Chapter 103: The Boxer

The living legend of Korean boxing, the legendary boxer, Im Jeonghwan.

At 42 years old, he was indeed alive, but in the most literal sense—he was merely “alive.”

Given his age, it had been a long time since he retired from the league.

It had already been ten years since he last fought professionally.

He had no lingering attachment.

He had already won numerous championships, cementing himself as a legend in Korean boxing, and he had earned enough for a comfortable retirement.

A peaceful life.

One could even say it was a world apart from his professional days, which were drenched in blood and brutality, filled with daily grit and competition.

His current life was stable but monotonous and routine.

The only source of enjoyment in Jeonghwan’s life was managing his gym every day.

And alongside that, he mentored a few students.

Though there hadn’t been any particularly promising talents lately, raising the next generation still brought a different kind of satisfaction compared to his prime years as an athlete.

Then, about a year ago, something changed.

He started V-tubing.

The content featured his gym, various boxing techniques, and sparring matches between his students.

It was his nephew’s suggestion.

At first, Jeonghwan was skeptical, unsure of what to make of it.

But over time, he became completely hooked.

Thanks to his reputation as a legendary Korean boxer, he gained a steady stream of subscribers right from the start.

Reading the comments people left on his videos became an unexpected joy.

The extra income was nice, the growing subscriber count was fascinating, but most of all, he loved how he was able to connect with people despite being retired.

Back in his professional days, his intimidating expression and sharp boxer image made people wary of him.

Though he did have fans, they were mostly brawny men.

Children and women tended to avoid making eye contact with him.

But now?

The times had changed.

In this era of OTT services, V-tubing, and TikTok dominating over cable TV, Jeonghwan was no longer viewed as a scary figure.

With nearly 500,000 subscribers, he was affectionately called “Jeonghwan-hyung” or “Jeonghwan-ham” by younger fans, despite being over 40.

For Jeonghwan, it was like starting a second life.

Just as he was feeling a vague sense of boredom with life, this second prime came along.

“Let’s see… Did I get any emails?”

Wearing the glasses he only used when working on the computer, Jeonghwan checked his business email.

He hadn’t originally planned to have a separate business email, but as he started creating more content, it became a necessity.

At this point, he was closer to being a professional V-tuber than a retired boxer or gym owner.

His current content series was called “Follow Me to the Gym!”

The concept was simple: he invited various famous V-tubers to his gym to test their boxing skills and teach them some techniques.

It was similar to how fitness V-tubers invited celebrities to measure their strength in the three major lifts at the gym—except Jeonghwan’s content swapped fitness for boxing.

There was no reason to abandon a format that was already proven popular and garnered plenty of views.

The challenge was booking the right guests.

To make the content successful, he needed to invite figures who were well-known and would generate buzz when featured.

If he could secure the right guests, the content’s success was practically guaranteed.

“I should’ve gotten some replies by now…”

He had already sent emails to most of the potential candidates.

Feeling like a fisherman checking his traps, Jeonghwan opened his inbox.

“Hm…?”

Then, he widened his eyes at the sight of an unexpectedly big catch.

#Boxer_ImJeonghwanTV

• Subscribers: 508,000

On his way to the gym.

I once again watched the videos from the channel I was going to appear on today.

I sorted the videos by popularity.

In other words, I played them in order of highest views.

– “Here, you have to use your waist for the straight punch! Pow!”

– “Ohhh…”

– “It’s much stronger when you hit like this. You have to put your waist into it—”

The sound of a fist striking the hanging sandbag rang out with a loud thwack.

It was a punch worthy of a former boxing champion.

I nodded as I watched a few more videos.

It definitely seemed like it would be fun.

The advertisement I had chosen involved appearing on the channel of former boxing champion Im Jeonghwan to promote his channel and gym.

In a way, it was closer to a collaboration than a typical advertisement, since I would be featured on another V-tuber’s channel.

The reason I accepted Im Jeonghwan’s offer out of the many proposals I received was simple.

It just looked like the most fun.

It wasn’t because of the payment or the potential for my channel’s growth—it was purely out of genuine interest.

The idea of learning and trying out boxing seemed fun, and most of all, it was an opportunity to indirectly experience Camilla’s physical specs, which I had been curious about for a while.

Even if it was just in-game lore, Camilla was one of the strongest heroes—powerful enough to dance across the battlefield while slaughtering enemies.

After gaining Camilla’s body, I didn’t feel like I had gained any superhuman strength, but I definitely felt far healthier and fitter than before.

Hadn’t I easily done pull-ups on the playground bars not too long ago?

This ad was the perfect testing ground.

I could learn some basic boxing techniques and practical self-defense skills, while also gaining a better understanding of my current physical condition.

Both of my editors supported my decision without any complaints.

In fact, they even added that seeing this side of me would be a refreshing charm point.

They joked that it would be a “Boxer Moment for Kayak”—making it look as though Camilla was the one wearing boxing gloves and stepping into the ring.

“Boss, have you ever tried boxing before?”

The question came from Kim Jae joon, who was driving and taking me to the gym.

Boxing, huh… I had actually registered at a gym once.

“I quit after a month of just doing jump rope.”

“Haha, that’s pretty much the same as me.”

Jae joon said he had quit boxing before he even got to hit the sandbag, finding the basic stamina training too boring.

Sitting next to him in the passenger seat, Yushia fiddled with the camera.

“Then what about other sports? Have you tried anything else?”

Other sports…

Nothing really came to mind.

I had only ever done the usual activities during school P.E. classes.

I had never attended an academy or enrolled in a cultural center for proper training.

“What about ballet or dance? Or maybe rhythmic gymnastics?”

“Not really…”

“How about yoga or pilates?”

“Nope.”

Just what kind of image did Yushia have of me?

Sure, with Camilla’s appearance, I might look graceful enough to suit dancing, but still…

After a brief conversation about boxing and sports, we soon arrived at the gym.

“Ah, welcome! Our Kayak and the editors!”

“Hello.”

Former professional boxer, current gym owner, and V-tuber, Lim Jeonghwan, greeted us with enthusiasm.

Despite his age, he had a solid build and sharp eyes that retained a certain keenness even when smiling. He definitely had the aura of someone who had reached the pinnacle of their field.

Following his lead, the three of us slowly entered the gym.

“Wow, it’s huge.”

“We just finished expanding it recently. We added a ring over there and another one over there, plus a few more sandbags.”

After taking a lap around the gym, we began discussing the content of the video in earnest.

“Since we’re filming this for V-tube, it’ll be edited, so you don’t have to worry too much. You’re used to live streaming, so I doubt you’ll be nervous anyway.”

“Yes.”

“First, we’ll start with hitting the sandbag, learn the jab and hook, and then practice some self-defense moves you could use in an emergency.”

There was no set script, but it seemed like he had a routine in place from previous guest appearances.

As Jeonghwan continued explaining, Yushia and Kim Jae joon prepared the cameras for the video that would also be uploaded to my V-tube channel.

“Kayak, do you have good stamina? Have you done any sports before?”

It was the same question I had been asked in the car.

When I answered that I hadn’t, Jeonghwan nodded and spoke.

“I was a bit worried since you’re a gamer, but you’re not slouched like some of the others.”

He mentioned that the V-tuber who had appeared in the previous episode also played Abyss as their main content, but their posture was so hunched that it took considerable effort just to correct it.

Jeonghwan slipped on a pair of red gloves and slowly took his stance.

He met my gaze briefly, then demonstrated the motion slowly, as if telling me to watch carefully.

Swoosh. Tap—

Standing upright, he extended his arm in a straight line, touching the sandbag with his fist.

It seemed he was doing a few practice swings to show me the form.

Thwack—!

Then, without warning, he slammed his fist into the sandbag.

Just like in the videos, the impact was loud enough to make Yushia, who was standing nearby, flinch.

“Ah, did I startle you? I should’ve warned you.”

“N-no, I’m fine.”

“That was just one move. What do you think? You think you can give it a try?”

With that, he stepped aside, signaling it was my turn.

“Don’t worry about doing it perfectly right away. Just be careful with your wrist. If your form is off, we’ll correct it. Take it easy.”

The cameras were already rolling.

Jeonghwan gave instructions as if he were coaching a regular student, offering tips and precautions.

I listened carefully, nodding along.

At the same time, I replayed the scene I had just watched in my head.

I slowly recalled every detail of his form—the width of his stance, how far forward he placed his lead foot, the angle and extension of his punch into the sandbag…

Now was the moment.

“Oh, your stance is pretty good. Out of everyone I’ve seen, you might be—”

Before he could finish, I darted forward and executed the move exactly as I had visualized.

Thud—!

A dull, solid impact rang out.

It felt like my fist had sunk into the sandbag.

Was this right?

Even though I’d been warned to be careful, my wrist was perfectly fine.

I swung my fist a few times, testing it, then turned around.

“Whoa…”

Jeonghwan was looking at me with a surprised expression, holding up his thumb in approval.