The atmosphere at Kōrakuen Hall buzzed with anticipation as Ippo took his seat beside Takamura for the second round of the East Japan Rookie King Tournament. Tonight, they would watch Miyata's match against Teruhiko Takada, and Ippo couldn't contain his excitement at seeing his former rival in action.
"Try not to bounce in your seat like a kid at a circus," Takamura said, settling into his chair with his usual casual demeanor.
As Ippo scanned the crowd, his eyes suddenly locked onto a familiar figure several rows ahead. It was the girl he'd noticed during his morning jogs—the one with the kind face who always seemed to be heading in the same direction as the gym. She was here, watching the tournament.
A warm smile spread across Ippo's face, though he still felt that familiar flutter of nervousness in his chest. The months of training had given him confidence in the ring, but outside of it, he was still very much himself—earnest, sometimes awkward, but increasingly willing to take small social risks.
"Oh! She's here!" he said with quiet enthusiasm, his voice carrying a warmth that hadn't been there months ago.
"Oi, oi, oi," Takamura immediately caught his obvious interest and smacked him on the back of the head. "Don't get distracted now. The match is about to begin, and you should be studying Miyata's technique, not gawking at girls."
"Right, sorry!" Ippo said quickly, though he couldn't help but steal another glance in her direction. When she happened to look over and their eyes met, he gave a small, genuine wave—not the frantic gesture he might have made months ago, but something more natural and confident.
She smiled and waved back, and Ippo felt a small surge of pride at his own boldness.
As Miyata and Takada faced off in the center of the ring, Ippo watched with the analytical eye of someone who had grown tremendously as a fighter. When the bell rang and Miyata shocked everyone by engaging in close-range exchanges rather than using his technical footwork, Ippo leaned forward with interest.
PAH! PAH! THUD!
"He's testing himself," Ippo observed quietly, his voice carrying the thoughtful tone of someone who understood the psychology of improvement. "He wants to prove he can win any way necessary."
When Miyata finally dropped Takada with a perfect counter combination, Ippo nodded with genuine appreciation. "That's the Miyata I remember, but stronger. When we meet again, it's going to be something special."
There was confidence in his voice, but it was earned confidence—the kind that came from hard work and proven results.
---
Later that week at the Kamogawa Gym, when reporter Fujii arrived with news about the tournament brackets, Ippo listened with the focused attention of a serious competitor.
"Kobashi will be my next opponent?" Ippo asked when Fujii announced that the point-fighter had upset the tournament favorite Mitsuo Yoshida.
When they watched Kobashi's tape, showing his awkward but effective point-accumulating style, Ippo's response was measured and thoughtful.
"I can see what he's doing," Ippo said, rubbing his chin as he analyzed the footage. "He's found a way to make inferior technique look effective to the judges. That's... actually pretty clever."
"You don't sound worried," Kimura observed.
"I'm not dismissing him," Ippo replied seriously. "Any opponent who makes it this far deserves respect. I'll train hard and give him everything I've got—that's what he deserves, and it's what the sport deserves. But..." he paused, his expression growing more confident, "point-fighting only works if your opponent lets you control the distance and pace. I won't be doing that."
His tone wasn't arrogant, but it carried confidence In his abilities.
When Fujii loaded the tape of Ryūichi Hayami, Ippo's demeanor shifted to one of genuine interest and curiosity.
"Now this is fascinating," he said, watching Hayami's supernatural defensive skills and lightning-fast "Shotgun" technique. "Look at that hand speed—it's like he's throwing multiple punches in the time it takes most people to throw one."
"That doesn't worry you?" Aoki asked.
Ippo considered the question seriously. "It's impressive, definitely. If I face him, I'll need to study his patterns more carefully. But every style has weaknesses, and every fighter has limits. It would be an honor to test my skills against someone with that type of talent."
The response showed growth—not just in confidence, but in his understanding of boxing.
---
That evening, when Ippo discovered the Yamanaka Bakery and realized the girl from the tournament worked there, he felt his usual nervousness warring with a new sense of determination. Taking a deep breath, he walked through the front door.
The bell chimed as he entered, and she looked up from arranging pastries in the display case.
"Welcome to Yamanaka Bakery!" she said with a professional smile that became more genuine when she recognized him. "Wait, you were at the boxing tournament, weren't you?"
"That's right," Ippo said, his smile warm but still carrying traces of his natural shyness. "I saw you there too. I'm Ippo Makunouchi—I'm actually one of the fighters in the tournament."
"Really? You're a boxer?" Her eyes widened with surprise. "You seem so... nice for someone who fights professionally."
Ippo laughed, the sound genuine and a little self-conscious. "Boxing isn't about being mean to people. For me, it's about becoming strong enough to protect the people I care about. Plus, there's something incredible about competing against other people who've worked just as hard as you have."
His honesty was transparent, but there was an underlying confidence in his voice that hadn't been there months ago.
"I'm Kumi Mashima," she said, extending her hand. "I've never met a boxer before."
"Nice to meet you, Kumi-san," Ippo said, shaking her hand with a firm grip. Then, surprising himself with his own directness, he added, "I have to ask—what made you come to the tournament? Most people aren't interested in boxing."
"My brother actually," she replied. "He's... well, he's a fighter too. I try to understand what he loves about it."
"Your brother's a boxer?" Ippo's interest was immediate and genuine. "What's his name? I might know him."
"Ryō Mashiba," she said, watching his reaction carefully.
Ippo's expression shifted as the memory came flooding back—the intimidating figure from his licensing test, the cold, the Hitman Style stance, and that chilling threat: "You won't reach the top of the featherweight class as long as I exist."
"Mashiba..." Ippo said slowly, his voice taking on a more serious tone. "I remember him from my licensing test. He's... intense."
Kumi looked taken nervous by his response. "You're not... intimidated by him are you?"
"Intimidated? Not really," Ippo said thoughtfully. "Impressed, definitely. He's clearly put in a lot of work to develop that style. If I ever face him, it would be an incredible learning fight."
The complete sincerity in his voice, combined with his obvious respect for her brother's abilities rather than fear, seemed to put Kumi at ease.
As their conversation continued, Ippo found himself genuinely enjoying talking with her. She was easy to talk to, asked interesting questions about boxing, and seemed genuinely curious about his perspective on the sport.
When he finally realized how long he'd been there, he felt a moment of his old awkwardness returning.
"I should probably let you get back to work," he said, glancing around the empty bakery. "But I'm really glad I got to meet you properly."
Then, drawing on the confidence that had been growing steadily over the past months, he added with simple honesty: "I hope I'll see you again soon."
The directness of the statement, delivered without games or pretense, made Kumi smile.
"I'd like that," she replied. "Maybe I'll come watch your next match."
"I'd really like that too," Ippo said, his genuine pleasure at the prospect clear in his voice.
---
The next day at the gym, Ippo's good mood was apparent to his three sempai, though he tried to maintain his focus during training.
"You seem energetic today," Aoki observed during a break.
"I met someone interesting yesterday," Ippo said simply, not volunteering more information but not hiding his pleasure either.
"The girl from the tournament?" Takamura guessed with a knowing grin.
"Her name's Kumi," Ippo replied, his straightforward honesty making it impossible to tease him effectively. "She's really easy to talk to. Plus, her brother's actually in the tournament too—Ryō Mashiba."
"MASHIBA?!" all three veterans exclaimed simultaneously.
"You talked to Mashiba's sister?!" Kimura looked genuinely shocked. "That guy's a psychopath! Doesn't that worry you?"
Ippo considered this seriously. "She seems nothing like what you'd expect from someone related to an intimidating fighter. She's kind, curious about boxing, and she genuinely cares about understanding her brother's passion. I think there's probably more to Mashiba than just his ring persona."
His perspective on the situation, combined with his obvious interest in getting to know Kumi better, showed a level of emotional intelligence that impressed even Takamura.
That evening, when Takamura called to announce the training camp, Ippo's response was enthusiastic but measured.
"A beach training camp sounds fun," he said with genuine interest.
"And it'll be good for you to get away from that bakery for a week," Takamura teased.
Ippo laughed a bit embarrassed, not denying the implication. "Maybe. But when I get back, I think I'll have some interesting stories to tell her about training camp."
As he packed for the trip, Ippo reflected on how much had changed. He was still fundamentally himself—earnest, hardworking, and kind-hearted—but the confidence he'd gained in boxing was slowly but surely extending into other areas of his life.
The upcoming matches felt manageable rather than overwhelming. Kobashi would require serious preparation and respect, but Ippo felt confident in his ability to handle a point-fighter.
And for the first time in his life, he'd had a genuine conversation with someone he was interested in, spoken honestly about his feelings, and received a positive response.
Life was definitely getting more interesting.