"Haha! I’ve finally made it into Drake Gym!"
Perry Jayco.
He parked his car with an excited heart.
‘Amazing!’
He could only see the exterior for now.
Even so, the sheer presence of Drake Gym was overwhelming.
The Graveyard of Heavyweights.
A place said to perfectly bury those without talent and those who lacked effort.
A place rumored to have heavyweight gatekeepers.
And a place where, if one could endure to the end, their skills would improve tremendously.
‘I’m going to get famous too.’
It was well-known that succeeding in boxing could bring in huge amounts of money.
Surpassing amateur boxing and turning pro would mean astronomical sums—
If successful, it was like hitting the jackpot.
With swelling dreams, Perry grabbed his gym bag and opened the door to Drake Gym.
‘What the... No one’s paying attention to me?’
Were rookies like him so common here?
Even though he had entered with a loud slam of the door, not a single gaze turned his way.
They were all staring at the ring as if entranced.
‘What are they watching?’
With no one available to guide him, Perry thought he might as well take a peek too.
He picked up his bag and walked toward the ring.
And the moment he saw what had everyone mesmerized, he immediately understood.
‘What... What is this?’
It was clearly a sparring match.
Just a sparring match.
But the level was on a completely different plane.
"Not even a second passes, and they’re already exchanging blows like it’s nothing."
"Isn’t this pro-level? Donghu’s just insane."
"He’s only 19! Nineteen! How can someone that young have that level of technique?"
"Ducking, weaving, head rolls, shoulder rolls, parrying... This makes no sense."
Perry was shocked all over again, hearing the spectators’ comments.
‘Nineteen? That guy is nineteen?’
And he even looked Asian.
‘He’s completely dominating.’
It was like watching an elephant crush an ant.
When the 19-year-old Asian guy moved,
His opponent flinched and stumbled back several steps.
His presence alone was overwhelming.
"Still, that guy’s holding out for a while."
"He should! This is already Donghu’s fifth opponent."
"How much stamina does he even have?"
"Did you see Donghu and his coach training? They’re built different...."
"There’s no way a normal person’s joints could withstand that weight. They’d blow out their knees."
"Even though the coach looks like a brute, he’s actually super educated. Apparently, he has multiple degrees."
Since it was clear the match was already decided,
The fighters shifted back to talking about Kim Donghu instead.
‘Nineteen, Asian, heavyweight?’
It was a string of words that didn’t seem to fit together.
But regardless of whether Perry could make sense of it,
The sparring in the ring came to an end.
The fighters, now finished, started pulling out their wallets with resigned expressions.
"Alright, pay up. I told you, right? Donghu would finish five opponents in five rounds."
"Damn it! Homkin! You were the fifth. What the hell was that?"
"Ah, fuck! Then you try it! What was I supposed to do when nothing I threw landed?!"
"You should’ve trusted your headgear and charged in!"
"Easy for you to say, Drake and Draco are just holding mitts!"
"Headgear? What’s the point?!"
"I trusted my headgear and managed to land one punch, didn’t I? Homkin, maybe you’re just a cherry boy."
"Get your facts straight. Didn’t you get dropped right after that?"
The focus of the bets wasn’t even on winning.
It was on how long someone could last.
‘Five opponents in five rounds?’
Perry suddenly realized his ability to process information wasn’t great.
The situation was so incomprehensible that his brain needed time to catch up.
And just as he stood there, watching the chaos unfold—
"Drake, looks like we’ve got a guest."
At the words of the handsome boy leaning against the ring, everyone went silent.
It was like the atmosphere when subordinates faced their king.
"Oh, oh! What? When did you get here? You should’ve said something."
"You and Draco were too busy watching my match."
"Isn’t that the duty of a gym owner and coach? We have to watch our star player’s matches."
"Wait! Weren’t you just calling yourself the star player?"
"Oh, Homkin... It would’ve been nice if you said that after surviving the first round."
"Aaaagh!"
Leaving Homkin’s screams behind,
Drake and Draco immediately approached Perry.
"Newcomer? Welcome. Perry, right?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Good, sorry we didn’t greet you earlier. We had to watch our boss’s match."
Boss?
That one word latched onto Perry’s ears.
‘Drake Gym’s boss.’
It was an unspoken rule.
Since this was a place where fighters came for intense training,
It was only natural to establish who the alpha male was.
That’s why Drake Gym held monthly tournaments for its members.
And anyone who won three consecutive tournaments earned the title of “Boss.”
So that meant—
‘That kid won three tournaments?’
Tournaments were usually held at the end of the month.
And now it was early August.
‘Did he win since May?’
Could that be real? Was this a joke?
‘Is this some kind of prank? Like a surprise setup? This doesn’t make sense.’
His face must have shown his disbelief.
"Hahaha! Look at that face!"
Gym owner Jack Drake instantly caught Perry’s reaction.
Assistant coach Hammer Draco also laughed.
"Of course, who would believe it? A rookie would think we’re joking. Right? An Asian heavyweight?!"
As if this was some familiar routine,
The atmosphere suddenly heated up.
"Yeah! He should prove himself, right?!"
"Right!"
"Yeah! We’re joking, huh? Donghu? Who cares about that guy!"
Things were naturally shifting toward another match.
What was going on?
Behind Perry’s confusion, Kim Donghu sighed in frustration.
"You’re making me do this again? Why am I always the level tester?"
"Because the boss has to do it. And you’re the most accurate gauge."
"Come on...."
"And honestly, it’s partly your fault. You KO’d the last tester in one round, and he quit that day."
"I told you, he provoked me first...."
"He made a racist remark, so it’s fine. But someone still has to fill the spot."
Tired of repeating the same argument,
The boy called the boss gave in with a nod.
Despite his youthful face, his physique didn’t match it.
"Anyway... Perry, right? Warm up and let me know when you’re ready."
"Wait, what?!"
"This guy’s out of it. Warm up. It’s time for your level test."
The intensity of Drake’s words made Perry nod instinctively.
And in that instant, the other fighters gathered around the ring again.
"Let’s make a bet."
"Ever since Donghu became the tester, holy shit, it’s been brutal."
"No kidding. Let’s make a bet, then."
"What’s the topic? Same as last time?"
"Will he score mid-tier or not? What do you think?"
"Hmm, sounds fair. Definitely no chance for top-tier, so we’ll leave that out."
"You know what Donghu said when I asked him how to get top-tier?"
"Wait, I think I’ve heard this one too."
"He said you need to be on his level. I asked if he was serious, and he said yes."
"That’s insane. How can anyone be like him? Honestly, our young boss is annoying sometimes."
"Homkin! Stop sulking and come bet with us!"
"I’m betting he won’t make it!"
And the result—
"Damn it!"
—was Homkin’s defeat.
*****
It was already mid-August—a time that felt like it passed in the blink of an eye.
I was surprised at how accustomed I’d become to life here.
‘Time really flies.’
Maybe it was because my routine revolved entirely around training.
Each day went by in a flash, and it felt like time itself was speeding up.
‘At least that date has passed.’
I felt relieved, perhaps because my parents’ memorial date had come and gone.
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My body was brimming with energy.
It was as if strength kept pouring out of me endlessly.
"Donghu, seriously, isn’t your English way too good?"
"Huh? Why bring that up now?"
"Exactly because it’s surprising. Even the interpreter from the broadcasting station said you’re better than him."
With Sangha hyung teasing me like this every now and then,
I didn’t really have time to get homesick.
Of course—
Donghu sunbae, when are you coming back to Korea?
ㅎ.ㅎ Chisako is waiting and taking voice acting lessons in the meantime!
I had juniors who kept me updated on their lives.
Kim Donghu, I know you’re busy training, but are you eating properly?
Should I make time to come visit? I’ll bring you a lunchbox.
Actor friends who worried about me, even while being blunt.
Donghu, I’m rooting for you. I believe in you.
And, um, if you need anything, let me know. I’ll send it over from Korea right away.
And even an idol friend who sent heartfelt messages of support.
There was no room to feel lonely.
"Donghu, should I make hamburgers for dinner today?"
"Hamburgers sound great."
On top of that, I had a model-turned-manager looking out for me.
In hindsight, it made perfect sense why I always felt energized.
‘I just need to focus and do my part.’
I was about to resume training with that thought in mind—
"I heard there’s a ridiculously handsome... boxer here. Is that true?"
The gym door suddenly burst open.
A man, appearing to be in his mid-40s, walked in.
His sharp suit and polished look screamed wealth and influence.
Without hesitation, as if he had already confirmed his target,
He walked straight toward me and handed me his business card.
"I’m with GOT, a fashion magazine. Would you be interested in becoming a model for us?"
"What?"
A fashion magazine model? Out of nowhere?