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

As one casual question after another was posed, a thin, shrewd-eyed reporter with a goatee slowly asked, "Mr. Xiangyang, what is your opinion on what happened today?"

"What would you like to say to Shutoku, whom you defeated? If possible, could you also share your thoughts on Seirin, whom you lost to in the quarterfinals?"

Xiang Yang raised his head slightly and glanced at the reporter who had asked the question. The reporter smiled awkwardly and then said, "As you know, Mr. Xiang Yang, the fans are paying a lot of attention to these two matches, especially Cheng Lin."

After speaking, the reporter shrugged as if nothing had happened, but the atmosphere around him quietly cooled down.

Takeuchi frowned slightly, observing Xiangyang's expression. Based on his trust and understanding of Xiangyang, he was not worried that the latter would say anything inappropriate, but he was still curious about what Xiangyang would say.

Would you say "nextquestion," or...?

Not only Takeuchi, but most of the reporters around him believed that Hikaru would answer the question with his classic lines, including the reporter who asked the question.

This time, however, Xiangyang surprisingly chose to answer directly.

"Yes, I saw some of the Shude players crying after losing the game. I won't say it's bad. In fact, if we had lost today's game, I probably would have been so sad that I would have cried too."

Xiang Yang gripped the microphone in front of him, adjusting his posture to make speaking more comfortable. He paused for a moment before continuing, "Many people might think they're exaggerating, and in fact, they are. For non-professional basketball players, this is just a basketball game, just a high school club activity. To shed tears over such a trivial matter is simply absurd..."

"But that's what we've been through in the competition. Only those who stand on the field know the joy of winning and the resentment and pain of losing."

At this point, Xiang Yang took a deep breath. Before he knew it, the crowd, which had been somewhat noisy just moments before, fell completely silent. The reporter who had asked the "digging a hole" question was now looking at Xiang Yang with a look of utmost respect.

"Oh, right, you also asked me what I wanted to say to them, right?"

Xiang Yang scratched his head, smiled at the camera, and said, "Keep it up! I'll still be here next year at Haichang, waiting for you to challenge me."

"Cough cough!"

Takeuchi coughed twice, covering his mouth without making a sound, and gave Xiangyang an approving look.

Xiangyang didn't stand on ceremony and shrugged arrogantly at Wu Nei. What kind of person would try to trap him with such trivial questions? Did he really think his talent for "leader's speech" was just for show?

Next, the reporters asked Xiang Yang a few misleading questions, which he deflected one by one. Near the end, a petite female reporter with shoulder-length short hair squeezed in front of Xiang Yang.

"Hello Mr. Xiangyang, I'm a fan of Haichang!"

The moment the microphone was handed over, the female reporter looked at Xiang Yang with shining eyes, as if she had met her idol.

Xiang Yang raised an eyebrow and replied, "If this were a fan meeting, I would gladly give you my autograph, thank you."

Xiang Yang's words made the reporter's expression change.

She was even more excited; her hand gripping the microphone was trembling slightly, unable to hide her excitement.

Fortunately, the reporter was quite professional and didn't forget why she was there. After taking two deep breaths, she asked Xiang Yang, "Mr. Xiang Yang, do you have any plans to join the Japanese national team? According to an interview report with the president of a basketball association, he said that there are many promising high school players in this year's class, and the future Japanese national team will be full of talent!"

Upon hearing this, Xiangyang's expression, which had been smiling just moments before, suddenly froze. However, he quickly regained his composure, ignoring Takeuchi's gaze beside him, and said to the female reporter, "May I take that as a compliment, Miss Reporter?"

"Of course, Mr. Xiangyang, if you're not even considered a good prospect, then I think this threshold is a bit too high!"

The female reporter spoke in a very cheerful tone, and she was very happy to hear Xiang Yang joking with her.

Xiang Yang smiled, looked up at the camera not far away, and said softly, "Thank you, Miss Reporter, but I have no intention of joining the Japanese national team."

"So... Next question."

……

……

Haichang players' locker room

Having just finished their interview, Takeuchi and Xiangyang returned to the locker room one after the other.

Just like at the end of last year's Winter Cup, the other players from Kaijo had already left the stadium, leaving only Takeuchi and Xiangyang in the huge locker room.

Takeuchi stood at the door, silently watching Xiangyang walk to the wardrobe to pack his things. He took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and started smoking.

Ding!

The crisp sound of the lighter carrying through the air reached Xiangyang's ears.

"Please, Coach Takeuchi, there are still children here."

Xiangyang rolled his eyes and started lecturing Takeuchi, who simply laughed out loud and asked, "Are you saying you're a child?"

"Yes, of course!"

To Takeuchi's surprise, Xiangyang readily admitted this. He took off his jersey, changed into regular clothes, and continued, "I'm not an adult yet, I'm still a kid."

Takeuchi was stunned. Looking at his own point guard, who was so adept at handling interviews and always performed with ease on the court, he couldn't help but sigh, "Yes, you're right."

With that, Takeuchi stubbed out the cigarette he had just lit and threw it into the trash can.

Xiang Yang was a little surprised. He smiled and said to Wu Nei, "No way, Coach, I was just joking. Don't worry, I'm not the kind of kid who makes a fuss when I see someone smoking."

In his previous life, Xiangyang, a college student, did not smoke, but he did not dislike people who smoked.

After all, this kind of thing can actually heal the hearts of some traumatized people to some extent.

"You rascal, you were just saying you were a child."

Takeuchi said irritably, though he was clearly indignant, his gaze towards Xiangyang was very gentle.

How long until you come of age?

Takeuchi asked.

"What's wrong? Dear coach, are you going to give me a coming-of-age gift?"

Xiangyang jokingly teased Takeuchi, but this time, the latter did not refute him.

"Huh? No?"

"Coach, are you serious? Are you the type to treat your players like children?"

Xiangyang was a little confused. He hadn't seen Takeuchi make any gesture when Kasamatsu-senpai had his coming-of-age ceremony.

Under Xiangyang's probing gaze, Takeuchi exhaled and took out another cigarette from the cigarette case.

When are you leaving Japan?

"... "

The air grew quiet, and Xiangyang stopped packing his things. Wuwei put a cigarette to his lips and slowly exhaled smoke.

After a while, Xiangyang laughed.

"What's going on? So you knew all along, Coach."

Xiangyang didn't ask who said it. It might have been Masako, or it might have been Kise. It wasn't a question worth asking.

"Coach, if you knew that your point guard would be leaving this country soon, would you still consider me the core of the team?"

Takeuchi took a drag of his cigarette: "Yes."

“You are you. Even if you want to leave, as long as you stay at Haichang, you will always be Haichang’s starting point guard.”

Xiang Yang snorted softly, held up the Maritime Safety Administration uniform he had taken off in front of him, and looked at his name on it. A smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.

"That's enough, thank you, Coach Takeuchi."

……

……

The interview video of Xiang Yang was posted online by some reporter, and his talk about "the attitude of non-professional basketball players towards the game" received a lot of praise from basketball fans.

Most basketball players, due to the pressures of life and their physical limitations, do not have the time and energy to hone their skills. For many of them, the toughest opponent they may ever face is a stranger they encounter at the basketball court near their home.

But this doesn't stop them from liking and loving basketball. In the heart of every basketball enthusiast, there is a dream of standing on the basketball court.

Moreover, when Xiang Yang was asked at the end of the interview whether he would join the Japanese national team, his answer also sparked a discussion among basketball fans.

Some say Xiang Yang is wasting his basketball talent, while others believe it's just a choice; turning a hobby into a job is not a good thing in itself.

Of course, these were all minor incidents. The most discussed topic online was still the second match of the official national competition.

Touou vs. Rakuzan!

The game between Haichang and Xiude was held on the same day. After reporting on their game, "Basketball Appointment" seamlessly transitioned to the live broadcast of the second game.

Los Angeles wins 115-112.

Due to scheduling issues, the Haichang players were unable to watch the game live. Fortunately, Xiang Yang had instructed his team manager to record the entire game using a camera.

Touou played very well in this match.

Compared to the preliminaries, Igarashi Yuei, a first-year point guard at Touou University, has performed exceptionally well this year.

In the first half, facing Akashi, this rookie not only withstood the pressure, but also successfully connected the team, delivering multiple assists and providing ammunition for Aomine who was charging into the paint.

Looking at the first half alone, Igarashi scored 8 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists.

For a player like him, who is the second core player of Touou, it is truly remarkable to achieve such steals in just two quarters against Rakuzan.

Unfortunately... Los Angeles' counterattack came in the second half.

Perhaps it was because the "Emperor's Eye" had made too many mistakes, Akashi played cautiously, observing Touou's game for two whole quarters before finally unleashing his full power in the third quarter.

After Shiro Rin, who possessed the "realm beyond zone," returned home, Rakuzan's "team zone" skill became the undisputed number one killer move in Kuroko's Basketball.

The inexperienced Igarashi had never seen anything like this before. Aside from the point guards on the "Miracle" team, no one on a regular basketball team could match him. Last game he was bullying other teams' point guards, and this game he was taught a lesson by Akashi, who plays the same position.

In the second half, Igarashi only scored two points, but he did get seven assists and two rebounds. However, his number of turnovers... reached double digits!

10分12助5篮板2抢断…11个失误！

In the second half, Touou's offensive rhythm completely stalled. In the third quarter alone, they not only lost their advantage but were also overtaken by Rakuzan by 7 points.

Although Aomine's one-on-one ability is still in a class of its own, and he slightly suppresses Akashi in a one-on-one ace duel, the difference in strength between the two is too great.

Until the end of the fourth quarter, Aomine, having exhausted the last bit of energy in his body, was powerless against Akashi's game-winning three-pointer and could only give up.

As expected, Akashi successfully sent Touou away and secured a ticket to the finals.

The moment the game results were announced, the online basketball community erupted again. The blogger who had previously predicted that "Los Angeles will beat Shanghai in the finals" jumped up in anger again and posted a half-hour video, talking about his foresight and the ignorance of those who doubted him.

The blogger's video successfully sparked a war of words, with fans of the other five "miracle" teams, excluding Yangquan who were eliminated in the first round, once again staging a "world war on the internet".

Some Seirin fans said that Kaijo's victory was just a fluke, and that if they hadn't been in such bad form, Kaijo might not have won.

Some Shutoku fans said that if Midorima hadn't been exhausted and hadn't been forced to leave the field, they would have definitely won in the end.

Some Touou fans blamed Igarashi for the loss, arguing that he played very well in the first half, leading throughout. However, in the second half, Igarashi was completely outmatched by Akashi. They believed that if Igarashi had been stronger, Touou wouldn't have lost to Rakuzan.

"If" is such a kind word.