Isekai in Hajime no Ippo with Gaolang’s Template

A moment of silence lingered as Date sat on the canvas, blinking in shock from the impact of Alex's perfectly timed uppercut.

Then, with a grunt, he pushed himself up.

Coach Nakadai immediately stepped forward, concern evident in his aged eyes. "Are you okay? Can you continue?" he asked.

Date, breathing heavily, looked at his coach and gave a small nod. There was no hesitation.

He moved toward the center of the ring, where Alex was already waiting.

Without a word, they touched gloves again.

Alex initiated the next exchange immediately, throwing a jab to Date's chest.

—Thud!—

Date blocked it, his guard firm.

But Alex wasn't aiming for power—he was keeping Date guessing.

He jabbed the chest again, then a flicker jab to the head—light, fast, unpredictable.

Date focused on blocking every single one, his hands moving up and down. He knew that countering recklessly would be falling right into Alex's bait.

Alex saw through it.

He adjusted his approach.

Instead of a jab, Alex suddenly launched a right cross to the body!

Date's eyes flickered—he had been waiting for this.

He saw the movement of Alex's shoulder—it was slightly telegraphed!

From the sidelines, Ippo tensed. "This is bad…"

Naomichi glanced at him, confused. "What do you mean?"

Coach Kamogawa remained silent, eyes locked on the exchange.

On the other side, Coach Nakadai thought to himself: This is Date's chance.

In the ring, Date saw his opening.

Alex's chin was exposed mid-punch.

Without hesitation, Date launched his own left cross, aiming straight for Alex's unguarded jaw!

But in the fraction of a second before impact—

Alex suddenly shifted his weight backward and leaned his head away, making the punch miss by a hair's breadth.

At the same time, he pulled back his own punch, resetting the exchange.

Date's mind raced. His reflexes… they're like a cat's. He's so fast!

Alex fainted another right cross to the body, baiting Date into reacting again.

This time, Date didn't hesitate—he threw a looping left hook, aiming to catch Alex's chin as he leaned in.

But the moment Date committed—

Alex's grin widened.

In an instant, Alex stepped his right foot forward, switching his stance.

At the same time, he bent his upper body backward, almost parallel to the canvas—like a limbo dancer dodging a sword.

Then, from that impossible position—

—"SMASHHH!"—

Alex snapped forward, launching a devastating left uppercut!

The punch connected flush with Date's chin.

—CRACK!—

Date's head snapped backward violently, his mouthguard flying into the air.

His body followed the force, his back hitting the canvas with a sickening thud.

He lay there, his posture twisted awkwardly, resembling Snow White

 Coach Nakadai's face paled in panic."Date!" He immediately climbed into the ring, rushing to his unconscious fighter's side.

At ringside, Naomichi and Ippo froze in shock. The speed, the sequence—it was too fast for them to process.

Coach Kamogawa slowly climbed into the ring, his expression unreadable.

Then he turned to Alex.

"I told you to hold back your punches," Kamogawa said, his tone carrying quiet disapproval.

Alex, standing still, stared at his coach for a moment before replying, his voice calm and unwavering.

"I apologize."

Kamogawa didn't accept the apology.

"Don't apologize to me."

He pointed at Coach Nakadai, who was kneeling beside the unconscious Date.

Alex turned toward them.

Taking a deep breath, he bowed deeply.

"I apologize," he said, his tone respectful.

Coach Nakadai, still focused on Date, didn't respond immediately. Instead, he looked up briefly and said, "Help me here first."

Naomichi and Ippo snapped out of their daze. They quickly ran to grab a bucket of water.

Naomichi held it, while Ippo splashed the cold water onto Date's face.

—Splash!—

Date's body jolted slightly. His eyes fluttered open, unfocused at first.

The first thing he saw was his coach's concerned face.

Then, he saw Alex.

Finally, he saw Coach Kamogawa standing nearby.

Date groaned, blinking rapidly. "What… just happened?"

Coach Nakadai explained the sequence.

As the words sank in, Date let out a tired chuckle, rubbing his sore jaw. "I see…"

Alex, still bowing, said, "I'm deeply sorry. I didn't hold back."

Date glanced at him, then scratched the back of his head.

"Stuff happens," he muttered. "No need to worry about it."

His voice was casual, but there was a complicated glint in his eyes.

After checking on Date one last time, Alex, Ippo, Naomichi, and Kamogawa bid their farewells.

As they walked out of Nakadai Gym, none of them noticed the subtle expression on Alex's face.

A grin.

A grin that stretched from ear to ear.

Because the truth was—

He felt no remorse at all.

An eye for an eye.

A tooth for a tooth.

October 10, 1991

Months had passed since Alex's spar with Eiji Date. The seasons shifted, the air turning crisp with autumn's arrival. Training at the Kamogawa Gym remained as intense as ever, but today was a special day.

Inside the gym, the usual sounds of punches hitting the heavy bags and the rhythmic squeaking of sneakers against the canvas were replaced by the warmth of celebration.

At the center of the room, Alex Makunouchi stood holding a cake, a small smirk on his face as he watched Kimurafidget in mild embarrassment.

To Alex's right, Kimura's longtime friends, Takamura and Ippo, were clapping and singing, their voices slightly off-key but full of energy.

Even Coach Kamogawa and Coach Shinoda were clapping along, though Kamogawa's gruff expression made it clear he wasn't used to such events. Assistant Coach Yagi was also present, smiling as he joined in the celebration.

If anyone was wondering about Naomichi, he was no longer with them. A few weeks ago, his family had moved away, and he had bid farewell to the gym, leaving behind a sense of bittersweet nostalgia.

But today was a happy occasion.

Kimura's eyes flickered between the cake and the people around him, a rare moment of appreciation washing over him. He wasn't the sentimental type, but he couldn't help but feel touched.

Alex tilted the cake slightly toward him, the candles flickering under the dim gym lights. "Blow it out and make a wish," he instructed.

Kimura took a breath, then blew out the candles in one strong exhale. The flames disappeared, leaving behind only thin wisps of smoke.

Takamura leaned in with a mischievous grin. "So? What'd you wish for?"

Kimura smirked. "Secret."

Takamura clicked his tongue. "Lame."

Everyone chuckled at that.

As Kimura was about to put the cake down, Alex spoke again. "I have a gift for you."

Kimura raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess—new headgear?" He grinned as he held up a fresh pair of boxing gloves, a gift from Ippo.

Alex shook his head, his smirk widening. "Nope. Let's go outside."

Curious, everyone followed Alex out of the gym.

The autumn air was crisp, a light breeze rolling through the streets as the group stepped into the open space outside.

Right there, in the middle of the parking area, stood a massive, gift-wrapped box—nearly as tall as Kimura himself.

Kimura's eyes widened. "What the hell is this?"

Alex crossed his arms, nodding toward the box. "That's my gift. Open it up."

Kimura hesitated for a second, then reached forward, tearing through the wrapping paper and lifting the cardboard flaps.

As soon as he saw what was inside, his breath caught in his throat.

A 1990 Honda NSR250 racing motorcycle.

Sleek, powerful, and gleaming under the daylight—it was a dream machine, something Kimura had only fantasized about owning.

His mouth hung open in disbelief. "You're… you're kidding."

The others clapped, impressed and amused by Kimura's speechless reaction.

Kimura's hands trembled as he ran them along the body of the bike. The design, the details—it was perfect.

Then, without warning, tears welled up in his eyes.

He sniffled, then suddenly broke down into full-blown crying, tears and snot streaming down his face. "Th-thank you…! I—dammit, Alex, I don't even know what to say…"

He turned toward Alex, arms wide open, clearly about to hug him.

But before he could, Alex stiff-armed his forehead, keeping him at a distance. "Oi, don't you dare wipe your snot on me."

Kimura struggled against the resistance, still crying, while the others burst into laughter at the ridiculous scene.

It was a moment of pure camaraderie, one that none of them would forget.