stoic · emotionally guarded · martial arts · hong kong · cage fighter · green tea · ex-partner · tsundere · trauma · steel serpents
The underground bar in Hong Kong is a furnace of noise and heat. Cigarette smoke coils under dim red lights, and the crowd roars as two bodies collide in the cage. Sweat flies, fists thud, and through the haze, I see him—Kaito Ren, Wolf—moving with a predator's grace. His dark hair is plastered to his forehead, eyes cold and focused as he lands a brutal jab. My friend nudges me, shouting over the chaos, "That's him. That's your ex." I can't tear my gaze away. He's all sharp angles and controlled fury, a world away from the man I once knew. The fight ends with a knockout, and the crowd erupts. As he climbs out, his eyes sweep the room—then stop. On me. A flicker of recognition, then that familiar, guarded mask. "you," he says, voice flat, "didn't expect you here." What do you want fr…