-Los Angeles, California-

-February 11, 1998, 1800h local-

At a certain hospital in downtown Los Angeles, a couple is inside the birthing room with a doctor and a nurse. One noticeable thing, however, was that the pair is an interracial couple.

Hana Edwards, formerly Shibuya Hana, is a 5'8" woman of pure Japanese descent. Her long jet black hair and equally black eyes, porcelain white skin, and pink lips give her quite a regal appearance. This description isn't far off from the truth, though. Hana came from a prestigious and wealthy family. Specifically, the Shibuya Clan, whose lineage can be traced back to Owari's Daimyo, Oda Nobunaga. Her family had managed to build up a business massive business empire from a single trading ship. Currently, the Shibuya Clan owns forty percent of all the major companies in Japan, a few multinational conglomerates, and thirty percent share of global shipping. There's a lot more going on in the shadows like their Yakuza connection, but that's not pertinent.

As for Hana Edwards herself, she purposely 'left' the family to have the chance to distance herself from all the traditions and glamor. She fully expected her father to disown her, so it was a surprise that he just let her go. However, she was reasonably sure that she was out of the will.

After Hana left her family right after high school, she enrolled at Syracuse University in New York with a major in Biochemistry since it's quite close to the Great Lakes. What she didn't know was her life would change once again.

Aside from its massive investment in research, Syracuse is known for its athletic culture, especially basketball. Syracuse has a long history of culturing basketball talent. One of their new basketball scholarship recruits is Michael Edwards.

Michael Edwards was a highly sought after recruit straight out of high school. He's a 6'9" Caucasian man with natural snow-white hair and pale grey eyes. He's muscularly built due to working construction part-time. This is because he lives alone in a brownstone in Queens, New York, left behind by his parents when they died in a car accident when he was 14. He poured his soul into basketball when he was in high school as an outlet for his grief. His persistence and unknown talent have enabled him to progress quickly.

Of course, his coach had noticed Michaels's obvious talent. He cultivated this talent and let it grow. Michael had pulled the eys of many scouts when his high school won the state championship by the second year and nationals by the third and fourth. All the NBA scouts are drooling in their seats when they saw him play. It was a sight to behold when he played, especially in his final year—an oversized 6'3" scoring point guard with both offense and defense. Ask any scout, and they would say they can see Magic, Jordan, and Irving's flashes in his playstyle. That's more than enough to shoot his stocks to the top 5. The only reason he's not the prospective first pick was that he's not a traditional center.

Almost everyone he knows is urging to declare for the draft. The only person telling him not to is Michael's coach himself.

'Being an NBA player is great and all. But one slip, one unfortunate fall, one mistimed jump, and everything's gone. They're not going to help you when you're out. You got no value anymore. Unless you can guarantee that nothing like that would happen or you can bounce back from anything and everything, then you should go to college first. At least if you have a degree first, you have something to fall back to.' His coach advised.

Being the only relevant role model left in his life, Micahel took this advice to heart and declared that he would go to college. This caused a lot of disappointment in a lot of NBA teams while NCAA colleges and universities rejoiced. He decided to take something that would get him into the NBA, even if it's not as a player. Through special permissions, interviews, and careful negotiations, he managed to get a double major in Health, Physical education, and Excercise science with a minor in Nutrition Science and Dietetics. It would be hard, but it would assure that he would have something to lean back on whatever happens.

Michael grinded through his first year, focusing on his studies and basketball, in that order. His life remained basically the same throughout the year—dorms, classes, gym, before going back to the dorm. It all changed near the end of the year when he met a management major, finance minor student, Shibuya Hana. In one rare occurrence of having a social life, Michael was pulled by his teammates into a party hosted by one of the more subdued fraternity. That's where he met his would-be wife.

Their relationship started fast but developed slowly. It was love at first sight, and they quickly became friends. Michael's life turned around. It's like he could see color again. As for Hana, it felt like she was with family again. However, they always placed an imaginary line between them. Everyone knows they are practically together. The news even managed to reach Hana's family back in Japan, though they held off from doing anything.

The pair didn't go official until early into their third year. By this time, Syracuse is already a back to back champion in Michael's first two years. His professors and adviser are pleased that his grades are not lagging since only a few grade points are away from graduating with honors. As for Hana, she's already locked in for honor graduate unless she somehow fails everything. The couple was already a bonafide celebrity when they graduated. They're called the 'Princess and the Knight' duo due to Hana's royal aura and Michael's demeanor.

When they graduated, Hana's family tried to hire her in their company, but she decided to decline it in favor of a corporate job in downtown LA. It's all for the better, too, since Michael joined the Lakers as an NBA free agent since he decided to opt-out of the draft. They pooled their money and bought a house just outside of LA while the brownstone in New York was left as their house on the other side of the coast.

Michael made an agreement with Hana that he will commit only twelve years to the NBA. After that, he would make use of his degrees either as a coach or trainer. This is to have a stable 9 to 5 job that can reliably support a family. The fans are all excited to see two Michaels duke it out on the court. The unstoppable shot creator, Michael Jordan, and the Offensive and Defensive Anchor, Michael Edwards. The old dynasty and the emerging ones.

Jordan's experience with Playoffs proved to be too much for Michael in his first two years in the league. Jordan managed to grab the 92 and 93 championships, effectively giving the Bulls a threepeat. Michael and the Lakers fought back in the 94 finals giving Michael his first ring, but it resulted in a back and forth in the next few years. The Bulls nabbed the 95 and 97 championships while the Lakers got the 96. However, it all changed in 98. Michael played like a man possessed in the 1997-1998 regular season. They beat Jordan's regular-season record with a 73 - 9 win-loss record. Everyone was asking why, but it became clear in the Thanksgiving of 1997 when he reluctantly announced Hana's pregnancy.

The couple married in a private ceremony in Kyoto in the fall of 93 due to Hana's family's urging. The first time Michael met Hana's parents, he was quite nervous. The only thing he knows was Hana's father was most probably with the Yakuza. He was fully expecting the katana and gun treatment, but to his surprise, they were quite amiable—a fan of his even. Michael and Hana's father had a long conversation about a lot of stuff, trying to assess his personality. At the end of the day, Hana's father approved the union. Michael insisted that he would pay for a small wedding away from the flashing lights and paparazzi. It's a modest affair with only friends and family. Almost five years later, Hana and Micahel are expecting their first kid.

"We really should have found out the gender, don't you think so?" Micahel asked in a laid back manner.

"Shut up, motherfucker." Hana cursed out through one of her labor pains.

"Is that how a princess supposed to talk?"

"I don't care. No one's going to hear it."

"There's a doctor and nurse here, Hun." Michael deadpanned.

"Again. I don't fucking care."

Michael looked at the doctor and nurse duo apologetically, but they just waved it off since they already saw too many mothers in labor. Hana's contractions passed, so she was finally able to relax.

"Don't you have a game tonight?" Hana asked with a subdued tone.

"Yup, but don't worry about it. Shaq and the boys can handle it..." Michael reassured. "They might head straight here, though."

"Please don't. They're too chaotic to be all in a hospital." Hana tiredly replied.

In the past seven years, Michael and Hana have assumed a parent/ older sibling figure for the whole team. Michael's high basketball IQ has prompted the coaching staff to give him the on-court coaching responsibility. Even the hard-headed Shaq gives the reigns of the team to Michael, especially in the critical moments.

"Oh, come on. They just want to see our kid." Michael answered with a pleading voice.

"They can come one by one but not the whole team..." Hana clarified. "If the whole team comes, the whole organization will follow, and there's no way in hell that this hospital can accommodate just under a hundred people."

"Oh, right. Let me call Mitch, or Del. Wait here a second." Michael said before walking out of the room, presumably to the reception of the offices. Hana stared dumbfoundedly at Michael's retreating back.

"Don't go now, dumbass!" Hana shouted as soon as the door closed

-Los Angeles, California-

-February 11, 1998, 2200h local-

"Hey! Big G! What are you'd going all the way out here?" Michael heard someone call his nickname Big Genius. He looked up and saw Shaquille O'Neil

"Hana evicted me. Said I was too annoying..." Michael answered while drinking a can of coke. "Didn't expect you to visit trainers."

"Eh. It's only four blocks away from Staples, so we walked..." Shaq replied. "Don't expect the other guys till tomorrow morning, so it's no problem."

"You guys win?"

"Oh, definitely. Even If I played off the bench."

"Why is that again?"

"Load management or some shit." Shaq answered.

Michael gestured for Shaq to sit down next to him. He could hear the chair groan when the 135kg sat down on the metal bench.

"How long this thing takes again?"

"Too long..." Michael groaned out. "Though it should be finished any time now."

Shaq nodded and leaned back on the chair. The two sat in relative silence for thirty minutes before they heard a baby's cry. They saw the doctor come out of the room.

"Come on. Meet your baby boy." The doctor called out.

Michael nodded and stood up. He fist-bumped Shaq before following the doctor inside the room. As soon as he got inside the room, he saw Hana sitting on top of the bed, supported by pillows. In her arm is a bundle of towels covering a baby. He walked up to the bed and sat next to her. Hana gave him a wide smile before uncovering the towel from the baby's face.

"Huh, he got both our hair..." Micahel mused out loud when he saw their kid's ash grey hair. "Thought of a name yet?"

"Yup." Hana answered with a bright smile.

"Care to share it?"

"Sure. If you need to know..." Hana teased. "Kenshi Shibuya Edwards."