Chapter 977 - 977: The Card on the Table

Not wanting to dwell on all the strange things that had just happened, Aramaki helps Ryoma back into the house, until they reach the sofa where Hayakawa is still asleep.

Only after Ryoma sits down does Hayakawa suddenly jolt awake. He turns toward them, his face immediately tightening when he sees Ryoma with his training shirt and hair already damp.

When Ryoma closes his eyes, still looking uncomfortable as he massages his forehead, Aramaki takes the opportunity. He looks at Hayakawa and waits until their eyes meet, then gives him a slight nod toward the hallway.

"Well, I'll leave you here for now," Aramaki says. "Need to take a shower first."

"Sure," Ryoma replies quietly.

Not long after Aramaki leaves, Hayakawa rubs his face before getting up as well.

"Guess I need to wash my face too."

Hayakawa does exactly that, washing his face at the sink in the kitchen. By the time he finishes, Aramaki is already there, approaching him.

"I found him in the gym," Aramaki says without any preamble. "Inside the ring, with his gloves on, sitting unconscious in one corner."

Hayakawa's face immediately tightens with concern.

"And he didn't remember how he got there," Aramaki adds.

The concern on Hayakawa's face disappears at once, looking so darkly serious now, whatever thoughts running through his head impossible to read.

A beat later, he simply walks away, his pace quickening with every step. Aramaki feels uneasy and follows him for a moment, worried about what Hayakawa might say to Ryoma.

But Hayakawa doesn't go to Ryoma. He keeps walking toward the front of the house, his pace only getting faster.

Once outside, he begins questioning every guard he comes across, asking if they have seen anything unusual involving Ryoma during their shifts. None of them, however, have seen Ryoma leave the mansion.

Eventually, Hayakawa reaches the front gate and the answer is the same.

"I didn't see him leave. Is something wrong?"

Hayakawa simply shakes his head before pulling out his phone and calling the guards who had been working the night shift one by one. Until eventually, one of them gives him something.

[Yeah, I saw him leave the mansion and head toward the gym.]

"When was that?" Hayakawa asks.

[Around four-something. I don't know exactly. Besides, it's not unusual for him to wake up that early and start training, so I didn't think anything of it.]

"Did you see him leave the gym afterward?"

[Not that I saw. But, Hayakawa-san, I wasn't watching the gym the whole time. I had to patrol, after all. Is something wrong?]

"...Nothing."

He ends the call after saying nothing, but his expression says otherwise.

There is something almost unnervingly cautious about the way he stands there, his eyes moving across the estate, looking more like a guard at an asylum who has just realized he may have failed to keep track of a dangerous patient.

***

While Ryoma is still fighting his hangover, the news outside has already started running wild since early morning.

All the absurd and brutally blunt things he said at yesterday's post-fight press conference are filling newspapers and national news broadcasts.

They seem far more eager to milk his controversial statements than to talk about the world title fight itself.

WORLD CHAMPION RYOMA: "I WAS AN ALCOHOLIC AND SEX ADDICT"

THE REAL RYOMA? CHAMPION UNLEASHES IN POST-FIGHT RANT

RYOMA ATTACKS JOURNALISTS: "YOU PARASITES GOT YOUR STORY"

The headlines take turns dissecting the most controversial parts of his outburst, each publication choosing whichever statement seems most likely to sell.

One newspaper leads with his confession about alcohol and sex addiction, describing it as a shocking revelation that completely contradicts the disciplined image he has maintained throughout his career.

Another focuses on his confrontation with the press, questioning whether the calm and controlled personality Ryoma had shown for years was nothing more than a carefully constructed persona.

WHO IS THE REAL RYOMA?

For the past year, Ryoma has carefully cultivated the image of a disciplined and calculating fighter. Yesterday, however, the reigning world champion appeared to abandon that image entirely.

What began as a routine post-fight press conference quickly turned hostile when Ryoma accused journalists of standing in his way throughout his rise to the top. He then claimed that he had once struggled with alcohol and sex addiction, insisting that he had sacrificed both in order to become a world champion.

Whether yesterday's outburst was an unfiltered glimpse of Ryoma's true personality or simply another calculated performance remains unclear. What is clear, however, is that the champion has given the public an entirely different version of himself to consider.

On television, the coverage is no different.

[The reigning world champion Ryoma Takeda is facing intense scrutiny this morning following a bizarre and highly confrontational post-fight press conference yesterday.]

[Ryoma shocked reporters when he openly described himself as a former alcoholic and sex addict, claiming that he had given up drinking, sex, and dating for years in pursuit of his boxing career.]

The footage changes to Ryoma shouting over his shoulder as he's escorted by his team.

"You'd better get a good picture! This is the real me!"

The screen then shows the moment Nakahara and Hayakawa escort Ryoma away as cameras flash around them.

[Since then, the footage has spread rapidly across social media, with viewers questioning whether yesterday's outburst revealed a side of the champion that had previously remained hidden.]

***

Ryoma himself remains completely oblivious to the narrative spreading outside, partly because he has deliberately kept himself away from it.

Still sitting on the same sofa and visibly bothered by his hangover, he is busy with his smartphone, following news coming out of Britain.

February has already passed, and the pandemic has yet to begin according to the timeline he remembers. The timing has already shifted by several weeks from what he originally expected.

Ryoma, however, remains open to the possibility that the timing has been pushed back because of the effects of his regression, as well as all the warnings and interventions he has made since returning to the past.

For hours, he continues surfing through news reports, jumping from one article to another and checking every development that might give him a clue.

Still, nothing appears. Not a single report points toward anything resembling the beginning of a pandemic.

Then Hayakawa appears, bringing a guest into the living room.

"Boss. Dr. Mizuno is here to see you."

Ryoma immediately swipes his smartphone back to the home screen, locks it, and turns around.

"Oh, Dr. Mizuno. Please, have a seat."

Mizuno gives him a single nod and walks toward him. Once he reaches the sofa, he places the medical equipment case on the table before sitting down and opening his jacket.

Ryoma watches the case for a moment before immediately putting on an uninterested expression.

"Sorry, Dr. Mizuno. But I don't think this is a good time for this. I got drunk yesterday, and I'm still dealing with the hangover."

Mizuno grimaces. "You know you're an important asset to Aqualis Labs, right?"

"Come on, Mizuno-san," Ryoma whines. "This is the first time I've ever celebrated with sake. Besides, the default agreement is for me to fight once every six or nine months. And you already collected my data in London. That was less than four months ago."

Dr. Mizuno finds it difficult to argue against that. He shakes his head, glancing at the untouched medical case with a disappointed sigh, as if his long trip had been for nothing.

"By the way," he says, "I caught some of the news on TV this morning. They really didn't hold back when it came to tearing you apart."

"Well, that's journalists for you," Ryoma replies casually. "If they didn't do that, they wouldn't be able to eat."

"But..." Mizuno hesitates, clearly unsure how to put it. "An alcoholic and sex addict? Saying that out loud in public. Are you sure that's going to be good for the image of the sponsors you represent?"

Ryoma's expression changes slightly. Mizuno's question makes him realize the implications for his position as Aqualis Labs' main ambassador.

"Did Fujimoto-san say anything about this to you?"

Mizuno nods. "He came to my office this morning to talk about what happened. Honestly, I was worried he might be angry enough to reconsider the whole arrangement between you and Aqualis."

He then reaches into his jacket and then holds out a business card. "Fortunately, he seemed more concerned than disappointed."

Ryoma takes the card and reads the name printed on it: Dr. Miyahara Saki, a psychiatrist. His expression immediately hardens. The implication behind the card strikes directly at his pride.

"So… even Fujimoto already thinks I've gone crazy?"

Mizuno remains calm. "It isn't necessarily about being crazy, Ryoma. People in high-pressure positions see psychiatrists all the time. Athletes, executives, celebrities... it's hardly unusual."

He pauses, choosing his words carefully. "Especially someone your age. You're a world champion, you're running a major promotional operation, and you've been carrying an enormous amount of pressure for years. Emotional instability under those circumstances isn't exactly surprising."

Ryoma studies the card for a moment before scoffing. "Psychiatrists... They're just a bunch of judgmental people who think they know everything about someone after listening to them for an hour. I know myself better than anyone else. I don't need someone else sitting there and judging me."

Mizuno watches him quietly for a moment, then lets out a small sigh. "Well, I figured you'd say that. Just keep the card. You don't have to call her."

He rises from his seat and reaches for the medical case on the table, preparing to leave.

"Try not to make me regret coming all the way here."

"No promises," Ryoma says flatly, and rises as well.

Unlike usual, Ryoma doesn't escort Mizuno out or offer him the usual courtesy, as though even Mizuno has suddenly become someone he would rather keep at a distance.

But after Mizuno disappears from his sight, Ryoma's eyes eventually drift back toward the business card lying on the table.