Yu Jung-ak's 7-second KO video quickly surpassed 100,000 views. Yu Jung-ak was trending for a day.
[Isn't it amazing? He just sends them flying with one hit.]
[That's Yu Jung-ak's style. He just walks steadily. Then throws a punch. And everyone just falls down.]
[They worked hard to recruit Loose Loop, but he's done in 7 seconds.]
[Jang Hyun-sung's expression was epic lol]
[They say they stopped him from leaving the venue.]
[Yu Jung-ak, go to CFC!]
[He seems to be in a completely different class from guys like Kwon Cheol and Gal Seung-hyun]
[Don't exaggerate.]
[I don't think it's an exaggeration, why do you say that?]
[It's definitely an exaggeration.]
[Isn't this enough to get a title shot?]
[Agreed. I think Yu Jung-ak would win against Kwon Cheol or Gal Seung-hyun.]
[There are matchups in fighting too, so you never know. Plus, Kwon Cheol is a style that doesn't match well.]
[Anyway, if there's a title fight, it'll be fun for sure.]
[Honestly, I acknowledge his striking. But his wrestling and ground game haven't been fully tested yet. If he meets guys like CFC's Khabib Nurmagomedov, he might get his soul taken.]
[I don't know about ground game, but I acknowledge his wrestling. He'll need to improve his wrestling if he wants to go to CFC.]
[Don't you know Yu Jung-ak has 100% TD?]
Yu Jung-ak's victory had such a big impact.
The day after the match, Spirit contacted them to renew the one-fight contract, but Cho Yong-il refused without even listening to the conditions.
This was truly the end with Spirit. No matter what they did, Cho Yong-il had no intention of reconnecting with them.
"Until now, I tried to resolve things well with Spirit for the sake of our team, but that has become difficult. I'm sorry about that part. However, I think that continuing to tolerate what Spirit is doing won't be of much help to the long-term development of domestic MMA, so I've decided to cut ties with them boldly."
Cho Yong-il gathered the Silence team members and spoke. Spirit was the top domestic MMA organization and was still growing. So, causing discord with them was disadvantageous for Silence in many ways.
Silence didn't just have Yu Jung-ak. There were many fighters with lower recognition than him. For the sake of those fighters, Cho Yong-il and Yoon Chang-seon had tried not to antagonize Spirit. If it wasn't for that, they wouldn't have just endured Spirit's behavior so far.
But Spirit had crossed the line of what Team Silence could tolerate. Just because they were in a more advantageous negotiating position than the fighters, they made unreasonable demands and acted high-handedly. That's why Cho Yong-il decided to boldly cut ties with them.
Of course, it wasn't an easy decision. There weren't many organizations specializing in MMA domestically.
The only place that held regular events was Spirit FC Top Championship, but Spirit was much bigger than Top and held more events. Their recognition was also much better. It wasn't easy for a domestic MMA fighter to have a career while excluding Spirit.
The domestic MMA environment wasn't very good. From an outsider's perspective, it might seem that fighters are too swayed by the organization's unreasonable behavior, but from a fighter's standpoint, they often had to comply with the organization's demands even when they knew better.
If an organization didn't call them, fighters couldn't compete. Unless they had the skills and recognition to fight overseas, fighters had to make a living with domestic organizations. Naturally, they had to tolerate the organization's high-handedness.
Even in Japan, where the MMA market is much more active than Korea, it was common for offers to change just days before, and sometimes they would suddenly change the opponent to a fighter from a weight class above. Not only that, but there were many cases where they overworked fighters and didn't even pay the fight money properly.
Logically, it would be good to thoroughly respond legally and assert the fighters' rights, but that wasn't as easy as it sounded. Legal responses don't end overnight, and there's no guarantee of winning either.
The Silence team members were staring blankly at Cho Yong-il.
"It will be inconvenient in many ways to cut ties with Spirit, but instead, our team has decided to do our best to ensure you can train and get fights under better conditions. In that process, some fighters might have financial difficulties, so we've decided to provide a small training allowance to team members, excluding trainees."
"Training allowance?"
Kim Young-tae said.
"If we exclude Spirit, you might not get as many fights as before. We don't know until we find other organizations and properly establish connections, but you might have to be idle for a while. So, you'll receive support like a salary."
"How much?"
"I'll tell you the details later."
It was nothing short of a radical choice. The Silence team members generally received Cho Yong-il's opinion positively. But one person's expression wasn't good. It was Yu Jung-ak. Even though it wasn't entirely his fault, he felt uncomfortable because his teammates were being affected because of him.
Somehow noticing Yu Jung-ak's gloomy mood, Kim Young-tae approached and put him in a headlock.
"Ah, it hurts!"
"You idiot. It's because Spirit is acting like thugs, why are you so down!"
Yu Jung-ak easily broke free from Kim Young-tae's headlock.
"That's right, senior! It's not your fault."
"I told you to unify your way of addressing me. If it's trainer, then trainer. If it's senior, then senior."
"When you're training, it's trainer. Now it's senior."
"Didn't you call me coach last time?"
"Anyway, cheer up! It's not your fault, senior."
Kim Young-tae and Angela came to comfort Yu Jung-ak. But there was someone who shattered that comfort. It was Cho Yong-il.
"Alright, alright. Anyway, since Yu Jung-ak is the cause of breaking up with Spirit, Yu Jung-ak will treat us to dinner today. The menu is Hanwoo rib eye. Eat like you're uprooting it!"
"What?"
Yu Jung-ak shouted upon hearing this. Cho Yong-il didn't even respond and led the team members outside.
Cho Yong-il smiled and said to Yu Jung-ak, who had a blank expression.
"Don't want to buy?"
"No, I'll buy."
"Idiot. The team members won't hold a grudge over something like this. If you just treat them to Hanwoo."
"Right. If you treat us to Hanwoo special cuts, we'll forgive you."
Oh Jung-ryong teased Yu Jung-ak with a smile. Then Kim Young-tae stuck close to Oh Jung-ryong and said,
"Right. If you treat us to Hanwoo sirloin, we'll forgive you."
"Right. I want Hanwoo stea-"
Thwack!
Angela, who was trying to imitate Oh Jung-ryong and Kim Young-tae's tone next to them, got hit by Yu Jung-ak. Angela rubbed her head and made a crying face.
"If you act up, I'll just..."
Yu Jung-ak really treated the team members generously that day. As Cho Yong-il said, he bought Hanwoo, and the team members enjoyed the meal happily.
"I watched your last fight. It was really something else."
Yeom Yun-ho patted Yu Jung-ak's shoulder as he spoke. His studio apartment was a duplex style and quite large.
"When did you move?"
"About a month ago?"
"Did your parents give you money?"
"Idiot. You know my father dotes on me a lot. Even though I'm not his first wife's child, I don't get mistreated."
"Then why did they let you live out here instead of keeping you at home?"
"I threw a fit about not eating again."
Yeom Yun-ho said with a laugh. Yun-ho's duplex studio was quite spacious. When you opened the door and entered, you could see a wide open front window, and in front of it was a large leather sofa. Outside of that was a large monitor with various game consoles connected.
"I cleaned up a bit because you were coming."
"What about Jung-suk hyung?"
"That guy said he's meeting his girlfriend and will come later."
"Didn't he break up recently?"
"I don't know if he's meeting another girl or the same one. I'm not interested."
"Don't you have a girlfriend, hyung?"
"I don't have the ability. That Jung-suk guy whines about not having money every time but he sure has the ability."
"At least he's not unemployed."
"Yeah, I'm unemployed. I just laze around because I was born to good parents. What coffee do you want?"
Yeom Yun-ho asked as he went towards the kitchen. There was a small coffee machine in his house.
"Give me an Americano."
Yeom Yun-ho filled the portafilter with coffee beans like a barista and brewed the coffee. Instantly, the aroma of coffee filled the room.
"Want it iced?"
"Yeah."
Yeom Yun-ho put some ice from the water purifier into a large glass and then added a little water. Then he poured coffee over it. After stirring it a few times, a decent iced Americano was complete. Yeom Yun-ho handed the coffee to Yu Jung-ak.
Yu Jung-ak was sitting on the sofa holding a game controller. After receiving the coffee, he took a sip and looked at the screen.
"It's delicious."
"Idiot, who says it's delicious without even smelling it?"
"We don't have this at home. Is this Real Blade Battle 2? The sequel to the one we used to play a lot at your place before. The one where you die if you get hit once because of the realism or whatever."
"That's right. I specially pre-ordered it because you were coming. This just came out yesterday."
"Wow. After all this time, a sequel to this game has come out."
Yu Jung-ak's eyes sparkled.
"The first one was a game way ahead of its time. At that time, fighting games were all about flashy techniques and impact, but this game had none of that. You just die if you get hit once while fighting. It's the real life of a warrior!"
"Wow, look at the graphics."
"They made it again because there were so many requests from fans, and its popularity is explosive."
"Really?"
"These days all games are similar. So a rare game like this gets attention instead. Of course, the gameplay is no joke either."
"Ah!"
"Idiot. Don't underestimate the AI. If you just swing recklessly, your neck will fly off."
Sure enough, Yu Jung-ak's character, who had chosen a dual-wielding style and was swinging his swords recklessly, died instantly from the AI's counterattack technique.
He was slightly grazed on the chest, but blood spurted like a fountain and he died instantly. After that, Yu Jung-ak played the game for about 20 more minutes before putting down the controller.
"Jung-suk hyung isn't coming."
"Don't worry. He's the type to call if he can't come."
"Is it okay for you to stay here? What do you do here?"
"What else would an unemployed person do but play around."
"If that's the case, why did you move out? There's no one around."
"Because I'm unemployed, I feel uncomfortable at home. My stepmother and older sister are all there, and they talk about work stuff every meal time. My father shields me when he sees that, and my mother says I'm like this because my father shields me. You know, right? My mother isn't my birth mother, but she cares for me like her own child."
"I know. Is your aunt doing well?"
"Yeah. She asked about you too. Anyway, maybe it's because my father is also a second wife's child, but he really dotes on me too much. But as you know, I have quite the unemployed temperament. I just played around after coming back from the military, but my father is still good to me. He got this place for me in one go. I stopped him from getting me an apartment. It was too burdensome."
"Someone might curse at you if they hear that."
"I deserve to be cursed at, so what."
"So you really don't have anything going on? You used to like making things, hyung."
Although he was on a leave of absence, Yeom Yun-ho was a student at a prestigious engineering university. He didn't study at all, but somehow he got into a good school. When someone asked how he got in, Yeom Yun-ho would jokingly say that he donated a library to the school. Of course, that wasn't true.
"I'm working on something these days. But I don't know. It's just..."
"What is it?"
"It's not something I'm making alone, I'm making it with a college classmate, but I don't know."
"Does your father know? He always supports you when you say you're making something."
"I've messed up so many things that I couldn't even bring it up, idiot."
"What is it?"
"It's just... It's a common thing. A solar-powered flashlight."
"A solar-powered flashlight?"
"Yeah. I'm just making it roughly for now, but I'll show you when the finished product comes out. When are you free again?"
"Isn't it Sang-jin hyung's death anniversary next month?"
"Ah, come to think of it, you're right."
"We can meet then."
While Yu Jung-ak and Yeom Yun-ho were talking, the doorbell rang. It was Jung-suk. Yu Jung-ak met his acquaintances after a long time, ate delivery food, and played until late. That day, he really did nothing but play. The next day, Yu Jung-ak resumed training from dawn. It was because he had almost no damage from the fight with Loose Loop.
After the fight with Loose Loop, there were a few interview requests. Yu Jung-ak was focusing on strike training again after the fight with Loose Loop. He was also training Angela, but only about twice a week.
What Yu Jung-ak was teaching Angela was striking and wrestling aspects. For ground techniques, it was rather Yu Jung-ak who needed to learn.
"I told you not to come in so openly like that. Want your chin to fly off from a tackle?"
Yu Jung-ak said to Angela, who was doing a single leg takedown. Angela nodded at Yu Jung-ak's pointing out.
"I told you to give a feint. These days, even female division fighters don't fall for such blind tackles. Don't be overconfident just because you're big in your weight class. What will you do when you meet a bigger opponent? There's a limit to what you can do with strength alone."
"I'm sorry, trainer."
"Come in again."
As Yu Jung-ak spoke, Angela took her stance again. At that moment, Cho Yong-il entered the training room and said,
"Jung-ak, come to the office for a bit."
"Yes."
Yu Jung-ak told Angela to practice alone and then went to the office.
"What's the matter? Did a fight get scheduled?"
"It's only been a little over a week since your last fight, what fight?"
"There was no damage in my last fight."
"Weight cutting is also damage. Be careful."
"I understand. But what's the matter?"
"Want to try doing some part-time work?"
"What kind of part-time work?"
"You know what we do at the center, right?"
"You make programs for VIPs and manage them, right?"
"We got a contract from a place called Ruin Entertainment this time, but it's a bit tricky. Want to give it a try?"
Cho Yong-il said as he leaned deep into his chair.