Zero's POV
I was heading to Taesan High with Miyuki as we walked together.
We arrived at the school gate and entered; many students were outside their rooms, staring in our direction.
I wasn't surprised by the attention we were getting, probably because of the event happening in the gymnasium today.
Miyuki and I planned to stop by our classroom first to check on our friends and see them for ourselves.
We entered the room, and I spotted my classmates waiting for us inside.
Many greeted me with words of support like, "You got this, man! Do your best in the fight! We’ll be there to support you, don’t give up, Zero."
I couldn't help but smile because I had friends like them ready to fight alongside me in spirit.
Not wanting to prolong the wait, I invited them to join me at the gymnasium, where the future was at stake for our section.
We arrived at the gymnasium, which had two sliding doors for entrance.
I opened the doors and scanned the gym's interior; there was graffiti on the floor and chairs set up on the stage at the far end.
I spotted Kizaki's group on the right side of the gym, and they were now looking at me.
He smiled at us, and his friends cheered as we approached.
We moved to the left side to face them.
I walked to the center of the gymnasium to confront Kizaki alone.
He told his friends not to interfere, and I did the same with mine.
The gymnasium filled with cheers for what was about to happen, and Kizaki's group agreed to the no-interference rule, as did mine.
Now, I was facing Kizaki, looking seriously into his eyes, and he returned the gaze.
Kizaki spoke, "The day I've been waiting for has arrived, Zero. Can you take the title from me?" I smiled and replied, "I’m taking the top spot, right here and right now."
I raised my fists and got into a fighting stance, mirroring his pose.
We locked eyes seriously, then said in unison, "Let’s fight."
He charged at me, and I rushed at him without hesitation.
I wound up to throw a punch with my left, and he did the same; our fists collided, hitting each other's jaws hard.
I didn’t flinch; instead, I was even more motivated to fight, and he matched my intensity.
I noticed he charged at me again, so I charged back.
We exchanged punches fiercely, neither of us wanting to back down.
I threw a powerful right hook, and he responded with his right fist. My punch landed on his nose, and he hit my lip.
The force of his punch made me step back, just as he did.
I noticed blood on my lip and spat it on the gym floor, glaring at him.
He wiped his nose, feeling the trickle, and stared at me with a grin.
Now, our appetizer was over, and we were both ready for the main course.
He lunged at me quickly, and I raised my guard near my face to anticipate his next move.
As he got close, I placed my left foot behind me and advanced with my right.
I saw Kizaki’s left shoulder rise, so I wound up, aiming a kick at his chin.
Fortunately, I anticipated his intention and struck cleanly, causing him to retreat.
Not wanting to miss this chance, I rushed at him without hesitation.
He raised his hands to protect his face, but that wasn’t my plan, so I quickly kicked with my left foot, targeting his right side.
My kick connected with his ribs, making him drop his hands, and I pulled back my left leg, spinning right for a 360 kick with my right foot, aiming for his temple.
But I didn’t expect him to grab my right ankle with his right hand, stopping my kick.
I was surprised and he said, "Not so fast, Zero." I tried to retract my foot, but his grip was tight.
He stepped closer, winding up a punch with his left fist, and I quickly raised both my hands to my face.
His heavy punch hit my guard hard, and I pulled my right foot away as he swung.
While I was regaining my balance due to the pain in my left foot, he charged at me with all his strength.
He threw a right punch, grazing the left side of my face as I ducked. I tried to punch him in the ribs with my left hand, but he elbowed my right ear with his right hand.
He followed up with a punch from his left fist straight to my right jaw, landing a solid hit that knocked me to the gym floor.
I didn’t get up immediately; after a few seconds, I noticed him stepping away from me.
My right cheek throbbed with pain, and I lay on the gym floor.
Thoughts of my plans for this school and my dream of becoming number one at Taesan High filled my mind.
I shook off the daze and slowly stood up, gathering my strength because I wasn't done, and this wasn’t my final fight here.
I stood tall, facing Kizaki a few meters away, looking at him seriously while keeping a calm mindset.
I raised my fists again, placing my left foot behind and advancing my right for my usual fighting stance.
I challenged him to come at me with my right hand, smirking at him.
He grinned back and sprinted toward me, and I ran to meet him head-on.
To be continued.....