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"Sohj, we finally get to battle," Tteno taunts, "you always did say how much you wanted to beat me up." 

"Let this final prove that I'm your worst nightmare, Tteno," Sohj says to his opponent in the raised platform that sits in front of a stand the shape of a circular arc from a bird's eye view. 

This final is the martial arts match between two orphans at the Misoria Orphanage, at the center of the town. 

Despite the chilly 6pm breeze, the aroma of freshly baked bread, cakes and biscuits fill the atmosphere. The mood is a party, with little boys and little girls chasing each other, enjoying the semi-annual festivities at the orphanage. 

The adults are more focused on the sportsmanship, the best event has been saved for last befitting the final match between the town's Sohj and a less well-known Tteno. 

"Alright boys, ready... Go!" the announcer yells. 

Then, Sohj lunges at Tteno, throwing jabs and crosses at Tteno. The crowd cheers, excited at Sohj's bold dive into offense. 

"Ok!!" A boy tells his friends who're watching the final in the stands, "Sohj's wearing his lucky orange and red." A girl then responds, "Of course he is. This is the final. Plus, even though he's still only barely older than us--" 

"Barely?" a boy asks, "he's 15 years old!" 

"Ahem!" she interrupts, "he's still beaten many adult men. There's no way Sohj won't win today." 

As she's describing how strong Sohj is, something peculiar is happening in the ring. 

"Whoa!" a woman's voice quiets the crowd, "that boy... he's not getting hit at all!" she says. 

"She's right, that white-haired kid is dodging everything" a man a few dozen meters away from her reaffirms. "No way," many in the crowd keep mumbling as Sohj continues to attack. 

Tteno smirks at his opponent during his evasions, "you're attacking so much, it's like you can't defend." 

Sohj steps back, roaring "Aaargh!". The crowd is stunned by their favorite's sudden outburst. 

"If you ain't gonna fight back," Sohj instructs, "then shut up, so I can land a hit in, wuss!!" 

"No thanks," Tteno says. 

But in a flash, Sohj lands a gut punch. Tteno keels forwards, and as he's about to hit the ground, Sohj quickly lands another rear jab on Tteno's lower jaw. "This ain't a game, don't drop your guard in a final," Sohj reprimands his opponent. 

Wow, he got me. Sohj, you bastard, that was neat. Now, it's my turn.

"Yay!" the crowd goes wild, singing, blowing vuvuzelas and clapping. "I told you didn't I," the girl tells her friends, "Sohj is stronger... He's the strongest!" 

Tteno gets back up before the judges can ring the timeout. Still breathing heavily, almost dazed, he realizes he has soiled his favorite sports shirt with his blood. "Aww man, it'll be hell getting this out." 

The crowd is shocked to see Tteno get back up. "No way. This white-hair kid is really tough. He took two powerful blows, but he's already back on his feet," says a man in the crowd. 

"Ah!" the little girl shrieks. "He got back up," her friends are shocked too. 

Sohj starts to smile when he sees Tteno get back on his feet. Relentless as ever, Sohj presses forward, but Tteno's leaps back. He blocks two of Sohj's jab attacks, then leans in closer before kneeing his gut. 

Sohj couldn't brace in time, so he falls onto the ground. 

The crowd is stunned by Tteno's sudden upset. All the vuvuzelas and singing for Sohj halted. 

"What the?" a few ghast. "Come on, get up Sohj," the girl and her friends murmur. 

Ding! rings the timeout bell, and Tteno wins the final. 

"There's no way," some yell at unconscious Sohj. "Did Sohj really lose so easily?" a woman asks, with surprise and shock all over her face. "No way, Sohj..." the little girl's friends said. 

Wow, they really thought he'd beat me. Huh?

Tteno walks off the tournament platform, disappearing from the arena altogether, going to the changing rooms to clean his bloodstains from his sports shirt. 

"Sohj lost?" the crowd shrieked, almost in unison. 

This kid is impressive.

As Tteno was washing his blood off his sports shirt with a wet white towel, a mysterious woman spoke behind him. "That was a nice fight, not bad... Tteno, right?" she asked him. 

Tteno, looking at her through the slightly cracked mirror, "who are you?" 

"I have an offer that could change your life," she says to him, smiling. 

She's wearing a dark blue blouse, black high heels and shades. 

With a frown, Tteno looks at his shirt, and again starts rubbing off his blood. 

The mysterious woman still wearing a gentle smile, looked at Tteno and says, "I would like to adopt you, Tteno." 

Tteno's pupils dilate, his voice almost gone with a shocked look on his face, "what?" he manages. 

"Will you --" 

Sohj barges into the changing room where Tteno and the mysterious woman are talking, but he doesn't notice her, because he's come to ask Tteno a question, "Wuss, how did you do that?" 

Tteno continues his cleaning, not distracted by the yelling, but Sohj wouldn't leave without an answer, "How did you do that?!" 

"I dodged. It's kind of what I do." Tteno said. 

"One minute, you're only dodging and blocking, but then--" 

"Yes, you were attacking, but as I dodged, your openings were obvious. I ducked, then as I leaped into your face, kneed you in the gut," Tteno explained. 

"That's really how I lost?" Sohj's tears ran down his face. "I lost," as he cried a bucket of tears. 

Tteno, weirdly moved by Sohj's uncharacteristic sadness, tries to console him, "hey, at least I let you get a hit in," while looking through the slightly cracked, bathroom mirror. 

"You wuss," Sohj sobs and his tears were trickling down his face onto the bathroom floor, "do you think that makes me feel any better? Huh?" 

"It should, you asked me to." 

"Today, I lost." 

"Yep--" 

"Shut up, wuss!" 

Tteno turns around to hear him. 

"I lost today, but I'll get stronger. I'll beat you one-on-one next time." 

As Sohj quietly left the bathroom, wiping his tears with his shirt. 

"Why didn't you try to relieve the tension?" the mysterious woman asks. 

Tteno turns back to the mirror to get his bloodstains off the shirt, "I wasn't planning on doing that." 

"Anyways," she repeats her offer, "Will you be my son, Tteno?" 

Tteno stopped cleaning, looked into the mirror and said, "Why?" 

"What do you mean?" she asks. 

"I mean, why ask me? What do you want?" Tteno clarifies.