Chapter 1018: When Solutions Become Problems
By late afternoon, Nakahara still has not found the kind of sparring partner Ryoma wants for Aramaki’s upcoming fight.
So for the time being, Ryoma pairs Aramaki with Satoru, who’s slightly larger than Aramaki, with a marginally longer reach. But sadly, his fighting style is not what Ryoma needs.
Satoru is relatively static, preferring to keep his feet planted while defending from a stable position. His movement is limited, but his ability to control distance from that position is surprisingly effective.
Every time Aramaki moves forward behind his jabs, Satoru simply takes a short step backward and keeps his guard high, or simply uses his longer reach to disrupt Aramaki’s entry.
Aramaki follows with another jab, then adds a second punch before Satoru can establish the distance he wants. Satoru steps back again, waits for the opening, and fires a straight right toward Aramaki’s face.
Ryoma watches quietly from outside the ropes, his eyes following Satoru’s feet rather than Aramaki’s punches. The pattern is already becoming clear, and it has almost nothing to do with Satoru’s ability to defend.
He keeps retreating along the same line, absorbs the shot and resets his stance, while Aramaki continues standing directly in front of him.
"Satoru!" Ryoma finally raises his voice from outside the ring. "Move more. Don’t stay on the line after you defend!"
Satoru nods, and as Aramaki steps behind his jab, Satoru shifts diagonally, moving away from the center of Aramaki’s attack.
The movement is awkward, and his feet nearly cross, but Aramaki has to turn before continuing his combination.
"Better," Ryoma calls immediately.
Satoru exhales and resets his stance, clearly realizing that the small adjustment has brought something different to the exchange.
Aramaki follows him again, but Satoru moves off the line before the next combination can fully develop. But he still moves too slowly, not fully accustomed to such footwork, and Aramaki catches him with a light right.
Nevertheless, Satoru has forced Aramaki to change direction rather than allowing him to continue attacking along the same line.
The bell rings, and Ryoma watches Satoru return to his corner before slowly realizing that the problem needs fixing first.
"Damn it," he grumbles, moving around the ring toward Satoru’s corner. "Satoru, don’t you keep limiting your pendulum footwork. Forward and backward isn’t enough. When Aramaki attacks, you need to leave his line."
Satoru nods slowly, understanding what Ryoma means.
"Cuban Defensive Geometry?"
"Exactly. But keep it simple for now. You don’t need the whole system just yet."
Ryoma points toward the center of the ring again, emphasizing the space Aramaki keeps trying to occupy.
"Don’t let him build his combinations from the position he wants. Make him turn before he can continue."
Satoru takes a slow breath and nods again.
"So I move while he’s attacking."
"Exactly. Not after the combination is finished. During it."
Aramaki watches Ryoma giving Satoru instructions for several seconds before finally calling out from across the ring.
"Wait. Aren’t you supposed to be coaching me?"
Ryoma finally looks toward him and smiles. "Your turn will come. For now, help me teach him how to survive you."
***
The second round begins with Satoru looking noticeably different from the fighter Aramaki faced in the opening round. His pendulum steps are still there, but he no longer moves only backward when Aramaki begins closing the distance.
After all, this is not the first time Ryoma taught him the idea behind the Cuban Defensive Geometry. Satoru takes a short step to his right, then immediately shifts sideways when Aramaki tries to build his combination. Aramaki has to adjust before applying his pressure, and Satoru keeps changing his position instead of giving him a straight line to follow.
Satoru’s movements are still far from natural, and there are moments when his feet become slightly tangled, but the difference is already visible. Aramaki throws a jab while stepping forward, only for Satoru to slip outside the line and take another small step sideways.
Aramaki keeps advancing, but his pressure is no longer producing the same easy exchanges as before. He begins throwing more punches just to to force Satoru back toward the ropes.
Ryoma watches for several seconds before finally raising his voice.
"Aramaki, don’t chase him like that. You’re giving him exactly what he wants."
"Just tell me what to do?"
"Don’t follow his feet after he’s already gone. Start building your pressure differently. Use your feints and hesitation to make him react before you commit."
Aramaki’s eyes narrow slightly as he listens, immediately understanding what Ryoma is trying to develop.
Ryoma does not explain further. There is no need. Aramaki already knows how to use small changes in rhythm and intention to influence an opponent’s next movement.
Aramaki responds without saying anything, becoming noticeably more active with his hands as he begins mixing compact punches into his forward pressure.
Some of them fall short of Satoru, while others touch his guard lightly, but their purpose is not always to land.
Aramaki suddenly changes level, lowering his body as though preparing for a sharp entry, only to rise again without throwing.
A moment later, he shifts his weight forward as if preparing to launch a gazelle punch, then stops halfway through the movement. He follows it with a low, stiff jab toward Satoru’s body, pulling the punch before it fully extends.
None of these movements develops into a committed attack, yet Satoru keeps reacting to each one. His feet constantly adjust, his guard tightening whenever Aramaki changes rhythm or suddenly shifts his weight.
Aramaki continues mixing the movements together, never giving Satoru enough information to know which reaction actually matters.
When Satoru finally tries to escape with a wide side-step, Aramaki immediately recognizes the movement and follows him toward the space he is entering.
Satoru barely manages to bring his guard across before Aramaki’s short right hand reaches him.
"Good," Ryoma calls from outside the ropes. "Keep making him react before you decide what you’re actually throwing."
***
By the middle of third round, several of the fighters around the gym have stopped pretending they are not watching.
Okabe lowers his gloves and watches as Ryoma switches effortlessly between coaching Satoru and coaching Aramaki.
"Is he seriously doing this?"
Kenta, standing beside him, gives a small shrug.
"Looks like it."
"He’s giving instructions to both of them."
"Yeah."
Okabe watches Ryoma point toward Satoru’s feet before immediately turning toward Aramaki and saying something to him.
"So he’s basically working both corners at once?"
Kenta lets out a quiet laugh.
"Apparently."
Neither of them seems particularly surprised by Ryoma giving advice, but seeing him switch between the two fighters so naturally is something they have never seen before.
Ryoma does not seem to notice their attention. He remains completely absorbed in the sparring, watching Satoru’s movement one moment and Aramaki’s reactions the next.
Whenever Satoru manages to escape cleanly, Ryoma immediately points out what made the movement effective.
Whenever Aramaki finds a way to influence that movement, Ryoma gives him another adjustment without hesitation.
It almost looks as though Ryoma has forgotten which side of the ring he is supposed to be standing on.
Okabe shakes his head slowly. "Man, he’s really taking everything."
Kenta grins. "That’s Ryoma for you."
A few steps away, Sera and Murakami stand together near the edge of the gym, both watching the same strange spectacle.
"What do you think he’s doing?" Murakami asks, glancing at Sera.
Sera simply sighs. "I really have no idea. But it seems to me he’s coaching Satoru to become a better defensive mover, then immediately using that movement to develop Aramaki’s pressure."
Murakami gives a small nod. "Well, that’s what it looks like."
Sera folds his arms. "But that’s not really what he said to Nakahara before this."
"He said only to supervise Aramaki’s sparring."
"Well, he is supervising Aramaki’s sparring. While also coaching the opponent."
Murakami exhales quietly through his nose. "Which is why I’m not sure whether this is still called supervising."
Sera watches Ryoma step closer to the ropes, his eyes following Satoru as he circles away from Aramaki.
"Should we stop him?"
Murakami remains silent for a moment. Then he gives a small shake of his head.
"Nakahara had tried to stop him, and lost."
The two of them exchange another look before turning back toward the ring. Neither seems entirely sure whether what they are watching is a problem. But neither seems particularly interested in being the person who tells Ryoma to stop.
In fact, it all began innocently enough, with Ryoma watching footage of another fighter and wondering whether certain qualities could benefit Aramaki.
Then the idea develops into something larger: helping Aramaki build a style that can prepare him for the opponent he will eventually face.
And now, instead of shaping Aramaki’s new way of boxing, Ryoma has started shaping Satoru into one.
For everyone else in the gym, it is difficult to tell where Ryoma’s role as a fighter ends and his obsession with solving problems begins.