Chapter 1046 - 1046: The Past That Won’t Let Go

Still trembling, Ryoma instinctively follows his father's gaze toward the Alphard, where Hayakawa waits with a bored expression.

But when Ryoma turns back, the man is gone, leaving Ryoma suddenly disoriented.

Ryoma looks around in a panic, searching the area for any sign of his father, but there is no one else near the monument.

Gradually, his breathing steadies. Ryoma can finally move again, though his mind remains unsettled.

Get a hold of yourself, Ryoma…

With his psychiatrist having raised the possibility of schizophrenia before, Ryoma forces himself to accept that explanation. It is the only one that makes sense to him.

It was just an illusion.

While Ryoma is still struggling to compose himself, another figure arrives at the memorial.

It is Kaede, standing not far from the Alphard in her work uniform, her name tag pinned to the left side of her chest and a bouquet of flowers held in one hand.

"Ryoma…?"

Kaede blinks, struggling to believe the coincidence. She has only stopped by the memorial before work, as she has done every day for the past two years.

Yet today, she finds Ryoma standing there, as though fate itself has brought them together again.

For a moment, the urge to approach him is so strong that she takes a step forward without even realizing it.

Then she catches herself.

Her gaze shifts toward Hayakawa, and their eyes meet briefly across the distance.

A beat later, Kaede turns away and hurries off, determined to leave before Ryoma notices her.

Hayakawa watches her leave with an unreadable expression. He doesn't know who Kaede is, but the way Kaede had watched Ryoma from a distance has piqued his curiosity.

But after waiting for so long, Hayakawa's curiosity gradually fades. When Ryoma finally returns, he doesn't mention about Kaede at all.

"Ready to leave?" he asks.

Ryoma simply nods before he gets into the car.

Hayakawa gets behind the wheel, giving the woman he saw earlier no further thought.

***

By the time Ryoma arrives at the meeting venue, it is already past seven in the evening.

Restaurant Ohtsu is an upscale French restaurant in Mito, its refined interior and quiet atmosphere making it a fitting place for a private business meeting.

Ryoma enters alone and follows the waiter to the reserved room. Inside, Logan Rhodes and Franc Donovan are already waiting for him.

Ryoma acknowledges them with a brief greeting, but his eyes linger on the empty seat beside them. The person he most hopes to see, Reika, is nowhere to be found.

"Ryoma. Glad you could make it." Logan rises to greet him, offering a firm handshake before gesturing toward the seats.

Donovan follows with a broad smile. "It's been a while, hasn't it? I still remember when Logan and I first approached you at Nakahara Gym. You were just a rookie back then, and now you're a world champion. Two years really isn't that long, yet look how far you've come."

Ryoma merely nods, his expression composed and unreadable as he takes his seat. Despite Donovan's warm welcome, his attention remains fixed on the one person he expected to find here.

"Before we begin, Mr. Rhodes, I was under the impression that Reika would be joining us tonight. After our conversation yesterday, I assumed her presence was part of the arrangement."

Logan's expression tightens briefly, and he adjusts his cufflinks before answering, maintaining his composure.

"I should be honest with you, Ryoma. Reika is still struggling with fear and guilt over everything that has happened."

"Why should she be afraid?" Ryoma asks, his voice remaining level. "I've made it clear that I want to repair my relationship with her. I'm not trying to blame her for what happened."

"I understand that," Logan replies. "But I hope you won't judge my daughter the same way you judge most of the people you deal with in this industry. You're still young, Ryoma, yet you've learned to handle people like us with remarkable composure and maturity. But not everyone your age is like you. And after spending so much time with Reika, I'm sure you understand that better than most."

Ryoma listens without interrupting, though the disappointment in his eyes remains.

"I can understand your reasoning, Mr. Rhodes. But I'm afraid this meeting has already lost much of its meaning to me. My problem was never with NSN. It was with Reika. My relationship with your company was built through her. If she can no longer accept me, then I have to wonder whether NSN still has the same trust and commitment to our partnership."

Logan smiles faintly. "It seems you're no longer trying to hide your interest in my daughter."

"I don't think there's any reason to hide it anymore," Ryoma replies.

Logan nods with satisfaction. "I'm glad to hear that. As for Reika, I've already tried to reassure her, and she's on her way here now. She should be arriving soon."

He gestures toward the menu on the table. "In the meantime, why don't you order something while we wait?"

Ryoma breathes a quiet sigh of relief. It seems his long journey won't have been in vain after all. He gives Logan a slight nod before turning his attention to the menu.

While waiting for Reika to arrive, Logan and Donovan keep the conversation going by discussing Ryoma's proposal.

Both are clearly enthusiastic about its business potential, particularly the prospect of working together to dominate the boxing industry

Before long, they begin exchanging ideas on how to reshape the sport's business structure to ensure their interests remain at the forefront.

"With your current level of stardom and the marketing potential," Donovan says, "I don't see anything we can't achieve together. Even if Hugo Ramirez gets out of prison, he and his associates won't be able to do a damn thing against you."

"Even someone like Erzhanov wouldn't stand a chance against us," Logan adds.

At the mention of Erzhanov, Ryoma's expression shifts slightly. He considers something for a moment before deciding to share part of his recent trouble with Hayashida Muneyaki.

"I think Erzhanov has started targeting my life," Ryoma says.

The change in the room is immediate. Both Donovan and Logan grow serious, their earlier enthusiasm giving way to caution.

"Has something happened?" Donovan asks.

"Are you familiar with the case involving Hayashida Muneyaki's death?" Ryoma replies.

Donovan shakes his head slightly before turning to Logan, who offers what he knows.

"He was one of Ryoma's fans," Logan explains. "Felt disappointed about ticket availability, and tried to stab Ryoma. But the attempt failed."

He turns back to Ryoma, beginning to understand where the conversation is heading.

"Why? Do you think it was more than an attack by a disgruntled fan?"

Ryoma shakes his head. "I suspected from the start that someone had sent him after me. After defeating Cabello, I tracked him down to force him to reveal who was behind the attack. But when I got there, I found him hanging dead."

"The news reported it as a suicide, didn't it?" Logan asks.

"The police concluded that it was a murder staged to look like a suicide," Ryoma explains. "Unfortunately, I was at the scene when it happened. Reika was the one who took me there. Now she's begun to believe I'm a murderer. She even reported me to the police."

Logan raises his eyebrows before letting out a quiet sigh of understanding. Now he realizes why Ryoma has been so insistent on meeting Reika and clearing up the misunderstanding.

"Did she witness you killing that man?" Logan asks.

"I'm not a murderer," Ryoma replies, his voice cold enough to leave no room for doubt.

"I don't care whether you're a murderer or not," Logan says casually. "What matters to me is whether you're a business partner I can trust. If I can be sure of that, I can convince Reika to withdraw her report."

"I don't need her to withdraw her report," Ryoma says. "Her testimony means nothing in the first place. And once again, I'm telling you that I'm not a murderer. I expect you to start from that understanding."

Ryoma leans forward slightly, his voice dropping to a low intimidating tone.

"I'm not that naive, Logan. I won't enter a partnership with someone who sees me as a murderer and thinks he can use that information to hold something over my head someday."

Before Logan can say a word, a casual voice suddenly cuts in from behind Ryoma, talking in Japanese.

"Well, this sounds like a pretty serious conversation."

Ryoma freezes at the familiar voice. He turns around to find Shimamura and Reika standing right behind him.

"Shimamura...? What are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you that." Shimamura casually slips his hands into his pockets. "What's with all this convincing people you're not a murderer? Boy, like you really have the guts to kill someone."