A small step on Hajime no Ippo

Author notes: I can't make too many chapters, be happy because we're on vacation, but I am working full-time starting from Jan 6.

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June 12…

This Monday, as always, we helped the fishing business. This week, it was Akai's turn.

Some days, we went to the sea and helped the locals with fishing, cleaning, and putting the bait. This Monday was sea time, but we asked to move it to the next day.

We didn't want to be tired for the afternoon sparring.

I received a lot of bonuses helping with the business, and also put Ippo's mom at ease, my brother told me that the guys at the gym got better muscles with the workout in the evenings, also with some of the points I bought four more boards, I gave them to Kazeo.

My "Glove Points" right now are at 845.

I have completed more quests too.

Spar without getting punched more than 5 times.

017. Infight with an infighter.

018. Train ten days for two hours. (x2)

Right now the quests are at 26, and most of them are difficult to do, like:

Connect a counter to a counter specialist.

020. Don't get hit by the stick even once.

021. Speed is the key for the golden legs, dodge everything in a spar.

Items that I already used are:

Reward: x8 training blocking techniques for 10 minutes

Reward: x8 training close combinations for 5 minutes

Reward: x2 training all muscles for 2 hours

Reward: x2 Training Muscle for 10 minutes

Reward: x2 Training Calves for 1 hour

Reward: x8 training eye senses and punch speed for 1 hour

For my stats

WEIGHT: 69.6 → 67.8 Welterweight

STR 23 → 26

SPD 29 → 31

DEX 25 → 27

VIT 21 → 24

8 more Kg for my ideal body, I noticed that the muscles on my forearms and shoulders were growing, also I was losing my pudgy form.

Classes went by, and we talked with Umezawa, he was convinced to draw something, and I was trying to inform me about the manga in this world.

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[Kamogawa's Gym]

Coach received us "Go and warm up, kid you're first" he signaled to Ippo.

I wondered "Hey coach, I will fight with Ichiro too?"

The coach took his hat off and said, "No! You're with Kimura this time, also no headgear, consider this a match, he won't pull his punches, he needs to train for his match too"

I smiled "Yeah figures with a match, I have too much advantage with Ichiro right?"

Kamogawa laughed "You're wrong, you need more speed to fight even with him"

My smile disappeared "Why Ippo then? I have won over him more matches"

Kamogawa hit me with his cane "Idiot! That doesn't matter, right now you have no boxing style, the kid has an infighter soul, and Miyata is an outboxer specialist, what about you? You mix stuff and change whenever you want, casually forgetting I forbid you to do it"

I fumed but deeply acknowledged what he said.

Kamogawa grunted and turned his head. "Let's see the match. Do you want to stay with me as the kid second, or do you want to stay with Ichiro?"

"I want to go with Ippo, please," I started to walk towards the corner.

Ippo was punching the air, trying to calm himself down.

I was about to say something when I heard a greeting from the door.

Fujii was walking with his photographer "Hey kids I'm back, coach thanks for inviting me"

I looked at the coach and he blushed, Takamura exclaimed while holding the coach "Are you turning soft old man, these guys are still in his diapers and you want to record this?"

"Hmph" the coach came to the corner with me.

"Hey Sora, did you receive the magazine?" Fujii said while taking his notebook out.

"What magazine? I don't have that?"

Fujii looked to the coach and smiled, "Ask your trainer, I believe he doesn't want fame to go to your head, but I am not your trainer, that quote made a lot of noise in the sports community, I presume that at least we will have a 30% increase in people joining sports and not give up their dreams"

I was amazed by that "Did you put my name?"

Fujii closed one eye "Your pen name is "Sky" using English words, I want your friends to know it's you, but not yet to people know about you"

I nodded my head "Thanks Fujii-san"

He clapped his hands "Now I believe I came to see a fight"

Everyone chuckled at that.

I mumbled "I wonder if this is the dream match that could never be replicated in the pro ring"

Without me noticing Fujii looked at me and wrote that in his notebook.

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Ippo's POV

'This feels different, I already spar with him, but this… this isn't good my heart's gonna leap out of my mouth, I can barely stand, Mom told me to…' my thoughts were interrupted by Sora.

He clapped my back and smiled "Ippo are you nervous?" I nodded, and he continued "It's ok to be nervous, no one can stop that feeling, it's going to torment you always, but you know? Only the true challenger can overcome that feeling and turn it into an opportunity." I opened my eyes and looked at his smiling face.

He then turned serious and said "Make a mistake with double the effort" he made a fist and punched my glove.

The coach approached and smiled "The kid is good with words, you seem relaxed, what he said is true, it's ok to make mistakes, but never falter, and you have the spirit and the drive to win"

Takamura shouted "Seconds Out"

And the bell rang.

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Ichiro's POV

I looked at him, he was so nervous, but I knew deep inside, that he would come and fight me will all he had, I couldn't pull my punches.

Dad came near "Ichiro, in the first round I forbid to use the jolt, it's not ready for this"

I didn't look at him "I know, but still, I will use it if the timing is good"

Dad smiled "Be careful, and be strong"

"As always father" I look at Ippo and put my mouth guard.

Takamura shouted "Seconds Out"

And the bell rang.

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First round

Ippo dashed at the sound of the gong, he made a barrage of lefts with one-two's but Ichiro danced through all the punches.

Left, Left, Left, Right, Left, Right, Hook, Upper, Left, Ippo was doing his best with all the combinations that he worked out, but Ichiro was faster, his eyes coordinated every movement in Ippo's shoulder… His legs were better.

'He should slow down right now' Ichiro smiled

Ippo gritted his teeth 'Not even close' he grunted.

Left, Left, Left, Right, Left, Left, Left. Ippo didn't slow down and quietly he pushed Ichiro into a corner.

Ichiro dodged every punch and blocked two jabs redirecting them out of his body.

The other people watching the match were amazed, they had never seen this kind of fight from them in the last spars.

Fujii stopped writing and looked directly at their fight.

Ichiro was pushed into a corner, Ippo used this time to inhale some air and pumped his fist, and he slowly approached and widened his legs, preparing to punch Ichiro into the corner.

Ichiro looked to the corner and then to his opponent. 'This bastard, he's reading my movements, and pushed me here, but I won't let him continue'

Ippo made a short dash and punched with his left three times, he made Ichiro turn to the right and in that moment he unleashed his right with all his strength.

BAM!!!!

It connected, his face flew to the back, and his knees buckled down, Ippo opened his mouth and his mind went blank for a second there.

Ichiro smiled with his left counter, he predicted the right after the third left, Ippo made the mistake of having a good rhythm, but he didn't go down yet, Ichiro prepared his right to throw him to the canvas.

The right came at light speed and touched the face of Ippo, but at the same time, Ippo threw his right and smacked Ichiro on the shoulder, making him lose the force of his punch.

Ippo held his guard and instead of a back step, he threw a hook to the side of Ichiro's face.

Ichiro ducked and made a liver punch, but Ippo sidestepped and threw a second hook with his left but this time to the body, Ichiro couldn't dodge and blocked the punch, using the force to jump to the side and escape the corner.

Ippo was hurting by the counter, but he looked at Ichiro with determination, and with his guard up he dashed into the zone of Ichiro, Ippo went with his combination.

Left, Left, Left, Right, Ichiro smiled 'Idiot, using the same with me'. Ichiro once again predicted the right and did a left counter, his punch sounded in the face of Ippo, but his face didn't fly back.

'Damn,' Ichiro thought BAM! BAM! Before a left and a right made his way into his face.

"DO-DOWN" Takamura shouted and he jumped between the two, "Go to your corner"

'I hit, I got my first down' Ippo was smiling in the corner.

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Sora was smiling like a kid on Christmas "Now this is the Dream Match"

Author notes:

I believe theboxer and Daoist are the same guy XD.

But thanks again, even if I believe you guys are a little rude I am pumped to keep writing!

Happy NEW YEAR!!!!

2025 is going to be better for us!

Btw I didn't re-read the chapter if there is a mistake please point it out!