Handing Jiwon a cloth filled with ice, I took a seat down beside him on my couch. 

“Mr. Kim is not going easy on you.” I commented while almost feeling the aches that throbbed throughout his body in my own. 

Taking the ice pack from my hand, Jiwon gratefully put it up to his swollen eye, hoping the pain to ease. “This is all normal.” 

Right. All of these injuries are expected. Jiwon notices my attention on him and he speaks out. 

“They really aren’t that bad.”

“I understand.” I knew he was trying his best to comfort me – which didn’t make too much sense. Why was the injured individual doing that? “Well, I’m trying my best to understand.” I added with a faint smile.

He moves his attention to the TV and looks for the remote. “I want to show you something.”

Setting my sights on the screen, Jiwon turned it on and flipped through the channels. Settling back into the couch, I waited for him. Jiwon finally stops and also sits back –reaching his free hand out to hold onto mine. 

He nodded towards the screen that was showing someone in the midst of intense training. 

“He’s my next opponent.” Jiwon revealed. “A crowd favorite.”

“That means he’s expected to win?”

Jiwon nods his head. “His people actually reached out to schedule a fight with me.”

Naturally, anyone would worry. Jiwon’s upcoming opponent didn’t just appeared intimidating but he had his background and history to back it up. No wonder Mr. Kim had Jiwon training so much lately. 

“What are you going to do?”

“Train.” Jiwon chuckled. “I didn’t tell you this so that you would worry.” He squeezed my hand warmly. “I thought it was just better to be open about everything…so, no surprises later on.”

“I appreciate that, Jiwon.” I smiled at him before I remembered something else. “Are you hungry?”

“Nope.” The hand that was holding onto mine wrapped around my waist. He moved to lied down and brought me along with him. 

Facing him, he kept his arm around me.

“With the fight coming up, I don’t know how often I’ll get to see you.” Jiwon went on softly. 

“I’ll stop by.” I answered. “With snacks like last time.”

Agreeing, Jiwon nods his head with a smile. 

Reaching my fingertips to his eye injury, I took a closer look. “Promise me you won’t try to take on everything yourself. If something hurts, then say it hurts.” I wished he wouldn’t be so dismissive about his injuries. It’ll make me worry less.

“I understand.”

“So, how does the eye actually feel?”

He smiled before answering. “It hurts a little.” 

Finally hearing his honest thoughts, my smile grew. I reached down and grabbed a hold of the ice pack Jiwon neglected to use. “Here.” I placed it gently on his eye and held it there for him. 

Jiwon merely closed his eyes and tightened his hold around me, bringing us closer. Leaning forward, he left a quick kiss upon my head to express his appreciation. 

“Has it been hard for you?” His sudden question that left his lips while he kept his eyes closed surprised me.

“I’m not sure what you’re asking.”

“Being with me and with the fighting.” Jiwon clarified.

“Jiwon, the only person that must be having a hard time is you.” I said whilst hiding the sadness that suddenly overtook me. The feeling wasn’t a result of the reminder of how I feel about his fighting but because Jiwon keeps worrying about me when it should be the other way around. “I was thinking the other night.”

“About what?” He answered softly, noticeably drifting off to sleep.

“About what it was like the first time we met.” I answered as the memories visited my mind. “About what I told myself.”

“What did you tell yourself?”

“That I didn’t need to know what you were up to in order to help you.”

He slowly opened his eyes to meet mine.

“I think somewhere along the way, when we grew to know each other, that very fact became distorted. Because you weren’t just anyone anymore, Jiwon.” He became a friend…and then someone I grew to care for more than a friend. “It became personal and when I saw you get hurt, go through pain…it all felt personal.”

“Then what’s different now?”

There’s not much difference…just a new way of thinking.

“If you’re going to continue to do these things, I want to be there and shoulder it with you.”

So, I hope it’ll make every punch less stinging.

Every bruise fade quicker.

Every fall less likely to keep him down.

And make every opponent appear less frightening.

***

Jiwon awoken to his vibrating phone. 

His eyes fluttered open but with the bright sunlight carelessly streaming through the window, he found it hard to open them entirely. Squinting, he shifted around gently to find Seon still peacefully asleep against him. Glancing around, last night comes to mind.

They had fallen asleep on the couch. 

“You might want to pick that up before you wake Seon up.” Dara peers over the top of the couch and whispers quietly.

Surprised by her appearance, Jiwon flinched. Before thinking anything else, he digs into the pocket of his sweat pants and pulls out the bothersome phone.

“Hello?” He spoke into the phone, making sure to keep his tone low.

“Where are you? We were supposed to meet at 6 AM.” 

Pulling the phone away from his ear, he looked for the time stated at the top of the screen – it was already past seven. 

“I’ll be there.”

“Don’t let my dad find out you were late.” Hanbin warned and that was enough to remind Jiwon of the last time a similar situation happened. Mr. Kim wasn’t one to be too forgiving – he always had a tedious work out plan on hand just in case these kinds of situations arise. 

“5 minutes.” Jiwon says before ending the call. Lifting his body up, he looked down at Seon, still fast asleep and unbothered. 

“She’s a bit of a heavy sleeper.” Dara mouths. 

Managing to untangle himself, Jiwon moves over Seon and gets off the couch. “I’m sorry…about this, Ms. Dara.” He didn’t know what to call it. 

With a quick wave of her hand, Dara told him not to worry about it.

“I’ll take my leave first.” He shuffled to the doorway and clu