The locker room was quiet in a way the ring never was.
Jin sat on a wooden bench, elbows resting on his knees, staring at his wrapped hands. The adrenaline had drained away, leaving behind a deep, aching awareness of every place Narumi had found his body. His ribs throbbed with dull insistence, his shoulders felt tight, and his legs finally remembered they were tired.
A medic passed by and gave him a nod. "You're cleared. Try not to sneeze too hard."
Jin blinked. "Sneeze?"
The medic smirked. "Trust me."
Somewhere down the hall, Narumi was being checked as well. Jin hadn't seen him since the ring, but the thought that the other man was sitting through the same post-fight reality brought a strange sense of relief.
The fight was over.
Everything else was still real.
The hospital checkup was fast, efficient, and deeply unromantic.
"You boxers are strange," the doctor muttered as he pressed on Jin's ribs. "You collect bruises like souvenirs."
Jin winced. "I don't collect them on purpose."
"Of course not," the doctor replied flatly. "That would be ridiculous."
After a final once-over and a lecture about rest that Jin promised to follow, he was released with nothing more than a bag of ice and a warning not to spar anytime soon.
He made it three steps outside before Aoki jumped out from behind a vending machine.
"CHAMP!" Aoki yelled.
Jin flinched so hard his ribs protested loudly.
Kimura grabbed Aoki by the collar. "You idiot! He just fought!"
"It was emotional!" Aoki protested. "Let me feel things!"
Shimada clapped Jin on the back before realizing what he'd done. "Ah—sorry! Sorry! I forgot you're fragile right now!"
"I'm not fragile," Jin said automatically.
They all stared at him.
"…Okay," he admitted, "maybe a little."
Back at the Kagawa Gym, the atmosphere was chaos.
Someone had hung a crooked banner that read CONGRATS in uneven letters. Aoki had brought food—none of it matching. There were rice balls, fried chicken, instant noodles, and something that smelled suspiciously burnt.
Kimura poked at one dish. "What is this?"
Aoki crossed his arms proudly. "Victory stew."
"That's not a thing."
"It is now."
Jin sat on the floor, back against the wall, watching it all unfold with a tired smile. The noise felt good. Familiar. Safe.
Coach Kagawa stood near the entrance, arms crossed, observing without comment. When Jin glanced his way, the coach met his eyes and gave a single nod.
That meant more than applause ever could.
Later, when the noise settled and the gym grew quiet again, Jin stayed behind.
The lights hummed softly overhead as he rewrapped his hands, slower now, more carefully. He flexed his fingers once, feeling the dull ache beneath the bandages.
Winning hadn't changed him.
But it had shown him something.
The ring was loud.
The gym was home.
Jin exhaled and stood, turning off the lights as he left.
Tomorrow, things would start again.
END OF CHAPTER
Author's Note:
Huge thanks to TheBuns for the continued Power Stones support! 🙏
This cooldown chapter is thanks to you. If you enjoyed the slice-of-life and comedy, please comment, vote, and add the story to your library — your support keeps this journey going!
Next chapter: The Morning After ☀️🥊