After the Finals.

"Hey there, Mr. MVP! How's it going?" echoed a voice as Koganei geared up for his workout. The clock read 4:00 in the afternoon, and the Yuuki Junior High basketball gym stood empty. A week after the Winter Cup finals against Teiko Junior High, the third-year players, including Koganei, Mitobe, and Hideki, officially stepped away from the basketball team.

With the rest of the members scheduled to resume training come January, the gym now lay devoid of its usual activity.

Taking advantage of the vacant space, Koganei focused on his personal training, intensifying his regimen. After all, he didn't have to juggle responsibilities for others during his training session, like Mitobe's younger siblings and his big sister.

As Koganei turned to acknowledge the voice, he spotted his coach, Kimura Shinozaki, entering the gym, a warm expression adorning his face. Returning the smile, Koganei made his way towards Kimura.

"I'm not entirely sure why they slapped me with that title. But I'm hanging in there," Koganei replied, setting the ball down as he approached his coach.

"You were the best player in that game, and that's why they honored you," Kimura responded, initiating a handshake before pulling Koganei into a brief yet warm hug, punctuated by a couple of quick slaps on the back. Meeting Koganei's eyes after the greeting, Kimura continued addressing his earlier comment.

"These accolades aren't empty words. With your skill level, praise will keep coming your way. You've got to learn to accept it with a clear head and not let it cloud your mind," Kimura advised, leading the way toward one of the many benches in the gym, Koganei trailing a step behind.

As they settled near the court, Koganei couldn't suppress a question that had lingered in his mind since Kimura entered the gym.

"Did they truly let you go?" he inquired, a basketball in his hands.

"Yes, they did," Kimura replied, a hint of sadness touching his expression. Internally, Koganei reveled in this turn of events, seeing an opportunity to fulfill his plan of recruiting Kimura as Seirin's basketball coach. However, he masked his elation and instead wore a troubled expression as they continued the conversation.

"How could they do that, though?" Koganei questioned, not pausing for Kimura to respond before continuing with a fervor. "From an unknown school to a Winter Cup finalist. You've done everything for them during the five years you've spent here. Why let you go like this? Is there some kind of nepotism involved?"

As Koganei fired off his inquiries, Kimura's expression shifted into an odd combination of surprise and curiosity.

"Where did you pick up that word from?" he asked, genuinely puzzled by his pupil's vocabulary.

"What word?" Koganei replied, equally baffled by the situation. "Nepotism? You used the word nepotism. Do middle-schoolers know about those fancy terms these days?" Kimura inquired, his large hands scratching the back of his head in confusion.

"Hahaha..." Taken aback by his coach's bemusement, Koganei couldn't help but chuckle. Despite spending several months together, they had never engaged in a full-fledged conversation until now. Of course, they discussed multiple things concerning basketball, but never had they talked as two friends rather than a coach and his player.

Over the next thirty minutes, the two engaged in a profound conversation, delving into their respective journeys as members of Yuuki Junior High's basketball team. Koganei shared insights into his summer vacation training and his emotions throughout the Winter Cup tournament that had recently concluded. He also talked about the YouTube channel that has been getting buzz lately. Although the growth in subscribers stagnated after reaching 110K, it didn't stop the Winter Cup Final's video from garnering 7 million views in a week.

Conversely, Kimura recounted his experiences as a professional player and the brief period he served as a coach for Yuuki Junior High. He also talked about the struggles he faced getting a coaching job after he retired. People aren't used to seeing a Power Forward lead a team as a coach, after all.

Their exchange flowed seamlessly, their personalities complementing each other. After a while, fueled by curiosity, Kimura eventually posed a question.

"Have you started receiving offers from high schools?" he inquired, keen to gauge the desirability of one of his star players.

"Indeed, I have," Koganei responded, a faint smile playing on his lips. Without allowing Kimura to continue the inquiry, he pressed on. "I've already received eight offers within a week after the finals. I believe other schools might think they have a shot if I don't make a decision by the end of the year," he added, prompting a nod of agreement from Kimura.

"Have you received an offer from a school called Tōō Academy?" Kimura suddenly inquired, catching Koganei off guard.

Taking a moment to reflect, Koganei recalled the list Akane had shown him a few days ago. 'Shutoku... Sannoh... Kainan... Otose... Oh, yeah! They did send me an offer,' he thought, before turning to his coach and confirming the information.

"Yes, they did send me an offer, if I remember correctly," Koganei replied, nodding his head before delving further. "They used the fact that Harasawa would become their coach starting next year as an incentive. I almost considered it, I'm not going to lie," he added, scratching the back of his head.

Upon entering this world, Koganei devoted time to understanding the basketball landscape. While much of the global basketball scene remained consistent, Japanese basketball had experienced notable transformations compared to his previous life.

In his original world, the B-League came into existence in 2016 after Japan served a two-year suspension imposed by FIBA, stopping them from participating in any international competition. Basketball, at that time, didn't hold as much prominence as other sports like martial arts, baseball, and football. However, the emergence of talents like Rui Hachimura and Yuta Watanabe gradually drew attention from the public.

In contrast, this world's Japan established its professional basketball league back in 1994, merely two years after the US Dream Team captivated the world at the Barcelona Olympics. Fueled by the efforts of FIBA to globalize the sport, Japan took the initiative to create its own professional basketball league.

It proved challenging to foster basketball's growth, yet with time, the sport began to establish itself in the country. While not as deeply ingrained as sports like baseball and football, basketball gained popularity, drawing more players and spectators than in Koganei's original world.

As years passed, a multitude of talents emerged in Japanese basketball, with Kimura standing as one of them. However, the most prominent figure in the B-League's and Japan's basketball history was Katsunori Harasawa, the newly appointed head coach of Tōō Academy. He is also one of the main reasons basketball is popular in Japan as he played and did well in the NBA.

'He showcased unparalleled talent in his thirteen-year career, making him the greatest player Japan has ever witnessed,' Koganei reflected, a slight smile adorning his face. 'Unfortunately, his NBA journey was cut short by injuries, preventing him from fully displaying his capabilities and prematurely concluding his career compared to his peers.' Koganei lamented, recalling the insights he had gathered about the remarkable player.

'Up until now, he remains the sole Japanese player to grace the NBA,' affirmed Koganei, a thoughtful hand on his chin. 'His stay lasted merely three years with the Mavs, where he averaged an impressive 17.3 points per game during those three years. He even played a pivotal role in the '06 NBA Finals, propelling the Mavs to a Game 7 as the team's second option even though they lost it in the end. Unfortunately, a severe injury cut short his time on the court, leading to his retirement,' he mused before turning his attention back to Kimura, who seemed poised to speak.

"You're correct. He reached out to me for assistance in recruiting talented players for his team," Kimura confirmed, though his expression didn't mirror the positivity of his words. It was evident that the impact of being let go after performing admirably weighed heavily on him.

It felt as if he had invested considerable effort in single-handedly raising his son for several years, only for the absent mother, due to a divorce, to return and snatch the child from him to hand him over to another man. While the analogy might be specific, it captured the essence of Kimura's sentiments.

Nevertheless, Kimura pressed on. "Following his unsuccessful stint as a coach in the college league, a friend of his, who happened to be the owner of Tōō Academy, invited him to take on the coaching role, and Katsu accepted the offer," Kimura shared, using the familiar nickname. Though Koganei was momentarily surprised by the informal address, he refrained from commenting and posed a question of his own.

"If you were offered a job as a basketball coach, would you accept it?" Koganei inquired, his expression notably serious.

Upon hearing the question, Kimura didn't offer an immediate response, taking a moment to ponder. After a brief pause, he nodded, wearing an expression that conveyed a resounding "Of course!" Witnessing this, Koganei's serious demeanor transformed into a smile as he rose to retrieve his bag, pulling out a notebook.

Handing the notebook to Kimura, Koganei initiated the discussion. "All the schools that extended offers to me are quite a distance away, necessitating my parents to drive at least twenty minutes for me to attend. I'd rather avoid that hassle," he began, and as Kimura opened the notebook to read its contents, Koganei continued.

"However, the nearby schools with basketball programs already have coaches in place, and I doubt they would be willing to let them go. So, I conducted some research and found a particular school that's just a five-minute walk from my home and less than ten minutes from your place." Koganei paused, ensuring Kimura was fully engaged in the conversation. The nod he received prompted Koganei to press on.

"This school currently lacks a basketball program, so I thought of establishing one and turning it into one of the strongest in the country, with you as its founding and accomplished coach." Koganei pointed at the contents of the notebook in Kimura's hands as he continued.

"I've compiled a list of players I'd like to have on the team—players who would likely accept our offer to join a new team like ours and who align with the tactical system we employed at Yuuki Junior High," Koganei concluded, patiently awaiting a response, a tinge of apprehension hinting at his fear of possible refusal. While Seirin could thrive without Kimura as a head coach, having an experienced and renowned pro player, alongside the talented Riko Aida, could significantly aid in attracting players and fostering their development.

Gazing intently at the contents of the notebook, Kimura's face suddenly lit up with a smile as he spoke. "We'll need to remove Hideki and Kotaro from the list. They've already accepted offers from other schools," he mentioned, closing the book.

Koganei's smile widened, his understanding of Kimura's response bringing unrestrained joy to his face. With shared smiles, they embarked on a new phase of their discussion.

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AN___: This is a short chapter that will serve as an introduction for the start of the second volume. The second volume is called " Koganei is in High School". I'm not good at naming things, so you'll have to deal with it. 

Thanks for reading this novel. I'm very grateful.

Also, here's the discord link: https://discord.gg/J6bqsBvj