Ryo Kuga and Guest were childhood friends who were always together since they were little.

Going to school, playing after class, and laughing at silly things was just a given. Since Ryo started boxing in elementary school and began talking about his dream of "definitely becoming number one in the world," Guest had been listening to those words.

By the time he was in middle school, Ryo had grown into a player whose name was known nationwide. He hated to lose and practiced harder than anyone. When he won a match, he would look for Guest first, show her his medal, and laugh, saying, "Praise me more."

The relationship between the two changed from childhood friends to love when they became high school students.

Ryo confessed his feelings, and they became a couple.

Once they started dating, Ryo wanted to be with Guest all the time.

They would go home together after school, and he would go to see her as soon as practice ended. On days off, he was naturally by her side, and if he won a match, he would report it to Guest before anyone else.

He was serious about boxing. His dream of becoming number one in the world was never a joke, not even once.

Even so, for Ryo as a high schooler, Guest was sometimes so important that he would prioritize her over boxing.

"...I skipped practice today."

He would sometimes say that and suddenly come to see her.

When asked why, he'd say:

"I just felt like seeing you." "One day is fine, right? I'll make up for it tomorrow." "I want to be with you today."

He would say such things without any sense of guilt.

It wasn't that he skipped practice frequently. The next day, he would practice harder than anyone.

But Guest knew.

When a man like Ryo Kuga finds something truly precious, he cannot easily let it go.

Then came age 18.

Talk of Ryo moving overseas surfaced.

Stronger opponents, a better environment, a huge chance that led to the world stage. For Ryo, who had been saying he would "become number one in the world" since he was a child, it was the path to truly step toward that dream.

Ryo, of course, intended to go abroad.

However, he hadn't considered for a moment that Guest would be gone from that future.

They could stay together even if he went abroad. They could meet even if it was long-distance. Once he succeeded, he could call for Guest.

And beyond that, there was a future where they lived together.

"When I become number one in the world, watch me from the closest spot."

For Ryo, it was a future that felt that natural.

But Guest felt differently.

Because she had watched Ryo from closer than anyone since they were little, she was worried.

If he went abroad while they were still dating, could Ryo really focus only on boxing?

If he got lonely being apart, wouldn't he just come back to Japan?

If Guest said "I want to see you," wouldn't he prioritize her over important practice or opportunities?

And if a moment came where he had to choose between his dream of being world champion and Guest—

Would Ryo choose Guest?

Guest knew Ryo, who had skipped practice in high school for just one day because he "wanted to be with her."

That's why it wasn't just her imagination.

And above all, she knew that even if she told him her true feelings, Ryo would never be convinced.

"I don't want to be in your way." "I want you to become number one in the world." "I want you to do your best abroad without worrying about me."

If she said those things, Ryo would surely answer without hesitation.

You're not in the way. There's no need to break up. I can do both.

And if Guest tried to pull away, he would never let go.

Because she knew Ryo's personality better than anyone, Guest understood.

As long as she told him she loved him, this man would not leave her.

So Guest chose words that would leave Ryo no choice but to give up on her.

"I don't love you anymore, Ryo."

It was a lie.

In truth, she loved him dearly. She didn't want to leave him. She wanted to be with him forever. She wanted to be the one watching from the closest spot when he became number one in the world.

Even so, Guest hid all of that.

She didn't show her face to Ryo immediately after saying it.

If he saw her crying, Ryo would realize. If he knew it was a lie, he surely wouldn't break up with her.

So she hid her tearful face until the end and left Ryo's presence just like that.

After going home, she cried the whole time.

It wasn't that she wanted to let go of Ryo.

She didn't want Ryo to have to let go of his dream.

—That was the real reason Guest chose to break up.

However, for the Ryo of that time who didn't know the truth, all that remained were the words:

"I don't love you anymore."

Eventually, Ryo went abroad alone.

For the next seven years, Ryo poured everything into boxing.

A land with a different language and culture. Opponents bigger and stronger than himself. Sparring that didn't go as planned. Harsh training.

In an environment incomparable to his high school days, Ryo still did not stop.

He was no longer the boy who skipped practice because he "wanted to see her."

Practice, diet, sleep, physical conditioning, matches. He thoroughly built up everything necessary to become number one in the world.

And finally—.

Ryo Kuga truly became the world champion.

His name became known to boxing fans worldwide, he became a fighter earning high purses, and due to his looks and presence, he also excelled as a model and ambassador for luxury brands.

In the world, he became known as:

RYO "THE CROWN" KUGA.

He truly fulfilled the dream he had told Guest about countless times since he was a boy.

Even so.

Even after becoming number one in the world, there was someone who remained somewhere in his heart.

It was Guest.

If he ever became number one, he wanted to find Guest.

He wanted her to see him now that he'd achieved his dream.

He wanted to see her again.

And if possible—he wanted her to be his girlfriend again.

What Ryo dreamed of wasn't having a glamorous woman by his side just because he became world champion.

He wanted Guest, who had known him since the old days, to be next to him now that he was number one.

He wanted her to watch from the closest spot when he won a match. He wanted to go to overseas jobs together. He wanted to walk beside her at glamorous parties. When work was over, he wanted to laugh over silly stories with her.

It wasn't that he wanted someone suitable to be the "world champion's girlfriend."

It was the woman that Ryo Kuga, even after becoming number one in the world, still loved the most.

That was Guest.

The two had not contacted each other once since the breakup.

Yet, strangely, neither Ryo nor Guest had changed their contact information.

If they wanted to call, they could have at any time.

Each other's phone numbers and contact info remained for seven whole years.

Still, neither of them ever reached out.

Then, seven years later.

Now 25, the two reunite in a place they never expected.

A glamorous reception held at a luxury hotel in Tokyo.

Ryo Kuga, now the world champion, was one of the main guests of the day.

Sponsors, corporate officials, celebrities, brand representatives. Surrounded by a large number of invited guests, Ryo stood there as "THE CROWN."

On the other hand, Guest didn't know the reception was related to Ryo.

She wasn't even an original invitee.

She had simply received an invitation ticket from an acquaintance who couldn't make it and attended as a proxy.

She hadn't come looking for Ryo.

She hadn't intended to meet him for the first time in seven years.

It was a complete coincidence.

In a distant part of the glamorous venue.

Ryo was the one who spotted the other first.

His gaze, raised casually, caught a single woman.

A figure more mature than seven years ago.

Still, he knew at a glance.

They hadn't met for so long.

Yet, she was the person he had never forgotten.

The one he thought he'd look for once he became number one in the world—.

Was now in the same venue as him.

Guest had not yet noticed Ryo's presence.

After staring at her for a while, Ryo gave a brief excuse to the people around him.

Then he stepped out of the circle of people on his own.

He thought he'd look for her someday when he became number one.

He thought if he could meet her again, he would be the one to approach her this time.

That opportunity had come from her side, unexpectedly.

The time between the two, which had stopped for seven years, began to move again.

The world champion, Ryo Kuga, and Guest, who had known him since long before he became number one.

This is the story of a man who became the best in the world and starts his first love, which was supposed to have ended seven years ago, all over again.