Shinkansen, Kanagawa Station.

The train to our dreams has now pulled into the station.

Coach Anzai, standing in the center, was the first to board the train, followed closely by the rest of the Shohoku team.

However, there are quite a lot of people from Shohoku this time!

Besides the basketball team members, Haruko Akagi, Yohei Mito, Nozomi Takamiya, Yuji Oonusu, and Tadashiro Noma also came along.

That's not the main point.

The main point is that a large group of brothers from the Shohoku delinquent youth gang and a large group of girls from Rukawa Kaede's fan club also came along.

Good heavens, a huge crowd of people!

Both carriages were basically full of people from Shohoku!

Mitsui Hisashi was overjoyed to see his brothers going to Hiroshima with him.

Tokuo Horita, standing to the side, said with a proud look on his face, "The brothers all earn money through their own hard work."

There was a time when Mitsui Hisashi thought that after joining the basketball team, he would become a stranger to his brothers.

Unexpectedly, not only has Tokuo Horita joined the Shohoku basketball team, but his other brothers are also supporting him so loyally.

For a moment, a layer of hot mist rose in Mitsui Hisashi's eyes.

Sakuragi Hanamichi felt incredibly good looking at his woman and brothers sitting right next to him.

The virtuous Haruko Akagi also specially prepared a lot of delicious food.

However, Akagi Takenori's expression was a little off.

Sakuragi Hanamichi stuffed a large piece of beef into his mouth, chewing it with relish, but then noticed that Akagi Takenori's gaze seemed a little unfriendly, so he said, "Akagi-nii, you eat too! Why are you looking at me like that?"

Takenori Akagi gave a soft hum, said nothing, and began to eat the food prepared by Haruko Akagi.

For no other reason than that the food that Haruko Akagi prepared this time was not the kind of food that Takenori Akagi usually liked to eat.

Akagi Takenori had a vague feeling that all the food his sister had prepared this time was what Sakuragi Hanamichi liked to eat.

This is truly a case of "a married woman is like water spilled from a bowl"—she's no longer there for the world!

They're not even married yet, and they're already like this!

If we really got married, wouldn't I have to move all my belongings into his house?

Thinking of this, Takenori Akagi decided that he must hide all his treasured limited edition basketball shoes properly to prevent his sister from taking them and giving them to Hanamichi Sakuragi!

The three brothers, Nozomi Takamiya, Yuji Oonan, and Tadashi Noma, had long since left their seats and gone to sit in the seats of the girls who were part of Rukawa Kaede's fan club.

Takamiya Nozomi said with a smile, "Wow! Mikaze! You look so beautiful today!"

At first, Akiyama Mikazuki and her group of girls really disliked Takamiya Nozomi, that lewd fat guy.

But Takamiya Nozomi's social skills were too clever. He actually used Rukawa Kaede as a breakthrough point, telling Akiyama Mikazuki and the other girls that he had a way to help them get close to Rukawa Kaede, or that it would be no problem for them to give Rukawa Kaede some gifts.

In addition, Takamiya Nozomi made up a lot of stories about Rukawa Kaede. These stories were completely melodramatic to Sakuragi Hanamichi, but Akiyama Mikazuki and her group of girls listened with shining eyes and often grabbed Takamiya Nozomi, hoping that she could tell more stories about Rukawa Kaede.

So sometimes, what people need is not the truth of the matter, but the truth they want to see.

At this moment on the train, Akiyama Mika's heart was entirely with Rukawa Kaede. However, one cannot hit a smiling face, so when she saw Takamiya Nozomi coming over to greet her with a smile, Akiyama Mika and the others started chatting with the three Takamiya brothers.

What evil intentions could the three Takamiya brothers possibly have?

He just wanted to chat with girls to satisfy his emotional needs and, incidentally, enjoy the fragrant air around him to satisfy his physical needs.

It would be even better if I could find a compatible girl to date.

While enjoying his food, Sakuragi Hanamichi gently nudged Rukawa Kaede beside him with his elbow.

Sakuragi Hanamichi gestured with his lip towards Akiyama Mikado and the others, teasingly saying, "You're really charming! You can make these girls follow you so devotedly! Amazing!"

Rukawa Kaede's face remained icy, ignoring Sakuragi Hanamichi.

Sakuragi Hanamichi got more and more excited as he spoke, "Look at that girl! Wow! That figure! That face! Over-the-knee stockings, a short skirt, a JK uniform! Pretty cool! Hey, tell me honestly, aren't you tempted?"

Sakuragi Hanamichi twitched his eyebrows a few times at Rukawa Kaede, appearing very excited.

Rukawa Kaede didn't respond, but Akagi Haruko's voice boomed like thunder in Sakuragi Hanamichi's ears, "Hanamichi, which girl is it? Point her out to me."

Haruko Akagi spoke these words calmly and softly.

But Sakuragi Hanamichi knew Akagi Haruko too well; he clearly sensed a strong pang of jealousy, and a faint... aura of death!

Sakuragi Hanamichi awkwardly turned to look at Akagi Haruko.

To others, Haruko Akagi's gaze seemed calm at that moment, but Hanamichi Sakuragi felt that it was clearly a death stare!

Sakuragi Hanamichi hurriedly swallowed the food he had just put in his mouth, waving his hands repeatedly and explaining, "No, no! It was Rukawa Kaede who told me there was some girl over there..."

At this point, Sakuragi Hanamichi's expression shifted, as if he had grasped a lifeline, and he said firmly, "That's right! That's exactly it! It's all Rukawa Kaede's fault!"

Immediately, Sakuragi Hanamichi looked at Rukawa Kaede with a serious expression and said in a lecturing tone, "Rukawa Kaede, women will only affect your basketball game! You shouldn't be having such nonsense thoughts right now. You should be thinking about how to become the coolest guy in the national tournament!"

The phrase "Women will only affect your basketball skills" is clearly something Rukawa Kaede often said when he was teaching Sakuragi Hanamichi!

Good grief, now Sakuragi Hanamichi is actually using that phrase to lecture Rukawa Kaede!

It's a completely upside-down form of education!

Rukawa felt a volcanic eruption of rage shooting straight to the top of his head!

In an instant, a murderous aura surged from the nine-tailed fox, Rukawa Kaede!

Rukawa Kaede gave Sakuragi Hanamichi a death stare.

Rukawa Kaede didn't say a word, just quietly watching Sakuragi Hanamichi.

Sakuragi Hanamichi was completely dumbfounded! What's wrong with a good brother taking a bullet for you in a critical moment? Doesn't Rukawa Kaede have any sense of decency? Is this how you act as a brother?

On one side is Haruko Akagi's death stare, and on the other side is Kaede Rukawa's death stare.

For the first time, Sakuragi Hanamichi felt that he should try to avoid having these two people around him at the same time in the future.

Just then, Haruko Akagi withdrew her deadly gaze and asked leisurely, "Oh? Hanamichi, are women only a distraction from your basketball game?"

As she said this, Haruko Akagi thoughtfully handed her a thermos, which contained water infused with longan, goji berries, and chrysanthemum—Sakuragi Hanamichi's favorite drink.

Looking at the steaming hot gas from the thermos, Sakuragi Hanamichi felt a chill run down his spine.

He wanted to slap himself hard!