Stealing Spree

With the boxing match going to start earlier than yesterday, the number of spectators was fewer than before. Furthermore, apart from the few students who skipped class to cheer for their schoolmates, there were more adults or scouts from different schools, gyms or colleges.

When Sena stepped out and entered their field of vision, it became noticeable that attention gathered around her. Her name had already started circulating and with her record on this competition being only knockdowns on the 1st round, it might not be wrong to say that some of those scouts specifically came to watch her match.

Ah. Right. Some also pointed at Ayu. Even if it was already a few years since she retired, there were still people from their world who could recognize her. I mean, she was an olympic-level athlete. Even if her injury happened before she competed, she's already a known name in their circle from the number of competitions she won before.

Other than that, the attention also gathered on the other side of this venue. In the opposing team, a few promising boxers also deserved the attention.

If I recall correctly, they're the expected winner of this competition. They might not be the first seed but they acquired a few transfer students specialized in the sport thanks to the big budget that their school funneled for the club. Their training facility became second to none in the city.

From that information alone, one would expect that their quality was higher compared to the other schools.

I also took a glance at their side, observing the girls they were going to send in. And honestly, I couldn't deny that evaluation. It would really be tough for Sena's team to get past them.

Understanding that, the boxing club members who I had just rid of their nervousness earlier started feeling it again.

Well, I had nothing else to do so... Before the match officially started, I approached them in hopes that I could relieve them of that tension.

The effect was expectedly minimal but with the way they smiled and assured me that they were going to give their best regardless of their chances, I could only reciprocate that smile and believe in them.

"Good luck. You all can do it."

Cheering them like that was all I could do for them before stepping back and returning to Ayu and Hanabi.

Ayu also thanked me for what I did before whispering, "You looked really cool there, Ru-kun. I think you can also be a great coach."

I don't know about that. Instructing my students in their gym was already a challenge for me. If I have to coach someone exclusively, I doubt I can do better than her.

Anyway, I better not think about that at the moment.

A few minutes later, the boxing semifinal match began.

Like their previous matches, the order they stepped inside the ring remained the same.

The first girl was cornered instantly but because of a lucky counterattack that hit the jaw of her opponent, she overturned the match completely. She won it by knockout.

Thanks to that win, the second girl fought as hard as she could. Unfortunately, when it came to a decision, her opponent won by a point.

When it was Sena’s turn, despite her opponent being someone who attended the same training camp as her, the odds didn’t turn over to the other side. She knocked her opponent down during the 2nd round after taking a defensive stance during the 1st one.

She listened to my advice of analyzing and tiring out her opponent first. Furthermore, Ayu was also proud that her coaching was perfectly translated.

In terms of Sena’s skill, she’s already on the cusp of being one of the best in the whole country.

Those scouts watching from audience seats even got up to their feet to try and talk to her before she could return to our side.

Seeing that, I stood up and blocked them from approaching the girl. The girl needed to rest. Even if it was a dominating win, enduring all those heavy punches from her opponent still left their mark on her.

Continuing on, because of that win, the opponent became desperate. They’re one loss away from being eliminated after all.

Regrettably, the fourth girl, a third-year senior, lost against her opponent because of it. There was even a wide gap in their points. Moreover, the head protector failed to fully mitigate the impact of the punches that landed on her face. A part of it swelled up.

Ayu immediately went to check on her and helped treat her. I also lent a hand by comforting her – since that's the only thing I could do.

Hanabi also helped out, bringing her positivity to sweep away the gloom that started to enshroud the team.

Following that, the fifth match soon started. Determined to get the win and perhaps avenge her friend, the Club President and Captain marched forward.

Since being emotional could be more of a detriment than a boost, I chased after before she could climb up the ring.

I could only provide words again but thankfully, it got through to her. Her emotions calmed down. And like Kawakami-senpai, I got doted on by her… With it happening in front of everyone, I ended up gathering the attention of everyone, be it the staff, the opponent, or the spectators.

Uh. When could I stop my habit of being so overly considerate? If Arisa was here, she would’ve scolded me already. Or if it’s Orimura-sensei, she’d call out my awful charm again.

Anyway, that’s that.

To not take away the spotlight for the final match between the two schools, I quickly went back to my seat and squeezed myself between Hanabi and Sena.

The goofball found that hilarious while Sena just silently cuddled by my side… She couldn’t care less about those scouts, she already had her eyes set on being a pro, after all.

“Ruki, do you think Tamura-senpai can win?” Sena asked me at the same time as the bell for the start of the first round chimed.

“You know your senior best. She spent three years honing her skills in your club. However, she didn’t have a dedicated coach that could guide her like Ayu. As for her opponent, isn’t she in that camp as well?”

“Yes. I sparred against her once and… she’s also a defensive boxer.”

“I see. Then we can just hope for a miracle.”

That’s all there is to it. Compared to someone who has the talent and the right guidance, hard work can only carry Tamura-senpai halfway. It’s hard to bridge if her opponent has both.

In any case, even if she gets defeated here, she’ll surely be in the eyes of those scouts. She can find a coach that can hone her skills in college.

“I’m lucky I have you and Coach. If you didn’t steal me from that guy… I doubt I can be this motivated to improve. He never cheered for me and all that matters is his own glory. But you… you’ve watched me carefully and helped me grow. What do you think? If you don't cut me off, will I be able to defeat you?”

“Inside the ring, yes. But in bed…” I trailed my voice there along with a wink and a perverted smile.

Hanabi who heard that covered her mouth to prevent her laughter from disturbing the serious atmosphere inside the venue.

Sena, who's probably expecting a serious answer, was flabbergasted. A moment later, she puffed her cheeks as her face turned crimson.

She grabbed my collar and ground her teeth as her eyes burned from the challenge, “Ruki, let’s sneak out. I’ll defeat you in bed today!”

“Heh. You can try. Sure. But we both know what the result will be.”

As much as I wanted to do just that… we couldn’t just sneak out, right? And so, after giving that reply, I sealed her lips, silencing her before returning our focus to the ongoing match.

And while I was at it, I didn’t forget about the goofball on my other side.