Chapter 1 A Glimpse

August 3rd, during the bubble economy.

At this moment, the Joto Municipal Gymnasium in Japan is sweltering with heat and bustling with noise.

"The Mountain King! The Mountain King will win!"

"Go Shohoku! Go Shohoku!"

The atmosphere at the scene was lively, but Hana remained completely unmoved.

She has no interest in the competition, so why is she at the stadium? Because without Kanon, there can be no competition!

She is indispensable on the basketball court.

That round basketball!

Thump, thump, thump...

The basketball was rhythmically dribbled in the hands of the Sannoh players.

Hanon could sense the unease in this person's heart.

Just as he was about to pass the ball, Shohoku's number 11 suddenly appeared—

There was a loud "smack!"

With a blank expression, Rukawa Kaede swiftly flicked the ball away and caught it!

Hanon felt her head jolt violently, thinking to herself, "This number 11 from Shohoku has pretty strong hands!"

"Well done, Rukawa!"

"Charge! Charge!"

Rukawa Kaede made a steal and a steal, and the Shohoku bench erupted in cheers.

Rukawa, having secured the ball, sprinted towards Sannoh's basket at full speed.

A lightning-fast burst of speed, and a thunderous dunk!

"Bang!" Success!

What a ruthless young man!

If basketball had any meaning, this dunk would probably have splattered her brains open.

The gymnasium fell silent for a moment, then erupted in screams from the girls—

"Ahhh!"

"So handsome! So amazing! Rukawa Kaede! I love Rukawa Kaede!"

"So fierce! So cool! Rukawa Kaede!"

From Hanon's perspective, all she could see was a simple line drawing of a little man, but judging from the enthusiastic atmosphere in the arena, she realized that this kid not only had skill but also good looks.

She landed on the ground and bounced a few times before being scooped up by someone.

The game continues.

The Shohoku team is having a tough time.

"Out of bounds!"

"Save the ball!"

"oh--"

Everyone gasped in surprise!

In the slow-motion replay of Sakuragi's diving save, Kanon is suddenly pulled into a strange dimension.

She saw a translucent human figure peeling away from the worn surface of her sphere!

Hanon looked completely bewildered.

Just moments ago, she was a basketball on the court; in the blink of an eye, she transformed into a ghost, hovering around the person who saved her.

"The national tournament is over just like that? I didn't even win the national championship..."

The pain in his back and the anxiety in his heart permeated Sakuragi.

"What player's life... I only played basketball for four months..."

Sakuragi's voice was slightly choked, and the veins on his hands bulged as he gripped the pillowcase tightly to keep breathing.

"Dad... I miss you so much..." Sakuragi's tears soaked the sheets. "I want my family's support too... I don't want to be alone..."

For a moment, Hanon's consciousness was briefly lost. Those distant memories seemed to unfold before her eyes like a series of images.

—It turns out that before she became a ball, she was also a person of this world.

Hana's gaze fell on the red-haired boy on the hospital bed.

Sakuragi.

How vulnerable and helpless they must be right now.

This could affect his career.

If you've been learning basketball for less than four months and haven't yet developed muscle memory from your previous practice, prolonged rehabilitation could render all your previous learning useless.

Even with Hanon's carefree nature, she couldn't help but feel a little impatient when thinking about this problem.

Hello, welcome to the world of SD manga.

A mechanical voice suddenly echoed in my mind.

Before Hanon could react, her body vanished into thin air.

Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, April.

In 1992, the tinkling of wind chimes replaced the noise of the stadium.

Kanon dragged her suitcase covered in ANA baggage claim stickers past the Lawson convenience store. An advertisement for a new flip phone released in the fourth year of the Heisei era in the shop window made her feel disoriented.

My last memory of basketball is still the public phone booth from the Showa era.

"jingle--"

Suddenly, a clear bell rang.

A sudden impact came from behind, and the suitcase slammed hard into Hanon's knee!

In the instant she lost her balance, she quickly grabbed onto something that could support her.

Due to inertia, the suitcase slipped and its contents scattered all over the floor.

Hanon frowned, straightened up, and looked back at the perpetrator.

Backlit, the young man stood tall and elegant.

A pair of long legs casually tapped the ground with the right foot, while the left foot stepped on the pedal.

Moving the gaze upwards, the face becomes more striking than the body.

The black head bobbed up and down, and the transparent snot bubbles between its noses rose and fell with its breaths.

Sculpted features, narrow eyes, and thick, long eyelashes.

Her porcelain-white skin and jet-black, fluffy hair created a striking visual contrast, giving her an aloof and ascetic air.

Hua Yin was stunned. Suddenly, the other party pushed off the ground and turned the car around, preparing to "flee the scene of the accident"!

A tremendous force pulled her forward, causing her to stagger.

The bicycle had only gone two steps when it crashed into a telephone pole, and he fell to the ground along with the bicycle.

Two seconds later, a faint snoring sound began.

Hanako sighed, filled with admiration.

Is this what they mean by "where you fall, you sleep there"?!

After hesitating for a moment, Huayin walked over, squatted down, observed for a few seconds, and then gently patted his arm: "Classmate, wake up."

"..."

How soundly are they sleeping?! Even a pig wouldn't sleep like that!

Hanon continued filming.

Suddenly, the other person grabbed her wrist and pulled hard—

I never expected this!

Hanon collapsed directly onto him, so abruptly facing him.

Their pupils contracted!

The air seemed to have been paused.

The boy's delicate skin was so close, his warm breath lingering around her nose. His body heat seeped through her clothes and onto her body.

Rukawa Kaede looked into those light-colored eyes, his cold and irritable face showing surprise.

His pupils were grayish-blue, like two deep blue oceans, clear and profound, and he glimpsed himself in them.

Once he regained his senses, Rukawa Kaede loosened his grip.

Hanon quickly distanced herself, noticeably retreating to sit on the ground, covering her hands and gasping for breath.

That's some serious strength!

Rukawa Kaede sat up abruptly, scratching his hair in frustration; it was fluffy and a bit frizzy.

Every strand of hair seemed to be radiating the restlessness of being abruptly awakened.

Like a hedgehog with its feathers standing on end.

After a moment, Hanon broke the silence: "Hello... are you alright?"

Those beautiful eyes were cold and sharp, carrying an aura that was not to be trifled with.

Rukawa Kaede took off one earphone, his voice icy, just like the expression on his face, "It's nothing."

Seeing his response, Hana's expression relaxed. She pointed to the scattered items on the ground and explained, "You just bumped into me on your bike and knocked over my luggage in the process."

He stood there stunned for several seconds, his slender, fox-like eyes giving her a detached look.

"sorry."

His voice still carried a hint of drowsiness, and he bowed deeply to her with little expression.

Although the perpetrator acted strangely, at least their attitude in admitting their mistake was sincere. Moreover, with that delicate face, it's really hard to blame them.

Hanon waved her hand to indicate that it was nothing, "It's alright."

Seeing the mess of luggage on the floor, she began to tidy it up.

Unlike most people, her packing habits are completely unpredictable. She simply picks out clothes randomly, dusts them off, rolls them up, and tosses them into her suitcase.

Rukawa Kaede sat on the ground expressionlessly, helping her tidy up.

He picked up a pair of black and red basketball shoes, searched for a while before finding an empty seat, and then gave her a cold look.

Suddenly, their eyes met, then they quickly looked away in tacit agreement.

The atmosphere was so quiet it was almost awkward.

Hana couldn't help but steal a few glances at him. The perpetrator exuded an aloof and indifferent aura from head to toe, making people hesitant to approach him.

She zipped up her suitcase, held onto the handle, and said, "Thank you, classmate."

The other party gave a cold "hmm".

The two stood up.

A barely perceptible look of surprise flashed in his beautiful fox-like eyes, and his composed gaze slowly and deliberately fell upon the girl.

Her face wasn't even as big as his palm, yet she was so tall when she stood up?

Rukawa Kaede is not good at dealing with girls, and he's too lazy to deal with them either. He usually just goes around them, but this time he bumped into someone and knocked them down.

It's very troublesome.

But if you do something wrong, you must bear the corresponding responsibility.

He rummaged in his bag, pulled out a few yen bills, and handed them to her, writing two words calmly and clearly: "Compensation."

The other party's actions left Hanon completely bewildered, and she let out a slightly raised "Ah!"

Seeing that she didn't accept it, Rukawa Kaede smoothly took out a few more bills and handed them to her.

His movements were fluid and graceful, incredibly cool.

The other person raised an eyebrow and smiled: "No need, I'm not injured."

When she smiled, her eyes sparkled, and her eyelashes drooped gently.

After a pause of a second, Rukawa Kaede's gaze fell on her wrist.

In view, the red marks on her wrists were clearly visible, forming a stark contrast with her fair skin.

Hanon immediately lowered her rolled-up sleeves to cover her wound.

Just as I was about to speak, the other party handed me cash again, her pretty face showing impatience, clearly wanting to finish quickly.