[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-bound-to-my-enemy":3,"chapter-bound-to-my-enemy-bound-to-my-enemy-chapter-127":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Bound to my Enemy",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1600065,2067,"Chapter 127.","bound-to-my-enemy-chapter-127",127,"\u003Cp>Aaron studies me for a long moment. Something flickers behind his eyes...anger, yes, but not fully directed at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You don’t understand how he thinks,\" he says finally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then explain it to me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shakes his head. \"That’s not my place.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence falls between us, as my gaze drops to the bruise along his ribs again. Guilt claws up my throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I didn’t mean for you to get hurt,\" I say,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know you didn’t.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m still sorry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time he nods once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We stand there like that for a few seconds, the air smelling like metal and sweat and something else....\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I inhale slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I need you to train me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He freezes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I want you to teach me how to fight.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a split second, I actually see him question my sanity. He stares at me like I just said I want to join the military tomorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You hit your head at the bridge pretty hard right?\" he asks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No. Well yes but not in the context you’re thinking, I’m pretty fine.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then why would you say something like that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Because I’m tired of being the weakest person in every situation and needing people to protect me all the tim.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His brows draw together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t want to be dragged around or restrained or dependent on someone else to survive,\" I continue. My voice doesn’t shake now, it’s surprisingly steady. \"If something happens again, I want to be able to defend myself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This isn’t a self-defense class at a community center,\" he says. \"You don’t just learn a few moves and call it a day.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m not asking for a few moves.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He studies me again, waitin for me to say it’s. A joke, maybe?.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it isn’t one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You don’t know what you’re asking for.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then tell me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He runs a hand over his face, clearly irritated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Training hurts,\" he says bluntly. \"You will get knocked down a lot of times, you will get bruised and you will hate me at least once a week.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I already survived worse,\" I say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes flick to my wrists briefly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s not the same.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No. It’s not.\" I hold his gaze. \"That’s the point.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You think learning to throw a punch fixes what happened to you ?\" he asks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No. But it fixes what happens next time someone tries something.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aaron walks a slow circle around me, assessing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’ve never been in a real fight,\" he says\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ve survived one though and my brother thought me a few things so I’m not a novice..\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s not fighting back.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s why I’m here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stops in front of me again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And if Zane says no?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don’t hesitate. \"He doesn’t get a say in ths.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That answer makes his mouth twitch, just slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He won’t like it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He doesn’t have to.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aaron exhales through his nose again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re serious.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And you understand I won’t take it easy on you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t want you to.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes narrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’ll train like everyone else, no special treatment and no quitting halfway because it’s hard.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I won’t quit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’ll have to listen and we both know how hard that is for you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, I will listen .\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’ll get hit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’ll have to hit back.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s the goal.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The corner of his mouth lifts just barely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You really have lost a few screws,\" he mutters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Probably.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There’s a long pause then he jerks his chin toward the mats.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fine.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My heart jumps, but I don’t show it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We start now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You wanted this, didn’t you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He grabs an extra set of hand wraps from a drawer and walks back over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hold your hands out.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His fingers are careful as he wraps my knuckles firmly\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This isn’t about proving something to him,\" he says quietly as he works. \"It’s about discipline and control . You lose your head, you lose the fight.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I won’t lose my head.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glances up at me. \"You already did once.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don’t argue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He finishes wrapping my hands and steps back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Feel shoulder-width apart,\" he instructs. \"Knees slightly bent, guard up.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I mimic him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It feels awkward so he adjusts my stance with a tap to my ankle and a little push at my elbow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Balanve first,\" he says. \"Power later.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the first time since I walked into this room, I feel something different from anger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Purpose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I lift my chin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Show me,\" I say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aaron doesn’t ease me into it. He circles once, watching my stance, then suddenly moves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Guard up,\" he snaps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I barely get my hands up before he swats them aside and taps the side of my thigh with his foot just enough to throw me off balance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I reset.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He comes in faster this time and I try to jab the way he showed me, but my timing is off. He slips past it and lands a sharp smack to my backside as he steps around me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I whirl around. \"Are you freaking serious?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s where you were open,\" he says without a hint of apology.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s not even fair.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fights aren’t meant to be fair.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lunges again, I block badly and stumble, he taps my back side again in a corrective strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heat floods my face. Not from embarrassment...but from frustration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Stop hitting me there.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then protect it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I grit my teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We circle again, the mats squeaking faintly under our feet. My heart’s already pounding harder than it should be which is embarrassing because he is not even going full speed and I can barely keep up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He fakes lefr and I bite, only for him to duck under my arm and smack my other hip as he passes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh my God,\" I snap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Focus.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am focusing!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, you aren’t yet.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He comes at me again and this time I shove him purely out of irritation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He doesn’t budge. Instead, he grabs my wrist and twists just enough to make me lose balance, then lets go befor I fall.\u003C\u002Fp>",1008,"2026-06-06T09:39:37.420Z",1,"novelbin.me","6467a0fe0a05bbd0abd84a17ac148a0c76a191e908cca11703cba792daaea904","bound-to-my-enemy-chapter-128","bound-to-my-enemy-chapter-126",266,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fbound-to-my-enemy-cover.jpg"]