Yi-jun

The underground arena buzzed with chaotic energy, the air thick with smoke and adrenaline. Yi-jun leaned against a column at the edge of the crowd, arms crossed over his chest. He'd told himself a week ago that he was imagining things after thinking it was Tayo. The hooded figure who had taken down Kong—a fighter many feared—couldn't have been Tayo. It had to be someone else. Someone with a similar style, a coincidence.

But tonight, here he was again, eyes glued to the ring as the announcer introduced the fighters.

On one side stood a woman known only as Scarlet. Her face was a roadmap of scars, her grin sharp and predatory as she stretched in the corner. The crowd roared, already anticipating her ruthless style—a blend of power and vicious precision.

On the other side, the hooded figure entered the ring, their head low, body loose. "Shade," the announcer called them, and the crowd erupted into cheers.

Yi-jun's jaw tightened as he watched Shade's movements. Even with the hood shadowing her face, her stance was too familiar—loose, deliberate, like a predator waiting to strike. His heart raced as the referee signaled the start of the fight, the bell echoing through the space.

Scarlet struck first, throwing a probing jab to test her opponent's range. Shade didn't flinch. She circled her opponent with deceptive ease, her body shifting just enough to avoid the blow. Yi-jun's pulse quickened. The precision, the calm—it was Tayo. It had to be.

The fight exploded into motion. Scarlet launched a vicious kick aimed at Shade's midsection, but Shade pivoted sharply, the strike whistling past her ribs. She retaliated with a lightning-fast teep kick to Scarlet's chest, sending the woman stumbling back. The crowd roared its approval, their excitement palpable.

Yi-jun watched, transfixed, as Shade took control of the fight. Scarlet came in harder, her punches rapid and wild. Each blow brushed past Shade's guard, grazing but never landing. Shade's movements were a masterclass in efficiency, her defense flawless.

Then Scarlet lunged, catching Shade in a clinch. Yi-jun's breath hitched as he watched Scarlet lock her arms around Shade's neck. He knew the power behind a clinch like that—it could sap a fighter's energy in seconds. But Shade held her ground, her feet planted like roots in stone. She drove her knees into Scarlet's ribs, each strike precise and brutal.

Once.

Twice.

Scarlet's grip faltered. Shade twisted free, her elbow snapping upward in a savage arc that caught Scarlet on the jaw. Blood sprayed from a split lip as Scarlet staggered back, laughing through the pain.

"You've got fight in you," Scarlet spat, wiping her mouth.

Shade didn't respond. She surged forward, feinting high before sweeping low with a devastating leg kick that buckled Scarlet's stance. A flurry of strikes followed—elbows, knees, and punches raining down with surgical precision.

Yi-jun barely noticed the crowd's cheers as Scarlet crumpled to her knees, gasping for air. Shade stood over her, fists raised, her body coiled like a spring. The referee stepped in, signaling the end of the fight.

It was over.

The crowd erupted, their cheers deafening. Shade extended a hand to Scarlet, her expression unreadable. Scarlet hesitated before taking it, muttering a low, "Good fight," as Shade pulled her to her feet.

Shade turned away, disappearing into the crowd, her hood still low.

Yi-jun pushed off the column, his mind racing. He couldn't shake the feeling any longer. The hooded figure was Tayo—he was certain of it now.

He followed her through the chaotic arena, weaving between spectators and fighters. She moved quickly, her steps deliberate, as if she knew the streets by heart. Yi-jun stayed close but kept his distance, his heart pounding with every turn she took.

When she slipped into an alley near the Anurak Muay Thai School, the truth hit him like a lightning strike.

It was her.

Tayo Anurak—his rival, his sparring partner, the woman who always burned with a quiet intensity—was Shade, the underground fighter who had taken down Kong and Scarlet.

Yi-jun leaned against the wall, his chest rising and falling with the weight of the revelation. Why was she doing this? What was she fighting for?

The questions swirled in his mind as he turned and walked away, the night air biting against his skin. He would keep her secret, for now. But he couldn't ignore this—not her, not the path she was walking.

Tayo was fighting for something deeper, something he didn't yet understand. And Yi-jun was determined to find out why.