It's unsportsmanlike from Ryoma, hammering Noguchi while he offers the glove.
The crowd reacts in a messy blur, some gasp, some cheer, some laugh in disbelief. But no one protests. Not the stands, not the blue corner, not even the referee.
In the blue corner, Maruyama buries his face in his hands, desperate. His fingers dig into his temples, nails whitening. He wants to complain, to find a way to spit fire at referees and commissions. But here his voice dies in his throat.
"This... isn't fair..."
But what can he say? Was it dirty? Of course, it's ethically filthy. But a foul? No. Ryoma hasn't broken a rule. The ref had resumed the fight.
Each fighter should always protect themselve in the ring. But Noguchi pushed his luck too far.
And Noguchi already racking up fouls, Maruyama has no ground to stand on. He feels that bitter truth sink in his chest, heavier than the punch itself.
