Chapter 12

Two days before winter vacation finished, Danuja showed up at a rundown studio with mold at the corners and what looked like faded posters on the wall. This place was also the same and only place that she could learn anything fighting related without hurting her bills. 

Danuja wants to note that her allowance will stop coming next year and she needs desperately the money. Also she picked up the first flier she saw.

The respective place was also the shadiest place Danuja stepped in.

'' Hello?''  she asked her hand going briefly to her side before retreating in her coat. Right. Dad was still at home. The place looked slightly better from the inside and at the same time, it reminded Danuja of old western movie's, like the famous 'Rocky'. 

There was a shabby fighting ring in the middle of the room that occupied most of the space, the strings around the ring half ripped  and force equipment, scattered on the remained space. A couple of steps to the door was a bench where a middle aged man was sleeping.

Danuja sighed before pursing her lips and after checking the screwdriver in her wing bra and the sharp keychan of her keys, she pushed the bench slightly with her leg. The man grunted, smacked his lips but otherwise he didn't move.  Danuja pushed again, harder this time making the man snort loudly before getting up and looking confused at her.

''  ' Learn fighting on a cheap price ' '' she said reading the words on the old flier before holding it up at the man  '' Teach me how to fight. I don't want anything fancy, just something simple that can get me out of trouble quick enough.''  she said, a small part of  her, the one that still hurt, hoping that the man would pity her enough to teach her how to hit properly without broking something

'' I don't do that shit anymore kid.'' the man said before leaning back on the bench ready to sleep again

'' What do you want so you can teach me?''  Danuja said before sweeting her tone before grimacing at herself  '' You live in a old fighting studio and sleep on a dirty bench. You must want something...sir.''

The man sighed before turning on his back, staring at the ceiling. He glanced at her and said

'' Bring me some ramen and you got a deal of a hour kid.'' he said already closing his eyes

'' I bring you ramen and meat buns for two hours.'' she bargained narrowing her eyes, her mood lifting when the man shrugged, nodding at her

---

'' So-'' the man said after finishing his ramen, picking apart the hot meat buns  ''- what do you know to do? Punch? Upper cut? Side kick?''

'' I good at dodging.''  and stabbing was left unsaid

'' Ah.'' he said nodding to himself  '' You are bullied .'' he said bluntly before nodding towards the flighting ring  '' Wrap your hands and put on those gloves.'' the man said biting in the bun  '' Don't forget to wrap each finger, I'm not paying for any type of damage.''

It took her ten minutes to wrap her fingers properly, enough to satisfy the man and to finish his food. 

'' Come on.'' the man said after lifting himself up in the ring, a boxing training pad in each hand, trying to spur her on  '' Fine.'' he sighed before lunging himself at her with his padded hands.

And Danuja, already used with that type of dance skillfully avoided, dodged and turned around the man moves.

'' You need to hit me properly kid, come on already.'' the man said loudly, irritated before hissing at Danuja heavy hit  '' See?''  he said  before shutting up for the next few minutes letting Danuja do her thing, hitting the pads even when the man suddenly moved them

'' Try your legs next!'' he yelled before hitting the air beside him showing her how to mold her foot fingers. The next hit, the pad low, around his abdomen, made the man grunt  '' Huh.'' he hummed surprised before narrowing his eyes  '' Use your hit more, rotate it.''

It took much longer than Danuja would have liked to learn to hit properly with her feet. Sure her punch and upper cut was fast  enough to learn, especially when it was the most used against her. That and the slaps with sharp nails.  The man, trainer?, was surprisingly useful and nice while teaching her even though he looked at her strangely from time to time when her leg kick where landing better.

'' Your legs are pretty strong.''  he commented when he called for a break. Apparently the sudden training and old age made him take breaks more regularly, his words not hers.  '' You need to train harder for your punches and use your hip at those hits as well. Do you play any sports kid?''  he asked suddenly before taking a seat beside her.

Danuja was catching her hair in a string bun again, not wanting her hair to fall before she said

'' Not really. Nothing but PE at school, but I walk my dog two, sometimes three times a day around the district.'' she said hoping that Dad wasn't feeling too down with her gone.

God she was so soft for him.

'' Huh. It's hard to see boys like you with such core strength, though I suppose you did won the genetic lottery or whatever young people call it nowadays.'' he said wiping the sweat on his forehead

'' Boys like me? '' Danuja asked a little faintly blinking startled

'' What?'' the man said snorting  '' You though that you have hair like that then I won't see it? Boy your shoes are looking worse then the state of my gym, it's clear that you don't have enough for a haircut. Can't blame you though, food getting so pricey those days, let's not even talk about those bills.''

Still startled and just a little bit confused Danuja stood silent. This was the first time someone, anyone mistaken her for a boy and sure maybe her hips weren't that big,  she was almost the tallest in her class and there was barely an A-cup for her bra but she was always a girl.

Sora Danuja was always a girl.

  '' Girls can't train ?''  she asked instead her face unmoved when the man begin laughing

'' Somewhere else? Sure they can do that. Here though? Girls have no place here.''  he said taking the training pads walking to the ring  '' Now come on boyo, you have another hour.'' 

And Danuja, letting the man live in his world, jumped back in the ring as well already used with the sound her hits made.