Chapter 1034 - 1034: The Fear in Her Eyes

Watching the reporters rush out, Nakahara and Kurogane exchange troubled looks, already anticipating the chaos that will follow once the news gets out.

"Hey, Ryoma. Have you lost your damn mind?" Kurogane snaps. "You're discussing something like this in a public place without even consulting us first! And have you talked any of this over with Aramaki?"

He turns to Aramaki, who can only stare back at him with a bewildered expression.

"Heh, I'll take that as a no," Kurogane scoffs before turning back to Ryoma. "And you've dragged Kenta into this too, when he hasn't even won his final eliminator yet. Did you see how those three reporters rushed out of here? If they make this public, can you imagine the mess we'll have on our hands?"

"Relax. I'm sure Kenta will win," Ryoma replies, as though there's nothing to worry about.

Before Kenta can even respond, Aramaki raises a hand.

"But, Ryoma, honestly, I don't think I'm ready for this. It's all happening so suddenly."

"Why? What are you afraid of?" Ryoma shoots back. "Come on, Aramaki. You're not that bad. And even if you lose, so what? It wouldn't be your first defeat. At least you'd get to experience what it's like to fight a world champion. You could learn from it, grow stronger, and come back with a better shot next time. And who knows? You might even win."

Aramaki manages an awkward smile. He still looks far from convinced, clearly feeling the pressure, but he doesn't seem willing to argue either.

"Ah, yeah... Now that you put it that way, I guess there's no real harm in trying."

"So, what do you say, Maria? Can you help us make this happen?" Ryoma asks.

A short chuckle escapes Maria's lips. She gives a subtle nod, already weighing the business potential of his proposal, and the sheer audacity of Ryoma's vision.

"Interesting," she says.

She leans back in her chair, draping an arm over the backrest as she crosses her legs and turns toward Ryoma.

"I'm sure Logan wouldn't want to miss an opportunity like this. However, there are a few scenarios you need to consider. First, what happens if either you or Elliot loses? And second, Marcus Hale is already scheduled to fight Leonardo Serrano toward the end of this year."

The sudden mention of Serrano draws startled looks from Ryoma and the others.

"Serrano...?" Ryoma mutters. "He's getting a shot at a world title? How is that even possible?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" Maria counters. "After losing to Aramaki, he moved to Mexico and continued his career under Zanfer Boxing."

Maria pauses briefly, letting the information sink in before continuing. "That helped him climb to tenth in the WBC rankings, putting him in a position to challenge the champion. And with financial backing from Fernando Beltrán himself, persuading Donovan to accept the fight probably wasn't all that difficult."

Nakahara cuts in, his expression turning serious. "I won't deny Serrano has raw talent. But against Marcus Hale and Frank Donovan working together, I have my doubts about his chances."

Maria nods in agreement. "Of course. Hale is still the clear favorite to win. But after Serrano, he'll have to fulfill his mandatory title defense. If you can help Aramaki secure mandatory challenger status, we could make this happen around May or June next year."

She pauses, raising an eyebrow. "Otherwise, Aramaki will have to wait until Hale is available for another voluntary defense. That could mean waiting until the end of 2020, and frankly, that's too far off for us to be making plans around right now."

"That's exactly why we need to start working on this now," Ryoma insists. "If we wait until next year to figure things out, we'll have no control over the situation. Hale could easily accept another challenger in the meantime, and then we'd be pushed back to 2021, maybe even 2022. Hell, we might never get the fight at all."

Maria's confident smile gradually fades. She had assumed she understood the politics of boxing well enough to anticipate how things would unfold. But Ryoma's argument makes her reconsider.

This is how the top promoters operate. They don't simply wait for the right opportunity to present itself. They work to secure their fighters' positions well in advance, building leverage, negotiating obligations, and keeping rival interests from disrupting their plans.

In a business where rankings, mandatory defenses, and promotional agreements can dictate a champion's next move, waiting for the perfect opening can mean losing it to someone else.

Ryoma isn't merely chasing a title fight. He's trying to shape the circumstances that will make it happen.

"As for those three reporters," Ryoma continues, a knowing smile creeping across his face. "Their reaction was entirely predictable. Let them run with whatever version of the story they like. The moment it hits the headlines, public expectation will start building. And once the pressure is out there, we can use it to our advantage."

Maria lets out an involuntary scoff before breaking into an amused chuckle. "No wonder Logan is so eager to get his hands on you."

She then glances at Reika, her expression turning unreadable once more, as though another idea has just occurred to her.

"Well, why not ask Logan's own daughter for help?" she says, tilting her head slightly toward Reika. "As it happens, Logan is in Tokyo right now."

Reika looks slightly taken aback. Before she can respond, Ryoma turns to her, his face lighting up with the unrestrained enthusiasm.

She straightens in her seat, glancing sideways as though searching for an excuse. Then, almost abruptly, she gets to her feet and reaches for her Balenciaga leather tote.

"That reminds me," she says. "My father asked me this afternoon to come straight home once Aramaki's fight was over. Apparently, there's something important he wants to discuss with me."

Without waiting for anyone to respond, she bows apologetically and excuses herself, leaving the party ahead of everyone else.

Ryoma's cheerful expression slowly fades, giving way to disappointment. It isn't just that Reika has turned down his request. He knows she's lying, making up an excuse to avoid dealing with him altogether.

And for some reason, it leaves him with a strange sense of sadness. For more than three years since they first met, he had been the one treating Reika coldly, not the other way around.

Now that the tables have turned, it feels as though the whole world has turned its back on him.

Ryoma then glances toward Aki. For a brief moment, their eyes meet but she instinctively looks away.

In that instant, Ryoma rises from his seat and hurries after Reika without a second thought.

***

Outside, Reika is already reaching for the door handle of her Lexus when Ryoma calls out, hurrying toward her.

"Reika, wait."

She pauses for a moment, then pretends not to hear him and pulls the handle. But before she can swing the door open, Ryoma catches up and pushes it shut.

"Reika, what did I do?" Ryoma asks, his voice softer now, the disappointment in his face giving way to something more vulnerable. "Why are you suddenly avoiding me? Did I do something to hurt you? If I did, please, just tell me. At least give me a chance to defend myself. I've given you that chance so many times, haven't I? I've forgiven you for all the foolish things you've done over the years. So why won't you give me the same chance?"

Reika's first instinct is to recoil. Fear flashes across her face, and for a moment, she looks genuinely cornered beneath Ryoma's gaze. But she quickly schools her expression, putting on a puzzled look as though she has no idea what he's talking about.

"What do you mean? I'm not avoiding you. I told you I have to go home. If I don't, I could get into trouble. You know how scary my father can be."

"Don't lie, Reika," Ryoma replies, his voice still quiet but more insistent. "You know me. You can't fool these eyes of mine with such an unnatural act. It's obvious you've been avoiding me for the past few months. You, and Aki too."

"That's..." Reika struggles to maintain her composure, searching for a way to brush him off. "That's ridiculous. If we were deliberately avoiding you, why would I even show up at your party? And why would I still be dealing with Ronin? Think about it, Ryoma. I think your anxiety is getting the better of you again. When was the last time you saw your psychiatrist?"

Ryoma doesn't answer. He doesn't even entertain her excuses, his sharp gaze fixed on the fear she can barely conceal. To him, the lie is painfully obvious.

Under his unrelenting stare, Reika grows increasingly uneasy. Eventually, she pushes his hand away from the car door and opens it.

"I really think you should see your psychiatrist again," she says, avoiding his eyes. "Good night."

Ryoma takes a step back from the curb and watches the car drive away.

Slowly, the sadness and vulnerability fade from his face, leaving behind a cold, calculating stare.

And then the voice returns. It isn't clear whether it belongs to the Beast inside him or whether it is simply his own mind speaking.

Those eyes... That terrified look on her face.

She knows what I did.

She no longer sees me as the prodigy boy.

Nor the world champion.

She sees me as a murderer.

The realization settles over him, and the last traces of his earlier disappointment disappear.

His thoughts begin to race, dissecting what Reika's fear might mean and what it could cost him if she were to turn against him.

Ever since Ryoma demanded the truth about who killed Hayashida Muneyaki, Phantom Ryoma has never appeared again, not in physical form, nor as a voice that haunt Ryoma's mind.

He simply ghosted Ryoma, as though deliberately avoiding the question he had been asked.

And with Phantom Ryoma gone, Ryoma gradually begins returning to the person he used to be: gentle, jovial, and unguarded.

But now, that innocence is slipping away.

Without Ryoma even realizing it, the Chameleon has returned; the adaptive thinker, the cunning strategist, the manipulator who knows how to read people and turn their weaknesses to his advantage.

Even before that Lexus disappears from his sight, Ryoma's mind is already moving beyond hurt and betrayal, searching for ways to bring Reika back under his control.