Morning arrived quietly, like it didn't want to disturb anyone.
The gym lights flickered on one by one as Jin stepped inside, the familiar smell of sweat, tape, and old canvas greeting him before anyone else did. The building felt half-asleep, but there was a tension in the air that hadn't been there before—thin, stretched tight, waiting.
A digital scale sat in the middle of the floor.
No decorations. No ceremony.
Just numbers.
Aoki stared at it with open suspicion.
"That thing looks hostile," he said.
"It's a scale," Kimura replied.
"I don't trust objects that judge me."
Mori crouched beside it, checking the calibration. "It's accurate."
"That's what makes it dangerous."
Jin removed his shoes and socks calmly, folded them, and stepped onto the scale. The screen blinked once, then settled.
Junior Welterweight.
Comfortably inside the limit.
Coach Kagawa nodded. "Good."
That was it.
No applause. No congratulations. Just confirmation.
Aoki sagged in relief like he'd been holding his breath. "HOW does he do that? I would've been sweating for weeks."
Kimura shrugged. "Because he doesn't eat like you."
"I EAT FOR ENERGY."
"You eat for regret."
Jin stepped off the scale and put his shoes back on, his breathing steady. The number didn't linger in his mind. It never did. Weight was just a requirement—something to meet and move past.
Today wasn't about numbers.
The official weigh-in venue was small.
No cameras. No reporters. Just folding chairs, a long table for officials, and a quiet room that seemed to absorb sound instead of reflecting it. Jin stood with the rest of Kagawa Gym, hands loosely wrapped in a towel, eyes forward.
The door opened.
Takeshi Narumi walked in.
He wasn't taller than Jin, but he felt larger somehow. His shoulders rolled slightly forward as he walked, posture relaxed but purposeful, like he was always moving toward something even when standing still.
Narumi stepped onto the scale first.
The number settled without issue.
No reaction.
Jin followed.
Again—no issue.
Then came the face-off.
They were guided to the center of the room, standing only a foot apart. Narumi stepped forward immediately, closing the gap without hesitation.
Jin didn't move.
Their foreheads stopped just short of touching.
Narumi's eyes were sharp, searching—not aggressive, but probing. Looking for tension in the shoulders. Tightness in the jaw. Anything that said pressure.
Jin gave him nothing.
After a few seconds, Narumi stepped back.
No words were exchanged.
But something had been decided.
The mood shifted immediately afterward, like a valve had been released.
Aoki talked too loudly the moment they left the venue. "DID YOU SEE THAT? IF THAT WAS ME, I WOULD'VE BLINKED."
"You blink when someone raises their voice," Kimura said.
"I AM SENSITIVE."
They went out to eat, the restaurant filled with noise and clattering dishes. Ippo kept glancing at Jin like he expected him to suddenly combust from nerves.
Jin ate slowly.
He was aware of everything—the texture of the food, the sounds around him, the way his body felt heavier now that the waiting was almost over.
Mari sat across from him, watching quietly.
"Your hands," she said after a moment.
Jin looked down.
They were steady now.
"They shook earlier," she continued. "After the face-off."
Jin nodded. "Only after."
"Not during?"
"No."
She smiled slightly. "That means you processed it."
"I think so."
"It didn't scare you?"
Jin considered the question carefully. "No. It just… arrived."
Mari seemed satisfied with that answer.
That night, the gym closed early.
No extra drills. No late sparring.
Coach Kagawa had said only one thing before leaving:
"Rest."
Jin returned home, showered, and lay down on his futon, staring at the ceiling.
He didn't replay the weigh-in.
He imagined movement instead.
Narumi stepping forward.
The ring feeling smaller than usual.
The sound of gloves meeting guard.
He imagined the first exchange.
No fear.
No noise.
Tomorrow, there would be no space.
And Jin was ready to stand inside it.
END OF CHAPTER
Author's Note:
Thank you for reading! 🙏
Due to the Amazing support today.
Here's a bonus chapter 🔥
We've reached the edge of fight night. If you're enjoying Hajime no Ippo: The Phantom Step, please comment, vote, and add it to your library — your support truly keeps this series going.
Next chapter: Fight Day 🥊