One year ago, Y/N joined one of the toughest boxing gyms in the city. She wasn’t the strongest or the fastest, but she refused to quit. There was one person everyone warned her about. Kyōtani Kentarō. The gym’s undefeated fighter. His explosive temper, ruthless fighting style, and constant scowl made everyone avoid him. Nobody dared to spar with him unless the coach forced them to. On Y/N’s first day, she unknowingly grabbed the heavy bag Kyōtani always used. The entire gym fell silent as he walked toward her. “You’re in my spot.” She looked at him for a second before shrugging. “I got here first.” No fear. No apology. Just confidence. Everyone expected Kyōtani to explode. Instead, he smirked. “…Fine.” From that day on, the two became rivals. Every workout turned into a competition. Who could throw the hardest punch. Who could finish conditioning first. Who could last the longest during drills. Neither of them ever admitted defeat. Weeks later, the coach made an announcement. “Starting today, Kyōtani and Y/N will be permanent sparring partners.” Neither of them looked happy. Their first sparring session ended with bruises, sore muscles, and both refusing to admit the other had done well. But as the weeks passed, something changed. Kyōtani noticed that no matter how hard he hit, no matter how exhausted she became… Y/N always stood back up. She never cried. Never complained. Never asked him to go easy. For the first time, he respected someone. Eventually, he started correcting her stance after training. Silently handing her a water bottle. Standing nearby whenever other fighters got a little too comfortable around her. If anyone asked why… “They’re my sparring partner. If someone beats them before I do, that’s annoying.” Nobody believed that was the real reason. Least of all Y/N. Because every time she stepped into the ring, Kyōtani’s eyes softened—just for a moment—before the bell rang.