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His first impression of Akane is someone who's not dedicated whatsoever.
She seems like someone who'd spend more time doing parkour than gymnastics, and his first impression is quickly proven correct. Akane can be a twit when she wants to be.
Still, there's some sort of magnetism that draws him in, keeps him close. Something about Akane that interests him.
She is lazy. She's not utilizing her full potential as a gymnast, and it's unfortunate that she can't see it.
But isn't that his job? After all, what is he if not the Ultimate Team Manager?
And he will whip her into shape. No matter what.
It turns out to be a lot more difficult than he anticipated.
She competes, but she doesn't compete. She doesn't fight with all the fire she shows when he fights with her, and despite whatever she says, she's not giving it her all.
She is a gymnast, so she is supposed to be graceful. That's her go-to excuse.
She's still not trying as hard as he knows she can. She's not harnessing the fire inside her.
(Honestly, there's enough fire in her cheeks after they finish fighting to power a small country for a few days, and he takes it to mean that she needs to train harder)
A lot of people ask him why he never competes on his own, and they never believe him when he tells them.
It feels so much better to see someone he cares about smiling on the stage, beaming with pride and effort, and to know he was able to do that. To know he was able to make them smile that way.
Akane smiles down at him from the podium, a gold medal hanging heavy around her neck. She mouths 'thank you' and he feels the rush of happiness and pride he always does when someone he's trained succeeds.
But this is different.
Amidst the roaring cheers of the crowd and the scandalized gasps of the judges, Akane steps down from her podium. She pulls her golden metal off her head and skips over to him, smiling bright as the dawn.
With an impressive jump, she loops the golden metal around his neck and grins, linking her arm with his.
"This is my coach! The Ultimate Team Manager, Nekomaru Nidai!"
He keeps training her, and she keeps winning.
She'll lean against his arm and heave a sigh in the darkest days of winter, a scarf wrapped around her neck to hide her mouth. Eyes glinting with mirth, she'll turn to him and smile, pointing at something random in the street.
They go to the beach in the summer, playing volleyball with all their friends. Akane is a force to be reckoned with on the beach, and none of them doubt it.
On the last day of school, Akane hands him a pure white letter with a heart sticker on it, blushing furiously. He opens it and wraps her in a hug once he reads what's inside.
"Of course!"
It comes as no surprise to anyone when Nekomaru proposes.
It comes as even less of a surprise when Akane says yes.
They melt down Akane's first gold metal (despite Nekomaru's wishes) and use it to make their rings. Akane says that it belongs to both of them and what better way to celebrate than to have it with them always?
Akane wins two more Olympics before she retires, and Nekomaru's behind her every step of the way.
He's always going to be behind her. To lift her up when she falls, and to stand next to her when she doesn't. Because he loves Akane Owari, and she loves him.
"Will you always be behind me?" she asks at their wedding, tears streaming down her face. "Will you always stand next to me, no matter what?"
"Of course," he replies, just like he always will. No matter what, he'll always be behind her.