Alex Thorne quickly left Teiko Junior High. School hadn't started yet; the new semester was still a week away. Having sorted out his enrollment, Alex now faced another problem. "Where am I supposed to get money?" Looks like a part-time job is the only way.
The part-time work culture was quite prevalent in Japan. Many kids started working part-time jobs while in middle school to cover their expenses. Young waiters and waitresses were a common sight everywhere. Just as he was thinking about it, Alex spotted a coffee shop with a "Help Wanted" sign. He walked right in.
"Welcome! Do you have a reservation, sir?" As soon as he stepped inside, a young waitress, probably around 18, greeted him politely. Alex Thorne, hands in his pockets, scanned the surroundings. The ambiance was quite nice. He nodded in satisfaction. "I saw the hiring sign outside your shop. I'm here for an interview."
An interview? The waitress looked at him strangely. With Alex Thorne's cocky, almost arrogant appearance, he looked more like a spoiled rich kid than someone looking for a part-time gig. After all, who comes to a coffee shop interview wearing such ridiculously cool sunglasses? Nevertheless, she politely led Alex further in. "For an interview, you'll need the owner's approval." "Please follow me." "Alright, lead the way."
Alex followed the waitress and soon arrived at the coffee shop's back kitchen area. Even though it was a coffee shop, they couldn't just sell coffee and nothing else, right? "Ma'am, someone's here for an interview!" The proprietress turned around upon hearing this and was immediately met with a strikingly handsome face. Even with the sunglasses, her years of experience told her this was a young man who was drop-dead gorgeous.
"I'm here to..." Alex began. "Take off your sunglasses, let me see." "Ah, oh?" Alex complied, smoothly removing his sunglasses to reveal a pair of cerulean blue eyes. The initial impression of a cynical, devil-may-care rich kid instantly transformed into that of an elegant young nobleman.
"Hello, I'm here to..." "You're hired!" The owner pushed past the waitress and walked straight up to Alex, staring intently at his face. "Just like that? I'm hired?" "Yep, you're hired! You can start tomorrow!" Is this a joke? Alex thought, but outwardly he said, "Aren't you going to test my skills or anything?" "Well, can you make coffee?" "Nope!" "No problem, you can learn as you go. By the way, what's your name?" "Rya—Alex Thorne!" (He almost said his old name). "Alex Thorne... good name! Oozes charisma!" Alex Thorne: "..." The list of things I want to roast is getting longer.Seriously, is this shop recruiting waiters or male hosts? Why have you been staring at my face this whole time?
"Little Alex, where are you from?" the owner asked. Little Alex? Please. He wasn't 'little' anywhere it counted, Alex thought with an internal smirk. "Where am I from... Probably not a local." "And your parents?" "Not here." No lies detected; they're in another world. "So, you're on your own?" "For now, yes." "Do you have a place to stay?" "Not yet. I was planning to look for one later." His idea of "looking" involved a bit of "robbing the rich to help the poor"—or rather, shaking down a few "fated individuals" (aka local punks) to "borrow" enough cash for a night's stay. That's how he'd gotten through his first day. The System didn't exactly cover room and board, did it? So, he had to "borrow" from some minor delinquents.
"I see. There's an apartment behind the shop. I used to live there when I worked more often. Now that my child has been born, I need to be home to take care of them, so it's been vacant. I can rent it to you for now." Are the benefits at this shop really this good? Alex Thorne looked at the other waitress in surprise, only to see an expression on her face that looked like she was about to cry from being wronged. This immediately sent Alex's thoughts in a completely different direction. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but I will not sell my virtue!" "Virtue? I don't want your virtue! I want your youth!" "I'm sorry, ma'am, but my youth is just as important to me as my virtue!" Alex Thorne wanted to leave. Right now. Immediately. Damn it, I just wanted a part-time job, why does it seem like you want to become my sugar mama?
"What are you muttering about, all weird like that? What nonsense is going through your head?" The owner shot him a sideways glance. "My shop might be a coffee shop, but because it's near a school, most of our customers are actually students. Do you understand what I'm saying?" "Nope." "Idiot. I want your face, got it?" The owner couldn't resist reaching out and pinching Alex Thorne's handsome cheek. "Tsk, tsk," she said, "If I were twenty years younger, I guarantee I'd chase you until you agreed to be my boyfriend!" "Well, no problem then. I can definitely handle being eye candy." "Then it's settled. By the way, where are you going to school now?" "Teiko!" "Oh, that's quite close then. Alright, your work hours will be from when you finish school until 10 PM. You get one day off on weekends, so four days off a month. Any problems?" "Got it!"
And just like that, Alex Thorne had even sorted out his accommodation.
That evening. Having received an advance on his salary from the owner and bought some daily necessities, Alex Thorne lay on the unfamiliar bed. He stared at the ceiling, his arm resting on his forehead. My luck seems pretty good. Running into a kind person right off the bat... this isn't a bad start. Alex Thorne had accepted that he had come to another world and would soon be appearing "on camera," living a life somewhat like Truman's. Fortunately, he wasn't actually Truman; the camera would mostly revolve around that Kuroko guy. No, that's not right either. If I want to become the 'Popularity King,' how can I do it without the determination to turn 'Kuroko's Basketball' into 'Alex's Basketball'?
With this thought, he rolled over, went to the desk, and began to jot down Gojo Satoru's character settings. Looking across so many anime series, popular characters were as numerous as stars in the sky. Especially in sports genres, which most easily ignited the audience's passion. Like Mitsui Hisashi from Slam Dunk, a hot-blooded guy who was a prodigal son returned, captivating countless people. The world of Kuroko's Basketball was different. While it had its passionate moments, it was more about the shock factor, the awe. When Aomine first entered the Zone, the sheer impact, that beauty of overwhelming power, stunned so many. To make it in the world of Kuroko's Basketball, just harping on about effort was useless; everyone competed based on talent. The protagonist team worked hard enough, didn't they? But against the Generation of Miracles, apart from Kuroko and Kagami with their own power-ups, the rest were only fit to be instantly crushed. Highlighting one's own individuality and overwhelming strength—that was the key to attracting popularity.