Jin arrived earlier than usual.
The gym was quiet, lights only half on, the air still cool before bodies warmed it up. He set his bag down and began stretching, slow and deliberate, listening to the faint creak of the building as it woke.
That was when he noticed the man.
He wasn't inside the gym.
He stood just beyond the open entrance, leaning casually against the wall, hands in his jacket pockets. He didn't look lost. Didn't look impatient.
He looked… observant.
Jin met his gaze briefly.
The man didn't look away.
He wasn't watching Jin's face.
He wasn't watching his punches.
He was watching his feet.
Jin finished stretching, wrapped his hands, and stepped into the ring. When he glanced back toward the entrance a few minutes later, the man was gone.
No explanation.
No introduction.
Just absence.
Training started rough.
Not disastrously. Not enough for anyone else to notice immediately.
But Jin felt it.
His timing was a fraction late on the mitts. His pivots weren't as clean. When Mori called for a pressure drill, Jin hesitated for just a moment too long before moving.
The rope brushed his back twice.
Coach Kagawa's cane tapped against the floor.
"You're thinking," the coach said.
Jin reset his stance. "Yes."
"That's not always good."
The next drill went worse.
Not because Jin panicked—but because he tried to be too careful. He anticipated pressure instead of responding to it. His guard stayed high, but his counters came late.
Coach Kagawa raised a hand. "Stop."
The gym went quiet.
"You're calm," Kagawa said. "But calm can turn into waiting."
Jin nodded slowly.
"I see it," he said.
"Good," Kagawa replied. "Fix it."
No comfort.
No reassurance.
Just truth.
The gym tried to correct the mood immediately.
Aoki appeared with a small pouch tied around his neck.
"What's that?" Kimura asked.
"Luck."
"No."
"It's my lucky charm," Aoki insisted. "I'm lending it to Jin."
Jin looked at it. "What's inside?"
Aoki hesitated. "I don't know."
Kimura sighed. "Absolutely not."
Shimada burst in from the back. "IF HE NEEDS LUCK, I HAVE A BANNER."
"No banners," Mori said.
Mari watched from the side, arms crossed, amusement flickering across her face.
"You don't need any of that," she said to Jin.
He glanced at her. "What do I need?"
She thought for a moment. "Honesty."
"With myself?"
"Yes," she said simply. "Not perfection."
That settled something.
The second half of training went better.
Not smoother—more direct.
Jin stopped trying to predict the drill and instead reacted to it. When pressure came, he moved. When space opened, he took it. No hesitation.
The rope didn't touch him again.
Coach Kagawa nodded once.
That was enough.
Later, while the others cooled down and argued about food, Jin sat on the ring apron, unwrapping his hands.
The image of the man at the entrance returned uninvited.
Not threatening.
Just present.
"Someone was watching earlier," Jin said quietly.
Mori looked up. "From outside?"
"Yes."
Coach Kagawa didn't react. "That will happen."
"You think it was him?" Jin asked.
"Maybe," the coach replied. "Maybe not."
Jin accepted that.
That night, somewhere else, the man stood alone.
He replayed footage in his mind—not from a screen, but from memory. Calm footwork. Tight guard. Controlled breathing.
A fighter who didn't waste motion.
He exhaled slowly.
"He doesn't back up," the man thought.
That would make things interesting.
Jin stayed late again.
The gym dimmed around him as he shadowboxed alone, moving without hurry, without anticipation. Just reaction. Just presence.
Pressure wasn't loud.
It didn't shout.
It took shape slowly.
And Jin was beginning to see it.
END OF CHAPTER
Author's Note:
Thank you for reading! 🙏
We're entering the stretch where pressure shows up in quieter ways. If you're enjoying the story, please comment, vote, and add it to your library — your support keeps this series moving forward.
Next chapter coming soon 🥊