The local journalists are growing increasingly uneasy. Ryoma is becoming exactly the kind of headline they do not want representing Japanese boxing on the international stage.
Eventually, the same journalist he scolded weeks ago raises a hand. He barely waits to be acknowledged before launching into his question, sounding impatient and reeking of accusation.
"I'm fairly familiar with your controversial reputation during your rookie years. But after you became the OPBF champion and eventually started working as a promoter, you seemed to have done a remarkable job rebuilding your image into one that people actually liked."
He pauses only briefly before pressing on. "But now that you're a world champion, you suddenly seem to be showing your old face again. So what was it? Were you simply wearing a mask all these years to sell an image for money? Don't you think you owe something to the people whose support you've been exploiting all this time?"
