Kaito's head snapped to the side.
For a brief moment, the entire crowd fell silent.
No one could believe it.
Haruki had landed a punch.
Even Kaito looked stunned, his jaw slightly open. He slowly turned back to face Haruki, his eyes darkening.
Then—
He grinned.
"Oh? So you can hit."
Haruki's stomach twisted. That punch had been his best shot, and Kaito barely looked fazed.
"Damn it… he's still too strong."
Kaito rolled his shoulders. "Alright, now it's my turn."
Before Haruki could react, a fist slammed into his gut.
THUD!
The air was knocked out of his lungs. His vision blurred as he stumbled back, knees threatening to give out.
But he forced himself to stay on his feet.
He couldn't fall.
Kaito stepped forward, raising his fist again. "I'll admit, that was a good hit. But let's see how many you can take—"
Haruki's body moved on instinct.
Kaito's right hand was dominant. He always started with a shove, then a fake punch, then—
Left hook!
Haruki ducked.
Kaito's punch whiffed past his head, his eyes widening in surprise.
The crowd gasped.
"Did he just dodge?!"
"Wait, what the hell?! He couldn't even fight last time!"
Haruki gritted his teeth. His muscles screamed in pain, but he ignored them. I can't win by strength. But if I can keep dodging, if I can keep reading him…
Kaito clicked his tongue. "Tch. Lucky."
He lunged again, throwing another punch.
Haruki shifted his weight, barely dodging—
But Kaito was fast.
A knee smashed into Haruki's ribs.
CRACK!
Haruki staggered, pain shooting through his body. His vision blurred for a second.
"Damn it! He's too fast—"
Another punch came flying toward his face.
He couldn't dodge.
BAM!
Haruki hit the ground hard. Blood dripped from his lip. His arms shook as he tried to push himself up.
Kaito towered over him. "That all you got?"
Haruki coughed, tasting blood. His body was screaming at him to stay down.
But—
The words Kaito had said before their first fight echoed in his mind.
"You're weak, Takahashi. You'll never change."
Something inside Haruki snapped.
His fingers dug into the dirt.
His arms trembled—
Then—
He stood up.
The crowd gasped again.
"What the hell?! He's still standing?!"
Even Kaito's grin faded for a second. "Tch. You don't know when to stay down, huh?"
Haruki wiped the blood from his lip. His breathing was ragged. His body was on the verge of collapsing.
But he raised his fists.
Kaito smirked. "Fine. Let's keep going, then."
—
To be continued.