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King of Fighters '01
"Yah! Ha!"
The place is Kim's gym, which he opened to spread the spirit of tae kwon do and spread his word on justice.
"That kid with the glasses sure has talent. Don't you think, Jhun?"
"Your talk of 'talent' reveals your ever illogical mindset. But the kid's got good form, that's for sure. Add some real fighting experience, and you've got a first-rate tae kwon do fighter."
A very large man is doing push ups along with a comparatively smaller man in a corner of the gym. Sweat springs from the two in fountains and gathers on the floor.
"But...we're lucky...eh, buddy boy. ...Things are back to normal. Me...and you, Chang...if I stayed in your body...Makes me shiver just thinking about it...buddy boy."
The small man addresses the bigger one in pained tones.
"Not just you...but me too...Choi. Huff, huff...your body's too small...and you can't twirl...my lead ball..."
Chang answers this. He looks like he's having a rough time of it, too.
"But...Master Kim...as Jhun said...knocking heads together and returning to where we started...it's like a comic book...eh, buddy boy...?"
"You said it..."
"OK. That's enough!"
Kim draws up next to the two.
"Very good! That's all for today!"
"Whew...are we finally finished today, buddy bo-, uh, Master Kim...Huh? Where's Master Jhun?"
"Uh, he made an early day of it today to go to the Athena Asamiya concert."
"Why do you keep us training if you guys get to go off and play?!"
"Now, now...Everyone needs a rest now and then."
"Does that include us, too?!"
"Hah, hah, hah, that's very drole, gentlemen. There's no vacation from rehab. Give me one more set!"
"Gaaa-sssp!!!"
Jhun stands before a large thoroughfare, waiting for the signal to change. Today is the long-awaited day for the Athena Asamiya concert. It won't take more than five minutes to the concert hall after crossing this crosswalk. Jhun glances up at the signal. Still red. Time never flies when you're waiting. Jhun sets his eyes on the sidewalk across the street.
"Ah, A...Athena!?"
Who could believe it, but Athena Asamiya stands on the other side of the street, smiling like an angel and seemingly beckoning Jhun!
Jhun glances at the signal again. It's green. Jhun begins to run across the street, as if possessed. Athena, as before, continues smiling.
"Aaaaaaaaa-thena!"
But as much as Jhun runs, he doesn't appear to get closer to Athena. Far from it, Athena gradually recedes into the distance. Jhun panics. He runs for his life.
"How can this be?! Athena! Atheeeeena!"
Then he wakes up. He first sees is a white ceiling, and then a familiar face.
"Are you okay, Jhun? You're in the hospital now!"
"Kim...?! I could swear I was on my way to Athena's concert...."
Jhun's memory returns to him.
On his way to the concert, he happened on a patch plastered with extra-large posters of Athena Asamiya and waited there for the signal to change to cross a crosswalk. But most of the posters had been torn off by her fans, and only a few posters remained on the wall.
While growing impatient, Jhun waited for the signal to change but finally could wait no longer and ran into the crosswalk although the signal was still red. That's when the car hit him.... At least that's what Jhun thought, but that's not what actually happened. As a matter of fact, the car driver did see the red light in front of him and because he stopped in the knick of time, Jhun, who had rushed out at top speed, smashed right into the car. Jhun, knocked back by the force of the collision, however, ended up injuring his neck and back pretty bad after landing on the pavement.
"Ah, Kim. Forgive me for shaking you up like that. But an injury like this...ouch..."
"You shouldn't push yourself, buddy boy...."
"Yeah, that's right, Master Jhun."
"Yeah, I'm sorry, but as far as this year's KOF goes...."
"What?! King of Fighters?"
"Yeah...I was hoping to enter this year's tournament again with you, but it looks like this time you won't be up to it."
"B-But Kim. Who will take my place?"
"Uh, it's that kid that you and I were talking about this morning. She's come to see you here now. Come on in, May."
The girl wearing a T-shirt and glasses on her head that they had watched this morning enters the room.
"Nice to meet you, Jhun! My name is May Lee. How're you holding up? I'll try to live up to your standards and defeat evil!"
"Hmm, May Lee, is it?? I like it, buddy boy. The old team was looking a little shabby with all these guys on it I thought, but a perky little pretty on board just may cheer us up, eh, buddy boy!"
"I'll second that. Of course that comment about defeating evil gives me pause."
"What are you talking about, Chang?! That's what our objective is all about, too, isn't it?! Her dream is to become an ally of justice!"
"Huh? Are you really s-serious, buddy boy?"
"You bet! I want to be an envoy of justice! That's why I came to the true envoy of justice, Master Kim that is, and his gym to become a worthy envoy of justice!"
"Ha, ha, ha...Well, we'll have to work on that!"
"Well, Jhun, take care of yourself, and make sure you recuperate sufficiently, OK? Later."
"W-Wait, Kim! Come on guys! Wait for me!!!"
The door slams shut and Jhun lies stunned, alone in his hospital room, while the sound of laughter is heard in the corridor outside.
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Has imparted some or all of their fighting prowess upon another.
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