Coach Steve: "Hayuki, you've been a total waste of time as a student and a complete failure as an athlete… I only wasted precious time on you—time I could've used to train real champions, not arrogant, self-centered brats who only know how to talk."
Hayuki: "But Coach… I tried as hard as I could… I worked my back off like never before, and I fought with all my strength."
Coach Steve: "Tried? Worked your back off? Gave it your all? Where exactly did you try, huh? Tell me, where? If you had truly put in the effort you claim, you wouldn't have lost to Antonio. Don't blame him for your loss—blame yourself, because you were too weak."
Coach Steve: "I always dreamed… of winning a world title, any title. Ever since I was a kid, I trained like a maniac, believing that through discipline and hard work, one day I'd be called a world champion. But that day never came… there were always people on a whole other level than me. Still, I tried, and tried, and tried again—working my back to the bone day and night. But it never worked out… And yet, I still decided to keep chasing my dream—by training young talents to turn them into the champions of the future. At least I'd succeed as a coach. But… even then… my dream fell apart…"
Hayuki: "Coach…"
Coach Steve: "And then, just when I thought it was all over for me in this sport… I found you. When you walked into my gym—the only student to ever set foot in my place—and I saw how well you practiced kickboxing… I saw in you a truly bright future."
FLASHBACK (5 years earlier)
Coach Steve is cleaning his gym.
Coach Steve: "Ah… damn it, what's the point of cleaning an empty gym if nobody trains here?"
Coach Steve: "Might as well sell it and make some money out of it…"
But then, a figure opens the door.
Coach Steve: "Sorry, we're closed."
Hayuki (13 years old): "Uh… good morning…"
Coach Steve: "Yeah, kid, what can I do for you?"
Hayuki: "Excuse me… is this gym open?"
Coach Steve: "Yeah, but not for long… Why, you wanna buy it or something?"
Hayuki: "No… actually, I'd like to train here."
Coach Steve: "Wait… what did you just say?"
Hayuki: "I said I'd like to train here to practice kickboxing."
Coach Steve: "No way… you seriously want to train here?"
Hayuki: "Of course I do. The other gyms are way too expensive for me, so they told me to come here, saying this was the cheapest one around. They said the fee here is 0 dollars."
Coach Steve: "Oh, fantastic… so I'm also being made fun of behind my back. Great news… but you know what? I don't even care anymore… because finally—I HAVE MY FIRST STUDENT, YEAH!"
Hayuki: "Uh… you okay?"
Coach Steve: "Listen, kid… even if you're officially my student now, before you start training here, you have to show me how strong you really are. Hit the mitt as hard as you can."
Hayuki: "Alright, but shouldn't I first pay some kind of membership or something? Oh right, my bad—it's free. Hahaha."
Coach Steve: "Cut the smartass act and hit the bag in front of you."
Hayuki hits the bag with incredible force, tearing it open completely.
Coach Steve: "Damn, what a punch!"
Hayuki: "So, how did I do?"
Coach Steve: "I… I don't even know what to say. That was simply amazing."
Hayuki: "So, will you train me seriously now?"
Coach Steve: "With pleasure. Don't worry—I'll turn you into a future world champion, kid. That's a promise."
Hayuki: "That's exactly what I want! Hahaha."
Coach Steve: "What spirit you've got, kid… What's your name?"
Hayuki: "Hayuki… Hayuki Karumiya."
Hayuki: "And you?"
Coach Steve: "Steve Patterson—but you can just call me Coach Steve."
END FLASHBACK
PRESENT DAY
Coach Steve: "That day, a whole new world opened up for me… I watched you train day after day and I already saw a future champion in you. The more time passed, the more matches you kept winning, one after another without end. In those moments, I felt truly good about myself—finally, I felt I hadn't completely wasted my life, and that you would give me those satisfactions and, most of all, that title I never got… But life can be really cruel… Maybe if you had at least won a title, I could have filled that emptiness I'd carried for so long… But you… you arrogant little piece of shit—you failed. You failed completely."
Hayuki: "Coach… I'm sorry…"
Coach Steve: "And yet, we trained day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year. I truly can't understand how this was even possible. Five damn years wasted trying to get you to win a world title—and you… you still managed to fail. You failed the goal I've been chasing my whole life, and you didn't fail because Antonio was stronger… but because you were too weak mentally."
Hayuki: "Coach… I… I didn't mean to…"
Coach Steve: "You and your stupid arrogance. I saw it—I've always seen it—ever since the first day you stepped into my gym. After every win, you strutted around, thinking you were the best. Well, you can't be the best if you don't prove it in the ring. And all you've proven is that you're a total loser—an even bigger waste than I ever was. And that's what hurts the most—you could have been better than me, but you became worse."
Coach Steve: "As far as I'm concerned, you can leave. Go. Do whatever you want… From now on…"
Hayuki: "…"
Coach Steve: "I will never be your coach again."
Hayuki: "What? What… what do you mean?"
Coach Steve: "You're so eager to risk your life? So desperate to win that title? Fine—go your own way. But I couldn't care less anymore. Go do whatever the hell you want. For all I care, you could die in the ring—it wouldn't bother me one bit. In fact, you'd deserve it, because you insisted on doing things your way. When someone's an idiot, they're an idiot—there's nothing you can do. So go, useless loser."
Hayuki and Steve remain silent for a full minute. Then Hayuki…
Hayuki: "Ah… so I'm the idiot, huh?"
Hayuki: "So I'm the coward who gave up on his dream because he was too weak to try hard enough? I'm the one who completely failed in life, blaming everyone else instead of myself? I'm the one who had zero students in his crappy gym, who was constantly mocked, and who, if it weren't for me, would have ended up on the streets like some worthless bum?"
Hayuki: "You know something, Steve? You're not the one abandoning me… I'm the one abandoning you. The fact that I ever set foot in your crappy gym should be considered a blessing—BECAUSE IF IT WEREN'T FOR ME, RIGHT NOW YOU'D BE NOTHING MORE THAN A USELESS CORPSE, FORGOTTEN BY EVERYONE."
Hayuki: "I'm the one who made you a recognized coach. I'm the one who fought for that title. I'm the one who busted his ass day and night to try and reach it."
Hayuki: "And you know what? In the end, you still came out the winner. You know why? Because at least you still have a coaching career. Once you're done with me, you'll go on to train other guys. But for me… it's over. Completely. Everything destroyed, everything gone, shattered to pieces."
Hayuki: "So honestly, you can go wherever you want, train whoever you like. But remember who made you a respected coach in this field. Without me, you're nothing but a weak, whiny nobody—an ungrateful bastard."
There was a deafening silence for at least a minute, the two just staring at each other from a distance.
Coach Steve: "Goodbye, Hayuki. Try not to die too soon."
Hayuki: "I HOPE YOU ROT IN HELL, YOU USELESS, UNGRATEFUL SACK OF SHIT! YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A LOSER WITH NO FUTURE. KNOW THAT WHEN I HEAR YOU'RE DEAD, I'LL BE NOTHING BUT HAPPY."
And so, the two finally went their separate ways… a bitter separation indeed.