The Legend of Yumiko

Legend has it, Yumiko Nygune fought ten warriors at once and beat them all with the just one punch. She trained night and day waiting for another warrior to challenge her and one did. Her brother, Jungkook Nygune, jealous of her success and for being the most feared fighter in all of Korea, challenged her and as the rules say, one must leave Korea or accept the challenge, and so Yumiko had no choice but to fight her brother. The battle took place at an abandon warehouse and Yumiko’s only rule was that there was no audience; If her brother did not surrender after he is brought to his knees, she would have no choice but to kill him.

So, the battle begins her weapon, swords and his, daggers. Jungkook was brought to his knees but just as she was afraid, he did not surrender.

“Brother give up, it is the only way it can end” 

“There is another way Yumiko, kill me”

Her slight hesitation gave Jungkook the upper hand and Yumiko was brought to her knees.

“I give up brother, I surrender, I no longer want to fight you, so I give up”

“No Yumiko, there will be no weakness in our family, tell mother I say hello”

A tear slipped from Yumiko’s face as Jungkook ended the battle with his daggers in her chest. The new feared warrior walked out of the warehouse with his sisters’ body in his arm and people looked with grief, joy, anger, and confusion watching her body drip blood from where the daggers entered her body.

“My sister is dead”

“How could you do that to Yumiko, to your sister, you show no honor to your family’

What she did not know was that he had been planning and training for months to kill her. Jungkook was the new member in the Korean mafia gang or better known as “Kkangpae” and they have had Yumiko’s’ name on their hit list for years. She was too powerful, and she was the only one who could ever beat the members of Kkangpae, but not their leader Jimin Hangeul. Jimin promised Jungkook he would be a member of the gang if he could eliminate the threat, Yumiko.

“If I just jump it will disappear, everything will disappear but if I stay what would I’d be staying for, who would I’d be staying for, and the answer is simple. Nothing and no one”.

Being lonely in this lonely world is a dangerous thing to do. American girl, Baha Morgan ready to be a coward and jump off the bridge to her death, truly knows how lonely this world can get. No mother, probably no father, she’s practically an orphan and a damn lonely one.  

“Don’t do it, instead let me rebuild you”

“Who said that, are you a ghost or something”

Almost a ghost. Jungkook tossed Yumiko’s body over the bridge and into the ocean, but she did not die, instead she was floating to the bottom of the ocean when some miracle caused her to wake up.

“Help me and I promise to rebuild you into a stronger, better version of yourself and not a coward who tries to jump off a bridge when things get hard” Baha gets downs to the rocks and see Yumiko and her blood all over the rock. “Take me to my temple, please”  

“I don’t even know what that means”

“American are you, the accent gives it away, please do as I say”

American girl Baha takes Yumiko to the temple and when she arrives, she sees it. A huge temple that has trees and grass and is a total trash house.

“What is this some kind of hideout”

“It is my temple, I let nature do what she must do, take me to the center of the pond and lay me down in it” 

As some may imagine, she floated in the air and a phoenix appeared and Yumiko was reborn.

“How’d you do that, none of this makes sense”.

“No, it doesn’t, but at least I saved you from becoming a coward for eternity”

Yumiko’s wounds were suddenly healed, and she was more powerful than anyone could ever imagine.

“Child sit. Let me tell you a little story”.

Yumiko told Baha about everything. The battles with ex warriors and the battle with her brother.

“Wait, your own brother killed you. Just like that. No remorse. No mercy. And he threw you over the bridge. Wow and I thought my life sucked”.

“Child you see, where I come from, things are a little different. It’s not like America. Our rules are stricter and families, well they don’t mean anything here”.

“But you cared for you brother otherwise you would’ve killed him”.

“Maybe. But I also don’t want more blood on my hands than I already do”.

Baha. American girl. Fragile and so small in Korea.

“Child why are you here in Seoul, especially alone because that sort of thing can get you killed”.  

In Seoul, Americans are typically not welcomed, unless you make a name for yourself.

“When I was thirteen, my mother died. They said it was a robbery gone wrong, but I was there, I know what I saw”.

“What did you see”?

“Korean men, six of them. I heard them yelling at my mother about money my father owed, and they questioned her about where he was, she didn’t. They beat her and then one of them, Jimin, killed my mother with his sword. Where I come from people that murder other people are supposed to go to prison, but they didn’t. Everybody just swept it under the rug and didn’t even try to get justice. The only reason I’m not dead is because they already got their pay by killing my mother. That’s why I’m here. To avenge her. But it’s been four years and I have gotten nowhere”.

“Jimin Hangeul. Leader of the Kkangpae gang”.

“You know my mother’s killer, so take me to him”.

“Child, you have no experience going up against someone like him, he will kill you before you could even get close to his men”.

“So, help me, if you’re such a great fighter train me. You could get revenge on your brother and I for my mother, please Yumiko, I will do whatever it takes”.  

“Well then, let’s begin”

And so, they did. Yumiko trained Baha day and night. Baha learned all the styles Yumiko knew of fighting; Kung Fu, Muay Thai, Jujitsu, Karate, five months later and Baha felt unstoppable, and she was.

“I’m ready. I’m ready to challenge Jimin and avenge my mother’s death”.

“Physically maybe, mentally, are you? Are you prepared to fight to the death and die or have blood on your hands from the rest of your life Baha”?

“I am challenging him and am prepared to have his blood on my hands”.

Wondering the streets of Seoul, they both found where Kkangpae was gambling at. Jungkook surprised to see his sister and Jimin angry she was alive.

“Is this some kind of game Jungkook, you plotted with her and faked the death”

“No! You were dead, I made sure you were”.

“You underrate me brother and that was your mistake”.

“I challenge Jimin to a battle, time and place now and here”.

They all laughed except Yumiko and her American girl.

“Very well, first I will end this child’s life and then Yumiko I will end you and you Jimin for not finishing the job. Your move”.

Surprised Baha lasted this long, Jungkook shows remorse and what seems to be regret for what he did to his sister. Now there is a bigger crowd than before waiting to see the death of Baha. \

“Wait a minute, I remember you. American family. I killed your mother. Are you trying to avenger her? Ha. You will see her soon”.

Three hours in and Baha seems as if she is the one who will be dying. Jimin knocks her down and is given his sword.

“You will die at the same sword your mother did”.

Baha stopped the sword from entering her body.

“No. You do not get the honor of killing me, but I will get the honor of killing you”.

She kicked him off her and knocked him down with the same move Yumiko finished her opponents with, the death punch. Jimin lost his hearing for a split second and Baha knocked him down. Yumiko tossed her a sword.

“Rot in hell you son of a bitch”

Jimin Hangeul dead at the hand of a twenty-year-old American girl. 

Five months passed by. Baha and Yumiko are the most respected not just in Seoul, but in Korea.

Yumiko took American girl Baha under her wing and continued to train her until her last breath.