Kuroko's Basketball: I'm not the boss?

Lingzi was naturally happy to go. She hadn't been back to China for so long, and while she was still on the plane, she started counting on her fingers where she was going.

However, she still had to ask Xiangyang's opinion.

"Let's go to your place later, drop off our luggage, and then go out for a walk, okay? There's so much good food and fun things to do in China!"

There was no need for Lingzi to translate; Xiangyang could understand what Brother Shu was saying perfectly well, and he subconsciously wanted to refuse Lingzi.

He didn't come to China for fun. After passing the trial and successfully changing his nationality, he'll have plenty of time to experience the local customs and culture.

Right now, all he's thinking about is passing the trial as soon as possible, then going back to Japan, playing matches, and seeing Masako.

However, before he could even utter his refusal, he met Ling Zixi's expectant gaze. The words "I want to go out and play" were practically etched onto her face!

Xiangyang: ...

"I'm fine."

With a sigh of relief, Xiangyang agreed to Shu Ge and Lingzi's arrangement. Listening to Lingzi's cheerful shouts beside him, he kept reassuring himself.

It's okay, half a day won't make a difference.

……

……

Meanwhile, neon

It's time for the Haichang High School basketball team members to have their daily training session.

The Kaijo duo in the paint are discussing their defensive strategies and rebounding techniques; Hashimoto Yuuki is constantly dribbling with her head down, figuring out how to enter the "zone"; and there's someone who keeps looking up at the ball while shooting.

Ryota Kise at the main gate of the building.

With a creak.

The doors to the Haichang Gymnasium were pushed open.

Kise's eyes lit up, and he immediately turned to look. However, the person who entered was Genta Takeuchi.

Kise's eyes visibly dimmed.

"coach."

"Hello, Coach."

Although it has been a long time since we've seen Takeuchi at the stadium, as a player, he still has the most basic respect for his coach.

Everyone on the team, including a disappointed Kise, greeted Takeuchi.

Takeuchi nodded slightly, glanced around at the Kaijo group, paused for a moment when his gaze passed over Kise, and then spoke loudly.

"The national competition preliminaries will begin in two weeks. During this time, I hope everyone will train diligently and prepare actively..."

Hmm, another bowl of familiar Takeuchi chicken soup. But this summer, the chicken soup seems to have come exceptionally early. In the past, this segment would only appear about two days before the competition.

This time, even the freshmen at Kaijo University, and even Yuki, weren't listening attentively and were all daydreaming. Kise, in particular, had a furrowed brow and kept looking towards the entrance of the gym.

That figure, who should have appeared long ago, has yet to show up.

Honestly, he's gotten too cocky since becoming the team leader. Being a minute or two late is one thing, but it's been almost twenty minutes and Xiao Xiangyang still hasn't arrived!

Kise was filled with resentment and secretly vowed that when Xiangyang came, he would keep an eye on him until he finished a hundred push-ups!

Just then, Takeuchi's motivational speech came to an end. He cleared his throat, looked at the Kaijo group who seemed about to disperse, slapped his forehead as if he had just remembered something, and said, "Oh right, Xiangyang has taken leave. I'll be organizing the training for a while. Don't you all slack off!"

After saying that, Takeuchi clicked his tongue, seemingly still wanting more. It had been a long time since he'd been to the arena, and he was still a little out of sorts.

That's all for today! Let them play some practice matches on their own later.

Having made up his mind, Takeuchi was about to leave when he turned around and saw that, without him noticing, the Kaijo group had already surrounded him in a circle.

"What are you doing? Are you trying to rebel?"

Takeuchi was stunned. Wasn't everything fine just a moment ago?

"Coach, you just said that Xiao Xiangyang asked for leave?"

Kise was the first to ask a question, his face looking rather grim. The palpitations he felt a few days ago were real.

"What happened to Senior Xiangyang?"

This time it was Yuki's turn. He looked very nervous. Although he had been scolded by Xiangyang once, he quickly realized that Xiangyang was trying to help him.

"Is Senior Xiangyang sick? Which hospital is he in?!"

Finally, there was Hiroshi Ohara. He was probably the most anxious of everyone present, and he even had a preconceived notion that Hikaru was sick and needed someone to take care of him!

Following that, the rest of the Haichang team also asked questions. Although Xiangyang was not the oldest senior player on the team, his excellent skills and sociable personality made him the most prestigious player on Haichang right now!

Since Hiroshi Ohara started it, the others subconsciously assumed that Hikari had a health problem or that there had been a change in his family.

Only by knowing in advance

It's highly unlikely that Kise, who knows about Xiangyang's past, would know either of these two scenarios. After all, he was playing basketball here yesterday, and now he's sick? A family crisis... He's already had a crisis, how much worse could it be?

But it was precisely because of this that Kise became even more curious about what was wrong with Hikaru.

“Speak up, coach.”

"How long is Senior Xiangyang's leave?"

"Is it serious? We want to go see him!"

With everyone chiming in, the Haichang Stadium instantly transformed into a bustling marketplace.

"Shut up, all of you!"

Takeuchi was at his wits' end, but he gave a sharp shout and stabilized the situation.

"Listen up, everyone! Xiangyang isn't sick, and neither are his family members! He only asked me for leave because...because..."

Takeuchi's heart skipped a beat.

Oh no! He doesn't know either. This kid shouldn't say anything!

Seeing that Takeuchi stopped speaking, Kaijo and the others exchanged glances, and the scene at the market was about to unfold again.

"Damn Xiangyang!!!"

Surrounded by the crowd, Takeuchi covered his head with his hands, looking utterly devastated. He made up his mind: when Xiangyang comes back, he will never grant him leave again! And he will never set foot in the basketball court again!

Well, except when posting inspirational quotes...

……

……

"There's a supermarket not far to the right after you go out, and there are also many places to eat nearby. These daily expenses can be reimbursed by the Basketball Association. If you really can't get used to Chinese food, Lingzi can come over to the vegetable market on the left to cook for you, or you can come to my house for dinner. My kids will definitely be happy to see foreigners."

As Shu Ge pushed open the door to the players' apartment, he greeted Xiang Yang with an air of importance.

Then he realized that he couldn't understand the language. No matter how enthusiastic and sunny he was, he wouldn't understand. So he winked at Lingzi and asked for help from a translator.

Lingzi translated Shuge's words into Japanese and explained them to Xiangyang. However, she wasn't being a very honest translator and secretly omitted the part where Shuge asked her to cook for Xiangyang. Well, as the only person present who was proficient in multiple languages, she could be so capricious!

Xiangyang naturally noticed the difference between the two statements, but he didn't point it out. He just glanced at Lingzi with amusement and then bowed slightly to Brother Shu to express his gratitude.

Whether it was the Chinese Basketball Association's intention or Shu Ge's own, he felt a sense of goodwill from it.

However, China is different from Japan; they are not as strict about etiquette. When Shu Ge saw Xiang Yang bowing to express his gratitude, he was flattered.

He glanced at his watch and greeted the two of them, "I'll be going now. I have some things to do with the Basketball Association, so I won't stay any longer to bother you two. Yimin, remember to show Xiangyang around and take good care of him. It's not easy for someone so young to come abroad."

"I know, I know, Brother Shu, you've said it several times already."

Lingzi complained, but she still waved goodbye to Brother Shu warmly. As her former boss, Brother Shu had been a great mentor to her.

Similarly, Xiangyang also had a good impression of "Brother Tree" whom he was meeting for the first time. When he saw him making a move to leave, he smiled and waved goodbye.

The door slammed shut with a loud bang.

树哥

After they left, only Lingzi and Xiangyang remained in the house.

Seeing her former boss leave, Lingzi breathed a sigh of relief. Although Brother Shu was a good person, she still felt a little awkward around her former boss.

Xiangyang, on the other hand, seemed oblivious, wandering around the room with great interest.

Although the players' dormitory is standard for every member of the national youth team, it must be said that the environment and facilities are quite good.

Basic living facilities like refrigerators and air conditioners are available, but the kitchen utensils are rather rudimentary. However, the Basketball Association usually has its own canteen for players, so it's not a big problem.

Lingzi sat in a chair, watching Xiangyang wander around, and joked, "So, how's it going, future starting point guard of the Chinese nation? Are you satisfied with your temporary accommodation?"

While looking at the pots and pans in the kitchen, Xiangyang replied, "They're quite nice. By the way, where are we going next, Miss Lingzi?"

After speaking, Xiangyang turned to give Lingzi a probing look. Although he didn't mind staying at home, it would be a waste to stay in the players' apartment all the time since they had come to China.

Reiko stroked her chin, feigning distress: "There's a pretty good hot pot restaurant nearby that's been open for years. Mr. Xiangyang, you've never had hot pot before, have you? In Japan, they only have sukiyaki. And there are some street food stalls that you can't find in Japan either..."

Xiangyang listened quietly. For him, whatever he did could be considered a way of remembering his past life.

"Hmm... how about I take you to see where the national youth team is training? What do you think, Mr. Xiangyang?"

When Lingzi's voice came, Xiangyang subconsciously nodded in response, then immediately realized what she meant and looked at Lingzi with a surprised expression.

Lingzi smiled and looked at him, saying, "Mr. Xiangyang, you must be eager to go for the trial, right? The formal training will have to wait until tomorrow, but if you're itching to play, going to play some ball now is also a good option."

Out of a desire to remember the past and not to disturb Lingzi's interest, Xiangyang, although eager to go directly to the national youth team, did not interfere with Lingzi's decision.

But what he didn't expect was that Tajima Reiko's guesses about people's hearts were so accurate.

But this isn't a bad thing; it's exactly what he wanted!

"In that case, I won't stand on ceremony, Miss Lingzi. Please lead the way. I want to see for myself what the Chinese national youth team is like."

Hearing Xiangyang's answer, Lingzi's face showed a look of understanding.

"Wait, I'll call a taxi."

……

……

"Sir, are you kidding me? You're charging 30 for such a short distance?"

"Girl, prices have skyrocketed these past few years. I can tell you're not a local, or you haven't been back for a long time! These prices are from over a year ago."