A/N~ yes yes I know I know~~ I used an image from the maze runner so shoot me... sigh. Sometimes I really hate my brain tbh. This is turning out so much longer than I meant for it to be.

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“Ahh~ haha sure~ why not~!” Surprised by his sudden question it took me a while to get the words out.

Taekwoon broke eye contact first to tend to the meat and I used the opportunity to snag the sauce. As we were dishing out everything to the 6 bowls I somehow managed to get sauce everywhere but in the bowls. When I looked up at Taekwoon a splotch had landed just above his eyebrow. I tried my best to suppress the hysterical giggle but it didn’t work and I ended up clutching at my stomach while Taek’s expression became more and more confused. When I was able to speak again I wiped the drop off and showed him. At that his expression turned indignant and he turned stiffly away confiscating the sauce. I watched him for a few seconds before I came up behind him and back-hugged him. He was a little bit taller than me so I ended up on my tip toes in the attempt. Taek froze for a moment before something wet landed on my face right on my cheek. Startled I let go of him and stepped backwards. Taek turned around to face me with a triumphant expression on his face. I burst out laughing and he joined me. His laugh was like his voice, high and soft but it contained none of the hardness that he put into his words… it was a childlike laugh - carefree.

Dinner consisted of small chatter, picking on Sanghyuk with Wonsik, throwing small bits of food at Taek and Hongbin’s drama queen rant about how everyone in the whole damn camp was COMPLETELY insensitive and how he was more than a pretty face. Hongbin was miffed that there was a fight competition on tonight and everyone was telling not to join in because he might mark his pretty face. After a good 10 minutes of ranting Hongbin slumped down in his chair and muttered to himself.

“Ahh what’s the use. There’s no point in joining anyway. Jongin ALWAYS wins…. he’s pretty too why does no one ever tell him not to join in…”

Hongbin’s muttering descended into nonsense and I left him to his own devices while I sought out Wonsik to interrogate him about the competition. Wonsik was doing the dishes and I sat down on one of the crates we used as extra kitchen workspace when we needed it. He told me that the competition was for fun and to demonstrate skills. I was intrigued. I asked him if we could go watch and he laughed at me but said that we could but the competition didn’t start until sunset and even then that was just the preliminary rounds. The REAL competition started after dark.

After cleaning up and with strict instructions from Taek (who thought the competition was a joke) to be quiet when we came back and to not get injured we left chattering excitedly like schoolgirls. After getting lost twice (Wonsik was ‘tired’ and it was dark so he couldn’t see…) we finally stumbled into the main clearing. The area had been transformed. There were more of those light-throwing contraptions and they were huge. The whole area was flooded in light and there were drinks (alcoholic I was fairly sure from the rosy colour in the faces of some of the attendees) being passed out freely. In the centre of the area there was a ring marked out by rope. There were 2 men inside it and they were fighting. Their movements were extremely skilled and their precision was incredible. The speed of their strikes made it hard to follow with my eyes but I could tell exactly where and with how much force each jab was going to connect with the toned flesh of each man. The fight was close but one man was slightly faster, and had slightly more skill. The other was pushed out of the circle by the intensity of his attacks. It was like a dance, a deadly dance between two incredibly powerful forces. Wonsik was passed a mug of alcohol and downed it in one go. The next fight was between two young women. Wonsik told me their names were Stephanie and Kate (short for Katherine). Kate was Sabriel’s younger sister. The two girls were apparently really close and they, together with Demitria and Alicia lived with Sabriel. Alicia was Sabriel’s cousin and Stephanie was related to Alicia but not to Sabriel and Kate. Demitria was Alicia’s long-time partner so neither of them were interested despite Wonsik’s numerous passes aimed at Lici. When I asked him about his and Hongbin’s relationship he just flashed me his crooked grin and turned back to the fight.

The girls were pretty much even. Kate’s strikes were faster but Stephanie was a little taller and a little stronger. Her height and strength gave her an advantage but Kate was so fast that it evened the odds. The fight was even more intense than the one between the guys but at the same time the girls looked like they were just playing. When I told Wonsik my thoughts he was impressed. He knew the girls well, he had often trained with them over the last few years and knew their capabilities well. He told me that I had good observation skills.

The fight raged on for a little while longer and then it changed. The fight wasn’t playful anymore, the girls were fighting to win. I could tell that there would be no pulled punches from either of them. Stephanie was an incredible fighter but Kate’s speed and stamina won out and Stephanie was forced out of the ring. A tremendous applause roared to life from the audience. Wonsik and I joined in.

The next match was two guys. Wonsik pointed at a guy standing across from us near the ring. He told me that he was Jongin, the reigning champion. Even Taekwoon wasn’t able to beat him in hand to hand combat. The fight between the guys was over quickly and next up was another girl fight. Wonsik told me that often the girl fights were full of more skill and expertise than the guy fights. Wonsik was handed another drink and downed it. He snagged one for me but I turned it down and with a shrug he drank it himself. The girls fighting next wore fierce expressions. They were brown skinned and covered in scars. They looked like people who could survive anything. Their fight was fierce and consisted of explosive combat followed by predatory circling. They reminded me of wild things. I stopped paying attention to the fights when the smaller of the girls was forced out of the circle.

Wonsik had disappeared somewhere and I went to find him. After 10 minutes of walking around suddenly I heard a massive roar from the direction of the circle. Curiosity got the better of me and I made my way over only to find Sabriel and another girl who was around the same height but slightly more muscular facing each other in the circle. The cheers died down and everything was silent for a few seconds. Sabriel exploded into action. One second she had been at the other end of the circle to her opponent and in the next she was unleashing a flurry of blows at her opponent’s thighs and upper arms. The girl stood strong under Sabriel’s blows, her strength making her steady in her feet. Suddenly Sabriel leapt back away from her opponent. Her head passed just under the deadly kick her opponent had sent at the spot where Sabriel’s head had just been. Sabriel jumped back to give herself room to manoeuvre. Her opponent came flying at her and she neatly dodged each of the larger woman’s attacks. N saw what she was going to do next and his eyes focused on the lightning fast punch that Sabriel unleashed at her opponent’s jaw. The girl fell in a heap on the ground and when she tapped out Sabriel helped her to her feet before looking at her injuries. Pronouncing her fine Sabriel helped the girl out of the ring and fetched her a drink. As I was turning to leave someone shoved me into the circle. I caught sight of a very drunk Wonsik with a devious grin on his face.

The cheers exploded around me and a chant of ‘Jongin’ caught on with the crowd. I was in the circle with Jongin. I had two options; fight or run away. If I fought, I’d be pummeled into oblivion. If I ran away I’d forever be known as the guy who ran away and I’d bring disgrace to Taek.

I shook my body loose, jumped on the spot a few times and dug my feet into a comfortable position. I crouched just slightly to lower my centre of gravity and faced my opponent.