Thursday morning brought a new level of intensity to the attention surrounding Saturday's fight. Kai could feel it the moment he walked through the school gates, conversations stopped mid-sentence when he passed, students pulled out phones to take pictures, and several groups of underclassmen followed him at a respectful distance like he was some kind of celebrity.
The bulletin board where the fight flyers had appeared now sported additional postings. Someone had created a betting pool with professionally printed odds sheets. Another flyer advertised "pre-fight analysis" sessions during lunch periods. A third announced that the school's broadcasting club would be providing live commentary for students who couldn't attend in person.
"This is getting out of hand," Kai muttered, staring at the wall of publicity surrounding what was supposed to have been a private challenge.
"You think?" The voice belonged to Sensei Ishida, who appeared beside him with an expression of deep disapproval. "Half my PE classes yesterday were interrupted by students asking about boxing techniques. The principal's been fielding calls from parents who want to know why the school is allowing students to participate in 'unsanctioned violence.'"
"I never wanted it to become this big."
"But you didn't try to stop it either. And now it's spiraled completely beyond anyone's control." Ishida gestured toward the bulletin board. "Do you see what you've created here? This isn't just about you and Daichi anymore. It's become entertainment."
The accusation stung because it was essentially accurate. Kai could have tried to shut down the publicity, could have insisted on keeping the fight private. But part of him had recognized the value of public attention—the way it would force consequences that couldn't be hidden or ignored.
"Maybe that's not entirely a bad thing," he said carefully.
"Explain that logic to me."
"People have been suffering in silence from bullies like Daichi for years. Making this public means that whatever happens, it can't be covered up or dismissed. There have to be real consequences."
Ishida studied him for a long moment. "You're thinking several moves ahead, aren't you? This isn't just about winning or losing a fight—it's about changing the entire dynamic around how these conflicts get handled."
"Something like that."
"That's either very smart or very naive. Possibly both." Ishida paused. "Either way, you've committed yourself to something that's bigger than just personal rivalry. I hope you understand what that means."
"What does it mean?"
"It means you can't just lose gracefully and walk away. Whatever happens on Saturday, it's going to define how people see you for the rest of high school. And probably longer than that."
The observation was sobering. Kai had been focused on the immediate consequences of the fight, but Ishida was right about the long-term implications. Win or lose, Saturday would establish his reputation in ways that would follow him for years.
"Any advice on how to handle that kind of pressure?" Kai asked.
"Don't think about it during the fight itself. Focus on technique and survival. Everything else is just noise." Ishida's expression softened slightly. "But since you're determined to go through with this, I've made arrangements for proper medical supervision. Dr. Tanaka will be ringside, and we'll have an ambulance on standby."
"You really think it might be that serious?"
"I think Daichi Sasaki has been training seriously for years, and you've been training seriously for three days. The gap in experience is significant enough that injuries are a real possibility."
The morning classes were even more distracting than previous days, with teachers struggling to maintain focus while students whispered constantly about fight predictions and technical analysis. Kai found himself the center of attention in ways that were both flattering and exhausting.
During the break between second and third periods, he was approached by a group of students he'd never spoken to before—older kids from the senior class who'd apparently taken a keen interest in Saturday's event.
"Nakamura," their apparent leader said, a tall, confident looking guy whose letterman jacket marked him as one of the school's star athletes. "We hear you're planning to take down Daichi this weekend."
"I'm planning to fight him," Kai corrected. "Taking him down is more of a hope than a plan."
"Either way, we wanted you to know you've got support. Daichi's been making life difficult for athletes who don't want to get involved with his crowd. It would be nice to see someone put him in his place."
"What do you mean, making life difficult?"
"Intimidation, mostly. Veiled threats about what might happen if we don't show proper respect for his 'status' at the school." The senior's expression grew more serious. "Nothing big enough to report to administration, but persistent enough to be a problem."
This was news to Kai. He'd known about Daichi's harassment of obvious targets—quiet students, younger kids, anyone who seemed vulnerable. But the idea that he was also pressuring successful students suggested a broader pattern of control than Kai had realized.
"How long has this been going on?" he asked.
"Months. Maybe longer. It's been gradual enough that most people learned to just avoid confrontation rather than dealing with it directly."
"And you think Saturday's fight might change that?"
"We think it might show people that he's not as untouchable as he wants everyone to believe."
The conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Takeshi, who looked worried about something.
"Kai, we need to talk. Privately." Takeshi glanced around at the group of seniors. "It's about this weekend."
They found a quiet corner near the library where they could speak without being overheard. Takeshi pulled out his phone and showed Kai a series of text messages.
"I've been monitoring social media chatter about the fight," Takeshi explained. "Most of it's just typical betting and speculation, but there's some concerning stuff too."
"Like what?"
"Like Elite Boxing Academy students talking about 'making an example' out of you. And some of Daichi's friends discussing ways to ensure the fight 'sends the right message' to other students who might be thinking about challenging their crew."
Kai read through the messages, his stomach sinking with each exchange. What he saw wasn't just competitive trash talk—it was coordination around ensuring Saturday's fight became a demonstration of power rather than a fair competition.
"They're planning to stack the audience," he realized. "Bring in supporters who'll make sure everyone understands this as Daichi reasserting dominance rather than a legitimate challenge."
"That's what it looks like. Plus there's talk about 'post-fight activities' that don't sound like victory celebrations."
"What kind of post fight activities?"
"The kind that involves making sure you understand your place in the social hierarchy, regardless of what happens in the ring."
The implications were clear. Even if Kai managed to win the fight itself, Daichi's supporters were planning to ensure he didn't walk away feeling victorious. And if he lost, they intended to make the humiliation as complete and public as possible.
"This is bigger than I thought," Kai said quietly.
"A lot bigger. You're not just fighting Daichi anymore—you're fighting the entire system that allows people like him to control school social dynamics."
"Maybe that's what needs to happen."
"Maybe. But are you prepared for what that means? Because if you go through with this, there's no going back to being the quiet, uninvolved student you used to be."
Kai thought about Takeshi's warning as they headed to their next classes. In his original timeline, he'd spent years avoiding exactly this kind of confrontation, convincing himself that staying uninvolved was the smart, mature approach. But that strategy had ultimately led to watching everyone he cared about suffer while he remained powerless to help them.
"Maybe it's time to stop being uninvolved," he said.
"Even if it means making yourself a permanent target?"
"Especially if it means making myself a permanent target. Because that might be the only way to show other people that targets can fight back."
The lunch period brought another development that Kai should have anticipated but somehow hadn't. He was picking at a sandwich in the courtyard when Yuki appeared with an expression that suggested she'd discovered something important.
"We have a problem," she said without preamble.
"What kind of problem?"
"The kind where half the boxing gyms in the district are planning to attend Saturday's fight, and most of them are coming to watch Elite Boxing Academy demonstrate their superiority."
"How do you know that?"
"Because I called around this morning, pretending to be a student journalist writing about amateur boxing. Everyone I talked to is treating this as a showcase for how proper training beats natural talent."
Kai felt his stomach drop. "So I'm not just fighting Daichi—I'm fighting the reputation of every professional boxing program in the area."
"Pretty much. Elite Boxing Academy has been using your challenge as a recruiting tool, advertising it as proof that their methods produce superior fighters."
"And if I lose badly, it reinforces their message."
"And if you win, you embarrass every coach who bought into their propaganda." Yuki sat down beside him. "Either way, you're fighting for more than just personal pride."
"That's terrifying."
"It's also an opportunity. If you can hold your own—not necessarily win, just avoid getting destroyed—it shows that proper technique and determination can compete with formal training programs."
"And if I can't hold my own?"
"Then you become a cautionary tale about the dangers of overconfidence."
They sat in silence for a moment, watching other students navigate their lunch period social dynamics. Kai found himself noticing patterns he'd missed before—the way certain groups avoided areas where Daichi's friends congregated, the way conversations grew quieter when those friends passed nearby, the subtle signs of a social hierarchy maintained through intimidation and fear.
"You know what the strangest part is?" he said finally.
"What?"
"Three days ago, none of this mattered to me. I was perfectly happy being invisible, avoiding conflict, keeping my head down. Now I'm at the center of something that's apparently going to define school social dynamics for months to come."
"What changed?"
It was the same question everyone kept asking, and Kai still didn't have an answer he could share. How could he explain that he'd already lived through ten years of consequences for choosing invisibility over action? That he'd watched the woman he loved suffer because he'd never learned to fight for anything that mattered?
"I guess I realized that being invisible wasn't actually protecting anyone," he said instead. "Including me."
"And you think being visible will work better?"
"I think being visible means I can't pretend problems don't exist just because they're not directly affecting me."
The afternoon classes were interrupted twice by announcements from the principal's office. The first reminded students that Saturday's boxing exhibition was not a school-sponsored event and that attendance was entirely voluntary. The second announced that counselors would be available all week for students who wanted to discuss "healthy approaches to conflict resolution."
By the time the final bell rang, Kai felt like he'd spent the entire day under a microscope. Every conversation, every facial expression, every moment of apparent confidence or doubt had been analyzed and discussed by his classmates. The weight of their attention was becoming almost unbearable.
As he gathered his things and prepared to head to the gym for his third training session, he found himself wondering if this was what professional fighters felt like before major bouts. The constant scrutiny, the pressure of other people's expectations, the knowledge that everything you'd worked for could be decided in a matter of minutes.
"Ready for another day of getting beat up in the name of preparation?" Takeshi asked as they walked toward the exit together.
"As ready as someone can be for something they're not actually ready for."
"That's either very philosophical or complete nonsense."
"Probably both."
As they reached the school gates, Kai caught sight of a familiar figure leaning against a car in the parking lot. Daichi Sasaki was there with several older guys who looked like they could be from Elite Boxing Academy, and they were clearly waiting for something.
Or someone.
"Is he waiting for you?" Takeshi asked quietly.
"Looks like it."
"What do you think he wants?"
"Probably to remind me that I still have time to back out gracefully."
"Are you going to talk to him?"
Kai considered the question as they walked closer to where Daichi was waiting. Part of him wanted to avoid the confrontation entirely, to slip out a different exit and head to the gym without engaging. But another part recognized that this might be an opportunity to gather intelligence about what he'd be facing on Saturday.
"Yeah," he said finally. "I think I am."
"Want me to come with you?"
"No. This is something I need to handle myself."
As Kai approached the group in the parking lot, he could feel Takeshi's worried gaze following him. Whatever Daichi wanted to discuss, it was going to set the tone for the next two days of preparation.
And based on the expressions of the older guys flanking the bully, Kai suspected it wasn't going to be a friendly conversation.