"Ahem, let me introduce you. This is the hidden gem I managed to poach this year—a Japanese kid with some seriously high-level basketball skills. Kota!"
Inside a van, Reiko was enthusiastically making introductions.
The uncle she called "Brother Shu" glanced back at Kota, clicking his tongue in amazement.
"Wow, so young! And already traveling abroad alone to chase your dream? That's impressive."
"That's right, he's amazing! After all, I'm the one who scouted him" Reiko said proudly.
The two were speaking Chinese, but Kota understood every word. He rested his chin on one hand, gazing out the window, pretending he couldn't follow their conversation while eavesdropping.
Reiko then patted him and switched back to Japanese:
"This is my former boss, Chen Shu. Since they knew you were coming, the Basketball Association sent him to pick us up."
She even raised her eyebrows, hinting at how much the Association valued him.
Kota reacted quickly, immediately putting on an expression of surprise and gratitude, thanking them both politely.
His courtesy delighted Shu. Even while driving, the man turned back and started waving his hands dramatically as if praising Kota with "sign language" (not really).
Thankfully, Reiko quickly shut down his antics. The memory of that reckless Japanese driver from a few days ago was still fresh in her mind!
"By the way, Brother Shu, where are we going now?" Reiko asked as she fiddled with her phone, scrolling through local news.
"First to the player apartment the Association prepared for him. Get his luggage sorted, and then maybe you can take him around the city?"
Shu caught Kota's reflection in the rearview mirror and raised the question to Reiko.
Reiko had no objections. She hadn't been home in years, and even on the plane she'd already started counting on her fingers all the places she wanted to visit. Still, she had to ask for Kota's opinion.
"How about this—we go drop off your stuff at the apartment first, then head out for a little sightseeing? There's tons of great food and fun spots here!"
Kota didn't even need Reiko's translation; he'd caught everything Shu said. He instinctively wanted to refuse.
He hadn't come here to play tourist. What mattered most was passing the tryouts, switching nationality, and then returning to Japan to play in matches… and see Araki again.
But before he could speak, he met Reiko's hopeful gaze. Her face practically had "PLEASE TAKE ME OUT TO PLAY" written across it.
Kota: …
"…I don't mind."
He let out a long sigh and agreed to their plan. Listening to Reiko cheer beside him, he kept reminding himself—
"Relax. Half a day won't kill you."
...
Meanwhile, back in Japan…
It was time for Kaijo High's regular basketball practice.
The two big men were working on box-out techniques, Yuki was dribbling while muttering about how to enter the Zone, and Kise was shooting but constantly glancing toward the gym doors.
Creak.
The doors opened.
Kise's eyes lit up, snapping toward the entrance—only to see Takeuchi walk in.
His excitement died instantly, his expression turning gloomy.
"Coach."
"Coach, good afternoon."
Even though it had been a while since Takeuchi showed up at the gym, as players they still showed basic respect.
Takeuchi nodded slightly, scanning the team. His gaze lingered briefly on Kise before he spoke loudly:
"Half a month from now, the Interhigh preliminaries will begin. I expect everyone to train seriously and prepare diligently…"
Yep. The same old "Takeuchi pep talk". Usually this didn't come until a day or two before the big games, but this year's motivational soup was being served unusually early.
Even the first-years weren't listening this time, and Yuki was off in his own world. Kise, though, furrowed his brows, eyes fixed on the doors.
"Where is he?"
The one person who should've been here by now hadn't shown a trace.
"Seriously? Becoming captain made him this cocky? A few minutes late, fine. But nearly twenty minutes? Kota, where the heck are you?!"
Kise's frustration grew. In his head, he swore:
"When Kota finally shows up, I'll make him do a hundred push-ups in front of me!"
Just then, Takeuchi's speech wrapped up. Clearing his throat, he pretended to suddenly remember something.
"Oh right—Kota took a leave of absence. I'll be running practices for now, so no slacking off!"
After saying that, he clicked his tongue, looking unsatisfied. It had been a while since he stepped into the gym, and it still felt strange.
"Eh, today's enough. They can run scrimmages on their own."
But as he turned to leave, he realized the entire Kaijo team had circled around him.
"…What's with you guys? Planning a mutiny?" Takeuchi blinked, confused.
"Coach, what did you just say? Kota took a leave of absence?"
Kise was first to speak, face darkening. That uneasy feeling he'd had the past few days—it was real.
"What happened to Kota-senpai?" Yuki chimed in, nervous. He remembered the time Kota snapped at him… but also realized Kota had been helping him improve.
"Kota-senpai isn't sick, right?! Which hospital?!" This time it was Takumi, the most panicked of them all. He'd already assumed Kota was bedridden and needed care.
One by one, the team joined in, firing questions nonstop. Kota wasn't the oldest, but with his skill and easygoing personality, he'd become Kaijo's most respected player.
Thanks to Takumi's panic, everyone assumed Kota was sick—or worse, that something had happened to his family.
Only Kise, who knew Kota's background, realized both were unlikely. He'd just played with him yesterday. As for "family trouble," Kota had already been through enough.
That only made Kise more curious.
So what's really going on?
"Come on, Coach. Tell us."
"How long will he be gone?"
"Is it serious? Should we go see him?"
The gym suddenly turned into a fish market, players shouting over each other.
"QUIET!"
Takeuchi's head was throbbing. He barked, calming the chaos.
"Listen up! Kota isn't sick. His family's fine too! He asked for leave because… because…"
Takeuchi froze.
"Oh crap. I don't actually know. That brat didn't tell me anything!"
His silence only fueled the team's frenzy.
"Damn you, Kota!!!"
Takeuchi grabbed his head, utterly overwhelmed.
"That's it. When Kota comes back, I'll never approve his leave again! And maybe I'll stop coming to the gym altogether!"
…Except when it's time for another pep talk.
...
"Take a right when you head out and you'll find a supermarket not far away. Plenty of restaurants around here too. All these daily expenses can be reimbursed by the Basketball Association. If you really can't get used to Chinese food, there's a market on the left—you could have Reiko cook for you. Or you could just come eat at my place, my kids would be thrilled to see a foreigner."
Shu said this while pushing open the door to the player apartments, talking to Kota like it was all very official.
Then he suddenly realized—ah, right. Language barrier. No matter how warm and enthusiastic he was, Kota couldn't understand him. So he winked at Reiko, silently begging for her help as translator.
Reiko relayed his words in Japanese, but she wasn't exactly honest. She casually skipped the part about her being asked to cook for Kota. After all, being the only bilingual in the room gave her the privilege of "editing" reality however she wanted.
Kota of course noticed the difference between the two versions, but he didn't expose her. Instead, he chuckled and gave Reiko a knowing glance before bowing slightly to Shu in thanks.
Whether this kindness came from the Association or from Shu himself, Kota felt genuine goodwill behind it.
But unlike in Japan, where formality and etiquette were taken very seriously, China was more relaxed about such things. When Shu saw Kota bowing, he actually felt flustered, like he didn't deserve such politeness.
He glanced at his watch and waved his hand.
"I'll head out first. Got some things to handle with the Association. Don't want to get in your way. Yimin, make sure you take Kota around and look after him, alright? Kid's still so young, traveling abroad like this isn't easy."
"Yes, yes, you've already said that about ten times, Brother Shu."
Reiko rolled her eyes, but still waved warmly to him. Despite the teasing, she had deep respect for him—after all, he'd been her mentor at work.
Kota also had a good impression of this "Brother Shu" he'd just met. Seeing him about to leave, Kota smiled and waved in farewell.
Clack.
The door shut behind him.
Now only Reiko and Kota were left inside.
Reiko exhaled in relief. Shu was a good man, but even with a kind former boss, there was always a bit of awkward pressure being in the same room.
Kota, on the other hand, didn't feel anything strange. He wandered around the apartment with curiosity.
For a standard-issue youth national team dorm, the setup was surprisingly decent. A fridge, air conditioning, the basics were all there. The kitchen was pretty bare-bones, but since the Association likely had a cafeteria, it wasn't much of a problem.
Reiko sat down and watched him roam about, teasing:
"So, how's it feel, future starting point guard of China's U18 National Team? Happy with your temporary residence?"
Kota was examining a pot in the kitchen as he replied:
"Not bad at all. But… where are we heading next, Miss Reiko?"
His eyes turned toward her with a questioning look. Sure, he didn't mind staying indoors, but coming all the way to China just to hole up in the dorms? That felt like a waste.
Reiko touched her chin and made a face like she was troubled.
"Well, there's a hot pot place nearby that's been around for years. You've never had Chinese hot pot, right? Japan only has sukiyaki. And there are lots of street snacks too—stuff you definitely can't find in Japan…"
Kota listened quietly. To him, whatever he did here would always carry a sense of nostalgia for his past life.
Then Reiko suddenly brightened.
"Or… how about I just take you straight to the National Youth Team's training facility? What do you think, Kota?"
Kota nodded almost instinctively, then froze, staring at her in surprise.
Reiko was smiling knowingly.
"Kota, you can't wait to try out, can you? The official training doesn't start until tomorrow, but if your hands are itching, playing a bit today isn't a bad idea."
Her guess had hit the bullseye.
Kota thought about it—he really did want to see the team right away. And since Reiko seemed keen, why object?
"Well, if that's the case, I won't be shy, Miss Reiko. Please, lead the way. I want to see for myself what China's Youth National Team looks like."
Reiko's expression turned satisfied."Great. Let me call us a cab."
"Driver, are you kidding me? Thirty yuan for such a short trip?"
"Miss, prices have been rising like crazy these past years. You're clearly not local—or at least you've been gone for a long time! That's the rate from over a year ago!"
"Don't bluff me. I was born and raised here. And don't even start on inflation—your meter isn't even running! Enough talk, twenty yuan. Otherwise, if I call the cops, we're both in trouble today."
"…You're ruthless, lady. Fine, twenty it is."
And so, amidst haggling and the driver's grumbling curses, Kota experienced his very first taxi ride in China.
He gave Reiko a strange look, never expecting this top-class reporter to also have such… bargaining skills. Maybe it was just part of having a sharp journalist's tongue.
Reiko, unfazed, acted completely natural. In her mind, Kota couldn't understand Chinese anyway, so he had no idea what had just gone down. Little did she know, her "image" had already cracked slightly in his eyes.
Soon, the familiar building came into view. A wave of nostalgia crossed Reiko's face. The last time she'd been here was over four years ago.
Kota noticed her shift in mood but didn't interrupt.
The two stood quietly for a while. Then Reiko shook herself back to reality, turning toward him with an apologetic yet grateful smile.
"Let's go. Time to meet your future teammates."
She strode forward confidently, and Kota followed behind, scanning his surroundings with curiosity.
Just from the facilities alone, it was clear: China was investing more resources into basketball than Japan.
Kota was still reflecting on this when the sound of bouncing basketballs reached his ears.
As expected, several figures were huddled around a hoop, scrimmaging.
One, two, three… seven, eight.
"Four on four?"
Kota counted again, stunned. They were actually running half-court four-on-four.
"Miss Reiko, is this really the entire National Youth Team?"
He couldn't help asking. What kind of national team couldn't even field a full five-on-five scrimmage?
Reiko tilted her head, unsure herself. She gave him a vague answer and then led him to some seats to wait until the players took a break.
Despite being away for so long, Reiko quickly recognized a few familiar faces on the court. With her connections, it wouldn't be hard to get Kota a chance to play a few rounds.
Kota, meanwhile, made himself comfortable, crossing his legs and propping his chin on his hand as he watched.
To be honest, his first impression wasn't great. What serious basketball program had their players run half-court four-on-four drills? The tempo of a full-court game was completely different!
If they were playing full-court four-on-four because of missing numbers, he could understand. But half-court…?
That was just ridiculous.
Still, their skill level wasn't bad. Even through his picky eyes, trained by playing against miracle-level opponents, most of them were decent—at least comparable to Japan's "Uncrowned Kings."
But one player in particular caught his attention: a true big man, standing under the basket.
Easily over 210 cm tall, still with a boyish face—clearly not yet an adult, probably Kota's age.
His finishing around the rim was solid. Despite his huge frame, his defensive footwork and rebounding were impressive compared to players of similar size.
Another possession came. The big guy received a lob, spun, leaned back in an awkward angle, and still tipped the ball into the hoop!
From that one shot, Kota could already tell—this guy had a soft shooting touch. His potential was huge.
Noticing Kota's intrigued expression, Reiko leaned over.
"So? Spot anyone good?"
Kota rubbed his chin. In truth, most of these players were "pretty good" in his eyes. But by professional standards, aside from that big man, the rest were just… average.
"Other than that big guy, the rest are pretty mediocre."