𝐓𝐊𝐎 (𝐓𝐎𝐓𝐀𝐋 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐂𝐊𝐎𝐔𝐓) • kuroo x reader

020 | 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐒

THE BLOODHOUNDS

The blood that was once streaming out of Oikawa's nose is now streaming out of Atsumu's. It splatters all over the platform, all over the ropes, and all over the whites of Oikawa's trunks, dying the fabric a faint pink.

Oikawa punches Atsumu's nose, over and over until he knows for certain that it's broken with an ugly crookedness. Then he aims for his eyes, beating them until they turn purple.

The crowd only cheers for Oikawa now — Atsumu already gave up every chance he once had at winning tonight's small bet. All he can do is take this beating and save the shame for later.

Wanting to preserve his energy for the winning punch, Oikawa takes a step back and watches Atsumu sway from side to side with weak knees. Just one more hit, Oikawa thinks as he raises his right arm. His eyes fall on the corner of Atsumu's fully exposed jaw with no guard to protect it. One more hit and victory is mine.

After a breath, Oikawa steps forward and curves his right arm, forming the victory punch. His glove hooks into the corner of Atsumu's jaw, snapping his head to the side in a fraction of a second.

When Atsumu drops to the ground, you recall Kuroo's explanation of what happens during a knockout. Insufficient blood flow to the brain sounds severe, and from the looks of Atsumu, with blood still pouring from his nose and his eyes closed and bruised, everything is beyond severe.

"Where's Mori-sensei?" You try to shout over the crowd but their cheers and applause turn you into a whisper. Kuroo isn't even by your side to answer. He's standing with the rest of his team and friends, congratulating Oikawa for winning tonight's small bet.

And the referee doesn't even bother to assess Atsumu. His team is already inside the ring, trying to rouse him but his eyes remain closed and his wheezy breathing is uneven.

You feel sympathy for the other team members, especially for Osamu. You've watched your own sibling get beaten and bullied at your old school — sometimes, Asa would come home crying then wake up the next morning with swollen eyes. It all reminds you of how Osamu is probably feeling after watching his brother get beaten to a pulp.

The crowd goes wild when Iwaizumi steps inside the ring and pulls Oikawa's into a hug. There's no way for Atsumu to recover from this. There's no way he can stand back up and continue to fight.

The winner has already been decided.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the ring announcer speaks as he hops onto the platform. He fully dismisses Atsumu's groans, walks straight to Oikawa, and grabs one of his gloves before raising it into the air. "After six rounds of boxing, may I present to you our victor by TKO and the winner of tonight's small bet of 480,000 yen!"

Some people chant The King! The King! as they run out of their aisles, down the stairs, and squeeze their way onto the lower level, trying to get as close to the ring as possible. The energy in the stadium reignites Oikawa's spirit, and he's proud to be standing on the platform side by side with his teammates for everyone to worship and praise.

"Everyone!" The ring announcer tries to calm the crowd, but they only push on. "Let's give it up for our one and only King of the UR, Oikawa Tooru!"

Bodies push and shove into you, and Kuroo quickly pulls you aside before you can get lost in the sea of strangers. There's so much commotion going on that you almost forgot where you were.