A Womanly Competition [A Miki vs. Hanako One-Shot]
Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 5:18 am
Inspired by this picture. It might not be very accurate to the actual paradigms of boxing. Sorry.
WHAP!
The punching bag reverberates with a satisfying sound.
WHAP! WHAP!
A good old-fashioned left-right hook combo is what follows.
WHAP!
I hit the bag with all of my force. I stand there panting for breath, briefly stretching my arms and shoulders.
I take a short break afterwards, grabbing a swig from my water bottle and toweling off some of the sweat. Yamaku's gym is very sparse and unattended in the mornings. I like it best then. While I'm working the punching bag, I think of the reasons I'm here. Emi and Hisao. Ever since she and I convinced Hisao to take his morning runs more seriously, Emi's enthusiasm for working out has proved infectious, and inspired me to take up something in the mornings as well. When I was living at the orphanage, there was a gym nearby as well. Surprisingly, most of the people who worked there were pretty accepting of me, a couple of them even taught me a few basics of boxing. I don't really think I'm good at many things, but I think my form is still pretty satisfactory. I'm just returning to the punching bag when a familiar voice rings out behind me.
"Damn, Hanako, I had no idea you were such a badass!" I freeze and turn slowly. There stands Miki, dressed in trainer shorts and a tank top. She's wearing her signature wide grin and has her hand pressed against her hip. "M-Miki! Wh-what are you d-doing here?!"
"The track was rained out, and I was just going to use the treadmills we've got here." She sighs and shakes the rain from her long hair. "Plus, my partner's been a total flake lately, so I figured I wasn't going to miss anything by coming here anyway. What about you? I thought nobody came here in the mornings."
I dart my eyes down to the floor. "Th-that's why I like coming here." Miki immediately grimaces. "Oh, I'm sorry! Do you want me to go?" I shake my head. "N-no. It's... It's fine... I was just a little... surprised is all." Miki's expression brightens up again. "Good! You have some pretty good form there! Do you have training or something?"
"A... a little. I took some classes before I came to Yamaku, but I f-fell out of practice p-pretty soon a-after coming here."
"Ah, well, your form's really good! My uncle owns a gym, and I used to use the boxing stuff there constantly. I was pretty good, too, until, well, you know..." She indicates her stump. "I-I'm sorry..." I whisper. Miki frowns. "Hey, don't feel so bad! It wasn't your fault! I was always more of a runner anyway." I nod and return back to my punching bag, deciding I only want to stay here for a little while longer. Miki's obviously a very kind person, but she can be a little... forceful sometimes. Suddenly, I hear her break the silence again. "Although, I have been a little rusty and out-of-practice as of late."
Miki smiles again, this time a more Cheshire Cat-like expression. She flexes her hands (or hand and stump in this case) in an upright stance. "Hey, Hanako. You wanna go a round with me?" I stop hitting the bag again and turn and stare at Miki in shock. "Wh-what?"
"C'mon. There's no one else here. And I haven't had a good fight in ages."
"Uhm... I j-just think that..."
"What? Are you afraid you're gonna get your ass handed to you by a chick with one hand?"
This awakens something in me. A competitive beast that only comes forth when provoked. "S-Say that again."
"I said, are you afraid you're gonna get your ass handed to you by a chick with one hand?"
I crack my knuckles. Or would, were I not currently wearing boxing gloves. "You're on now, Miura."
Miki gives an enthusiastic laugh. "That's what I like to see!"
We find a mat from the backroom, while I help Miki get her boxing gloves and mouth guard in. I slam my fists together and begin to pace the mat. "So, when do we begin?"
"When the bell rings."
"But there isn't a..."
"DING DING!"
Miki catches me off-guard and delivers a powerful cross to the left side of my face. I must say, I certainly give Miki credit for not going easy on me. She returns with a second jab, this one more easily dodged. I try to nail her with a right hook, but she deflects it with her stump hand. I try hit her with another jab, but she blocks that as well. "C'mon!" She says. "Stop trying to hit me and hit me!" She swings at me with a right hook. I'm prepared for this one, though, and throw my hands up in a block. Miki replies with a flurry of blows, attempting to break me down somehow. All she winds up doing is giving me time to think. Hmmm... She certainly has power, but she has almost no formal training. To her, it's just attack, attack, attack. No poise or strategy. I decide just to show her where a little formal practice can lead her.
With her next jab, I weave from her fist and nail her with a cross-counter with my right. Miki reels backwards, then spits out a little. She smiles. "Now that's what I'm talking about!" Miki delivers another cross, but I counter that one as well. Miki tries to deliver a series of jabs and crosses at me, but I manage to bob and weave through most of them, eventually coming directly into her field of vision. She stumbles back briefly in shock before I nail one punch into her face and then one more directly into her torso. She gasps for air, then ensnares me with her left arm, before boring into my shoulder repeatedly with her good hand. I respond in fairness, trading as many blows with her as I can. When we finally let go of one another, I can feel my bones and muscles creak like an old wrought-iron gate.
Staring at Miki, I can tell she's feeling the same way. One way or another, the next person to land a punch ends this fight. The world seems to slow down as we go for each other one last time. We're both grinding our teeth in determination, pacing towards each other one last time. I let Miki throw the punch first, letting me weave out of the way, while I plant one final blow directly into her face.
Miki stumbles slightly, falls to her knees, then falls flat on her back. Gasping for air, I briefly take stock of the situation, before acquiescing my victory in the most eloquent and humble way possible:
"OOOOOOHHHHHHH!!! THAT'S HOW WE DO IT! THAT IS HOW WE DO IT!!! I'M GONNA KNOCK YOU OUT! MAMA SAID KNOCK YOU OUT! I'M GONNA KNOCK YOU OUT! MAMA SAID KNOCK YOU OU-"
"Hanako? What are you doing?"
My little victory dance is interrupted by the new figures now standing in the doorway, staring at me dumbfounded. Instantly, I feel the competitive beast inside of me going back to cower in its corner, leaving me twisting in the wind. "E-Emi? Hi-Hi-Hisao?! Wh-wh-wh-wh-what are you doing here?!!" I eke out. Hisao just stumbles out his words. "Well... the track was rained out... so we... just decided to... use the treadmills." I feel myself blushing profusely while Emi speaks next. "Hanako, did you just beat up Miki?"
"N-no! It's nothing like that! I-I-I m-mean, it is s-s-sort of like th-that, but it's not as bad as it looks and I mean uh..."
Just before I further embarrass myself, Miki leaps up and claps me on the shoulder, her nose still bleeding slightly. "HOLY SHIT! THAT WAS AMAZING! I CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER THE LAST TIME I HAD A FIGHT LIKE THAT!" Miki turns to Hisao and gives him an enthusiastic thumbs up with her right glove. "Your girlfriend is a seriously hardcore motherfucker, Hisao." She turns to me and gives me a big, wide grin. "That was great, Hanako! Would you mind helping me with this, though?" I'm still a little stunned about being called a motherfucker, so it barely even registers when she extends her hands for assistance. "Uh, su-sure..." I stammer out. After I remove my own gloves, I help Miki with hers. She then moves over to her gym bag, throwing her equipment in and withdrawing a water bottle from it.
She slings the bag over her shoulder, then squirts her water bottle in her mouth, then gives me an affectionate wink. "Can I expect to see you around here more often? In case my running partner is a flake again?" I turn back to Hisao and Emi. Hisao gives me a smile and a thumbs-up. "Well, Hanako, considering the pressure you've been putting on me to work out, it's only fair that you do the same thing, right?" I give a small smile and turn back to Miki. "Y-yeah... I th-think that would be good..."
Miki turns and leaves, but not before looking back and sticking her tongue out at me. "And maybe I won't go so easy on you next time!"
I feel something inside me stir again, and before I know it, a smirk crawls across my face. "You're on."
WHAP!
The punching bag reverberates with a satisfying sound.
WHAP! WHAP!
A good old-fashioned left-right hook combo is what follows.
WHAP!
I hit the bag with all of my force. I stand there panting for breath, briefly stretching my arms and shoulders.
I take a short break afterwards, grabbing a swig from my water bottle and toweling off some of the sweat. Yamaku's gym is very sparse and unattended in the mornings. I like it best then. While I'm working the punching bag, I think of the reasons I'm here. Emi and Hisao. Ever since she and I convinced Hisao to take his morning runs more seriously, Emi's enthusiasm for working out has proved infectious, and inspired me to take up something in the mornings as well. When I was living at the orphanage, there was a gym nearby as well. Surprisingly, most of the people who worked there were pretty accepting of me, a couple of them even taught me a few basics of boxing. I don't really think I'm good at many things, but I think my form is still pretty satisfactory. I'm just returning to the punching bag when a familiar voice rings out behind me.
"Damn, Hanako, I had no idea you were such a badass!" I freeze and turn slowly. There stands Miki, dressed in trainer shorts and a tank top. She's wearing her signature wide grin and has her hand pressed against her hip. "M-Miki! Wh-what are you d-doing here?!"
"The track was rained out, and I was just going to use the treadmills we've got here." She sighs and shakes the rain from her long hair. "Plus, my partner's been a total flake lately, so I figured I wasn't going to miss anything by coming here anyway. What about you? I thought nobody came here in the mornings."
I dart my eyes down to the floor. "Th-that's why I like coming here." Miki immediately grimaces. "Oh, I'm sorry! Do you want me to go?" I shake my head. "N-no. It's... It's fine... I was just a little... surprised is all." Miki's expression brightens up again. "Good! You have some pretty good form there! Do you have training or something?"
"A... a little. I took some classes before I came to Yamaku, but I f-fell out of practice p-pretty soon a-after coming here."
"Ah, well, your form's really good! My uncle owns a gym, and I used to use the boxing stuff there constantly. I was pretty good, too, until, well, you know..." She indicates her stump. "I-I'm sorry..." I whisper. Miki frowns. "Hey, don't feel so bad! It wasn't your fault! I was always more of a runner anyway." I nod and return back to my punching bag, deciding I only want to stay here for a little while longer. Miki's obviously a very kind person, but she can be a little... forceful sometimes. Suddenly, I hear her break the silence again. "Although, I have been a little rusty and out-of-practice as of late."
Miki smiles again, this time a more Cheshire Cat-like expression. She flexes her hands (or hand and stump in this case) in an upright stance. "Hey, Hanako. You wanna go a round with me?" I stop hitting the bag again and turn and stare at Miki in shock. "Wh-what?"
"C'mon. There's no one else here. And I haven't had a good fight in ages."
"Uhm... I j-just think that..."
"What? Are you afraid you're gonna get your ass handed to you by a chick with one hand?"
This awakens something in me. A competitive beast that only comes forth when provoked. "S-Say that again."
"I said, are you afraid you're gonna get your ass handed to you by a chick with one hand?"
I crack my knuckles. Or would, were I not currently wearing boxing gloves. "You're on now, Miura."
Miki gives an enthusiastic laugh. "That's what I like to see!"
We find a mat from the backroom, while I help Miki get her boxing gloves and mouth guard in. I slam my fists together and begin to pace the mat. "So, when do we begin?"
"When the bell rings."
"But there isn't a..."
"DING DING!"
Miki catches me off-guard and delivers a powerful cross to the left side of my face. I must say, I certainly give Miki credit for not going easy on me. She returns with a second jab, this one more easily dodged. I try to nail her with a right hook, but she deflects it with her stump hand. I try hit her with another jab, but she blocks that as well. "C'mon!" She says. "Stop trying to hit me and hit me!" She swings at me with a right hook. I'm prepared for this one, though, and throw my hands up in a block. Miki replies with a flurry of blows, attempting to break me down somehow. All she winds up doing is giving me time to think. Hmmm... She certainly has power, but she has almost no formal training. To her, it's just attack, attack, attack. No poise or strategy. I decide just to show her where a little formal practice can lead her.
With her next jab, I weave from her fist and nail her with a cross-counter with my right. Miki reels backwards, then spits out a little. She smiles. "Now that's what I'm talking about!" Miki delivers another cross, but I counter that one as well. Miki tries to deliver a series of jabs and crosses at me, but I manage to bob and weave through most of them, eventually coming directly into her field of vision. She stumbles back briefly in shock before I nail one punch into her face and then one more directly into her torso. She gasps for air, then ensnares me with her left arm, before boring into my shoulder repeatedly with her good hand. I respond in fairness, trading as many blows with her as I can. When we finally let go of one another, I can feel my bones and muscles creak like an old wrought-iron gate.
Staring at Miki, I can tell she's feeling the same way. One way or another, the next person to land a punch ends this fight. The world seems to slow down as we go for each other one last time. We're both grinding our teeth in determination, pacing towards each other one last time. I let Miki throw the punch first, letting me weave out of the way, while I plant one final blow directly into her face.
Miki stumbles slightly, falls to her knees, then falls flat on her back. Gasping for air, I briefly take stock of the situation, before acquiescing my victory in the most eloquent and humble way possible:
"OOOOOOHHHHHHH!!! THAT'S HOW WE DO IT! THAT IS HOW WE DO IT!!! I'M GONNA KNOCK YOU OUT! MAMA SAID KNOCK YOU OUT! I'M GONNA KNOCK YOU OUT! MAMA SAID KNOCK YOU OU-"
"Hanako? What are you doing?"
My little victory dance is interrupted by the new figures now standing in the doorway, staring at me dumbfounded. Instantly, I feel the competitive beast inside of me going back to cower in its corner, leaving me twisting in the wind. "E-Emi? Hi-Hi-Hisao?! Wh-wh-wh-wh-what are you doing here?!!" I eke out. Hisao just stumbles out his words. "Well... the track was rained out... so we... just decided to... use the treadmills." I feel myself blushing profusely while Emi speaks next. "Hanako, did you just beat up Miki?"
"N-no! It's nothing like that! I-I-I m-mean, it is s-s-sort of like th-that, but it's not as bad as it looks and I mean uh..."
Just before I further embarrass myself, Miki leaps up and claps me on the shoulder, her nose still bleeding slightly. "HOLY SHIT! THAT WAS AMAZING! I CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER THE LAST TIME I HAD A FIGHT LIKE THAT!" Miki turns to Hisao and gives him an enthusiastic thumbs up with her right glove. "Your girlfriend is a seriously hardcore motherfucker, Hisao." She turns to me and gives me a big, wide grin. "That was great, Hanako! Would you mind helping me with this, though?" I'm still a little stunned about being called a motherfucker, so it barely even registers when she extends her hands for assistance. "Uh, su-sure..." I stammer out. After I remove my own gloves, I help Miki with hers. She then moves over to her gym bag, throwing her equipment in and withdrawing a water bottle from it.
She slings the bag over her shoulder, then squirts her water bottle in her mouth, then gives me an affectionate wink. "Can I expect to see you around here more often? In case my running partner is a flake again?" I turn back to Hisao and Emi. Hisao gives me a smile and a thumbs-up. "Well, Hanako, considering the pressure you've been putting on me to work out, it's only fair that you do the same thing, right?" I give a small smile and turn back to Miki. "Y-yeah... I th-think that would be good..."
Miki turns and leaves, but not before looking back and sticking her tongue out at me. "And maybe I won't go so easy on you next time!"
I feel something inside me stir again, and before I know it, a smirk crawls across my face. "You're on."
