The invitation came in the least dramatic way possible folded up in the laundry.
Soon Hae was sorting freshly dried shirts when a small flyer fluttered to the floor. She bent to pick it up and read the bold red letters:
Harbor Youth Boxing Challenge Open Entry
Sponsored by Iron Tiger Boxing Academy
Her eyes darted to the bottom:
Winner earns a scholarship spot in the Academy.
Her heart thudded.
"Where did this come from?" she asked, waving the paper at Mrs. Kim.
Mrs. Kim squinted over her glasses. "That's for you."
"Me?!"
"Joon seok dropped it off this morning. Said if you're going to spend all your free time tripping over ropes in his gym, you might as well make it count."
---
Two days later, she was standing in the community gymnasium, her hands wrapped, her stomach a knot of nerves. The smell of sweat and instant noodles filled the air. Rows of plastic chairs were crammed with spectators, fishermen on their day off, restaurant owners, kids waving homemade signs.
In the center, a single boxing ring sat under the harsh glare of fluorescent lights.
"You look like you're about to throw up," Joon seok said, adjusting her helmet.
"I might," she muttered.
"Just breathe. You're in the beginner division three one-minute rounds. Keep your guard up, don't waste energy, and don't panic."
She stared at him. "You do realize I panic for a living, right?"
He smirked. "Then surprise me."
---
Her first opponent was a girl about her height but with sharper footwork. The bell rang, and instantly the other girl was bouncing side to side, jabbing quick. Soon Hae threw a wild punch and shockingly landed on her.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
The other girl blinked, taken aback, and that half second was all Soon Hae needed to land another. She wasn't graceful, but her raw strength pushed her forward.
By the end of the first round, she was breathing hard, but so was her opponent.
Second round, the girl came in faster, trying to overwhelm her. Soon Hae stumbled back then accidentally tripped on her own foot, ducking just as a punch whizzed over her head. The crowd roared at the lucky dodge.
By the third round, adrenaline had replaced fear. She blocked clumsily but kept punching. When the bell rang, she wasn't sure who had won.
Then the referee raised her hand.
She'd won her first match.
---
Two more bouts followed. Each time, she started shaky, got hit more than she liked but her stubbornness kept her in the fight.
One opponent moved in fast; she caught them with a wild hook that nearly sent them stumbling. Another had reach on her; she closed the gap and kept throwing until the bell saved them both from collapse.
Somewhere in the second match, she heard Joon seok's voice from the sidelines: "Not bad, market girl!"
By the final bout the division championship her arms felt like lead. Across from her was a tall, lean boy with sharp eyes. He moved like he had been boxing for years.
The first round was rough. He jabbed from a distance, picking her apart. The second round, she tried rushing in, only to eat two clean shots to the headgear.
In the corner, Joon seok leaned in. "He's faster, so stop chasing him. Let him come to you."
She nodded, panting.
The bell for the last round rang. She stayed still, guard high. The boy darted in with a jab and she threw a hook. It connected.
The crowd erupted.
The boy recovered, but she had found her rhythm now moving just enough, throwing when he stepped in. The final seconds ticked away with both of them trading punches in a flurry.
Bell. Match over.
The referee stood between them, holding both wrists.
"And the winner… by decision…"
The pause was agony.
"…Soon Hae!"
The crowd exploded.
---
By the time she stepped down from the ring, sweaty and aching, she could barely feel her legs. But the smile on her face was unstoppable.
Joon seok met her at the bottom of the steps, clapping once. "Told you to surprise me."
She laughed, breathless. "I think I surprised myself."
From the judges' table, the announcer called, "Award presentation for the Harbor Youth Boxing Challenge!"
She stood beside the other winners, still half in disbelief, as the head coach of Iron Tiger himself a tall, broad shouldered man with a voice like gravel placed a medal around her neck.
"Not bad, kid," he said. "Messy, but not bad."
Then he held out a black and gold envelope.
"Scholarship. Training at Iron Tiger. Starting Monday."
---
The crowd's cheers blurred into a warm hum in her ears. She stared at the envelope in her hands, heavy with possibility.
For years, boxing had been her mother's story, a memory hanging on the wall in a pair of old gloves.
Now, it was hers too.
---
Outside, the cool harbor air wrapped around her like a second wind. Joon seok walked beside her, medal glinting in the streetlights.
"So, Iron Tiger rookie," he said. "How does it feel?"
She grinned. "Like I'm gonna regret this in training."
He laughed. "Probably... But you earned it."
They walked in comfortable silence until the restaurant came into view, its windows glowing against the night.
Soon Hae looked at her medal one last time, then at the academy's envelope. Her stepmother might not understand, her dad would probably just laugh but for once, she didn't care.
She had stepped into the ring and walked out with more than she had ever expected.
And next time, she promised herself, she'd be even better.
---