Chapter 4: A Man at Home, A Wolf in the Ring

Aramaki doesn’t notice her yet, lost in the rhythm, punishing the tree with each blow, his face carved in feral focus.

In the garden, Kaori hums softly as she tends the lettuces, a baby swaddled to her back. The lullaby drifts through the air, fragile but steady, as if her voice alone balances the weight pressing on their lives.

When she wipes her brow, only then does she notice Aki.

"Excuse me," she calls gently. "Can I help you?"

Aramaki stops mid-combination, turns, and narrows his eyes at the stranger.

Aki bows quickly. "Sorry, Aramaki-san! I didn’t mean to interrupt."

"Do I know you?" he asks, voice flat.

"My name is Fujimori Aki. Journalist, Boxing Spirit Weekly. I came to interview you about the Rookie King match against Ryoma Takeda."

Aramaki frowns, glancing at his wife. For a rookie with only three fights, he feels it far too early for any press.

But Kaori suddenly beams. "That’s wonderful! Your first time in the papers!" She gives the baby to Aramaki, takes off his gloves, then hurries toward the house. "Please, take her inside. I’ll make some tea."

"Ah, please, don’t trouble yourself..."

But Kaori is already gone. Aki turns back to Aramaki, and then bows again.

"Sorry, I should’ve made an appointment."

Aramaki only gives a faint smile as he leads Aki through the back door, the baby still resting quietly in his arms.

"This way, please!"

The hut is plain and sparse; open living space, a tiny kitchen, no bedroom but only a mattress rolled in the corner.

Aki sits uneasily on the tatami, noticing the silence. There are no light bulbs, no appliances, makes her wonder if there’s even electricity.

Trying to break the silence, she finally asks, "How’s preparation? Three weeks left before the fight day. You must be excited, right?"

Aramaki only smiles awkwardly.

Then Kaori returns with tea. "Excited? Against Kamisaka High’s golden boy?" She laughs brightly. "No way."

"You seem pretty informed," Aki says, impressed.

"Not really. I was in the same school as Ryoma."

Aki blinks. "Same school? Same year?"

Kaori nods. "Just different class. He wouldn’t know me."

That hits Aki strangely. Kaori doesn’t look like any teenager Aki knows.

Then her gaze drifts to the baby, to Aramaki, and the truth clicks. They must have married young, already had a child while still in high school.

Aramaki notices her look, but misreads it. "No, I didn’t go to the same school," he says quickly.

"Ah... right." Aki clears her throat, steering away. "I was at Kirizume Gym earlier. Thought I’d find you there."

Kaori blinks at her husband. "Isn’t that the gym where Renji Kuroiwa trains? Why would you go there, dear?"

Aramaki freezes. In that instant, Aki realizes that he hasn’t told his wife. So she pivots quickly as she takes a sip of the tea.

"Well, when I stopped by Murakami gym, they told me you’d be home."

"Yeah," Kaori says cheerfully. "He says he’s training the old-fashioned way. When you’re fighting a prodigy, sometimes it’s not about technique. You just need heart."

Aki smiles, jotting it down like a good line. But she knows that’s not why she came. She wanted to confirm Aramaki’s ties to Kirizume, to dig into the shady rumors Ryoma mentioned.

Instead, she finds a fragile home, and a man she doubts would ever ruin another’s career with dirty tricks.

After for a while talking about the harsh life in Tokyo...

"You know what?" Kaori suddenly changes the talk. "He always talked about Ryoma back in high school."

"Eh, really?" Aki perks up.

Aramaki only lowers his gaze with a shy smile.

"He even dragged me all the way to Kanagawa once," Kaori adds with a grin. "Just to watch Ryoma at Inter-High. Said he wanted to fight him, but Aramaki lost early in prelims."

"But now you finally get that chance," Aki presses.

Still, Aramaki says nothing, eyes fixed on the tatami. The silence grows heavy, until Aki excuses herself, rising before the evening closes in.

And there, as Aramaki walks her out...

"Please, wait." His voice stops her.

Aki turns. The man before her is no longer bashful. His smile is gone, eyes sharp and cold.

"Tell Ryoma... to forfeit the tournament."

Aki blinks, startled. "Why would you say that?" Then she scoffs, trying to bait. "Like you’re ready to end his career?"

"There wouldn’t be a problem if it was just me," he says. "But he’s caught the attention of someone dangerous."

Aki’s eyes narrow. "You mean... Kirizume?"

Aramaki meets her eyes, and in that look Aki knows he isn’t exaggerating.

"Just send the message," Aramaki repeats, turning back toward the hut. "He has real potential. He can succeed without this tournament."

But only next week, Aki finally finds herself at Nakahara Boxing Gym.

It took her an entire week of hesitation, wondering whether she should really pass on the message Aramaki gave her. But here she is, sitting on a bench beside Okabe, watching Ryoma grind away in the ring.

And this is her first time seeing this kind of setup; the ropes drawn in, the space inside the ring shrunk.

"He looks... like he’s struggling," Aki says, narrowing her eyes. "It’s the third round, and he hasn’t thrown a single punch."

"That’s the point." Okabe’s tone carries a hint of pride. "Coach told him no offense, just defense. He has to learn to hold his ground."

"And by making the ring smaller, he can’t just run around like an out-boxer anymore..." Aki nods, half to herself.

"Exactly. One and a half meters cut off each side now."

Ryoma still looks tight, but not desperate. There’s no irritation in his face, not like before. He’s learning to restrain himself even just a little.

So far, Coach Nakahara hasn’t seen Ryoma slip into "the zone," but the progress is undeniable. He makes less wasteful movements now.

Instead of darting around, Ryoma holds his ground, slipping and blocking the quick jabs, only giving space when Ryohei commits to the heavier shots.

He’s still taking hits here and there, still struggling to keep up. And Ryohei is even pressing harder than usual, relentless with his offense, yet he hasn’t managed to score a knockdown.

Okabe, on the other hand, seems tense. His eyes flick to the timer. The round should be over already, but he doesn’t hit the bell. He hesitates, letting it run until Coach Nakahara notices.

"Hey, Okabe!"

"Ah, sorry..." He hits the bell quickly, feigning forgetfulness.

Ding!

Nakahara leans on the ropes. "How’s it feel, kid? Still good to go?"

Ryoma’s expression shifts instantly. His exhaustion vanishes, replaced with a sharp, almost feral grin, the look of a wolf catching scent of prey.

"More than ready."

Okabe swallows hard, because today, he’s also Ryoma’s sparring partner. Considering Aramaki’s in-fighter style, he’s the best choice to simulate what’s ahead.

"What about you, Okabe-senpai?" Ryohei teases, reaching for the timer. "Ready to get chewed up by our cute little kouhai?"

"Tch." Okabe hands over the timer, laces up his gloves, and climbs into the ring.

And then...

Ding!

Unlike before, this time Ryoma doesn’t have to hold back.

"At last!"

Three rounds of restraint explode all at once.

Ryoma unloads everything, countering every swing Okabe throws; sharp crosses, hooks that cut through the air like blades.

And it doesn’t last long. Twenty seconds before the first round ends, a hook to the temple sends Okabe crashing down.

The ceiling spins above him. He could get up if he wanted, but instead he stays on one knee, pretending he’s done.

But Ryoma isn’t buying it. "Come on... Not even one round?"

Okabe glares. "This isn’t fair. Coach won’t let you touch Ryohei, so he throws me to the wolves instead."

Clicking his tongue, Ryoma drops down from the ring. Before he can walk past, Aki steps forward, her usual cheerful energy breaking the tension.

"Wow, Ryoma-kun. You really look ready for the Rookie King."

"Please." Ryoma waves it off. "It’s just a kids’ tournament. My real goal is further down the line."

He starts toward the bench, but Aki hesitates, the weight of Aramaki’s words pressing at her. She bites her lip, and then finally speaks.

"You shouldn’t underestimate it. Because... I just got a message from Aramaki himself."

That makes Ryoma pause, curiosity flashing in his eyes.

"He said you should forfeit," she continues quietly. "From the way he said it... it’s like he’s tied up in something dirty with Kirizume."