Kumi is in the stands, totally nervous and scared. With her hands tightly clasped in her lap, she feels her heart pounding against her ribs. The fighters—her brother Ryo Mashiba and his opponent—circle each other in the ring below, their movements tense with anticipation. The crowd's roar blends with the shrill of the bell, creating a overwhelming cacophony that makes her head spin.

"I don't want either of them to lose..." Kumi thinks, biting her lower lip until she tastes blood. Her fingers dig into her palms as she watches the first exchange of punches. The arena lights glint off the sweat on the boxers' bodies as they dance around each other.

Suddenly, a powerful punch lands to Mashiba's liver, and Kumi flinches violently, squeezing her eyes shut. The crowd erupts, but all she hears is the sound of her own rapid breathing. When she finally looks again, her brother is doubled over in pain, and she feels tears spill down her cheeks despite her efforts to hold them back.

"This is horrible... how can they even enjoy this?" she whispers to herself, wiping at her eyes with the back of her sleeve. The emotional conflict tearing at her chest makes it hard to breathe as the match continues, each punch feeling like it lands directly on her heart.