Isekai in Hajime no Ippo with Gaolang’s Template

Weeks had passed, and now it was March 1, 1991. Inside the Makunouchi household, Alex stood near the entrance, dressed in a stylish yet casual outfit—a dark jacket over a fitted shirt, black pants, and pristine white Nike shoes. His girlfriend, Mari, stood beside him, radiating elegance in a sheath dress that accentuated her figure.

It might surprise some that Mari was in the Makunouchi household, but a week ago, Alex had finally introduced her to his aunt, Hiroko, and cousin, Ippo, as his girlfriend. To his relief, they had warmly welcomed her.

Flashback – A Week AgoInside the cozy Makunouchi home, Alex cleared his throat as he stood beside Mari. "Aunt Hiroko, Ippo... I want you to meet Mari. She's my girlfriend."

Hiroko smiled warmly, clasping her hands together. "Oh my, it's so nice to meet you, Mari. Alex rarely talks about his personal life, so I'm happy to see he has someone special."

Mari bowed politely. "Thank you for having me. Alex has told me a lot about you."

Ippo, though initially surprised, grinned. "Nice to meet you, Mari-san! I hope Alex is treating you well."

Mari chuckled, glancing at Alex. "He is... for the most part."

Alex scratched his head and smirked. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Laughter filled the room, solidifying Mari's warm welcome into the Makunouchi family.

End of FlashbackNow, back to the present, the three stood outside as Ippo helped load their luggage into the back of the Nissan SUV. There were two sizable suitcases—one belonged to Alex, and the other to Mari.

Hiroko, ever the caring guardian, stood by the car door and gently patted Alex's shoulder. "Take care on your trip... and make sure to be a gentleman, alright?"

Alex nodded, offering a reassuring smile. "Of course, Aunt Hiroko. Don't worry."

She turned to Mari and added, "Mari-chan, take care of him too."

Mari giggled. "I will, Hiroko-san."

Ippo, already in the driver's seat, asked, "Where do you want me to drop you guys off?"

"Terminal 1," Alex replied. "There'll be a helper waiting to assist with our luggage."

With that, they set off for the airport.

Flashback – Booking the TripA week prior, Alex had been sitting at home, browsing through travel arrangements. He had one goal in mind: to witness the upcoming WBC Lightweight Title defense of Marcus Rosario, the reigning champion.

Initially, he debated asking Ippo to come along, thinking it would be a great experience for his cousin. But when he approached him, Ippo declined.

"Sorry, Alex," Ippo had said. "I want to stay and help Aoki-san and Kimura-san with their training. Their fights are coming up, and I can't just leave."

Understanding Ippo's dedication, Alex nodded. "Alright, I get it. Maybe next time."

After that, he called Mari.

"Hey, Mari, are you interested in going to Puerto Rico with me?"

"Just the two of us?" she asked.

"Yeah," Alex replied. "For about three weeks."

Mari hesitated for a moment before smiling on the other end. "Sure, I trust you."

End of FlashbackUpon arriving at the airport, Ippo pulled up to Terminal 1. As expected, an airport helper was already there, ready to assist with their luggage.

As the helper lifted the bags, Alex turned to Mari and smirked. "Did you pack a swimsuit, or should I buy you one when we get to Puerto Rico?"

Mari's cheeks turned pink as she looked away, her voice barely above a whisper. "Y-You're such a tease..."

Alex chuckled and gently held her hand. "That's the fun part."

Mari shyly squeezed his hand back, while Ippo, pretending not to hear, simply focused on parking the car.

"Alright, you two lovebirds, take care!" Ippo waved.

"You too, Ippo," Alex called back. "Don't slack off in training!"

With that, they made their way into the airport, checked in, and boarded their flight.

The journey took nearly a day, and by the time they landed in Puerto Rico, it was late in the evening. The humid air, the sound of waves in the distance, and the vibrant atmosphere of San Juan welcomed them.

After grabbing their luggage, they checked into a luxurious five-star hotel in the heart of the city. The hotel provided them with a spacious one-bedroom suite, complete with a balcony overlooking the beach.

Alex set down his bags and stretched. "Not bad, huh?"

Mari looked around in awe. "It's beautiful..."

Smiling, Alex walked up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Let's settle in, then we can explore tomorrow."

Mari nodded, and the two began unpacking, ready to start their adventure in Puerto Rico.

After settling into their luxurious hotel suite, Alex stretched his arms and turned to Mari. Their luggage was neatly placed in the room, and everything was finally in order.

"So," Alex asked, "what's our schedule looking like now? There are still fifteen days before the WBC championship fight."

Mari, sitting on the edge of the bed, tapped her chin thoughtfully. "How about we explore the city first? We can go on a proper date, just the two of us, and after that, we can check out Estadio Sixto Escobar, the venue for the fight."

Alex nodded, liking the idea. "Sounds good."

Glancing at the clock on the nightstand, he noticed it was getting late. The exhaustion from the long flight was finally catching up to them.

"It's already late," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "How about we get some rest first?"

Mari tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked away slightly. "Let me take a bath first," she said, her voice soft with a hint of shyness.

A playful thought crossed Alex's mind. He decided to test his luck.

"How about," he said with a smirk, "we take a bath together?"

Mari's eyes widened slightly, and for a moment, she just stared at him. Her face turned bright red as she processed what he just said.

"You…" she muttered, hesitating. Then, to Alex's surprise, she gave a small nod.

Alex's heart skipped a beat. He had expected her to hit him, scold him, or at least laugh it off. But instead, she had agreed.

Without another word, they stepped into the spacious bathroom together.

The bathroom was elegant—marble floors, a wide mirror, and a luxurious bathtub with warm water already running. Steam filled the room, creating a slightly hazy atmosphere.

Mari, blushing furiously, avoided eye contact as she slowly undressed. Alex swallowed hard, feeling his own cheeks warm up. He had always been confident, but seeing Mari this vulnerable made his heartbeat unsteady.

Once they were both undressed, they carefully stepped into the bath together. The warm water embraced their skin, easing the tension from their long journey.

For a moment, there was silence. The only sound was the gentle ripple of the water as they settled in.

Mari finally spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "This is… a little embarrassing."

Alex chuckled, leaning back. "Yeah, I won't lie… but it's kinda nice too."

Mari gently splashed some water on her face, still avoiding his gaze. Alex, unable to resist, reached out and tucked a damp strand of hair behind her ear. Their eyes met, and for a second, they simply looked at each other.

Neither said anything after that. They just enjoyed the warm bath together, slowly easing into comfort.

After their bath, they dried off and changed into comfortable sleepwear. The room was dimly lit as they climbed into the same bed.

Even though they had grown close, there was still a slight awkwardness between them. After all, they had just seen each other completely exposed for the first time.

Alex lay on his side, looking at Mari, who was facing away from him, her body slightly tense. He hesitated for a moment before reaching out and gently wrapping an arm around her waist, pulling her closer.

Mari tensed at first but quickly relaxed into his embrace. Slowly, she turned around and buried her face against his chest, her soft breath tickling his skin.

"Cuddling helps, right?" Alex whispered, amused by how warm she felt against him.

Mari didn't respond immediately. Instead, she simply tightened her arms around him, holding onto him as if she didn't want to let go.

"Yeah," she finally murmured, her voice soft and content.

With that, the two drifted off to sleep, wrapped in each other's warmth, their breathing in sync as the night in San Juan passed peacefully.