The tension inside Nakahara's office is thick enough to feel physical. Two philosophies collide in a space meant for quiet analysis, voices kept low but sharpened by conviction. No one raises their tone, yet nothing about the exchange feels calm.
And that tension doesn't stay contained.
It slips easily through the wide-open door and spills into the gym, where training continues in name only. Aki is still standing with Ryohei, recorder in hand, midway through an interview, but her attention keeps drifting.
A young boxer arguing with a coach is nothing unusual. A young boxer holding his ground against someone like Sera, that's a phenomenon even this gym is witnessing for the first time.
Aki shifts her weight and glances sideways at Ryohei, lowering her voice. "Is this… normal?"
Ryohei follows her gaze to the office door, then smirks faintly. "Around here? Yeah."
She blinks at him. "Still… that doesn't make it normal."
