"So... How was your weekend of freedom?" Kim Hyun Joong clapped me on the shoulder as we both walked into the elevator.

I, now, had that privilege. "No more stairs! Hooray!"

"It's nice to get a break... To see the family and catch up with friends." I admitted.

"Got to admit, you've got some talent, Kim... To come back after that incident and then to win the weekly challenge. You really showed them that you belong here..." That was a huge compliment.

"Guess we'll have to wait and see." The elevator door opened at the basement. I extended my hand and bowed slightly, allowing Kim Hyun Joong to exit first.

"What form of physical punishment awaits us today?" my older friend asked as he opened the door to our practice studio. "Ladies first?" Allowing me to go in before him.

"I'm sure it's nothing fun... knowing him." I stated. The him I was refering to was none other than Kang Bok Gu, our physical trainer.

We all stood assembled in order as Kang Bok Gu walked in. "Good to see everyone is ready to work this afternoon... Ah... even Young Kim is back from his winning weekend break... As you see both male training groups are now combined as your numbers are dropping... Enough! Let's get to it. Kim Hyun Joong, lead the group in a good warm-up. No Talking!"

He must enjoy living up to his reputation as a hard-core bastard. I often wonder if he treats all the probees and trainee this way regardless of their gender or are we just his main focus for his special form of love/torture.

"This morning, we're going to do an endurance test...it's going to be a race between each training partner." He glanced over at me and smiled. "The Top three finishers will get the rest of the class off." Cheers erupted through the line.

"The rest...on the other hand. Not so lucky.... Today's race will test your endurance to another level. In fact to ten whole levels. You will be running up the stairs to the ninth floor, scan your ID card then return down here where you will be timed for 2 minutes for push ups and sit-ups. Your combine score for all three will determine the winners. To make it more interesting one partner goes up one set of stairs and the other goes up the other. That way it's a true test.  No way of knowing how or where your partner is. Should we get started?"

We had a total of twelve male probes left here which meant 6 runners in each stairwell. Not too crowded. The only problem was when Kang broke us into the two groups for the race, all my friends or roommates were running in the other stairwell.  I was stuck with the guys who liked harassing me, especially Yoo Ah In.

As we got ready to race, I saw Ah In and his flunkies look at me and nod to each other. I knew I was in for a rough ride. The whistle blew. The doors flew open as the group pushed its way through to start. I let them all through first, no point getting elbowed in the stampede. As I went to go through the door, someone held it shut. I crashed in to it.

Kang Bok Gu looked over, "Not the best start, Kim!" he shouted.

I ignored him and pushed again this time with more force. I got through and began my ascent. I could hear the others ahead of me. I had to pace myself. Running wasn't a big deal normally but running up ten flights of stairs after a beating might be. I wasn't looking forward to the sit-ups, either... In my condition, that's where I'd lose the battle.

As I rounded the corner of the first floor, I caught up to my first opponent... one of Ah In's mates. He tried blocking my way by zig-zagging on the stairs. I just deeked him out and went around him.

"You're dead, man... " He shouted up to me as I rounded the next corner.

I continued the climb at a fast pace. My breathing was loud. I passed the next guy at the third floor. He tried to grab me but I easily sidestepped him. He, too, said I would pay.

Whatever!

I focused on my pace and rhythm, and moved swiftly up the stairs. The next guy who was walking at the bend of the sixth floor. To my shock, he didn't try to stop me.

"See you on your way down, Kim!" he said.

That was one thing I didn't take into account, they would definitely try to hold me up on my way back down. They want me to lose... What about their training partners? Did that not matter to them? Bunch of Stupid apes! Were they all willing to lose just to make sure I did too?

Ah In was two turns ahead of me; he let out a cheer as he saw the 9th floor sign. As I rounded the last corner, he had just finished swiping his ID card. He bolted back towards me and tried to shoulder check me. I figured he would try something of the sort. I let him lead with his shoulder and once he was committed, I rounded off him the other way and continued on to swipe my card, unaffected.

Running down the stairs would have been a breeze, except for the three obstacles determined to halt my journey.  I met the first one on the last corner up to the ninth floor. He let Yoo Ah In run past him unimpeded.

"Not so fast, Kim!" he stood crouched ready to spring.

I slowed. "You have a chance to beat your own partner! Why blow it? Just to make sure I lose? ... Once again, Yoo Ah In is using you to his advantage!"

His eyes refocused. "Lordy!" he started running again. But instead of tackling me, he flew past me.

One down two go. 

I could hear Ah In telling the next guy, "Grab, Kim! He's right behind me." As I rounded the next corner, all three of our eyes met.

"Why not focus on betting our partners and not each other!" I said running down towards my speed bump.

He grabbed me as I tried to pass. His two hands wrapped around my left wrist like a clamp. Jolting me back towards him. I went with the monument, crashing into him. He lost his balance, falling backwards. Luckily, he let go and I just lost a few extra seconds.

"Sorry, Friend." I took off after Ah In.

Just one obstruction left. I caught the last few words. "I don't care...Just hold him up for as long as you can."

"Ah In!" I shouted down at him. "Do your own dirty work, you coward!"

I rounded the corner and was grabbed by the last guy around my waist. He wrapped his legs around me too. I struggled for a second then remembered my training. I grabbed his little finger on each hand and bent them in and squeezed. He yelped and pushed me away.

 I sprinted down, jumped the last three steps of each level to try and make up for lost time. Counting down the levels as I flew around which turn, 5th floor... 4th floor.  As I rounded the first floor, I heard Ah In hit the exit door for the basement level. I was about ten seconds behind him.

I was the fifth one to enter the practice room. Kim Hyun Joong was already doing his sit-ups, the last part of the challenge. At that point, I knew I was screwed. I had no chance of beating him. Even on a good day without any issues, it would be tough.

Yoo Ah In had a smug look on his face. He didn't care if he lost as long as I did.  Call him little Jerk in training!

He started his push-ups about 10 seconds before me. Kang had borrowed a couple of extra trainees to help with the timing and counting.

"Let's go, Kim!" he said holding the stopwatch. I dropped immediately and started my push-ups. Sweat was running down my back and off my nose. I just tuned everything out and went for it.

“Time!" Kang shouted.

"That was impressive!" Kim Hyun Joong said as he and Kevin helped me up.

"Not so fast, let's do your sit-ups now, too." Kang pointed to the mat.

"We each got a minute to catch our breath before we did ours." Kevin pointed out.

"Thank your mouth for volunteering to stay with me for the rest of our class...Go grab a spot on the wall and squat there for now..." he waved Kevin off.

"Let's go, Kim!" Kang pointed to the mat. I did as I was told and sat down ready to go.

"Start." He commanded. I went as fast as I could but the sit-up motion was starting to take its toll on my poor wounded pride only thirty seconds in. By the time the two-minute mark hit, I was fighting back from screaming out in pain.

"Time." Kang said. I leaped up as quickly as I could. "That wasn't up to your normal standard, Kim. Too much partying on the weekend? … No Doubt." 

I was breathing hard from my exertion. I didn't bother replying.  The last of the group were now doing their push-ups or sit-ups.

I already knew my fate. I should go join Kevin on the wall.

There was a discussion on the formula being used, followed by a quick calculation of scores.

"Okay, boys! Form up." Kang waved us over. "In 1st place with 360 points is Kim Hyun Joong. In 2nd place with 350 is Kevin. In 3rd place with 340… Yoo Ah In. In 4th place with 335… James Kim. In 5th place..." He read out everyone's placing.  "Top three stand here...Great job, boys... The only problem here is the top three have a pair of training partners in it...As I said only the top partner would get the rest of the class off.” He stared at me then over at Kevin.

 “Oh... Right! Kevin! You volunteered to stay back as well. So Kim Hyun Joong, Yoo Ah In and ... " he read off the boy who got fifth place,  "See you three tomorrow... As for the rest of this sorry lot, go grab a spot on the wall.

I just shrugged my shoulders and walked over to Kevin to where our torture was going to start.  I just wanted to get through the rest of my physical training today without anymore  incidents. I knew Kang would look for any excuse to hound me. Even if we had a truce, he still expected more from me than the rest.  He knows who my father is and what he can do physically; Kang thinks I'm a carboncopy of my father.

Kang went and grabbed a bin of free weights and started walking over to me.

“Kim, you've had the pleasure of doing this before, demonstrate for everyone.”Kang said with enthusiasm.  I grabbed two of the weights and did as I was told; holding the weights straight out at the 90 degree as he wanted.

"Good... Everyone follow suit. I expect you should all manage 5 minutes."

Sweat was dropping down my back again. I maintained my focus and stared down at my weights, counting to 300 in my brain.

A couple of the boys were starting to waver. "If you drop your weights below 45 degrees... You will have to do twenty-five up-downs then start your five minutes again. So I suggest you fight through it." Kang warned everyone. Some loud growns escaped some of the boys. "I want Silence!"

 "240!" I reached as my arms were starting to burn from exertion.  Kevin's arms were shaking so much; he was on the verge of losing it. 

"Stay focused ...there's only a minute left." I whispered to him.

"Congratulations, Kim! You just volunteered to start over... Does anyone else feel like joining him? ... Speak now." Kang's smug look made my blood boil. I practiced my breathing and blocked him out.  Three others boys had failed earlier had already started to repeat their task.

As I got off the wall, "Pick up the pace, Kim. Unless you want more time added." Kang stated.

Once a jerk, always a jerk!

I did the up-downs quickly and picked up the free weights again. "Here, Kim. So no one thinks you're not doing your whole time." He put a stopwatch around my neck as I held my arms out straight in front. I bit my tongue to hold back myself from saying something I would regret.

 The minutes ticked away. I struggled with the last 30 seconds. My inner voice was screaming to stay with it. As the timer sounded, I let out a huge breath; I managed to pull it off.

Kang's next torture was Ssrieum also known as Traditional Korean wrestling. They had pulled out and assembled the large mat. Kang held two different coloured belts in his hand.

"Let's see who should I pick? Has everyone done this before?" he asked. All the native Koreans had, of course. Even I had been exposed to it through my last Korean school. Only Kevin and one of the other international schoolboys hadn't done it before.

"Kim and Lee show us what to do." He threw a red belt at me then a blue one to another boy.  We put the belts on and walked on to the mat. We both kneeled down facing each other to grab the right hold before we started. The belt went around our waist and one thigh and you wrap your wrists in it. We leaned against each other’s shoulders to start. The first to force their opponent to touch the mat with any body part above the knee wins.

"Ready, Set, Engage!" Kang yelled.

We battled it out for about a minute. Pushing each other around in a circle and trying to figure out the other's weakness. We were both breathing heavily because of our effort. 

I decided to try a different tactic. I pushed my opponent with all my strength and as he went to counter my move with all his strength. I stopped my momentum and sided step him slightly. It was enough to throw him off his balance, caused him to fall to one knee.

"Victory." Kang held his hand up indicating I had won. " Next one...No Kim, let's see how many people you can beat...The one who was the most victories will have a very special privilege."

"That's okay...I'm not selfish, I had the privilege of a free weekend. Someone else should enjoy this privilege." I said straight.

"Fine...take the belt off..." Kang's eyes were daggers. He grabbed the belt from me and threw it at Kevin." You go."

I turned and went to stand beside Lee. "Not so fast, Kim! Grab your ears and duck walk from side to side. Move!" Kang snarled.

I stayed neutral and did as I was told. I just focused on my task back and forth. On my fifteenth set, I heard Kang bark towards me "Is our little duckling rethinking his decision?"

I just kept to my task.

"Kim!" He waited. I stopped in my squat position, hands on my ears.

"Come!" He pointed to the spot in front of him. I went to stand. Kang shook his head and pointed down. I knew he was trying to embarrass me but I wasn't going to let him have that kind of power over me. So like a good little boy, I did as he wanted and duck walked over to him.

"I need you to break the tie. Kevin has 2 wins and so does Jang." He dropped the belt in front of me.

"But If I win, it will be a three way tie." I stated.

"Not so, since you forfeited your win." Kang stated.

I stood and scooped up the belt. I just needed to stay calm. There was only about seven minutes left in this class.

Jang was one of Yoo Ah In's flunkies; I didn't mind the chance to put him in his place. We grabbed each other's belt with a little more force than necessary.

"Wait until I say Engage, boys!" Kang clapped us on our shoulders. "Jang stand more erect...Good...Ready, set...Engage!"

We fought each other with as much intensity as we could muster. I pushed myself to forget the burning in my legs. We grappled with each for a solid minute with no one giving up any ground.

 Jang had the advantage on me because he weighed at least 15 pounds more than me.  That fact was slowly taking affect as he was trying to force me down just by shear pressure.

 'Enough of this!' my inner voice said. I managed to position myself in a way so I could grab his right leg, I used what little strength I had left and lifted it off the ground. He tried to counter but his balance was compromised. He stumbled over, taking me with him. As we landed hard on the mat, my head and his shoulder collided, sending a shock wave down my whole body.

I went to stand but fell over. Kevin jumped to my aid and helped me up. Kang motioned him back as I gained my balance.

He grabbed our hands and raised Jang's above his head. "Jang, 3 victories...our winner!"

I wasn't surprised by his decision and didn't show any emotion on my face. I just bowed to my opponent and removed the belt.

"Kim...you can put the mats away since you didn't help set them up." Kang stated. "The rest of you are dismissed... And Kevin, that means you, too! Jang, come! Let's discuss your prize."