Fighter

Chapter 6

Why must he always create such a big fuss about the littlest of things? We couldn't even go out to dinner without me worrying about whether or not Dongho was going to knock someone short lights out. Take last night's date for example. The second he saw Seyoon, the date was over and all Dongho could do was storm about, fuming about Seyoon. I had to reassure him multiple times that nothing had happened and that I had told Seyoon several times to go away.
Two days had passed since then and Dongho had gone back to our regular schedule of training day and night for the Championship. I had kind of liked the dynamic that Seyoon had brought when we had mock fights. He wasn't as big as Dongho but he was strong so I had to develop a new strategy to fight with him rather than fighting with Dongho or another girl.
"Timeout," I tea my gloves and Dongho breaks his stance. "I need to use the restroom and it's almost time for my lessons."
"Alright, good job. I might hang around and wait for you to finish, and then maybe we can go get dinner or catch a movie after."
He had been doing this the past couple days. It was almost like he was afraid if he left me alone in the gym that someone would steal me away. "Sounds good." I smile as I head to the bathroom.
When I came back into the gym I headed toward the front to find Mr. Hyungjoo. But what I saw wasn't Mr. Hyungjoo.
Seyoon and Dongho were having a standoff. Half the gym was watching their interaction even though now they were speaking in hushed tones. I hurry over before they create more of a scene.
"Hello, Seyoon what are you doing here?" I look pointedly at him. He had to be completely crazy. He was literally sticking his head in the lions mouth right now.
Dongho reaches out to grab my hand and I see Seyoon glance toward our hands. I knew that Dongho was using this as a display of his masculinity but I really didn't want that. I tried to step in front of our hands. Dongho speaks up, "He was just leaving, weren't you punk?"
Seyoon stares into my eyes for a moment before he speaks. "Yeah I was just heading out. Don't forget our agreement Dongho."
"What agreement?" I look questionly up at Dongho but he doesn't answer. He just holds out his hand to Seyoon.
Seyoon takes it and they shake for a moment with their hands and eyes locked.
At that moment Mr. Hyungjoo shuffled his way in the gym. But I didn't want to leave the two guys alone. I was too afraid that fist would fly.
"Go," Dongho drops Seyoon's hand and they both turn away from each other and storm in different directions.
I wanted to know more about what they had talked about and why they had decided to act semi civil towards one another but I had my lesson with Mr. Hyungjoo. I would have to remember to ask Dongho about it later.
"How are you doing today Mr. Hyungjoo? How's your wife?" I pat him on the back as we both move toward the open area in the back of the gym.
"Oh, she's wonderful!" he grins up at me. "We just celebrated her birthday on Sunday."
"How great. Be sure to tell her that I said Happy Birthday." I smile down at him.
"Oh I will."
"Are you ready to start? We are going to begin with some free punches and we'll move on from there okay?" I stand next to him as we begin.

***
I have just finished my last practice and I am putting some weights away when one of the girls who trains at my gym comes up to talk to me. Her name is Sujin, she isn't in my weight class so we never have fought in a match before. But we often spared in mock fights to help our fighting skills.
"Hey, how are you?" she starts to help me put the weights away.
"Good, tired I guess. I should be heading out with Dongho after this."
"I am surprised you are handling everything so calmly, if it was me I would be freaking out over two guys fighting over me. And both of them are so handsome."
I look up at her, "Whatever do you mean? I don't have two guys fighting over me."
She laughs, "Are you blind? Not only do you have super over protective Dongho but everytime Seyoon looks at you he is giving you lost puppy dog eyes." She pauses to sit down on one of the benches. "Plus they must feel threatened enough by each other. Did you see them earlier having their man off?"
"What are we talking about?" another of my friends and also competitors comes over to talk with us. Her name is Hyemi.
Sujin speaks up. "The love triangle between her, Dongho, and Seyoon," she smiles at Hyemi.
"Oh do give all the details. Are you going to watch them fight tonight? Who do you want to win?" She shoves her hands in her back pockets as she speaks. "I mean of course Dongho is your boyfriend so you should root for him but Seyoon is just so attractive."
"Plus he is really nice!" the two of them grin at one another.
I am so shocked I can't even speak. I just stand there while they talk, waiting for my mouth to start working again. I hurry to force the words out.
"What do you mean watch them fight?"
"Didn't they tell you?" Hyemi asks me. "That's the whole reason Seyoon came into the gym today. To challenge Dongho to a fight, and the stakes are high."
Five billion questions are racing through my mind. "They're going to actually fight? Why? Where? When? What are the stakes? Will it be in a ring? Is it going to be a fair fight?"
"All I know is that it's happening tonight. Winner takes all." Sujin seems calm but I am feeling anything but calm. How could either of them be so reckless? Were they going to enter into a ring? Were they just going to duke it out on the streets? Where was Dongho right now?
"What did you mean winner takes all?"
"Silly, they are fighting over you. Winner gets you."
Seriously? They were going to fight over who was going to 'have' me? No, Nope. They might think that is okay but I'll teach them differently.
"And you don't know where or when?" another thought enters my mind. I could barely take Dongho in a fight. Dongho was going to crush Seyoon if they actually went head to head. I quickly scan around the gym for Dongho's familiar form.
"If you are looking for your boyfriend, he left the gym 15 minutes ago. Probably headed to the fight."
"Which rings are having fights tonight?"
"I think there are two who are having tournaments and two that are having open fights." Hyemi said offhandedly.
"Okay thanks guys, do you mind cleaning up and locking the gym? I have things I need to do."
"Yeah no problem, but make sure to let us know who wins the match." Sujin calls after me as I head to the front of the gym. I wasn't going to be able to search all the gyms by myself. I was going to need help. I went to the filing cabinet behind the front desk and pull out Seyoon's file.
My fingers hurry to dial his emergency contact.
"Hello Junhee here."
"Hi, um you might not remember me, we met at the restaurant, I am Seyoon's trainer. I think he might be entering in a fight tonight and I think he is going to get hurt. Can you help me look for him?"
He doesn't hesitate, "Of course I'll be right there."
I sit there and try to think about which ring they would have gone to. He wouldn't have wanted to enter in the tournaments. Dongho would have wanted a single fight to knock out his opponent. Seyoon. Ugh, I still can't believe he was being so stupid. He knew that Dongho was the bigger, stronger, better fighter. Why in the world did he agree to this.
If Dongho wasn't going to do the tournaments then that only left two gyms that were having open fights. If I knew Dongho he would want the biggest audience. That could be either of the open fights. They were both relatively small locations.
I see Junhee approaching the gym and I hurry out to him. He is accompanied by the rest of the team.
"The more the merrier right?" he grins at me but I can't grin back. I am too worried.
"Thank you all for coming, Its best that we split up to find the gym that they are at. Who wants to go with who?"
In the end Junhee and Donghun choose to go with me to the south side while Yuchan and Byeongkwan go to the central gym.
"Promise you will call as soon as you find them and then try to stop the fight. It will be hard, people will be pressed up against each other trying to see what's going on. And they might even try to pull you away from stopping the fight. Don't try to confront Dongho just try to get Seyoon out of there." They nod and we all split off.
As we walk Junhee and Donghyun ask me questions about myself, like when did I start boxing? Was I really good? What got me into boxing? What did I do for fun? That last one made me laugh.
"I don't really do much besides boxing . I have devoted my entire life to it really. I don't have the time to do other things."
"Sounds like being an Idol." Donghun laughs.
We've finally arrived at the ring. But it's almost too quiet. "Remember, the first thing we need to do is find Seyoon and get him out, I'll deal with Dongho."
I open the door expecting shouts and hot air to rise out of it. But there was nothing. No one was there. Had I miscalculated? But there was supposed to be open fights here? Where was everyone?
Junhee's phone starts buzzing. He answers it then puts it on speaker. "What's up?"
"Are you sure we are at the right location?"
I lean into the phone. "Yes I am positive. Why?"
"There no one here."
Donghun speaks up, "That's strange, there's no one here either."
I am trying to think. Where would Dongho have gone? Where was everyone that was supposed to be at the open fights? But then it hit me like a truck. "They combined the fights. And the only gym he could have done that at on short notice is our own." I hurry to speak into the phone, "Go back to the gym as fast as you can. We will try to meet you there. They're having the fight at my gym."
"Alright we'll be there." The line clicks off.
"We gotta hurry. We've already lost so much time. They might already have started the fight." Without waiting for either of them to respond I bolt towards the gym. I hope that they are close on my heels.