NOVEL NEXT Chapter 125: Chapter 125: P4P No2
Bonus chapter
Thirty minutes later, Alex stood in the penthouse living room, now dressed in a sharp green suit. His eyes scanned the room until he spotted Yu sitting quietly on the sofa, watching cartoons. The boy's face remained emotionless, his small frame almost blending into the cushions.
Alex approached him and said, "Yu, wait here for a while. After I finish my photoshoot, I'll come back for you, and we'll go buy you some clothes."
Yu didn't respond. His gaze remained fixed on the television, his expression unreadable. Without a word, he stood up and walked out of the living room, heading toward Yagi's room.
Moments later, Yagi emerged from his room, adjusting the collar of his black suit. "I'm ready," he said.
Twenty Minutes Later Inside a prestigious Korean bank, Alex shook hands with a representative from Sports Illustrated while Yagi discussed the photoshoot details with the director.
"The set is ready," the director announced, turning to Alex.
Alex followed him, still adjusting to the atmosphere of the shoot. "What will I do?" he asked.
The director pointed toward a large closed vault. "Wait a minute."
A security guard stepped forward, unlocking the vault with a heavy click. As the doors opened, Alex saw stacks of neatly arranged money inside—bundles upon bundles of U.S. dollars.
He raised an eyebrow. "Dollars? Aren't we in Korea? Why not use Korean won?"
The Sports Illustrated manager, speaking in English, replied, "There will be Korean currency later. The dollars are just for this shot."
Alex nodded. "Got it."
The guards began moving the stacks of money, placing them in the center of the room like a backdrop. Once everything was set, the director handed Alex a bundle of cash.
"Stand behind the money and spread this toward the camera," he instructed.
Alex smirked and did as he was told. The cameras clicked rapidly, capturing his composed yet commanding presence.
Ten Minutes LaterAfter wrapping up, the Korean manager shook Alex's hand. "Once we've finished editing, we'll send it to you. The magazine issue will be released next week."
Alex nodded. "No problem. Thanks for having us."
With the business concluded, Alex and Yagi left the bank, stepping into a waiting black Ford SUV.
The driver, a Korean man who also spoke Japanese, turned around. "Where to next?"
Yagi adjusted his glasses. "Back to the penthouse first."
The driver nodded and pulled onto the road.
Ten Minutes LaterAs Alex walked into the living room, he saw Yu still seated on the sofa, watching TV. But this time, he wasn't alone. Kimura was sitting beside him, eyes fixed on the screen as well.
Kimura turned when he heard Alex enter. "Oh, you're back." Then, with a thoughtful expression, he added, "I think I figured out why this kid hasn't been talking to us."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
Kimura leaned forward slightly. "Because he doesn't understand Japanese. We've been speaking to him in Japanese this whole time, and he just stares blankly. At first, I thought maybe it was some kind of past trauma, but then I noticed something…"
He gestured toward the television. "When he watches Korean cartoons, he understands them perfectly."
Alex frowned. "That's weird. I feel like yesterday, he understood me just fine, even when I spoke Japanese."
Curious, Alex walked over to Yu and gently ruffled his neatly combed hair.
At that moment, Aoki emerged from the kitchen, munching on a banana. He scowled. "Hey, I just combed his hair!"
Alex smirked. "Don't worry. I'm taking this kid for a haircut anyway. And I'm buying him some clothes."
Kimura grinned. "Mind if we tag along?" He pointed at himself and Aoki.
Alex shrugged. "Sure."
Extending his hand toward Yu, Alex waited. The boy hesitated for a moment before putting down the remote and taking Alex's hand.
Twenty Minutes Later Inside a high-end Nike store, the manager personally welcomed Alex. Posters of him, wearing the Makunouchi Dynasty boxing shoes, were displayed throughout the store.
While Aoki and Kimura browsed, Alex walked up to the store manager, still holding Yu's small hand. Speaking in Korean, he said, "I want to buy some clothes for my son."
The manager, glancing at Yu, nodded. "We have children's clothing over here."
Alex was shown various shirts, pants, and shoes. He picked out multiple outfits, making sure Yu had everything he needed. Meanwhile, Aoki and Kimura also bought new shirts and shoes for themselves.
As they finished up, Aoki—now carrying most of the shopping bags—groaned. "Where are we heading now?"
Alex smirked. "The barber shop."
Twenty Minutes Later Yu sat still as the barber trimmed his hair. His messy, unkempt strands were transformed into a neat, fresh look. With his hair cut, clean clothes, and a bit more food in his system, Yu was already starting to look healthier.
"Alright," Alex said, satisfied. "Let's go home."
Twenty Minutes Later Back in the penthouse, Alex sat across from Yagi while Aoki and Kimura relaxed on the couch, watching TV with Yu. Though the boy remained mostly silent, he seemed comfortable with their presence.
Alex turned to Yagi. "So, how's the paperwork coming along?"
Yagi adjusted his glasses. "It's finished. However, regarding his passport and visa… if we go through normal procedures, it could take months."
Alex's expression hardened. "Then let's go through the backdoor. I don't care how much it costs—I'm willing to pay up to two million dollars to speed things up."
Yagi's eyes widened in shock. "Are you serious?! Why go to such lengths for a kid you just met yesterday? Why not just put him in an adoption center?"
Alex glanced toward Yu, who was watching the television intently, his small hands gripping the edge of the sofa.
After a pause, Alex exhaled. "To be honest, I don't know. Maybe it's pity… or maybe it's something else. I just feel like I can't leave him behind."
Yagi sighed, adjusting his glasses again. "Do whatever you want. It's your money, after all."
Alex nodded. Then, after a brief thought, he added, "Can you also hire a tutor for Yu? He needs to learn Japanese."
Yagi gave him a tired look. "I'll find one today so the kid can start learning immediately."
A small smile crossed Alex's lips. "Thanks."
Hours had passed, and the afternoon sun cast a warm glow over the penthouse. Ippo and Takamura sat on the couch, their eyes fixed on the Korean tutor in his twenties, who was patiently teaching Yu how to speak Japanese. Despite the lesson, Yu remained mostly silent, attentively listening.
Takamura turned to Ippo with a smirk. "How long do you think it'll take before the kid can speak and understand Japanese?"
Ippo thought for a moment. "Probably two months."
Aoki, sitting nearby while playing chess with Kimura, overheard the conversation. "So… we're bringing the tutor with us to Australia too?"
Before anyone could answer, Coach Shinoda walked over and shook his head. "Probably not. We'll just hire another tutor once we arrive in Australia."
Meanwhile, across the room, Alex was in deep discussion with Coach Kamogawa.
"Alex, I know you're an adult now, and in just a few weeks, you'll be in your twenties. But listen to me—taking care of a kid is a huge responsibility," Kamogawa said sternly, his arms crossed.
Alex met his coach's gaze and nodded. "I know, Coach. And I'm going to do my best."
At that moment, the doors of the penthouse opened, and Yagi stepped inside, making his way toward Alex.
"Alex, the magazine has already been sent to you. Would you like me to read it out loud?" Yagi asked.
Aoki, hearing this, grinned. "Read it out loud, Yagi-san!"
Kimura and the others nodded in agreement, eager to hear.
Yagi lifted the magazine, revealing the cover: a striking image of Alex in his green suit, holding a bundle of cash and spreading it in front of him, with neatly stacked dollar bills behind him.
Flipping to the next page, Yagi read aloud:
"Alex Makunouchi earned $21 million by defeating Marcus Rosario."
Authors note: this is the full magazine's picture and the news papers
Then, at the bottom of the page, a list of the latest pound-for-pound rankings was displayed:
November 17, 1992 – Pound-for-Pound Rankings
1️⃣ Julio César Chávez
2️⃣ Alex Makunouchi
3️⃣ Ricardo Martínez
4️⃣ David Eagle
5️⃣ Marcus Rosario
6️⃣ Meldrick Taylor
7️⃣ Bryan Hawk
8️⃣ Mike Elliott
9️⃣ Arnie Gregory
🔟 James Toney
Aoki's jaw dropped. "Whoa… you're ranked number two in the world now?"
Kimura, just as shocked, pointed at Alex. "And you actually earned $21 million from that fight?"
Alex nodded. "That's true, but after expenses and taxes, I was left with around $15 million."
Takamura scoffed. "Listen to this guy talking about millions like it's pocket change."
Ippo, looking at the rankings again, muttered, "Now that you're number two in the world… there's only one person left above you."
Coach Kamogawa, standing with his arms crossed, remained firm. "Don't get complacent. You almost lost to Marcus."
His sharp words cut through the excitement as everyone turned to face him.
"You need to fix your mindset and stop holding back in a fight," Kamogawa said, pointing at Alex.
Coach Shinoda and Assistant Coach Yagi both nodded in agreement.
Alex took a deep breath, then met his coach's stern gaze. "Don't worry, Coach. That was the last time my mindset wavered. I've already made up my mind—I won't hold back in my future fights."
Note: i am now introducing the boxer character's here some of them just started there career, (warning) i will increase the character's potential in ippo verse for example ricardo he lonely at the top and he doesn't improve what if he decides to move to lightweight and fight a guy like Jean Pierre Manuel when alex move up to jr welter, this will force Ricardo to be better. After takamura beat hawk, hawk is mentally broken what if k trains him and then alex move's up weight class and fight him so on and forth too many scenarios in my mind im already listing it one by one. Characters with so much potential and got wasted in ippo verse comment them here so i can make a fun match up and improve them. Just like hawk.
What chapter is Jason Freddy introduced I count find him, can you comment here if you know wiki has little description of him, i want him to fight alex at some point in the story.