Chapter 89: Clash of Paths

April 20, 1991 - Korakuen HallThe atmosphere inside Korakuen Hall was electric. The crowd's cheers echoed through the corridors as fighters prepared for battle in their respective locker rooms. It was fight night once again, and this time, Aoki and Kimura were on the card.

Backstage, Alex and Ippo stood together, accompanied by Naomichi, who fidgeted nervously beside them. The three of them made their way toward the locker room where Aoki and Kimura were getting ready. When Alex pushed the door open, they were greeted by the sight of Aoki and Kimura shadowboxing, throwing loose punches in front of the mirror.

Aoki turned his head, noticing Alex at the door. "Yo! I thought you were already in your front-row seat!" he said, slightly out of breath.

Alex smirked and pointed at Ippo.

Ippo, in turn, pointed at Naomichi. "He wanted to wish you good luck," he explained. Then he turned to Naomichi and urged, "Come on, say it."

Naomichi blushed, clearly embarrassed. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Aoki rolled his eyes, shaking his head in frustration. "Come on, guys! Get outta here already!" His expression was a mix of irritation and amusement, shooing them away dramatically.

As they exited the room, Alex glanced at Naomichi and said, "You gotta be more straightforward sometimes. Aoki's just a tsundere."

Ippo and Naomichi blinked in confusion. "Tsundere?" they echoed in unison, tilting their heads.

Alex chuckled and waved his hand dismissively. "Never mind."

As they continued walking down the hall, the energy of the arena was palpable. Fighters, trainers, and staff moved busily, preparing for the night ahead. The scent of sweat, leather, and the faint metallic tang of blood from previous fights filled the air.

Just then, a familiar voice called out.

"Yo, Ippo!"

They turned to see Minoru Fuji, a respected boxing reporter, approaching them. Beside him stood a man dressed sharply in a black suit, his hands casually tucked in his pockets. His aura was commanding, and his presence alone demanded attention.

Ippo's eyes widened in recognition. "Fuji-san!"

Fuji grinned. "How are you, Ippo? And you, Alex? You're just in time. I wanted to introduce you to someone."

Before Fuji could continue, the suited man spoke first, his voice calm yet firm. "I don't need an introduction." His sharp gaze shifted to Ippo.

"How's your right fist?"

Ippo stiffened, his posture tensing. He stared at the man, recognizing him immediately.

Alex narrowed his eyes and stepped forward slightly. "Why do you care?"

The man turned his gaze to Alex, finally revealing himself.

Eiji Date.

Japan's featherweight champion .

"There's no way I wouldn't check," Date said plainly. "After all, he's in my weight class."

Fuji chuckled awkwardly. "Ippo-kun, this is—"

"I know," Ippo interrupted. His voice was quieter than usual. "You're always in the magazines... I've seen your fights, too."

As he spoke, he lowered his head slightly, clearly feeling the weight of Date's presence.

Alex, noticing this, placed a firm hand on Ippo's shoulder. "Calm down, Ippo."

Ippo took a deep breath and steadied himself.

Date then extended his hand toward Alex. "Nice to meet you, Alex."

Alex took the handshake, smiling slightly. "Yeah, nice to meet you too. I heard you're pretty dominant in your division."

Date raised an eyebrow, a subtle question forming in his expression.

Alex's smirk widened slightly. "How about you move up in weight so you can be my second title defense?"

The air between them grew tense.

Fuji quickly stepped between them, laughing nervously. "Alright, alright, let's not start anything here!" He patted both men on the shoulders. "Save the fight talk for another day, yeah?"

As the tension between Alex and Eiji Date eased, a familiar presence entered the hallway.

"Oi, Date! You picking fights with my boys?"

Everyone turned to see Takamura, standing with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face.

Date scoffed. "As if. I was just checking on a potential future opponent."

Alex, Ippo, and Naomichi looked between them, sensing an unusual familiarity.

"You guys know each other?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow.

Takamura smirked and slapped Date on the back. "Of course! Me and Date go way back."

Date sighed. "Don't remind me."

Ippo and Naomichi were surprised to learn that Takamura and Date were close friends, though the way they interacted made it clear they had a history of mutual respect and rivalry.

Fuji chuckled. "These two were always causing trouble back in the day. But enough about that—shouldn't we be watching the fights?"

Alex nodded, realizing that Kimura's match was about to start.

Ten minutes later, Alex, Ippo, and Naomichi sat in the front row, the energy of the crowd buzzing around them.

Kimura stepped into the ring, facing a tough opponent. From the opening bell, it was clear this would be a hard-fought battle. The rounds were closely contested, with both fighters exchanging sharp counters and body blows.

By the final round, Kimura's persistence paid off, and after a grueling back-and-forth war, he won by decision.

As the referee raised Kimura's hand, the crowd cheered.

"That was close," Alex muttered, crossing his arms.

"He really pushed through," Ippo said, impressed by Kimura's endurance.

Naomichi nodded silently, absorbing the intensity of the fight.

Another ten minutes later, it was Aoki's turn.

Coach Shinoda stood in Aoki's corner, giving final instructions before placing the mouthguard in his fighter's mouth.

The match was brutal. Aoki's unorthodox style made it difficult for his opponent to land clean hits, but he still took plenty of damage. As the rounds progressed, he absorbed a dangerous amount of punishment.

However, in Round 7, Aoki found an opening.

Using his signature awkward movements, he baited his opponent into a reckless exchange—then countered with a sudden, unexpected strike that sent the opponent crashing to the canvas.

Knockout!

The crowd erupted as Aoki stood over his fallen opponent, breathing heavily but grinning from ear to ear.

When Takamura's fight arrived, the atmosphere changed. Unlike the others, he exuded an overwhelming aura of confidence.

His opponent barely lasted.

By Round 3, Takamura landed a devastating right hand that ended the match.

The knockout was so brutal that the audience gasped before breaking into wild applause.

The commentators called it out immediately:

"KAMOGAWA GYM - THREE CONSECUTIVE WINS!"

Alex grinned. "Expected."

Ippo laughed. "Takamura-san never holds back."

Naomichi, however, remained silent, his eyes fixated on the ring.

After the fights, the group walked through the Tokyo streets, their spirits high from the gym's clean sweep.

Aoki grinned smugly. "Ippo! Did you see my comeback KO?"

Alex, walking beside them, lazily picked his ear. "Lucky punch."

Aoki's grin didn't fade. "Oh? You sound nervous, Alex. You feeling threatened?"

Alex smirked. "Even if you, Ippo, and Kimura jumped in the ring together—and you brought Takamura too—I'd still knock all four of you out on the same night."

Aoki gasped in mock offense. "This kid! Hey, Ippo, back me up here!"

Ippo just chuckled. "That's a bit much, Alex."

As their argument continued, Aoki turned to Naomichi, who had been quiet the entire time.

"Oi, Geromichi! Wasn't my fight awesome?"

Naomichi didn't respond. His face looked deep in thought, his hands clenched slightly.

Aoki frowned and glanced at Ippo. "What's with him?"

Ippo scratched the back of his head. "He said that last match really stunned him."

Aoki paused, then nodded. "I see…"

Naomichi remained silent, still processing everything he had seen tonight.

As they neared the gym, Coach Kamogawa finally spoke.

"This was a good win for you guys," he said, his tone serious. "But it only gets harsher from here."

Kimura clenched his fists. "Four more fights… then I can challenge for the belt."

Aoki, motivated, grinned. "Me too!"

Everyone stopped and stared at Aoki.

Then, in unison, they all said, "Yeah, that won't happen as long as Alex is the champ."

A moment of silence.

Then they all burst into laughter.

Note: i will take a 7day break maybe less time because of things, yeah maybe im dropping the novel too.