Note: were back
Stars flickered in the quiet night sky. A man with a distinct jawline floated calmly in a pool, staring up at the stars.
"What a peaceful night... I hope more nights like this come."
Suddenly—
Creak.
The door swung open. A fat man with a thick mustache stumbled in, panting hard.
"Huff... Huff... Julio! Julio!" he called out in Spanish.
Julio, still floating in the water without even glancing up, replied calmly, "What is it, Miguel?"
Miguel wiped the sweat off his forehead, breathing heavily.
"Alex won... and he's demanding a superfight against you."
Splash.
A wave of water hit Miguel's feet.
"Man! These are my new shoes, Julio!"
Julio didn't move. His eyes were locked on Miguel now,His brows furrowed.
"What did you say earlier?" he asked, loudly.
Miguel blinked, confused, then sighed and said again, "Man, these are my new—"
"Not that one!" Julio yelled, cutting him off.
Miguel stammered for a moment, then finally mustered the courage.
"Alex won… and he's calling you out."
Julio rose from the pool, water dripping from his body and shorts. He walked past Miguel, paused at the doorway, then turned his head slightly.
"Tell the media I have an upcoming fight. I cannot accept Alex's request."
Miguel's eyes widened. "But… I've never heard of you having a scheduled fight?"
Julio put his hand over his face and shouted, "I have now! Think, Miguel! Think!"
He stared at his hands.
"I'm not ready to face Alex. Everything's perfect—I'm at the peak of my career. I don't want to ruin it by fighting a monster like him."
Miguel opened his mouth to say something, but before he could—
"Don't even say what you wanna say."
Julio walked out, leaving Miguel speechless.
"I won't change my mind... at least, not for now."
Tokyo, Japan
Laughter echoed through a quiet garden.
A small child giggled as he was tossed gently into the air.
"Do you like that, huh?"
Mari caught little Yu as he fell back into her arms, setting him down carefully. Yu laughed again, then ran toward the house, disappearing inside.
Alex sat quietly on a bench nearby, watching the scene with a soft smile. He leaned back and stretched out across the bench.
"You've been busy lately," he murmured. "We haven't had time to spend together."
Mari walked over to him, a gentle smile on her face.
"I've been interviewing fighters in different countries," she said as she moved behind the bench and massaged his shoulders.
Alex let out a small exhale and relaxed, closing his eyes.
"Tell me about your travels," he said.
Mari's fingers worked gently on his shoulders.
"Where do I even begin… hmm…" she thought aloud. "I went to South Korea and interviewed this guy with golden hair and golden eyes. He had such a sunny smile, but he's incredibly durable. He fights in the middleweight class."
Alex, eyes still closed, muttered softly, "J?"
Mari paused. Her hands stopped.
"Wait… how did you know his name?"
Alex sat up slowly and looked her in the eyes.
"I've just... heard of him."
Inside a wide and spacious gym—
Thud!
A muscular man crashed onto the canvas. Standing over him was a tall, fair-skinned figure with turquoise eyes and blue pupils. His long, straight black hair fell down his back like a curtain. His face was stoic—void of any emotion.
The gym door creaked open. A man with blond hair and a sharp, pointy mustache stepped inside, holding a paper.
"Jean, we have news."
Jean-Pierre Manuel turned his head slightly toward him, then silently pointed at the unconscious man lying on the canvas.
The rest of the boxers in the gym understood. Without a word, they moved quickly, lifting the fallen man off the floor and carrying him away.
The blond man approached Jean, holding out the paper. But Jean didn't take it. Instead, he calmly stepped out of the ring and sat down on a nearby bench.
The blond man cleared his throat and began reading aloud:
"April 2nd—Miguel Ángel González is looking to defend his IBF Lightweight Title against the number three contender… Jean-Pierre Manuel."
He smiled.
"This is good news for you."
But Jean didn't smile. His eyes remained cold.
"Why? Am I not fighting Alex?"
The blond man hesitated. Then he let out a sigh.
"I heard that Alex is moving up to junior welterweight… to chase Julio. Even though Julio's manager already announced that Julio has an upcoming fight against someone else."
He tried to stay optimistic.
"But this? This is still good for us."
For a moment, Jean's face finally showed emotion—but not joy. His brows furrowed tightly.
"I need to fight Alex..." he muttered under his breath.
"I need to seak perfection."