Technique notes

- Checking a kick: or a "shin block" is a defensive technique. This means bending a leg and lifting it up to protect the thigh from getting a kick, so if A kicks and B checks the kick, A's shin will slam into B's.

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Seven days before BLACK or WHITE...

Autumn, how nice. Tenn loved how everything around him was bright and warm. The cool breeze reminded him of the winter to come, sure, but he wished autumn would last as long as possible. Tenn dreaded winter, all because it reminded him of Riku's constant coughing when they were kids. Despite how beautiful spring could get, he hated not being able to be outside with his little brother. Summer was torture when two young boys could not swim or splash water at each other at the beach.

Baring his palm, Tenn caught one of the falling leaves. In that nostalgic moment, he stared at it. No matter what happened, he had to sing and dance on stage for the people who couldn't. For the people who wished for a moment away from pain.

For people like Nanase Riku.

Ryunosuke, who was sitting beside the solo idol, leaned back, flopping onto the wooden bench. He'd been training hard for the major fight event he'd been looking forward to. A week before was a good time to wind down and do only light exercises.

Whatever was to happen at BLACK or WHITE, Ryuu would have no regrets. He had done all he could. But just like any other fighter, he wanted a sweet taste of victory, especially against a tough opponent like Yaotome Gaku. Just because he had won last time did not mean he would win again.

"You sure you want me to walk out with you?" Tenn turned to look at his trusted friend.

"I do!" Answered Ryuu decisively. Yes, he'd asked Tenn to escort him to the ring. Knowing Tenn was Yaotome Gaku's fan, he was almost afraid to ask at first. It was a relief when Tenn accepted with pleasure.

"I'll end up stealing your spotlight." The idol warned the fighter playfully.

Ryuu nodded. "Even so, I'll take that back in the ring."

Tenn would sing one of his songs live while walking Ryuu out to the sacred stage. It did not matter which side of the stadium he would normally pick, Tenn would get the job bestowed on him done flawlessly. Tenn cared more about Ryuu than he let on. For the past five years, the fighter had always been there for him. It was rather recent when Tenn accidentally revealed his past to Ryuu. Even if he had not done so, Ryuu was much more to him than a business partner.

The ticket in Tenn's possession was for the seat on Ryuu's side of the stadium.

Ryuu knew and trusted that his best friend would guide him to victory beautifully. Looking right at Tenn, he vowed, "I will finish what you start for me, Tenn. Everything will turn out perfectly. Exactly how you like it to be."

Nodding, Tenn returned a smile, letting go of the leaf he'd been clutching in his hand. He believed Ryuu could undoubtedly create a breathtaking performance. Or a miracle, even.

Show me a sight I've never seen, Ryuu.

Take me away from the wistful feeling, even for a brief moment.

~~++~~++~~

"Take this!"

Riku threw a flurry of punches at Gaku's face only to be blocked by him. Wanting to land a hit, the younger boy threw a right round kick, aiming for the thigh. Instinctively, Gaku lifted his left leg, checking the kick with his shin.

"OWWWW!!!" Riku cried out in pain, trying really hard not to break his fight stance to grab hold of his leg while rolling on the floor. The pain of shin bones clashing was no joke, especially to a person who was not shin-trained like Riku. Having hit heavy sandbags for several years, Yaotome Gaku hardly felt anything from the impact since Riku hadn't kicked hard.

"Pfft." The pro fighter held himself back from laughing. "Keep your eyes up here." He pointed at his face with a gloved hand. "I knew you were going for my thigh when you looked down there."

"Ugh..." Riku groaned. It wasn't his first time tasting Gaku's bone sharpness. Yup, it wasn't just hard; it felt like the edge of a knife. To regain focus, he took a deep breath before making his move again. He didn't forget to move forward with a jab this time. Congratulations. Right away, the trainee followed up with a cross and a left hook. He used that same hand to grab hold of his coach's back of the neck, pulling Gaku towards himself. At the same time, he lifted his right leg up, sending the knee forward on Gaku's hard abs.

And the timer went off.

Riku immediately sat down, taking off his gloves while catching his breath. Tiredness couldn't possibly beat the happiness bursting inside his chest. He'd survived three 1.5-minute rounds of light sparring! A new record! Yay!

The coach knelt down, placing his hand on Riku's shoulder. "You've improved a lot." Seeing Riku breathing heavily, he couldn't help but ask, "Do you need help?"

The student shook his head. It had been a long habit-breaking process, but finally, Riku learned how not to push himself to the breaking point. Now that the fighter and the student had built that foundation of trust, their sessions ran more smoothly.

"Yaotome-san," Riku spoke up after he felt a little less dizzy.

"Hmm?"

"Are you busy preparing for your fight?" Asked Riku.

"No. In fact, I'm bored to death." Gaku chuckled. "I've always spent my days training and I don't know what to do now that I should only be doing light exercises." There were only so many movies he could watch in a day.

Riku's eyes gleamed with glitter. "Then can you come over for dinner tomorrow?!" He even tugged on Gaku's arm. "I want to show you something."

"I hope it isn't udon in plain soup," said Gaku teasingly.

"No! I'll ask Iori to prepare a feast!" Because Riku's speciality was charring food. He doubted Gaku would want to consume a lump of cancer.

"Well then, I'm looking forward to it." Gaku smiled.

~~++~~++~~

"Omurice?"

Of all the foods, Gaku did not expect omurice. At all. Breakfast for dinner, really? He did not have the heart to say it outright, but the surprise showed on his face anyway.

"It's Nanase-san's favourite food." Chef Iori said, setting out a plate of warm, jiggly omelette for each person.

Gaku stared at the egg. At least it looked and smelled good. All in all, it was much better than udon in plain soup. He looked up to find Riku gleaming with happiness.

Fork and knife ready in hand, the redhead licked his lips. "I love Iori's omurice! It's almost as good as mum's."

"Almost?" Iori sent the ungrateful brat a death glare. "You can't even make it yourself." He remembered that one time Riku set off a fire alarm with a completely burned pan. Like charcoal burned.

Riku laughed. "Don't get angry. I always love it when you make it for me. Mum stopped making it after Tenn-nii left, so I've really missed it."

Iori and Gaku exchanged a quick glance.

Only Riku himself didn't seem to notice how sad that sentence sounded. His happy smile only faded when he saw how plain everyone's omurice looked. "Oh, Iori, aren't you going to draw a cute cat with ketchup today?"

Immediately, the youngest turned red. "W-w-why would I do that?" He flustered.

"You always spend two minutes perfecting a cat face." And Riku knew it was the part Iori enjoyed the most because he'd always smile while doing so. 'Do it for us, please?"

"All right. Only because you insist." The dark-haired man ended up spending a minute on each plate, showing off his delicate craftsmanship. Riku got the cat as asked. Gaku got a bear. Iori didn't leave his own plate out, obviously. He drew himself a rabbit.

Before everyone started digging in, Iori set a plate of sausages, fried chicken, and pieces of hamburg in the middle. Now they were talking. Breakfast just suddenly turned heavy.

"See? I told you it'd be a feast!" Riku beamed at Gaku.

And who was he to say no to a meat platter?

~~

Gaku followed Riku into his room after dinner. The room was plain. As in, it was small, but it appeared spacy because of the lack of stuff. Other than a laptop, a small synthesiser, and some other necessary items, there was nothing decorative in the room. Gaku noticed several notebooks stacked neatly under the desk. He thought Riku must have kept a diary.

"Ahahaha, it's boring, isn't it?" Riku scratched his face. It was not every day he had guests, but when he did, they all commented on the same thing.

"I have to say I was expecting some posters or a bunch of random stuff." Gaku invited himself to sit on Riku's bed, checking the whole room out again and thinking it was wrong of him to assume Riku was the type to buy things on a whim.

Feeling comfortable with the man, Riku did not just laugh it off like he usually did. "I feel bad buying stuff for myself." The music student turned his back to Gaku, pairing his trusty Bluetooth headphones with the laptop.

"Even with your own money?"

"Mhmm." Riku nodded. "One of my bad habits, I guess. My subconscious keeps stopping me from indulging myself. How do I put it?" He partly faced Gaku. "My head keeps telling me it's wrong to make myself happy."

"Nanase..." Gaku would never understand how Riku could say that with a smile.

"Oh, I don't mean to bring your mood down." He sat down right beside Gaku. "I'm working on it. Going against my thoughts, I mean. I'll start by buying a ticket to BLACK or WHITE—"

"You HAVEN'T?!" Gaku shouted, staring down at Riku in disbelief. He then sighed. Given how well-known he and Ryuu were, the on-site tickets must have already sold out. "I'm hurt. You said you wanted to see me win." He moped.

"Awww... I'm joking. I'm joking. Iori got them. Only that guy says he doesn't trust me with it." Riku briefly squeezed Gaku's arm.

"Don't scare me like that, geez." His heart sank for a moment there. "So what is it that you've been dying to show me?"

Right away, the redhead got up, turned like a dancer, and sat back down on his working chair. "I finished making a song!" His eyes gleamed, and his arms spread wide.

"For your final assignment? Fantastic!" Intrigued, Gaku leaned forward. "Let's hear it!"

Riku spun around, grabbed the headphones, and handed them over to Gaku. He then hit play, and so began the slow melody. The fighter closed his eyes so that he could focus solely on the song.

The looping guitar was iconic. After a few repeats, Gaku had the tune memorised. The clock chime got louder. Interesting. It sounded like something was about to happen.

Then Riku's vocals started. They were crisp and clear. More importantly, they suited the rising suspense. As each sentence was sung, Gaku felt transported into the world Riku had created.

And the chorus hit. Gaku could feel his heart racing with it. His left hand was busy tapping to the beat while his right was doing so on the headphones, earning a wide smile from Riku. Before he knew it, he heard a wolf cry, and the song was over.

"Whoa..." Wide-eyed Gaku slowly took his headphones off. He looked at Riku, dumbfounded. He had not expected what sounded like professional music from someone who was still a student.

There was a long pause. Worrying that Gaku was not impressed, his smile dropped, looking ready to cry. "Was it-"

"Remarkable!" Suddenly, Gaku shouted excitedly. "That was an amazing song, Nanase! I was completely sucked in."

"Truly?!" The redhead stood up, jumping excitedly. "Yayyy! I'm so happy!!!"

"What's the title?" Gaku asked.

"Crescent Rise," Riku answered, shying away a little. "You see, I, um, thought of you as I was writing this song." He proceeded to explain the theme and his thought process to Gaku, who loved everything he was hearing.

Gaku smiled. "No wonder some parts resonate with me and some parts feel like you."

And just before he could ask for it, Riku handed him a CD. "If you don't mind, please take this recording."

Gaku held it close to his heart with both hands. "I'll gladly take it. Thank you, Nanase." He was definitely putting it on repeat tonight.

After a brief pause, Gaku said "You really are strong, you know that?"

"Eh?" That comment made Riku freeze completely in place.

"For pushing through and not giving up all this time. And for being able to turn negativity into a beautiful creation," said Gaku with an approving smile.

Tears ran down Riku's face. Damn it, Gaku needed to stop hitting him with moving words when he least expected them. He didn't want to cry, but what could he do when he had longed for those words? What could he do when someone who was a lot cooler and tougher had just told him he was strong? It did not matter how indirect that was. What mattered was that Yaotome Gaku told him he belonged here. Sitting down on his bed, he wept away.

"Keep holding onto the things you love." Gaku put his arm around Riku's shoulder. "Don't ever give up, Nanase."

Riku nodded, sobbing. "I won't."

~~++~~++~~

That night, Gaku had headphones in his ears the whole time, looping the precious song. He couldn't stop. Not when he loved every part of it. Nanase Riku's vocal power was something to be feared. The guy controlled that power well, singing differently on parts with different tempos.

On his bed, Gaku closed his eyes. Slowly, he drifted into the world of his dreams. He was walking, step by step, firmly and confidently. The whole stadium cheered louder and louder as he sped up, charging towards his opponent...

"...!"

It was morning by the time Gaku regained consciousness. The first thing he reached for as his eyes flew open was the CD placed beside him. Gaku put it in his grey duffel. After texting a certain redhead, he left the house with it. As fast as his legs could take him, he ran, caught a train, and ran again into a public park.

Autumn, how awful. Despite the beautifully warm tones the leaves turned into, it made Riku feel lonely. As a kid, he'd look forward to autumn, hoping to get to spend more time outdoors with his kind brother. But now, autumn reminds him he'd never get to hold Tenn-nii's hand again. He'd always have to sit alone on a bench under a big tree like he was doing at the moment.

A falling leaf landed on his head, waking him up from nostalgia. Riku took it in his hand and smiled. No matter how painful things got, he had to keep fighting for himself and for the people who had granted him this future.

For people like Kujo Tenn.

"Nanase!"

The wind blew, sending the leaf in Riku's hand away as Yaotome Gaku came into view. Even though he was panting heavily, he smiled warmly. An unexplainable sense of relief overcame the fighter. He joined Riku on the bench, pulling the CD out of his duffel.

"I want this as my ring walk song," Gaku said so confidently. "At BLACK or WHITE."

Riku paused. The words did not quite register at first. Gradually, his eyes widened as the sentence repeated inside his brain. Even as he was composing the melody with Gaku in mind, Riku had never dreamed of this moment. It felt like someone was reaching out to him, who had been trapped in perpetual darkness.

It felt like a dream coming true.

Don't be ridiculous!

The voices inside Riku's head rang. Loud. So loud that he had to cover his ears internally.

You don't deserve it.

You can't do it.

You need to atone. You've destroyed everyone's lives.

You have no right to feel happy.

AHHHH!!! Riku wanted to scream out loud. Was it so wrong that, for once in his life, he actually wanted something so badly? He wanted it so much that his hands trembled uncontrollably.

Gaku took the cold, sweaty hand in his. He wasn't perceptive. He couldn't possibly tell what was going on inside Riku's head, but he was sensitive. Looking right into Riku's eyes, he said,

"I want it."

Riku focused on Gaku's face, his mouth movement, and his deep voice of sincerity.

"Actually, I want you to sing live. Make an entrance for me." The Crescent Wolf had already seen how his performance would go numerous times inside his head. If only Riku would bring his vision to life. Knowing how sudden his request was, Gaku refrained from putting pressure on the boy. "Think about it, okay?"

Riku nodded. He believed Gaku could show him a path to discovering the future. Or a miracle, even.

Please lead the way, Yaotome-san.

Remind me to believe in myself.

~~++~~++~~

"I-Iori." After getting back from the park, Riku lightly knocked on his friend's door. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

Before long, the door was opened. Immediately, Iori noticed Riku's expression seemed troubled. "Nanase-san, what happened?"

"Yaotome-san, he-"

Frowning, he cut Riku off. "What? What did he do?" His protective instinct activated, casting his gaze from Riku's foot all the way up to the top of the redhead's cowlick.

"Not like that!" Riku stamped one foot. "He wants me to walk him out while singing Crescent Rise."

"Haaahhhh?!" Iori threw the door fully open. Now was not the time for his studies. "You know what that means, right? You'll be singing in front of, what, 5,000 people? You'll be on a national TV broadcast!"

Riku cupped his face. "I know. That's why-"

Knowing exactly how chaotic his best friend's internal thoughts could get, Iori cut him off once again. "No, no. I'm not having any of that." He gave Riku's shoulder a firm squeeze. "It's a big chance. A once in a lifetime chance. You have to take it, Nanase-san." Naturally, he saw far into the future. If Riku did well, he would get a massive boost of confidence. He could use his song and performance to impress talent agencies or publishers. Surely, with some more original pieces and covers, they would take notice of Riku.

He'd finally be able to look forward to a bright future.

Iori then looked away, blushing and mumbling, "...I'd die to see you perform live..." Because cute little Riku would be glittering in the lights, where he was supposed to be. He'd be so proud and drown in eternal bliss.

Riku frowned. "I can't hear you when you do that."

"Ahem." Iori cleared his throat, regaining his cool. "I was just saying it would be stupid not to perform."

"That doesn't sound like it at all." Riku stared at his dishonest friend.

"All this time, you're saying you don't deserve to be happy." Iori sighed. He hated hearing it as much—no, probably much more—than Yaotome Gaku did. "Because you're nothing but trouble for everyone."

"When you say it to my face, it hurts a lot more..." Riku moped.

"I'm not done talking!" Iori raised his voice out of a moment of frustration. "Once you go out there and sing, you'll amaze people. Just like it did to Yaotome-san, your vocal power will take them to the ultimate world of entertainment. Even if you appear for only a minute, you can make it the best minute ever. In other words, you'll make them happy."

Finally, the younger man smiled at his best friend. "Then, nothing will stop you from feeling happy anymore, Nanase-san."

Withering feelings suddenly bloomed into resolve. Nanase Riku was needed. He mattered, and so he would give it his absolute best as Yaotome Gaku's 'opening act'. The man had no idea how madly loud Gaku shouted when he dropped a text.

"It'd be an honour to walk you out, Yaotome-san. I'll arrange a short version of Crescent Rise tonight."

~~++~~++~~

The pressure was on. With the fight night happening in just 24 hours, fighters and official personnel gathered inside the Grand Stadium for the weigh-in. Even though the stadium was not open for public access, the events happening inside were broadcast live on TV and streaming platforms for the Muay Thai fans watching at home, including Nanase Riku. (Psstt, Kujo Tenn wanted to watch live as well, but he had his own fan service to do.)

Since Gaku and Ryuu's fight was the main event of BLACK or WHITE, they appeared last, with Ryuu being the first to appear on stage. He kept his gentle, confident smile as he stepped onto the carefully calibrated old-style scale, knowing he'd make the cut. He didn't put in all the work just to slip up here. His confidence extended so far as to lead him to believe Gaku would also weigh in correctly. That was how much he respected Yaotome Gaku as a fighter, how much he was looking forward to this fight, and how much he wanted to take the proud victory to his brothers at home.

Unfazed, Yaotome Gaku took off his shirt and stepped onto the scale. After several camera flashes, the match was confirmed. The Crescent Wolf walked to the centre of the stage where the Sea Dragon was waiting, looking up and meeting his eyes. He glared. Ryuu was taller, but Gaku would never allow himself to feel intimidated. Sizing Ryuu up, the Gaku was ready for the big hunt of the year.

Despite his gentle personality, Ryuu refused to back down. He acted a part of the Sea Dragon, staring down the man who dared enter his territory. Nothing could beat the wrath of the ocean.

After the fierce face-off, reporters flocked to each fighter off-stage, hoping for juicy content. "Yaotome-san!" One of the reporters shouted. "What got you back in the fight ring? Is it revenge? What's your story?"

"I lost the motivation to fight." Having come prepared, Gaku answered, clean and honest. The bold fighter could not do it any other way. "Then I met a guy training at my gym who's been through too much." Looking right at the camera, he continued. "Even so, he never gave up. He's still fighting. Still smiling. I think that is already amazing. So when he says he wants to see me win, that's what I've got to do." His voice then turned a bit softer as he remembered the harsh lecture from Kujo Tenn. "And I realised it's not just him. I hold many other people's hopes and dreams in my hands. I can change their lives by putting on a great show."

Another reporter cut in. "That's new coming from the wolf who hunts alone. You've always said you fight to create a stronger version of yourself, for yourself."

"Correct. I initially thought it was stupid to fight for someone else." Gaku nodded. "I never realised the burden and pressure that comes from that until now. This is my new challenge, and I'm ready to take it."

As expected, the reporters would stir something up. "Are you saying that your fight opponent, Tsunashi Ryunosuke, who is fighting for his family, is powerful?"

"Of course." Boldly, Gaku answered straightforwardly what he thought, earning surprised looks from the interviewers.

The same reporter pressed the point further. "Are you admitting the Sea Dragon is more powerful than yourself?"

"Hey, don't misunderstand me." The fighter answered calmly. "Despite the differences in our reasons for fighting, we fighters aim for the same thing. We want to win. I respect Ryunosuke for the fact that he fights for a noble cause, but just because he's doing that doesn't mean he is guaranteed a victory."

"Tomorrow, victory will be mine."

After declaring war, Yaotome Gaku walked off, full of determination.

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Hewlo lovely ppl~! I'm back from my holiday trip so here's chapter 7. How was it? I don't have any chapter notes to write here so I guess I'll see you all when the last chapter is out!

Happy TRIGGER anniversary <3