Chapter 10 is full of curiosity

Seeing that the ball hadn't hurt anyone, Sakuragi breathed a sigh of relief and innocently shouted to Kanon, "Ah, that was close! Sister... pass the ball!"

Hanon said very seriously, "Don't pass the ball outwards, it's dangerous."

After saying that, he tossed the ball to Rukawa Kaede.

Sakuragi was furious. "Wow! That's my ball! Why did you give it to Rukawa!?"

"idiot."

Looking back at the sidelines, the fox's eyes were filled with curiosity and interest.

...

The following afternoon.

The rain fell heavily and densely, splashing water of all sizes on the ground.

As soon as Hana reached the first floor, she saw a familiar figure standing steadily in the first-floor corridor.

All the male students at Shohoku wore the same white shirts and black trousers, but Rukawa Kaede stood out from the crowd.

His proportions are excellent; his back is always straight, and his long legs make him a beautiful sight to behold.

A few steps away, a group of girls were whispering and openly peeking at each other.

Hanon walked over and asked, "Rukawa, are you waiting for someone, or did you forget your umbrella?"

Rukawa Kaede turned his head to look at her, paused for a second, and then said in his usual cool voice, "I didn't bring an umbrella."

The rain gradually intensified, showing no signs of stopping.

Hanon hesitated for a moment, then shook the umbrella in her hand and asked, "If you don't mind, would you like to go to the basketball court together?"

Because of my height, the umbrellas my family provides are all on the larger side, big enough for two people to support.

Rukawa Kaede lowered his eyelashes, remained silent for a few seconds as if thinking, and then nodded, "Thank you for your help."

Hana opened her umbrella and held it high, her eyes crinkling with a smile, "Come here."

Suddenly a large hand appeared in front of me and grabbed the umbrella ribs. "I'll do it."

Hanon loosened her grip on the umbrella handle. "Okay."

Rukawa moved his hand down, the umbrella handle still retaining her warmth.

The two walked side by side, heading towards the basketball court at a leisurely pace.

Ishii, umbrella in hand, hurried downstairs. Looking around, he spotted two tall, undeniable figures in the rain and called out, "Hey, Rukawa, I'm here! Rukawa—"

Rukawa Kaede paused slightly, glanced at the person beside him, and then continued walking forward as if nothing had happened.

Hana tilted her head and looked at him, puzzled. "I think I heard someone calling you."

His tone was cold, and his eyes were indifferent: "No."

Hua Yin nodded without thinking much about it. After all, she had noticed over the past few days that he was not sociable and always kept to himself.

Rukawa Kaede has long legs, but he walks very slowly, keeping pace with her.

He held the umbrella in one hand and put the other in his pocket, with the umbrella covering almost the entire top of Hana's head.

A very gentlemanly distance, which makes one feel very safe.

The umbrella is large enough to comfortably support two close friends, but it's a bit of a stretch for them.

The rain intensified, and the wind grew stronger.

Even with an umbrella, raindrops still splashed into it.

Hanon looked over and saw that Rukawa Kaede's shoulders were covered in water.

She reached out and placed her hand on his slightly warm arm, pulling him a little closer to her.

The distance suddenly became very close.

In that instant, Rukawa Kaede's pupils contracted slightly.

Before he could react, the elusive touch vanished.

Hana said frankly, "Get closer, so you don't get wet in the rain."

Rukawa Kaede lowered his head slightly, and the long hair that was originally hanging on her shoulder slipped down as the two of them moved closer, the soft strands falling onto his arms and clothes.

His expression faltered for a moment, but not noticeably, and his voice deepened, "Hmm."

In this small space, Rukawa Kaede's faint, clean scent, like the fresh fragrance of snow on a winter's day, mixed with the damp rain, entered Hanon's nostrils.

Hana blinked softly, "It smells so nice."

"Rukawa, when did you start playing basketball?"

Rukawa Kaede succinctly replied, "Elementary school."

Hana couldn't help but look at him; his profile was smooth and naturally exuded an aloofness.

Nodding, Hana said solemnly, "Rukawa, with your talent, hard work and self-discipline, you are destined to become a top basketball player."

She spoke sincerely, her tone carrying her usual gentle and clear quality.

Rukawa Kaede's fingers curled slightly in his pocket, the long, narrow fox-like shape rippling with a hint of emotion. "...Hmm."

It was very quiet along the way.

The conversation seemed to have reached a stalemate.

Hanon really didn't like talking too much, so he didn't continue talking to him and even felt quite comfortable with this kind of interaction.

At least, Hanon felt comfortable.

She neither resists interpersonal relationships nor excessive interpersonal relationships.

However, "excess" requires a certain degree of compatibility, rather than one-sided manipulation.

Despite the rain, many people were still gathered around the stadium, including both genuine and fake spectators.

When the fake audience saw the two figures approaching side by side, some were jealous and dissatisfied, some were resentful and disdainful, and some were furious.

The stadium was filled with an explosive discussion.

"No way... Rukawa Kaede and Kanon?" came the gossipy voice of a boy.

"No way! It can't be!" came the girl's heartbroken voice.

The Shohoku players just glanced at him a few more times out of curiosity, after all, the Rukawa Kaede they knew was a practice machine.

The two parties involved turned a deaf ear to this.

Kanon noticed that the other half of Rukawa's clothes and pants were completely soaked, and there were small water droplets on his hair. He had an unusually gentle aura about him.

She herself hardly got wet at all.

"I'm sorry, I'm too tall and you got caught in the rain. I don't know if you'll catch a cold. Go change into your workout clothes."

Hanon couldn't help but think that if a petite girl were to stand beside him under an umbrella, it would create a unique mood and atmosphere.

A few seconds later, a cool yet pleasant voice came through, "No."

Hanon looked at her in confusion, "Hmm?"

Although he was soaked, he seemed to be in a good mood.

Rukawa Kaede pursed his lips, uttering a rare long sentence: "Your height is just right."

His voice was clear and cold, with a slightly magnetic and husky quality that sent shivers down one's spine.

Hana smiled; her smile was bright, pure, and refreshingly captivating.

Rukawa Kaede was momentarily distracted, feeling a slight tingling sensation in his heart, as if something had gently stirred it.

After a moment, he said calmly, "I'm going to change my clothes."

Before Hanon could say anything, he strode toward the locker room.

Throughout the club session, the girls in the audience maintained a high level of enthusiasm.

Hanako gazed at the center of the crowd from afar.

Rukawa Kaede's thick black hair flew in the wind, and his arm muscles were taut and smooth.

Despite the great distance, one can clearly sense the power it contains, ready to be unleashed.

On the court, he displayed his unrestrained style, and even a casual shooting motion could evoke the adjective "beautiful".

But he only had eyes for the basketball hoop, and the coldness he exuded made people hesitate to approach.

After a training session ended, Rukawa returned to the sidelines and stood quietly next to Kanon, hydrating himself. Suddenly, a figure appeared in his eyes.

He glanced at it, saw only a black head, and then indifferently looked away.

Kana Yumi seemed to be greatly encouraged by Rukawa Kaede's glance; that superior jawline was truly captivating.

So she smiled, leaned forward slightly, and looked up at him, saying, "Hi, Rukawa-kun, I'm Kana Yumi from Class 5, Grade 2."

Her voice was soft and sweet, melodious and pleasant to listen to. She was also very beautiful. Most importantly, she had an incredibly hot figure; the buttons on her school uniform were about to burst!

Hanon thought to herself, "Wow!" and quietly walked away, keeping a safe distance.

Hearing the noise, everyone else turned to look, eager for a good show.

Haruko glanced at it unhappily and said, "Here we go again..."

Ayako smiled, unfazed: "Our Rukawa has always been very popular!"

While eating melon seeds, Hanon nodded in agreement. "With that look and figure, only a blind person wouldn't be interested!"

Kana Yumi flashed her signature smile. Some people have said that her smile is incredibly charming and no one can dislike it. In addition, Rukawa Kaede has been getting close to Kanon recently, so it's likely that he also likes girls.

So she came with great confidence.

Unexpectedly, Rukawa Kaede didn't even look at her, as if he hadn't heard her speak.

Kana Yumi's smile froze on her face.

An inauspicious start? No problem, she's okay. She can conquer even the aloof type.

She leaned closer, her voice becoming even sweeter, as if it could be squeezed to release water.

"Want to get to know each other? Rukawa-kun..." After saying that, she winked, looked at Rukawa Kaede's profile with an expression of admiration, and said, "You're so incredibly handsome when you play basketball..."

She specifically chose the latest perfume, which exudes a pleasant and subtle fragrance, and is hailed as a magic weapon for attracting men.

The smell was intense, sweet and cloying, and instantly filled the surrounding air.

Rukawa Kaede frowned: "You're annoying."

He pulled up his T-shirt to cover his nose.

His dislike for Kana was palpable.

Laughter erupted from all around.

"Wow, Rukawa is so straight! That's Kana-senpai! A famous beauty among the second-year students!"

"So what! Our Rukawa deserves better! Didn't you hear him say he's annoyed, hahaha..."

"Better? Where is there anything better? With Kana-senpai's figure and face... there are hardly any in the whole school!"

"Hey! Over there—"

The commotion subsided, and everyone's gaze followed Rukawa Kaede's footsteps—

Then, the aloof and impatient male god handed the water glass in his hand to Hana and whispered something.

This is incredible!

Just moments ago, she was rudely telling people, "You're annoying," but the next moment, when talking to the transfer student, she lowered her voice so much that it was impossible to hear what they were saying!

After taking a deep breath, Kana Yumi slightly tousled her hair, then turned around and gave Rukawa a charming glance, as if she was certain that Rukawa was hers. She then walked gracefully and calmly out of the basketball court.

She will come back!

Ayako watched as Kanon and Rukawa interacted, and something flashed through her mind—it was too fast for her to grasp.