The gym doors creaked open, and a short, round man with a gentle face and white hair walked in. He looked more like a friendly grandfather than a basketball coach.
"Coach Anzai!" the whole team shouted, bowing deeply.
Sakuragi, however, stood tall, blinking in confusion. "Who's the fat old man? Is he the school's principal?"
"Quiet, moron!" Akagi hissed, sweat beads forming on his forehead. "That's Coach Anzai, one of the greatest coaches in the country!"
[System Alert: New Legendary NPC Encounter!]
[Name: Mitsuyoshi Anzai]
[Title: The White-Haired Buddha]
[New Quest: The Greeting of a Genius!]
[Objective: Make Coach Anzai acknowledge your potential without getting kicked off the team.]
[Reward: 200 System Points & Secret Skill: 'Unstoppable Stamina'.]
Sakuragi grinned. 200 points? I'm in! He walked up to the coach and, instead of bowing, he reached out and gave the coach's double chin a friendly wiggle. "Hey, old man! I'm the genius Hanamichi Sakuragi. I'm going to take this team to the nationals!"
The gym went silent. Akagi looked like he was about to explode. Rukawa just sighed, "Do'aho."
But Coach Anzai didn't get angry. He let out a soft, "Ho-ho-ho," and looked at Sakuragi through his thick glasses. "You have a lot of energy, young man. Let's see if that energy translates into skill on the court."
[Quest Update: 50% Complete. Coach Anzai is intrigued!]
[Hint: Show him your rebounding skills in the next drill!]