"I'm asking… do you want to play basketball in China?"
…
…
"Uh… Miss Masako, just to avoid any weird misunderstandings…"
Kota rubbed his temples, feeling like he had just been hit with way too much information.
"Let me get this straight… you're not talking about a quick trip to China for sightseeing and maybe a casual game, right?"
Araki stayed silent, staring at him with those sharp, beautiful eyes.
"Okay, okay, relax. I was just kidding. Don't look so serious."
Kota gave an awkward chuckle before straightening up."All right, Miss Masako. I'm listening."
Seeing him suddenly sitting there all attentive, Araki hesitated for a moment before saying carefully,
"I have a friend who's a basketball reporter in China. She happens to be working in Tokyo right now. If you want to go pro while staying out of the Japanese Basketball Association's radar… you might want to consider…"
"Changing nationality!"
Araki let out a long breath. She had finally said what she'd been thinking for so long. Now, it was all up to Kota's reaction.
She looked at him. He was half-leaning back, looking like he had spaced out. After waiting a bit and getting no response, she finally kicked him.
"Uh?? What??"
Kota snapped out of it, quickly raising his hands in surrender when he saw Araki's annoyed expression.
"Relax, I was thinking about it!"
He went right back to that "deep-thinking" pose.
On the outside, he just looked lost in thought. But in his head, he was already talking to the system.
Question: If I change nationality and join another country's team, does the main quest count as complete?
Answer: !
The moment the reply came, Kota jumped off the couch, excitement all over his face.
He had found it! The way to complete this cursed new main quest!
"No problem, Miss Masako. When can I meet this reporter friend of yours? Let's have a chat."
Kota looked so pumped up, like someone had just handed him a golden ticket, that Araki could only stare at him with a big question mark over her head.
"You… agreed that fast?"
She really hadn't expected him to say yes so casually, no hesitation whatsoever… unless you count the bit where he looked like he was trying to solve a quantum physics problem.
"Maybe you should think about it more carefully. Changing nationality is a big deal. Don't you want to talk to your family… oh, wait. Sorry. I forgot."
She had been about to suggest discussing it with his family when she suddenly remembered his situation. Realizing what she had said, she quickly apologized, looking embarrassed.
Kota waved it off like it was nothing, but to Araki, his reaction looked like he was just pretending to be strong.
Her gaze softened immediately. Even her usual ice-cold expression cracked, showing a hint of a smile.
Kota: "…"
Seriously, if you don't know how to smile, don't force it…
A bead of sweat slid down his face, but her unusual reaction did give him a reminder.
Sure, deep down, Kota was still the same college student from his past life. But right now, this body of his? Born and raised in Japan.
To him, changing nationality to China was no big deal. His mind and values were already shaped by Chinese culture. But to outsiders? Deciding something that big in seconds? With zero hesitation? It would seem like this guy had no attachments at all.
Realizing this, Kota covered his mouth with one hand, pretending to struggle internally before turning to Araki with a serious look.
"Miss Masako, this decision… it's not easy for me. But…"
He took a deep breath, as if he had finally made up his mind after a long mental battle."
I want to try! My journey can't stop here. I want to play on a bigger stage!"
He flopped back onto the couch, hands covering his face like he was overwhelmed with emotion. Through his fingers, though, he sneaked a glance at Araki's expression.
As expected, she looked completely convinced. She actually believed he had gone through some intense soul-searching before agreeing.
Perfect. A full score performance.
Out of her sight, Kota smirked briefly before wiping his face hard and putting on a "forced" smile.
"So, when do we meet her? I can't wait to put on that Chinese National Youth Team jersey!"
Araki gave him a look but didn't call him out. After thinking for a moment, she said,
"The day after tomorrow. I'll pick you up from school."
"Got it."
Kota nodded cheerfully, then smirked at her.
"Miss Masako, don't you have anything else to tell me? Maybe a love confession? You know, I'm bad at rejecting people…"
Shing!
The sound of a blade being drawn.
"Whoa! I was watching you the whole time! Where the heck did that sword come from?! Are you some kind of superhuman?!"
Kota stared in shock. Araki had somehow pulled out a full-sized katana right under his nose. For a hardcore realist like him, this scene was straight-up breaking the laws of physics.
Araki didn't answer. She just smiled.
Danger Sense.
Even without the system's warning, Kota's arm hairs stood on end the moment she drew the blade.
No hesitation—he bolted. Sprinting to the gym's exit, he yelled back,
"See you! Don't stay up too late!"
He shoved the gym door open and vanished down the street.
Inside the gym, watching him run like his life depended on it, Araki chuckled softly. Looking toward the door where he disappeared, she murmured,
"China… how far is it from here?"
The night passed quietly.
...
Early Morning, in a Small Apartment
Reiko, who normally wouldn't get out of bed before noon, had woken up early today. She spent extra time getting ready, making sure everything was perfect.
With practiced precision, she applied lipstick evenly, pressed her lips together, then smiled at the mirror before stepping back to check her outfit one last time.
She wore a light coffee-colored dress with a cream silk scarf tucked neatly into the open collar, pinned with a large ruby brooch. A dark purple plaid cape draped elegantly over her shoulders, completing the look.
Perfect.
She was nearly thirty, but with her striking looks and flawless makeup skills, she was confident. Bagging a high school boy? Please. That was child's play.
"Alright… let's do this!"
Reiko clenched her fist in determination. Today, she was going to meet Kota—and launch the first "official attack" on behalf of Chinese basketball recruitment in Japan!
"Taxi! Take me to Shark Gym, please."
She flagged one down with elegance, reporting the meeting place that Araki had given her.
But halfway through the ride, she realized the driver kept glancing at her through the rearview mirror.
Reiko wasn't some naïve schoolgirl anymore. She noticed it immediately.
She didn't let any discomfort show on her face, though. Instead, she casually fixed her hair, letting the man get a good look.
Big mistake.
The guy got so distracted he nearly drove them straight into an oncoming truck.
"Driver, maybe focus on the road instead of me?" Reiko said sweetly, holding onto her seat.
The truck driver slammed his brakes, swerved in time, and then unleashed a string of curses at the taxi driver through the window.
The taxi driver, instead of apologizing, cursed right back.
And that was how Reiko spent the rest of the ride—trapped between two men in a full-blown road-rage showdown.
By the time they finally reached Shark Gym, her head was pounding.
As soon as she stepped out, the taxi spun around and drove off like it was late for round two with the truck.
Maybe it was.
Reiko sighed, fixed her hair again, and looked up at the gym entrance. She was about to meet Kota, and everything had to be perfect.
She rehearsed the plan:
Walk in. Flip the hair. Sweet smile the moment their eyes meet.
It was foolproof. For any high school boy, this was a direct hit.
With absolute confidence, she pushed open the gym doors.
Heads turned immediately.
Step one: hair flip. Nailed it.
Step two: spot Kota…
Reiko scanned the room with her best "sweet girl" smile ready to go.
But Kota wasn't there.
Instead, there was only Araki, sitting on the couch with her usual poker face.
Wait. What? Where was the main target?
Reiko blinked, momentarily thrown off, but quickly regained composure.
"Good morning!" she greeted smoothly, switching off the charm offensive for now.
She sat across from Araki and asked casually, "Um… Kota isn't here?"
Araki nodded slightly. "He has school during the day. I'll bring him tonight."
"Oh… right. Of course."
Yeah, sure. Totally reasonable.
Except… what was the point of dragging her here at noon, then?!
Araki, apparently reading her mind, sipped her tea and said,
"Since his legal guardian isn't in Japan and he's still underage, I handle all negotiations on his behalf. By the time you meet him, the deal will already be decided."
Reiko cursed internally but smiled flawlessly.
"You're always so thorough."
She paused, then added,
"But I do think there are some questions only Kota himself can answer. That's why meeting him in person is important."
Araki raised an eyebrow, signaling her to go on.
Reiko pulled out her notebook—professional reporters came prepared, after all.
"For example, the question I asked on the phone last time" she said, watching Araki closely.
"Why hasn't the Japanese Basketball Association scouted Kota for the national team?"
She had noticed Araki avoided answering that before. That hesitation was exactly what Reiko wanted—it gave her leverage in the negotiation.
Sure enough, Araki frowned slightly but said nothing right away.
Reiko's curiosity only grew.
It wasn't just about control of the conversation; she genuinely wanted to know.
She had watched the Winter Cup recordings. Kota was without question one of the top players of his generation.
At point guard, the only name in his league was Akashi, the prodigy every Japanese basketball fan knew.
And yet, even Rakuzan, Akashi's team, had lost in the finals—to Kaijo, led by Kise and Kota.
Do the math.
Kota > Akashi.
Reiko, being thorough, had even dug up the Interhigh footage after discovering his potential.
She had watched every single Kaijo game and came to two conclusions:
First: Kota's playing style was so seasoned, so cunning, that you couldn't evaluate him by normal high school standards at all.
Second: From the previous Interhigh all the way to the end of the Winter Cup, Kota had been evolving at a terrifying pace!
Back in the Interhigh, Kota was basically just an offensive-minded point guard with Swiss-cheese defense.
Reiko, having watched countless players over the years, could see things on the court far more clearly than most.
Sure, she didn't know why so many players looked hesitant when facing Kota's defense, but the few who actually dared to go one-on-one against him? They scored at a pretty solid rate.
At that time, Kota was basically the kind of defender who—if you had the guts to attack him—would let you score right over his head.
Considering his excellent playmaking and offensive skills but also his defensive holes, Reiko concluded that, from a professional basketball perspective, Kota was… well, average at best.
But then came the Winter Cup.
Reiko could hardly believe it. Was the Kota from the Interhigh really the same player as the one in the Winter Cup?
The same game control, the same perfect sense of rhythm, the same well-timed isolation scoring—but now, his ability to dominate on offense had actually taken another leap forward!
Still, that alone only showed his offensive talent. It wasn't enough to make Reiko truly shocked.
What really caught her attention was his defense—his stats were skyrocketing like he'd strapped himself to a rocket.
Time after time, he locked down the opposing team's ace. Even late in the game, his defensive pressure never let up. He even had multiple games where he shut down one player completely from start to finish!
In just six short months, Kota had gone from an offense-only player to a two-way cornerstone for the team.
As far as Reiko was concerned, unless there was some bizarre hidden reason, there was no way the Japanese Basketball Association could overlook a talent like this—unless they were blind.
Unfortunately… while the Association wasn't completely blind, their eyesight clearly wasn't great either.
By now, Araki had been silent for a long time, but the curiosity in Reiko's eyes hadn't faded one bit.
Whether for her own curiosity or for the sake of China's national youth team, she needed the answer to this question.
Realizing there was no way to dodge it, Araki clicked her tongue and finally said:
"Kota's physical talent is too limited. The Association doesn't believe he has a future."
…Huh?
Reiko's face instantly said, Are you kidding me right now?
The guy improved this much in just half a year, and you're telling me he has no future?
Yeah, right. Reiko wasn't buying it for a second.
She still suspected there was another reason—like maybe he had a bad temper or something.
After all, she had read a news article before about Kota punching another player mid-game!
But after digging deeper, she found out the other player had used dirty tactics and injured a Kaijo teammate first. Kota only lost his cool after that.
So personality-wise? He seemed fine to her.
Reiko nodded to herself. For Chinese basketball, as long as Kota didn't have any major issues, they could overlook a lot.
"Alright. You answered my question, but I still want to talk to Kota face-to-face. Before that, though, can I show you the proposal our Association prepared?"
Reiko clapped her hands lightly, steering the conversation to the next topic. When Araki nodded in agreement, she smoothly pulled a document out of her bag.
It was the official recruitment proposal prepared by the Chinese Basketball Association for overseas players like Kota.
From experience, Reiko knew high school players never actually read the entire thing.
They'd flip through a couple of pages, maybe glance at the cover, then toss it aside like homework.
Even if her opponent was someone as composed as Araki, Reiko didn't expect anything different this time.
And sure enough, Araki barely skimmed the first couple of pages before setting the whole thing down again.
Reiko smirked inwardly. If even Araki couldn't be bothered, there was no way Kota would read it.
This recruitment was under her control. And with Reiko in charge, there was no way this plan would fail.