"Begin," Hansu said.
He started first, testing the distance with a front kick. Baki shifted slightly, letting it pass close to his ribs.
Hansu followed up with a roundhouse to the shoulder. Baki ducked and stepped in, attempting to counter with a punch. Hansu stopped him with a push kick to the chest.
"No hands," Hansu reminded him.
Baki nodded, shaking out his arms. He reset his footing, mimicking Hansu's stance almost perfectly.
Hansu moved again—a low kick, then a high one. Baki blocked the low kick and sensed the high one coming. He leaned back. The kick stopped just short of his jaw.
"You're not used to fighting someone with more range than you," Hansu observed.
Baki scratched his head and smiled. "Yeah, most of the time I use boxing and judo, which require very close range."
Hansu nodded. He came in again—this time faster. A front kick, then a side kick, finishing with a spinning back kick. Baki's extraordinary perception helped him dodge most of the attacks, but the spinning back kick landed on his midsection and sent him flying.
When Hansu rushed in, Baki threw his own roundhouse. It mimicked Hansu's form almost identically.
Hansu blocked it with his own roundhouse but couldn't hide his surprise. "You're copying me."
Baki didn't reply. Hansu increased his speed, mixing feints into his kicks. A half-turn into a quick low kick caught Baki's thigh. He winced but stayed upright—and immediately threw the same kick back.
Hansu stepped back, eyes narrowing. "He's not just copying the moves. His body is adapting to the optimal timing too."
Baki could feel himself improving with each exchange. It was an addictive feeling. Since childhood, he'd been able to copy moves he saw. Because of this ability, he'd learned ssireum from Seongji Yuk with ease. The only techniques he had yet to master, even after encountering them, were invisible attacks. It wasn't because they were too difficult to copy, but because at the time he couldn't see the attacks and had to rely entirely on instinct.
Hansu feinted high. Baki didn't flinch. When the real kick came low, Baki was already moving, countering with a back kick that grazed Hansu's ribs.
Hansu smiled. "Not bad."
Hansu decided to get a little more serious. His next combination was seamless—a front kick flowing into a spinning hook kick. Baki blocked the first, but the second caught him in the side. He staggered, breath forced from his lungs, but his eyes stayed locked on Hansu.
"You're very good at this, old man," Baki said between breaths.
Hansu smiled. "You're not bad yourself. It's been a while since I've seen a kid as promising as you."
They resumed. This time, when Hansu wound up for a spinning kick, Baki was already stepping out of range. When Hansu switched to a side kick, Baki's counter came simultaneously—a strike that forced Hansu to abort and reset.
Hansu jumped mid-air and performed a 540° kick. Baki crossed his arms in guard, but the sheer force sent him crashing into the dojo's wall. His arms felt numb from the impact.
"That's Taekwondo," Hansu said.
Baki smiled as he rushed in. "I'll remember that."
He threw a double kick—front leg, then rear leg, both targeting different heights. Hansu deflected the first but had to retreat from the second.
"He's already using multiple attacks seamlessly."
Hansu adjusted his approach, controlling the distance more carefully. A feint drew Baki's guard low; the follow-up kick tapped his ribs. Then another to the thigh.
After a few more exchanges, Hansu stepped in and launched a precise side kick to Baki's abdomen. It landed clean. Baki exhaled sharply and dropped to one knee, breathing hard.
"That's enough," Hansu said, lowering his guard. "You did well. You're really good."
Baki stayed silent for a moment, catching his breath. Then he stood, grinning slightly. "Didn't win though."
Hansu shook his head. "You learned an entire style mid-fight. That's more dangerous than winning."
Baki's grin widened. "Guess next time you're getting beaten, old man."
"Don't get ahead of yourself, kid," Hansu said with a smirk.
---
The Next Day
Baki stood before a well-built middle-aged man with a mohawk styled in a triangular shape. He wore a traditional white gi with black accents on the arms and legs.
"Do you have business with me?" Li Maeng-Ho asked.
Baki swallowed half a bun and said, "You're quite difficult to find, you know?"
Li Maeng-Ho asked, annoyed, "What do you want? I don't have time to waste on you."
Baki swallowed the rest of the bun. "Wait, wait! I heard you're a Taekwondo user. I've been learning Taekwondo for a few days myself. What do you say? Shall we have a bout?"
Li Maeng-Ho sneered. "Kid, why are you so eager to get beaten up? Since it's come to this, let's not waste any more time!"
Li Maeng-Ho moved first—a roundhouse aimed at Baki's ribs. Baki countered with his own roundhouse. When their kicks connected, the air seemed to snap.
Li smirked. "What's wrong, kid? Can you hold on?"
Baki grinned. "I'm just warming up!"
Li kept pressing forward—a high axe kick came down hard. The ground shattered where it connected. Baki dodged just in time, the air from the strike brushing his hair. Li followed with a low sweep, forcing Baki to hop back. Another roundhouse came fast to the opposite side. Baki performed a striking block.
This time Li flinched slightly from the pain. He adjusted his stance and fired off a quick front kick. Baki deflected it downward with his palm. Li retracted and switched immediately to a spinning back kick. Baki ducked under it.
"Tch! This guy is very good at Taekwondo. He isn't even giving me an opening," Baki thought.
Li reset his footing and came in harder. A push kick to create distance, then a quick step-in with a knee strike. Baki sidestepped and threw a hook kick of his own. It grazed Li's shoulder. Since Li was much taller than Baki, attacking his jaw was difficult.
Baki grinned like a madman. "You're very good! I'm starting to enjoy this more and more!"
Li threw a feint—a fake high kick that dropped into a leg sweep. Baki hopped over it, landing balanced. Li came up with a reverse roundhouse. Baki leaned back just enough, then responded with his own reverse roundhouse that whistled past Li's cheek.
Frustrated, Li launched a rapid combo meant to end it. But Baki dodged each strike as if he knew where they would land before Li even threw them. Baki jumped and executed a 540° kick. It landed directly on Li's jaw.
"HE'S A BEAST!" Li thought one last time before losing consciousness.
Baki grinned. "Woohoo! That was great!"