"One punch knocked him out?" Nao repeated in shock. "That means the punch was really strong. To the jaw?"
"Yes," I nodded, looking at Tiger, who seemed worried.
"I'm sorry, Tiger. Even though you warned me, I made a mistake. I was careless and didn't think it through enough. This is my fault."
"...Dan," Nao looked at me sadly. I felt worse than before. The boxing gym was furious with me for lying about Jay's experience. That led them to put him in a training program usually given to beginners. The unexpected result? A boxer named Great was knocked out with a single punch.
I had said that because I didn't know they would train him right away, and I also didn't know Jay had such skills. If I had suspected it, this wouldn't have happened.
"Dan," Nao spoke in a quiet tone. I lifted my head to look at him.
"Nao, don't defend him," Tiger said.
"No, Nao," I replied. "Tiger is right. I take responsibility for my mistake."
"I already told you, Jayden is not an ordinary kid. He's a killer, and not just any killer. He's like a tool, a machine without independent thought. Maybe he looks like an innocent kid to you, but he has killed before."
I clenched my fists. "I know."
"That's why you all wear those watches. And yet, you barely understand the importance of those watches. We have to keep an eye on him—not for his sake, but for the people around him. What will you do if one day Jayden kills your friend, Bai Plu? We need someone watching him at the store. If Jayden decides to kill, he will do it in an instant. He doesn't need motivation. Even though you say he won't act without orders, human reflexes are dangerous. Jayden has been killing since he was a child. You want him to live like a normal person. I've supported you in everything, but you can't raise a tiger like a house cat."
"I don't agree with you taking him to the gym without consulting me. That was also my mistake—I was too busy to take calls from my men who told me you brought him there. You saw that he was interested and took him without thinking. You said he was inexperienced. Luckily, Great only passed out. But Dan, one punch to a vital spot could kill. In boxing, there are rules to avoid vital points, but Jayden doesn't know the rules. He fights in underground matches where there are no rules. Killing is no problem. If it wasn't his jaw, but another vital point, Great would be dead."
"...I'm sorry, Tiger. You're right. I treated him like a normal kid and forgot that he has been a killer his entire life. I thought I could handle it, but I didn't consider people like Bai Plu. I just wanted Jay to live like a normal person."
"Think about it—if you told your friends that Jayden is a killer, would they still want to be around him?"
I shook my head.
"Because of my stubbornness, Tiger had to compromise with me," I lowered my head. "I'm sorry for causing trouble and making you worry."
"What will you do now?"
"I need time to think. Or... do you think I'm not fit to take care of Jay anymore?"
Tiger frowned. "If you abandon him, we will kill him. The only reason we haven't is because you asked us not to. We won't use him—even though he's skilled, he makes my men extremely nervous."
"..." I didn't answer. I asked for permission to leave and went back to my room, collapsing onto my bed, exhausted. I decided to call the number I had been given.
Great was awake now. He had been checked and was fine. The gym was still furious.
"Hello, am I bothering you?"
[Dan? No, you're not. What's up?]
"Hey, I just called to check on you. No headaches or anything unusual, right? The doctor said you should still be monitored."
[No, nothing like that. Thanks for checking on me.]
"It's my fault. I'm really sorry for saying Jayden was inexperienced. If I had said he was skilled, you would have been more cautious and maybe wouldn't have gotten hurt, right?"
[Ah, yeah, maybe. If the coach had said he was experienced, I would have been more careful. But I don't know... even if I had been, I don't think I could have avoided a punch that fast. I've fought many times and never seen a punch that quick and precise.]
"Thanks for not being mad."
[After seeing how you got scolded at the gym, I can't be mad at you. Besides, this is just a sport. Getting knocked out in one punch isn't that rare.]
"...I see," I replied. I knew knockouts weren't uncommon in boxing, but Tiger's voice echoed in my mind: 'Jay doesn't know the rules. If it wasn't the jaw, what if it was another vital point?'
"Are you sure you don't want me to pay for your medical fees?"
[Yeah. It wasn't much, just a check-up.]
"Still, I'm sorry again. Goodnight."
[Ah, goodnight, Dan.]
I ended the call, sighing heavily, and then called Jay. Despite what had happened earlier, I still spoke to Jay as usual. Tomorrow was Sunday—our study day.
"Jay."
[Yes?]
"..." I hesitated, unsure of what to say. "Jay."
[Yes.]
"Umm, what are you doing?" I glanced at the clock. It was already 8 PM.
[I'm on the balcony.]
"Looking at the roses?"
[Yes.]
"Jay."
[What is it?]
"Have you finished the homework I gave you?"
[Yes, I finished it.]
"Did you check your answers?"
[Yes.]
"Were they all correct?"
[Yes.]
"That's great," I praised him. "You know, we've known each other for almost half a year now."
[Oh, yeah.]
"Haha, time flies!"
[Yeah.]
"What time do you sleep?"
[In two hours.]
"Ah, okay... Jay."
[Yes.]
"Have I taken good care of you?"
[...]
"Have I ever said anything bad to you or forced you to do things you didn't want to?"
[Dan.]
"Yes?"
[Why are you sad?]
"Jay, I..." I bit my lip, feeling a whirlwind of emotions. "I want to be with you."
[...]
"I want to see you grow, see you happy and healthy."
[I am healthy.]
"That's true. I know."
[Dan.]
"Yes?"
[Can I box again tomorrow?]
I bit my lip. Normally, I would answer enthusiastically, but instead, I asked, "Do you really want to box again?"
[Yes.]
I had promised him that I would support whatever he wanted to do. Saying no would mean breaking that promise. "Let's study the boxing rules before tomorrow, so you have a solid foundation."
[Okay.]
We talked a bit more before ending the call. If Jay could strictly follow boxing rules... would Tiger allow it? Not long after, I heard a knock at the door. I opened it to find Nao in his pajamas.
"Dan, how are you?"
"Hey, I've been thinking about a lot of things."
"You don't look good."
"I've never dealt with something like this before."
"Who has experience taking care of a killer?" Nao stepped inside. "Can I sleep with you tonight?"
"Won't Tiger be mad?"
"Yeah, but I don't care." Nao looked annoyed. "Even if Tiger was right, he hurt your feelings. So he's sleeping alone tonight. Besides, it's been a long time since I last slept with you. I missed this room."
"That's true. Tiger is definitely going to cry."
"Ah, Dan, do you want to cry too?"
"Yeah, I feel like crying," I replied, sitting on the bed as Nao looked around. "This is confusing, Nao. I feel guilty towards Bai Plu and Great. I feel guilty for having to admit that Jay isn't a normal kid. He's dangerous. And I feel guilty for not thinking everything through carefully."
"I understand how you feel, Dan," Nao said while checking my bookshelf. "Because you wanted Jayden to be a normal child, you saw him that way. You didn't want to accept that he was dangerous because you trusted him. What Tiger said about raising a tiger like a cat was a good metaphor. Jayden is a tiger that you see as a cat because of the love you have for him. You treat him like an ordinary cat, but he's still a tiger. Maybe he's not dangerous to you, but he's dangerous to others. Even if Jayden wouldn't hurt anyone without an order, you never know. Like Tiger said, human body instincts are dangerous. A single moment can kill. All of this is difficult for you," Nao sat beside me, leaning on my shoulder. "But from what you told me and what the people watching Jayden observed, it seems like there's no problem. He woke up early to eat downstairs. The people watching him said that he just stood in front of the store."
"Oh, really?"
"You didn't know?"
"I never asked. I thought it wasn't important."
"Jayden just stood there. The shop owner asked what he wanted, but he didn't answer. So they gave him free food, thinking he was a kid without money."
"...Really?"
"Yeah, and they've been giving him food every day. Did you teach him to pay?"
I nodded. "Yeah, but if the shop owner doesn't ask for money, Jay doesn't pay." I realized that every time I asked if he had enough money, he always said yes. "This is bad. I thought he could order food. I never imagined this would happen."
"Yeah."
"I haven't taken care of him properly."
"Dan, you've done your best. You gave him a place to stay, bought him what he needed, paid for everything, picked him up every morning and evening, taught him, protected him, and found him a job. That's amazing. What more could you do? Don't blame yourself too much. Like I said, no one has experience raising a killer. Everything you've done had good intentions. But now, maybe you just need to adjust a little."
"Yeah," I nodded. "I feel guilty towards Bai Plu. I can't tell her the truth, but Jay has to stop working."
"What will you do next?"
"Temporary jobs aren't forever. Jay has already found something he likes—boxing. I have to teach him strict rules. If he can follow the rules, Tiger will let him compete."
"Yeah," Nao nodded. "Find a good gym that will accept him and refine his skills."
"Can Tiger recommend one?"
"Maybe."
"I'll ask him tomorrow."
"I'll go with you."
"If you come, Tiger won't be able to refuse. I'll go alone. I want to talk to him. If you come, that's cheating."
"Oh, really?" Nao pouted. "Alright. Good luck."
"Fighting with Tiger?"
"Yeah, punch him. He won't hit you back."
"Ha, ha, Nao."
I woke up early as usual. I woke Nao up for breakfast, but when I opened the door, I saw Tiger sitting against the wall. When he saw Nao come out, Tiger stood up and hugged him while crying, apologizing. Nao was surprised and asked, "You've been here all night?"
"Yeah, because you were here."
"Why didn't you knock?"
"Because you were angry."
"Yeah, I was really angry," Nao said softly. After that, Tiger started crying. Tiger's serious side could be scary, but the real Tiger was different—clingy, always wanting to be close, and easily upset. He cried easily, but only in front of Nao, as usual. Nao had to patiently comfort him. It took a long time before Tiger stopped crying.
"I understand what you said. You did it because you care, but you also hurt Dan."
"I also..."
"Apologize to Dan."
"No need," I interrupted. "Tiger was right. You don't have to apologize."
Tiger tilted his head slightly at me. "Sorry."
"It's not necessary."
"Please accept my apology."
"Tiger, you didn't do anything wrong."
"Dan, I'm sorry. Please accept my apology. I've been thinking about my words and actions all night. I used inappropriate words and let my emotions control me."
"I already said it's not necessary. It's okay." Tiger stepped closer and put his hand on my shoulder. "Please accept my apology."
"Uh… okay," I nodded. "There's something I want to talk to Tiger about after breakfast."
"Alright."
After breakfast, I took Tiger to the park to talk privately. I told him that I had thought about everything he said and shared my ideas with him.
"Tiger, what do you think?"
"...Hmm, good," Tiger looked thoughtful. "Actually, we have a boxing gym."
"Oh, really?"
"Where do you think our gang members train? It's a gym connected to us. There are regular people training seriously and others training to work in the gang. They can handle Jayden there."
"Ah," I nodded. "That's great."
"I thought martial arts were too dangerous and banned Dan from getting Jayden involved. But it turns out he likes it. Dan doesn't want to break his promise to support him. So it's better to bring him somewhere we can control. It's safer than finding another gym."
"Thanks."
"It's no problem," Tiger replied, still looking deep in thought. "Ah, there's only one trainer or coach who can handle and teach Jayden."
"Who?"
"But he's retired."
"Ah," I answered, disappointed. "What should we do?"
"Ugh," Tiger took a deep breath. "There's no one else. It has to be him."
"Tiger, you look worried."
"Yeah, I don't want to contact him."
"Why? Are you going to ask him to coach again?"
"I have to."
"If you don't want to talk, I can do it?"
"No, it's okay. What time is it in the U.S.?"
"Eight at night."
"Alright, I'll call him," Tiger took a deep breath and dialed the number. I heard a bit of the conversation. The first word wasn't a greeting but a loud curse, making Tiger move the phone away from his ear.
[What do you want, you stupid brat?!]
"Don't yell so loudly!" Tiger replied.
[You still have the guts to call me?!]
Wow! His voice was so loud that even without speaker mode, it was crystal clear!
After that, the man scolded Tiger for almost three minutes. I could tell that Tiger had betrayed, disappointed, and shattered this person's trust, even though the man had given him everything.
"Tiger, you didn't cheat on Nao, did you?"
"No way!" Tiger turned to me. "I told you from the start I didn't want to train with him because I didn't want to be a boxer."
[After learning all my techniques, you became a gangster! I'm disappointed in you!]
"Uncle had too many illusions about me. I always said I didn't want to be a boxer."
[Then why did I bother training you? I thought you'd win a championship belt for me.]
"Well, here's a potential champion. Someone wants you to train him."
[No.]
"He's talented. He can go far."
[Huh, kids these days are lazy, just like you.]
"I'm not lazy," Tiger replied. "Come and see for yourself. If you don't like him, go back to America."
[You're wasting my time.]
"You're not doing anything either."
[You little brat.]
"He's really good. I don't want to praise him, but come and see."
[Give me a summary.]
"His name is Jayden, he's 18 years old. He's been a killer since he was a child. He's only fought in underground boxing. He's never fought in a professional ring. He should be in the lightweight or super lightweight category."
[A killer?]
"Yeah."
[I don't want to get involved with underground fighting. Do you see me as a trainer for wild beasts? Besides, I'm tired.]
"Hey."
[What?]
"It's okay."
[What was that sound you just made?]
"Nothing, it's just… accepting that you don't have the ability anymore isn't a bad thing. You're old and maybe you want to retire. You've been a coach your whole life. That must be exhausting. I understand."
[You'll see, you little brat!] The voice on the other end shouted again. [I'll come check him out. If he's no good, I'm leaving immediately.]
"See you."
Tiger hung up. "I didn't want to call him because he always yells at me."
"So, he's coming?"
"Yeah, he's coming to see Jayden. If he finds him interesting, he might want to train him. It's like the coach's blood in him is reigniting."
"So, what's the deal? Who is he?"
"His name is Ryan. He's a famous and very skilled trainer. We train boxing together. He's sent many of his students to become champions, two of them world champions. But lately, he's said that most of his students are unreliable and not good enough. He wants to send one more student to become a champion before he retires. When he met me, he had high expectations."
"oh"
"Because I am good," Tiger shrugged. "I said from the start that I wasn't going into boxing, but he wanted me to get him the championship. He probably hadn't faced anyone impressive in a long time. In the end, I ditched him, and he got really angry and retired, just like that, without his dream of sending another protégé to become a champion ever coming true."
"He said he was tired and had put a lot of effort into Tiger, right?" I asked, receiving a nod in response. "He's probably disappointed. It would be great if he met Jay and liked him and wanted to train him."
"Let's just wait and see."
"Thank you so much, Tiger," I said sincerely. If that's the case, Jay can finally box, just like he always wanted.
"It's okay, as long as Nao doesn't run away, and go sleep somewhere else...that's enough."
I reluctantly had to take Jay out of Bai Plu's coffee shop, and of course, I got a big lecture. While waiting for that trainer uncle to arrive, I used my free time to teach Jay the rules of boxing.
"Listen, Jay, you have to follow all the rules seriously. No means no. There will be referees watching. If the referee intervenes, you have to stop." I said. Jay nodded, understanding. I explained the rules of boxing that I had researched thoroughly to Jay. "Do you think you can do it?"
"..."
"You look like you're deep in thought," I said.
"I'm thinking...what's left to do."
I smiled. "See? There are techniques, different steps," and showed him a clip of a lightweight boxing match, which Tiger said was Jay's weight class. Jay watched intently until the end. "This was a fight of the latest champion. What do you think?"
"Is this all you can do?"
"Yeah, something like that. That's what you should do. How is it?"
Jay rewinded the video, saying, "This is where the punch was missed. He could dodge, lock the arm, then unleash a flurry of uppercuts and right hooks. There's an opening here to land a punch to the spleen."
"And,"
Jay scrolled through the video, saying, "Here you can use your knees, and then use both elbows to strike the back of the head."
"..."
"If it were me, I would have gone in and attacked him again, not just stood there waiting for him to get up."
"All of that is not allowed. No arm locks, no knees or elbows because this is boxing. And no following up with a second blow is allowed because the referee has forbidden it."
"Yes"
"Okay, let's watch another video."
Today we spent the whole day watching boxing videos so Jay could learn. By evening I excused myself and left.
"A new trainer will be coming tomorrow. I'll take you to meet him and introduce you to him. I heard he's really good."
"Yes"
"And, uh, boxing with rules. Do you still want to box?"
Jay nodded. "Yes, I do."
"Very good."