Chapter 1020: The Vultures Change Their Prey
What the public did not know, however, was that Umemoto had already shown signs of improvement six days after undergoing the craniotomy. He briefly regained consciousness, although his awareness remained incomplete and unstable.
His level of consciousness dropped again, but the episode still gave the doctors a clear indication that his neurological condition was beginning to improve.
Yet the people who had spent the past several days relentlessly attacking Ryoma remained far more focused on their hatred and their hunger for another story.
None of Umemoto’s improvement ever reached the public, because not a single journalist had bothered to visit the hospital and find out for themselves.
And Ryoma’s latest statement makes it even worse. They have become even more focused on exploiting the controversy, while Umemoto himself is reduced to little more than an object for their narrative.
"RYOMA TAKEDA CHALLENGES HIS CRITICS: ’GO TO THE POLICE IF YOU THINK I’M GUILTY’"
"INSTEAD OF SYMPATHY, RYOMA TAKEDA SHOWS ARROGANCE: ’I AM THE KING HERE’ — YOU NEED ME AS YOUR CHAMPION, NOT TO SHOW SYMPATHY TO MY OPPONENT"
"ARROGANCE OR CONFESSION? RYOMA TAKEDA MOCKS JOURNALISTS DEMANDING ACCOUNTABILITY"
And the backlash doesn’t remain confined to news reports, as organized campaigns demanding action against Ryoma.
"PETITION: HOLD RYOMA TAKEDA ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE CONDITION OF UMEMOTO KIMITADA"
Within its first day, the petition gathers several thousand signatures, with the number continuing to rise as supporters of Umemoto spread it across social media.
Yet the intensity of the media’s campaign against Ryoma begins producing an effect they clearly did not anticipate.
Ryoma himself already has an enormous hardcore fanbase across Japan. And those who remain neutral, can clearly see who is right and who is wrong.
What had initially been discussed mainly outside the doors of Ronin’s gym gradually reaches audiences well beyond Japan.
People who have spent the past week talking about that brutal fight now begin taking part in this battle of public opinion.
Even Kenji Matsuda, the leader of Cruel King’s Army, creates a counter-petition of his own.
"HOLD GORO ISHIMARU OF SHIN-OSAKA TEPPAN BOXING ACCOUNTABLE FOR UMEMOTO KIMITADA’S CONDITION — AS HIS SECOND, HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR PROTECTING HIS FIGHTER FROM FURTHER HARM."
The response is immediate. Within its first day, it surpasses one hundred thousand signatures, and the number continues climbing at a pace that rapidly overwhelms the earlier campaign.
The conversation changes direction almost completely. The petition demanding Ryoma’s cancellation is still circulating, but it is easily drowned out by a much larger wave of people questioning Ishimaru’s responsibility as Umemoto’s second.
Whether Ryoma had anticipated any of this when he provoked the journalists is something nobody can truly know. What is certain is that he never had to beg anyone to defend him.
Without asking for it, he suddenly finds himself surrounded by supports from all over the world.
***
Meanwhile, Shin-Osaka Teppan Boxing had already been under pressure since the day after the fight, although the attention directed toward the gym had remained relatively small.
From the beginning, Sato, Tanaka, and Aki had already singled out Goro Ishimaru as the person they believed should be held responsible for what happened to Umemoto.
They had continued pursuing him and the gym, repeatedly demanding answers. But their efforts remained limited. Their number was small and easily ignored.
Now, two days after Kenji’s petition began circulating online, reporters suddenly flood the area in front of the gym. And Ishimaru can no longer simply ignore it.
"Goro Ishimaru! Come out and answer our questions!"
"Ishimaru! We know you’re inside! Come out and face us!"
"Goro Ishimaru, we want answers about Umemoto Kimitada!"
"We need your statement regarding Umemoto’s condition! Is he even still alive?"
The three local reporters who had pursued Ishimaru from the beginning are now pushed to the sidelines, forced to watch the growing crowd from across the street.
"Look at that," Tanaka says. "Matsuda-san really turned the whole thing around."
Sato nods. "The pressure was supposed to stay on Ryoma. Now it’s all shifted toward Ishimaru."
"And it happened incredibly fast," Aki chimes in with a hum.
Tanaka looks toward her. "You think Ryoma planned this?"
Aki hesitates before answering. "I wouldn’t put it past him."
"You think Matsuda-san released that petition because Ryoma told him to?" Sato speculates.
"Maybe," Aki says with a shrug. "Ryoma knew exactly what kind of reaction his statement could create. He practically handed them a story and told them to run with it."
Tanaka simply shakes his head, remaining skeptical. "But that still doesn’t mean he planned what happened afterward."
Sato nods. "Exactly. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is all just coincidence. From the beginning, Ryoma shouldn’t have been the one receiving all this scrutiny in the first place."
"But I wouldn’t be surprised if Ryoma had already considered all of this," Tanaka says. "Let the issue explode, then see how the world responds."
Ishimaru, meanwhile, watches the growing crowd from behind the curtain of the management office, his expression tightening as the voices outside continue reaching him.
"Goddamn leeches... why the hell are there so many of them?"
One of the employees standing behind him finally speaks.
"Maybe Kamiya-san was right."
Ishimaru immediately turns toward him.
"What did you say?"
The employee hesitates, but continues anyway.
"Maybe we should change how we handle this. We can’t keep avoiding the scrutiny forever. If we continue refusing to say anything, they’re only going to keep coming back."
"Shut up."
The words come out sharply, but Ishimaru immediately lowers his voice when he realizes how many people are gathered outside.
"You think giving them something will make them leave us alone?"
"That’s not what I mean."
"Then what exactly are you suggesting?"
"I’m saying Kamiya-san may have been right. We’re the ones who should be taking responsibility for Umemoto’s situation."
Ishimaru’s jaw tightens. "And what do you think happens after we give them what they want? They’ll take whatever we say, twist it however they like, and come back demanding something else."
His voice remains low, but every word carries the same anger as his earlier outburst.
"I’m not going to let a bunch of reporters dictate how I run my business."
He pulls the curtain aside slightly and looks down at the street again. But this time, there is something different about the crowd.
Among the reporters gathering outside the gym are a small number from neighboring countries, along with a Western media crew consisting of only two people. Even from a distance, they are easy to distinguish from the predominantly East Asian crowd surrounding the entrance.
The story has already begun spreading beyond Japan. And Ishimaru can no longer simply ignore it.
"Damn it..."
He can no longer stubbornly convince himself that this will simply die down on its own. Without someone controlling the narrative, the situation will only grow even wilder.
Even so, Ishimaru has no intention of stepping outside and facing them himself. He turns around and studies the employee standing behind him for several seconds, considering the possibility of sending him out instead.
Then he shakes his head. Without saying anything, Ishimaru walks toward the door, intending to find someone else. But when he reaches the doorway and looks into the corridor, he finds it completely empty.
"Where is everyone else?" Ishimaru asks. "At this hour, why aren’t they here yet?"
"I don’t know," the employee replies. "Maybe they’re stuck outside and had to avoid confronting all those reporters."
Ishimaru turns back toward him. For another moment, he reconsiders again sending the employee outside.
But after hearing what he said earlier, Ishimaru becomes even more concerned that it will only give the reporters exactly the admission they are looking for.
In the end, Ishimaru can only rub his already barren head in frustration before turning back toward the window.
"Goddamn it..."