Wonho has been known as the rising star when he was 17 years old but while he was inside the ring, news was broken to him saying his father has already died due to old age causing him to lose the match. Sixty years old is considered an old age in MX7. No one has ever reached the age of 60. They either die due to their vulnerability since they have met their soulmates or they live until 60 without ever finding their soulmate. How it’s like living beyond 60 is still a mystery to the citizens of MX7. No one has ever lived to tell the tale. The scientists, however, proved that living beyond 60 is still possible.           

           Wonho’s father’s case is a different one. He found his soulmate. Of course, it was Wonho’s mother. They married each other and had Wonho. Due to vulnerability, his mother died early. Unlike others, Wonho’s father isn’t one of those who get another soulmate when his first one dies. That is why Wonho’s father’s vulnerability stayed the same even after meeting his soulmate. Well, everyone’s vulnerability stays the same even when they found their soulmates but eventually leaves them. Wonho’s father was considered lucky—he was able to live until 60 in that vulnerable state.

           Today marks the most-awaited comeback of the fighter who has drawn a lot of attention 7 years ago. He has trained hard inside the octagon for all those years. He is determined to become South Korea's representative in the worldwide division in MMA.

           “Are you ready now?" Wonho's trainer massages his shoulders as they wait for the call to come up the cage.

           "I've trained a lot for tonight, Jooheon. I'm more than ready for this." Wonho confidently answers. He closes his eyes as he remembers the feeling of fighting inside the octagon and having the crowd shout his name.

           "Just a heads up, there has been no reports made that Shownu has already met his soulmate."

           In MX7, humans are invincible. They are incapable of death not until they meet their soulmate. That is why many fighters quit by the time they have met their soulmates. As for those fighters who haven't met their soulmates yet, they all are very determined to win. The MMA's governing body allows the professional mixed martial artists to fight until one submits or loses to a knockout. Even when bathed in their own blood, they still continue to fight.

           "May I just remind you that I haven't found my soulmate yet as well? I don't have any time for that. Don't worry."

           Wonho has refused meeting up with people. This, he believes, lowers the risk of meeting his soulmate. He only stays at home and trains inside his trainer's gym. No one has ever seen him walking in public ever since he lost 7 years ago.

           "Well, it's another way of me telling you not to get knocked out."

           Wonho rises from his seat and walks towards the table where his bag is situated. He opens it and retrieves his father's photograph. It was the last picture they had taken together - the same day before he went to his match. He knew at that time that anytime, his father can die. Still, brushing off the thought of the possibility of his father dying anytime soon, he proceeded to the match. He just wanted to have something his father can be proud of. But, his father already died while he was still trying to win the match.

           "I'm going to win tonight, dad. This one goes for you." He closes his eyes and pulls the photo closer then kisses it.

           A knock on the door caused him to open his eyes and put the photograph back in his bag.

           "Get ready. You're up in 10 minutes." The girl with a board and a headset said and flashed a smile.

           Wonho, despite avoiding meeting her eyes - afraid that she could be his soulmate - looks at her and smiles back. "Sure. Thanks."

           "Oh, she's not your soulmate?" Jooheon teases. "You finally interacted with a lady!"

           "Thank goodness, she isn't or else I could end up dead tonight."

           The loud cheer of the audience and the speakers that blasts loud all throughout the venue made him feel the very same feeling he had that night he lost the match and his father. He feels his adrenaline rush and his excitement to get on the cage. As he nears it, he becomes more thrilled to fight.

           "Aight, man. You can do this." Wonho didn't realize he was already on the stage. He was so immersed with the vibes he's getting from the venue. Jooheon hands him his mouthpiece that he puts on his mouth.

           "Thanks, bro.” Wonho parades on the cage and people’s chants of his name got even louder.

           “On the other corner, standing 181 cm, weighing 163 lbs, the defending lightweight champion, Shownu!” The announcer proclaims and a muscular guy entered the fighting cage. The guy parades around the cage and the cheers got louder than it was when Wonho arrived.

           “That man right there is no joke,” Jooheon tells Wonho. “Don’t underestimate that good looking guy. He may look like a softy we bare bears character but inside him is a Godzilla.”

           “Thanks for the info, Jooheon. And for training me too.”

           “Save that for later. You may lose this fight, just stay alive, alright?”

           “I’m not that vulnerable.”

           “I know.”

           The ring has rung indicating the start of the match. Both are focused with each other finding a blind spot. Shownu started to throw a jab but Wonho was quick to dip. Wonho takes advantage of Shownu’s close proximity. He wraps Shownu with his arms trying to take him down.

           “He’s doing well,” Jooheon tells Changkyun, a member of Wonho’s team.

           Succeeded, Shownu is now on the ground. Wonho unleashes a flurry of punches and elbows him wishing he could end the fight early and create history. But Shownu miraculously was able to land a powerful jab on Wonho’s face putting him off-balanced. Shownu jumps back, drops his hips, and drives his weight onto Wonho. Only a few seconds left and he’s now swinging for the fences trying to make up the points he lost at Wonho’s attack earlier. The bell finally rings and they both went to their respective corners.

           “You did well, Wonho. It looks like you got the judges’ vote for that.” Jooheon says and cools Wonho by pouring him water on his body.

           “I don’t think so. Shownu caught me right after. If I was vulnerable, I would have been dead.”

           “But you aren’t. Go steal ‘em, big boy.”  

           “What the , Shownu! Even if you aren’t going to die, look at all these cuts!”

           “Sir, sorry but please don’t interrupt.”

           “No, this man right here is going to sub-,” the guy speaking to Shownu was cut by Shownu himself.

           “I want this, Hyungwon. I’d win this match and quit afterwards, I promise.” Shownu is determined to win the match. A few months ago, when he was considering of quitting MMA, he decided he’d confess his love for his friend of 10 years, Hyungwon. He wanted to make it much meaningful. “Imagine quitting doing what you love for the one you love the most?”—That’s what Shownu thinks.

           “I don’t want you winning this competition, Shownu. I want you alive and well.”

           The loud banter of the two catches the attention of Wonho’s team.

           “Looks like Shownu is in a lovers’ quarrel, huh?” Changkyun says.

           “But that guy isn’t his soulmate, right?” Wonho worriedly asks.

           “If he is, there would be a digital clock on his chest telling the whole world right now that he’s to die a few minutes now,” Jooheon coolly replies.

           Wonho watched the two sparring with words—about why Shownu is in danger and why Shownu technically isn’t. He looks at Hyungwon and studies his face. “He looks exactly just like those who nag a lot,” Wonho thinks. The other must have sensed that someone’s watching him and he looks straight at Wonho’s eyes, shooting him daggers with his eyes.

           “What the , Wonho! You’re going to die in five minutes!” Jooheon panics.

           Wonho looks at his chest and Jooheon’s right, his chest lights up showing a digital clock with 00:00:00:05:00 on it. He only has five minutes left until he dies.

           “What the , Shownu. What the ,” Hyungwon panics and he couldn’t take his eyes off Wonho. Still, Wonho rises from his seat and goes at the center of the ring. The crowd’s cheer suddenly came to a halt. Everyone turned silent when Wonho stands in the middle and poses, ready to take in all the attacks Shownu is to throw his way.

           Shownu turns around, weirded out by the sudden silence. His eyes widens at the sight of Wonho’s chest. Five minutes. Five minutes and his opponent can die. “Why does he have to meet his soulmate here in this cage?” Shownu thinks. He checks his own chest to see a digital clock showing his own lifeline, checking out that maybe he is Wonho’s soulmate, but it’s clear. “His soulmate must be among the crowd.”

           The announcer is also in shock. It was only a matter of a minute before he went back to his senses and asks, “Wonho, are you sure you’re going to continue? You can just submit and live on for longer.” The announcer assumes that Wonho is going to die from Shownu’s attacks. He wants to avoid such controversy from happening that’s why he offers him to submit.

           “I’m going to die fighting, sir. Let’s resume with the match.” Wonho says. He’s afraid. He’s actually afraid this is his last match.But he is more afraid people will talk about him as someone who submitted because he just wanted to live longer and be with his soulmate. He doesn’t view this soulmate thing and love with much importance. He loves martial arts more than anything in this world. He wants to show his father how great of a fighter he is. He wants to spend the remaining five minutes of his life fighting. He wants to be remembered as someone who loves MMA so much he fought until he died instead.

           Hyungwon feels a throb on his chest. He peaked through the hole of his shirt where his head passes through to check whatever’s wrong. He found a digital clock on his chest lighting up. 07:05:21:09:07. He still has 7 years, 5 months, 21 days, 9 hours, and 7 seconds left until he dies. He takes one more look at Wonho and his chest now reads 00:00:00:03:46. Three minutes and forty-six seconds left.

           Shownu has not yet moved from where he stands. His opponent wants him to resume with the fight but he can’t bring himself to do so. “The guy’s going to die in my hands! I don’t want to falsely be labelled as murderer!” The thought screams in his head.

           “Come on, bagel boy. Attack me. Let me die a fighter!” Wonho provokes him.

           Shownu looks at the worried face of Hyungwon. Hyungwon does not look back at him. His eyes are still trained on Shownu’s opponent. Tears fall from Hyungwon’s eyes and he’s not even wiping it off his face. Shownu now guesses whether that’s for sympathizing with his soulmate’s nearing death or for weeping his friend is soon to become a murderer. Thinking of Wonho’s death wish to die a fighter, he walks to the center of the ring and poses. A gasp was drawn from the audience—shocked to see Shownu stepping in and follows his opponent to fight him until he dies.

           “He is in vulnerable state. I must not land a powerful jab.” Shownu says to himself.

           “No, Shownu. It’s okay. Win this by knocking me out before I die,” Wonho quietly tells him. With so much hesitation, Shownu jabs at Wonho’s face then on his sides. The audience is still surrounded with silence as they watch nervously. Wonho blindly returns Shownu’s jabs with a lot of power thinking, “I am going to die with the state of vulnerability I’m in. I might as well die while I throw him powerful punches that wouldn’t even hurt him that much.”

           A loud bang of the door catches everyone’s attention but the person who just came in drew more attention. “Son Hyun-Woo! Stop this fight!” Shownu looks at the person who is now running towards the cage. “Son Hyun-Woo! Or Shownu! Or whatever you want to be called, stop this ing fight!”

           Through the dimness he tries to look at the intruder’s eyes. “Lee Minhyuk?” He meets Minhyuk’s eye. The audience chants, “Stop this fight! Stop this fight! Stop this fight!” Shownu feels a sudden pain on his chest. Slowly, the digital clock on his chest lights up more vividly. 00:05. Five seconds.

           Wonho’s eyes are now swollen from Shownu’s punches. His eye lids can no longer open. Blindly, he throws Shownu powerful punches not minding where it lands. He guesses the audience are now asking to stop the fight because he now looks like he’s about to die even with about three minutes left of his life. Abruptly, there came a loud thud coming from the cage. Wonho still throws jabs blindly in the air, trying to seek for Shownu. The audience fell silent for the nth time.

           Hyungwon rushes inside the cage and kneels beside Shownu’s body. “He already died! You won! Are you happy now?”  He shouts at oblivious Wonho.

           “What?” Wonho stops and stands lifelessly. Jooheon approached Wonho and escorts him to the corner.

           Jooheon cups Wonho’s face with his hands on both of Wonho’s cheeks. “Wonho, listen to me. You aren’t going to die any minute now. Your death has been postponed. Shownu died. But please, for god’s sake and for all of our sanity’s sake, don’t ever think it’s your fault.” Jooheon tells Wonho.

           “Shownu died?” Wonho innocently asks. “I’m still going to live?”

           “His soulmate came. I don’t know how that guy is related to him but he’s his soulmate. I bet their eyes met that put Shownu to his vulnerable state.”

           Wonho cries. He stands up and goes at the center of the ring. He bows at the audience for every sorry he says. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry I killed him! I’m sorry! I didn’t know I’m sorry!”

           Minhyuk walks towards him. “I’m sorry I had to use you.” He taps Wonho’s shoulder. “Thanks, by the way.”

           “What do you mean?” Wonho stops and faces the guy who just thanked him. He tries to open his eyelids but to no avail.

           “His old soulmate died because of him. She was the girl I loved and he just left her. And a few years after that, I saw him but I doubt he saw me. But his eyes swept the entire place and my eyes met his. I was maybe just someone in the passing for him but I had my eyes on him. He didn’t notice me or how our eyes met but right there and then, I felt my chest throb. I checked it on the spot and it showed my lifeline. That’s when I knew he got a new soulmate and that’s me. I was his new soulmate. And I wanted to get back at him.”

           “You’re a disgusting piece of .”

           “But he’s much worse than I am.”

           “No, you are!”

           “I maybe a disgusting piece of , Wonho, but you are the worst. He died because of your punches. He died because of you.”