The final bell rang. Students spilled out, chasing the weekend.
Ashan walked with purpose.
No headphones. No distractions. Just focus.
"Yo. Skinny fat!"
He didn't need to turn to know.
Ricky. And behind him, the ever-watching shadow of Jalen, state champ wrestler.
Ashan kept walking.
Ricky blocked his path, shoving a hand into his chest.
"You ignoring me now, Bruce Lee?"
Ashan didn't flinch.
"I don't have time for jokes."
"Then let's see if you've got time to dodge this.."
Ricky swung.
Ashan stepped back just a few inches.
The punch whiffed. Clean.
Pendulum step. Like Gaolang.
He didn't counter. Just slipped into his stance.
Loose hands. Shoulders sunk. Calm eyes.
Jalen's gaze narrowed.
"…You move different now."
"What the hell are you waitin' for?! He's mocking us!" Ricky snapped.
"Nah," Jalen said, stepping up beside him.
They left.
Ashan didn't smile.
Didn't breathe hard.
But inside:
"I'm not scared anymore."
---
Garage, 6:44 PM
He stood in front of the mirror.
Shirt off. 150 lbs. Slimmer.
Still soft but leaner. Quicker.
He shadowboxed slow.
Jab.
Step.
Jab-cross.
Slip right.
Hook to the liver.
All loose until the last second, then sharp.
Like a snake coiling. Like a bullet snapping.
---
Ashan's room, 8:00 PM
Ashan scrolled through his YouTube recommendations again.
One thumbnail stopped him:
"THE GHOST OF MEXICO - Carlos Medel's Secret Record"
8.3 million views. A gritty edit. Voiceover and all.
"They say he never fought for glory. Only survival."
The video cut between training and fight clips.
Fast footwork.
Deadly precision.
No wasted energy.
"He doesn't punch to win. He punches to end it."
Ashan's jaw clenched.
"He's not the strongest. Not the flashiest. But when he hits you, you stay hit."
Medel slipped a jab and drove a short left into the ribs. The opponent folded like paper.
Ashan scrolled to the comment section:
"He's not famous in the mainstream, but everyone who fights knows him."
"Some say he's been approached by private leagues."
Ashan paused the video and stared at the screen.
"That's it. That's who I want to move like."
"No wasted motion. No bullshit. Just power."
---
Project Dragon, Day 39
"Dodged a punch today. First time it felt real."
"Ricky tried to clown me. But I stepped back. Calm. Clean."
"Jalen watched. Said I "move different now.'"
Ashan underlined two words:
"Flow"
"Sharp"
"Medel isn't fast like Cosmo or explosive like Gaolang."
"He just moves right. I want that."
---