Isekai in Hajime no Ippo with Gaolang’s Template

Steam filled the gym's small shower room as Ippo wiped himself down with a towel. He let out a relieved sigh as he finished drying his hair.

"Luckily, I brought an extra change of clothes," he muttered to himself, slipping into a fresh shirt.

Meanwhile, on the gym floor, Alex and Takamura were in sync as they jumped rope, their movements fast and effortless. The rhythmic whip-whip of the ropes cutting through the air filled the space.

As he jumped, Takamura suddenly spoke.

"Hey, Ippo, where's Geromichi?"

Alex raised an eyebrow mid-jump. "Geromichi?"

"He's still in the shower," Ippo replied, slightly confused.

Alex furrowed his brow. "Who the hell is Geromichi?"

Ippo shook his head. "His name is Yamada Naomichi. It was on his entry form. Sixteen years old, sophomore, no sports history… Height, 166 cm… Weight, 66 kg. That's what it said."

Takamura snatched the form from Ippo's hands and scanned it, then burst into laughter.

"Pfft—his real name is Naomichi? 'Geromichi' sounds way better!" he grinned, his shoulders shaking with amusement.

Alex smiled slightly but didn't comment. Takamura and his stupid nicknames…

Kimura glanced over and chuckled. "No sports history, huh? He doesn't seem like the type to be athletic."

"A welterweight with that kind of build?" Takamura scoffed. "It's not like he's gonna last in boxing, so it doesn't matter."

Ippo frowned slightly. He recalled how eager Naomichi had been earlier. He looked so excited… but Takamura-san only cares about strong guys.

Meanwhile, Alex stood silently, his gaze lingering on Ippo as his mind drifted.

I feel like I've seen that fat guy before… but I can't remember where.

He sighed internally. Two years in this world have really made me forget a lot of things…

Just then, Aoki called out from near the lockers.

"Oi, Geromichi! I'm leaving your change of clothes here!"

The locker room door creaked open slightly, and Naomichi peeked out, still wrapped in a bath towel. "Ah! Thanks—"

But just as he reached for the clothes, his wallet slipped from the folds of his towel and hit the floor.

"A wallet?" Aoki bent down and picked it up. He turned it in his hands, inspecting it.

Naomichi's eyes widened in panic. "W-Wait! Give that back!" He lunged forward, but Aoki quickly yanked it away, smirking.

"What's the rush?" Aoki teased, keeping it just out of reach.

Takamura, Kimura, and Alex turned their heads toward the commotion.

"What's wrong?" Alex asked, tilting his head slightly.

Naomichi desperately tried to grab his wallet, but Aoki was having too much fun keeping it away.

A wicked smirk spread across Aoki's face. "Could it be… there's a girl inside?"

Takamura's grin widened. "Oh? A girl, huh?"

"Yeah, let's take a look," Kimura added, getting curious.

Naomichi turned pale. "N-No! Don't open it!"

Before he could react, Aoki flipped the wallet open.

Silence.

A strange, almost surreal quiet filled the gym.

Inside the wallet, neatly placed, was a photo of Ippo.

Alex blinked. Ippo's expression froze mid-step. Takamura, Kimura, and Aoki all stared at the picture, dumbfounded.

A heavy, awkward silence settled in before Takamura finally spoke, his voice laced with amusement.

"Aoki's room has a poster of Roberto Durán, right?"

Naomichi, red-faced, quickly nodded. "Y-Yeah! It's the same thing!"

Takamura nodded sagely. "So, Geromichi is an Ippo fan."

Kimura scratched his head. "I'm kinda jealous…"

Aoki smirked. "But earlier, I heard him say he was a fan of Alex, too."

Everyone turned to Alex at once.

Alex felt their stares burning into him and raised an eyebrow. "Don't look at me like that. I have a girlfriend."

Takamura's eyes narrowed. "Hoh? You never introduced her to us."

Aoki smirked mischievously and pointed at Alex. "I know who she is."

Alex immediately glared at Aoki, a faint twitch in his jaw. This bastard…

Before he could say anything, Coach Kamogawa's voice interrupted.

"Alex, stop wasting time. Go spar with Aoki."

Alex exhaled in relief, thankful for the distraction. "Yes, Coach."

Takamura leaned back and smirked. "Lucky bastard."

As Alex stepped into the ring, Naomichi looked at Ippo nervously, still clutching his wallet like it was his lifeline.

Ippo scratched his head, unsure how to react. "Uhh… thanks, I guess?"

Naomichi turned even redder and quickly stuffed his wallet back into his pocket.

Meanwhile, Alex cracked his knuckles, rolling his shoulders as he eyed Aoki. "Let's get this over with."

Aoki gulped. "Why does it feel like I just got set up…?"

Alex climbed into the ring, adjusting his gloves while Aoki stretched his arms. The gym was still buzzing with energy from the earlier commotion, but now, all eyes were on them.

"Put on your headgear," Alex said, tightening his wrist wraps.

"Sure," Aoki replied, pulling the protective gear over his head while Alex remained bareheaded.

The difference in confidence was obvious. Alex didn't feel the need for headgear—his defense was that solid.

The bell rang.

Aoki wasted no time, charging in aggressively. He threw a sharp right straight, followed immediately by a body hook.

Thwip!

Alex barely reacted, his movements fluid. He deflected the straight with his forearm, using his Philly Shell guard, then dropped his elbow down to block the body hook effortlessly. It was as if he had seen it coming before Aoki even threw the punches.

Coach Kamogawa's voice cut through the gym.

"Aoki! Your punches are too wide! You'll get countered easily!" The old man's sharp eyes then shifted to Alex. "And Alex… Don't go easy on him! Add some intensity! You're the champion—show Aoki what it really feels like to fight a champ!"

Alex gave a small nod, his expression neutral. "Yes, Coach."

His demeanor shifted in an instant. His footwork became sharper, his movements more precise. He reset his stance, rolling his shoulders before circling to Aoki's right, light on his feet.

Aoki gritted his teeth and lunged in again, determined to land something. He threw a feint, then a fast jab, trying to create an opening.

But Alex saw through it.

Flick!

A sharp flicker jab snapped Aoki's head back, followed by another. And another.

Aoki growled in frustration. He tried to slip past the flicker jabs, weaving his head as he closed the distance.

On the sidelines, Ippo and Naomichi watched intently.

"Wow…" Naomichi muttered. "Aoki's match is coming up soon, but he's still going hard in sparring."

"There's a lot more excitement seeing it up close, right?" Ippo replied, arms crossed. "A spar between a champion and a ranked contender… It's on a different level."

In the ring, Aoki finally managed to slip past one of Alex's flicker jabs, dipping low as he prepared to launch a counter.

But Alex was already a step ahead.

The moment Aoki slipped inside, Alex explodedwith an uppercut.

WHAM!

The punch landed flush under Aoki's chin, lifting him off his feet slightly before he dropped onto his backside with a heavy thud.

The gym went silent for a moment.

Coach Kamogawa immediately stepped onto the ring, raising a hand. "That's enough for today." He approached Alex, his expression serious.

"Alex, you should tone your power in your punches."

Alex sighed, rolling his shoulders. "I sincerely apologize, Aoki."

Aoki sat up, shaking his head as if trying to clear his vision. He let out a weak chuckle before getting to his feet.

"No worries… You really are a monster," he admitted, grinning as he extended a hand.

Alex smiled this time—an actual smile—and shook Aoki's hand firmly.