Original Short Stories

Mafia

Eric fell flat on his back with a thud onto the thick mat. Sweat glued his black hair to his forehead as his chest heaved up and and down, frustration was starting to set in. Chanyeol had knocked his feet out from under him for the tenth time today.

"Get up."

Eric did as he said, ignoring the complaints his body made as he stood and got in his sparring stance that he'd spent years practicing. Eric was determined to beat the old man at least once today, unfortunately it's been three hours and he still hasn't won once. He had tried all four martial art styles but still failed, even with his thirty year age gap advantage.

Chanyeol's expression hasn't changed the whole day, emotionless and ungiving. He wasn't even sweating as he stood, waiting for another attempt at success.

"Again." Chanyeol mirrored Eric's stance and gestured for him to attack first.

Eric advanced quickly, fueled with a dedication to win, he threw a kick at Chan's head which he dodged and combated with a swift punch. Eric blocked it, entering into a complex round of punches and kicks from both sides as they glided across the training room like they were dancing on ice.

Each move Eric used brought a flash of memories from the past fourteen years of training. Fourteen brutal years all because of his parents murder. Anger and bitterness sharpened his attacks as the traumatic memory overtook Eric's senses, forcing Chan into a defensive position.

Grabbing Chans arm, Eric twisted it behind his back. Wrapping his left arm around Chan's neck, Eric secured his neck tightly in the crook of his arm, cutting off his airway. Adrenaline filled Eric's blood as Chan was wrapped in a headlock, his breath heavy with exertion, "I win!"

Without getting a moment to celebrate his victory, Chan flipped Eric over his shoulder and slammed his body against the ground with a devastating blow to his pride. He had failed once again.

"Get up." Chanyeol stood over Eric who sucked at the air that was knocked out of him.

The lights distorted into fuzzy streaks as Eric opened his eyes, disappointment seeping into his bones in the form of bruises. When Chanyeol offered his hand to help Eric to his feet, he refused the help out of defiance and struggled to stand on his own.

Storming off the mat, Eric didn't bother to bow as he threw off his gloves onto the wooden bench. The sparring session had left him angrier than he had liked, it was supposed to clear his head and emotions but today it's only made them worse.

"Son, you need to work on your awareness. Just because you have your opponent in a fatal position doesn't mean they won't find a way to best you." Chanyeol lectured, not caring about the state Eric was in.

It had always been that way since Chanyeol and Sujin adopted him after his parents death. They had been a very close to his parents before their passing and eagerly took him in once the tragedy struck, but they were very strict and didn't know how to show their affection other than giving him a lavishly comfortable life and anything he wanted.

They had never told Eric what their career was before adopting him, but whatever it was, it made them extremely wealthy and skilled in self-defense. Eric asked them once and they had ignored him for the rest of the day, he didn't ask again after that but he had his suspicions.

"I know, I'm sorry." Eric responded as he picked up his water bottle, taking a long drink to try and clear his head and make up for all the fluids he lost in sweat.

"You've been distracted lately," Chanyeol pointed out, "Your swordplay was sloppy and your footwork was off."

Eric's jaw tensed as he bit his tongue, bowing his head in apology, "I'm sorry, I'll improve next time."