[KNB] Chapter : 04

In the world of Kuroko no Basket, there’s no shortage of hard-working, determined players.
But in the end, it’s always the ones with colorful hair and outrageous talent who steal the spotlight.

Their raw power eclipses the relentless effort of the ordinary.

Before he could aim for the throne of popularity, though, he had to start from the bottom—by adapting to his new life in a humble little coffee shop.

The Next Morning.

Han officially began his first day on the job.

The boss lady, energetic as ever, pulled a sleek uniform out of nowhere and thrust it at him. Then, with a grin and a clap, she declared, “Time to clock in—wait, I mean, time to work!”

Han looked down at the uniform, raising an eyebrow.
It was far too stylish for a regular café gig—dark, tailored, and almost theatrical.

“Are you sure I’m a waiter and not a bartender in some drama?”

“Well, you do look handsome,” the boss lady said proudly, spinning him around like a fashion doll. “Perfect! Now that everything’s ready, let’s open shop!”

She cheerfully added, “Little Han, your job today is to learn how to make coffee with me!”

“Alright,” Han replied.
Grinding beans definitely sounded better than cleaning tables.

But very quickly, he noticed something strange.

The boss lady didn’t just want him to learn how to make coffee—she wanted him to pose while doing it.

Every move she taught him came with overly elegant gestures, smiles under sunbeams, and a carefully crafted air of sophistication.

“Uh... Boss, are we really making coffee?” he asked, while standing at a window, smiling with a book in one hand and beans in the other.

“Of course,” she replied innocently.

“Then why does it feel more like I’m shooting a commercial?”

From the corner of his eye, Han could see female customers frantically snapping pictures.

The boss lady gave them a quick glance, then shrugged.

“TV shows are fake. We’re just giving them something better.”

He sighed.

“Life is hard,” he muttered under his breath.

Within just a few hours, he felt like he’d been visually devoured by a hundred gazes. Some customers even tried to flirt—or worse, asked for his contact information.

He waved them off with the same excuse every time:

“Sorry, I don’t have a phone.”

And he wasn’t lying. He really didn’t.

“All these pretty girls, and not one catches your eye?” the boss lady teased.

“My dreams are of the stars and the sea. Women just slow my grind,” he replied coolly.

“Your grind?” She narrowed her eyes, glancing at his lower half. “At your age, can you even grind anything?”

That shut him up.

The boss lady was a wild one—but age had made her even wilder.

Day One on the job, and Han was already experiencing workplace harassment.

What do you do when your boss is a flirt and you’re the café mascot?
Very tough. No easy answers.

And so began his life in this world—a bit chaotic, a bit ridiculous, but undeniably underway.

A Few Days Later.

Han appeared at Teikō Middle School’s basketball club, still wearing his signature Gojo-style sunglasses.

The gym buzzed with energy.

Today was one of the most important days of the year—the welcoming of new recruits.

At Teikō, club life was serious business. Whether it was basketball, baseball, or soccer, students poured their hearts into extracurriculars.

But among them all, Teikō’s basketball club stood out like a crown jewel.

Ever since Coach Kōzō Shirogane had taken the reins, the team had rocketed to national stardom.
What was once a respectable team had become a powerhouse—an undisputed titan in the world of junior high basketball.

And into this high-pressure crucible stepped Han, ready to make his mark.

On the very first day of school, Teikō was already teeming with fresh faces.

A flood of eager new students poured into the gymnasium—drawn like moths to flame by the legendary status of the basketball club.

As Han stepped into the arena, his vision flickered. A barrage of text suddenly streamed through his mind, like chat comments in a livestream:

"Wuhu, a new character enters!"
"First!"
"Second!"
"Who's the protagonist?!"
"Pink hair? So cute—I want to squish her!"
"That's my waifu, back off!"
"You wish! She's mine!"

The “pink hair” in question was unmistakably Momoi Satsuki, walking in beside Aomine Daiki.

Female managers in the Teikō basketball team were rare, and although Satsuki wasn’t technically in that role just yet, her presence already commanded attention.

But Han had no interest in her right now.

He was here for someone else.

Kuroko Tetsuya.

He scanned the crowd. The arena was packed with more than 50 students—and that was being conservative. In the golden age of the Generation of Miracles, the club would swell to over a hundred members.

“So this is the birthplace of legends,” Han murmured.
“And here I am, with a popularity score of zero. Gotta change that.”

He looked around.

“Now… where’s the camera?”

Just then, a quiet, almost spectral voice sounded behind him.

“Um… excuse me. Could you move aside?”

Huh? Move aside? Why not just walk around me?

Han turned—
—and nearly jumped out of his skin.

Standing silently just behind him was a boy. Not just quiet. Invisible.

“Holy—!” Han jolted back like a cat caught off guard, his heart leaping into his throat.
It was that exact anime horror moment—like when Dio was about to land the killing blow, only to see Jotaro’s finger twitch.

He clutched his chest.

“What the hell, man?! You scared the life out of me!”

The boy looked back with an apologetic expression, almost like a ghost who felt bad for haunting someone.

“I’ve actually been standing here the whole time… you just didn’t notice me.”

Han blinked.

“Wait. You were already here?”

He narrowed his eyes, then sighed.

“Oh right, I know who you are now. This must be that ‘natural lack of presence’ setting. I’ve heard of characters like you, but seriously? You’re so invisible it feels like I’m acting in a supernatural thriller.”

The chat barrage responded instantly:

"LMAO he's roasting him!"
"The white-haired guy is hilarious!"
"Too bad he’s a dude!"
"Dude next to him? Husband material~"
"This man jumped like my cat getting sprayed with water. DEAD 😂"

Popularity +1!
Popularity +1!
Popularity +1!

The more Han bantered, the faster his popularity score ticked upward.

So this is how it works, he thought. I might not be in Kuroko’s original story. This feels more like a prequel… focused on the entire Generation of Miracles.

Then came the formal introduction.

“Hello,” the boy said, bowing slightly. “I’m Tetsuya Kuroko, first-year. Please take care of me.”

“Han. Let’s get along.”

And just like that, their first meeting—chaotic, awkward, and unforgettable—sealed the beginning of a strange friendship.

Kuroko, as Han quickly realized, was a pure basketball soul.

The type who didn’t care about fame, power, or popularity.

He simply loved the game.

To him, basketball was joy. Something beautiful. Something to share.

But Han?
He was here for something more.