Ryohei knows what it's like to love a sport with his everything, and he makes good use of that devotion and enthusiasm in the ring. He may have begun boxing as a way to not break his promise with Kyoko, but his passion is genuine. There's nothing like the thrill of a fight, and he only has to enter tournaments to find extreme opponents. And if it just so happens that all of that training makes him strong enough to protect his sister from anyone who could try to harm her, well, he's certainly not complaining.
He knows about pressure, too - the pressure to succeed, to not let his teammates down, to always be the best. His boxers are more honest with their praise and encouragement, but the stress is still there, just tempered by their friendship and his own thick skin. Maybe it's easier because he has his own reasons for fighting, or maybe Ryohei is simply too stubborn to just give in.
Whenever he sees the first year in the baseball club staying behind as late as he does, practicing well into the afternoon with a frantic fervor, he gets it. He's been there himself, after all. He's surprised the boy isn't at least being supervised by a senior or even an adult, but he doesn't interrupt, merely letting his own club advisor know that he's leaving and asking him to keep an eye on the kid if he could. He'd stay and watch over the freshman himself, but Kyoko undoubtedly has dinner prepared already. He couldn't possibly make her wait, especially knowing that she won't touch her own plate until her big brother is there with her.
He gets a message from Ippo-sensei not long after eating, informing him that he'd left and that the first year had remained behind with a promise to go home soon. Ryohei thanks the man for going out of his way and wishes him a good night. Kyoko returns with a towel, and the two of them make quick work of the dishes in the sink, as he attempts to ignore the foreboding feeling that has settled over him. Kyoko accidentally sprays him then, and he laughs loudly as they devolve into water fight.
The next morning, the school is buzzing with gossip about the ace of the baseball team, Yamamoto Takeshi, being taken to the hospital last night with a training-related injury. The news is like a punch to the gut, and Ryohei resolves to apologize to Yamamoto as soon as he returns to school, as well as give him some advice regarding overexertion. As captain and senpai, it's his responsibility to look after the other athletes, even those in different clubs. All of them have something in common (a sport they love), and that's enough of a reason for him.
That day passes normally, save for the guilt gnawing at him, and the next finds him at school earlier than usual, boxing being an outlet for the annoying hum of emotions in his chest. He expects to be the only student there (as this isn't the first time he's done this), but he spots a familiar figure peering down from the roof.
Seeing this as his chance, he excitedly runs up the steps and through the halls with vigor, and he finds himself there in short time, face flushed from adrenaline. He practically bowls down the door in his haste, calling out, "Yamamoto~!"
"Eh?" The first year spins around in surprise, and just as the rumors had said, his arm is in a sling. Broken, from the looks of it. Half of the student population had sworn the boy had lost both legs and would be returning in a wheelchair. Although he'd dismissed the story as false immediately, he is still relieved by the relatively benign injury.
"The name's Sasagawa Ryohei, captain of the boxing team! My motto is 'to the extreme'!" Yamamoto only seems more confused, and Ryohei drops the theatrics, frowning now, as he explains seriously, "I believe in pushing yourself to the extreme, but training to the point of injury is reckless." He abruptly bows and almost shouts, "I knew you could have gotten hurt two days ago when I saw you practicing after school, but still I didn't warn you or stay to make sure that didn't happen! I extremely apologize for this failure!"
"Ahaha," Yamamoto laughs weakly, and Ryohei straightens at the weird tone of his voice, really looking at the other athlete now. Rubbing the back of his head with his uninjured hand, he says, "Don't worry about it, Senpai."
The boy is pale, and his smile is a poor attempt. He's standing perilously close to the edge of the roof, and it only just occurs to Ryohei to wonder why he's up here. Suspicious, he suggests, "I can give you a few pointers to avoid injuring yourself in practice in the future."
At this, Yamamoto's grin wavers and then falls away completely, leaving his face alarmingly defeated and his eyes deadened. He is silent for a moment, and then: "...There is no future for me, Senpai."
Brows furrowed, Ryohei demands, "What do you mean?" already dreading the answer.
"The baseball gods have abandoned me," the first year says grimly, as if the mere statement is a death sentence itself. He shrugs with only one shoulder as he divulges, "If I don't have baseball, there's nothing left for me."
"Bullshit," Ryohei interjects - because, well, it is.
Yamamoto doesn't falter. "Surely you of all people understand, Senpai? I know of you. You're not that smart, and the only thing you're good at is boxing." Ryohei's face hardens, but the boy goes on, "Without boxing, what do you have? What else is there?"
He almost wants to laugh at the ridiculous notion. Instead, he calmly rebuffs, "My sister. My parents. My teammates and my friends." At Yamamoto's unchanging expression, he adds, "And boxing is only a means to an end."
Perhaps this is where they differ, ultimately. Boxing has never been about prowess or proving himself. He has always held his family above everything else, even the sport he loves - and he only learned boxing in order to better protect them, anyway. In the end, he can't understand Yamamoto's desperation, not completely, but he does get the motivation behind it.
The baseball player laughs again, bitterly and entirely without amusement. "Ah, but of course you wouldn't understand. You have a family that loves you, and you're captain of a team that adores you. What are my problems to you, someone who probably doesn't have any worries at all?" He turns around, then, facing the rusted fence.
Without looking back, he says, "This is it for me. Tell my dad I-"
His words are cut off as he stumbles backward into a hard surface, and two arms wrap around him, securing him in place. "Tell him yourself, idiot."
"Wha-?!" He lets out in bewilderment, forgetting to struggle.
The grip on him tightens, and the voice behind him speaks quietly but with unmistakeable authority, "There's more to life than baseball. I know that, right now, it seems like the end of the world, but your arm will get better. And you'll play again."
Suddenly remembering the situation, he exclaims, "But they'll bench me, and I'll have to work my way up again, and besides, I wasn't doing well before the accident! That's why I was training so hard!" He tries to break the hold on him, but Ryohei is undoubtedly stronger.
"Like I said, baseball isn't the only thing out there. What about your dad, huh? You were going to leave him just because you broke your arm?" He ignores Yamamoto's instant protest. "No, I don't care what you say. That is extremely selfish of you, and it wouldn't solve anything."
The two of them share an uneasy silence for a bit, Yamamoto in the throes of denial and Ryohei unwilling to interrupt. Finally, the other boy slumps against him, and the boxer readjusts their position to account for the added weight.
"...I don't want to do that to Otou-san," He admits hesitantly. His voice is significantly stronger as he follows that with, "but what am I supposed to do now? All I'm good for is baseball!"
Ryohei sighs, not touching that particular issue with a ten-foot pole. "You don't have to give it up, you know. You just have to get better, and then when your arm heals, you work hard to reclaim your position as ace." He offers, after a moment, "I could help you during your recovery, and we can figure out what your limits are in order to avoid you injuring yourself again."
"Is it that easy?" Yamamoto murmurs after a breath.
"Extremely," Ryohei replies, despite realizing the question was a rhetorical one.
The boy nods slowly - and then nods again, decisively. He puts a hand on Ryohei's arm, assuring him, "I'm okay, now, Senpai." He gulps and goes on, "I'm not planning to kill myself anymore."
He only just stops the sharp intake of breath at having the words they had both been tiptoeing around suddenly spoken aloud. He regards the boy's new-found determination and finds that he believes him. The boxer lets go of him, and the athlete takes a deep, fortifying breath before turning around and facing him.
"Thank you, Senpai," Yamamoto says warmly, and his smile this time is a little remorseful, a little guilty, but it's brighter than any Ryohei has ever seen on him. He grins back, already feeling much lighter.
"You're welcome." The words are strange in his mouth - because of course he'd helped Yamamoto. There's no way he could have stood by and watched, so he doesn't really deserve such gratitude - but he knows they are necessary just like he knows the grass is green and that Kyoko is the best little sister in the world.
Yamamoto rubs his cheek a little sheepishly. "So, Senpai, since we still have some time until school starts, do you mind giving me those pointers?"
Ryohei barks a relieved laugh and then throws an arm around the other boy's shoulders, directing both of them to the door leading downstairs. "Of course I will to the extreme!"
Notes: I'm not sure where this came from, but I like it. I think Ryohei would be like this if given the chance. He's both a beloved captain and a big brother. You learn how to comfort and encourage people in roles like those, you know? This is just my take on that. As for how this relates to canon, we can pretend that this is what happened in the anime - since they didn't actually show it.
'Ippo-sensei' is referring to the main character of Hajime no Ippo, a boxing manga/anime. 'Senpai' is capitalized because it's basically a name. And finally, the title comes from an english translation of "Aishi" by Radwimps.