pure disappointment. Kwon had let them down. He had put his whole team at risk because he was thinking about you. Like you did.

Kreese caught up to Kwon in a menacing manner.
"I thought you were our best fighter. Yet, you let your head get clouded with foolish thoughts. I thought you wanted to be a champion, Kwon?" Kreese spat out like pure venom, with rage almost dripping from his mouth.

A moment of silence intensified the hostility that was lingering in the air. Kwon, too ridden with defeat to retaliate, chose to respond with a harsh nod.

Kreese continued with a terrifying smirk: "That is what I thought. It is that girl that is distracting you, isn't it? The one from Miyagi Do?"

Kwon frowned sharply, with a spiteful glare stitched on his face: "I am not distracted. She is not your concern."

Kreese chuckled, sinisterly: "Off the mat is not my business. On the mat, I taught you that you must be heartless. A fighter with a heart does not win fights. You need to harness all of that hate inside of you and unleash it on your opponents. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sensei, I will be heartless. I will show no mercy." Kwon recited.

"Good, good. Looks like my lesson here is done." Kreese bitterly replied.

Kwon knew what he had to do. He had to defeat your team by unleashing the remorseless demon inside of him. He had already made the mistake of showing weakness on the mat once. Kwon would not let himself lose again; he knew the consequences, the heavy shame he would carry for the rest of his life. This was his one big chance as a fighter. It was yours too, and he knew this. But, unlike Kreese, Kwon had a heart outside the mat. He knew that whatever would happen on the mat would not change how he felt about you. You gave him feelings that he could not just shake away or control. This vulnerability scared him.

It was the rush that kept him fighting, like an intoxicating drug. The power and superiority it gave him only intensified his urge to fight. Kwon knew he had to defeat your team. You both knew only one of your teams would continue to the next round of the tournament. He was determined to win, and so were you. He just had to try and keep you in the process.