The two of them remain standing by the ropes, quietly watching Ryoma continue the drill. After a while, Aramaki clears his throat, trying to steal Nakahara's attention again.
"I heard that drill is specifically for dealing with Cuban-style fighters."
Nakahara nods without taking his eyes off Ryoma.
"It is."
"So... that's the answer?"
A faint smile appears on Nakahara's face.
"If only boxing were that simple."
He watches Ryoma make another adjustment around the returning bag.
"It won't make the style ineffective. Nothing can. But it teaches you how to stop giving that style exactly what it wants."
Aramaki slowly nods. And after that, silence settles between them again, broken only by the rhythmic pop of the double-end bag echoing across the gym.
Nakahara keeps watching Ryoma, but after a while he notices Aramaki isn't. From the corner of his eye, he catches the younger man glancing at him every few seconds before looking away again, as if rehearsing something in his head.
