Bang!
The basketball slammed heavily against the rim and bounced away.
It struck the wooden floor with a dull, echoing thud.
Immediately afterward came the sharp screech of sneakers scraping against the court, along with the endless shouts of teenage boys who seemed to have limitless energy.
"Another one!"
"Get back on defense! Hurry!"
Inside the Shohoku High School basketball gym, the air was thick with the salty scent of evaporating sweat.
It was the smell of something called youth.
And burning passion.
But on a bench in the corner of the gym, a "corpse" covered with a white towel strongly objected to this atmosphere.
A hand stretched out from beneath the towel, weakly grasping at the air.
As if trying to grab a nonexistent mute remote control.
"So noisy…"
"Are these high schoolers some kind of over-energetic huskies?"
"Don't they take afternoon naps?"
A muffled complaint came from beneath the towel, heavy with morning grogginess.
Smack!
A folding fan sliced through the air and struck the wandering hand with perfect accuracy.
"Ow!"
The "corpse" on the bench jolted violently.
Makino Juro yanked the towel off his head, revealing a handsome face that could easily make every girl in the school scream.
Unfortunately, his half-dead fish-like eyes were filled with nothing but despair toward the world.
Standing in front of him was a lively girl with a reversed baseball cap and shoulder-length curls.
"Inoue Ayako!"
"Makino Juro!"
"Today is the first day for new members joining the club!"
"Everyone else is working their hearts out, and you've been hiding here sleeping for forty-five minutes!"
Ayako Inoue stood with her hands on her hips, brows furrowed, rhythmically tapping her paper fan against her palm.
"Senpai, correction—forty-three minutes."
"And I wasn't sleeping. I was conducting static physical recovery training."
Makino Juro rubbed the back of his hand and yawned.
"Huh?"
Ayako laughed angrily.
"You're calling slacking off something that elegant? Does Captain Akagi know about this?"
At the mention of the name Akagi, Makino Juro instinctively shrank his neck.
He sighed and collapsed back onto the bench.
Adopting the most comfortable "Ge You slouch" posture, he stared blankly at the ceiling.
"Senpai, you have to understand."
"Standing isn't as good as sitting, sitting isn't as good as lying down."
"And if you're already lying down, you might as well sleep."
"This is a universal truth."
Makino Juro.
A first-year student at Shohoku High School.
An international student from Japan.
But he had a secret only he knew.
He was a transmigrator.
In his previous life, Makino Juro had been the definition of a corporate slave.
996 was considered a blessing.
007 was the norm.
One dawn, after pulling an all-nighter to finish a PowerPoint presentation, his heart suddenly seized with pain—and he died right at his desk.
When he opened his eyes again, he had arrived in Kanagawa, Japan, in the 1990s, reborn as this wealthy international student.
His family was rich.
His parents were always busy.
Every month, a massive allowance arrived in his account right on schedule.
This was practically the god-tier starting life Makino Juro had never even dared to dream about.
So he set a grand life goal:
In this life, no overtime. No hard work.
Just become a happy professional slacker and lie flat until old age.
Unfortunately…
Fate decided to play a joke on him.
[Ding! Host detected inside Shohoku Basketball Gym. The Miracle Basketball System is running.]
[Current slacking duration: 45 minutes]
[Slacking Points obtained: 45]
[System Warning: If the host's team, "Shohoku High School," fails to enter the National Tournament this year—]
[Based on butterfly effect calculations, the host's father's company will go bankrupt due to a failed investment. The host will lose financial support and be forced to work washing dishes...]
Makino Juro rolled his eyes inside his mind.
This was that damned system.
It had given him the entire skill template of "The Generation of Miracles" from Kuroko's Basketball.
But forced him to join Shohoku.
Winning games on the court earned Shock Points.
Shock Points could be exchanged for Kuroko no Basket abilities or various magical items.
Lying around doing nothing also worked.
That earned Slacking Points.
Slacking Points could be exchanged for many things outside the court.
But if he wanted to lie flat peacefully?
Sure.
Only if Shohoku won.
If Shohoku lost, he would be dragged down with them and return to the miserable life of a working slave.
"For the sake of my monthly five million yen allowance…"
"This is too hard for me."
Makino Juro closed his eyes in agony.
"Hey! You over there!"
"Are you new too?!"
A thunderous shout suddenly interrupted his thoughts.
At the gym entrance stood a delinquent-looking boy with a bright red pompadour strutting in arrogantly.
Sakuragi Hanamichi.
The absolute protagonist of this world.
A single-celled organism.
Right now he was strutting around like a peacock in heat, trying to impress his goddess Akagi Haruko.
"I am the genius Sakuragi Hanamichi!"
"The future captain of the basketball team!"
"Where's that fox Rukawa Kaede?! I want a duel!"
Sakuragi stood with his hands on his hips, laughing loudly.
Across the court, a black-haired boy dribbling the ball stopped.
Rukawa Kaede turned his head expressionlessly and coldly said:
"Idiot."
"What did you say?!"
Sakuragi exploded instantly, veins bulging on his forehead.
"How terrifying…"
"So this is the world of hot-blooded manga?"
"Even the air smells like hormone overload."
Makino Juro pulled the towel back over his face.
Ayako rubbed her forehead helplessly.
She hadn't finished dealing with this lazy bum, and now another troublemaker had arrived.
"Gather up!"
A roar like thunder exploded across the gym.
Akagi Takenori, Shohoku's pillar, strode forward like a moving black tower.
His intimidating face instantly silenced the entire gym.
"All first-year students, line up immediately!"
"Prepare for the club entrance test!"
Akagi's gaze swept across the court like a searchlight.
It stopped at the wriggling white towel in the corner.
"Makino Juro!"
"Do I need to invite you personally?"
The towel was suddenly thrown aside.
Makino Juro sprang up from the bench in an unbelievably smooth motion, standing perfectly straight.
A businesslike fake smile appeared on his face.
"Present! Good day, Captain! You've worked hard, Captain!"
The surrounding freshmen were stunned.
That face-changing speed…
Was that professional?
Akagi's mouth twitched slightly as he suppressed the urge to punch the kid.
"The entrance test is simple."
Akagi pointed to the upperclassmen on the court.
"The first-years will form a team and play a practice match against them."
"I want to see your strength… and your attitude."
When he said "attitude," Akagi deliberately glared at Makino Juro.
"Huh? We still have to play?"
"Captain, I suddenly feel dizzy, chest tight, leg cramps—probably low blood sugar."
"Can I apply to be a cheerleader on the sidelines? I'm very professional at shouting '666.'"
Makino Juro raised his hand with a sincere expression.
"Denied."
Akagi sneered.
"If you dare slack off during the game, today's training volume will be doubled."
"Noooo! This is court bullying!"
Makino Juro wailed internally.
But he didn't dare say it aloud.
Akagi Takenori's iron fist was famous for knocking lumps onto Sakuragi Hanamichi's head.
Soon the teams were formed.
First-Year Team:
Rukawa Kaede, Sakuragi Hanamichi, Kuwata, Ishii, and the unwilling worker—Makino Juro.
Upperclassmen Team:
Akagi Takenori, Kogure Kiminobu, Yasuda, Shiozaki, Kakuta.
"Tweet!"
Ayako blew the whistle.
The match began.
Akagi won the tip-off, and the upperclassmen took the first possession.
Wearing his limited-edition AJ1 sneakers, Makino Juro slowly jogged back.
His position was small forward.
But his running speed right now was slower than the old men doing morning exercises in the park.
"As long as I don't touch the ball, the ball won't find me."
Makino Juro silently recited his Slacking Heart Sutra, activating his system skill.
[Passive Skill: Misdirection (Kuroko Tetsuya) activated]
[Effect: Greatly lowers the host's presence, causing opponents (and teammates) to subconsciously ignore the host]
In an instant, Makino Juro's presence seemed to merge with the surrounding air.
He was clearly standing outside the three-point line.
Yet whether it was Yasuda attacking or Rukawa defending—
Everyone seemed to have forgotten there was another player on the court.
This was Makino Juro's favorite skill.
No cutting.
No boxing out.
No defense.
It was the ultimate slacking god skill.
The game quickly became one-sided.
Rukawa was strong, but far too selfish.
Facing Akagi guarding the paint, he kept forcing drives again and again.
Although he scored several beautiful shots, he was also blocked twice by Akagi.
As for Sakuragi Hanamichi…
"Pass me the ball! I'm a genius!"
Sakuragi ran around the court like a headless fly, completely ignorant of the rules.
He was even called for three traveling violations.
"Damn it! This stupid floor is targeting me!"
Sakuragi fumed.
The score soon reached 20–8.
The upperclassmen led by a huge margin.
Makino Juro stood in the corner, hands in his pockets.
Watching everyone panting heavily, he shook his head.
"Young people… too impulsive."
"Wouldn't health-preserving basketball like mine be better?"
Just then
Something unexpected happened.
Rukawa drove into the paint again and was double-teamed by Akagi and Kogure.
He was trapped.
Rukawa gritted his teeth and scanned the court.
Kuwata was tightly defended.
Ishii was trembling.
Sakuragi…
Sakuragi was currently having a sumo match with Emperor Kakuta.
The only open player was the guy in the corner.
Wait.
Since when was there a person there?
Rukawa froze for a moment, but his body reacted instinctively.
Whoosh!
The basketball shot toward the corner like a cannonball.
Makino Juro was about to yawn when he suddenly felt a gust of wind approaching.
"Holy crap!"
He instinctively reached out.
Smack!
The basketball stuck firmly in his hands.
Instantly, all eyes focused on him.
The misdirection effect disappeared.
Under the basket, Akagi glared fiercely.
"Makino Juro! Shoot!"
"Don't tell me you don't even know where the hoop is!"
Shiozaki, who was guarding him, froze for a moment before rushing forward to contest.
Makino Juro held the ball, feeling its rough texture.
If he didn't shoot, Akagi would definitely kill him.
And his future slacking plans would be ruined.
If he missed, he'd probably be forced into extra practice.
"So troublesome…"
Makino Juro sighed.
But in that instant, his body changed.
His previously lazy posture suddenly tightened like a hunting cheetah.
A blue spark flashed across his dead-fish eyes.
[Active Skill: Formless Shot (Aomine Daiki) activated]
Facing the charging Shiozaki, Makino Juro made no fake.
He didn't even adjust his footing.
His body leaned backward awkwardly, almost forming a 45-degree angle with the floor.
"What is he doing? Is that suicide?!"
Ayako gasped from the sidelines.
That posture couldn't generate any power!
But Makino Juro's wrist flicked softly.
The basketball traced an absurdly high arc, soaring over Shiozaki's fingertips, over Akagi's head, and straight toward the hoop.
Makino Juro didn't even look at the result.
He landed, turned around, and walked back.
Swish!
A crisp net sound echoed like heavenly music.
Nothing but net.
The entire gym fell into dead silence.
Only Makino Juro's lazy voice drifted through the air.
"Captain, I scored."
"Does that count as completing today's exercise quota?"
"I'd like to go back and take a nap."