A Punch after a punch being thrown at a huge compact sand bag suspended in the air. The impact from those punches makes the bag bounced back a couple of times. The punches didn’t seem like it would stop and kept on coming like the bullets from firing a machine gun. After throwing a few more punches, the boy stopped for a break. He took a water bottle from his bag and drank it.

Flashback

“Taeng, I like this friend thing going on between us.”said Tiffany as she opened the car door.

“Me too.”he smiled at her.

“We are just friends right?”Tiffany said again.

“What do you mean?” Taeng was confused.

“Friends and nothing more?” said Tiffany.

“If you want it that way.”

“I just hope that this friendship wouldn’t prolong into something more than just good friends. I hate if that’ll happen. It’s too painful for me to go through it all again and I don’t plan to.”

Taeng wanted to say something, but Tiffany continued to speak again.

“I don’t want to ever experience emotions, feelings or anything similar to that. I’m broken, Taeng. And I don’t need a fix.”she said while smiling bitterly. Taeng didn’t know what to say, so he just nodded quietly. They were staring at each other eyes, before Tiffany broke it off. She got off Taeng’s car and waved goodbye to him.

Taeng was taken aback at what Tiffany had said, but he decided to respect her decision. But, he still can’t help but to feel a tug in his heart as if she was saying directly to him, that they could never happen. He couldn’t help but to feel devastated about it.

End flashback

Taeng crushed his empty bottled water in his hand, and threw it on the ground. He went back to his punching bag, and started to abuse the bag again, trying to get his mind off Tiffany.

“I think that bag had enough.”a voice interrupted Taeng’s session.

“Mind you own business, Lance.”said Taeng coldly, as he still throwing punches at the worn out bag.

“You’ve been going at it since last night. Take a break.”

“And I’ve told you to mind you own f’kin business.”Taeng cursed at his friend feeling his anger surges inside him. He kept on punching the suspended bag in front of him, relieving his anger.

“Taeng...”a familiar voice was calling his name. He turned his heard towards the voice and saw Tiffany standing at the door of the practice room besides the gym’s owner.

“What are you doing here?”He stopped his punches at once, took a towel in his bag, and started to wipe his sweat.

“I came to see you.”she spoke again. The gym’s owner decided to leave the two alone.

“It’s late. You should go home.”Taeng said coldly.

“You should go home too.”

“Can’t. I’m practicing. The fight’s tomorrow.”

“Yul told me you’ve been here since yesterday. You skipped school, Taeng.”

“Well, yeah. School’s boring, so I decided to come here instead.”

“You’re not that serious about the match.”she moved closer to where Taeng’s sitting.

“I decided to be serious about it now.”

“What’s on your mind?”she said as she take a seat next to Taeng.

‘You.’he badly wants to say it out loud, but he chose to stay quiet instead.

“Come on, Taeng. We’re friends right?”

There is it again, Tiffany’s favourite word, friends. That’s what they’ll ever be.

He sighed out loud and stood up from the bench as he started to pack his bags.

“Come on, I’ll take you home.”he said as he sling his bag on his shoulder and walked out the room. Tiffany just followed him timidly, decided not to probe any further. At least she convinced him to go home. Yul told her that Taeng haven’t come home since that dodgeball game. Taeng came straight to the gym and spend the night here.

“Lance, thanks for letting me stay here last night.”said Taeng at the guy’s at the counter.

“No problem. Anytime, bro.”

“Sorry for the outburst earlier.”he said apologetically.

“Hey, don’t worry about it. I know you’re stressed.”

“I’ll pay you back sometime.”

“Nah, that’s okay.”

“I’ll be going, Lance. Thanks again.”He waved to the guy.

“You’re welcome. Oh, and next time, bring your girlfriend again with you.”he said teasingly.

“We’re just friends, Lance.”he said bitterly. Tiffany heard him this time, and started to get the idea of why he was acting this way. They got into Taeng’s car and were heading home when Tiffany’s phone rings.

“Hello?”

“Yeah, don’t worry. We’re heading home right now.”

“I’ll tell him that. Bye, Yul.”Tiffany hung up and felt Taeng’s eyes on her.

“That was Yul, he wants me to tell you, to sleep early tonight.” Taeng nodded at her and return his eyes back on the road.

“Yul dropped you off earlier?”

“Yup. Who else?”

“What were you doing with him?”he asked suspiciously.

“Oh, we met at Unnie’s cafe. It’s my first day today, you know. I asked about you, he said you’re at the gym and haven’t come home since yesterday. So, I asked him to drop me to where you were.”

“Hmmhh. Why?”

“Because I’m worried.”

“You got to do better than that.”he pushed trying to convince himself that, at least she cares.

“We’re friends, and friends worry about each other.”she replied him with an answer that left Taeng disappointed again. Taeng can only stay quiet until they reached Tiffany’s apartment.

“We’re here. Goodnight, Tiffany.”he stopped his car and unlock the doors. He doesn’t even glance at her and was looking straight ahead.

“Taeng, can we talk?”Tiffany tried.

“It’s late, Tiffany. Just go home and rest. I’m tired too.”Sensing Taeng’s changed mood, and weary tone, she decided to give him the space.

It was a bright morning with the sun shining brightly, but for Taeng, it’s a gloomy one. He still thinks of yesterday, and Tiffany’s hurtful words. He didn’t even know why he would feel so affected by it. He groaned and threw away his duvet from him, kicking it off the bed. He took a towel with him and went inside the bathroom. After a cold shower, he walked to his bed and picked up his ringing phone. It was Yul.

“I’m already up, Yul.”He hissed to the phone.

“Taeng, oh, you’re up.” A different voice greeted him.

“Tiffany?”

“Yup.”she chuckled. “Yul and Jessi are busy with each other right now.”

‘She’s with Yul again?’he thought to himself.

“Oh, why are you calling?”

“Aren’t you a little late to school?”

“That’s why you called?”

“Well, yeah. I thought you’ll skip school again. Y