The hall was quiet now, save for the rhythmic thwack-thwack of gloves meeting the heavy bag. Lu Han didn't glance away from his target, but Soon Hae felt his awareness like a steady pressure in the room.
She packed up her things slowly, pretending to fuss with the straps on her bag. Don't look. Don't look.
…She looked.
And there he was, pausing mid-combo, gaze flicking her way for barely a heartbeat before his mouth tilted in that infuriating, subtle smirk.
She didn't need to hear it. She felt it.
Clumsy Rabbit.
Her cheeks heated again. She snapped her bag shut and hurried toward the exit before he could see the ridiculous mix of embarrassment and… something else swirling inside her.
****
The corridors felt longer than usual. Her muscles ached from the extra drills, her arms still tingling from holding her guard so long. But deep down, beneath the fatigue, there was something else a strange satisfaction.
Coach Min's words replayed in her head. You've got potential, but you're too easily thrown off.
She hated to admit it, but the extra rounds had done something. Somewhere between the seventh and eighth, she'd stopped thinking about Lu Han's nickname, about Fang Yu's laughter, about the sting in her shoulders. She'd just… moved. Focused.
And maybe, just maybe, that was what she'd been missing.
Still, that didn't mean she wanted "Clumsy Rabbit" to stick forever.
****
Fang Yu and Bai Cao were waiting for her outside, lounging under the shade like they hadn't a care in the world.
"There she is!" Fang Yu said, grinning. "How was detention?"
"It wasn't detention," she muttered, dropping her bag onto the bench beside him.
"Sure. Just you and the coach… and Lu Han. How romantic."
She swatted at him, but Bai Cao stepped in before the teasing escalated. "Extra drills will make you stronger. You'll thank him later."
"I'll thank him when I can move my arms again," Soon Hae grumbled.
Fang Yu leaned back, stretching. "Well, at least now you're famous. I heard two of the juniors already calling you 'Rabbit' behind your back."
Her groan was loud enough to turn a few heads. "Great. That's exactly the kind of legacy I wanted here."
****
They walked together with Fang Yu peeling off toward the bus stop, Bai Cao toward her neighborhood. Soon Hae continued alone, the evening air cooling her sweat-damp hair.
She passed market stalls closing for the night, the smell of grilled mackerel lingering in the breeze. For a moment, she wished she could just wander the streets a little longer, let her sore body rest before going home.
But her stepmom would notice. And that was never worth the trouble.
****
By the time she reached their small two-story home above the restaurant, the sky had faded to a deep indigo.
She pushed open the door to find her dad sitting at the low table, hunched slightly, a hand pressed to his temple.
"Dad?" she asked, stepping closer. His skin looked paler than usual, and there was a sheen of sweat across his forehead.
He looked up with a tired smile. "Just a little headache. The sea was rough today."
Her chest tightened. "You should rest..."
Before she could finish, her stepmom's voice rang out from the kitchen. "Soon Hae! You're late again. We've still got dishes piled up and two customers waiting for their food!"
She clenched her jaw, glancing at her dad. He gave her a small, apologetic nod.
So she set her bag down and rolled up her sleeves.
****
Chores and Customers
The clatter of plates filled the kitchen as she plunged her hands into soapy water. Every muscle protested the motion, her shoulders screaming after the day's punishment drills. But she kept going, ignoring the sting in her wrists.
After the dishes came the tables — wiping down sticky surfaces while dodging impatient customers. Then refilling tea kettles, fetching side dishes, clearing trays.
By the time the last customer left, her legs felt heavier than they had in the ring.
---
Quiet at Last
Her stepmom was counting the day's earnings at the counter, muttering under her breath about expenses. Her dad had retreated to the bedroom, the faint sound of his cough drifting out.
Soon Hae leaned against the kitchen doorway, watching him through the narrow crack. She wanted to sit beside him, to tell him about the day about Coach Min, and Fang Yu's teasing, and even Lu Han's stupid nickname.
But she didn't.
Instead, she took a quiet breath, slipped into her room, and let herself collapse onto the thin mattress.
As sleep tugged her under, one thought stuck in her head like a stubborn song lyric.
"Clumsy Rabbit...."
This time, she didn't frown. She almost… smiled.
---