The next morning, the gym was alive with the familiar rhythm of fists meeting leather. The scent of sweat and disinfectant hung in the air, heavy but comforting — the kind of smell that told everyone they were home.
Inside the ring, Ippo ducked under a jab, countered with a tight right to the ribs, and sent his sparring partner stumbling back. The impact echoed through the gym, sharp and clean.
“Nice one, Ippo!” Kimura called out, leaning on the ropes with a towel around his neck.
Aoki, munching on onigiri he definitely wasn’t supposed to have in the gym, laughed. “He’s back to his murder-punches again! Dude’s like a machine!”
“More like a work in progress,” Takamura smirked, arms crossed. “Still flinches too much before he throws that right. Ain’t that right, coach?”
Kamogawa’s gruff voice broke through the noise. “Takamura, you talk too damn much. You wanna get in there and test him yourself?”
Takamura smirked wider but stayed put. “Nah, don’t wanna hurt my protégé before his next match.”
When the guest fighter finally climbed out of the ring, drenched and panting, Kamogawa clapped his hands. “Alright, boys! Gather up. You’ve all got power, but power without timing’s just wasted energy. Boxing’s not just fists — it’s rhythm, instinct, heart.”
The group nodded, even if Aoki’s attention span was fading fast. Kamogawa went on, his voice full of that old fire. “You fight with everything you’ve got, but never forget to think. A boxer who stops learning is already finished.”
The gym fell into a quiet focus — the kind of silence that meant everyone was listening.
Outside, at the same time…
The morning sun burned bright over the Tokyo streets. A girl stood at the corner, map crumpled in one hand, a small bird perched on the other. Her hair blew gently with the wind as she squinted at the scribbled directions.
“URHHH where is this gym?!” she groaned, spinning the map upside down like it might suddenly start making sense.
Her bird chirped, tilting its head.
“Don’t give me that look, sweetie! It’s not my fault this map’s ancient!”
After a few wrong turns and a very close encounter with a delivery bike, she finally spotted a weathered sign reading: Kamogawa Boxing Gym.
She grinned, clutching the map to her chest. “Finally!”
The bell above the door jingled as she pushed it open, sunlight spilling inside. The sudden sound made every head turn — Ippo froze mid-wrap, Aoki nearly choked on his rice ball, and Kamogawa squinted toward the door like he was seeing a ghost.