Glass Jaw

Chapter 3

"Nao-chan!!!" Kenta greeted her as soon as she walked into their usual bar. He eagerly pat the empty seat next to him. "I'm surprised you agreed to come out tonight without me having to drag you here! I figured you would've just given me the same old excuse that you'd rather be training." He exclaimed as she sat down.

Naoko placed her duffel bag on the floor, stretching and rolling her neck as she sat down. "Just water, thanks." She said to the bartender as he walked over to her. "Rest days are a part of training too." She responded to Kenta, nodding her head in thanks to the bartender when a glass of water was placed in front of her.

The older man sighed in exasperation. "You know, you really sound like your old man when you talk like that." His eyes went a bit glossy, reminiscing about the times when her father and his friend was still alive.

Naoko smiled somewhat sadly as she took a sip of her water. "Just be happy I decided to spend my rest day with you lot instead of relaxing at home." She joked, earning her a noogie from the man.

Nobu chuckled beside them. "Well, regardless of the reason, I'm glad that you're here little Naoko. I wanted to ask you something." At her questioning gaze, the old man continued. "Has there been something bothering you lately?"

The woman raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?" She asked back.

The elderly man frowned in concern. "This morning, Ryou-kun and I had decided to meet up and wanted to use your gym to have a casual bout." Naoko looked past Nobu's head to meet the eyes of Ryou. The man nodded in confirmation of Nobu's story.

"Okay...and...?" She pushed. It wasn't unusual for her three friends to come over unannounced, whether it was all of them together or individually. They were the only other people who had access to the gym, each possessing their own keycard and knowledge of the passcode. Naoko trusted them enough to allow them to come and go as they please, regardless of if she was there or not. So, they must have come this morning after she had already left for the clinic.

Nobu's eyebrows furrowed as he hesitated to continue. "...We saw Gearless Joe outside the gym." He admitted. Naoko's hand tightened around her glass.

Team Nowhere had been coming to visit her for several days now, Joe making good on his vow. They only came at night though, mostly waiting outside the gym before she had clocked out of work. Sometimes, they had even arrived after she had already returned. In those instances, Naoko was thankful that she had boarded up the windows. Without vision of the inside of the gym, they couldn't tell that she was there and she most certainly didn't open the door when they knocked.

Kenta's jaw dropped at the revelation. "What!? The Gearless Joe? What's he doing in front of your gym, Nao-chan!?"

"Annoying the living hell out of me, that's what." Naoko answered scathingly, quickly turning her attention back to Nobu. "Did he say anything to you?" She asked. The old man nodded, delving into the story.

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"Good morning, Ryou-kun! Nice day out today, isn't it?" The old man greeted the youngster. The stoic man nodded his head. Nobu was unsure if it was a nod of greeting or a nod in answer to his question. Despite knowing the young man for years, he was still sometimes a complete enigma.

As the two grew closer to the Raika Boxing Gym, they noticed that another young man with bushy hair was waiting out in the street in front of it. He had his hands in his pockets, eyes closed as he leaned against his parked motorcycle.

Nobu looked up at Ryou, wondering if he knew who that was or if he was expecting another person this morning. Ryou looked back down at him, shaking his head. As the pair walked closer, their eyes flashed with recognition.