June and Ocho stood before each other, each in their full sparring gear. From the audience's viewpoint, it already seemed like Ocho would win. He had a fitter body than June, and his legs were also quite long.
June cracked his knuckles from behind his back.
He actually couldn't wait for the game to start since he missed engaging in contact fighting.
Being a trainee and, consequently, an idol definitely had its perks, but it also took away some of the hobbies that June enjoyed during his past life.
June technically didn't know how to play Taekwondo, but he learned a lot after watching the previous games.
"You're going to keep your sunglasses on?" Ocho asked.
June wordlessly nodded. It was definitely a disadvantage, but he couldn't afford anyone falling for him at that very moment.
The eight boys on the side moving like perky little cheerleaders were already too much for June to handle.
The room turned silent as the referee signaled the start of the game. June and Ocho bowed at each other, and then they bounced on their feet, circling each other on the soft mat.
June, with a confident glint in his eyes, observed Ocho's every move. The faintest hint of a smirk played on his lips as he mentally noted Ocho's defensive stances and reflexes.
They continued to circle each other, with Ocho landing most of the hits on June's abdomen.
The members of OCTA watched the match intently, occasionally cheering for Ocho whenever he landed a hit.
However, Uno remained silent, his gaze focused on his member's opponent. June looked way too calm for someone who was seemingly losing.
The members of EVE flinched every time Ocho landed a hit on June's abdomen.
Jaeyong held Jisung back since he wanted to fight Ocho right then and there. Jaeyong leaned closer to Jisung's ears.
"This isn't you, Jisung. Calm down," he dramatically whispered.
Ocho landed another kick, stronger than the ones before. At that moment, June became sure. Ocho definitely had experience with the sport. He didn't move like a professional, but Ocho probably knew more about Taekwondo than the ordinary citizen.
If June wasn't wearing any sparring gear, then he was sure he'd bruise on the spots Ocho had kicked. He felt a slight pain in his ribs, but it wasn't anything alarming.
June was used to getting kicked.
During his first year as a thug, he underwent multiple hazing activities that led him to have chronic back issues. So, being kicked like this almost felt like a slap on the wrist.
For nearly a minute, Ocho dominated the game.
However, in that minute, June analyzed Ocho's playing style.
June realized that Ocho didn't kick too well with his left leg, so that gave him the opportunity to take advantage of the idol's weak side.
June's smirk reappeared.
Now, it was showtime.
With a swift motion, he aimed a powerful kick at Ocho's abdomen, testing the waters.
Ocho paused for a moment, stunned by the power that came from someone who had a lean body like June.
The others watching were also taken aback. The sound of June's foot hitting Ocho's gear sounded like it hurt, so they wondered if June was hiding his potential in the sport after all.
Undeterred, June followed up with a lightning-quick kick to Ocho's head.
The onlookers gasped at the precision of the move. Nobody had landed a kick to the head in the past rounds since none of them had experience with Taekwondo.
However, June, someone shorter than Ocho by nine centimeters, actually overe their gap and landed a kick on his head!
It was almost unbelievable.
Ocho was once again caught off guard, so June took that moment to exploit the situation.
He landed kicks on his abdomen left and right, not giving Ocho the time and chance to fight back.
June smirked as he felt the thrill of fighting course through his veins. It had been a while since he felt like this, so he wanted to ride on the high of it for longer.
However, there were only less than twenty seconds left.
June made the most of it by landing another kick to Ocho's head.
Ocho managed to land a kick to June's abdomen, but June paid it back three times more. At that point, the producers on the side also started losing count of the points June had gathered.
Five seconds left, and June wanted to land one last kick to Ocho's head.
So, he positioned himself, bent his knees, and turned to one side. He delivered the kick with precision; however, much to his surprise, he didn't feel the exhilarating feeling of his foot landing on the soft padding. It didn't make a satisfying sound, either.
Instead, he felt an unusual force on his ankles—like someone had wrapped their hand around them.
June's eyes widened slightly as he realized the situation.
The whistle blew, signaling the end of the game.
The referee pointed at June, signifying he had won the final round.
The members of EVE cheered his name, even holding hands like they had won the World Cup.
However, that wasn't really important for June. As Ocho continued grasping on his ankle, he felt himself losing balance.
And before he even knew it, he was already toppling to the ground.
Ocho let go of his ankle but also lost balance in the process.
In the end, the two of them found themselves on the floor, with June right on top of Ocho.
The room once again turned silent from the unexpected turn of events. The members of EVE were heartbroken as they watched the scene.
June groaned and tried getting up. However, he felt another strange sensation—like there was something missing from his body.
He looked down at Ocho and found the world looking incredibly bright.
Then, that's when it hit him.
He quickly turned to the side and saw his sunglasses on the floor, just right next to them.
June closed his eyes to salvage the situation, but it was already too late.
Ocho's eyes were practically shooting hearts as he looked at June.
June won the game that day…
…but if you asked him, it felt like he had utterly lost.
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