Kuroko's Basketball template: the king of slacking off, Shohoku's strongest sixth man.

I left Anzai's house.

Rukawa Kaede's steps felt as heavy as lead.

My mind is completely blank.

"First, I want to become the number one high school student in Japan."

These words were like a curse, buzzing in his ears.

Rukawa Kaede stopped, looked up at the sky, and felt a tightness in his chest.

Are you afraid I'm not strong enough?

Do you still think I'm too inexperienced?

That ambition to become stronger, to climb to the top and see the view, surged through my chest, causing me excruciating pain.

"squeak--"

A silver-gray sedan slid to the side.

The car window rolled down, revealing Madame Anzai's gentle face.

"Rukawa-kun, it's still a while to the station, let's get on the train."

Rukawa Kaede paused for a moment, instinctively wanting to shake his head: "No need, I..."

"Come up."

Although Lady Anzai's voice was soft, it carried an undeniable force.

"Perfect timing, I also have something I'd like to talk to you about."

……

The carriage was very quiet, with only the slight movement of the air conditioning vents.

Rukawa Kaede huddled in the passenger seat, his eyes fixed on the rushing street scene outside the window, like a withdrawn hedgehog.

Are you blaming him?

Lady Anzai suddenly spoke, getting straight to the point.

Rukawa Kaede pursed his lips and turned his head away: "No."

"Oh, you silly child."

"His mouth is as hard as a rock, but his face says it all."

Mrs. Anzai chuckled softly, tapping her fingers lightly on the steering wheel.

"Actually, he wasn't like this before."

"Back then, he taught at the university and was known for his Spartan-style training, earning him the nickname 'The White-Haired Ghost'."

"Back then, he was ruthless to everyone, especially to a student named Gu Ze."

Mrs. Anzai's gaze pierced through the windshield, as if looking towards a distant past.

"Gu Ze's talent is very similar to yours. The old man wants to mold him into an absolute ace."

"So they practiced the hardest and scolded the most fiercely."

The red light came on, and the car came to a complete stop.

Lady Anzai turned her head, her gaze complex:

"But Gu Ze couldn't stand it one day. He felt that the old man was stifling his talent, so he ran away to America without a word."

Rukawa Kaede's heart skipped a beat.

United States.

That was his dream.

"..." Rukawa Kaede's voice tightened.

"result……"

Mrs. Anzai's fingers, gripping the steering wheel, turned slightly white.

"He simply couldn't adapt to life in America."

"No one taught him the basics, and no one cooperated with him."

"His prized talent was utterly insignificant in that monster-infested place."

Years later, we saw his name in the corner of the newspaper.

The temperature inside the car seemed to plummet to freezing.

"Died in a car accident. Autopsy revealed a drug reaction."

The word "medicine" struck Rukawa Kaede's heart like a heavy hammer.

Even someone as clueless about life as him knows that getting involved with that stuff is like falling into an abyss.

"After Tanizawa died, he left a letter saying that he regretted it, that American basketball was empty, and that he... missed Coach Anzai."

Lady Anzai's voice choked with emotion.

"From that day on, the 'White-Haired Ghost' died."

"He resigned and came to Shohoku, and that's how he became who he is today."

The car slowly came to a stop next to the station.

Lady Anzai looked at Rukawa Kaede with a tender yet sorrowful gaze:

"Rukawa-kun, he's not trying to stop you."

"He's afraid that you won't be ready before that cruel world swallows you up, leaving not even bones behind."

"He doesn't want to see another Gu Ze."

Rukawa Kaede's hand, which was pushing the car door, froze in mid-air.

The wind blew in, ruffling his bangs and also waking him up.

"Thanks."

He lowered his head, his voice was very soft, but it landed with a resounding thud.

"I think... I understand."

……

The next day, at the Shohoku Basketball Gymnasium.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The sound of the basketball hitting the ground mingled with the screeching of the sneakers.

The air was thick with the smell of hormones.

Rukawa Kaede stood on the sidelines, his gaze fixed on the fat old man sitting in a chair drinking tea.

Coach Anzai was watching Sakuragi Hanamichi do his basic exercises with a smile, like a mascot.

Rukawa Kaede took a deep breath, strode over, and stood directly in front of him.

Gone was his usual aloofness; his narrow phoenix eyes were now filled with fire.

"coach."

Anzai Mitsuyoshi looked up, a white light reflecting off his glasses: "Oh, it's Rukawa-kun."

Rukawa Kaede didn't beat around the bush; he went straight to the point.

"Are you... afraid I'll become the next Gu Ze?"

"Clang—"

The teacup lid slipped from my hand and hit the rim of the cup with a sharp, jarring sound.

That eternally kind smile froze instantly.

Shock, pain, remembrance...

Countless emotions surged behind the glasses.

He never expected that this usually quiet and reserved boy would directly tear open the deepest scar in his heart.

The atmosphere was so oppressive it was suffocating.

Just then.

"Hey! Dad!"

An outrageously large hand suddenly reached out.

Without any hesitation, I patted Coach Anzai's layered chin twice.

"Slap! Slap!"

It has an excellent feel, is bouncy and soft, and can bounce back.

The originally somber and sorrowful atmosphere was instantly shattered by this slap.

Sakuragi Hanamichi, sporting his shiny bald head, grinned widely and leaned closer:

"You can't slack off here!"

"Even though you're the coach, you need to stay focused!"

"Look at you, you've gained even more weight!"

As he spoke, he kneaded Coach Anzai's cheeks as if he were kneading dough.

Standing behind Sakuragi, Lin Bei, with his hands in his pockets, lazily yawned:

"Don't ruin the coach's face while you're on the flower path."

"That's collagen, not playdough."

Lin Bei glanced at the stiff Rukawa Kaede, then at Anzai with a complicated expression, and a playful smile appeared on his lips.

Clearly, he heard the entire conversation.

"Fool."

Rukawa glared at Sakuragi.

"What did you say?! You damned fox!"

Sakuragi instantly bristled, veins bulging on his forehead. "Want to fight?!"

"idiot."

Rukawa ignored him and looked back at Coach Anzai.

After Sakuragi's antics, Coach Anzai's stiff expression eased considerably.

He pushed up his glasses, his gaze softening again, but with an unprecedented firmness.

"Rukawa-kun."

Coach Anzai stood up.

Although she is round-figured.

But at this moment, he exuded the imposing aura of a former "national champion".

"I believe in your willpower, and I also believe that your talent surpasses that of Gu Ze."

"But you are not good enough as you are now."

"Prove it to me before you go to America."

"First, become the number one high school student."

Rukawa's eyes lit up instantly.

"Yes."

It was the gleam of a wild beast locking onto its prey.

A soft chuckle came from the side.

Lin Bei leaned against the basketball hoop, twirling the basketball between his fingertips.

His tone was as casual as if he were discussing what to have for dinner: "With me here, that might be a bit difficult."

He looked at Rukawa Kaede with a hint of amusement in his eyes, but more so with the composure of a strong person.

That confidence that emanated from his very being made the surrounding temperature seem to drop a few degrees.

"You want to surpass me and become number one?"

"You still need to practice more, Rukawa."

Rukawa Kaede turned his head and stared intently at Lin Bei.

There was no rebuttal, no anger.

Only a stronger fighting spirit.

He knew Lin Bei was very strong, strong like a monster.

But that's precisely why he stayed.

If I don't defeat these two people in front of me...

Lin Bei, and that guy named Xian Dao.

Going to America was just an escape.

Rukawa Kaede turned back to Coach Anzai and bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle.

"Please continue to guide me, Coach."