Thud! Thud thud! Puppupup! Thud!
Charrung!
Every time my fist extended, the sandbag hanging from the ceiling shook violently.
This time, a kick. I kept my balance with my left foot and used centrifugal force to lightly kick my right foot and accurately hit the center of the sandbag.
Phew!
The harsh sound of the sandbag filled the fighting gym.
"Hey! Lee Cheon-il! Why are you working so hard? Aren't you late for work?"
At the words of the manager of the martial arts gym, who at first glance seemed to have a muscular physique and radiated force from his entire body, I, whose clothes were drenched in sweat, stopped hitting the sandbag and turned my head to glance at the clock hanging on the wall.
9:23 am.
I was pressed for time to take a shower and get to the cafe where I work by 10 o'clock.
"I almost missed it. Thank you, Director!"
The gym manager responded with a pleasant smile to me, who had been working out with him every day since 5 a.m. for months without fail.
"Thank you? Anyway, come here before you go to the army! I'll buy you a big drink."
"Yes, sir! I will definitely stop by before I go to the army."
As of today, this gym is also closed. I'm 20 years old. He boldly gave up going to college to pursue his dream of becoming a UFC fighting champion.
It's only been a few months since I started learning mixed martial arts in earnest. Of course, I have been exercising regularly since I was young.
Taekwondo, Hapkido, Kendo, Judo, etc. However, I realized through my training this time that mixed martial arts is not enough.
UFC world champion. To achieve that dream, I applied to the Marine Corps to solve the military problem that could be a big obstacle to my career.
There is exactly one month left until the admission date. I bowed my head deeply to the manager and hurried to the shower room in the gym.
* * *
Cafe.
Perhaps because it is a fairly famous franchise cafe, it was crowded with customers even though it was a weekday. Jeans on the bottom, white shirt on top.
The female customers looked at me with fond eyes as I took my order at the ordering table in neat attire.
"One Iced Americano, one Iced Caramel Macchiato. Is that right?"
"yes."
"I can help you with payment."
As I got used to the work, I quickly finished the ordering and payment process and started on to the next customer.
"Customer! Let me help you with your order."
"Vanilla latte! One please."
"yes."
The female customers who had finished ordering were waiting on one side and chatting.
"He's really handsome!"
"Right? I think he's over 180cm tall. And more than anything, his smile is so appealing."
"You look good too."
I unintentionally overheard their conversation and calmly continued taking the customers' orders. After a while, as if the storm had passed, the customers waiting in line disappeared, and only then did I sigh in relief and speak to my older brother who works part-time at this cafe with me.
"Seongcheol hyung! I'm going up to this floor to clear the tables, so please take our order."
"okay!"
Seongcheol spoke to me with eyes full of envy as I walked up the stairs.
"As expected, a man should be tall and handsome. Today, the female customers' eyes sparkled at you. Cheon-il! I'm really, really jealous of you!"
I felt awkward answering Seongcheol, who had a complex about being short, so I just smiled without saying anything. As I went up to the second floor, the female guests sitting on the chairs at each table all glanced at me.
Now, I was so used to this situation that I didn't feel anything. After quickly cleaning up the empty tables and trash cans, I went back down to the first floor.
'This part-time job ends today.'
Exactly six months. I was busy with part-time work and exercise while trying to persuade my parents, who were still disappointed and lingering about my decision not to go to college.
'Now all that's left is to go on a trip before I go into the military.'
* * *
When I finished my part-time job, my older brothers and sisters who I worked with greeted me with regretful looks.
"Cheon-il-ah! Where did you decide to go on your overseas trip?"
"I thought about Europe and the US for a long time, but I eventually decided to go to the US."
"Are you trying to set foot on American soil before becoming a fighter?"
"I can't say no. I'll take a break and do something at the same time."
If you know your enemy and know yourself, you will not be in danger even in a hundred battles. Before I enlisted in the Marine Corps, I wanted to experience and feel firsthand what kind of country America was.
And I also wanted to go to the US rather than Korea and do some proper exercise. Although it wasn't a short period of time, I was slowly making progress toward my dream.
"They say that guys younger than me have pretty bold dreams."
"Sister Seon-yeong! What's wrong? Anyway, I'll listen to you nicely."
After a while, the branch manager checked the part-time job fee deposited into the bank account on his smartphone and left the cafe with light steps.
The downtown area, which had already become night, was filled with dazzling lights and signs. At that moment, the cafe door opened and Seonyeong's older sister ran out in a hurry.
"Cheonil-ah!"
"Yeah. Sister?"
"······."
Seonyeong's older sister waved both her hands with a hesitant expression.
"Contact me right after you get back from your trip. I have something to tell you, and I'll buy you a drink before you go to the army."
I've been noticing while working that my sister likes me, even though she hasn't confessed yet.
"Yeah, I got it."
I felt her gaze on me as I walked away. I didn't hate her. I just liked her as a person, but I didn't really feel any attraction to her as a woman.
That's why it was just a burden. It was the same during my school days, and this wasn't the first or second time this had happened.
Of course, it's not that I've never had a girlfriend. I've had two deep girlfriends so far. However, right now, I have no desire to have a girlfriend because I am about to enlist in the military.
More than anything, I was filled with anticipation for my trip to the United States.
"Anyway, if you're going to America, you'll be busy preparing for this and that for the next few days."
* * *
JFK Airport, New York, USA.
After safely landing at the airport, I completed the immigration process and took a taxi to the hotel I had reserved following the Google Maps displayed on my smartphone.
Since I stayed at a hotel close to the airport, the taxi fare wasn't that expensive. As soon as I entered the hotel, I checked in with a blonde female staff member and was guided to my room by the bell boy.
"thank you!"
I took some money out of my wallet and gave the bellboy a dollar tip.
"thank you!"
After exchanging a few words in English, the bellboy closed the door and left, and only then did I lie down comfortably on the bed.
"Is it because of the time difference? I'm so tired."
After a brief rest, I got out of bed and unpacked my bags. And I checked off the tourist attractions I wanted to see in New York and the MMA gym I would be training at by date.
"Let's wash first and then take a nap!"
I wasn't that hungry because I had a light meal of a hamburger at the airport.
* * *
It's been four days since I arrived in New York. Although it was a free tour, I visited the Statue of Liberty, Heinrich Park, Times Square, etc. according to the schedule.
Fortunately, I studied English in my spare time to pursue my dream of joining the UFC, so I had no major problems traveling.
When I left Times Square, my last stop for the day, it was night, and the streets were brightly lit with neon signs befitting the reputation of a large city like New York.
"Starting tomorrow, I should check out the gym too."
I must have had a full dinner, so I turned on my smartphone to go back to the hotel where I was staying. After booking a taxi through a taxi app, I looked around the place.
At that moment, a person who did not fit in with the white people of this city caught my eye.
'Are you Indian?'
The word Native American is correct, but the word Indian is more familiar. Fortunately, I didn't say anything out loud. Was it curiosity?
Before I knew it, I approached the Native American who had set up a stall on the side of the road and was selling various items.
A Native American with dark skin and wrinkled face beamed at me. And he started to solicit customers, handing over various items and speaking a language I had never heard before.
"Warakara makana! What are you doing, cow and woodi?"
"······."
After a moment of confusion, I looked at the necklaces, bracelets, and other accessories that the natives were handing me...
Suddenly, something caught my eye.
Thump thump!
Suddenly my heart started racing.
'Why is it like this?'
I didn't understand myself as I recalled so many things, but as if my soul was leading me, my hand naturally went to the necklace hanging on the table.
The necklace was very crude. A leash made by weaving together animal thorns. And in the middle of the necklace, there is a pendant that sparkles with a blue light.
'I know it was made by the local natives, but what on earth was it made of?'
At that time, did you see the look in my eyes as I was thinking of the necklace? The native gave me a price without me asking.
"Ten dollars! Call?"
"······."
It's ten dollars. It felt a bit expensive, but I liked the necklace so much that I took out my wallet and handed over the money on the spot.
"Here it is. Ten dollars."
The native, who was quickly taking money in case the customer changed his mind, showed his yellow teeth and smiled like a swindler, then quickly began to clean up the stall as if business was over for the day.
The sight was so absurd that I couldn't help but let out a hollow laugh.
"Am I being scammed?"
And then, just in time, the taxi I had called through the app arrived. I quickly got into a taxi at the sound of the taxi driver's voice looking for me.
I said the name of the hotel and sat in the back of the taxi for a while, carefully examining the necklace I had just bought from the Native American.
"It was more elaborately made than I thought."
The more I looked at it, the more I liked it. No, I was just drawn to it. I felt as if this necklace would bring great luck to my life.
* * *
I went to the hotel's fitness club in the morning and ran on the treadmill. Did it take about an hour? I slowed down the treadmill and took a deep breath.
As my body was naturally revealed in my sweaty workout clothes, people around me glanced at me. Regardless of whether they were white or black, male or female, they would give me a thumbs up or send me a lustful look when they saw my body with solid muscles like a horse's back.
Now, I'm used to this situation, so I got off the stopped treadmill and went into the shower room without any problem.
I came out of the shower and stood in front of the cabinet assigned to me. When I opened the cabinet door, I saw a mirror inside the door.
I looked at my reflection in the mirror and smiled with satisfaction. A neat hairstyle, thick eyebrows, kind eyes, a prominent nose, and smiling lips.
And above all, a flawless white face.
"You're handsome."
Finally, I put strength into my whole body to create a six-pack on my stomach, and then I hit my chest with satisfaction.
Suddenly, a foreigner came into the shower room and saw me looking so embarrassed.
"Ahem."
Feeling embarrassed, I carefully wiped my wet body with a towel. He wore boxer shorts and a necklace he had bought from a native.
"You look better with the necklace on."
And then naturally, I touched my smartphone and turned on the game I had recently installed. Although it is an RPG indie game, it is incredibly addictive.
I've recently gotten into the habit of leveling up and can't stop. I was just about to reach level 60, so I thought I'd level up while eating breakfast.
"Everything else is good, but the connection time is too long."
The moment I was about to put on the rest of my clothes to go out for breakfast, complaining a little.
Kwaaaaaaaah!
There was a loud noise so loud that my ears tingled. Painful screams and groans could be heard from all directions.
Euaaaah! Euaaaah!
"It's terrorism!"
"Oh, the hotel is collapsing!"
"Get out of the hotel and take refuge!"
"Hey, help me. The child is stuck in a rock."
The hotel was transformed into a chaos in an instant. Before I could come to my senses, flames were rising everywhere and the building itself was collapsing.
I too was thrown to the floor, unable to keep my balance due to the shock of the enormous explosion. The first thing that came to my mind was...
"I have to escape from here somehow."
The moment I got up from my seat with my phone in my hand, the hotel building began to collapse miserably with a series of explosive sounds.
Kkaaaaaaaaaah! Kkaaaaaaah!
I was on the basement floor of a hotel and was instantly swept into the rubble of a collapsing building. Was it unfair to die without even being able to properly pursue one's dreams?
I cried out in a voice full of resentment as I looked at the concrete walls and steel structures approaching me menacingly through my tearful eyes.
"Is this how it ends?"
At that moment, the necklace around her neck turned a strong blue color and wrapped around her body.
Ring! Ring!
[Starting the game.]
[A fatal error has occurred in the game.]
[Resetting the game.]
[The game will be reset to match the current situation and reality.]
······