Ten.

“And Wang attempts to jab back at Hong, who dodges the hit with some precise footwork, narrowly avoiding a punch to the stomach.”

Nine.

“Hong might be faster than Wang but Wang throws a harder hit. Do you think he can keep up the rest of the match?”

Eight.

“The ref's having to get in the middle of this, it looks like things are starting to heat up!”

Seven.

“And that's the end of the fifth round. Wang's looking more than a little beat up while the medic looks him over.”

Six.

“I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that hook!”

Five.

“Hong looks a little dazed but he shakes it off as he circles Wang again, trying to get a close encounter. Short range distance is what he likes best though it appears Wang likes to keep his.”

Four.

“What a powerful uppercut from Hong! Wang is down and appears to be struggling to get back up.”

Three.

“It's only the seventh round but it looks like it might be coming close to the end for Wang. Hong looks like a predator stalking his prey.”

Two.

“Oooh, and another hit from Hong sends Wang flying. Will he be able to make it up in time?”

One.

“And the winner is: Hong Young Min!”

–

Thwack. Thwack. Thwack.

Jackson kept his eyes focused in front of him, not lifting them from the spot on the wall he was currently boring them into. Headphones were placed snugly in his ears, the music blasting from the speakers drowning out any other noise; both from the outside and inside his own mind. The loud screaming and bass lines were enough to make him unable to think about anything else and stay focused on the task at hand. His breathing was heavy and labored from skipping rope for the last ten minutes, and though his lungs were on fire and telling him to quit, he was unable to do so. No, not unable- he didn't want to quit. His body was bruised and battered from the fight the night before and he had lost in such a humiliating way that he wanted to punish himself. Jackson knew he shouldn't and he knew JB would only yell at him later for pushing himself too hard after a match, but he didn't care. He should have won that fight.

Jackson picked up the pace, the rope whizzing over his head and under his feet. The sound it made while hitting the ground became more violent. His calves were starting to burn and the feeling traveled up to his thighs. He pushed the aching sensation to the back of his mind and huffed, the song on his iPod shuffling to something a little faster. If he could make it through this song at his current pace, he would stop. Maybe.

“Jackson. Jackson!”

He was maybe thirty seconds into the song when his earphones were yanked from him, causing him to stumble over the rope at the unexpected motion. “What the ?” he snapped, turning to face his intruder. “Can't you see I'm busy?”

“Yeah, I saw that. And I've also been trying to get your attention for the last five minutes. Are you trying to make yourself go deaf?” Mark was standing in front of him, holding the cord of his earphones up between two fingers. The words were clearly audible even holding them away from his body. One eyebrow was raised as he looked at the younger man, shaking his head after a few seconds. “You're pushing yourself too much, Jackson. Don't you remember what Jinyoung told you last night?”

Jackson snatched his headphones back from his best friend and shoved his hand into his sweats pocket to turn off the music. He shuffled around in his spot, tossing the rope down in front of him, doing his best to try to avoid Mark's question. Of course he remembered what Jinyoung had told him after losing his match, though it didn't mean he was going to follow instructions. Doctor's orders or not, he was still going to train.

“It's just a concussion, hyung,” he mumbled, turning away from Mark. “It's nothing serious.”

“Oh yeah? Jostling your brain around while you have a concussion might make it work less than it does regularly,” the other teased lightheartedly. He reached a hand out, pressing his pointer finger to Jackson's temple. “Does that hurt?”

Jackson yelped as sudden pain shot through him and he ducked away from