Shohoku's Biggest Slacker

Bang!

The basketball slammed heavily against the rim and bounced away.

It then crashed onto the floor with a dull boom.

This was followed by the sharp squeak of sneakers against the hardwood, along with the boys' seemingly inexhaustible shouts.

"One more!"

"Get back on defense! Hurry!"

Inside Shohoku High School's basketball gym.

The air was thick with the salty dampness of evaporating sweat.

It was a scent called "youth" and "passion."

But on a bench in the corner of the gym, a "corpse" covered by a white towel strongly objected to it all.

A hand stretched out from beneath the towel and feebly clawed at the air.

As if trying to grab a nonexistent mute button.

"Seriously, it's so loud..."

"Are these high schoolers hyperactive huskies or something?"

"Don't they take naps?"

A muffled complaint came from beneath the towel, heavy with post-nap irritation.

Smack!

A folding fan cut through the air and accurately struck the flailing hand.

"Ow!"

The "corpse" on the bench jerked violently.

Lin Bei yanked the towel off his head, revealing a handsome face that could have made every girl in school scream.

But his dead-fish eyes were currently filled with despair for the world.

Standing before him was an energetic girl with a backward baseball cap and curly hair falling over her shoulders.

"Lin Bei!"

"Today's the first day for new members joining the club!"

"Everyone else is desperately trying to prove themselves, but you? You've been hiding here asleep for a full forty-five minutes!"

Ayako Inoue stood with her hands on her hips, her brows raised sharply as the paper fan in her hand rhythmically tapped against her palm.

"Ayako, correction: forty-three minutes."

"Also, I wasn't sleeping. I was conducting 'static physical recovery training.'" Lin Bei rubbed the back of his hand and yawned.

"Huh?"

Ayako laughed in exasperation. "You make slacking off sound so refined. Does Captain Akagi know about this?"

The moment he heard the name "Akagi," Lin Bei instinctively shrank his neck.

He sighed and flopped back onto the bench.

Assuming the most comfortable sprawled-out position, he stared blankly at the ceiling.

"Ayako, you have to understand me."

"Standing is worse than sitting, sitting is worse than lying down, and once you're lying down, you might as well sleep."

"That's a universal truth."

Lin Bei was a first-year student at Shohoku High School and an exchange student from China.

But he had another secret that only he knew.

He was a transmigrator.

In his previous life, Lin Bei had been a typical corporate drone.

Working 996 was considered a blessing, and 007 was the norm.

Then, in the early hours of a night spent pulling an all-nighter to finish a PowerPoint presentation, his heart suddenly seized up, and he dropped dead at his desk.

When he opened his eyes again, he had arrived in 1990s Kanagawa, Japan, becoming this rich second-generation exchange student.

His family had money, and both his parents were busy.

His monthly allowance arrived on schedule, and it was a massive amount.

This was practically the god-tier start Lin Bei had never even dared dream of in his previous life!

So, he set himself a grand life goal:

In this life, he would never work overtime and never work hard!

He would become a happy king of slacking off and peacefully lie flat until old age.

However, fate played a joke on him.

[ Ding! Detected that the host is located in the Shohoku basketball gym. Miracle Basketball System is operating continuously. ]

[ Current slacking time: 45 minutes ]

[ Slacking points obtained: 45 ]

[ System warning: If the host's team, "Shohoku High School," fails to qualify for the National Tournament this year— ]

[ Based on butterfly effect projections, the host's father's company will go bankrupt due to failed investments. The host will lose his source of income and be forced to work washing dishes... ]

Lin Bei rolled his eyes in his mind.

This was that damned system.

It had given him the complete skill template of the Generation of Miracles from Kuroko's Basketball.

Yet it insisted that he join Shohoku.

Winning games on the court could earn him Shock Points.

Shock Points could be exchanged for skills from Kuroko's Basketball, or some magical little items.

If he lay flat, he could also earn Slacking Points.

Slacking Points could be exchanged for plenty of things outside the court.

But did he want to lie flat in comfort?

Sure.

On the condition that Shohoku won.

If Shohoku lost, he would be finished too, forced back into the miserable life of working for a living.

"For my monthly allowance of five million yen..."

"This is too hard." Lin Bei closed his eyes in pain.

"Hey! You over there!"

"Are you new too?"

A thunderous shout interrupted Lin Bei's thoughts.

At the entrance to the gym.

An arrogant boy with a fiery red pompadour strode inside.

Hanamichi Sakuragi.

The absolute protagonist of this world, a single-celled organism.

Right now, he was showing off everywhere like a peacock in heat, all to impress his goddess, Haruko Akagi.

"I'm the genius Hanamichi Sakuragi!"

"The next captain of the basketball team!"

"Where's that fox Kaede Rukawa? I want to duel him!" Hanamichi planted his hands on his hips and burst into loud laughter.

On the other side of the court, the black-haired boy who had been dribbling stopped.

Kaede Rukawa turned his head expressionlessly and coldly spat out two words. "Idiot."

"What did you say?!" Hanamichi instantly exploded, veins bulging on his forehead.

"How terrifying..."

"So this was the world of a hot-blooded manga?"

"Even the air reeks of excess hormones." Lin Bei pulled the towel back over his face.

Ayako helplessly pressed a hand to her forehead.

She had not even dealt with this lazy bum yet, and now another troublemaker had appeared.

"Fall in!"

A roar like rolling thunder exploded through the gym.

Takenori Akagi, Shohoku's towering pillar, walked over like a moving black tower.

The oppressive look on his 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 finally settled on the white towel still wriggling in the corner.

"Lin Bei!"

"Do I need to personally invite you to get up?"

The towel was abruptly thrown aside.

Lin Bei sprang up from the bench in one incredibly smooth motion and instantly stood ramrod straight.

A professional fake smile hung on his face. "Present! Hello, Captain! Captain, you've worked hard!"

The surrounding freshmen stared in astonishment.

Was that face-changing speed professional-level?

Akagi's mouth twitched as he forcibly held back the urge to punch the brat.

"The club entrance test is simple."

Akagi pointed at the upperclassmen on the court. "The first-years will form a team and play a practice game against the upperclassmen."

"Let me see your abilities and... attitudes!"

When he said "attitudes," Akagi deliberately shot Lin Bei a glare.

"Huh? We still have to play?"

"Report, Captain. I suddenly feel dizzy, tight in the chest, and my legs are cramping. Maybe my hypoglycemia is acting up."

"Can I apply to be a cheerleader on the sidelines instead? I'm very professional at shouting 'awesome.'" Lin Bei raised his hand, looking utterly sincere.

"Denied."

Akagi sneered. "If you dare slack off on the court, today's training load will be doubled."

No! This is basketball bullying! Lin Bei wailed inwardly.

But he did not dare say it aloud.

Takenori Akagi's iron fist was capable of beating Hanamichi Sakuragi until his head was covered in bumps.

The teams were quickly decided.

First-year team: Kaede Rukawa, Hanamichi Sakuragi, Kuwata, Ishii, and the unwillingly conscripted Lin Bei.

Upperclassmen team: Takenori Akagi, Kiminobu Kogure, Yasuda, Shiozaki, and Kakuta.

Tweet—!

The game began as Ayako blew the whistle.

Takenori Akagi won the tip-off, and the upperclassmen took the first possession.

Wearing a pair of limited-edition AJ1s, Lin Bei jogged slowly back on defense.

He was playing small forward, but at his current pace, even old men doing morning exercises in the park could outrun him.

As long as I don't touch the ball, the ball won't come looking for me.

Lin Bei silently recited his slacker mantra and skillfully activated a system skill.

[ Passive Skill: Gaze Induction (Tetsuya Kuroko) activated ]

[ Effect: Greatly reduces the host's presence, causing opponents—and teammates—to subconsciously overlook the host's existence ]

In an instant, Lin Bei's presence seemed to blend into the air around him.

He was clearly standing beyond the three-point line.

Yet neither Yasuda on offense nor Kaede Rukawa on defense seemed to remember that there was another person on the court.

This was Lin Bei's favorite skill.

No cutting, no boxing out, not even any defense!

It was practically the ultimate slacking skill!

The game quickly became completely one-sided.

Kaede Rukawa was strong, but he played far too selfishly.

Against the paint guarded by Akagi, he forced his way inside again and again.

He made several beautiful shots, but Akagi also swatted away two of them.

As for Hanamichi Sakuragi...

"Give me the ball! I'm a genius!"

Hanamichi ran around the court like a headless fly, completely ignorant of the rules.

He even got called for traveling three times.

"Dammit! This lousy floor is targeting me!" Hanamichi fumed.

The score soon reached 20 to 8.

The upperclassmen held a commanding lead.

Lin Bei stood in the corner with both hands in his pockets.

Watching everyone panting for breath, he could not help shaking his head.

"Young people really are too impulsive."

"Wouldn't wellness basketball like mine be better?"

Just then, something unexpected happened.

Kaede Rukawa drove into the paint again, only to be double-teamed by Takenori Akagi and Kogure.

He was trapped!

Kaede Rukawa gritted his teeth and swept his gaze across the court.

Kuwata was locked down, Ishii was trembling, and Hanamichi Sakuragi...

Hanamichi Sakuragi was having a sumo match with Kakuta the Emperor.

The only open spot was the corner...

Wait, when had someone gotten there?

Kaede Rukawa froze for a moment, but his body reacted instinctively.

"Whoosh!"

The basketball shot toward the corner like a cannonball.

Lin Bei had been about to yawn when he suddenly felt a fierce gust of wind coming at him.

"Fuck!"

He instinctively reached out, and with a slap, the basketball stuck firmly in his hand.

Everyone in the gym instantly focused on him.

Gaze Induction failed.

Takenori Akagi stood beneath the basket, his eyes fierce. "Lin Bei! Shoot!"

"Don't tell me you don't even know where the hoop is!"

Shiozaki, who had been guarding him, froze for a moment before hurriedly rushing in to block him.

Lin Bei held the ball, feeling its rough, grainy texture.

If he didn't shoot, Takenori Akagi would definitely kill him, and his plans to slack off from now on would be completely ruined.

If he missed, he would probably have to do extra training too.

"What a pain..."

Lin Bei sighed, but his body changed in that instant.

His previously lazy, slack posture suddenly tightened like a cheetah's.

A streak of blue lightning flashed through those dead-fish eyes.

[Active Skill: Formless Shot (Daiki Aomine) activated]

Facing the charging Shiozaki, Lin Bei made no feint at all.

He did not even adjust his footing. His body leaned back at an incredibly awkward angle, nearly forty-five degrees to the floor.

"What is he doing? Is he trying to kill himself?" Ayako cried out from the sidelines.

There was no way he could generate force from that posture!

Yet Lin Bei flicked his wrist with extraordinary softness.

The basketball traced an absurdly high arc, clearing Shiozaki's fingertips and Takenori Akagi's head as it flew straight for the basket.

Without even looking at the result, Lin Bei landed, turned around, and walked back.

"Swish!"

The crisp sound of the net was like heavenly music.

Nothing but net.

The entire gym fell instantly silent.

Only Lin Bei's lazy voice drifted through the air:

"Captain, I scored."

"Does that mean I've met my exercise quota for today?"

"I want to go back and catch up on sleep."