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THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL HAD PASSED IN A BLUR, and the evening sun now dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows over the dojang as the six chosen fighters prepared for their final practice before the upcoming tournament. The air was thick with tension and anticipation, each of them hyper-aware of the stakes ahead.
Kim Da-eun observed silently from the corner, alongside Sensei Kreese, their sharp gazes flitting between the pairs. Tory Nichols was sparring with Yoon Do-jin, Park Sun-woo with Lee Byung-san, and of course, the two captains: Kwon Jae-sung with y/n l/n.
The girl let out an exasperated groan as she dodged Kwon's attempted roundhouse kick instead of blocking it. "I swear, you're worse at this than Yoon is at karaoke night."
Kwon paused mid-step, dropping his stance as a grin broke out across his face. "Yoon sings like someone's strangling a cat. What's your excuse for blocking like you're asleep?"
"Excuse me?" y/n shot back, catching her breath as she adjusted her guard. Her forehead glistened with sweat, and her y/h/t hair clung stubbornly to her neck. "You've got, like, negative chemistry, Kwon. You might as well be sparring with a wall!"
"Better than sparring with you!" he retorted, a playful edge to his voice. "At least a wall doesn't complain every five seconds."
Their banter caught the attention of Yoon, who was now dodging a particularly aggressive jab from Tory. "Can you two not?" he called out. "Some of us are actually trying to focus."
"Focus on not getting your face smashed, maybe," Kwon shot back, earning a laugh from Tory. She smirked at Yoon before landing a swift kick that knocked him back a step.
Y/n sighed dramatically, watching Yoon block Tory's calculated attacks with ease. The two moved in perfect sync, fluid as a stream, their chemistry practically glowing under the fluorescent lights. "Look at them," y/n muttered, jabbing her thumb toward the duo. "We're stuck flailing around like headless chickens, and they're doing some Olympic synchronized sparring routine."
Kwon, rolled his shoulders, the muscle in his jaw visibly tensing. "Maybe if you blocked properly instead of dodging, we wouldn't look like clowns," he snapped, his tone clipped.
Y/n just rolled her eyes, resuming her stance. She locked eyes with Kwon, her lips twitching with an unspoken challenge. "Alright, big shot. Show me what you've got."
Kwon didn't hesitate. He lunged forward with a quick jab, which she barely managed to deflect. Her arms burned with the effort, but she pushed through, countering with a sharp hook aimed at his side. He blocked it effortlessly, his forearm colliding with hers in a satisfying crack.
