Ryohei stiffens for a brief moment after Ryoma's words land, and the confidence on his face tightens rather than disappears.
His smile remains, but his eyes lose their casual shine as reality begins pressing through the cracks of his bravado.
He exhales sharply through his nose and nods once, as if dismissing the warning, yet his posture grows more rigid than before.
Ryohei rises to his feet, and the sparring resumes.
"Come on, Champ! I'm not done yet."
He moves immediately, light on his feet, circling with practiced ease as he reclaims initiative through motion. But Ryoma stays exactly where he is, rooted at center ring.
From the outside, the contrast looks unsettling.
Okabe leans slightly toward Aramaki and lowers his voice.
"Is it just me," he whispers, "or is Ryoma not throwing anything at all?"
Aramaki narrows his eyes as he follows the exchange closely. "He isn't," he murmurs. "But Ryohei still looks uncomfortable."
