Chapter 9: Instantgram More like Horrorgram

A few days had passed, and Gen stood before Taehyung in the dojo, both arms useless in their slings. He stared at his mentor with determination.

"Alright, so you want to learn Taekwondo?" Taehyung asked.

"Yes," Gen answered firmly.

"I'm not going to go easy on you just because your injured," Taehyung warned. "Since I don't have forever to be teaching you, I'll give you a few essential moves. Let's start with flexibility. It's crucial in Taekwondo—not only does it allow for stronger, longer kicks, but it also prevents injuries."

They spent the next few hours stretching profusely.

"Let's see where you are. Do the splits."

Gen's eyes widened. "The splits?!"

He hesitated, then slowly lowered himself, but his movements were awkward. His legs barely extended before he lost balance and collapsed onto his side, wincing as his arms, still healing, jolted with pain.

"Ouch! Damn it!" he groaned.

"This is going to be a long process," Taehyung muttered, shaking his head.

Hours passed. Gen was exhausted, sweat dripping from his forehead, but he had made progress. He slowly sank into a full split, his legs finally extending all the way.

"Good. Now we move on to the basics."

Taehyung walked over to a punching bag and performed a front kick, sending it swinging back violently. Gen's eyes widened.

"That's a front kick," Taehyung explained. "It's simple but effective. Watch again."

He lifted his knee close to his body, then extended his leg with perfect form, hitting the bag with controlled force. It looked effortless.

"Now you try."

Gen lifted his leg but lost balance almost immediately. He barely managed to tap the bag, the force so weak that it barely moved.

"Shit... this thing is over 250 pounds!" Gen thought, frustrated.

He tried again. And again. For hours, he failed to generate enough power.

Taehyung sighed, rubbing his eyes in frustration. "Alright, let's try something else. This is the 'out-in' kick."

He demonstrated the move with fluid precision, standing with his non-dominant leg forward, lifting his other leg, then striking inward in a sharp arc. His foot landed on the side of a training dummy's head with a resounding snap before he swiftly returned to stance.

"Now you try."

Gen attempted the move, but once again, he struggled with balance. His movements were slow and imprecise, his kicks weak.

After several failed attempts, Taehyung exhaled sharply. "Alright, that's enough for tonight. We'll pick it back up in the morning."

Gen reluctantly nodded. "Thank you for this, Taehyung."

As he left the dojo, he reflected on Taehyung's character. He wasn't a bad person—just someone who longed for a challenge. Perhaps his endless pursuit of a worthy opponent stemmed from a lack of obstacles in his life.

That night, Gen trained alone. He focused solely on his stability, practicing standing on one leg, repeating slow movements, and building control. His body burned with exhaustion, but his mind was resolute.

The next morning, he returned to the dojo.

"Show me what you've got," Taehyung said, arms crossed.

Gen stepped forward and performed a front kick. This time, the punching bag swung back significantly. Taehyung raised an eyebrow, impressed.

"Not bad. Now the out-in kick."

Gen positioned himself and executed the move. His foot snapped into the training dummy's head with precision and power.

Taehyung clapped his hands together. "I'm impressed. I think you're ready."

Gen nodded, determination burning in his eyes. He planned to challenge Isamu in a few days.

But later that night, an anonymous user sent him a video on Instantgram. Curious, he opened it.

His phone slipped from his hands and crashed onto the floor.

His breath caught in his throat, his face drained of color. His heart pounded in his ears as he stared in horror at the screen.

The video showed Isamu fucking Keiko from behind with a greedy and evil smirk. 

Gen's entire world shattered in an instant.