And the more he looks, the clearer it becomes that Tojo's irritation is no longer something he can conceal.
"Come on," Tojo snaps, waving him forward. "Are you just gonna hide behind that guard all night?"
His shoulders rise slightly higher with each breath. Even the expressions in his face carry less confidence and more annoyance.
He takes another step, and Satoru notices Tojo looks more tired than he does. The realization isn't entirely new. During the clinch earlier, Satoru had also caught the sound of Tojo's heavier breathing, less controlled than it should have been.
"What's wrong with you, kid?" Tojo scoffs as he circles in front of him. "Did you forget how to fight the moment Ryoma stopped holding your hand?"
Satoru doesn't respond, but this time the remark lingers in his mind longer than before. Throughout the fight, Tojo has brought up Ryoma's name over and over again. It feels less like simple trash talk and more like something personal.
