"How about this: the winner of a match between me and that guy gets to be Yukari’s bodyguard?"

Mogi-san blurted out this ridiculous proposal out of nowhere.

"No, that’s not okay! He’s a dear friend of my friend!"

"Relax, relax! I’ve got practice gloves right here, so no one will get hurt. Hey, you over there—don’t you think it’s better to settle who’s stronger fair and square?"

Wow, this guy isn’t listening to a word Yukari is saying.

"Here, these gloves are for you. They’re thickly padded, so even if you punch with all your might, it won’t hurt. Kicks are dangerous, so let’s ban those. Simple rules: whoever lands five punches first wins."

He tossed me a pair of gloves. This was the first time I’d encountered someone so self-centered. Without even consulting me, he’d turned this into an MMA-style fight. For the record, I’m supposed to just be a judo practitioner.

"Mogi-san, this is too much! Stop it, please!"

"It’s fine, Mogi-san. Let’s go with your rules."

"Tachihara-kun!"

"It’s okay. Oh, just one thing…"

Kawabata-san tried to stop me, but this wasn’t a big deal. I decided to make a small request to her just in case.

"Mogi-san, even if I lose, it only means I won’t be Yukari’s bodyguard. It doesn’t automatically make you her bodyguard. We haven’t even decided if I’m taking the job yet."

"Ah, you’re right. I got ahead of myself without hearing Yukari’s thoughts. Let’s leave it to her to decide who to choose, no matter who wins. But, hey, once she sees me in action, there’s no way she won’t pick me."

He’s literally ignoring Yukari’s feelings as we speak.

"Tachihara-san, really, it’s okay! I’ll ask the agency president to handle Mogi-san, so please don’t do this!"

"It’s fine. Even if he wins, we’ll just say he caused trouble here, and neither of us will be her bodyguard."

"No, you don’t understand! He’s competed in MMA tournaments! Even with padded gloves, you could get hurt. Please, don’t do this!"

"Tachihara-kun, Yukari’s right—let’s just forget about this and leave!"

"I appreciate your concern, but this is my decision. If I get hurt, it’s on me. Besides, if we walk away, he’ll probably keep following us. He might end up being more trouble than the stalker."

"You ready? Let’s get started!"

"Yes, I’ve got the gloves on. Let’s move outside."

I stopped them from intervening and walked over to Mogi-san.

"It’ll be quick, so let’s just do it here. Yukari, step back a bit. Alright, here we go!"

Wait, seriously? This guy’s planning to fight in the dressing room? The space here is only about 4–5 meters wide, cluttered with stuff. Fighting here would definitely cause trouble.

Before I could say anything, he lunged at me without warning. Is this guy for real? I was willing to let him save face with a close match somewhere private, but I’m done being considerate.

Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang

"What the—!?"

I dodged Mogi-san’s slow-motion attacks using my reflexes and lightly landed five punches with both gloves.

"Well, I landed five punches, so I win. Excuse me."

I followed his rules exactly, so there shouldn’t be any complaints.

"What just happened?! He’s too fast!"
"Wait, is Mogi-san just… weak?"
"He’s so cool!"

Naturally, the commotion had drawn everyone’s attention despite being in the corner of the dressing room. This is why I suggested moving outside, but no—this guy had to show off here.

"W-wait a second! Yeah, you got me a few times, but it was only two punches! It’s not over until three more land. I underestimated you, but now I’ll go all out!"

"I already hit you five times…"

"Sh-shut up! Get ready, because here I come!"

Now he’s just a belligerent thug.

He threw a faster left punch aimed at my face, but it was still too slow for me. Like before, I dodged easily and landed another five light hits.

"Damn it! Just one more hit, and I’m done! But I’ll turn this around now! Take this!"

Dude, you’ve already lost by a landslide. This is getting annoying.

Finally, his punch grazed my face. It didn’t hurt at all—probably thanks to my enhanced physical durability or the glove padding.

"Yes! That’s one for me! This match isn’t over yet!"

He stepped back, celebrating his one punch. Let’s finish this already.

"Alright, my turn now."

"Wha—so fast!?"

Bang.

I lightly tapped Mogi-san’s head. That should be undeniable.

"…I lose."

Thank goodness he finally admitted defeat.

"Whoa!!!"
"Kyaa!!!"

…But the damage has already been done, judging by the crowd's reaction. Too late now.