In the world of Kuroko no Basket, many characters are portrayed as determined and relentlessly hardworking.
Yet, ultimately, the spotlight always falls on those flashy-haired prodigies.
Their overwhelming talent overshadows the efforts of everyone else.
But before Tendou Kageyoshi could become the most popular character, he first needed to adjust to life at the café.
Early the next morning, Tendou officially began work.
The café owner mysteriously pulled out a uniform from somewhere, forced him into it, and immediately put him on display—uh, to work!
Looking at his unusual attire, Tendou felt less like a waiter and more like a bartender.
"Mm, as expected, very handsome!"
Admiring her handiwork, the owner proudly spun Tendou around a few times.
"Perfect! Now get out there and start working!"
"Little Tendou, your job today is to learn coffee-making from me!"
Tendou didn't mind this arrangement. Grinding coffee beans seemed easier than waiting tables, anyway.
However, he quickly noticed the café owner's ulterior motives.
She wasn't actually teaching him coffee-making; she was clearly treating him like an ornament to attract customers.
Although she occasionally taught him coffee preparation, every movement and posture she made looked exaggerated, as if intentionally posing for effect.
"Boss, are we really making coffee here?"
"Is coffee really made ? It doesn't look anything like on TV."
Currently, Tendou stood by a sunny window, smiling gently while holding a book in one hand and gently caressing coffee beans in the other.
"TV is all fake—what do those actors know about real coffee?" The owner casually glanced at the excited female customers snapping pictures and motioned for Tendou to maintain his pose. This content belongs to novelFɪre.net
Tendou wasn't stupid; he clearly saw through her shady intentions.
Sighing helplessly, he muttered to himself.
Just this morning alone, he'd felt countless gazes assaulting him. Several customers had boldly approached him for his contact information, all of whom he'd rejected by claiming he didn't have a phone.
Because, after all, he really didn't.
"So many pretty girls, and not one caught your eye?" the boss teased.
"My dream lies among the stars and oceans. Women would only slow my blade," Tendou replied seriously.
"Blade? At your age, can you even unsheathe it properly?" The owner narrowed her eyes, deliberately looking down at his waist, completely flustering Tendou.
Older women were indeed terrifyingly bold drivers.
What to do when your female boss harasses you on your first day?
Very urgent advice needed!
In short, Tendou's life in this world officially began.
A few days later, in the afternoon.
Wearing his iconic sunglasses, Tendou Kageyoshi appeared at Teiko's basketball club.
Today, the Teiko basketball club was especially lively.
Many new students were joining today, making the atmosphere particularly festive.
Japanese schools heavily emphasized club activities, especially big-team sports like basketball, soccer, and baseball.
Teiko Middle School, in particular, was nationally famous for its basketball team.
Ever since Shirogane Kozo took over as head coach, Teiko swiftly became a constant presence at national competitions. It was now undeniably the powerhouse of middle school basketball.
Thus, on the first day of school, countless students eagerly arrived to join the club.
As Tendou entered the gym, strange bullet comments suddenly appeared before his eyes.
『Who's the protagonist?』
『The girl with pink hair is adorable!』
『That's my wife! Hands off!』
『Shut up, clearly my wife!』
The pink-haired girl mentioned was Momoi Satsuki, who walked in alongside Aomine Daiki.
Teiko's basketball club rarely had female managers, making Momoi's presence notably striking—though she wasn't officially the club manager yet.
For now, Tendou wasn't interested in the pink-haired girl; he was busy scanning the crowd for Kuroko.
Teiko basketball club's popularity was impressive, with dozens of new students joining. According to memories from the original story, at the peak of the Generation of Miracles' dominance, the club had over a hundred members—a ridiculously large number.
While not yet reaching that scale, conservatively, at least fifty newcomers crowded the gym today.
"My popularity points are still zero. I have to do something."
"Speaking of which, where's the camera?"
As Tendou searched for Kuroko, a ghostly, quiet voice suddenly came from behind.
"Um, excuse me, could you step aside a bit?"
Step aside? Can't you go around?
Tendou turned, only to see someone had appeared silently behind him.
He jumped in shock, feeling as startled as Dio realizing Jotaro had moved his finger slightly.
"You almost gave me a heart attack! Why'd you sneak up behind me like that?"
"...I'm sorry," the figure apologized gently yet awkwardly. "I've been standing here all along. You just didn't notice me."
"You've been here this whole time?" Realizing exactly who this ghostly presence was, Tendou immediately embraced his character and delivered a sharp retort. "What kind of weird setting is this? I've heard of people lacking presence, but you're basically invisible! Are we filming a movie here?"
『Hahaha! Awesome roast!』
『OMG, it's the white-haired guy!』
『Too bad it's a guy!』
『A guy next to you? Husband~』
『That guy must be Dio's reincarnation—the way he jumped just now was like my cat when startled! LOL!』
As Tendou continued his sarcastic remarks, his popularity steadily rose alongside the barrage of comments.
He began suspecting this wasn't the original Kuroko no Basket plot but rather something resembling a prequel or spin-off.
Perhaps the focus wasn't solely on Kuroko but on the entire Generation of Miracles.
"Hello, my name is Kuroko Tetsuya. I'm a first-year student. Please take care of me."
"Tendou Kageyoshi. Likewise."
After this comedic interaction, the two officially became acquainted.
Kuroko was a pure basketball enthusiast—someone who genuinely believed basketball should bring joy.
A sport meant purely for happiness.