But, like it or not, Yu's got to hospital bills that need paying. Bakesan's maybe, though I wonder if he it's Injae's bill. Doubt K cares either way. He's got his prize, so it's off to America to get him ready.
JH immediately sets in on showing hints of what Yu's capable of, as he's challenged by another young fighter who wants K to train him. Josh is a gifted amateur, has worked very hard, while Yu knows nothing about boxing beyond that time K showed him a one-two combo.
It doesn't make a difference. JH stays in Josh's mind for most of the fight, focusing on how his jealousy and confidence gradually shift to awe, terror and resignation. But we catch glimpses of Yu's thoughts, or how he perceives things. How slow everything moves for him. But even that serves only to play into Josh's mindset, as he grows increasingly disheartened, realizing what he's up against.
That done, the story skips ahead two years, to Yu's debut fight against a fighter dubbed "The Rookie Killer." Again, JH focuses primarily on this new fighter, who seems to delight in his rep as a dirty fighter who crushes the dreams of highly-touted prodigies. JH takes the time to reveal some of John Taker's backstory, how he got into boxing, why he loves it but is still willing to be this dirty fighter reviled by the crowds.
Of course, things don't go well for him here, as K gives Yu a specific plan on how to excite the crowd and make them holler for more. Even before the first punch is thrown, Taker's frightened by what he feels coming off Yu.
JH likes metaphorical imagery. Bakesan pictured himself as a giant atop a mountain, peering down at indistinct shadows. Josh sees Yu as an immense, endless wall. Taker is unnerved by what he feels staring at Yu. Having Taker visualize it as staring down the barrel of an immense gun feels ridiculous, but if you want to sell Yu as something almost inhuman, you go big. And JH pays these things off, referring back to them. The first punch Yu throws, which essentially tells how the match will go, the sound effect is "BANG", rather than, I don't know, "whoosh" or something.
In what will also become a recurring approach, JH starts with the fight, then flashes back to K's declaration of the goal - his goal - for the fight. It's pretty obvious K is after more than just training one more fighter, but what, I'm not sure. It may have something to do with his previous fighter, who's still active and the current heavyweight champion, but mostly, JH makes K seem like some kind of sadist. Again, letting the man anywhere near any kid, let alone one who seems to give no fucks and will do whatever's asked of him, is a terrible idea.
The second volume ends with Yu having caught the eye of both the current lightweight champion and another prospective challenger for the belt, who appears to be a physical marvel himself. And we see where both Injae and Bakesan ended up in the after they left the hospital.
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