KM did not chase JP's head after the first kick.
He attacked the body again.
His shin struck beneath JP's right elbow. JP folded enough for the next punch to touch his temple, then escaped along the fence before KM could trap him completely.
"Move right!" I shouted. "Don't stay square!"
JP moved.
For six seconds, the training worked.
He circled into open space, extended his jab, and forced KM to reset his feet. The Med Track section reacted as if he had already won the round.
KM heard them.
He stepped through JP's next jab, drove a knee into his stomach, and pressed him against the fence.
JP tried to turn beneath the underhook.
KM widened his stance and kept him there.
Short punches struck JP's ribs, shoulder, and thigh. None looked dramatic enough to end a fight. Together, they removed pieces of him.
"Thirty seconds," Mr. Kim said beside me.
The round had lasted only thirty seconds.
JP's face already understood the difference between training pressure and KM.
He lowered one elbow to protect his ribs.
KM's left hook found the opening above it.
JP dropped to one knee.
The referee stepped between them and began the count.
"One. Two. Three."
JP looked toward our corner.
"Breathe!" I shouted. "Take the count!"
He placed one foot beneath him at five and stood at seven.
The referee checked his eyes.
"Walk toward me."
JP obeyed.
"Hands up."
JP raised them.
The fight continued.
KM smiled.
"That was your easy one," he said.
JP's answer disappeared behind his mouth guard.
KM attacked again.
This time, JP did not retreat in a straight line. He stepped right, touched KM with a jab, and moved before the return punch arrived.
He repeated it once.
Then twice.
The third jab landed cleanly against KM's nose.
It did not hurt him enough to matter.
It irritated him enough to matter too much.
KM caught JP's next kick, lifted the leg, and drove him backward. JP struck the floor near the fence and covered his head as KM followed with controlled punches from above.
The referee leaned closer.
"Defend. Improve your position."
JP turned to one hip, built a frame with his forearm, and crawled toward the fence. KM tried to flatten him, but JP placed one foot beneath him and stood exactly the way we had practiced.
It was ugly.
It worked.
"Moon landing!" NC screamed from the audience.
JP laughed around the mouth guard.
KM hit him for it.
The first bell arrived while JP remained standing.
I pulled him onto the stool.
"Look at me."
He did.
"Where are we?"
"City Square."
"What round ended?"
"One. Unfortunately."
His pupils were equal. He tracked my finger. His breathing was fast but controlled.
Mr. Kim pressed ice against the swelling beneath his left eye.
"You cannot accept the fence," he said. "Turn before your back touches it."
JP looked down at his wrist.
I filled the first square with the corner marker.
He smiled.
Across the cage, KM remained on his feet.
He did not need the stool.
Round Two began with JP refusing to move backward.
That was brave for four seconds.
Then KM kicked his lead leg.
JP's knee buckled. He recovered before touching the floor and answered with a right hand that struck KM's cheek.
The Med Track section rose.
KM stepped forward.
JP punched again.
The second right hand missed. KM changed level beneath it, locked both arms around JP's hips, and lifted him from the floor.
JP struck the mat on his side.
Air left him in one sound.
KM settled into half guard and drove his shoulder beneath JP's jaw. JP tried to create space, but every movement exposed the body.
KM punched the ribs.
Once.
Twice.
Then a third time when JP protected his head instead.
"Use the fence!" I shouted. "Turn toward us!"
JP could hear me.
His body required longer to obey.
He trapped KM's wrist, moved his hips, and reached the fence with his foot. KM pulled him away before he could stand.
"He can't get up!" one of KM's corner men shouted. "Med Track brought a class clown!"
The Engineering side answered with laughter.
JP looked toward them.
That distraction cost him another punch.
"Forget them!" I shouted.
KM pressed his forearm across JP's throat.
It was not a clean submission. It did not need to be. The pressure forced JP to turn, and the turn gave KM his back.
KM placed one hook inside and reached for the choke.
JP caught the top hand with both gloves.
Ten seconds remained.
The crowd counted with the clock.
KM pulled across JP's jaw instead of beneath the chin.
JP refused to tap.
The bell ended the round.
KM released him one second late.
The referee warned him.
KM walked away without acknowledging it.
JP crawled toward our corner before standing.
I met him at the stool.
"How many fingers?"
"Two."
I was holding up three.
Mr. Kim touched my wrist before I reached for the towel.
"Ask again."
I moved my hand and raised two fingers.
"How many?"
"Two. You changed it. I was looking at the screen behind you."
The screen displayed a replay of KM's takedown.
JP followed my finger correctly. His speech remained clear. The cage physician checked him through the fence and allowed the corner to continue.
"You scared me," I said.
"That was psychological warfare."
I filled the second square.
JP looked toward Thoon.
She raised four fingers again.
He forgot the warning before the next bell.
Inside the broadcast control room, JP's second knockdown produced the highest audience numbers of the night.
The live prediction dropped from nine percent to four.
One producer prepared a replay package showing JP's mother and little sister from photographs taken from his public account. The title card read WHAT IS HE FIGHTING FOR?
VT removed it.
"They don't know," he said.
"That makes the reveal stronger," the producer replied.
"It makes the family unpredictable. Use the girl in the VIP row instead."
The screen changed to Thoon holding up four fingers.
Another camera found the matching squares on JP's wrist.
The director arranged both images beside the round clock.
"Do we know what four means?"
VT watched JP turn toward Thoon before the third bell.
"It means he has stopped fighting the man in front of him."
The tournament medical adviser entered through the rear door.
"He has absorbed two clean knockdowns and prolonged ground pressure. His corner needs to watch his recovery closely."
"Is he medically unfit to continue?" VT asked.
"Not at present. He was oriented and defended the choke."
"Then the referee and corner have the authority."
The adviser looked at the close-up of JP's swelling eye.
"You created rules that make stopping feel like public surrender."
"All surrender is public when enough people buy tickets."
VT pointed toward the replay controls.
"Keep the round clock visible. Do not cut away from his corner."
The third bell sounded through the speakers.
Every camera moved closer.
KM's corner told him to finish in Round Three.
The broadcast microphone captured it.
JP heard the order when the arena speakers repeated the corner audio for the crowd.
He touched the two completed squares and stood.
"Do not trade," I told him. "He expects you to prove something. Make him miss."
JP nodded.
For the first minute, he fought the best round of his life.
He stayed outside KM's power hand. He jabbed without admiring it. When KM pressured, JP turned before reaching the fence. A low kick landed against KM's thigh. Then another.
KM threw a right hand.
JP moved beneath it and answered with a left hook.
The punch opened a small cut near KM's eyebrow.
The arena changed.
Med Track screamed.
Engineering stopped laughing.
KM touched the blood with one glove.
JP saw it.
Pride made him stay one second too long.
KM's right hand struck his jaw.
JP fell backward.
The referee began counting.
"One. Two. Three. Four."
JP rolled to one side.
"Stay down until eight!" Mr. Kim shouted.
JP reached one knee at six.
Thoon stood in the VIP row.
He saw her.
He rose at eight.
The referee made him walk forward. JP's legs followed separate instructions, but they reached the correct place.
The fight resumed.
KM attacked the body.
JP covered correctly, then absorbed a knee through both elbows. He tried to circle. KM cut off the exit and trapped him against the fence.
Punches entered around the guard.
One struck the ear.
One struck the ribs.
One split JP's lower lip.
The referee moved closer.
"Fight back."
JP threw a short right hand.
It landed without power.
It was enough to show intelligent defense.
KM continued.
I pulled the white towel from beneath my arm.
JP saw it through the fence.
He did not speak.
He looked directly at me and moved his head once.
No.
The same small refusal he had made me promise to see.
My hand stopped.
"XH," Mr. Kim warned.
JP turned beneath KM's arm and escaped the fence.
The crowd erupted as though he had escaped a prison.
Five seconds remained.
KM advanced.
JP raised both gloves.
The bell rang before the next punch.
He had survived Round Three.
JP did not sit properly between rounds.
He lowered himself onto the stool and leaned against the fence while I cleaned the blood beneath his lip.
"We stop," I said.
"No."
"You have been knocked down twice. Your legs aren't stable."
"One round."
"She said finish four. You can barely begin it."
"Then help me begin."
Mr. Kim checked his pupils again.
"JP, tell me your full name."
He did.
"Where are you?"
"City Square Sports Hall."
"What round is next?"
JP looked at the empty third and fourth squares.
"Four."
The cage physician examined the cut and asked whether he wanted to continue.
"Yes."
The physician looked at the referee.
"Responsive. Cut does not impair vision. Continue with close observation."
I filled the third square.
My marker hovered over the fourth.
JP caught my hand.
"Not yet."
Across the cage, KM looked toward Thoon.
She remained standing.
KM touched the cut above his eyebrow and smiled at JP.
"Your date is waiting," he said.
JP's face changed.
"She told you?"
"She tells me everything."
The fourth bell rang.
JP entered Round Four knowing the promise had never been private.
He still moved toward it.
KM kicked the damaged ribs. JP absorbed it and clinched before the second kick could arrive.
He locked both arms around KM and pressed his forehead beneath KM's chin.
For twenty seconds, technique disappeared.
JP held on.
KM tried to separate.
JP held on.
The referee warned them to work.
KM framed against JP's face and created enough space for a knee. JP's guard dropped to the body. A short elbow struck above his eye.
He remained upright.
Two minutes remained.
"Move!" I shouted. "Do not stand with him!"
JP circled right.
KM followed.
JP threw the jab.
KM ignored it and attacked the leg. JP fell to one hand, pushed himself back up, and stumbled toward the fence.
The referee began a count because both knees had touched.
"One. Two. Three."
JP held the fence and breathed.
"Four. Five. Six."
He stood at eight.
The referee asked him to walk forward.
JP completed two steps.
"Continue."
I unfolded the towel completely.
JP saw it.
Again, he shook his head.
No.
KM did not attack immediately. He cut off each escape, touched JP's guard with the jab, and forced him to drag his damaged leg around the fence. JP survived by moving just enough to prevent the referee from calling him defenseless.
The round clock reached twelve seconds.
Thoon held four fingers above the barrier.
KM saw her too.
He stepped toward JP and touched the body with a left hook.
JP's elbow dropped.
KM's right hand struck the side of his head.
JP remained standing for half a second after his eyes stopped following the room.
I threw the towel.
KM's left hook reached him before it crossed the fence.
JP fell without protecting himself.
The back of his shoulder struck first. His head followed against the canvas.
The referee caught KM around the waist and waved both arms.
The white towel landed beside JP after the fight had already ended.
For one terrible second, Engineering celebrated.
Then JP did not move.
The arena became silent.
The announcer lowered his microphone while the official result entered the broadcast system.
KM BY KNOCKOUT. ROUND FOUR. 2:49.
The fourth square had been eleven seconds from completion.
I entered the cage before the referee opened the door fully.
The medical team stabilized JP's neck and placed oxygen over his face. One physician checked his pupils while another attached the monitor leads.
"JP. Can you hear me?"
No answer.
"JP, open your eyes."
His eyelids moved without opening.
"Do not lift him yet. Prepare the board."
I knelt beside the medical team until somebody pulled me backward.
Mr. Kim held both my shoulders.
"Give them space."
"I threw it."
"I know."
"It was late."
"I know."
Across the cage, KM stood in his corner while the announcer delayed declaring the result. Blood from the small cut near his eyebrow ran beside his eye.
He did not raise his hands.
Thoon lowered her four fingers.
Her face had lost every trace of amusement.
The medical team transferred JP onto the board and secured his head. Kitty cried into NC's shoulder. Anna stood with both hands over her mouth. Jihye had stopped recording before JP hit the floor.
June held Bunny's hand.
TZ looked toward NS.
NS remained standing.
He stared at the white towel beside JP as if it had become a warning meant for him.
The stretcher moved through the tunnel.
I followed with JP's phone in one hand.
It began ringing before we reached the ambulance.
MOM.
His little sister's drawing remained on the lock screen.
JP stood on a podium while the larger man slept beside him.
The phone continued ringing.
I could not answer it.
The ambulance doors closed with the fourth square still empty.