Hanging The Gloves
You sit in a dimly lit locker room, outside the cheers of the fans threaten to blow out the ear drums of the unprepared yet you were used to this. A loud smack tears through the screams which results in an uproar which should be impossible at this point. A pair of men with a stretcher rush past signifying one thing, the fight was over. You sigh deeply and slip your hands into your fighting gloves, worn from the numerous fights you've been in. The heat soothes you and brings back memories from old.
" Hey champ! You ready? " An overly cheerful voice calls out. A man of average height and build with jet black hair wearing a black leather jacket with denim trousers stands before you, your handler. In his left hand are pieces of papers with various numbers on them, bet slips and judging by the numbers you can see the bets are in your favor.
" Tonight's a big one. " He hands you the slips. Giving it a once over you roughly estimate your cut and hand it back. You hear the announcer and head towards the entrance.
" Hey! " He abruptly yells, " good luck. "
You nod and step through the thick leathery folds. The crowd erupts into a deafening roar and a small smile finds its way onto your face. You look across, hundreds if not thousands of onlookers scream in ecstasy. The spotlights hone in on you. The bright blinding lights wash over you, a feeling you've grown used to over the years. The crowd roars in anticipation for what could arguably be the greatest fight in years. A man dressed in a black suit steps into the ring and plucks up the mic dangling at the center.
" Welcome ladies and gentlemen! Tonight we have one for the history books! " He gestures towards both you and your opponent. The deafening roar goes higher than ever.
You tune out everything and focus on this one last fight. Through the years you've made a name for yourself in this world, slowly building a fortune and just in time too. Everyone who started with you has long gone, except, your over charismatic manager. This is it. Once this fight is over you plan to leave the country and disappear for good.
" Let's get this fight started! " The announcer yells before exiting the ring.
Your opponent wastes no time and comes in with a dangerous jab. Unfortunately he leaves himself wide open and you take advantage of that with a quick strike to his chest. He reels back in shock but you give him no respite and unleash a furry of strikes and finish up with a powerful kick to the head.He crumbles to the ground with a groan. The crowd goes silent for a moment before erupting into another deafening roar. The referee rushes to the incapacitated man and after a moment gestures to signify the end of the fight. The crowd begins to chant the name they bestowed on you as you head back.
Your manager stands in front of your room but he's not alone. Next to him is a smartly dressed bespectacled woman. The outfit hugs her figure and shows off her hourglass figure.
" Hey champ! " He waves as soon as he spots you. The woman says nothing as he introduces her to you, " This is Gyeong-Hui and this is the guy I was talking to you about. "
Her face remains stoic throughout the entire talk. By the time she leaves you've secured a flight to your country of choice.
" So I guess this is the end. " Your manager mutters more to himself than you. He looks up from his glass and watches you for sometime, his gaze never faltering. He then chuckles before raising his glass and you do likewise. A couple more drinks later and you head back home.
Early the next morning you find yourself standing in front of a jet in a hangar at the airport. Gyeong-Hui's boss was a man of affluence and wasted no expense when it came to transportation. Your manager couldn't make it as he now had to look for a new client but he sent his regards.
" Good morning. " Gyeong-Hui greets. You reply with a nod as she leads you inside.
The cabin is quite small but large enough to accommodate a handful of people. You take a seat near the window and she takes the one directly opposite. Soon the plane takes off and what you called your home for years becomes nothing more than a dot. What hopefully peaceful adventures lie in wait for you?