beads of sweat, sliding down the sides of his temples, light sanguine pigments, embracing the briny substance before being wiped off by careless hands. his knuckles, sore. but his pride, inflated. he wins, he always does. his breath is short, though his only injury is a cut inches above his right brow, caused by a key that swung and scraped the surface of his skin. lucky it wasn’t his nose, or anything important.
he moves swiftly, as if uninjured, he’s only tired, not beaten. his body feels a little sore, but it’s nothing a little nap won’t fix. and he finds himself in front of namil’s abode, his own deeming it too far of a walk from campus. he gives the other’s door a good knock, “open the door.” an unreasonable demand for someone who was seeking a place to quickly rest, and perhaps to recount of today’s winnings. he was oddly proud, especially having broken his newly acquired record. he had punched, not one, not two, not three, or four but five people today within the span of fifteen minutes. adrenaline still coursing through viridescent veins, “hyung, open.” he says again, this time more adamant than the last.
he cups his right hand over his left, putting pressure against his knuckles, he learnt boxing for years and yet, he still hasn’t learn to box with moderation. his father’s encouraged him to do taekwondo instead, it was more artistic, something kaiser never appreciated. to him, fighting was not an art, it was a sport. a form of self defence, a form of offence, a form of releasing his anger. therapy did nothing for him, but fighting did. at least that’s what he told himself. the door finally opens, he impatiently makes himself feel at home, he’s been here countless times before, “hyung, can i grab a bandaid?” he nonchalantly asks, as he roams around in search of water.