Coach Kagawa didn't raise his voice.
He didn't need to.
The gym naturally quieted when he stepped forward, a folded document in his hand. Even Aoki stopped shadowboxing mid-combination, his glove frozen awkwardly in the air.
"This is official," Kagawa said. "Bout notice arrived this morning."
Paper unfolded. The sound felt louder than it should've been.
"Date is set. Venue confirmed. Junior Welterweight."
Aoki exhaled dramatically. "THANK GOD."
"No one asked," Kimura muttered.
Kagawa continued, unfazed. "Your opponent is Takeshi Narumi."
The name settled into the room.
Shimada immediately rushed to the board, marker in hand. He wrote it in large, blocky letters.
TAKESHI NARUMI
Underneath it, in smaller text:
Pressure Fighter
Aoki squinted. "Narumi… Narumi… Noodle-man?"
"That's not even close," Kimura said.
"I WAS WARM."
Jin didn't react.
He stood with his hands wrapped loosely, eyes steady, listening.
"Takeshi Narumi," Kagawa repeated. "Record stands at eight wins, one loss. Six by stoppage."
The gym stayed quiet.
"He advances," Kagawa said. "Constantly. He cuts the ring well and doesn't overcommit. If you back up, he follows. If you stop, he works."
Ippo swallowed. "That sounds… scary."
"It's effective," Kagawa corrected.
Jin finally spoke. "He doesn't give space."
"No," Kagawa said. "He takes it."
Jin nodded once. "Then I won't wait for it."
That earned a tap of the cane.
Training that day was lighter—but sharper.
No long circuits. No grinding fatigue.
Just precision.
Coach Kagawa drilled angles, pivots, and inside positioning. Jin moved deliberately, imagining pressure closing in, shoulders rolling forward, gloves tight to the guard.
"Don't look for openings," Kagawa said. "Create moments."
Jin stepped in, shoulder first, then pivoted out.
Better.
The rope never touched his back.
The mood lifted afterward, as it always did.
Aoki paced around dramatically. "I'M CUTTING WEIGHT TOO. IN SOLIDARITY."
"You're not even fighting," Kimura said.
"I'M FIGHTING FATE."
Mari watched Jin from the side, arms folded. When he finished unwrapping his hands, she approached.
"You're calm," she said.
"I know who I'm fighting now," Jin replied.
"That helps?"
"It simplifies things."
She smiled faintly. "You're strange."
"Only a little."
They walked out together later, side by side, the evening quiet around them. No talk of the fight. No promises.
Just footsteps in sync.
Elsewhere, Takeshi Narumi watched a grainy clip on his phone.
Footwork. Calm guard. No retreat.
Narumi paused the video.
"So he really doesn't back up," he murmured.
His lips curved—not into a smile, but something close.
"Good."
Back at the gym, the board stood unchanged.
One name added.
One path confirmed.
The fight was real now.
END OF CHAPTER
Author's Note:
Thank you all for reading and supporting Hajime no Ippo: The Phantom Step! 🙏
Your comments, votes, and library adds genuinely help keep this series moving forward. See you in the next chapter 🥊