Chapter 7: Before the Growth
By the time Ryoma returns home, the rain has already started, soft at first, then steadily turning into a downpour. Now he stands at the door to his bedroom, unmoving. His fingers brush the edge of the frame, familiar grooves worn smooth by time.
The sticker of Makunouchi Ippo he slapped on the door a decade ago is still there. It’s still looking new of course. In this timeline, it’s just a few months old.
"You retired this year, right? Ippo!" Ryoma mutters under his breath. "And still haven’t made your comeback by 2025."
He tosses his bag onto the bed and lets out a quiet chuckle, part amusement, part exhaustion.
"I hope you get a second shot too, back to the past like me. But if that ever happens... the fans might riot. Or worse, they stop reading the manga."
He steps inside slowly. Everything is exactly as he remembers. The room is cramped, a cluttered altar to forgotten dreams. Posters, old gear, a desk stained with ink and ambition.
It should feel comforting. Instead, it feels like a time capsule sealed just before everything went wrong.
He slips off his suit jacket and tugging at his shirt, intending to change before bed. But as he turns toward the mirror, he stops motionless halfway through the act.
The reflection staring back at him isn’t the man he saw in the mirror just three days ago, before he went to buy a betting ticket in 2025.
His face is smooth, untouched by time. No stubble shadowing his jaw. No dark circles dragging beneath his eyes. No trace of the man who had been drifting through life, jobless and jaded.
And for a moment, he forgets all about changing clothes.
"Look at you," he mutters to the mirror. "So young... full of dreams and big talk. Not a clue how naive you really are."
His eyes drift across the room, catching sight of the old quotes taped to the wall. It’s strange, being nineteen again, standing in a space that once felt like the center of the universe.
When his gaze returns to the mirror, something else catches his attention, his body, wiry, too thin for someone with his build.
He’s grown nearly five centimeters in the past year, but hasn’t filled out. That’s what forced him to the strict diet just barely make the Super Featherweight cut.
Then, red pulses flicker across his reflection, lines trace across his arms, chest, shoulders, abs.
And soon...
***
[VISION GRID // INITIAL BODY SCAN ACTIVE]
Subject: Ryoma Takeda
Height: 173.2 cm
Weight: 59.1 kg
Body Fat: 5.7%
Muscle Development: Early phase post-growth adjustment
Classification: Underbuilt
BODY FRAME ANALYSIS
Chest (Pectorals):
Low volume. Minor definition.
Frame has expanded, but pectoral growth has not scaled proportionally.
Mass gap: 0.6 kg
Abdominals/Core:
High visibility due to low fat. Insufficient structural power.
Core torque output: 61% of optimal for height
Lateral stability: 53%
Mass gap: 1.0–1.2 kg (lower and obliques)
Note: Recent vertical growth has destabilized rotational symmetry.
Arms (Biceps/Triceps/Forearms):
Reach extension favorable. Muscle volume low.
Power projection: 17.3% below mean for class
Mass gap: 1.2–1.5 kg
Lean profile may contribute to deceptive speed.
Shoulders (Deltoids):
Frame widened post-growth. Muscle volume lagging.
Posterior deltoid almost undeveloped.
Risk of instability under repeated impact.
Mass gap: 0.9 kg
Skeletal vs. Muscular Load Analysis
System Forecast:
Subject’s skeletal frame now belongs to a higher class, but musculature remains locked to prior developmental baseline.
Predicted Ideal Combat Weight: 67.1 kg
Projected Peak Division: Super Lightweight (63.5 kg)
STATUS
Current fighting weight of 59.1 kg is achievable without extreme deficit, but no longer efficient.
Lean mass now trailing behind skeletal growth.
Continued development may result in involuntary weight increase in coming 12–18 months.
RECOMMENDATION
Short-term:
Maintain current class only if immediate performance is prioritized over development
Begin resistance-based hypertrophy focused on core, posterior chain, and delts
Monitor weight trajectory—forced class change likely within 12 months
Long-term:
Natural maturation will lead to reclassification
System projects optimal mass gain of 7.5–8.3 kg over 18 months
Would you like to set a growth protocol toward ideal class performance?
Yes / No
***
Ryoma squints at the screen. The system doesn’t just analyze, it also offers a path forward, a way to reach his peak.
But his fingers hesitate. He closes his eyes, thinking hard, and then shakes his head.
"I know this weight isn’t ideal," he mutters, tapping NO. "But I have no choice. I have to stay in Super Featherweight... I can’t move up. Not yet."
But the system shows something else.
***
[Protocol Declined]
[Constraint acknowledged: "Maintain current class"]
Recalculating Optimization Path...
New directive: "Micro-optimization for peak output at 59.1 kg class" available.
Would you like to initiate sub-protocol: "Refinement Under Constraint"?
Yes/No
***
Ryoma blinks, surprised. "Wait... you’re saying I can still improve within this weight?"
And when he taps YES...
***
[VISION GRID: DAILY PROTOCOL – REFINEMENT UNDER CONSTRAINT]
Target Class: Super Featherweight (59.0 kg max)
Objective: Maximize combat efficiency without increasing body mass
— Wake-up & Morning Routine
05:30 – Wake-up
05:45 – Fasted roadwork (6–7 km jog, steady pace)
06:30 – Static stretching (focus: hamstrings, calves, hip flexors)
07:00 – Breakfast: natto, steamed rice, miso soup, soft-boiled egg
— Midday Activity
08:00–12:00 – Light movement, mental reset (no screens)
12:00 – Lunch: grilled mackerel, barley rice, boiled spinach, daikon oroshi
— Main Training Block (13:30–16:30)
6 rounds shadowboxing (focus: feint baiting, foot rhythm)
3–4 rounds mitt drills (focus: delayed counters, timing traps)
3–6 rounds sparring (max 2x/week)
Plyometric circuit (15 min): depth jumps, lateral bounds, single-leg hops
Core isometric training: stir-the-pot, Pallof holds, anti-rotation bands
Cooldown and optional sauna (up to 3x/week)
Ryoma’s face contorts. "This... actually feels real. More than that, it’s doable."
— Evening Routine
17:30 – Dinner: tofu and vegetable nabe, small udon portion, kombu broth
18:30–19:30 – Optional light session:
Shadowboxing in dim light
Reaction drills (app or hand claps)
Mental visualization: future opponents, past sparring analysis
20:00 – Bath (20 minutes at 40°C, silent, screen-free)
— Weekly Variations
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: Full training protocol
Wednesday: Strategy review + light sparring
Saturday: High-intensity sparring or mock fight
Sunday: Active recovery (light walking, stretching, no boxing)
— Additional System Notes
Daily weigh-in at 06:15 – Allowable fluctuation: ±0.4 kg
Minimum hydration: 2.5–3.0 liters daily
Limit fried food (karaage, tempura) to once every 10 days
Absolutely no late-night ramen, convenience store junk, or alcohol
***
He studies the protocol carefully, rubbing his chin. Every detail is precise, no filler, no nonsense.
Soon, his mind races, and he begins scrambling for a pen and notebook.
"I need to write this down. Coach Nakahara needs to see this."
As he digs through his bag, the screen of his phone lights up. There’s one new message from Kaede.
Ryoma stares at the message but doesn’t open it. He can already see the words glowing from the lock screen.
"I’m available this weekend. Let’s meet..."
He doesn’t open the message, just stares at it, jaw tightening. He was the one who asked Kaede to meet, yet now, he doesn’t look excited by that message.
The look on his face is that of someone caught between two impossible choices. And deep down, he knows that whichever path he chooses, it may end up costing him more than it gives.