"Well done, Alex! I'm impressed—you have a lot of potential. I can see it through your movement," the coach said.
Alex smiled with pride.
The next day, he went to school. As usual, he met the bully. But this time, something felt different. He wasn't just scared—he was ready. Even though he wasn't great at boxing yet, he believed in himself. A fire burned in his chest, mixed with worry, but he told himself:
"I can! I can!"
The bully walked toward him with a sneer.
"Hey Alex, how are you? We're not done with our last conversation. Let's go somewhere more private."
Alex followed him to the backyard of the school. It was quiet—too quiet. The air was tense, and the group of bullies stood around like they were expecting a fight.
One of them stepped forward and raised his fists.
"You know I'm ready for this—whatever it takes."
"Ready for what?" Alex asked, uncertain.
Suddenly, the bully lunged at him with a hard cross punch. Instinctively, Alex slipped to the side, dodging the attack. He didn't even think—his body just moved.
Then he saw the opening.
Fueled by anger, by every moment he'd been pushed around, Alex threw a punch. It landed hard—right on the bully's face, like a bullet. The bully stumbled back and fell, dazed and confused. His face was blurry with pain. He couldn't react.
The other bullies froze. They took a step back, unsure of what just happened. The silence was heavy—deafening.
Alex stood there, his heart pounding. He had done it. He had stood up for himself—and won.
He turned and walked away, leaving the group in stunned silence.
Back in class, Alex sat at his desk. When the teacher walked in, he introduced someone new.
"Good morning, class. This is our new student, Hannah. She's from New York. I hope you all make her feel welcome. Hannah, you can sit next to Alex."
Alex's heart skipped a beat. Hannah was beautiful—like an angel. As she walked over and took the seat beside him, he felt nervous but… lucky.
At recess, Alex sat with his usual friends, but he couldn't help sneaking glances at Hannah. She was chatting with a girl named Lisa, giggling about the boys in school.
After school, Alex saw Hannah standing alone at the front gate. She looked like she was waiting for someone.
He hesitated, nervous, but then told himself:
"Just do it. We don't know what the future holds."
He walked toward her.
"Hey, are you Hannah?"
"Oh, yeah. You're Alex, right? What are you doing here? Why haven't you gone home yet?"
"I was just curious. Why are you alone? Where are your friends?"
"They already left. I'm waiting for my dad."
"Oh… do you want me to wait here with you? Or are you okay on your own?"
"I'm okay, but thanks. You can go."
"Alright then."
Alex walked away, a little flustered but happy he talked to her.
Later at the gym, Alex trained like usual. But today, his coach had something new for him.
"Alex! Today you've got extra training."
"Huh? Why, coach? I'm still a beginner."
"Because I want you to enter an amateur tournament. You beat that sparring partner last week—I think you're ready."
"Okay then!"
After a week of intense training, the day of the tournament arrived. Alex stood in the locker room, staring at himself in the mirror. His body looked different—stronger, more defined. All that hard work had paid off.
He smiled, proud of who he was becoming.