Indeed, Ryoma is still at the gym. Aramaki and Kenta too, remains on the far side of the floor, helping Hiroshi correct the amateurs' foot placement, his voice steady as he walks them through basics they have not yet mastered.
Coach Sera and Coach Nakahara are nowhere in sight, busy behind the closed door of the managerial office.
Satoru has already left. He came in much earlier than the younger fighters, finished his work, and disappeared without ceremony.
So now Ryoma sits alone by the window. The late afternoon light filters through the glass, falling across the bench where he rests, his back slightly hunched.
His attention is completely absorbed by the video playing on his smartphone. The sound is muted, but the images loop again and again: a man standing flat-footed in the ring, gloves low, movements sparse, timing merciless.
