The fifth round sees little change at first. Wakabayashi grows even more pragmatic, sticking to light jabs that only graze Okabe's hard forehead.
There are no big openings appear, no shifts in momentum. Wakabayashi's scoring, yes, but nothing dramatic.
Meanwhile in the locker room, Ryoma, Aramaki, Kenta, and Coach Nakahara watch the fight live on a flat screen mounted on the wall.
The air is thick with tension. Every jab, every slip, every feint on the screen seems to ripple through the room, unspoken judgments passing between them. The mood is taut, a mix of anticipation, doubt, and cautious hope.
"The gap between them…" Aramaki frowns. "It's just too big. I don't know if Okabe can keep up."
Kenta nudges Ryoma, half-joking. "With all the dirty tricks you taught him, he's landed… what? One so far? If this keeps up, Okabe's going to lose on points, badly, embarrassingly."
Coach Nakahara watches silently for a beat, then speaks. "Is that really what you see?"
