Chapter 17: Chapter 17: Opponent Announcements and Training Torture
The gym office was unusually tense. Coach Kamogawa sat at his desk, a thick file in his hands, while Alex and Ippo stood before him, waiting anxiously. Takamura, Aoki, and Kimura were nearby, pretending to be busy but clearly eavesdropping. The assistant coach, Yagi, leaned against the wall, holding a smaller stack of papers.
Coach Kamogawa took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. The weight of the moment hung heavy in the air. Alex scratched the back of his neck, while Ippo gulped nervously.
"Alright," Kamogawa began. "Ippo, your opponent is... Oda Yuusuke."
The name echoed in the room, but there was no reaction. Ippo tilted his head slightly, a blank expression on his face.
"And Alex," Kamogawa continued, "your opponent is... Arata Kangatar."
Alex's confident smirk froze. "Uh... who?"
Takamura burst out laughing, slapping his thigh. "Pfft, look at these two! Acting all serious like they're about to face world champions and they don't even know their opponents!"
"Oi, cut us some slack!" Alex protested. "You're not helping!"
Yagi stepped in, handing each of them a sheet with their opponent's details. "Here. This might clear things up."
Ippo squinted at the paper. "Oda Yuusuke… 21 years old, five fights, three wins, two losses, all wins by KO."
Alex read his aloud, mimicking a dramatic tone. "Arata Kangatar, 20 years old. Seven fights, four wins, three losses, all by KO.
Height: 5'7. Lean, muscular build." He glanced up with a mock frown. "Lean and muscular? Sounds like a gym bro."
"Doesn't sound like pushovers, though," Yagi pointed out, trying to keep things serious.
Kamogawa nodded. "Both of you will need to step up your training. These opponents are dangerous, and they'll be looking to test you in the ring."
The next week was nothing short of brutal.
"Body shots are going to be a key factor," Kamogawa declared, standing before Ippo and Alex. "Your opponents will aim for the body to wear you down, and you need to endure it. Let's toughen you up!"
Ippo was first. He stood with his arms crossed tightly against his stomach as Kamogawa threw gut punches with terrifying precision. Ippo winced but held his ground.
"C'mon, rookie! You call that holding up?"
Takamura jeered from the sidelines. "I've seen paper bags take hits better than that!"
Next was Alex's turn. He squared up, bracing himself as Kamogawa delivered punch after punch to his abdomen. Despite his confident demeanor, Alex's face twisted in pain.
"Coach… are you… aiming for my organs?" Alex gasped between punches.
"No complaining!" Kamogawa barked. "You want to be pros, don't you?"
After an hour of relentless body conditioning, both Ippo and Alex slumped to the floor, drenched in sweat and gasping for air.
"This… this is hell," Alex muttered.
Ippo, lying beside him, nodded weakly. "At least… we're in it together."
Meanwhile, Himura was chatting with Aoki and Takamura in the corner of the gym. "Man, those two are something else. They've only been training for a few months, and they're already this strong. It's honestly scary. I'm just lucky I'm in the junior lightweight division."
Takamura smirked. "Yeah, they're monsters, alright. But speaking of divisions…" He turned to Aoki with a devilish grin. "Hey, isn't Alex in your weight class?"
Aoki froze mid-sip of his drink, his eyes wide with realization. "Wait... what?!"
Kimura, unable to resist, joined in. "Oh, yeah! You and Alex could totally end up fighting someday."
Aoki's face paled as the thought sank in. He stared at Alex, who was still sprawled on the floor, recovering from training. "No way… That kid's a machine! I'm screwed!"
Takamura doubled over, laughing uncontrollably. "Hahaha! You're already throwing in the towel, Aoki? And he hasn't even challenged you yet!"
Kimura chimed in, tears of laughter streaming down his face. "Hey, Aoki, maybe you can take some tips from Mashiba. Maybe a whip jab is your only hope!"
Aoki glared at them, his face a mix of indignation and despair. "You two are the worst!"
The gym echoed with laughter, easing the tension and reminding everyone that, even in the grueling world of boxing, there was always room for camaraderie and humor.