My Pro Boxer System

The system gave me the evening off, but still, I ended up spending the time shadowboxing in my room. I couldn't get today's match out of my mind. Cassian's movements kept playing over and over again in my head.

Watching him punch at my shadow and then burying my fist into his solar plexus brought me so much joy that I could barely explain it. Everything I did in the ring felt as if I was putting on a show—the way I smirked at him, casually dropping my guard so he thought I was mocking him, even stifling my own breathing so he couldn't tell that I was tired.

All of it was one grand performance. After a while, I took a break from shadowboxing to look at my boxing stats, which had improved.

[INITIALIZING BOXING STATS….]

BOXING STYLE: Outboxer

FOOTWORK: D (15/100)

Power: 8

Speed: 14

Endurance: 17

Defense: 5

Reflexes: 12

Ring IQ: 9

Composure: 10

Killer Instinct: 20

The system had finally established my style as an outboxer. My highest stat was my Killer Instinct, which had remained the same since I got the system. At the moment, the stat I needed to focus on most was my defense, since it was lagging behind.

[Would you like to see Cassian's stats?]

"Huh? You can do that?"

[I can appraise all boxers.]

"So why didn't you do it before?"

[Because you didn't ask.]

I couldn't help but sigh. Dealing with her was turning out to be a pain in the ass.

[INITIALIZING BOXING STATS….]

BOXING STYLE: Infighter

FOOTWORK: F (6/10)

Power: 19

Speed: 4

Endurance: 13

Defense: 10

Reflexes: 4

Ring IQ: 1

Composure: 3

Killer Instinct: 5

Whoa! The only thing he had going for him was his power. All his other stats were relatively low. If I had all this information earlier, I could have come up with a strategy to win. But instead, I had to go back to what I already knew about Cassian.

Personally, I had nothing against Cassian, even with all his teasing and calling me 'Loney-kun.' My only goal was to win. After today, I doubted we would ever see eye to eye, and as things stood, I'd have to watch my back when it came to the other members of the club too.

Pushing those thoughts aside until tomorrow, I continued with another workout. I elected not to count the number of push-ups I did and decided to stop only when my arms got tired. It was the same for the sit-ups and planks too.

The next morning, I did the same routine even though the system didn't require me to. I ran a 10-mile run, then did some light stretches in the park, followed by some shadowboxing for about an hour.

I lost track of time, and before I knew it, it was time for me to go home and get ready for school. I jogged home, and when I arrived at the front door, I happened upon an unexpected surprise. There was a girl standing outside my house with her school bag in her hand.

She was wearing the blue uniform of my school. Unlike many girls at our school, her skirt stretched down to her knees, and she wore black tights underneath. Her black hair was left loose, spilling over her shoulders.

She had a delicate beauty about her, like a girl who spends her time reading books, basking in the sun, and going on picnics. Her face was just as expressionless as ever when she finally met my gaze. It was Ivy, the manager of the boxing club.

She bowed her head as I approached her, which felt weird considering she was two years older than me.

"Good morning, Liam."

"Eh… Good morning. Are you waiting for someone?" I asked.

"I was waiting for you, actually. I thought we could walk to school together."

"Oh?" I couldn't help feeling confused. This must have had something to do with the boxing match yesterday. "I'm just getting back from a jog, so I'll be a bit late. Do you mind waiting?"

"Not at all. I'll wait until you're ready."

"Be right back."

I went inside, took a shower, and returned outside to find Ivy still waiting for me. Considering she was here when I got back from my jog, I wondered how long she had been waiting.

The two of us walked side by side without either of us uttering a word. I waited for her to initiate the conversation since she was the one who had been waiting for me outside my house. After a while, she finally spoke.

"About your match yesterday—how did you learn to fight like that?"

It was the same question the coach had asked me yesterday. Seeing my hesitation to answer, she continued speaking.

"You have to understand why I'm asking, right? Cassian was the most promising member we've had in a while, and you managed to beat him in a match while avoiding getting hit. I'm starting to notice some irregularities about you. For example, on your medical file, it says you're 5'7'', but I'm 5'11", and we're at least the same height."

"I've had a growth spurt."

She raised an eyebrow, still suspicious of my answer.

"By the way, how did you manage to get a hold of my medical record?" I asked.

"I'm the club manager. If you're going to be a part of the boxing club, then I need to be aware of any underlying illnesses you may have."

"Uh-huh…" I nodded along, but I knew that wasn't the whole truth. "Look, I don't know what to tell you. I've been exercising a lot, trying to get into the best shape so I could learn boxing. All the actual moves you saw me do were things I learned from watching videos and from countless hours of practicing."

"And that's it?" she asked again, testing me.

"That's it," I answered resolutely, making sure to keep eye contact.

The conversation ended there, and our school was now in sight. But there was something I wanted to ask her too.

"Yesterday, you called the coach 'Grandpa.' Is he really your grandfather, or is it just some nickname you gave him?"

She didn't look like the type of girl to give others nicknames, so I guessed it was the former option.

"He's my grandfather," she said, her gaze lowering to the ground.

"Is that why you joined the boxing club?"

She shook her head.

"No… There is another reason for that."

From her expression, I could tell she didn't want to get into it, so I didn't pry. Instead, I decided to throw her a bone.

"I can tell you my training routine if you'd like…"