Chapter 126 –Zoo

November 25th – Sydney, Australia

A month had passed, and now inside the penthouse, a warm celebration was underway.

A young boy stood in the center of the room, holding a birthday cake carefully with both hands, his voice singing Happy Birthday in a slightly awkward but sincere tone.

"Yu, hold it steady," Alex reminded him gently.

This boy was Yu—but he no longer looked malnourished. His body had filled out, and he was now perfectly healthy. More importantly, he could understand Japanese fluently.

As the song ended, Yu straightened his posture and offered a small, somewhat awkward smile.

Ippo, standing to the side with a 1992 camera in his hands, adjusted the lens while Aoki, peering over his shoulder, let out a chuckle.

"Haha! Look at Yu trying his best to smile."

Kimura smirked. "At least he tried, even if he's not comfortable doing it."

Takamura, arms crossed, nodded in approval. "He's a good kid. Living with him for a month has been an eye-opener. I used to think kids did nothing but whine and cry, but Yu is different. He's mature for his age."

Seated on the sofa, Coach Kamogawa observed the boy holding the cake with the number 20 candle on top.

"This child is a fast learner," Kamogawa noted. "To think he's only eight years old..."

Beside him, Yagi added, "He looks eight, but sometimes he acts way more mature. A normal kid doesn't behave like that. He must have gone through a lot before."

Coach Shinoda, standing near them, shook his head. "Let's not mention his past anymore. What's important is that he's happy now—with Alex as his dad."

Alex turned to Yu and pointed toward Ippo. "Yu, say cheese to the camera!"

"Cheese!" Yu said.

Click!

The camera shutter snapped as Ippo captured the moment. Alex then leaned forward and blew out the candle. After a brief pause, he relit it and turned to Ippo.

"Alright, Ippo—it's your turn."

Ippo did the same, and as soon as the candle was extinguished, the entire group clapped and cheered:

"Happy 20th birthday, Alex and Ippo!"

Yu followed suit, his voice soft but sincere. "Happy birthday."

Alex smiled, and so did Ippo.

Alex took the cake from Yu's hands and placed it on the table before suddenly scooping up Yu and tossing him playfully into the air.

"Happy birthday to me!" Alex grinned as he continued tossing Yu upward.

Yu let out a rare, genuine laugh as he enjoyed the moment.

Takamura leaned back, watching with amusement. "It's a relief to see Yu smiling now. A month ago, he barely showed any emotion."

Kimura nodded. "Yeah… back then, he was completely expressionless. His eyes looked lifeless."

Hearing this, Alex caught Yu midair and gently placed him down. He turned to Kimura, his expression serious.

"Stop talking about the past," Alex said, ruffling Yu's hair. "He's happy now."

Kimura looked at the boy and, after a moment of hesitation, walked over and ruffled his hair as well.

"Yeah… sorry about that, kid."

Yu didn't seem bothered and simply smiled—awkward as always—before walking toward the table where the cake was.

Alex clapped his hands together. "Alright, after this, let's visit the zoo and the aquarium!"

Takamura smirked. "We'll see a real silverback gorilla there. I remember you boasting before that one day you could beat an adult silverback."

Ippo, slicing the cake and placing pieces onto plates, glanced up. "I've never seen one before. Are they really that scary?"

Kimura burst out laughing. "Haven't you already seen Takamura?"

Aoki laughed loudly, while Coach Kamogawa, grabbing some plates from the kitchen, simply shook his head.

Yagi, watching Ippo hand Yu a slice of cake, smiled before noticing Coach Shinoda poking Yu's cheeks.

"If you eat like that, Yu, you're going to get chubby," Shinoda teased as Yu happily stuffed his face with cake.

Yu ignored him and continued eating enthusiastically.

Yagi chuckled. "That kid really is a genius."

Just then, Kamogawa returned with his plate, overhearing the conversation. "Tell me about it. I was shocked, too."

He took a seat and continued, "A week ago, back in Korea, Alex was doing shadowboxing and drills in the gym we rented. Yu just watched for a few moments—and then, out of nowhere, he started mimicking Alex's flicker jab, stance, and punching form almost perfectly."

Shinoda whistled. "If this kid ever decides to step into the ring in the future…"

He crossed his arms and shook his head with a grin.

"Then it's all over for the boxing world. I have a feeling Yu will dominate it."

An Hour Later – Inside the Zoo

Alex stood near an enclosure, holding a video camera as he filmed Yu petting a lion. The zoo keeper beside the child kept a close eye on the majestic beast, but Yu remained calm, his small hands carefully stroking the lion's thick mane.

Despite how serious the child's expression was, Alex couldn't help but find it funny. Yu looked like he was analyzing the lion as if it were an opponent in the ring.

Standing next to Alex, Aoki glanced around nervously.

"Did they get lost?" Aoki asked.

Without looking away from the camera, Alex responded, "I heard four of them went to the aquarium."

Aoki nodded. "What about Kimura and Takamura?"

Alex shrugged. "No idea. Probably checking out the silverback gorilla."

Aoki sighed. "Then I'll go look for them."

Before Aoki could walk off, Alex lowered his camera, putting it away.

"Wait," Alex said before turning toward Yu. "Yu, come here."

Yu, having just finished petting the lion, walked toward Alex.

"This place is really crowded, so hold my arm. You might get lost," Alex instructed.

Without hesitation, Yu held onto Alex's hand.

Satisfied, Alex looked at Aoki. "Let's find them together."

10 Minutes LaterThey soon found Kimura and Takamura, both standing in front of a large glass window that revealed the adult silverback gorilla inside. The massive creature sat with its family, some of the smaller gorillas running around playfully.

Waving his right hand while still holding onto Yu's little hand with his left, Alex called out, "Takamura!"

Kimura and Takamura turned toward the familiar voice, spotting Alex, Yu, and Aoki approaching them.

Kimura smirked. "How were the lions? Did you get a picture?"

Alex tapped the camera slung over his shoulder. "I got plenty."

Takamura, grinning, nudged Aoki. "Aoki, look over there."

Aoki turned toward the gorilla enclosure just as Takamura pointed dramatically at the silverback and its family.

"Your real family is right there waiting for you," Takamura teased.

Aoki rolled his eyes and smirked. "Jokes on you! You look more like a silverback gorilla than I do!"

The two immediately started bickering, exchanging insults about who resembled the gorilla more.

Meanwhile, Alex let go of Yu's hand, allowing the child to walk toward the glass, his eyes widening as he watched the massive gorillas in action. Some were running, others climbing, and the dominant silverback sat unmoved, observing everything around it with an air of authority.

Alex, however, turned away and walked toward a zoo keeper standing nearby, keeping watch over the crowd. The moment the zoo keeper noticed Alex approaching, he straightened up and spoke in English.

"Sir, how may I help you?"

Alex stopped a step away from him and spoke in a low voice.

"Can we talk privately?"

The zoo keeper raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "No, sir, but if you don't want anyone to listen, you can write it down on paper."

He glanced around cautiously before continuing, "That would be safer."

Alex nodded. "Do you have one?"

The zoo keeper reached into his pocket, pulling out a pen and checking his other pocket before producing a small tissue. He handed them both to Alex.

Taking the pen and tissue, Alex quickly scribbled something down before handing it back.

The zoo keeper unfolded the tissue and read the words:

"Can I fight the silverback? I'm willing to pay $100,000."

For a moment, the man simply stared at Alex intensely before shaking his head.

"I cannot allow that, sir," he said firmly, handing back the tissue.

But then, his voice dropped to a whisper.

"...However, if you're serious, I can recommend a friend in the black market who can set up a fight for you."