Somehow, the awkwardness in her from last night has completely disappeared. Ryoma can feel it himself. This is the Kaede he has always known: mature, composed and calculating, someone who takes life's decisions seriously, carefully weighs consequence before making a choice.
"Don't get me wrong, Ryoma," Kaede continues. "Back then, I didn't accept you because you were an Interhigh champion or a prodigy. I had accepted you when you could barely throw a proper punch, long before you became a genius in the ring."
Ryoma scoffs. "Then why did you accept me?"
Kaede shrugs. "Your stubbornness… selfishly dragging me into your life until, at some point, I started seeing you as part of my own. And you did it again last night."
"Am I really that selfish?"
"You are."
"So all this time, it's been about what I want? Not what you want?"
"I did ask for your commitment, didn't I?"
