Takumi Hasegawa's smile stays in place, but something beneath it begins to tighten. Renji's casual assessment lingers, gnawing at him because it's precise. He realizes, belatedly, how shallow his own read has been.
He'd only judged Nakahara by reputation alone: a stubborn old trainer, a struggling gym, a year framed by whispers of failure. He never bothered to look past the surface, never imagined momentum building where he'd already written an ending.
Now his attention shifts, sharp and wary, to Kaito. The young brand strategist sits composed, but his eyes occasionally drifting with intent.
Takumi follows that line of sight and finds it landing, again and again, on Fujimoto Hirotaka.
"That damn Kaito…"
The boss himself sits at a distant table, surrounded by gravity. Executives, local officials, and figures who shape policy with a word.
