Black Basketball: A false start

Chapter 35 Enlightenment
"Haizaki was not recruited through the normal basketball club recruitment, but was directly recommended to me by Shuzo." Shirogane Kozo smacked his lips and said to Kaneki Ken, "Just like he recommended you and Aomine Daiki and the others."

After listening to this, Kaneki Ken was silent for a while and said, "Thank you coach and senior for your trust."

"That doesn't fit Nijimura's character," Shirokane Kozo said with a sigh. "He's a man who takes basketball very seriously. After he entered Teiko Junior High School last year, Teiko Junior High School officially completed its transformation from a strong team in Tokyo to a dominant team in Tokyo."

"Nijimura-senpai is indeed very strong." Kaneki Ken agreed, "I will learn from Nijimura-senpai."

"That's not necessary. You and Shuzo are very similar, both are natural leaders, but your styles are different." Shirogane Kozo sat down on a bench by the street, patted the seat next to him and said, "Oh, I'm old, my back hurts after walking such a short distance... Kaneki-san, you sit down too."

"Thank you, coach." Kaneki Ken thanked him and sat down next to Shirogane Kozo.

"Do you know what the biggest difference between you and Shuzo is?" Shirogane Kozo looked at the rising star beside him who had emerged from Teiko Junior High School.

"I..." Kaneki Ken felt as if he had grasped something, but not completely.

"You are so contradictory." Shirogane Kozo looked at Kaneki Ken, who had been thinking for a long time and still had no answer, and directly gave the answer.

"Contradiction?" Kaneki Ken seemed to be asking himself, but also seemed to be asking Shirogane Kozo.

"Yes, it's contradictory." Shirogane Kozo took out two cans of Coke from his bag and handed one to Kaneki Ken. "Shuzo is like a basketball idiot. Everything he does is to ensure that Teiko is on the road to victory. He doesn't care whether he is the most important part of the team or not."

"But you're different." Shirogane Kozo opened the can, took a big gulp and continued, "I feel like you already know you're going to win before every game - it's good to have this kind of confidence, but because you're too sure of your intuition, your performance in the game is more like a show."

"Indeed, your talent has matured very quickly, and it's understandable that you treat the game as an exhibition match - but this is where you're conflicted. You want to be the best actor, but you also want to take your teammates' ideas into consideration. This results in you not having fun after every game. I can say responsibly that I've been observing you for a long time, Kaneki-san. Whether it's today's county tournament or the previous practice match, you've never laughed from the bottom of your heart after the game. To you, the game is more like a task."

"Coach, I..." Kaneki Ken was speechless after what Shirogane Kozo said. Shirogane Kozo's vision was indeed very accurate.

"You don't have to explain first, Kaneki-san, I just want to ask you, do you like basketball? What do you want to get from basketball?" Shirogane Kozo asked earnestly.

Shirogane Kozo's light words were like thunder exploding in Kaneki Ken's heart. Kaneki Ken certainly didn't hate basketball, but he didn't like it that much either.

In the eyes of everyone, he is a self-disciplined maniac who trains hard day after day and is an absolute ace who can do everything on the court. However, he knows that he is only doing this to complete the system's tasks. Like Murasakibara, he is just pushed to this point by his talent.

"Coach... I... I don't know..." Kaneki Ken, who was like a lion king on the court, now seemed as fragile as a child.

"Don't feel so guilty, Kaneki-san." Shirogane Kozo touched Kaneki Ken's head and comforted him, "Do you know why I agreed to Nijimura Shuzo's proposal to promote you directly to the First Army, and even adjusted the tactics of the entire First Army for this?"

"I don't know, coach." Kaneki Ken said with a depressed look. "Because I believe in the future. I believe that the outstanding talents hidden in you are like seeds, which will surely bloom into beautiful flowers in the future." Shirogane Kozo said while looking up at the bright moon in the sky, "Waiting and expectation, this is the greatest help I, as a coach, can give you."

"Believe...in the future..." Kaneki Ken murmured.

"Yes, believe in the future, believe in your future teammates, and believe in your future self. You are still young, and sooner or later you will find your own way. By then, maybe when I go out and chat with old friends, I can brag about you and say that I, Kozo Platinum, have trained the best player in the world." Kozo Platinum said kindly to Ken Kaneki.

"The best...player!" After hearing these words from Shirogane Kozo, Kaneki Ken's eyes became brighter and brighter, and his originally confused and anxious heart also became relaxed.

"Coach!" Kaneki Ken said in a deep voice, "I know what I want!"

"Oh?" Shirogane Kozo looked at Kaneki Ken with a smile on his face and said, "It's good that you can find your own way. You don't have to tell me, just show me."

"I understand, coach!" A look of confidence appeared on Kaneki Ken's face.

"It is detected that the host has completed the hidden side quest: Enlightenment. The reward is a random blind box. The system will automatically upgrade within 24 hours." Just when Kaneki Ken found his own target, the system prompt sound came from his mind.

"Okay, Kaneki-san, let's end our chat tonight here. It's getting late, so go home quickly." Seeing that his purpose of enlightening Kaneki Ken tonight had been achieved, Shirogane Kozo stood up and said goodbye to Kaneki Ken.

"Thank you for your guidance, coach. I will work hard." Kaneki Ken sincerely bowed to Shirogane Kozo to express his gratitude.

"Kana~" Shirogane Kozo patted Kaneki Ken's arm with satisfaction, then turned and left gracefully.

Kaneki Ken looked at Shirogane Kozo's departing back, and turned to walk home. Under the moonlight, Kaneki Ken's figure was stretched out, and the smoke and dust raised by the endless stream of cars made Kaneki Ken feel the atmosphere of fireworks.

The next day, the Teiko Junior High School basketball team had an evening training session.

"Xiao Yan is very happy today! This is the first time that he is so devoted to training." Tao Jing Satsuki looked at Kaneki Ken who was sweating profusely on the court, with a gentle smile in her eyes, "Xiao Yan has joined the basketball team for a long time, but it is not until now that I feel that he has truly integrated into the basketball team."

"Oh, really? Isn't that great?" Shirogane Kozo listened to Momoi Satsuki's happy voice and looked at the people training on the field with a smile. The white hair on his temples reflected the light of experience under the light.

"It's really immeasurable! What these children will look like when they fully blossom..." Shirogane Kozo murmured with some anticipation.

The plot twist and progression is a bit difficult, let me think about it, and I will try to have the third chapter tonight. Thank you all for your monthly tickets and recommendation tickets, I am very grateful.

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(End of this chapter)