Kouhei slowly let his gaze drift over the sea of faces before him.
All these people with them all watching, waiting, and hanging on his every word.
Surprisingly, not a single one of them looked bored with their attention unwavering. There was no shifting glances, no quiet side conversations, and nothing to hint they'd rather be anywhere else.
Deep down, Kouhei still thought it didn't really matter that much. Yet even so, he'd poured what little he had into giving the best speech he could muster.
And finally, after what felt like an eternity, he reached the end.
"Once again, I thank all of you, because this was something that I wouldn't have been able to do—and achieve a win against Souichiro—without you," Kouhei said, his voice carrying over the silent crowd.
And then, the moment the last syllable left his lips, the silence shattered with the cheers erupting all around him.
The sound rolled over him in waves, crashing and echoing in his ears.
