"You had enough yet?" Mei taunts Kevin. Kevin keeps quiet; he won't fall for it.
She's fast, but it's not like she's dodging me effortlessly. I have a shot! Kevin thinks to himself, confidence shooting through the roof.
"Kevin! Use your strength, but not as a crutch! You don't always have to power straight through!" Kin yells from the sidelines.
"Hey, Kin, why the hell are you helping him!?" Mei shouts.
Kevin sees an opening as she diverts her gaze toward Kin instead of her opponent. He dashes in immediately. Mei notices just in time, raising her arms to block out of reflex. Kevin follows through with a hook.
That won't be enough! Kevin thinks. He throws his right hook, nearly blowing Mei's arms away. The blow is strong enough to push her back, leaving her wide open and off-balance.
"Gah! Shit!" Mei yells. A smug grin spreads across Kevin's face as he prepares to throw a left jab. He launches it, but just then, Mei regains her balance by planting her foot behind her. She grabs Kevin's arm mid-jab with her left hand and elbows him in the chest.
"Gah!" Kevin groans. He takes a wild swing at Mei, but she pushes him away to make space.
"Shit, is that…" Kevin inhales, "…is that even allowed!?" He looks at Kin, trying to catch his breath.
"It's allowed, genius! You keep forgetting this isn't boxing!" Kin fires back.
"I would pay attention if I were you!" Kevin hears Mei yell.
"Wait—fuck!" Kevin turns his head quickly, but Mei is already in the air before he can react.
"I told you! Don't complain when you get your ass kicked!" Mei yells.
She grapples onto Kevin's head, sitting on his shoulders, using her body weight to swing him around. She slams him to the floor, making him fall on his face with her on top.
"The bigger they are, the harder the fall!" Mei taunts.
"Shit!" Kevin yells. The impact rattles his skull, leaving him disoriented. Mei wraps her legs around his neck and squeezes.
"Tap out," she warns.
"Guh! I—stop!" Kevin chokes.
"I said tap out!" Mei demands. Kin moves in to stop it, but before he can, Kevin pulls on Mei's leg, slowly prying it away from his neck. Mei tries her hardest to hold on.
"You won't… I won't lose!" Kevin snarls, turning his head so she can see the fierceness in his eyes.
"All right, break it up!" Kin orders. He pulls Mei off Kevin.
"Both of you, back to your sides."
Kevin gets up, gasping for air. He wipes his nose—Blood.
Kin's yelling becomes a blur. Everything around Kevin distorts. What Mei did ticked him off more than he expected. All the times life had pinned him down like that—it all came flooding back. The day he lost everything. Being helpless.
A quiet but powerful rage brews inside him.
"Hey, Kevin, you good?" Kin asks, tapping his shoulder.
"Kin… don't make me do another round," Kevin says quietly.
"What? You're bleeding a little, but you don't look tha—"
Kevin grabs Kin's shoulder hard—too hard.
"Because if I fight her again… I really will kill her," Kevin warns.
Kin sees the vicious look in Kevin's eyes. He pauses, realizing how dangerous this is.
"If you really mean it… then back it up. Get to your corner, hardass," Kin taunts.
Kevin looks at Mei; her smug grin only fuels his fire. She notices his expression.
"Whoa! You shouldn't take everything so seriously, Kevin!" she taunts.
Kevin stays silent and walks to his side of the arena.
"All right! Are you both ready?" Kin asks. Kevin nods. Mei chuckles.
"Start it, Kin," she says smugly.
"All right, GO!"
"Alright Kevin, le—"Before Mei can finish, Kevin is already in front of her.
"Wha—"
He throws a right hook. The connection echoes through the room. The punch is so strong that it lifts Mei off the floor.
"Guh—!" Mei gasps. Her legs give out immediately. She tries to scream, but no sound comes.
"Don't ever—!" Kevin switches his pivot foot, grabs Mei around the stomach with an arm-bar grip—
"TRY TO PIN ME DOWN AGAIN!"
He spins 180 degrees and flings her downward, nearly knocking her out on impact.
Kin's mouth drops open. He snaps out of it fast.
"All right, all right! Separate!" Kin rushes in, dragging Kevin away from Mei.
Mei lies on the ground, coughing and clutching her stomach.
"Hey! Mei! Are you all right!? Snap out of it!"
Kevin stays quiet, his earlier anger fading into regret as he sees her condition.
"Kin, I—"
"Don't worry about it. Go for a run. Cool off," Kin cuts him off.
Kevin lowers his head.
"All right… I'm sorry."
He leaves the gym and runs up the street, reflecting on everything. His anger had never blown up like that before. He didn't understand why she upset him so much. As smug as she is, what he did was wrong.
After ten minutes of running laps, he returns.
"Kin, I'm back," Kevin says. He doesn't see Mei.
"Feeling better now?" Kin asks.
"Yeah… sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have done what I did."
"Don't worry about it. You were angry, and I still let you spar. That's on me too. She understands that."
"Yeah… maybe. I still want to apologize. Where is she?"
"She's in the locker room changing. She should be out soon."
Just then, Mei steps out.
"I'm leaving for the day, Kin. I'll see you—" She stops when she sees Kevin.
"I—uh… look, Mei, I'm sorry. My anger got the best of me."
"Huh? Oh—don't worry about it. I'm alright now," Mei says.
"I actually appreciate what you did."
"Huh?" Kevin blinks.
"Girls fighting and doing martial arts is looked down on here. No one ever goes full force on me because I'm a girl. I hate it. So… thanks," Mei says, meeting Kevin's gaze.
"Oh… uh… yeah. No problem, I guess."
"But don't think I won't get you back for that!" Mei smirks. "Next time, you won't beat me!"
Kevin chuckles."Yeah, whatever."
"Next time I'll get you for sure."
They both leave the gym for the day, each having found an unexpected friend in the other.