Ryoma's departure does not go entirely unnoticed. A few people follow him with their eyes as he slips through the door.
Kenta and Okabe, in particular, seem completely absorbed in the reunion. For the moment, neither gives Ryoma's departure another thought.
"Man, I almost forgot how noisy you two could be," Okabe says with a grin.
"Oi! You're one to talk!" Shimamura immediately shoots back. "You were always the first one to start something!"
"Yeah? And who usually got dragged into trouble because of you?"
"How the hell was that my fault?!"
Kenta chuckles at their exchange. "Some things really haven't changed, have they?"
"See? Even Kenta agrees with me!" Okabe grins.
After all, their familiarity with Shimamura goes back much further, long before Ryoma ever joined Nakahara Gym. And their bond was never limited to boxing. They had shared plenty of experiences outside the gym, building a friendship that had little to do with their careers as fighters.
