Monday Morning, 10:11 AM
Ashan wiped the sweat off his forehead with the bottom of his shirt, chest still heaving from an early gym session.
He checked his phone.
One message from Jerry.
Jerry Tyson:
"Hey kid. You serious about this or just lookin' pretty now?"
Ashan raised an eyebrow, grinning.
He replied:
Ashan:
"I'm serious. Always have been."
Jerry left him on read. For three hours.
Then, finally:
Jerry Tyson:
"Bet. I got somethin' for you."
"Amateur boxing circuit. Sanctioned. Clean. 3 rounds. Light weight."
"You win, I fly you out here. Japan. Full camp. Real training."
"You lose? You grind harder. You ain't ready."
Ashan just stared at the screen.
Fly to Japan?
Train with Jerry Tyson?
Was this real?
His heart pounded harder than after the sprints.
He typed fast:
Ashan:
"When?"
Jerry Tyson:
"One month. You pick the card. Find a local tourney. I'll cover your entry fee."
"But this ain't a favor. I'm lookin' for a DOG. Not some pussy shit."
"So show me what the hell you are, Korr."
Ashan's thumb hovered over the screen.
Then tapped: "I'm in."
---
Ashan's Room, That Evening
The walls were bare now.
His Bruce Lee posters had faded.
His mirror was cracked from an old shadowboxing mishap.
Ashan sat at his desk, opening his laptop.
"Amateur boxing tournaments near me…"
He scrolled.
A few dead links.
Then one that stood out:
"Hudson Golden Gloves, NYC Regional Tournament"
Lightweight bracket.
Three weeks out.
Limited spots remaining.
"This is it."
He clicked Register.
---
Voice Message to Jerry
Ashan (audio):
"Hudson Golden Gloves. Three weeks. Lightweight bracket. You better pick a nice hotel out there in Tokyo."
Jerry (audio):
"HA! That's what I like to hear. But you better not stink up the ring or I'm sendin' you a rice cooker and a slap instead."
Ashan chuckled.
---
Project Dragon, Day 265
"This is it. My first real fight. Sanctioned. Regulated. Watched." "If I win, I fly out to Japan. That alone's insane." "But it's not about the flight. It's about proving I belong in this world."
---