HA2 1.2 – Another Sparring
Monday morning, the reception desk in Beauty and the Beast was still empty, but Hanna and some instructors who had morning diet class already sat in the lobby. While having a chat with her coworkers, Hanna would take a glance on the entry gate occasionally.
Then, Hide and Aizawa finally appeared in the distance. While holding each other’s hand, the two passed over the entry gate and went straight to the lobby.
A smile instantly bloomed on Hanna’s lips. When Hide trained with Coach Kotaro, Hanna would help him taking care of Aizawa. At first, she considered it as purely a helping hand for Hide. However, slowly but surely she started to love and enjoy it.
Aizawa was sweet and not fussy, so when such kid followed her heartily it made her very happy somehow. The office ladies who attended the morning diet class also became fond of Aizawa with ease. Now, she became the mascot of the class and the class became livelier than ever.
As for when she had no morning diet class, Hanna would take Aizawa to swim. Of course, the two did it in children pool with warm water.
Then, finally Hide and Aizawa entered the lobby. Wasting no time, Hanna said goodbye to her coworkers and walked over to the two.
“Good morning,” Hanna happily said as soon as she arrived in front of Hide and Aizawa.
“Morning,” Hide casually said.
“Good morning, Big Sis Hanna,” Aizawa added while having bright smiles in her face.
After a smile Hanna asked Aizawa, “Are you ready for morning diet class?”
“Mhm,” Aizawa happily replied. “Aizawa is super ready.”
After another smile Hanna turned her gaze to Hide. “What about you?”
“Alive and jumping, like a puppy,” Hide calmly said. “And by the way, I and Takeo have finished our project and receive the payment.”
“Do you mean we can have our dinner date?” Hanna happily asked.
Hide nodded and said, “Pick the place and time.”
“Can we go tonight?”
“We can.”
“Let’s go tonight then.” After a short pause Hanna added, “But I have a business meeting this afternoon. So, can you train on your own this afternoon, and then come to my place and wait me there?”
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“I can.”
“Then, I will take Aizawa to the class. Do your best with your training.”
“Roger, and this is our breakfast,” Hide said as he put forward the breakfast he made with Aizawa.
After a smile Hanna replied, “Let’s have it in my office after the training.”
“Okay.”
Wasting no time Hanna took over the breakfast. Then, using her other hand she reached out for Aizawa’s hand and took her to the class.
As for Hide, he waited until Hanna and Aizawa entered one of the works out studios in the first floor before rushing to the backyard martial gym.
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Hide carried out his training with Coach Kotaro as usual. It was started with warm-up, followed by basic training. He did everything with everything he got, and it never failed to please Coach Kotaro.
When Hanna told him that Hide’s attitude for his training was at professional level, Coach Kotaro just treated it as rubbish. At the same time, it provoked him to put Hide on the training regime for a pro. He thought Hide would fold after the first few meetings. However, he didn’t only survive the inhumane training regime, but also thrive on it.
‘What an interesting kid,’ Coach Kotaro hit the stop button on his stopwatch before signaling Hide to stop his heavy bag work-out, the last menu on his basic training.
“Drink only a mouthful, and try to catch your breath but don’t sit.”
“Yes, Coach.”
Then, while Hide had the short rest before the mitt hitting, Coach Kotaro took his time to compare Hide’s latest stats with previous stats, using week-on-week basis.
‘Flexibility, in good shape,’ Coach Kotaro muttered as he made remark on Hide’s stats. ‘Strength, progress. Speed, progress. Agility, progress. Endurance, progress. Shadow box, progress. Speed bag, inhuman progress. Heavy bag, inhuman progress.’
Overall it was good stats. Hide didn’t have regress on his stats. However, one thing bothered Coach Kotaro to the point it almost irritated him. Hide’s progress on heavy bag and speed bag was too abnormal. Despite his long flight hours in martial arts industry, it still went beyond his understanding.
While putting down his 8” tablet Coach Kotaro turned his gaze to Hide. “Kid, tell me the truth, before you train with me here, have you ever done boxing training with other instructor, even in short time?”
“Nope,” Hide calmly spat out a lie, even though technically it was not a lie if you limited the timeline only to his current life.
“What about speed bag and heavy bag for kick boxing?” Coach Kotaro asked again, this time he did it while looking at Hide straight in the eyes. “Have you train on your own using reference from internet or book?”
“Nope, I don’t have speed bag and heavy bag in my house.”
“Do you realize that your footwork, center of gravity, and angle of attack when you did speed bag and heavy bag is like a pro?”
“Ummm…” Hide paused for a moment before skillfully faking a confuse expression. “Really?”
“Yeah, and it’s not just an ordinary pro, but a pro who experienced lot of high-risk fight like a street fight.”
After a long silence while tilting his head to the side, Hide said, “Maybe, in my previous life I was an MMA fighter who loved to fight in illegal match.”
“Maybe.”
Outwardly, Coach Kotaro’s calmly accepted Hide’s answer, but inwardly he deeply creased his brows. It was impossible for a beginner to have solid footwork and good angle of attack by training on their own. Not to mention, the training took place only in matter of weeks.
To have combination of solid footwork, well-placed center of gravity, and good angle of attack that worked like a second nature, a fighter had to possess two things. First, a long period of training with a good coach who tirelessly showed him the correct way to carry out a fight. Second, tons of fighting experience.
Hide’s circumstance could be explained only by one thing, he was a former seasoned street fighter who restarted his training after a decade of retirement. However, Coach Kotaro could easily see that physically Hide was truly a fresh starter. Other than purely unshaped body, he also didn’t have scar that usually became trademark of street fighter.
‘Fuck! ‘I really don’t know I have to be exited or get piss off because I can’t figure out this kid,’ Coach Kotaro frustratingly muttered as he looked at Hide.
When Hide trained in his martial gym for the first time, Coach Kotaro also got hit by a similar feeling. It was an itching curiosity that almost drove him crazy. At that time he managed to suppress it, but this time he couldn’t hold it in check any longer, and it led him into an idea.
In a calm tone Coach Kotaro said, “Hide, it’s a little bit too early than the schedule, but, let’s replace the mitt hitting with a sparring?”
“Sure,” Hide casually replied.
‘What a brave kid,’ Coach Kotaro amusingly muttered. “Do you have something in mind, about what kind of sparring you want to try?”
“No, I will just follow your arrangement.”
“In that case, we will use the basic rule for street fight sparring,” Coach Kotaro excitingly explained. “Fighter will wear hard head protection gear and training gloves, fight using both striking and grappling, three rounds of 2 minutes each, no weapon, and other than low blow, strike at neck, strike at behind the head, everything else are legal.”
“Roger,” Hide calmly agreed.
“Good. Coincidently, I have a good sparring partner for you,” Coach Kotaro said as he turned his gaze to a young man who fiercely practicing his heavy bag in a corner. ‘I hope the sparring will help me in figuring out this kid’s circumstance and potential.’
*****