IPPO : The Ultimate Counter

As the sun was setting, at the edge of a river near the Kamogawa club. Miyata was sitting on a metal fence, watching the water flow by. Ippo came running, looking determined.

Ippo: (out of breath) "Miyata-kun! I finally found you!"

Miyata: (without looking at him) "What do you want, Ippo?"

Ippo: (steps forward) "Is it true that you're leaving?"

Miyata: (nods slowly) "Yes."

Ippo: (frowns) "Why? What's making you leave the club?"

Miyata: (crosses his arms, thoughtful) "Sometimes, in order to move forward, you have to take a step back."

Ippo: (confused) "But you're making progress here! Coach Kamogawa is one of the best, and we're all here to push each other. Why leave now?"

Miyata: (finally stares at him, with a bitter smile) "Because staying here won't help bridge the gap between me and Ryuu."

Ippo: (surprised) "Ryuu? What are you talking about?"

Miyata: (with a bitter smile) "I fought him again and this time I was crushed."

Ippo: (stunned) "You fought Ryuu? Why didn't you tell us?"

Miyata: (bitterly) "Because it was... for me. A way to gauge where I really stood. And what I saw made me realize that we're not in the same league."

Ippo: (hesitant) "Yes, Ryuu is good, but... You...?"

Miyata: (sighing) "Ryuu isn't just good, Ippo. He's like Takamura."

Ippo: (wide-eyed) "Takamura?"

Miyata: (nodding) "Yes. You know that feeling you get when Takamura steps into the ring? Like he's not human, like winning is just a formality? Like he's standing in another dimension? Ryuu is the same."

Ippo: (hesitant) "But you're special too, Miyata-kun."

Miyata: (shaking his head) "No!. I'm talented, yes, but it's not the same thing. Takamura and Ryuu... they're monsters. They're not limited by normal rules."

Ippo: (clenching his fists) "So what? You give up?"

Miyata: (smiles slightly) "No. But I have to find my own way to move forward. I can't just stay here and pretend that everything is fine."

Ippo: "But... and Us... Everyone will miss you."

Miyata (Sincerely smiling): "You really haven't changed. But I have to go,"

he said seriously.

Ippo: (serious look) "Then come back stronger, Miyata-kun."

Miyata: (smiles) "Get ready, Ippo. Because the day I come back we will be enemies and I will target you first, I have not forgotten my revenge."

Miyata got up and left leaving Ippo in his thoughts.

----

[Kamogawa's office.]

Night had fallen. Kamogawa was standing in front of a board, staring at the names of the registered boxers. Yagi was sitting next to it, looking concerned.

Yagi: (taking a sip of coffee) "Miyata leaving so abruptly... That's not like him."

Kamogawa: (nodding) "There's something he's not saying."

Yagi: (curious) "Do you think something happened?"

Kamogawa: (thoughtful) "I've been watching Miyata for the past few weeks. His looks, his behavior... he couldn't hold it, I bet he fought Ryuu in secret."

Yagi: (surprised) " Ryuu? But why would Miyata do that? "

Kamogawa: (crosses his arms) " Because Miyata knows that fighting a boxer like Ryuu is a way to test his limits and take away his frustration from his first defeat. "

Yagi: (worried) "And I guess he lost?"

Kamogawa: (grits his teeth) "It's not just a simple defeat. Miyata must have understood that there are levels he can't reach for now. For him who has always been considered a genius, this is a hard blow."

Yagi: (frowned) "You're talking like Ryuu is in a category all his own."

Kamogawa: (looking at Yagi seriously) "Because he is. Ryuu is a monster."

Yagi: (intrigued) "A monster ?"

Kamogawa: (pointing at the board) "Yes. In boxing, there are four main categories of talent:

1. Hard workers: Those who make up for their lack of talent with constant effort. Aoki and Kimura are among them.

2. Talented: Those who have natural abilities that they hone through training. Ippo is among them.

3. Geniuses: Those who seem born for the sport. Miyata is a genius. His reflexes, his technique, his intelligence... everything is above average.

And...

4. Monsters: Those who transcend everything. Takamura and Ryuu are in this category. They don't just win; They crush, dominate, and inspire an almost irrational fear in their opponents, every time a monster enters things seem easy.

Yagi thinking about Takamura's debut when he had just arrived and Ryuu's debut seemed to understand, this natural ease, this dominance, especially this total confidence...

Yagi: (silent for a moment) "And what differentiates a monster from a genius?"

Kamogawa: (calmly) "Monsters don't train to be good. They are naturally good, and their potential seems infinite. Where a genius needs effort to perfect his skills, a monster just needs time to blossom, he is destined for the heights"

Yagi: (hesitant) "And what does a boxer like Miyata do against a monster like Ryuu?"

Kamogawa: (dark) "He learns his limits and sinks... or he surpasses them by finding a new path and becomes a monster himself."

Yagi: (thoughtful) "But Ren and Takamura in the same room... It's an enormous pressure for others."

Kamogawa: (nods) "Yes. But it's also an opportunity. Those who survive in the shadow of monsters often become stronger than they ever imagined."

Silence fell again. Kamogawa was still staring at the board, thoughtful, while Yagi seemed to be pondering the implications of these revelations.