On The Ropes

"Let's do that drill one more time."

The air in Akihiko's room felt heavier than it did an hour ago. Their typical workout routine was wrapping up just as the small space couldn't contain any more body heat, and Minako was looking forward to some rest. It had been a few months since they started having these private lessons on a regular basis. She never would have guessed they would last this long.

When she paused to think about it, Minako couldn't believe how much she'd improved. Akihiko said from the beginning that she was 'doing great' and 'improving already', but now she was actually seeing some results. Even the little bit of bobbing and weaving he had her try out was helping in Tartarus. It was amazing that something could be so fun and practical.

"You said 'one more time' the last six times," she replied. Fun or not, it was still tiring. Whether Akihiko would actually let her stop was never a sure thing. He was learning how to test her limits just the right amount. And occasionally pushing his luck, too.

"That means you need to do it perfectly one more time." He was ready with a response, as if it was the obvious counterpoint to her protest. "C'mon! You almost have it, Minako. You've been doing even better than usual today."

Okay, maybe that made her heart swell. It wasn't like Akihiko was shy about complimenting her efforts. The fact that he always meant it when he praised her never stopped feeling good, though. It sparked the playful part of her brain that wanted to put in extra effort to earn compliments.

After doing all this hard work, she could probably get away with a little trick. Something to catch him off-guard, and show him that she's been listening diligently. He seemed to like it when she surprised him.

It took some effort to hide the smile tugging at her lips. She nodded and brought her arms back up into position, the athletic tape around her knuckles beginning to curl at the edge from the sweat and effort she'd exerted so far. He asked if she was ready, and she was.

They went through the same drill again.

She would throw a hook, he'd catch it and return a jab.

She'd dodge and jab once. Then twice. Switch hands. He counted the whole time, keeping her to a strict beat that didn't allow for a flinch or split second of hesitation.

They did the drill once, then seamlessly started from the beginning. Near the end, she hit high and then low in succession. This was the perfect place to switch things up.

Or, it would have been if Akihiko had been paying attention. His light grey eyes flickered away from Minako's punches every few seconds, carefully watching the focus painting stern, sculpted lines across her round face. Her eyes burned like fire when she really got into the rhythm.

Minako changed her final low jab into a high one, not realizing how her teacher's focus had slipped. Her fist met his jaw, and a lot of things happened in the next few seconds. There was a dull crack just before he stumbled backwards. The small runner carpet on his floor seemed to disagree with the way his feet moved, because Akihiko was on the ground soon after.

He sat, wide-eyed, with his back propped up by his metal bed frame. Minako felt herself let out a panicked gasp as she dropped to her knees beside him, hands hovering in the space between them. Akihiko took the tips of his fingers shallowly into his mouth, clearly bewildered by the blood that stuck to them when they came back out.

"I-I'm so sorry!" Minako bowed her head furiously a few times, feeling her face and neck flush in pure, unadulterated embarrassment. This wasn't how she thought it would go at all, and it was mortifying to see the aftermath of a prank gone wrong. "I didn't mean... I-I swear, I thought you would be able to get out of the way! Are you alright?"