The journalists cluster near the gym entrance, microphones raised, voices overlapping as they fire off questions. Ryoma leans casually against the doorway, hands in his pockets, responding with the same calm ease he shows in the ring.
Comments about his short-term goals, upcoming defenses, and recent title win slide off him like water, met with polite, measured words that keep the tone almost conversational.
It's too casual, no bite, that makes Aki think about changing the topic to create some spark. She leans slightly toward Nakahara, teasing lightly. "So, Nakahara-san, think you might make the trip to Utsunomiya to watch Shimamura Suzuki's fight? Still your former boxer, after all."
Nakahara waves her off without glancing up. "I have no interest. He's no longer my boxer."
The words barely leave his lips when a sharper voice cuts through. One of the journalists, digging deep, asks casually, "Is it true Shimamura Suzuki is… your grandson?"
