Real Man

Yoo-hyun chuckled as he recalled that time.

“Why was he so nervous then?”

“When?”

“When he passed the weigh-in, he seemed to have tears in his eyes.”

“No, he didn’t.”

“Maybe I saw it wrong.”

As Yoo-hyun stepped back, Jeong Da-hye became a bit more honest.

“Actually, I think my eyes were a little moist too.”

“Maybe it was because you saw him struggle so hard.”

“He didn’t become a champion for nothing.”

Jeong Da-hye nodded at Yoo-hyun’s words and recited the path that Lee Jang-woo had walked with a calm voice.

“He seems to have amazing mental strength. Yesterday, he rolled on the mat and vomited, but there was no water coming out, only pain. He was dying, but he still wore a sweat suit and ran again…”

The pain that Lee Jang-woo had endured was evident in her words.

Yoo-hyun had something he wanted to say to her at this point.

“It was because you were by his side that Jang-woo could endure it.”

“I didn’t do anything. I actually thought he was crazy. I wanted to stop him.”

“Then you should have stopped him.”

“How could I? He said he would do it until the end. He said he wanted to do it for the countless people who cheered for him. How could I stop him?”

She seemed to be immersed in Lee Jang-woo, and she choked up.

She must be worried, but she would know it after the match was over.

Lee Jang-woo was standing on the ring not only for others, but also for himself to shine and be happy.

Yoo-hyun decided not to tell her something that she wouldn’t understand unless she experienced it, and instead said something intuitive.

“Don’t worry. He’ll be very happy now that he can eat as much as he wants.”

“Is he eating now?”

“Yes. He must be eating like crazy. He’s probably in the third stage by now.”

The first stage was to soothe the empty stomach with soft porridge, the second stage was to drink a lot of water with salty food, and the third stage was to explode the suppressed appetite with high-protein food such as beef.

In the third stage, one could feel the greatest happiness by eating.

Depending on how one did it, one could gain up to 10 kilograms.

It was the reward for losing weight.

Jeong Da-hye, who had been thinking for a while, asked.

“Isn’t it possible to eat with other people from the third stage, except for the nutrition coach?”

“Yes. The gym mates must have joined him too.”

“Then you should go too.”

“No. I want to spend the night with you. We’ve been apart for too long.”

What?

Jeong Da-hye was dumbfounded by Yoo-hyun’s serious expression.

It was then.

Yoo-hyun’s phone, which was placed on the table, rang.

Beep.

-Yoo-hyun, come and eat beef. It’s really awesome here. (Photo attached)

It was a message from the gym manager.

Lee Jang-woo’s face, who was eating well, also appeared on the screen.

His face looked much better, and his eyes were clear.

Seeing that, Jeong Da-hye chuckled.

“Go ahead.”

“Ha! The manager is really no help.”

“Go instead of sighing. I can see you later.”

“Okay.”

Jeong Da-hye kissed Yoo-hyun’s cheek as he made a regretful sound.

Smooch.

Yoo-hyun blinked, and she changed the subject.

“Do you think Jang-woo will win tomorrow?”

Yoo-hyun, who had been staring at her quietly, smiled brightly.

“Of course. He’s my junior.”

“I hope so.”

“It will be. Let’s be with him.”

“Yes.”

Jeong Da-hye held Yoo-hyun’s hand tightly.

The will to be together was conveyed through the warmth of the hand.

The next evening, the huge cylindrical exterior of Madison Square Garden shone brightly.

It was for the first UFC event in New York.

The audience lined up early in front of the entrance.

Buzz.

Before long, the 20,000 seats in the hall were filled.

In the middle of the three-tiered audience, an octagonal cage where the match would take place was located.

Above it, on a circular large screen, the interviews of the fighters were broadcast live.

After Martin Yorte, Lee Jang-woo’s face appeared.

His confident words came out in English through the interpreter, Jeong Da-hye.

-I’m in perfect condition. I’m going to start the event with a bang and get a K.O win in the first round.

Lee Jang-woo clenched his fist, and cheers erupted from the audience.

“Korean Tank! Awesome!”

“Woah! Tank!”

He wasn’t as popular as other fighters, but he had a decent response.

In the corridor outside the arena, Yoo-hyun watched this scene through the screen and admired.

“Jang-woo, he’s got some popularity.”

“It’s because he was on Super Punch. Super Punch also promoted him well.”

“How did they promote him?”

“Didn’t you see? Lee Jang-woo’s highlight videos, they were posted on Super Punch’s website.”

“Really?”

Yoo-hyun didn’t know that.

Now, without Yoo-hyun’s breath, Super Punch took care of Lee Jang-woo.

That meant that Lee Jang-woo’s performance during training was impressive.

“More than that, Mark Colvin mentioning Jang-woo in the interview was a big deal. It means he cares about him.”

“That was yesterday.”

“It’s already spread everywhere.”

“Geez, they’re so fast.”

“It’s even hotter in Korea. Look at this. The number of concurrent viewers is a record.”

Park Young-hoon, who was talking, showed his phone.

On the screen, an internet broadcast that was being broadcast in Korea was flowing.

Yoo-hyun skimmed through the comments below.

-Holy! Lee Jang-woo’s body is incomparable to when he weighed in? How much did he bulk up?

-He went to Super Punch and became a super tank. He’s no joke.

-Isn’t a first round K.O too much? Martin Yorte is not an easy opponent.

-I agree. Martin Yorte has a long reach, so Lee Jang-woo will have a hard time.

-I hope Lee Jang-woo beats him up. He annoys me every time he opens his mouth.

-He got scolded by Mark Colvin when he picked a fight at the weigh-in. He even apologized on Garnet Fight. That’s justice, right?

-Justice my ass. He made racist remarks to Lee Jang-woo yesterday at the backstage. It’s already spread everywhere. He must be beaten up.

Yoo-hyun smiled as he checked the latest post.

“How do they know that? There were no cameras at the backstage.”

“Maybe someone who was there told them. It’s easy to write on the internet.”

“But we were the only ones there. And his voice wasn’t loud either.”

Yoo-hyun gave him a suspicious look, and Park Young-hoon changed the subject.

“Ahem! Anyway, look at the comments. There’s also something about Ellis.”

“What Ellis? Huh?”

Yoo-hyun’s eyes widened.

-But isn’t Lee Jang-woo’s interpreter pretty? Her voice is so catchy.

-She has charisma. She didn’t even blink when Martin that bastard picked a fight yesterday.

-Her skin is so white, and her body is amazing. She’s totally my ideal type.

On the screen that Park Young-hoon showed him, there were really comments about Jeong Da-hye.

He felt it was strange and got angry.

“Who are they to judge someone else’s appearance?”

“What’s wrong with that? It’s good to be popular. I think she’ll have a fan club soon.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“There are all kinds of weirdos in the world. Anyway, if she has a fan club, you should join and leave some nice comments.”

“Why should I?”

“Why? You got a VVIP seat thanks to Ellis. You should pay back something.”

‘It’s true!’

He felt annoyed, but he couldn’t tell the truth here.

-Let’s talk after the match. I don’t want to bother him now.

It was because of what Jeong Da-hye said.

Yoo-hyun just dodged the question.

“Still, it’s a bit weird. She’s someone I know.”

“So what? It’s good to be popular. And why are you getting angry? She’s not your girlfriend.”

‘She is!’

He wanted to shout, but he couldn’t tell the truth here either.

Yoo-hyun just sighed and said.

“Fine. Let’s drop it.”

Park Young-hoon nodded and looked at the comments again.

-By the way, who is Ellis? Is she a fighter?

-No, she’s a translator. She works for Super Punch.

-A translator? She’s so cool. I want to see her more.

-You can see her on Garnet Fight. She’s the one who translated the interview with Lee Jang-woo.

-Really? I’ll check it out later.

Park Young-hoon smiled and said.

“See? She’s getting more attention. She’s even on Garnet Fight.”

“Garnet Fight?”

Yoo-hyun was surprised.

Garnet Fight was a popular online platform that broadcasted various martial arts events.

It was also the main sponsor of this UFC event.

Yoo-hyun wondered how Jeong Da-hye got involved with them.

“Did she get a job there?”

“No, she’s just helping out. She said they needed a translator for the Korean fighters.”

“Wow, she’s amazing. She’s doing everything.”

Yoo-hyun was impressed by her versatility.

He remembered how she helped him with the Shale Oil Project.

She was the same person who took on the interpreter job without hesitation.

She did her best even though it was a temporary job.

Yoo-hyun smiled and said.

“She’s really something. She’s smart, pretty, and hard-working.”

Park Young-hoon snorted and said.

“You sound like you’re in love with her.”

Yoo-hyun felt his face heat up and denied it.

“No, I’m not. I’m just stating the facts.”

“Sure, sure. Whatever you say.”

Park Young-hoon teased him, but he didn’t press further.

He knew that Yoo-hyun and Jeong Da-hye had a complicated relationship.

They were friends, but not quite.

They were close, but not too close.

They were something in between, but not defined.

Park Young-hoon thought they would make a good couple, but he didn’t want to interfere.

He decided to let them figure it out on their own.

Soon, the bright lights and majestic music filled the arena.

With a huge cheer, Lee Jang-woo appeared.

He walked confidently with a towel with the Super Punch logo on his shoulder.

The Super Punch coaches accompanied him on both sides, and Kim Tae-soo followed behind with a large Korean flag in his hands.

Yoo-hyun, who was sitting in the VVIP seat, watched the scene and suddenly remembered an old memory.

‘I was in that position when Jang-woo had his domestic championship match.’

At that time, Yoo-hyun had temporarily taken the role of a coach at Lee Jang-woo’s request.

It was a ridiculous decision in retrospect, but he didn’t regret it.

Rather, it was an honor for him to be with his beloved junior when he reached the top.

He was now sharing that moment with Jeong Da-hye.

Yoo-hyun glanced at her, who was sitting next to him and focusing.

-The first fighter to enter the lightweight division, the Korean Tank Lee Jang-woo, is 5.4 feet (166 centimeters) tall, weighs 155 pounds (70.3 kilograms), and has a record of 2 wins and 0 losses…

As the UFC announcer’s voice rang out, Jeong Da-hye added a word.

“Jang-woo is relatively short and has a short arm length, but he has a great burst of speed, so his range of motion is quite wide.”

“Really?”

“Yes. His core is well trained, so he has a good balance and a fast weaving. Look over there.”

Lee Jang-woo moved his upper body lightly from side to side on the ring.

Swish. Swish.

Yoo-hyun had seen it many times, and even sparred with him.

But it felt very fresh when it came from Jeong Da-hye’s mouth.

Yoo-hyun asked curiously.

“How do you know all that?”

“I have to know. I analyzed him while watching him train. I can’t back him up if I don’t know his physical specs, habits, or training style.”

‘Is she really an interpreter?’

She was the same as when she worked on the Shale Oil Project.

She put all her effort into the interpreter job that she took on by chance.

Yoo-hyun laughed and asked.

“Then why didn’t you join the coaching staff? It would be nice if you translated for him.”

“He doesn’t need simple translation during the match. He can understand some of it, and Tae-soo will help him with the rest.”

“But Jang-woo listens to you well.”

“That’s not the point. The coaching staff should be experts. Not amateurs like me.”

Jeong Da-hye drew a clear line.

-The hyena of UFC! Martin Yor~te!

The announcer’s loud voice echoed as Martin Yorte appeared.

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