Ippo Makunouchi wakes up one morning to discover he's become a girl—and he's not the only one. At the Kamogawa Boxing Gym, the entire crew has been transformed: Takamura is now a stunning beauty, and a frantic blonde researcher named Marie from Italy's Florence Institute of Curse Studies arrives with a confession. A cursed trophy in the gym's basement has unleashed a gender-reversal curse on everyone present, and Marie's power alone can't undo it. To break the curse, they must heal the "sorrow"
Hajime no Ippo: The Gender-Swap Curse Chaos - My chest feels heavy! The big uproar at the gender-swapped gym and the missing clue
Morning light cut thin streaks through the old wooden gym.
Ippo let out a small breath in front of the mirror.
Long black hair. Pale skin. A round face. In the mirror, as always, stood a girl who was him.
"...Day three, huh."
The voice that slipped out was high and clear, like a little bell rolling across glass.
Three mornings now since the curse had turned him into a girl. Ippo was starting to get used to this body.
No—"used to it" wasn't right. "Had no choice but to get used to it" was closer.
(Still doesn't feel like my face, though.)
Ippo stared hard at his reflection.
Gentle eyes. Brows that drooped a little. His own features were definitely in there somewhere. But the jaw was round, the lips small and red. A girl, any way you looked at it.
He remembered what Marie had told him yesterday.
"A woman's body is built for delicate movement. Don't rely on brute strength—focus on moving fluidly."
(Delicate movement, huh.)
Ippo clenched his fists and settled into a light stance.
Whoosh, whoosh—the sound of his fists slicing the air rang out, light and clean.
(...Not bad.)
He moved his feet, checking again for that airy feeling he'd had hitting the sandbag yesterday.
Step. Shift his weight. Loosen his shoulders, extend his arms.
(My center of gravity's lower. My hips are light. ...I can move faster like this.)
In front of the mirror, Ippo drilled the jab over and over.
"...All right."
He gave a small nod.
Becoming a girl had definitely cost him something. But in exchange, he'd gained something too.
(How strong can I get in this body?)
He was trying to think positive.
But at the same time—
Every time he saw the long-haired girl in the mirror, something deep in his chest twinged.
(I still want to change back. Soon.)
Ippo looked away from the mirror.
In the center of the gym, Marie sat in front of an old black rotary phone.
"Hello, Luca? It's me, Marie. ...Yes, that's right. There's something I need you to look into."
Receiver pressed to her ear, Marie began to speak, her expression serious.
Her long blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Her emerald-green eyes narrowed as if fixed on the person at the other end of the line.
"The records for the 1952 East Japan middleweight title match. ...Yes, that's the one. There was an engraving on an old trophy. ...Right, please."
Ippo settled down beside her.
Marie glanced at him and gave a small smile.
"...What? The champion from back then? ...Yeah, yeah. ...I see. ...He retired, lost his wife and child, and died alone... ...His name? ...The records are incomplete... ...All right, got it. Thank you, Luca. I'll be in touch."
Marie hung up and let out a deep sigh.
"...Any luck?"
Ippo asked.
Marie shook her head, looking a little sad.
"I couldn't get the champion's name. The records seem to have been lost in the wartime chaos... But I did find out that after he retired, he lost his wife and child."
"I see..."
Ippo looked down.
(So it's not going to be easy after all.)
"But I'm not giving up yet. There has to be a way."
Marie lifted her head and looked straight at Ippo.
Her eyes held a fierce light.
Ippo's heart skipped.
"...I'll help look too."
Ippo met her gaze.
Marie's eyes widened for just a moment, surprised.
Then she smiled—softly, like a flower opening.
"...Thank you, Ippo."
That smile sparkled in the morning light.
Ippo felt a gentle warmth spreading through his chest.
(Marie's always doing everything she can for me.)
He was truly grateful to her.
"Yo! Ippo! Marie!"
A cheerful voice burst in from the gym entrance.
Ippo turned. Aoki and Kimura stood there.
Both of them were girls now too.
Even as a girl, Aoki wore the same bright expression. Her short hair bounced energetically.
Kimura stood beside her with a wry grin.
"G-good morning, Aoki, Kimura."
Ippo bowed his head.
"You're cute again today, Ippo-chan."
Aoki beamed and ruffled Ippo's hair.
"S-stop it!"
Ippo's face went bright red.
"Aoki, quit teasing him."
Kimura gave Aoki a light tap on the head.
"But it's true! He really is cute!"
Aoki puffed out her cheeks.
"You're completely enjoying being a girl, aren't you."
Kimura sounded exasperated.
"Come on, we actually got to be girls! We'd be idiots not to enjoy it!"
Aoki planted her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest.
"...I respect your positivity, I really do."
Kimura sighed.
"Hey, hey, Kimura! Wanna hit the shopping street today?"
Aoki tugged at Kimura's arm.
"Shopping? For what?"
Kimura tilted his head.
"Skirts! I'm so jealous girls get to wear skirts! I wanna try a pleated skirt!"
Aoki's eyes sparkled.
"You realize you sound exactly like a high school girl."
Kimura delivered the retort, deadpan.
"So what! We got to be girls, so I wanna wear girls' clothes!"
Aoki swung Kimura's arm back and forth.
"...Fine, I'll come along. But I'm just watching."
Kimura nodded reluctantly.
"Yes! Let's go!"
Aoki dragged Kimura by the hand and dashed out of the gym.
"...There they go."
Ippo watched them leave.
"...They sure seem happy. Good for them."
Marie giggled.
"They do. Aoki and Kimura, both full of energy."
Ippo said that and drifted back to the mirror.
"UOOOOOOOH!!!"
Suddenly a shout echoed through the gym.
Ippo flinched, shoulders jumping.
It was Takamura.
Even as a girl, Takamura was as wild as ever.
Black hair falling to her waist, she shook it out and started shadowboxing.
"My chest is heavy! What are these two weights?! Muscle?!"
Takamura grabbed her own chest with both hands and hollered.
The sight was so surreal Ippo nearly burst out laughing.
"...Takamura, those aren't muscle."
Ippo said, fighting back the laughter.
"What?! Then what are they?! These two annoying lumps!"
Takamura jiggled her chest.
"...Um, well, those are..."
Ippo was at a loss for words.
"Fat. ...I mean, you're a girl now, of course your chest is heavy."
Kimura, who had come back at some point, said flatly.
"Shut up! I don't need weights like these! Every time I jump they bounce and it's a pain in the ass!"
Takamura started jumping in place, over and over.
Her chest heaved up and down.
"...Watching this is embarrassing."
Kimura blushed and looked away.
"Ahahahaha! Takamura, that's amazing!"
Aoki was doubled over laughing.
"But you know what! Even as a woman, I'm strong! If anything, I'll break new ground with this body!"
Takamura resumed shadowboxing.
Even in a girl's body, her movements were sharp, fast, powerful.
(...Takamura really is incredible.)
Ippo watched, mesmerized by the clean, beautiful motion.
"Hey, Marie."
Takamura stopped and called out to her.
"Yes?"
Marie tilted her head.
"Do we actually need to break this curse?"
Takamura asked with a completely straight face.
"...What?"
Marie blinked.
"I'm plenty strong in this body. If anything, I want to see how strong I can get. ...So maybe we don't need to break it."
Takamura said it seriously.
"...What are you saying?! Everyone wants to go back to their original body!"
Marie's voice rose.
"...Just kidding."
Takamura chuckled.
"...Kidding?"
Marie stared at her, dumbfounded.
"How could I stand by while Ippo's in trouble?"
Takamura glanced toward Ippo.
Her eyes were dead serious now, nothing like the clowning from a moment ago.
"...Takamura."
Ippo's chest went hot.
"You're my precious kouhai. ...I'm gonna turn you back no matter what."
Takamura rested a hand on Ippo's head.
"...Thank you."
Ippo looked down, holding back tears.
(Takamura's actually a really kind person.)
He thought it again, with fresh conviction.
"...Oh? Is it that late already?"
Marie looked up at the clock on the wall.
"Is something wrong?"
Ippo asked.
"I'm going to head to the library and look into curse literature. ...There might be a clue in that trophy engraving."
Marie slung a leather bag over her shoulder.
"Oh, then I'll—"
Ippo started.
"No, Ippo, you stay here and keep training. ...I'll be fine on my own."
Marie smiled at him.
"...All right. Please be careful."
Ippo watched her go.
Marie opened the gym door and stepped outside.
Alone, Ippo pounded the sandbag.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Light, satisfying sounds rang through the gym.
(...I'm in good form today.)
Ippo threw punches, mindful of the delicate movement Marie had taught him.
(Not brute force. Fluid. ...Yeah, that's it.)
He was starting to feel the potential of his new body, bit by bit.
"...Speaking of which, I wonder if Marie's all right."
The thought surfaced suddenly.
(She should be at the library by now.)
Ippo stopped hitting the sandbag.
(...Right. Maybe I should check on the trophy in the basement.)
He remembered the barrier Marie had set up outside the gym.
(That barrier's what's keeping the curse in check.)
Ippo headed down the stairs to the basement.
The basement was dim and chilly.
Ippo flipped the wall switch. The lights came on.
Old bare bulbs cast an orange glow over the room.
Ippo stood before the pedestal where the trophy sat.
"...Huh?"
He couldn't believe his eyes.
There was nothing on the pedestal.
The cursed trophy was gone—pedestal and all.
"Wh-what...?!"
Ippo frantically scanned the basement.
The trophy was nowhere.
Instead, strange footprints and black powder were scattered across the floor.
"What is this..."
Ippo crouched and pinched some of the black powder between his fingers.
It was fine and dry.
(...Is this some kind of drug?)
He stared at the black powder.
Then—
His vision lurched.
"...!"
Ippo braced a hand on the floor.
(Wh-what...? I'm dizzy all of a sudden...)
He clutched his head.
Nausea too.
(...Could it be because the trophy's gone...?)
Marie's words came back to him.
"The trophy is the source of the curse, so my barrier suppresses its power."
(The barrier's weakening...?)
Breaking into a cold sweat, Ippo left the basement.
"Everyone! Something terrible's happened!"
Back in the main gym, Ippo shouted at the top of his lungs.
"What's wrong, Ippo? You're in a panic."
Kimura ran over.
"The trophy! The trophy in the basement is gone!"
Ippo said, out of breath.
"What?!"
Kimura's face changed.
"The trophy's gone...?"
Aoki ran over too.
"There were weird footprints and black powder on the floor."
Still crouched, Ippo explained.
"Black powder...? Don't tell me—"
Takamura headed for the basement, face grim.
Ippo and the others followed.
Down in the basement, Takamura was staring at the black powder on the floor.
"...Don't tell me it's that suspicious guy...!"
Takamura muttered in a low voice.
"Suspicious guy...?"
Ippo tilted his head.
"...The night before last, there was a shady guy lurking around the gym. ...Maybe he's the one who stole the trophy."
Takamura clenched her fist.
"...No way."
Ippo went pale.
(That suspicious man Takamura mentioned...)
He remembered Takamura saying there'd been a shady man outside the gym the night before last.
"...Anyway, we need to get in touch with Marie."
Kimura said.
"...Right. She's at the library now. ...Let's call."
Takamura headed back to the center of the gym.
"...Hello, Marie? It's me, Takamura. ...We've got trouble. The trophy's been stolen. ...Yeah, gone. Cleaned out of the basement. ...There was black powder on the floor. ...Yeah, got it. Get back here right away."
Takamura slammed the receiver down.
"...Marie's on her way back."
She turned to face Ippo and the others.
About thirty minutes later, Marie came back to the gym.
"...The trophy really is gone...?"
Pale-faced, Marie rushed into the basement.
"...Yes. The whole pedestal's gone."
Ippo looked down.
Marie stood frozen before the pedestal.
"...Because I took my eyes off it... If I'd been watching properly..."
Marie's voice was shaking.
"...Marie."
Ippo reached toward her shoulder.
"...I'm sorry. ...This is my fault... I put too much faith in my barrier..."
Marie sank to her knees.
Big tears rolled down her ch
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