February 24thKamogawa Gym – Tokyo, Japan
"One, two, three, four!"Sweat dripped onto the wooden floor.
Alex sat on the floor, watching Ippo hanging upside down from a pull-up bar.
"Ten more," Alex said coolly.
Ippo's face was flushed red, but he gritted his teeth and kept going. Nearby, Kimura was pounding the heavy bag.
Alex glanced at him. "Why are you here? Didn't you follow Coach and Takamura?"
Kimura stopped, looked left and right with a fake innocent expression.
Alex raised an eyebrow. "There's only three of us here."
Thud!Ippo dropped down onto the mat with a grunt.
Kimura smiled. "As you can see, I didn't follow them. I'm focused on my upcoming fight."
Ippo sat beside Alex, sweat pouring down his body like a waterfall.
"Move," Alex said, pushing Ippo away. "You need a shower."
"Later, later," Ippo muttered, scratching the back of his head. He turned to Kimura. "Where's Aoki?"
Sigh.Kimura sat down next to Alex. "After that fight, Aoki's finally financially set for life."
Ippo's eyes widened. "Seriously?!"
Alex didn't look surprised.
Kimura continued, "I heard he bought a new house, a new car, and even expanded his ramen shop."
He covered his face with one hand, pretending to be dramatic. "Being on Alex's fight card must've felt pretty damn good."
Then he peeked at Alex from the side of his fingers.
Alex ignored him.
"Good for him," he said flatly.
"Hey, hey, focus!" Ippo waved his hands. Kimura dropped the act and listened.
"So how much did Aoki earn?" Ippo asked.
Kimura scratched his chin, then nodded. "I heard around 1 billion yen."
Ippo's jaw dropped. "That's like... 10 million dollars?! That's world champion money! I've heard some champs earn less!"
Kimura shrugged, spreading his hands. "The Tokyo Dome was almost packed. Pay-per-view sales were massive worldwide."Then he coughed. "Ahem ahem."
He gave Alex another side-eye.
Still calm and composed, Alex sighed. "Don't look at me. Tell that to Yagi-san. I'm not the one arranging these things."
Laughter echoed through a forest.
"Hahaha! Alex, I'm gonna get you!"
A tall, muscular man with black hair ran after a giggling little boy named Alex.
When he caught him, he started tickling him mercilessly.More laughter. More joy.
Then he lifted Alex and tossed him into the air. "You like that, huh?"
The boy's smile stretched wide, his small face glowing with happiness.
A voice called out from the distance. "Come on, it's time to eat!"
Both turned toward the sound.
A blonde woman stood nearby, wearing an apron and smiling warmly.
The man gently put Alex down and rubbed his belly. "We're coming."
He reached down, took Alex's tiny hand, and they walked together toward the woman
In the middle of the night, the room was dimly lit by a bedside lamp.
Huff... huff... huff...Heavy breathing echoed in the quiet space.
Alex sat on the edge of the bed, clutching his chest, drenched in cold sweat.
Mari stirred, her eyes slowly opening. When she saw Alex's posture, she sat up in alarm and wrapped her arms around him from behind.
"What's wrong?" she asked softly.
Alex inhaled deeply, then exhaled, trying to calm his heartbeat.
"It's nothing... just a nightmare."
Mari held him tighter. Alex eventually turned and embraced her back. Both of them lay down once more, eyes closed—but Alex's thoughts were far from still.
Why now?I've been here for years... why did that dream suddenly come back?Is it guilt—for not visiting them all this time?Or is it a sign?
I need answers.
The Next MorningFebruary 25th
Sunlight streamed through the windows, birds chirping in the sky.Alex knelt down in the living room, fixing Yu's uniform collar with care.
"Remember," he said, looking up at Yu, "you need to smile more. It helps make a good impression on your classmates."
Yu tilted his head slightly, forcing an awkward smile.
Alex stood up and gently patted his head. "That's better."
Footsteps echoed from the hallway.
"You forgot this," Hiroko said, walking in wearing an apron. "I packed his lunch—and put in a little pocket money, too."
She handed over Yu's backpack. Alex took it and placed it over Yu's small shoulders.
"What a cute child," Hiroko smiled warmly.
The front door creaked open. A man in his thirties, wearing a suit, stepped in. Yu ran up to him and took his hand.
"Drive safely," Hiroko waved. The man bowed politely, then walked off with Yu.
After watching them leave, Alex turned and walked toward the glass cabinet in the corner of the room. He picked up his car keys but paused, staring at the contents inside the cabinet.
Two JBC championship belts sat on the shelf—one with Ippo's name, the other his own. Above them were three gleaming world titles: WBC, WBA, and WBO.
Behind him, Hiroko watched in silence with a soft smile before heading back to the kitchen.
Alex blinked out of his daze, then headed to the garage and opened the door of his Ferrari F40.
Later That Day
Vroom.The sound of the engine echoed softly in the calm of the cemetery.
Alex parked off to the side, stepped out, and opened the trunk. He pulled out a white flower bouquet and walked slowly toward two tombstones.
Engraved on the stone were the names:
Jin MakunouchiIrina Makunouchi
Alex knelt down, placing the flowers gently before the tombstones. Then he sat cross-legged on the grass.
"Mom… Dad… "How are you?"
His voice trembled slightly.
"Sorry I don't visit as often as I should… but I hope you're proud of me now."
Tears welled up in his eyes.
"You have a grandson now. I have a girlfriend. We're stable. Aunt Hiroko and Ippo are doing really great."He smiled faintly through the tears."Me and Ippo... we both became boxers. And now the whole country's proud of us."
The tears spilled down, dripping onto the grass.
Alex looked at the tombstones as his mind wandered.
Why… why am I crying like this? Why do I feel this way?
In my past life, I was in my thirties. I thought I had full control over my emotions…
So why does this hurt?
Why does it feel good, too?
He closed his eyes.Images of Ippo, Aunt Hiroko, Mari, and Yu danced through his mind.
A genuine, wide smile slowly crept onto his face.
Then he opened his eyes, wiped his tears, and took a deep breath.
"Mom, Dad... I hope you're happy—wherever you are."