Chapter 16: Spring Break

After two weeks of intensive training during the winter break, every member of the Shoyo basketball team had shown significant improvement. Once the winter break ended, Kudo's final semester at Fukasawa Sports University began. However, Kudo only made a brief trip to the university to enroll in his courses before returning to Kanagawa to continue training the Shoyo team. The high school students had also entered their third semester, which typically lasts from January 7th to around March 20th.

During these two months, Kudo not only scientifically increased the intensity of the team's training but also arranged five practice matches against other Kanagawa high school basketball teams. These teams included the Lingnan basketball team, the Sunrise West basketball team, and the Tsugutake basketball team, coached by Kazumi Kawasaki. It was worth noting that Kawasaki, like Kudo, was a rookie coach, but he had earned the trust of the Tsugutake board through his own abilities.

Shoyo dominated all five practice matches, winning by large margins. For each victory, Kudo received 100 SD points from the system. However, despite these rewards, the system had not issued any new quests in months. Kudo's main quest remained unchanged, leaving him uncertain about his progress.

In addition to the practice matches, Kudo also met with some promising basketball players from Kokusaka Junior High, based on Takamoto's recommendations. Since the Kokusaka Prefectural Tournament was held in July and August, Kudo had been too busy with university tournaments to familiarize himself with the players. Moreover, the only footage available was from the finals, which didn't provide enough insight. Takamoto's recommendations and the players' reputations suggested that this graduating class lacked standout talent, so Kudo left the recruitment process to Takamoto and didn't use his special recruitment quota.

As the semester drew to a close, the time limit for Kudo's personal mission expired. Having fully inherited his predecessor's experience and developed a strong feel for the ball, Kudo had spent the past few months training alongside his players, sharing their hardships. This approach not only boosted the team's morale but also earned Kudo immense respect from his players. Despite the grueling training regimen, no one quit the team, a testament to Kudo's leadership.

"Ding! The time limit for the self-task has ended. The host has completed the task. Please check the mission board!"

Kudo opened the mission board and reviewed the details of his personal mission:

*Self Mission:* The Strength of a Star Player

*Mission Description:* As a former star player with top-tier skills, the host is currently a basketball novice, which is inconsistent with his identity. The host is required to recover 80% of his former strength within three months.

*Mission Completion:* Recovered 80% of his strength.

*Mission Reward:* Strength Enhancement Potion (Advanced).

"I didn't expect to recover 80% of my strength after all this hard work," Kudo thought. "And I even got a high-level Strength Enhancement Potion. I wonder who this is for?"

Kudo considered the reward carefully. While it was valuable, he felt it wouldn't have a significant impact on the current Shoyo team. The players were solid, but none had the potential to elevate the team's strength dramatically, like Fujimoto or Hanagata from the original story.

By March 20th, Kudo graduated from Fukasawa University, officially entering society. Shoyo High School also began its spring break, a time for students to celebrate the New Year. Kudo decided to give the team a break, allowing them to enjoy the holiday without training.

For Kudo, this was his first New Year in this world, and he looked forward to spending it with his family. Having lost his family before crossing over, he cherished the opportunity to celebrate with his new parents.

~~~~~~~~~~~ I am the dividing line of all evil ~~~~~~~~~~~

Before New Year's Eve, the Kudo family followed traditional Japanese customs. They placed a kadomatsu (pine decoration) outside their house, hung a shimenawa (sacred straw rope) on the front door, and offered kagami mochi (mirror rice cakes) to the gods.

On New Year's Eve, the family enjoyed a traditional meal of osechi-ryori and drank zoni, a Kanto specialty soup with rectangular mochi. After dinner, Kudo accompanied his parents to a nearby shrine to ring the New Year's bell, pray for good fortune, and draw omikuji (fortune slips).

The first day of the New Year was spent on a family trip. After much discussion, Nobuko Kudo decided they would visit her parents in Chiba Prefecture. "It's been two years since I last visited my parents," she explained. "Akitake hasn't been to his in-laws' house in three years, and Shinichi hasn't seen his grandparents in just as long!"

Unable to argue with such compelling reasons, Kudo and his father agreed, and the family set off for Chiba Prefecture on New Year's Day. Located within the Tokyo Economic Circle, Chiba was just a few hours away by boat.

However, shortly after arriving at his grandparents' house, Kudo received an unexpected notification from the SD system:

"Ding! A random quest has been issued!"

This was the first random quest Kudo had encountered since arriving in this world.