Training Montage (Not Really)
Their chase didn't last too long, since Reiji's quota of three rounds ended earlier than Yui's four. They didn't actually run at full speed, just fast enough to stay ahead of everyone else.
This allowed them to avoid hearing the rampant gossip, which was Reiji's intention in the first place after he noticed her agitation.
But it also let everyone see that they knew each other.
They got even more strange looks from the seniors who knew Yui, but the freshmen who knew Reiji were the exact opposite.
They felt bad for the red haired girl instead.
It was strange indeed, seeing two sets of people worrying about the other person, as if they both weren't complete delinquents.
Reiji moved away from the running train after completing his rounds, leaving behind a dissatisfied Yui who continued jogging with her supposedly signature frown.
Nishimura Sensei was staring at him as he walked over while wiping the bead of sweat on his forehead.
'Was he watching me this whole time?'
"You don't seem to be out of breath, which tells me you didn't mindlessly pursue pure muscles. How often do you work out?"
"Uh, I workout almost everyday. Usually start with weights and end with a run," Reiji said, telling him about his routine in detail.
"...Hmm, not bad. Pretty good diversity in exercises, but I'll draft up a new plan for you to focus more on your functional muscles. It'll help you generate more power during fights and reduce risk of injury," Sensei nodded with a hint of appreciation.
Soon, all the MMA Club members had rejoined him and spread out to stretch. Since Reiji didn't know what was best, he simply followed the sets the seniors were doing.
Once they were done, they saw that Nishimura Sensei had set up a ring in the center, probably for a spar.
"Ok, Yagami take off your jacket and get in the ring," he said, throwing him a pair of black gloves.
They weren't the puffy ones used in boxing, but legitimate gloves used in MMA competitions. Reiji caught them but hesitated at his words.
"Do I have to take off my jacket?"
"What type of question is that? Do you plan on sparring with it on? It'll restrict movement and can be used for grapples, and I want a clear understanding of your current skills and movement."
Reiji sighed and put on his gloves, which fit him perfectly somehow. The coach had probably estimated his size when he was being analyzed.
If it could be avoided, he didn't want to take off his jacket because he knew it would cause a commotion. But he had no choice, so he unzipped his tracksuit and placed it on the set of hooks on the nearby wall.
His sculpted muscles were now revealed to the world in its full glory, the coiling dragon tattoo on his left chest and upper arm rippling as he stretched a little.
"HOLY SHIT, THAT'S SO COOL!"
Reiji grimaced and turned to Fujita Senpai who ran up to him, leaning forward to admire the tattoo with eyes glittering more than diamonds do.
The loud and unrestrained shout attracted attention not only from the MMA members, but the people who were still running. Everyone glanced at their location and saw Reiji standing near the ring with his jacket off.
"Yoooo, that tattoo is sick! Where did you get it?"
"What's your workout routine man, those pecs are insane!"
"Crazy, can't believe you were hiding that under your clothes."
As his fellow members got even more worked up, everyone who was running either slowed down or stopped to join in.
Yui, who was in the middle of her 4th round was one of them. Drool was practically dripping down her mouth as she stared wide-eyed and unabashedly at Reiji's physique.
The black ink dragon added a rugged allure to an already impeccable physique, and her mind was racing as fast as her heart was pounding.
'Hehe, I knew I made the right choice! If we were alone.....'
She walked up to Reiji, who now had a small crowd around him. Some were admiring his muscles but most were interested in the tattoo since it was pretty rare to have one in high school, let alone one that big and intricate.
"Did it hurt when you got it?"
"How long did it take?"
Just as Yui wanted to join in and maybe sneak in a feel of his abs, Nishimura Sensei's enraged shout brought them all back to reality.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS DOING HERE? GET LOST, BACK TO YOUR OWN TRAINING AREAS!"
He slammed his clipboard against the ring's pole, a loud echo resounding through the hall.
They men scattered quickly but the women hesitated a little, staring intensely at Reiji's body with predatory eyes.
Yui tutted with dissatisfaction, her attention completely on the awkward-looking man, but she followed suit and continued her jog.
'Wow that was wayyyy more uncomfortable than I was expecting...'
He rubbed his tattoo in disbelief, taken aback by the amount of noise it had generated.
'Well, it is pretty fucking cool though!'
He climbed into the ring with these thoughts, feeling the ground with his feet. He looked around to see who he'd be sparring but he saw that Nishimura Senpai didn't seem to have any intention of calling up anyone else.
'Don't tell me....'
"You'll be sparring with me, don't worry I'll go easy on you," he smirked playfully.
Reiji sighed but tried to calm his mind to get into the best condition he could. He wouldn't make the mistake of underestimating the old man in front of him just because of his age, that would be stupid.
"Fujita! Come up and act as the referee," the coach beckoned and the senior entered the ring with a nervous look.
"Try your best, don't hold back like you did with Nakamura," Senpai whispered his advice as he patted Reiji's back reassuringly.
"...Got it."
***
Sensei didn't take off his own tracksuit, simply cracking his neck as he looked at Reiji. Fujita Senpai blew his whistle since they didn't have a bell on hand, and the spar started.
Reiji didn't make a move immediately, maintaining some distance against his opponent. His eyes were locked onto his entire figure, not focusing on any one area.
Sensei saw that he had no intention of making the first move so he took a step forward and threw a test jab.
Reiji leaned back just in time, managing to barely dodge the ridiculously fast punch. His eyes narrowed when he saw the speed and precision of the move, which was light-years ahead of Nakamura Senpai's.
'He's fast... and that technique is no joke.'
His wariness shot up as he ducked under another swing, but right after he saw the coach's leg shoot out to kick him in the shin.
Reiji was not expecting the move, so he wasn't able to react in time. None of his fights so far, both personally fought and the ones in his predecessor's memories, had included kicks.
People mainly throw punches unless they are specifically taught how to use their feet efficiently, because it can throw them off balance if done poorly.
The kick, although not very powerful, aimed at his weak spot and made him lose a little strength in his legs.
Staying passive wouldn't help, so Reiji stepped forward at the same time as Sensei did, and threw a quick uppercut aimed at his chin.
Normally, this would be enough to end most of his fights, but the coach didn't even flinch before leaning back to dodge.
This was just the first move though, as Reiji followed up with a straight jab and then a rib shot. Sensei stepped back to avoid the first move and blocked the second with his arms, responding with a high kick towards his temple.
Reiji, now more attentive to his feet, ducked and used the gap created by the miss to throw his own kick. But he wasn't proficient with using such moves, so both the power and speed were lacking.
The kick was absorbed easily, and the two kept exchanging similar blows. They either avoided each others swings or blocked the blows to mitigate the damage, pretty much reaching a stalemate.
But Reiji knew that Sensei was holding back, his moves just slow enough for him to able to dodge it if he was paying attention. His reaction time, speed, power, movement, and fighting style were all being tested continuously.
'Damn, this is so fucking fun!!'
Reiji was getting destroyed in terms of technique and experience, but he could visibly feel his growth. Every time his coach made a new move he hadn't seen before, he was learning from it by either trying to replicate it or understand its pattern to deal with it better next time.
What started off with him blindly dodging using his reflexes, now led to Reiji being able to follow the movements to a certain extent to predict what move was coming, and when.
Of course, this was also because the coach wasn't using unpredictable combos or techniques.
But the fact that he could learn this much from a simple spar was commendable enough.
Just as he was about to throw out another swing, Nishimura Sensei straightened up with a deep smile and a satisfied glint in his eyes.
Reiji also stopped, understanding that the spar had come to an end. He was about to bow, to show his appreciation, but the coach's words cut through their training area first.
"You're a fucking monster!"
