Chapter Text
Violence.
A very popular word that describes one of the world's biggest problems, such as when two or more people go at each other until the last man stands. You probably have been in that situation, right? I bet because you've been in a heated argument or because you're just a sick man who thinks it's fun to hurt other people.
Me? Well, I'm a little bit different from the rest of you. Do I love beating people up? Hell no. Do I love beating douchebags? Yes. But most importantly, I do it because I love the thrill of combat. The thrill that makes your blood boil and feel the adrenaline pumping in your veins.
But right now, at this moment…
"Hey, hey, hey! What the hell is this?!"
It's just me and some lousy punk who's keeping me from getting a nice meal for me and my girlfriend.
"S-Sir, please, I have to ask you to calm down." The food store clerk asked politely, though his tone wavered when he was being yelled at by a rather hostile customer.
"Calm down?! Get it through your fucking skull and listen! I asked you for a double hamburger with no pickles! And what did you give me? Some goddamn pickles in my hamburger! What kind of service is this?!" A blond-haired thug yelled before tossing the wrong burger at the clerk.
The clerk ducked as the discarded food flew by and plastered on the wall. "I-I hear you and we are so sorry for the mistake! We can make you another burger Free of charge!"
"How about you bring the manager to me? So I can tell your boss how much you suck at this job and how you got a customer starving because you can't even read a single order right!" The thug slammed his fist on the counter, scaring the clerk.
"Or you can just talk to me instead."
"Huh?" The thug turned around to find a stout young man standing behind him, wearing a dark uniform with a tag on his chest with the word 'Security' on it. "And who the hell are you?!"
"I'm with the mall security, though at this moment I'm on a break." The young man replied, unfazed by the troublemaker's hostile behaviour. "Now listen, I know that you're pissed because they gave you the wrong order, but this guy is offering you a free burger. That's a very good deal! So just take the offer and move along, and everyone will be happy."
Despite his attempt to de-escalate the situation, it only irritated the blondie as he stepped away from the counter and approached threateningly towards him. "Ehh? Think you can boss me around just because you're from security? Please, as if your fat ass can do something about it!"
"Buddy, you really need to chill out before you do something you'll regret." The young security guard replied bluntly with his brows furrowing.
"What are you gonna do? Push me with your belly? Oh, how about we play Sumo wrestling?" The blond hooligan continued to antagonize him.
"This is your last warning…" The stout one's tone dipped lower, making it clear for everyone in the food court that he was being dead serious.
"You hear that? This fatty thinks he's going to kick my ass!" The blond hooligan laughed and looked around at the crowd, without taking the security guard's remark seriously. "I could use a punching bag to take out all my frustration." He cracked his knuckles.
The big man suddenly let out a sigh and shook his head. "You know what, I don't even care anymore. Go ahead and throw a punch first."
"Don't tell me what to do, fatass!" The thug did exactly what he said though, and launched a straight jab at him. But when he expected his fist was about to make contact, the security guard tilted his head sideways as his arm flew over his shoulder. "Wha-?"
Before the blond thug realized, he was being lifted off the ground and was sent flying across the court, before landing hard on the floor.
The crowd was stunned at this display, as if no one had imagined that an overweight person could have that kind of strength to throw someone off their feet. Some of them began recording with their phones.
"Did that get you out of the system?" The heavy man asked with a hint of mockery.
The thug stood on his knees and looked at him in shock, but then his rage built up once more and refused to stay down. "You'll pay for this!" He jumped to his feet and charged at him.
The stout young man's expression didn't change as he leisurely stepped aside, watching his attacker stumble around after clumsily missing the hit. It was like he was doing on purpose to get some amusement out of it, and that thought pissed the hooligan more. His attacks became slower and careless, even more predictable, to the point his fist was caught.
"Maybe you should take a seat." The corpulent guard said before kicking into the thug's stomach, sending him crashing into one chair. While the aggressor was recoiling in pain, he took the chance to walk toward the counter and address the clerk. "Hey pal, while I'm a little busy, can you get me a cheeseburger and a barbeque burger? Along with french fries and onion rings? Oh and two cokes, please."
"Um… o-okay. Do you want for here or to go?" The clerk asked as he hesitantly typed the register to take the order, despite the ongoing situation.
"For here. Oh, and no pickles." The guard chuckled, making the clerk wonder look at him in disbelief. "Just do your best, no pressure."
"YOU BUTT-FUCKING SON OF A BITCH!" The blond ruffian just got back up to his feet and lunged towards the security guard, blinded with rage.
"Alright, let's get this over with." The stout young man turned around and headed towards the aggressor in strides, closing the gap between them.
The thug bent his knees and threw his arms out, releasing all of his strength in one tackle as two bodies collided with each other. However, much to his disbelief, it felt like he was trying to push an elephant as the security guard leaned over his back and locked him around the waist. He tried to wriggle around to break himself free, but that would soon be a fatal mistake when the security guard lifted him onto his shoulders.
He could barely react to what just happened, as the next thing he noticed was that he could see the whole food court and noticed some of the crowd started recording with their phones. It was already too late for him to regret it when the big guy dropped him onto the table, breaking it upon the impact as the noise echoed throughout the food court. With a groan coming out of his mouth, the ruffian fell into unconsciousness without realizing that he was defeated by an 'overweight' security guard.
The crowd erupted with excitement, praising the security guard's actions that delivered some karma to the bully. The big man wasn't looking for approval though, as he wiped the sweat off his forehead and headed back towards the counter, where the clerk was delivering a tray with his order.
"Thanks pal. Here, keep the change." He handed the clerk the money and took the tray with him.
"Um… Aren't you gonna do something about that guy?" The clerk asked while glancing at the guy lying over the broken table.
"Him? Eh, I doubt he's gonna wake up very soon. Besides, I'm sure my partners already heard all the noise and they're coming. They're gonna take care of that. Oh, and sorry about the table." He replied and walked over the unconscious thug to leave.
"Heeeennnrrryyyyyyy! Over here!"
He followed the voice and saw the beautiful violet-haired young woman waving at him at the table that was away from the scuffle. She's wearing a blue flannel-themed shirt and a matching skirt with long stockings. Without making her wait, he went to meet up with her and placed the tray on the table.
"Looks like you've been kinda busy entertaining these people." The girl giggled while looking over his shoulder to watch the crowd being split up by the security.
"I'm pretty sure they've been more entertained by that punk who was making a fuzz over pickles."
"Oh, you also brought the onion rings! You shouldn't have!" The pretty violet-haired young woman beamed as she and Henry started eating their meal. "You know, your partners don't seem happy about what you did. I mean, I don't know if power-bombing a dude on the table is among their rules."
"I wouldn't worry about that, at least for a moment. Right now, the only thing I care about is having a nice lunch with my sexy girlfriend." Henry smiled at her before taking a bite of his burger.
"Oh, stop it!" Her face flushed at his compliment, but then a concerned look crossed her face. "But for real, aren't you worried that you're gonna get in trouble because of that? I mean, we're in Japan, and you know how strict they are about using violence."
"Wendolin, I'm aware of that. But that doesn't mean that I had to just stand by and watch." Henry replied with a heavy tone. "Some asshole was harassing someone for one simple mistake. I did it because he deserved that. They can chew me out all they want, but they're just upset because I'm the only one who knows how to do their job. If they don't really like what I'm doing, they can just say it to my face."
"Agent Black… This is dispatch… The chief wants you in his office…" The walkie-talkie he was carrying in his belt suddenly chirped.
Henry sighed exasperatedly and grabbed the device to answer. "Now?"
"Now." The call was cut off after that.
"That doesn't sound like they're just gonna chew you out." Wendolin said almost anxiously.
"Guess I ain't so lucky as I thought I'd be." Henry let out a hearty chuckle, but then he pondered for a moment. "You know what, I have a better idea."
He promptly turned on the walkie-talkie as his girlfriend watched him in a mix of curiosity and surprise.
"Dispatch, this is Agent Black. Tell the Chief that I actually hate this job. He's a lousy boss, and I quit. I say again. I hate this job. He's a lousy boss. And I. Quit! Over and out!" Henry threw the walkie-talkie away before he'd get to hear any response from dispatch. "There. Now let's just enjoy our burgers."
"I don't know what just happened… but I feel so turned on right now." Wendolin said bluntly.
"A brawl occurred this afternoon at the food court in a local mall, where a security man and a civilian engaged in a fight that left some collateral damage." On a TV screen, a reddish-haired female reporter was standing outside of the mall building to give her report.. "According to the witnesses, a client was causing a scene complaining to a local food store for giving a wrong order. The security guard, who was standing on the line behind him, asked him to calm down. When the angry customer refused, things escalated."
The news then showed the footage from a security camera, which showed the exact moment that went down. A shadowy figure who was sitting in front of the tv paid attention to the chunky, yet robust figure filling the frame, with his dark hair tied in a bun on top of his head, glaring towards the thug with a fierce expression on his face.
"Here, the angry customer harasses the security guard, but then he fights back, again, and again, and yet again. Then he stops, walks to the counter to order the food, then the attacker tries to get him from behind, only to get beaten some more."
The final footage showed the moment the security guard carried the thug and dropped him through a table.
"The suspect was later taken to the hospital with some bruises. The police claimed he will be taken into custody after he's cleared out, based on the evidence they've seen on the security footage. As for the security guard, whose name is still unknown, wasn't seen again after he left the scene. Some say that he was released due to using excessive force on the suspect, that and the fact that he was a foreigner. The mall security refused to make a comment about this event, but many users on social media are calling out their lack of response." The reporter concluded as the feed was changed to screenshots of people's comments about the events.
The shadow hummed with hands locked together, finding themselves intrigued at this report, but more importantly, to this individual who displayed an incredible sheer of strength and technique.
Henry let out a yawn after getting out of the local market with a bag full of groceries as usual. He also needed that to clear his mind after mulling almost all day over getting a new job. It wasn't like he was in a hurry to pay the bills and make ends meet, and his girlfriend was getting a good paycheck thanks to her streaming, but with the inflation going on recently, he needed to have another source of income.
It didn't help that being a security guard in the mall was the only thing that could fit him for someone of his size, and since his face was all over the news, there's no chance a security company would want to hire him. With any luck, his fame wouldn't last long and everyone would forget about it.
He wanted to feel frustrated that he might not be able to find a job opening anytime soon, but for some reason, he thought about something else.
"Well, look what we got here! Are you lost, baby?"
"Huh?" Henry stopped in front of an alleyway where he heard a voice. Looking over there, he saw a group of three men in hoodies cornering a pig-tailed woman, blocking her path out of the alley. While their backs wouldn't let him see her face, there was something familiar about her.
"Oh no, not at all! I just thought I could take a shortcut through here. I don't wanna be rude, but can you move aside?" The blondie young woman replied with a sweet tone, but her voice turned out to be very familiar to Henry.
"Aw, leaving soon already? Come on, why don't you hang around with us?" A guy in a camo jacket asked with a dangerous smile.
"Yeah, we know a few places where we could have some real… fun." A man with an ugly smug, wearing a gray hoodie, said while creeping close to her from the side.
Henry already knew they're up to no good, and obviously he's just gonna stand by and let it happen. "Sorry, Lucy… But your food has to wait." He muttered before placing the bag of groceries on the ground and then approached the punks in strides.
It wasn't the first time he had heard or seen this scenario. This was the part where the girl would be threatened, then she would ask them to leave them alone, and she's gonna cry for help. But instead…
"Oh noooo! A bunch of perverts are cornering me in the alleyway and they're gonna do horrible things to me! What am I gonna do~?" The girl exclaimed with fake drama that took Henry off guard, making him stop in his tracks for a moment.
"Oi. Are you mocking us?" A punk with a dark beanie on his head said, furrowing his thick brows together.
"No, no, I wouldn't do that! I'm just a blond American idiot with a nice ass and tits you guys fantasize about! Definitely not, sir!" The blond-haired woman with pigtails giggled.
At first, Henry couldn't understand what she's saying or what she's thinking to provoke these thugs, but then something hit him when he remembered there was only one person who's known to be a joker and also was one of Wendolin's BFFs.
"Ashley?"
"Heh, you're a funny girl, but let's see how much you can laugh when your mouth gets stuffed with something hard and meaty." The guy with the camo jacket sneered, dropping the facade he showed earlier to reveal his true intentions.
"You know, if you're that desperate to pick up chicks, at least try harder not to sound like a goddamn weirdo!" Henry spoke out and continued to step forward, stopping them from whatever they were about to do with her.
Alerted by the voice calling them out, the thugs turned around and split up, letting Henry see the girl they were harassing, who was without a doubt a well-known friend, Ashley. Besides recognizing her blond hair with a pigtail haircut, she was also wearing a pink varsity jacket with a plain white shirt underneath, a pair of daisy duke shorts and black boots.
"Oh, hello Henry~! So glad to see you again~!" Ashley waved at him with a cheery smile, though Henry restrained a groan as this was hardly a good time for happy reunions.
"Eh? You know this loser?!" The hooligan in a gray hoodie said with a bemused look.
The guy in the camo jacket stared between the girl and the fatty one, almost as if he was amused by the fact they're both acquainted. "That doesn't matter. Now listen, Gaijin, I don't know who you are, and I couldn't give a rat's ass if you're friends with her or not. But you better buzz off before we kick the shit out of you!"
"Sheesh, you must be so blue-balled to be that aggressive." Henry crossed his arms, unfazed by the threat. "Anyway, I don't think that's gonna happen, not while you freaks are forcing yourselves on her when she made it clear she's not interested in you." He said while sauntering to stand in front of them.
The three hooligans stared at him as if they're incredulous at his warning, but one of them with the beanie hat burst out laughing despite how serious Henry was. "You hear that guys? This fatass Gaijin wants to play a hero! And then what? You think she's gonna offer you her body as a reward?"
"Well… actually…"
"Can it, bitch! We're not done with you yet!" The guy in the camo jacket retorted at her before turning back at Henry. "But first, we hafta teach this guy a lesson about reality. I could really use a workout." He said, cracking his knuckles as he and his friends cornered Henry from both sides.
"Hmph, at least we both agree on something." Henry snorted while sliding his jacket off him and threw it away. He heard Ashley cheering for him, but he didn't pay attention to what she's saying, especially when he's being surrounded. With these thugs outnumbering him, they left him at a complete disadvantage.
His eyes darted between the three guys, holding his breath as none of them had made a move yet. He had to keep himself from flinching so they wouldn't notice, but it didn't help that he felt a twinge of apprehension in his chest. These guys didn't look like pushovers like that guy back at the mall, and they seemed like they could pack a punch, so he had to make sure not to underestimate them.
When this tense moment appeared to draw longer, he heard a shuffling of footsteps coming from his blind spot. Acting out of instinct, he whipped around and pushed the punk with the beanie hat, leaving him out of breath after thrusting his foot into the stomach.
Another sense of danger prompted him to turn over his shoulder and duck his head, avoiding a fist flying over his head. Spinning around with a slight twist of his hips, Henry landed an uppercut to the other guy's chin, rendering him stunned. Henry went to finish him off with another blow, but a foot struck him in the chest with enough force to send him crashing against the wall.
Henry gritted his teeth and clutched his aching chest, raising his gaze to see the guy in the camo jacket smiling contemptuously at him while hopping. Shaking off the pain, he pushed off the wall and closed the gap, only to deflect a kick that was aimed at his head before counter-striking with a jab and a hook, which the thug blocked.
The punk with the beanie went to ambush him with a tackle, but his head got stepped into the ground when Henry already foresaw his move. But in the split second after that, Henry got hit on his back by a plastic trashcan that was thrown behind him. The bump forced him to fall down on one knee with the garbage raining down on him, and before he could get back up, he was seized by the camo-jacket wearing thug.
"Gotcha!" He pulled Henry up in a full-nelson and brought him to his buddies as they recovered.
Henry breathed sharply through his teeth and tried to break himself free, but a hard blow to his gut sent him reeling and he doubled over, coughing after his breath was taken out of his lungs. The thug forcefully pulled Henry up once more, letting one of his buddies land a hook in Henry's face.
"You see? This is what happens when you try to butt in where you don't belong!" The guy in the camo jacket laughed callously as his buddies joined in and continued to land a beating on Henry.
It wouldn't last long, however…
Clank!
When an empty beer can was thrown and hit the thug's head. The two thugs were stunned as they watched their leader wearing a dumbfounded look.
"What the…?!" He whipped his head to the side and saw the girl looking away while whistling, but it was very clear that she's taking him for a fool. "Did you just throw that shit at me?!"
Ashley gasped and pointed her finger at herself. "Me? Oh no no no no! But if I did… How would you rate? I mean, that can hitting on your head was pretty much a headshot! Heh, get it?"
"Why you stupid bi-"
Henry noticed the grip was loosening, which he used the chance to raise his arms all the way up above his head and forcefully dropped them down to break free. When the thug's fingers slipped off the back of his neck, Henry hunched over and slammed the back of his head into the thug's face.
A sickening crack was heard that made everyone flinch.
"AAAGGGHH! Y-You broke my fucking nose!" The camo-wearing thug yelled in pain while clutching his bleeding nose, but then he was grabbed by the shirt and Henry sent him flying into one of his buddies.
"Shit!" The hooligan in a grey hoodie charged at him with a jab for a desperate attack. However, he got himself pulled by Henry and his face got shoved into the wall again and again. "Guh! Agh! Gahk!"
Henry dropped him before raising his foot all the way up and stomped into his face, rendering the hooligan unconscious. After knocking him out, Henry turned back to the remaining thugs. One down, two to go.
"Raaaaaaggggh!" The punk with the beanie hat just got up and lunged at Henry blindly.
Henry parried the punk's fist before landing a right hook, making him stagger backwards with blood dripping from his nose. He then landed a powerful uppercut into the punk's gut that made him bend forward in pain. Holding him by the shoulders, Henry drove his knee into his face, and the punk fell on his back with a few missing teeth.
Almost out of breath, Henry turned back to the last one
"How… How can you do that?! You're just a big… fat… BASTARD!" The thug with the camo jacket yelled as he stumbled forward and threw his fist at Henry, but it got caught in his big hand. At that moment, all his bravado was gone the moment Henry glared daggers at him.
Henry didn't give him a chance to take it back when he slammed his head into the face. He grabbed the collar of the jacket and dragged him to one of the trash bins. Using his raw strength, Henry lifted the thug off his feet and threw him into the trash bin, spilling some of the litter as the thug got himself stuck inside and out cold.
After looking around to make sure no one else was left standing, Henry took a moment to recover his breath while glaring down at the unconscious thug inside the trash bin. "Yeah, maybe I am. But you… you're nothing but a piece of garbage that needs to be recycled." He kicked the bin down with the thug inside.
"Aaaaand cut!" Henry blinked and turned to Ashley, noticing she was holding her phone. "Oh that was so perfect! I got everything on this video! I better send this to my bestie asap!"
"Wait… did you set this all up?" Henry asked in disbelief.
"Hmm? Oh, of course not! But just before you were coming to blows, I thought, like: 'Hey, maybe I should start filming it for my bestie's channel!' You know how much she loves talking about you on her streaming."
Henry wanted to argue with her, but when he was about to utter a word, his legs began trembling and felt like his head was getting lighter. He stumbled around until he pushed against the wall for support. At first he didn't understand what was happening to him, but later he found out that he was feeling the aftereffects of the adrenaline rush.
"Whoa, you're okay?" Ashley asked with a look of concern.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I just need a moment." Henry waved his hand reassuringly and waited until he felt fully recovered. "Alright, let's get out of here." He let out a tired sigh before he and Ashley left the alley.
"You really need to be careful when you're on the streets, Ashley. There's been a word that people are getting assaulted by gangs, even in broad daylight." Henry said as he picked up his bag of groceries.
"Aaawww, I knew you always cared about me~ You sure you don't want me to repay you with something? You can ask anything you want~" Ashley giggled teasingly, huddling herself into Henry's side.
"Ashley…"
"Just messing with you, bro!" Ashley laughed as she shoved him playfully. "But seriously, you don't need to be worried sick about me. I could've easily dealt with those jerks myself. After all…"
In the blink of an eye, Henry was staring at Ashley's fist merely inches from his face.
"I'm getting real good at it." Ashley stretched a smirk across her face.
Henry pushed her fist aside. "Even if you are, it doesn't mean you can fight off three guys on your own. You saw what happened back there? Yeah, I kicked their asses, but it was your distraction that helped me get out of the tight spot. Thanks for that, by the way."
"Don't mention it. But yeah… At first I thought about jumping in and giving you a hand, but when I saw you smiling, I figured you still had it in you."
"Wait, was I smiling?" Henry asked, taken aback at her answer.
"Yeah. You didn't notice? When you started throwing down with these thugs, you looked like you were getting excited or something. I would say you looked pretty hot at that moment, but also scary."
Ashley held up her phone to him, so Henry could see the frame of him wearing a widened toothy smile the moment he landed a vicious uppercut to one hoodlum. This wasn't making any sense to him because he never felt like he was enjoying hurting other people before, but then he recalled the uneasiness he felt when he was being cornered.
What if what he felt wasn't exactly because he felt threatened, but something else?
Once he looked down at his bruised knuckles, the realization hit him like a slap to the face. For the first time in his life, he started to see things clearly. That emotion from earlier, that made his heart beat faster and feel the adrenaline rushing through his veins, wasn't apprehension or anxiety… It was the thrill of being in combat, of being in the face of danger and fighting through it instead of fleeing.
It wasn't all about having a narrow and straight life. He used to believe he couldn't keep a job because of his bad luck in getting himself into trouble, but that's a lie… The real reason he quit his last work at the mall was that, like all the other gigs, were holding him back from the start.
He was subconsciously looking for a challenge, one that could test him and find out what his limits were so he could overcome them. He found this moment to be a revelation that gave him a new goal in his life. A new purpose he can dedicate his whole life to.
He wanted to become a fighter.
Not long after, Henry continued his journey all the way back to the apartment. Once he arrived, Henry unlocked the door and opened it before sauntering his way in. Suddenly, a bark rang out in the living room, followed by the sound of nails scratching on the floor.
A chocolate cream brown dachshund with long hair came out of the corner and rushed to meet its owners, jumping onto their legs in happiness.
"Hey Lucy. Have you been a good girl while I was gone? I'm sure you did." Henry smiled softly as he reached down to rub his hand over his pet's head, making her wag her tail happily. "You must be hungry by now."
With his pet following him, Henry went to the kitchen and filled the bowl with dog food. While Lucy happily ate her dinner, Henry went straight to the bedroom where his girlfriend was probably carrying out her live streaming. He knocked on the door and walked in to find Wendolin sitting in her chair. While the room didn't have as much space as anyone would wish for, she had everything she needed to set everything up and create a colorful environment for her audience.
"Hey babe, I'm back." He announced to get her attention, noticing she was checking her streaming profile.
Wendolin wheeled her chair around as she removed her cat-eared earphones from her head. "Hey sweetie! How was-" She trailed off after noticing his roughed-up face. Wendolin let out a sigh and folded her arms under her buxom. "What happened this time? Black Friday?"
"Some punks were harassing Ashley in the alleyway. Kicked their asses, that's what I did." Henry shrugged nonchalantly.
"Hmm, so that's another Tuesday." Wendolin stood up from the chair and passed Henry to get out of the room. "Wait here."
Henry had no complaints as he sat on the bed, waiting patiently until she returned with a medical kit. She sat next to him and opened the kit to take out alcohol and some cotton. Wendolin used the tweezers to grab the cotton and douse it with the alcohol before carefully applying to Henry's wound, making him hiss at the stinginess.
"Oh hush, you big baby." Wendolin teased as she continued treating him. "So how is she?"
"Ashley? She's fine. I stepped in just in time before those punks laid a single finger on her. By the way, she's probably gonna send you that video of me giving karma to them for your content." Henry almost snorted, only to wince again at feeling the alcohol touching his wound.
"I'm sure my fans would love to see it!" Wendolin smiled, but that didn't last long and grew a concerned expression. "Though I doubt it would make your efforts to find work easier."
"True, but on the bright side, I can still keep up with my practice." He flashed a nonchalant smile, showing he had no concern about the consequences. Wendolin suddenly stopped cleaning the wound, which Henry noticed and saw her giving him a skeptical look. "What?"
"Are you okay? I mean… You look different. Like, you seem so focused and more committed about something. Just what happened in the alley?" His girlfriend asked.
Henry shifted his gaze from her to ponder for an answer. "Wen, if I tell you about what I really am… would you still trust me?" He said in a serious tone.
"Henry, you know I hate to see you act like we're in a drama movie. Just tell me." Wendolin replied, almost sounding impatient.
"Hmph, fair enough." Henry chuckled, only to grow back his scowl and looked down at his hand. "Not long after I beat up those creeps while outnumbered, Ashley told me that while she recorded the whole thing, she saw me smiling. When I looked at myself, at first I thought that wasn't the real me, but then I looked back to when I used to be a troublemaker. Back when I enjoyed being a top guy and picking fights with other gangs who tried to walk over me. I thought all of that was just a phase, but now I realized I was trying to run away from doing what drives me forward."
"You mean… fighting?" Wendolin immediately guessed once she put two pieces together.
Henry nodded with a smile as he clenched and unclenched his fist. "Back then, I thought it was probably best for me to just leave my old life behind and be a better person, to have an honest life and all. But all of that was just a bunch of bullshit. What's the point of following the rules when you can't even try to take any risks to feel alive, at least for once?"
"Are you sure this is what you want?" Wendolin asked as she went back to treat his wound.
He turned back to Wendolin, fully resolved. "I know all of this might sound crazy, but fighting is the only thing that excites me. And who knows, if I make some cash for decking someone else's face, we could move out to a better apartment."
"Henry, you don't have to say more. In fact, I completely understand." Wendolin said firmly while applying a bandage to his cheek. "I mean, yeah, it worries me a little that you could get hurt, but how can I not believe in you just like you believed in me when I wanted to become a streamer? You're strong, you're big, and also a little pudgy~" She giggled while playfully poking her finger into his flab.
"S-Stop! Come 'ere you!" Henry stifled a laugh before pulling her and laying himself down with his girlfriend on top.
"Hehehe, you're still ticklish as always~" Wendolin giggled until she looked at him deeply into his eyes while straddling around his waist. "But I'm serious, if that's the choice you wanna make, then I'll do what I can to help you, whatever you need."
"Man, sure I'm lucky to have such a supportive girl like you." Henry said huskily with his hand caressing her lower back.
Wendolin smiled back at him before planting her lips against his for a quick kiss, before she moved aside and sat back on the bed. "So what are you going to do next? Are you gonna join a tournament or something?"
Henry sat back up and wore a frown that Wendolin might never have seen before.
"Actually, I'm thinking I need to see an old friend first."
Standing in front of the door, Henry took a moment to consider the fact that he's going to meet a friend who hadn't seen him for months. Of course, they've been keeping in touch for a while, but it wasn't the same to be completely sure if he still lived in this address.
Knowing that he's already so far to step back, Henry reached for the doorbell. A faint sound rang from the inside, and he waited for a moment while holding his breath until the door was opened.
A lean, fair-skinned young man with burgundy faded short hair stood in silence after recognizing him, but he did seem a bit surprised to see him again, just as Henry knew.
"Henry…"
"Hey Don… It's been a while." Henry replied with his hands inside the pockets of his bomber jacket.
"You could've told me you would come here sooner." He said with a stony expression.
"Yeah, I know. Some stuff happened, and I didn't think about texting you. So…" Henry paused while averting his friend's gaze.
After another moment of awkward silence, Kim folded his arms and asked. "Do you wanna come in?"
"Yeah, I was hoping we could talk, if that's okay with you."
Donghyun didn't respond, but he stepped aside and held the door so Henry could enter his apartment. Once inside, Henry took off his shoes and left them next to the step. While Donghyun led him to the living room, Henry looked around to notice that his apartment was still the same as the last time he'd been here. To this day, he still wondered how Donghyun could get used to living in a small place.
"Want some coffee?" Donghyun asked as he went to the kitchen.
"That would be nice, thank you." Henry sat at the dining table while watching his friend grabbing a mug.
"I saw you on the news the other day, of you wiping the floor with that guy who was harassing the clerk. But I suppose you lost your job after that, didn't you?" Donghyun glanced over his shoulder at Henry.
"Nah, I actually quit. I didn't wanna give those assholes the satisfaction." Henry sighed before thinking of changing the subject. "What about you?"
"Got a gig as a taxi driver three months ago. It wasn't all that bad, at least until I was let go." Donghyun returned to the living room and handed the mug full of coffee to Henry, as he sat across from him. "So yeah, I'm as workless as you are."
Henry looked at the table while the deafening silence filled the entire room. Of course, it wouldn't last long when he let out a dry chuckle. "Look at us now… Who would've thought our lives would become so dull. I really miss the time we used to be a couple of big shots back in college. Remember that?"
"Yeah… We've never been good students and we caused a lot of trouble. I'm still surprised we lasted longer than we expected." Donghyun said before blinking and looked straight at Henry. "Don't tell me you only came here to talk about that."
"I'll just get to the point, Donghyun. Are you thinking about going back into the fray?" Henry asked bluntly, grabbing the coffee mug.
Silence fell in the air once more while Donghyun was almost stunned at Henry's question. He struggled to make an answer out of his mouth, but the hesitation in his eyes was more than clear to Henry about what he's thinking right now.
"You're feeling that too, aren't ya? All this time, we thought it was just frustration, and we only needed to vent. But I guess we got the wrong idea after all." Henry paused and took a sip of his coffee. "I understand you don't feel like it's worth the risk after what we've been through, but wouldn't it be nice to have that feeling at least once more?"
Donghyun looked downwards without saying a word, but then shook his head and raised his gaze back up at him. "That's where you're wrong. It's not that I'm afraid of getting my hands dirty again. But it's because there's some unfinished business I need to take care of. And to do that, I need your help."
"My help?" Henry blinked, surprised at the unexpected request from his friend.
"So much for a coincidence, huh? Anyway, I've been thinking about calling you, but I had a hunch that you didn't want to get involved in fighting more. But since you're telling me you are…"
"What's this about?" Henry gave him a wary look.
"There's one person I need to find. Someone I hadn't heard from for some time until recently." The red-haired young man furrowed his brows.
"Who?" Henry raised an eyebrow, asking for more details.
"I guess you could say an old friend… I'm still not sure." Donghyun let out a sigh as his scowl slightly softened. "But I do know that he's still in Korea, and I'm thinking of going there. There's one problem, though. If I set foot back in my hometown, some assholes will get wind of me trying to find him, and they'll try to keep me from doing it."
"And let me guess… you need me to go along with you since you cannot do this on your own." Henry sighed almost exasperatedly since this favor was a lot more than he expected.
"Yeah, but I will help you get some street matches in return." When Donghyun noticed his friend wearing a hesitant expression, he sighed. "Look, I know that's too much to ask, but I'm tired of running away from my problems, just like you. I can understand if you don't wanna be involved, but… You're the only person I can trust."
Henry suddenly snorted. "When did you get so sentimental? That's not like you."
"Screw you." Donghyun flipped the bird.
Henry waved his hand nonchalantly to calm him down. "But seriously, if this is the only way I can return the favor, then I'll help you. So how do we start?"
"I'm glad you asked, cause your timing couldn't be better." Donghyu said as he stood up to his feet. "I was just getting prepared to meet with an info dealer under Tenshou Bridge, not far from here. But I have a bad feeling about this man, and I could use someone who can watch my back."
"Huh, then I guess we shouldn't make him wait." Henry replied as he got up and stretched his shoulder.
As the sun set and the sky darkened, Donghyun and Henry walked on the promenade, heading towards the meeting point where someone was supposedly waiting for Donghyun. Henry wondered what's going through Donghyun's mind since he hardly spoke to him after they left the building.
When he spotted the bridge up ahead, Donghyun led him downstairs to the riverbank. Donghyun continued to walk further until he stopped when he was now standing under the bridge.
Henry looked around to notice no one else was found in this spot. "So? Where's your info dealer?" He asked as he glanced back at Donghyun, only to see him still facing his back to him. At that moment, it didn't take long for Henry to realize that it felt like a slap in the face. "You gotta be fucking kidding me..."
"Did you really think you could just waltz into my place like nothing happened? Did you really expect me to help you go back to your fighting just because you suddenly got bored with life?" Donghyun replied with his voice growing bitter before he turned around to glare daggers at Henry. "I don't even know if that was you growing a pair or you're just fucking stupid to come crawling back to me!"
"Is that what you think this is about? Is that why you just gave me a load of bullshit just moments ago?" Henry shook his head in disbelief, unable to contain his rage when he already knew something was off but didn't even consider. However, much to Donghyu's confusion, he laughed sardonically. "Well, look who's showing the true colors! The old Mad Tiger is back in the game! But then again, you were never much of a tiger. All you did after I beat you was following me around, like a lost little kitten!"
"And what about you? The freaking Black Dragon who got reduced to a fatass with no employment. As for your girl, I'm surprised she still didn't even leave your sorry ass and look for a sugar daddy. But is she even happy with you in bed?" Donghyu retorted with a scoff.
His remark wiped the smirk off Henry's face as he lowered his gaze and sighed. "Alright… I'm done with this." He slid his jacket off his shoulders and threw it aside. "You really wanna do this?"
"Ever since you showed your stupid face at my doorstep." Donghyun cracked his knuckles before approaching Henry with ill intent.
"Then let's dance, bitch!" Henry stomped his way towards Donghyun.
"Let's go, big boy!"
The two young men increased their pace as they closed the gap between them, and once they were now face to face, they both threw their fists at each other without holding themselves back.
The first hit could come from either of them, but in the end, it's all about who can endure to prove their ability to persevere through hardship and stay on the grind. To become a grinder!
N/A: So that's the introduction of my new story! Hey guys, first I wanna thank you for your patience and your support! I know you've been waiting for an update of one of my stories. The thing is, this idea has been stuck in my head for quite some time before I decided to make it real.
See, I've been so inspired by the martial arts in the anime and videogames, but I've also checked multiple mangas and manhwas that gave me more ideas. Kim Donghyun, for instance, is a character from a manhwa titled Hectopascal. It's a really good action comic, so I recommend you check it out. Anyway, at first I thought I could try some of them for my Unbreakable Will story, but then I knew the best option was to make a new story instead.
Also I've been meaning to create a chunky character who is introduced as an underdog but works his way up to the top to become a top fighter. It's kinda underrated that they're not featuring big protagonists who can also have talent.
Oh and before I forget, I'd like to give a shoutout to my favorite artist, Kogeikun, who created such beautiful OCs like Wendolin and America-Chan (The latter I named her Ashley), so give him support for his art! I also wanna thank personally to Messiah of Authors and TuriMaelstrom for helping me to create this new story!
I really hope you liked this chapter, and you can expect that this story will feature some good old-fashioned beat-em up action, an immersive open world, crossover and original characters, bizarre and hilarious moments inspired by the Yakuza games, and yeah, it's gonna be rated M for many reasons.
I would appreciate it if you send a review and follow/favorite my account to receive updates! And also don't forget that I have my crowdfunding account (Can't say the name but it starts with P and A), so if you have some spare change, you can subscribe to my page to get exclusive previews and vote on polls!
Have a nice day!