The following morning, around 6:30 am, everyone in the Choi residence was still tucked in their beds except for the elder daughter Soo Young. The girl with a new hairstyle was getting ready for what Hero said would be her first day of training. She put on a black racer back top, black jogging pants, rubber shoes and completed her training look with a black jacket. She tossed her newly cut and dyed hair which made her look like a guy and skipped energetically out of her room without her mom or her brother noticing. Soo Young ran outside the house and hopped on her bike, biking all the way to the park.

Early mornings at the park were usually cold and serene but with Soo Young’s fueled determination to make an impact and save the country, fulfilling her destiny of being the country’s champion. She parked her bike at the park and sat there still, waiting for a sign of Hero.

“Hero! Hero! Where are you?!” she got down from her bike and looked around for him. She roamed around the park with her hands in her pockets when she noticed a man leaning on a tree. He appeared to be the only person at the park and Soo Young felt compelled to ask the sturdy-built young man if he knew where Jaejoong was.

“Excuse me but have you seen a guy who’s around this tall and-” the man spun around and revealed his face which had strong and prominent features, proving that he was no-nonesense.

“You must be Choi Soo Young.” said the man. He extended his hand for a handshake which Soo Young took and shook in return.

“Yes. I am.”

“I’m Max Changmin. Hero Jaejoong told me about your destiny as the Champion of the Nation. I am your trainer and I’ve come to show you the ways of a Champion.” Soo Young’s eyes opened widely before drooping and shaking her head.

“You have got to be kidding me! Hero hired a trainer for me?! Is this how seriously he takes this thing?!”

“Well it is something that needs to be taken seriously. You see, our empire is under attack and we need to do something about it if we want to live. The gods have selected you.”

“How did they select me?”

“Something drew Jaejoong to you. Jaejoong prays to the gods every night and the gods are never wrong. They have chosen you.”

“But there are still some army men left. The bomb didn’t kill the entire army! Why can’t they fight?! They’re braver and have more experience!” Soo Young tried to talk her way out of this.

“They need a leader. Their leader, your father, perished along with 9 others. You have been chosen to succeed him. You have a warrior’s blood. You have a champion’s blood. Your father was their champion, a great warrior who won countless battles in the defense of our land. You have been chosen to follow in his footsteps.”

“But I’m just an average teenage douche. I can’t do right! I always up and mess up every single thing I do. I always fail and I’m always on the receiving end of jokes! Then you’re telling me that the gods selected me! Mister, I don’t mean to be blasphemous but those gods have made one big ing mistake! I am not supposed to be the Champion of the Nation. I cannot fight! I can’t even hurt a fly for God’s sake!” Soo Young sighed hopelessly. Max placed a hand on her shoulder and said,

“It is your destiny. It is in your blood.” Max said. Soo Young looked at him straight in the eyes. “You dishonor the gods. You dishonor your nation. You dishonor your father.” Soo Young remembered her father again. These were the exact words that Hero told her when she protested against being the leader of the army. Soo Young thought long and hard.

Am I really going to do this? she wondered to herself. The young girl remembered all the sacrifices her father made just for their freedom and safety and all the pain he had to endure just for her to enjoy the liberty that she was enjoying now. With one deep breath, Soo Young looked up at Max and slowly started to smile. She arched her eyebrow and nodded her head saying,

“Let’s do this.” Max smiled and tapped her shoulder. She got on her bike and followed him to the Temple of the Gods where they would train on the training grounds. Entering the palace for the second time in the morning was even more majestic than it was at night. It looked peaceful but intimidating and regal. Soo Young looked around and saw that it was much like the traditional Korean temples that she’d see in movies.

“There’s a parking spot for bicycles. You can put yours there.” Soo Young got off her bike and carefully placed it in between two iron bars. Soo Young walked over to Max who was standing straight and clenching his fists. Soo Young’s eyes widened in intimidation as her first day of training was about to start.

“I know I’ve asked you this before but what do you know about fighting?”

“What do I know about fighting? Well I’ve been beaten up by bullies at school, got thrown in a trash can and got hosed and punched to a bloody pulp in the bathroom. Yep, that’s what I know about fighting.” Max gave her a dumbfounded look. Soo Young proudly enummerated her falls in order to somewhat persuade Max that she wasn’t a fighter and could never be one.

“A person’s bravery cannot be defined by physical strength. A person’s bravery is defined by how determined she is to take on a challenge.” Max said. “Are you brave enough?” Soo Young was about to answer this with another snarky sounding ‘no’ but she recalled her father and how much she wanted to be like him. Soo Young took a deep breath and though it was hard, she answered.

“Yes. I am willing. I am determined.” she felt a rush of energy overcome her at these words. It was like she was an entirely different person, not the cowardly, skinny little schoolgirl who was afraid of taking chances. This was certainly one big leap for her.

“Let us start with some minor martial arts moves.” Max was a martial arts expert who had several blackbelts in taekwondo, karate and other forms of fighting. He took his jacket off, revealing a black shirt matched with khaki pants. Soo Young herself took her jacket off and posed like the poses Jet Li would make in his movies. She thought that martial arts was gonna be easy, well she wasn’t prepared for this yet. Max gave her a punch which her face avoided but her shoulder didn’t, eliciting so much pain. Soo Young’s shoulder was already badly bruised because of the beatings that she received at school so that instantly made her weak. Soo Young tried to throw punches and kicks at him but they either missed or were too weak. Max grabbed Soo Young by the hand and flipped her over, making her land on her back. He gave her another shot and the same thing happened. Lame kicks and punches, ending with Soo Young on the floor either flat on her back or flat on her face. Max rubbed his face and shook his head.

“I’m gonna subject you to even harsher training. But before that, let’s try to strengthen you up first.”

[music: “Hate You” by 2NE1...REALLY GOOD WORKOUT SONG!]

The training montage begins here. Max took Soo Young to the Circular Garden where he made her jog around 5 times. Soo Young looked at the course and felt tired before she could even try moving but Max persuaded her to do so. With the determined spirit in her, Soo Young gave it a try, smoothly sailing at first but got rougher and rougher as she progressed. She got tired so easily that she tripped and landed on her chest right after the 3rd round. Max looked at her and helped her up. Soo Young dusted herself and followed Max as he led her to another exercise course.

The next course was a boxing course. Like the movie “Rocky”, there were huge cuts of meat hanging from the ceiling as well as punching bags. Max demonstrated to Soo Young his punching skills. He went from bag to bag, meat to meat, showing her how hard his knuckles were and asked her to give it a try. Soo Young furrowed her brows and gave it a try. She unleashed her aggression on a punching bag and on several meats. She just kept on punching and punching until her knuckles got sore and almost bled. When she saw that they were red, she stopped for a while and tended to them with teary eyes. Max sighed hopelessly and shook his head, in disbelief of Soo Young’s weakness.

Max took Soo Young to the archery section. He pointed to Soo Young the target and the bullseye that she had to hit. The strongman demonstrated his mad archery skills and showed how he could hit the target, even with his eyes blindfolded. Soo Young just shook her head in amazement. When he handed the bow and arrow to her, that’s when failure began. At first, Soo Young aimed too high, making the arrow miss the target. She tried once again, showing Max that she just wouldn’t quit and aimed too low, making the arrow hit the tree. Max had enough of her nonesense and firmly positioned her arms, levelling them to her shoulders and fixing her posture. Soo Young shut her eyes tight, fearing that she would fail again and gave it one mighty pull. Soo Young opened her eyes and saw that the arrow wasn’t on the target board. She looked around for it when Max took it and showed it to her. Turns out she let go of it and dropped it on the floor. Soo Young just tried to pass it off with a wide grin. Max didn’t look too proud.

Max re-taught martial arts to Soo Young. He told her to start with punches and kicks. Soo Young punched his side but he countered. She tried again on the other side but he avoided and countered. Soo Young kicked high but he grabbed her ankle and threw her aggresively down on the ground. Soo Young got back up and tried to fight him but he was moving quick! With a chop to the shoulder and a punch to the eye, he sent her spinning around and knocked her down with a kick. Soo Young’s face was flat on the ground, dirt and mud got in . She looked up and shook the dirt off, giving Max a look that said ‘Have mercy on me now, please.’ Max shook his head in disappointment and threw his towel at her. Soo Young felt even more hopeless.

Max took her to the hardest obstacle there was. He led Soo Young, whose body was aching and could barely walk from all the failed training sessions, to the Eternity Steps of the Temple. He showed her four hollow blocks and explained the exercise to her. Max lifted the hollow blocks and placed them on his shoulders. Soo Young marveled at the strength Max possessed, all the more when he ran up the stairs and lined them up at the very top. Soo Young swore she could never do such a thing! At the top, Max focused on the blocks that were lined up and reduced them to debris. He called for Soo Young to do the same. He had prepared a set of blocks for her to lift and run up the stairs with. The wimpy girl tried to lift them and after a few unsuccessful attempts, Soo Young was able to get them on her shoulders. Max was on top and urged her to run up. Soo Young did try to run but her small frame gave up, making her fall on the floor, down on her knees. Max cheered her on and helped her up. Soo Young got back on her feet but her body was just too sore to go on and it made her fall on her knees. Tired, perspiring, and in pain, Soo Young just altogether gave up on the challenge. Max looked at Soo Young with an angry, disappointed face and threw the towel that was around his neck at her and walked away, ultimately giving up on her. Soo Young looked down in desperation and sat on the stairs, watching her trainer walk away and give up on her. Not wanting to give up on something that meant a lot to her, she got on her aching feet and chased after her trainer.

“Go home!” she was met with a very cold response. Soo Young could crumble on the ground after hearing this but she begged him for another chance. Max refused to give her this chance.

“I must’ve misunderstood the message of the gods. It wasn’t supposed to be you! You were right all along. You’re unfit to be a warrior.” Soo Young watched as Max walked away from her, completely deserting her. Soo Young walked back to the bench where her bike was. It was there that she broke down and cried with her hands covering her face. Max looked at her and felt a pinc of guilt in his chest but dismissed it, thinking of his country.

The army deserves a leader who’s strong and brave, not a weak wimp like this one! It serves her right to be dismissed!

That very night that she was sent away, heavy rain started to pour, soaking the poor girl wet. Max retired inside the temple and took a rest while the rain poured down on the rooftop. The determined Soo Young looked at the staircase with the hollow blocks at the footsteps. She felt disappointed and she felt that she had let her father down. She took out his picture that was in her pocket the whole time and looked at it. Her father had a proud and courageous smile in the picture and all that was left of him was his memory. Not wanting to let her father down, Soo Young gathered all her courage and strength and despite the weather and her trainer’s dismissal, she still gave it a go. Soo Young grabbed her bands and wrapped her hands with them. Mustering all her strength, she lifted the hollow blocks on her shoulders and tried to run up the stairs. The first few jogs up were slippery, making her slip but Soo Young still pushed for it. She jogged up the stairs but slipped and fell on one knee. Her muscles were aching and her legs were straining. Refusing to give up, Soo Young said in her mind,

Don’t give up, Soo Young. You can do it! With all your might! For your father. For your country! And with all the strength she had in her body, plus the will to continue, Soo Young was able to get back on her feet and ran all the way to the top of the staircase where she lined the blocks up like what Max did.

All this running noise woke Max up and prompted him to check on what was going on. He stepped outside and was astonished at the sight of his protégé making it to the top and lining the bricks up. He watched as Soo Young chopped and kicked them though she was soaking in the rain. Max watched as the pieces of the brick crumbled and rolled down the steps. An impressed smile was seen on his face.

The next few days of training proved to be a breeze for Max. Soo Young was now able to aim for the target, she could now tackle and topple him in martial arts, was now faster and more capable of running for long periods of time and could box the punching bags and meat packs. Pretty soon, Soo Young was tough and strong enough to be a leader, with the wisdom and strength that she gained.

“You are ready to fulfill your duties as the leader of the Nabi Army. You have proven yourself strong and worthy. May the gods bless you.” Soo Young bowed before Max and Max bowed in return. He admired the young girl’s heart and determination as well as the fact that she was able to transform herself from a weak and wimpy girl to a strong and gallant warrior.

“Thank you. But to be honest with you, I still have my doubts. I don’t know if I can do this.” Soo Young looked down, low self-esteem still residing in her. Max placed a hand on her shoulder and reassured her,

“Don’t worry. We are fighting with you. “ Max reassured her. Soo Young took a deep breath and believed in herself. She smiled at him and nodded her head.

“I am ready.” she said. Max beamed a proud smile and allowed Soo Young to go home and take a rest. The teenaged commander to be got on her bike and pedaled her way home but before she could get far, Max stopped her.

“WAIT!” Soo Young stepped on the brakes and looked back. Max had a scared and worried look on his face which had an effect on Soo Young. “Be careful, my child.”

“What? Why?”

“Be alert and stay awake at all times. We don’t know when they will send another attack. Your newfound strength and bravery are your greatest and most effective weapons. Use them to your ability.” Max warned her. Soo Young nodded and smiled.

“I will. Thank you.” she continued biking until she got home.

[MEANWHILE, IN THE RAVEN EMPIRE]

“With my father dead,” the Raven Prince said as he pranced around the room with his black cape on. The royal subjects watched as the dashing, vile young prince scanned the room and delivered his speech about his evil plans. “I now pronounce myself Emperor of the Raven Empire. Nobody has the right to object. I have the Emperor’s Royal Blood and therefore am entitled to his throne and his riches.” The Raven Prince said. The royal subjects just trembled in horror at the sound of his handsome voice. And the sight of his equally handsome face intimidated them.

“What are we going to do, your highness?” asked one subject. The Raven Prince turned to this subject and said.

“The neighboring Empire has to pay for this. My father was killed silently! I will not let our land fall, though. I will fight for our land though my father is gone. With me as the Emperor, I hereby wage war against the Nabi Empire!” the royal subjects all gasped and talked amongst themselves, terrified and confused. He arched his eyebrow and smirked.

“You all seem so terrified! Why? Think a 17 year old cannot handle battle? Please! I am a military genius! My techniques are far more flourished than Napoleon and Alexander’s combined!” the Raven Prince boasted. “I can handle this battle. Rally the army up! Training shall begin!” The royal subjects immediately did as told, out of fear that the vicious-minded young prince would do. They arranged the army and announced that they were to wage war. The Raven Prince himself alerted the army that they were going to attack.

[THE FOLLOWING DAY IN SCHOOL]

Soo Young showed up in school with her rocking new hairdo. Her short hair dyed brown was something that most of the students noticed. With each stare was a smile from Soo Young. CL caught up with her friend and was greatly stunned by her hairdo.

“What the? What did you do to your hair?!” CL asked excitedly. She touched and messed Soo Young’s hair up.

“I cut it and dyed it myself.”

“You did? Seriously?”

“Yeah.” Soo Young ran a hand through her hair and shrugged. “Do you think I have a future in hairstyling?” CL laughed.

“Goddamn! This looks better on you than your long hair. I prefer you with brown hair. Short, brown hair. Yes please!” CL cheered. Soo Young just couldn’t stop laughing.

“Seriously!” CL beamed while touching her hair over and over. It was so smooth and so full of volume that when Soo Young ran, her hair bounced up and down. She really looked like a guy.

“Do I look like a guy?”

“Yes but in a good way. You look like a handsome, troubled teenaged boy.” CL said flirtily. Soo Young punched her friend’s shoulder.

Pretty soon, the bullies were coming. CL’s smile disappeared but Soo Young’s was still on her face. She was confident after the training that she could face them. With her new found strength, there was nothing she couldn’t do. The bullies noticed her new hairstyle and decided to mess it up.

“Nice hairstyle, Soo Old!” said Gahee, twirling a strand of her curly hair. Soo Young cocked her head to the side like a troubled thug and gave them a straight face. You could see the courage in her eyes as opposed to the fake brave face that she gave in the past wherein you could see hints of fear in the pupils. This time, Soo Young was brave and meant business.

“Thanks. Your hair is boss, too.” she said. Gahee arched her eyebrow and shrugged egotistically. CL looked at her friend and was confused by the new attitude Soo Young was giving them. This time she was so unafraid. Donghae stepped forward and hit her head. Soo Young nearly fell but kept her balance. She looked up and pushed Donghae strongly, making him move a bit backwards.

“You a punk now, kid?” he rolled his sleeves up and prepared himself for a round of punching with Soo Young. Soo Young felt her heart skip a beat and her legs tremble a little but she kept her composure and straightened up like a man. Soo Young positioned properly like how Max taught her and waited for Donghae to make his move.

“Are you gonna attack or what?” she challenged him. Her fists were clenched into skinny, bony balls before her and her legs were apart. Donghae made the first move by punching her shoulder. The strong punch inflicted a huge amount of pain on Soo Young but she bit her lip for it not to show. In return, Soo Young jabbed his shoulders. Donghae felt very little pain as they were still very weak.

“You’re a wimp!” Soo Young heard this and got offended but instead of crying, she took a deep breath and toughened up. She remained unmoved and she gathered all her strength to give Donghae one mighty shove. The shove was so strong that Donghae slammed his back against the lockers. His bully friends, CL, and the onlookers gasped at Soo Young’s newly acquired strength. Thoughts filled her head as she saw Donghae slam against the lockers. Thoughts and feelings of fear and confusion. She didn’t know if she should run away or continue the fight but for what it was worth, for the sake of being strong and getting her revenge, she lunged at Donghae and beat him up, showering him with fists. UEE and Nana pulled her and slapped her; pulled her hair; and threw her down on the floor but she refused to stay down. Soo Young got up and did the same thing they did to her. Choi Siwon and Jang Geun seuk witnessed this and the two strong and handsome men charged at Soo Young. Since they were both taller than Donghae, thus making Soo Young think that they can inflict more pain, an exhausted Soo Young ran away but the two tall men chased after her, pushing everyone out of the way. Soo Young took the hallway and dashed out of the school, running as fast as a cheetah all the way to the school’s backyard. Siwon and Geun seuk, as well as Donghae who followed them, ran down the hall and looked for her. Soo Young had her back against the wall and when she sensed them coming closer and closer, she gave three men jabs to the jaw. Soo Young proceeded to run but the tall and sturdy Siwon grabbed her arm and returned the jab. Pretty soon, the students were all outside crowding around them, watching a 3 on 1 matchup.

“This is for all the !” Soo Young gave Jang Geun seuk a kick in the stomach.

“This is for all the crap!” Soo Young turned to Siwon and slapped him, grabbed his hair and yanked him forward, making the 6 foot 1 jock fall to his knees. Donghae grabbed her shoulders, spun her around and punched her continuously. She was totally lost when Donghae did it. Soo Young refused to give up and just took in all of his blows, trying hard despite closed eyes to hit a good target.

“And this is for all the what, huh?” Donghae beat her up and threw her down on the ground. The concerned students hurdled together in fear and CL just jumped up to see how her best friend was doing. Sadly, Soo Young wasn’t doing too good. Donghae picked her up by the jacket and closed his fist on her.

“You should’ve known better than to around with us, you little twirp!” Donghae said in between gritted teeth. Soo Young was beaten and bruised with a black eye, several wounds on her face, and a bloodied lower lip. She was in delirium and was close to passing out when she saw the opportunity to defeat Donghae, the leader of the pack of detractors.

“Next time you get angry, keep your eyes closed.” Soo Young said. Donghae raised his eyebrow in confusion, obviously not getting what she just said. Soo Young used her first two fingers to poke his eyes as a distraction. Donghae dropped Soo Young on the ground and the battered schoolgirl got on her feet and did a Muhammad Ali on Donghae. It was punch after punch, jab after jab, hit after hit. Soo Young was really feeling the moment and her adrenaline came rushing. All the anger that she had towards him, them and the world was channeled trhough this bare knuckled match they had at the school backyard.

“Soo Young! Soo Young! Soo Young!” the students cheered her on. CL pushed some of them out of the way and saw how tough her best friend was. She was really fighting like a trained warrior!

“COME ON GIRL! YOU CAN DO IT!” CL threw her fists in the air and chanted her name with gusto. Soo Young never stopped hitting and punching Donghae and there was nothing his wicked friends could do about it. Just when Donghae’s handsome face was just as damaged as Soo Young’s, she spun around and gave him a Mary Jane to the face. Donghae felt dizzy and passed out on the ground. All the underdog students who were also bullied b Donghae and his mean crew celebrated her victory but not for long. Soo Young didn’t look so good.

“Water. Please…” she whimpered. Soo Young felt dizzy and sore because of all the fighting and wounds and within a few minutes, she slumped unconscious on the ground. They all came to her aid and brought her to the clinic where she was being treated.

[MEANWHILE]

“WHAT?!?’ Empress Sandara yelled in the face of her captors. “YOUR EMPIRE IS WAGING WAR AGAINST MINE?!?!??!”

“Apparently the death of our beloved Emperor caused this. Your troops are to blame for the damage and loss of lives that will result from this war.” Yunho explained with a cigar in his mouth.

“But you have killed the Nabi Army leader! We cannot fight against you! This would be forced entry in our country! Just basically an attack!” Sandara complained. “We aren’t armed. You have half-destroyed our land!”

“That is no longer my problem.” Yunho left her in the room and locked her in. Sandara was in a world of confusion and fear and in times like this, she felt it wise to pray. The Empress knelt before the wall and summoned the gods, asking for some kind of sign from them that they would be able to defend their country despite the absence of their best fighting men.

We have already chosen one who will lead the land to victory.