Arms pulling me back. I resist, wanting to go forward. I need to…Need to what?

I found myself in an awkward position, sitting on my butt with my legs and arms extended and pumped as If I wanted to reach for something at all costs. Preventing me from that were hands grasping my shoulders and pulling me backward, dragging my buttocks over the ring floor.

Fire was in my eyes, in my body, pressing me to do whatever I was being pulled back from. It was red, all red, until green replaced it; a deep green, which drew me in, its calmness steadying the fire in me and eventually extinguishing it.

“Nik…stop...”

Muffled words, sounding gentle….

“Can you hear me, Nik? It’s okay…it’s over…”

The green shaped into irises and then into her eyes.

K.

“W-what?” I gasped.

“It’s over…”

She crunched down before me, holding me by my shoulders. The hands that were pulling me backward before released their grip and two men hurried past me. Kentaro and his fighters gathered behind K. I tilted my head to the side, trying to see past K, but all I saw was the backs of the men. Following my gaze, she briefly turned her head and then spoke: “It’s all over.”

“You mean….” I just couldn’t bring myself to say it. My lips trembled with regret, the last thing I remembered was Wyshnewski’s violent punches, the voice, the sound of the damn crow, and then it all went blank.

“I lost--” I whispered barely audibly, my head drooped, the taste of blood in my mouth.

“You won,” she uttered simultaneously.

I lifted my eyes to her in absolute disbelief, then leaned to the side once more to see the commotion behind her back. A pair of legs, extended and immovable on the floor, came into my view. The torso and the head of the person lying were obstructed by the men standing and squatting around it, but an idea of whose legs those were already formed in my mind.

I scrambled up and crawled on all fours closer. Upon noticing me, some of the guys immediately blocked my way. In between their legs, I saw Yan Wyshnewski lying limp on the floor, his face smashed to a pulp.

“Come, we better go.” K pressed her hand on my shoulder.

She spotted me as I stood up, my legs shaking, my eyes unable to break away from the Polish fighter. Like a sleepwalker I followed her across the ring, my brain racking itself for the missing memories.

Wyshnewski’s groans reached my ears just as I was climbing down the ring. A sigh of relief left my mouth, and as I turned to look at him one more time, I met Kentaro’s glare. His face conveyed more anger at me than concern for his fighter.

Nearing the exit, K raised her arm and without turning waved, uttering a loud, most nonchalant: “Ciao!”

As soon as we stepped outside the hall she turned to me abruptly and grabbed my forearms, a gesture which I, in the most natural way, reciprocated in the same instant. We both gazed into each other’s eyes and collapsed into spontaneous muffled giggles, making a few small jumps with our feet together, all in an expression of an uncontrollable, sheer joy that we both felt at that moment.

As the emotion passed, we detached with a brisk movement, averting our stares from each other in a slight embarrassment, as if our deed was somehow inappropriate. K cleared her throat and leaned in, her radiant eyes looking up at me: “Are you injured?”

Surprised by such display of concern, I passed my hand over my face and tapped over my torso, but apart from the usual pain and swellings that are expected in a fight, I didn’t detect any serious damage. Relieved, I shook my head.

“Ok, good. Now tell me, what happened in the ring?”

“I--” Rubbing the back of my head with my hand, I struggled with an adequate explanation. “I’m not sure…”

“What do you remember?”

“Well, I remember Wyshnewski missing his heel kick and then going all crazy. He had me on the ground. I heard your shouts…that I should protect. I was afraid you’d stop the fight…and then…then the next thing I remember is your face in front of me.”

“That’s all?” Her eyes were examining me all right.

“Pretty much…I had this fiery feeling…like I wanted to just…to…ech…I don’t know…I don’t know how to describe it—“

“Try.”

“It was like I was on fire…I mean, I was in the midst of something and then I was stopped and I just wanted to continue with it, no matter what…but…I had no idea what was I doing…or did….I don’t even know how I finished the fight…” Of course, I didn’t tell her about the voice. It was all maddening enough as it was.

She broke the eye contact and turned slightly sideways in a contemplative manner. “Well, you punched the hell out of him, that’s how it went down. I was about to throw in the towel when he was on top of you, but suddenly you came to life, and then… It was just about one of the most vicious ground and pound I’ve ever seen. Poor guy couldn’t even tap. If Kentaro didn’t call to stop I would. But you kept going even after that, so his guys came up on the ring and had to pull you away.”

Watching her I listened with no recollection about any of it. All of a sudden, my visual field began shrinking from the left side.

She blinked her eyes a few times, still observing me with keen interest. “So, you don’t remember anything?”

Fighting off the pressing closure of my left eyelid, I shook my head.

“Well…”A sneaky smile appeared across her lips, as she glanced toward the hall. “It will certainly shut Kentaro up for a while.”

I met her stare only with my right eye, for the left was now shut completely. We both smiled, our lips quivering in a conspiratorial manner as we sensed the approach of Kentaro and his fighters.

With barely conscious Wyshnewski leaning on their arms, Kentaro and his guys walked past us in reproachful silence. Kentaro’s mouth was so tightly shut the outline of his jaw protruded on his face. He left the building without a single word or glance in our direction.

I felt my body relaxing and the pain becoming more prominent as the adrenaline subsided. There was blood too, gathering from the insides of my mouth. Looking at K I realized the tension that lingered between us since the incident with Sato was gone.

The win was the outcome that both of us hoped for but not believed it possible and as such it acted as a release for all the negative feelings, insecurities, and mistrust that have built up in our relationship. It endowed us with genuine happiness through which we reconnected. It was just a small battle that we’d won, but it was the validation we both needed. We now knew we were on the right path.

“So…”

“Yes?” I interjected a little too eagerly, my mouth unable to resist a smile.

“It’s….” She winced, pointing her finger at my face. “There’s blood on your teeth.”

I pressed my lips together and ran my tongue along the insides, sweeping my teeth. At least they were all still there.

“We’ll need to visit Sueno san again. He should take a look at that eye.”

I chuckled, I was so happy I was hardly bothered by my impaired vision. “Sure, when do we go?”

“The sooner the better. Let’s meet tomorrow at 10 am, we’ll take the train.”

I nodded and at that moment I wanted to hug my proxy, but revelling in the exhilaration I only kept gazing at her

A small frown wrinkled her forehead. “You should go now…to your room, to rest.”

“Yeah….” I reset my mind and began looking around for my stuff. “I’ll meet you tomorrow then.”

She smiled as if she knew what went on in my head and departed with a small nod.