Disclaimer: So this doesn't belong to me. It belongs to the creator Jyoji Morikawa.

He's too nice.

It's weird.

Why is he so damn nice?

To everyone.

And everything that he comes into contact with.

Even his opponents aren't spared that smile and bow and nervous gratitude.

He's way too…nice.

"Hi Miyata, you out for a run too! Oh wow, what a coincidence that we met each other out here! Is your training going well? Oh stupid me, I shouldn't ask that! Sorry, sorry."

I watch his matches when I have the free time. I once tried to organize my training regiment around his matches, but then I stopped, because that was foolish and weak-minded and not at all necessary.

I still go to see him. I watch him bow for each corner post, scratching behind his neck and sticking out his hand for a handshake that he might or might not receive, and I can't help but smile and wish I were back at Kamogawa Gym. It makes me want that awaited rematch to hurry up and get here, so I can prove my worth and he can smile at me like he's doing right now with his opponent.

He smiles in the ring.

He's really weird.

"Miyata, we keep bumping into each other in front of these stairs huh? It's fate…or not! Hahaha. I saw your match the other day. I can't believe how…oh um...Mr. Fujii gives me tapes...so that's why I saw your...um your fight was awesome, but it was over so quickly, but that's probably the reason why it's so awesome...and oh yeah you probably want to get back to running. Well I'll see you later then."

He's ridiculously polite, and cheerful, and positive, and it boggles the hell out of me how he can make friends with the people he fights and wins.

He's like some kind of…

...anomaly that doesn't understand how rare, and unusual, and weird, and wonderful it is.

I talked to my dad about it.

He carries the same opinion as me.

"Miyata, miyata. I caught up to you finally. Um…you look…well. How are things? I haven't seen you for a while. You probably changed up your workout regiment in preparation for a new move-- not that I've been spying on you! I haven't! I'd never do that…I was just…so you, well see you later. I think I hear Chief Kamogawa calling me. Ah Bye!"

He'll scurry off and in a couple of days I know we'll meet each other here again.

It's like clockwork, timed, destined, irrepressible, irrevocable.

The next time I see him his jaws swollen.

"Oh this, it doesn't hurt too much. I put a lot of ice on it and it'll go down in a few days."

The next time his lips split, but even though it stings and the inside of his mouth is all cut up, he still talks to me, energetically and excitedly, like I'm talking back instead of him always having to carry on a one-sided conversation.

I watch him and try to figure out why he's like this. But I forget sometimes how intense my stare can get and he looks a little spooked, and embarrassed, and he's blushing and he can't stop talking.

Takamura, the loud oaf runs in at that time, ramming Ippo in the back and sending him sprawling.

"Hey Miyata, didn't see you there."

He's such a liar.

"Oi squirt, you done conversing with the enemy, because I have to tell yuh, you're never going to beat anyone with that stamina of yours."

I wonder if anyone can swallow such nonsense, especially when Ippo has outboxed and outclassed so many professionals that it should be apparent how much energy and power he possesses.

"I'm sorry," he says, and his voice gets tiny and apologetic, and it simply boggles the mind how easily fooled and naive he is.

I just don't understand it.

"Why's your face so red?" Takamura blurts out, and he's staring Ippo in the eyes, and leering and nudging him in the stomach.

"Oh I seeeee."

He looks at me and smiles like I can read his mind.

I can read his mind, but still that's not the point.

"Was I interrupting something?"

"Oh, I was just telling Miyata about…well nothing much." He finishes lamely and Takamura's face makes me cringe because he's smiling so hard and so smugly that I just want to punch him.

Why is he such an ass?

"Oh really."

He can tease me all he wants, the man has no shame, but when he teases Ippo it just makes the situation even more…

"You two going steady?"

…embarrassing.

"WHAT!" Ippo sputters and then he's shaking his head and blushing even more and I want to deck Takamura because there's already so much weirdness between us and now this.

"It's okay kid. Whatever floats your boat."

"I..it's not…we were only…"

"Yeah, yeah. I'll meet you at the gym kid. Do your rounds and hit the showers." Takamura winks at him, and I want to groan out loud and hit my head against the nearest wall because Ippo is so sensitive to every little thing and gets so easily embarrassed.

Takamura takes off and I curse him and his ancestors.

"That's…haha, um…" he's still blushing, even redder now and it's so awkward I don't think I can just leave it like this.

"My next match is this Sunday," I throw out there and it distracts him easily enough.

"Oh I already know; I have tickets!" And he squawks and his face turns even redder. I've really never seen anyone blush like this. It's another anomaly that as a boxer…just shouldn't…happen.

He's too…

"I'll be cheering for you."

…cute.

I feel kind of stupid right now and without meaning to I say, "Yeah?"

He looks a bit shocked, but then he nods his head.

"Yeah!" He laughs and I still can't get used to that sound.

God, if I didn't know better, I'd swear we were…

"God kiss him already."

"Eww, don't do that shit in front of me."

Both Aoki and Kimura are running past us, catcalling and whistling and making this situation even worse. They don't stop to chat, because they're on their laps, but that doesn't stop them from laughing and galvanizing like a bunch of drunken idiots.

Ippo's ears are red.

I didn't even know people's ears could get red.

"I…I'm sorry." He bows suddenly and I have no idea why. It's not his fault those guys are idiots. They do harass Ippo a lot, and I believe without a doubt they go out of their way to do it. Everyone goes out of their way when it comes to Ippo. I can't blame them. There's just something so…you just want to help him and…

"...um bye," he says, preparing to jog away.

"Makunouchi." He stops, turns around and has this expectant-puppy-dog look in his eyes. I don't know why I called out to him exactly. I really have nothing to say and he's still looking at me expectantly.

"I'll see you on Sunday."

He smiles, I don't know what triggered it, but it…he smiled and it was like I just stepped into a right hook. It knocked the breath right out of me and he wasn't supposed to do that to me, not when we weren't in a ring and I had almost perfected my counters.

"Bye!" He's waving and running down the street before I can realize I hadn't received a sucker punch to the gut, or walked into a right hook. He still waving and smiling and I can hear him laugh. The sound suddenly cut off as he turns a corner and vanishes out of my sight.

I find myself smiling in the middle of the street like a moron.

It's weird.

He's weird and now he's making me weird.

I smile a bit more.

"Wipe that goofy grin of your face." Takamura is now running past me and I hadn't expected him to be coming back this way again.

"Somebody has a crush."

"You guys really need girlfriends."

And Aoki and Kimura are surprisingly following after Takamura, and I can't wrap my head around the fact that I'd just seen them minutes ago, though it doesn't strike me as weird that they'd cut across whatever back alley just to come and bother me.

"Here comes the bride!"

"All dressed in white trunks!"

The smile's no longer on my face, but the impression of it is still there and I don't get mad, even when all three of them follow after me, taunting me and asking me when I was going to take Ippo out.

End.