10:13 PM, Ashan's Room
The screen glowed in the dark.
Ashan sat at his desk, elbows on his knees, eyes locked on the monitor.
The video had been paused for three minutes.
Cursor hovered over the play button.
"80 wins. 5 losses."
The name on the bracket hadn't meant much at first.
But this video was something else.
The thumbnail showed his opponent. lean, fast, calm. An old-school style. Compact. Economical. Like he never moved unless it meant something.
Ashan clicked play.
---
Ashan leaned closer.
The opponent didn't waste a single motion.
Every jab touched. Every step was balanced.
Counters came like second nature.
"He doesn't hit hard... but he doesn't need to."
The kid moved like a veteran. Baited shots, rolled under them, popped back with doubles and triples.
At one point in the clip, his opponent parried a jab and returned fire with a cross-hook-hook.
Ashan paused the video.
"That combo would've cooked me two months ago."
His mouse hovered to rewind. Watched it again.
And again.
"Still might."
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11:08 PM
Ashan lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
His heart wasn't pounding. No storm of anxiety.
Just a quiet weight.
Four days left.
His first official bout.
And he was going up against someone who'd probably been boxing since elementary school.
But… he wasn't panicking.
"If I lose…"
He exhaled.
"Then I wasn't ready for Japan anyway."
No one was betting on him anyway. No sponsors. No noise.
"I didn't start this to impress anyone."
If he won, everything changed.
If he lost, nothing really did.
He rolled over, the blue light of the paused video still flickering across the wall.
"Either way, I'm not stopping."
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Project Dragon, Day 268
"Opponent's sharp. Tight guard. Efficient."
"Won't brawl. He outpoints."
At the bottom:
"Go in with nothing to lose."
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