Sitting on the train, Kudo recalled everything Coach Anzai and Mrs. Anzai had told him. After mulling it over for a while, he came to a blunt conclusion:
"Ryuji Tanizawa… that guy ended up hurting both himself and the people around him."
That's right. In Kudo Shinichi's view, it was Tanizawa's immaturity that triggered the whole tragic chain of events. Even the downfall of the Fukazawa basketball team, Kudo believed, had a lot to do with Tanizawa.
(╮(╯▽╰)╭ Not that any of this really has anything to do with you…)
Still, that wasn't what mattered most now. Finding a high school basketball team to coach in Kanagawa—that was the real priority.
"Hmph… no useful leads yet," Kudo muttered to himself."In the original series, Shoyo would've been the best pick. Their ace, Fujima Kenji, was acting as both captain and coach, and they didn't have a full-time coach. But from what I've seen here, Shoyo actually does have a coach at the moment. I'm just not sure when he'll leave..."
He rubbed his chin in thought.
"For now, I'll have to rely on my dad's connections to land a coaching job somewhere. Once I build up a reputation, I can take over Shoyo when their coach steps down!"
That thought made him grin smugly.
"Haha! I'm a genius!"
(╮(╯▽╰)╭ So shameless…)
"Mom, that guy looks really weird!" whispered a child on the train, clearly disturbed by Kudo's expression.
"Don't look at him," the mother scolded. "You can tell just by looking—he's not a decent person!"
"…(+﹏+)~dizzy," Kudo sighed, sweatdropping in embarrassment.
That evening, during dinner at the Kudo household…
"Dad, do you know any high schools in Kanagawa that might need a basketball coach?" Kudo asked sweetly, trying to sound casual.
"I'm not sure," Kudo Akitake replied after thinking for a moment. "I haven't really paid attention to stuff like that. Why are you asking?"
"Well, you know I'm studying at Fukazawa Sports University, right? Now that I've retired from the team and graduation's just a few months away, I've got a lot of free time. And I don't really know how to do anything except basketball," Kudo explained. "I was thinking I could work as a coach at a high school until I graduate. Your company sells sports equipment and has good relationships with local schools, so I figured you might know something."
"What coaching job?" Akitake frowned. "Just come work at my company after you graduate. Forget that coaching nonsense."
"Tsk. Your company only exists because of your connections with the local schools," Kudo shot back. "There's no real technical work involved. And I don't want to live the boring 9-to-5 life like you. It's got no challenge."(╮(╯▽╰)╭ Says the guy who literally only has a job because of a system. You've already accepted the mission—you've got no choice, buddy!)
"WHAT did you say?!" Akitake barked. "How dare you say my company has no technical value! Basketball is a niche sport in Japan—it's got no future!"
"Ha! Drinking and schmoozing with school staff all day—that's your job!" Kudo fired back.
The two stood up, practically nose-to-nose, glaring at each other like they were about to brawl.
"Alright, enough from both of you!" Nobuko interrupted. "Mingwu, you're a grown man. Are you really arguing with your son like this?"
"And Shinichi," she turned to her son, "that's not how you talk to your father. Sit down and speak properly."
Both men returned to their seats, chastened.
"Now, Shinichi," Nobuko asked gently, "why are you so set on not working at your dad's company? Just be honest."
"Well… it's not that I hate the company. It's just… there's really not much work to do. Dad's got great connections, and while it's hard for other companies to break into the Kanagawa market, his company has no plans for expansion. There's barely anything for me to do."
He paused, then added with a smirk, "So what, I just do nothing for the next ten years until Dad retires, and then I take over? Why not just have him retire now and hand it over?"
"…What do you think about that, Mingwu?" Nobuko asked her husband with a raised eyebrow.
Akitake grumbled, realizing his son actually had a point.
"Well… can't you do something else? Why do you have to be a basketball coach?"
"Come on, Dad. What else can I do? You're not seriously thinking I should go to the U.S. and try to play pro basketball, are you?"
"Fair enough," Akitake said with a shrug. "Alright, I'll look into it for you. I don't know much about the high school basketball scene myself, but it won't be hard to find out. Ask me again tomorrow night."
"Thanks, Dad!" Kudo grinned, instantly switching into bootlicking mode. He picked out a few dishes his dad liked and piled them into Akitake's bowl.
"Alright, alright, let's eat," Nobuko said with a smile. "The food's getting cold."
The next evening, during dinner…
"Son, I checked around today," Akitake said in a low voice. "There are 64 high schools in Kanagawa with basketball teams. Out of those, three currently don't have coaches: Tsukubu High School, Daikita, and Minamihara."
"What's their level like?" Kudo asked quickly.
"None of them are very strong," Akitake said with a snort. "Daikita and Minamihara are public schools—they never make it past the first or second round of tournaments. Tsukubu is slightly better since it's a private school, but they rarely make it beyond the third or fourth round. They've never cracked the top eight."
"Hmm…" Kudo rubbed his chin.Daikita and Minamihara are weak, and as public schools, they don't attract much talent. I'm not someone like Coach Anzai—I don't have the reputation to draw in skilled players. I'll skip those two.
But Tsukubu High School is private. That means it has some influence and appeal to students. If nothing better comes along, that'll be my best bet.
Just then, Kudo noticed the smug smile on his father's face, and the dismissive tone he'd used while listing the schools. He immediately knew:
There's a better option. He's holding out on me.
But instead of calling it out, Kudo kept a straight face and said seriously,"If there aren't any better options, then I'll make Tsukubu High School my first target."
(╮(╯▽╰)╭ Are you trying to steal Kawasaki Kazumi's future job?)