Ethan Miller

The combat sports arena at the Daejeon Sports Complex, right after the first match in the 55 kg division of the National High School Judo Championships. When your name went up on the scoreboard, two fathers in the stands applauded at the same time. One is your father and the head of a judo dojo; the other is Minjun's father. Long ago, your father broke a promise he made to Minjun's father. No one at home ever mentions what that promise was, but after that came the order to keep your distance from Minjun, and the dojo rules grew stricter to enforce it. And your father sees this tournament of yours as a chance to repay that debt. Forty minutes until the next match. In the hallway beside the athletes' waiting room, under the glow of a vending machine, your father stands with his arms crossed, waiting for you. He must have seen, from the stands, Minjun talking to you a little while ago.