"Not again." It's been a week and a half since he's arrived in Mexico, and things have been going great. After his defeat by the world champion, he became more motivated to get stronger. The training regime that the coach gave him is working wonders.
The running helped him tremendously, and now, for his second week, he's supposed to wear braces on his legs to further develop his spring.
He only ever takes them off when he showers.
Roadwork was a bitch to do with them on but he's beginning to get used to them. They weigh a lot, and it slowed him down for sure, but the outcome from wearing them is going to be amazing.
Right now, he was waking up at 6am, and once again, Maria was glued to his side. Are all girls like this? Or is this chick just special.
It's always a hassle to get rid of her, but he's become so accustomed to it that it no longer bothers him. Except when it's a hot night and her being so close to him makes him sweat like crazy.
Maria is weird, but he can't deny how much of a help she's been. Hell, Ochaco never cooked for him before, and this chick just up and decided to do so.
And Maria's food is delicious. Mexican food is tasty.
Lacing up his shoes, Izuku left the house to begin his morning run. Afterward, he plans to work on bulking up. Apparently, he can get more punching power if he develops his back muscles and shoulders.
Thankfully, this house came with its own personal gym, courtesy of Marcos. He's glad, cus working out in public with other people around is so fucking annoying.
Every morning he runs, he's amazed by the sunrise overlooking the area. The sights of Mexico are breathtaking unlike anything Japan has. Sure, back home has interesting views, but being out of the small island country has given him more appreciation of the world.
Planet Earth truly is gorgeous.
"A new record." Without the braces, he is able to run the 10 mile course in just 25 minutes. With them on, he finishes in 40 minutes.
Today, he finished it in 35. That's a whole 5 minutes shaved off.
And normally running so much would usually leave him sore, but thanks to Maria, who has been taking care of him, he's able to keep the pace every day and not end up super exhausted.
Her massages felt great. He's grateful for her, but he will never allow himself to ever say it. That makes him sound like an asshole but he doesn't like relying on anyone. Everything he's ever achieved was with his own hard work and the support of his grandmother.
He's never asked for help in his life before. But he truly is grateful for Maria. She'll just never hear him say it.
"I wonder what she'll make today." Every time he's back home, she always has a meal prepared for him. When he comes back from the gym in the afternoon, food is always waiting for him in some tupperware. And at night, she's always waiting for him with dinner for both of them.
This process continued for the entire second week as well.
The third week rolled around, and of course, she was stuck to his side when he woke up.
"Maria, every night it's the same thing with you." He took a deep breath. Inhale and exhale. "One more week, and then it's over."
It's time for his morning run once again. Then, hitting the sandbag, mitt punching, and sparring. But this time, he wasn't allowed to use his right hand. Only his left.
And that left him very fucking vulnerable because many feared his right hand since its his dominant and now that they know he can use it that fear was no longer there. His sparring partners were more aggressive now that he was handicapped and that made him pissed.
"He's taking too many blows." Izuku was forced to a defensive position. Dodging and weaving more than he really likes. His motto is hit before being hit, not hit and avoid getting hit.
Time to unleash his killer move. The Smash.
His opponent watched it happen, thinking it was just a random punch.
Everyone watched with bated breath as the punch connected. He fell to the mat, defeated by Izuku's killer punch.
"You're still a monster even with just your left. Good." Coach was impressed. Not many can take out strong opponents with just their left hand, especially on a world stage. His opponent was ranked 9th in the WBC welterweight division. An impressive feat considering Izuku would fall under the Featherweight division since he's only 126 pounds.
The coach untied his right arm, and having it so close to his body is uncomfortable, so he did some stretches to get the feeling back.
"It's hot as hell." He used a towel to wipe the sweat from his face. Usually, he doesn't mind it, but being covered in his own liquids after a sparring session is gross.
So he went to take a shower before heading home.
When he arrived, he found a plate of food already waiting for him. This time, she had prepared tacos dorados de papa.
And once again, they were tasty as hell. The drink she had chosen for today was a jarritos. A Mexican soft drink that is very refreshing.
Once he finished the food, he washed the dishes on his own. The least he could do for her making him food every day.
He took a seat on the couch and thought about the past two weeks.
Running helped greatly, and the braces he wore helped him strengthen his step in. He's become much more agile inside the squared circle. And his left punches have developed well. They are much sharper than before.
He kept at his training for the remainder of the week, and eventually, his last day of staying in Mexico arrived.
He was finally allowed to utilize his right arm. And to do so, he was granted a sparring match with the world champ once more.
Apparently, the champ had a title defense soon, and he personally asked for Izuku to help him out.
He was all too eager to help out. This is his chance to get his payback.
He didn't win, but he got good shots in. It felt so damn good to finally use his right.
Izuku doesn't know it, but these two matches that he had with Edgar had stirred the world of boxing.
His name was starting to become well known in Mexico, and many believed that the Tigre de Japon was someone who would conquer the world in the near future. He just has no knowledge of it yet.
Upon his arrival home that evening, Izuku had certain expectations. To his delight, his needs were met with a delectable dinner and a soothing massage, accompanied by an unexpected gift from Maria.
The unconventional nature of the gift piqued Izuku's interest, but he was grateful nonetheless. His roommates acquaintance possessed a unique talent - the ability to transform her artwork into decals or stickers that could be applied directly onto the skin, bypassing the conventional tattooing process.
The chosen design was a fiery tiger, symbolizing Izuku's fierce determination and unwavering ambition. Though he exuded an intimidating aura, deep within him lay a gentle heart.
With great care, Izuku was made to lie on his stomach as the decal was meticulously applied to his back, resulting in a stunning and permanent reminder of his time spent in the alluring land of Mexico.
YOU ARE READING
Tiger Of Musutafu
Action[The Tiger of Musutafu] What does it mean to be strong? That question has plagued him for his whole life. Can he find the answer by becoming a hero?
