Chapter 19 Obsessed with Beauty

"You two are pretty good at beating people and playing ball..." Ayako teased when she saw the newcomers, feeling even more that the two were a perfect match.

"You guys chat, I'll go check on those guys who need their wounds treated."

Standing face to face, Rukawa Kaede had no expression on his face. He said in an extremely serious tone, "Let me see."

Hanon was startled by his abrupt change of topic and asked uncertainly, "Look...look at what?"

Rukawa Kaede was direct and straightforward; when he said this, his expression was as clear and transparent as water.

She was a little embarrassed to admit that she had misunderstood.

How could that delicate and innocent face utter such outrageous remarks?

"wrist."

"Huh? Oh, oh, oh—"

Hana's heart was already breaking. She thought about herself, then looked into the other person's sincere, fox-like eyes. She cleared her throat: "Ahem... what's so interesting about this?"

Rukawa Kaede kept a straight face and didn't say anything. He simply grabbed her left hand and rolled up her sleeve, revealing her wrist.

On her fair wrist, the bluish handprint was clearly visible and menacing.

Rukawa Kaede's eyes darkened as he stared intently at the mark.

Hanon quickly pulled down her sleeves, and breathed a sigh of relief when she realized Sakuragi wasn't paying attention. She looked up and saw the sharp glint in Rukawa's eyes.

Hana decisively grabbed his sleeve and walked towards the corner of the field.

Rukawa Kaede froze, like a well-behaved and docile dog, letting her lead him away, his thoughts already wandering.

Hanon loosened her grip and explained, "My constitution is special, so bruises heal more slowly than normal people."

I have too many injuries. I used all the healing points I owed to treat my internal injuries, but I've just left the external injuries as they are.

Rukawa Kaede seemed to be churning with emotion as he spoke in a deep voice, "Did I do this?"

Hana nodded, not hiding anything: "Actually, it's not serious, it just doesn't look very good on the surface."

Rukawa Kaede had a question in his mind: more than 20 days had passed, how could the scars look like they had just appeared?

A wave of irritation washed over him, as if something was weighing on his mind. Finally, he spoke softly, "Does it still hurt?"

His tone was calm and even slightly subdued at this moment, and he even seemed a little gentle.

Huayin felt a sudden, inexplicable tremor in her heart, then gently shook her head and comforted him, "Don't worry, it's all better now, it's just that the mark has lingered for a while."

Rukawa Kaede's brows furrowed, appearing somewhat impatient yet sincere: "I'm sorry."

Those beautiful fox eyes were deep, clear, and without any impurities.

Hanon's heart was pounding so hard she couldn't find peace.

"It's nothing, don't worry about it."

Hua Yin calmed her racing heart. Thinking of something, she stepped forward, her fingertips tugging at the hem of his shirt, her long, curled eyelashes fluttering gently.

"Please, please, please keep this a secret! It absolutely cannot be found out by the flower arrangement master!"

If Sakuragi knew, he would definitely ask her all sorts of questions; she had more than one injury on her body! It would be even more troublesome if he found out.

Although this taciturn fox only communicates with the monkey using the word "idiot," she is still uneasy.

Rukawa Kaede was completely powerless against her demeanor, as if a human-shaped kitten was being affectionate online. His ears turned red, and his heart fluttered.

Rukawa Kaede took off his wristband and handed it to her: "Use this first."

"No…"

Hana was about to politely decline, but when she saw his stubborn and domineering gaze, she finally gave in and accepted the wristband. Rukawa Kaede was still looking at her, as if waiting for something.

Hana put the wristband on her wrist, the lingering warmth enveloping her and making her feel a sense of comfort. "Thank you, I'll return it to you tomorrow."

Rukawa Kaede nodded, watching as his wristband was placed on her wrist, a strange sense of satisfaction welling up inside him.

"Go to the infirmary, I'll help you get rid of the blood on your head."

Rukawa Kaede frowned slightly, casually wiped his face, and said nonchalantly, "It's nothing."

Bleeding was a feeling he was all too familiar with.

If anything gets in his way or disturbs his sleep, he won't hold back much and will do whatever he wants. Force can quickly resolve any situation without needing to waste words or emotions.

"Don't wipe it with your hands! It's all dirty..." Huayin hurriedly stopped him, glaring at him.

This person looks like a beautiful and wealthy woman, but how come she has the heart of a rough man?

Rukawa Kaede subconsciously scratched the back of his head and was dragged to the infirmary without any resistance.

Hana took out a medical cotton swab and disinfectant alcohol, gently brushed aside the stray hairs on his forehead, and clipped them up with a hairpin.

After cleaning the blood off her face, Hanon was somewhat stunned.

With his forehead exposed, Rukawa Kaede's beautiful hairline and superior facial proportions make him a visual icon!

He's both handsome and domineering.

The surroundings quieted down. At such close range, their eyes reflected each other's images, and in this limited space, a strange ambiguity suddenly arose.

The time Hanon stared at him was far too long; Rukawa felt as if the tips of his ears were about to melt. He spoke without any emotion: "...Assistant."

"…sorry!"

Hana suddenly snapped out of her daze, her face burning red, and she inwardly berated herself for being so infatuated with beauty.

Rukawa Kaede lowered his eyelashes, his fingers curling slightly in his pocket. "...It's nothing."

He never cared about other people's opinions or attention. In his view, everyone's attention was irrelevant.

She is the only one who cannot be ignored.

"It hurts a little, just bear with it."

She moved closer to him, whispered some reminders before treating the wound, and then gently wiped it with a cotton swab.

A cool sensation spread across my skin, along with her warm breath; the two sensations intertwined, creating a slightly tingling and numbing feeling.

The fox's head twitched.

"Does it hurt? I'll be gentler." She was very careful, as if she were handling a priceless treasure.

That beautiful, almost aggressive face was so close, and the soft strands of hair exuded a faint fragrance.

Rukawa Kaede's Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily, and he responded in a low, clear, and cold voice, "It doesn't hurt."

For him, this was hardly an injury.

But now it's strange, the stinging sensation from the alcohol has become more pronounced and intense, like being suddenly struck by a strong electric current, a tingling, numbing heat filling every pore of my body.

After treating the wound, Hana took out a sterile dressing and gently applied it to him.

They stood very close, their two fresh scents from their school uniforms intertwined intimately.

Rukawa Kaede didn't mind Hanon getting close; in fact, he thought the distance was just right.

"Alright, the injury isn't too serious, but you still need to be careful not to get it wet for the next few days."

After finishing her work, Hanon smiled, looked up, and gave instructions.

Rukawa Kaede didn't move, just stared at her without moving.

The way her eyelashes curved slightly was gentler than the evening breeze.

…

Back on the court, the Shohoku boys had almost finished cleaning up.

Only Kanon returned, and Ayako asked in confusion, "Where's Rukawa?"

Hanon: "I don't know. After applying the medicine, they said they had to go out for a while."

The crowd gathered at the sidelines to watch the game.

Mitsui and Kogure stood facing each other. The confrontation hadn't even started yet, but the tense atmosphere silenced everyone present.

Mitsui was extremely excited. The moment he received the basketball outside the three-point line, his heart was pounding in his chest!

Ayako leaned close to Kanon and whispered, "Kane-chan, who do you think will win?"

Hanon said with certainty, "Mitsui-senpai."

Rukawa Kaede, who rushed back to the building, lowered his eyelashes slightly upon hearing this, and for some reason, his mood became very bad.

He looked coldly at Mitsui on the court, wanting the game to end quickly so he could practice and push the unpleasantness out of his mind.

The sudden chill made Sakuragi shiver. He was bewildered: "Hey, that's strange! Why is it suddenly so chilly?!"

Ayako crossed her arms and nudged Hanon with her elbow. When Hanon looked over, Ayako gave her a suggestive glance, implying that something was amiss.

Hanon's confused expression: ? ? ?

“…”

Ayako sighed, feeling utterly worried. "Oto-chan, who do you think would win if Mitsui-senpai faced off against Rukawa?"

Rukawa Kaede's face remained expressionless, his gaze fixed on Kanon's face.

"Rukawa will definitely win!"

His tone was confident and natural.

Kanon stared at Ayako with wide eyes—a look that seemed to say, "Are you stupid?"

What kind of mind-blowing question is this?! Everyone's standing right behind you, you'd have to be a fool to say the other person has won!

The fox nodded, having received the recognition. She affirmed herself as the strongest. Suddenly, it felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from her heart, allowing her to relax completely and greatly improving her mood.

As the chill dissipated, Ayako let out a soft breath, secretly crying inside. She had endured a dose of PDA that was beyond her years!

Kogure gently comforted him, "It's okay, Mitsui. You won't lose what you're good at. I'll support you wholeheartedly! No matter how long it's been since you last played, we'll work together to get back to it!"

Mitsui felt a warmth in his heart, but said aloud, "Let's begin, Kogure, you're still as long-winded as ever!"

He dribbled the ball as he walked toward Kogure, his smile bright and full of confidence.

Kogure became wary and cautious. As the two drew closer, the heaviness in his heart grew stronger. He felt that the person walking towards him was not Mitsui, who had been out of commission for two years, but the MVP who was full of vigor back then.

Suddenly, Mitsui Hisashi moved with incredible speed, leaning to the side and landing on Kogure's left before leaping into the air.

His posture was as beautiful as ever.

"Whoosh!"

The basketball traced a beautiful parabola and fell into the net.

"Kogure, it seems that two years have passed and you still haven't made any progress. It seems that your training is still insufficient."

Mitsui Hisashi grinned broadly, looking radiant.

"Damn it!" Kogure had originally wanted to comfort this guy, but who knew that Mitsui, who hadn't played for two years, still had superb skills. "Again!"

Hanon couldn't help but smile; Mitsui's movements were very standard and his posture was very graceful.

Mitsui instantly adjusted his muscle state, pushed off the ground and jumped, elbowing and wrist pulling out in a textbook shooting motion, the basketball arc resembling a rainbow.

"Whoosh!"

Water splashed, and the basketball swished through the net once again.

"Wow~! Mitsui-senpai took another three-pointer! His form is still as smooth and beautiful as ever!"

The young players on the sidelines instantly became Mitsui's little fans.

"Whoosh!"

One three-pointer after another went in cleanly and decisively.

Kogure sat on the ground, looking dejected.

Mitsui's skill level is far superior to mine! Even though he hasn't played for two years, a truly skilled person will remain skilled even after several years of inactivity. Talent is the most important factor in competitive sports!

All the audience members present applauded enthusiastically, creating a lively and cheerful atmosphere.

"Mitsui, welcome back to the team."