"If it's impeding on your development in this Dojo, then I will personally work with you. In the meantime, I expect you to work on your self-esteem." It was a harsh response which entirely cloaked any kind of sense of caring. He didn't understand what her problem with Hayate. In fact, he was a lower-ranking shihan within the dojo, which is why he paired them together in the first place. It didn't sit well with him that a Yukihiro did not improve properly in his father's dojo but he didn't care much for her childishness.

But there was a desparity about her that he couldn't ignore. Perhaps he could beat it out of her. The rest of year, he sparred with her, holding nothing back. But what he witnessed surprised him. She was unnaturally resilient against him. She didn't keep on her feet as well as he'd like, but to his standards, that could mean anything. He saw that desparity in her, but it was desparity to improve and rid herself of shackles which burdened her. Of course, Kouta was entirely ignorant of this kind of psychological state, but Akimoto could sense it easily. He was close to babying the child, but knew word would spread to Isao-sama and would result in his chastisment. 

It was entirely unusual to see a student, a first-year at that, practicing on the stage that was a platform. The other shihan disapproved, usually verbally and sometimes physically. Kouta would combat them appropriately. His words were strict to the precepts and usually flawed by others' standards, but he practiced strikes and thrusts and steps that physically represented what he was trying to explain. Bones broke and wooden frames shattered from these physical displays of disagreement and the subject would be dropped for a time until the next "lesson" needed to be conducted.