"Hard to say for sure~"
With that single remark from Sun, the atmosphere at the dinner table instantly turned tense.
Reiko's brows furrowed slightly, her gaze sharp as she stared him down.Kota was her personal find — a player she'd scouted and convinced to leave Japan. Anyone daring to belittle him might as well slap her across the face.
Even Tree-bro — ever the cheerful mediator — sensed something was off. But given his position, he didn't have the right to step in.
As for Kota, the center of attention, he wasn't rattled. Calmly mimicking Sun's motions, he lifted his teacup, took a slow sip, and then met Coach Hai's eyes across the table.
His meaning was obvious: Your disciple's attitude says one thing, but I'd like to hear what his teacher has to say.
And sure enough — the moment their eyes met, Ebi broke into hearty laughter. He patted Sun's back and said,
"Don't worry! I already checked him out myself. Kota's the real deal — you'll be more than satisfied!"
"Haha, Master, you're teasing me. Of course, I trust your judgment — I just thought it'd be good to talk to him myself, get a feel for the kind of player he is."
Sun chuckled, his expression easing up. He'd spoken in Japanese deliberately — no attempt to hide his earlier jab. Turning toward Kota, he smiled and extended his right hand.
"Nice to meet you, Kota. That earlier comment was just a joke, I hope you didn't take it too seriously."
Kota narrowed his eyes slightly, then reached out and shook the man's hand.
"Nice to meet you too, Coach Sun. Don't worry — and by the way, your Japanese is really good."
"Really? Haha, I've been practicing, actually!"
Sun rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish grin. But behind his easygoing demeanor, a spark of approval flashed in his eyes.
"This kid's composed. If his skills match his temperament, he might just be the cornerstone my master talked about. Let's see how he plays first."
Their handshake ended, and Sun gave a subtle nod toward Ebi, who stroked his beard, visibly pleased. He knew his disciple well — if Sun wasn't sneering or grilling a player, it meant he'd seen potential.
And for a team trying to rise, when your star player and coach can actually stand on the same page — that's the first step to success.
"Alright, alright, let's eat" Ebi finally said with a grin.
The test was over, and soon the table filled with the fragrance of freshly served dishes.
In China, mealtime was sacred — even more so when guests were involved.
Since Kota wasn't yet used to Chinese cuisine, Ebi had thoughtfully chosen a menu leaning toward Japanese flavors.
Kota kept a neutral expression, but mentally made a note of the gesture.
Before long, as everyone started tasting the food and filling their bowls, conversation began to flow again — mostly small talk, nostalgia, and sports gossip.
In China, it was practically a cultural trait: people bonded over food and chatter. Even an old-school coach like Ebi wasn't immune. He and Sun began reminiscing about their glory days.
Kota, meanwhile, stayed quiet, head down, doing what he did best — eating.
Reiko, however, was getting restless. Back in Japan, she could easily maintain her "refined and professional" mask. But now, on home soil, her inner chaos was leaking through.
She dropped her chopsticks "accidentally", crouched slightly as if to pick them up — and whispered toward Kota:
"Hey, Kota. What do you say we sneak out — tell them we're going to the restroom and just never come back?"
Kota blinked, staring down at her mid-chew, a piece of chicken wing still in his mouth.
"Wait… why? Don't tell me… the food's poisoned?"
Reiko: "…"
"No, idiot! The food's fine! It's them! I can't take this suffocating 'respect-your-elders' vibe anymore!"
Kota sighed.
"So… you want to bail on a dinner with the national head coach and his mentor because you're bored?"
Reiko nodded, dead serious.
Kota rolled his eyes and went back to eating. If there was one thing that could silence him, it was good food — and this place definitely delivered.
The flavors were incredible — a perfect blend of Chinese craft and Japanese familiarity. Each bite reminded him why he'd agreed to this whole "return to China" project in the first place.
Reiko noticed he wasn't budging and slumped in defeat, stabbing idly at her food. She prayed — begged, even — that the dinner would end soon.
But prayers don't end conversations between old coaches.
An hour passed. The two elders were still going strong, deep in discussion as if time didn't exist.
Even Kota was starting to lose patience. After an hour of non-stop eating, his usually unstoppable appetite was finally giving up.
He set down his chopsticks and listened to the endless chatter with a blank stare.
Luckily, being a "foreign guest" came with one advantage — he didn't have to follow every stiff dining etiquette rule.
After catching Reiko's desperate glances for what had to be the tenth time, Kota finally stood up and said, "Coach Ebi, Coach Sun — I'm really sorry, but I'm getting a bit sleepy. Would it be alright if Reiko took me back to rest?"
He gave Reiko a quick glance — she was already looking at him like he'd just saved her life.
"Truth is, this is about the time I usually go to bed," Kota added with a straight face.
A bold lie. The clock on the wall had just hit 8 p.m.
But Ebi bought it instantly. "Hmm, you're right… it is late. My doctor's been telling me to sleep earlier, too. Getting old can't be helped!"
He waved a hand. "Alright then! Go on, go rest, you've had a long day."
Reiko was on her feet before he finished the sentence, practically sprinting toward the door.
Kota followed more calmly, bowing politely to each of them before heading out.
Just as he reached the doorway, Sun called out, "Wait a moment, Kota."
Kota turned around. Sun was smiling, hand raised.
"Rest well. And don't forget — tomorrow, training with the national youth team starts. I'll be there waiting."
"So he's going to test me again, huh?"
Kota didn't let his face show anything. He nodded, gave another polite bow, and stepped out.
"What a polite kid," Shu said with admiration.
Then, after a beat, he couldn't help comparing the two of them.
…And within one second, he sighed, shaking his head.
"Yeah… no competition there. That boy's in a whole different league."
...
At the same time—
Just as Reiko bounced out of the private dining room, practically skipping with joy, an unexpected tickle hit her nose.
"Ah-choo!"
The sneeze burst out, but it didn't dampen her excitement one bit. Finally free from that suffocating dinner that had nearly driven her mad, Reiko was practically glowing with relief.
"So, where are we going, Kota? There's a bunch of great places to eat nearby too! But… after stuffing yourself like that, you can't still be hungry, right? Hmm, let me think—maybe we can go somewhere fun…"
As Reiko eagerly pulled out her phone to search for entertainment spots, Kota licked his lips but didn't interrupt her. Sure, the main goal of this trip to China was to switch nationalities — but that didn't mean he had to be all business. A little fun wouldn't hurt. If anything, he was happy to treat this like a vacation.
"There's a theme park nearby! But… I guess Japan has those too, right? Oh, wait—there's also a big public square to the left. Lots of middle-aged ladies dancing out there. You've probably never seen that back in Japan! Though, I doubt you'd be interested…"
Reiko kept rambling, full of energy, describing everything around them as if she were the tour guide and the tourist all at once.In truth, she was enjoying this just as much as she pretended to be doing it for him.
But while she was busy scrolling through her phone, she didn't notice something — Kota had stopped walking.
He stood still, brow furrowed slightly, like he was deep in thought.
"Sorry, Miss Reiko," he said in a deliberately polite Japanese tone. "Plans have changed… we really do need to go back home and sleep now."
Reiko blinked, confused by the sudden shift in tone, but Kota wasn't even looking at her anymore. His gaze was tilted upward, as though staring at something invisible above his line of sight.
If only Reiko could see what he was seeing — she would have understood instantly.
Right before Kota's eyes, a translucent screen only he could see had appeared.
At the top, glowing in golden letters, were the words:
[Main Mission — Join the National Youth Team: COMPLETED]
…
A loud thud! echoed through the room as the door slammed shut. Ignoring Reiko's voice yelling from the hallway, Kota sprinted to the bed and threw himself onto it like a man who'd just crossed the finish line of a marathon.
"Finally… this damn main mission!" he groaned, half-laughing, half-crying.
His joy was hard to contain.
Ever since being rejected twice by Japan's Basketball Association last year, Kota had honestly thought this mission was impossible to complete.
But now—after a full year of struggle—he'd finally done it. He'd joined the Chinese National Youth Team.
"The mission only said National Youth Team, not which country's team. Guess even this dumb system has its flexible moments."
He opened the glowing interface again, staring at the golden text across the mission screen: Mission Complete. Taking a deep breath, he suppressed the grin creeping across his face.
"Claim reward."
At his command, the screen radiated a dazzling golden light.A familiar excitement stirred in his chest — like that rush before opening a rare loot box.
[Congratulations, Host. Mission complete. Reward distributing.]
[Congratulations — new Tactical Board unlocked: Run-and-Gun Offense!]
Run-and-Gun Offense
A high-tempo strategy born in a lesser-known basketball academy, built on relentless motion to exhaust opponents and create optimal shooting opportunities.
As the description appeared, Kota felt a wave of information surge into his mind — tactical diagrams, player movement paths, timing cues, even conditioning patterns.
His eyes gleamed. "So that's how this system works… you can use it like that?"
The newly minted Run-and-Gun expert smirked, flipping through the new strategies imprinted in his brain. For a moment, his fingers twitched with the urge to test them right away.
"Tch, calm down, calm down… I spent a whole year on this mission. There's no way that's the only reward, right?"
The mechanical voice returned, flat and emotionless.
[Congratulations, Host. New Talent acquired: Israeli Military Combat Technique.]
Israeli Military Combat Technique:
A hybrid close-quarters system combining traits of multiple martial arts — including judo, boxing, aikido, and wrestling.
"…Okay, so my combat power's going up again—wait, WHAT?!"
Kota shot up from the bed, his face caught between disbelief and outrage.
He stared at the talent list — sure enough, there it was, glowing faintly: Israeli Military Combat Technique.
"You trying to turn me into an MMA fighter now?! If you're out of basketball rewards, can't you just increase my height or wingspan instead?"
He pressed a palm to his forehead, exhaling sharply before finally closing the panel with a sigh.
"Fine, whatever. Maybe it's not useless. At least next time I'm trash-talking on the court, I can back it up with something. Too bad I didn't have this when I faced Haizaki back then…"
Kota clicked his tongue. He wasn't sure how effective the new skill was, but with "military combat" in the name, it had to be serious business.
If he'd had this ability back during that scuffle with Haizaki, things might've gone… very differently.
"Anyway, what's next? Don't tell me that's it."
Arms crossed, he challenged the system again. He wasn't giving up until he'd squeezed every last drop of reward out of it.
[Congratulations, Host. New Reward acquired: Professional Player Experience Pack.]
Professional Player Experience Pack:
Contains accumulated experience from multiple pro basketball careers. Greatly enhances basketball IQ and player instinct.
"Well, would you look at that — something normal for once."
Kota chuckled, feeling the flood of new insights fill his mind. Suddenly, past plays, movements, and in-game decisions flashed through his head — showing him dozens of things he could've done better before.
"Now this is what I call a good reward."
He nodded, satisfied, about to close the screen when another notification chimed in.
"…Wait. There's more?"
This was already the fourth reward. Even Kota was stunned.
[Congratulations, Host. New Talent unlocked: Zone Mode — Shared Version.]
The reward page was as simple and understated as always, but the moment his body reacted, Kota knew this one was different.
His heartbeat quickened. Just from the name alone, it sounded insane.
"'Shared Zone Mode,' huh? That's gotta be something crazy…"
He tapped it open with trembling fingers and began reading carefully, line by line.
[Can be activated once per match. Transfers the user's intent through a basketball pass. The receiving teammate experiences a temporary boost in focus and mental clarity, sharing part of the host's basketball vision and IQ.
PS: If the host is currently in Zone Mode when activating, the teammate will temporarily enter Zone Mode as well.]
"…Holy—!"
Kota froze, staring at his reflection in the glass window.
He pressed a hand against his cheek — the pain was real. No dream.
"This is insane…" he muttered. "With this… Kaijo's invincible!"
…
…
Meanwhile, across the ocean — at an airport.
Several tall figures walked toward the departure gates. At the front of the group, a man wearing large sunglasses grinned with mockery curling at his lips.
"Japan, huh?" he said with a smirk. "Here we come."