Chapter 35 The Seductive Fox

Her eyelashes lowered, and her gaze slowly fell on the two overlapping hands.

His dark pupils widened slightly, and his large hands unconsciously tightened their grip.

Hana's fingertips trembled slightly.

After a two-second pause, Rukawa moved his hand up a little and said in a low, hoarse voice, "Thank you."

"Thanks for your hard work."

Hana loosened her grip, but a trace of the other person's heat still lingered on her fingertips, seeping into her heart.

In that instant, she felt a strange stirring and trembling in her heart.

Hanon couldn't help but wonder if she and Rukawa Kaede had been getting too close lately.

She thought about it for a while, then stopped thinking about it.

The daily training data and tactical arrangements are enough to keep my head spinning; thinking about too much of it just gives me a headache.

Rukawa Kaede lowered his eyes, and beneath his long eyelashes, a look of something different flashed in them.

Staring at the water bottle for a while, he unscrewed the cap, glanced at Huayin out of the corner of his eye, paused for a half-second almost imperceptibly, tilted his head back, and slowly took a few sips.

Hanon naturally stared at him—

His jet-black, tousled hair was slightly damp, and a bead of sweat ran down his jawline, which was sharper and more defined than most people's, all the way to his prominent Adam's apple, creating a highly dramatic scene.

As he drank water, his Adam's apple bobbed up and down, and Huayin's gaze followed it slowly, causing her to subconsciously swallow.

Rukawa Kaede suddenly turned around, his dark eyes flashing with a subtle light, yet also carrying an undisguised aggressiveness.

Caught red-handed peeking, Hanon guiltily looked away.

Her ears were burning so badly they were almost stinging.

Thinking to myself.

How about Rukawa Kaede?

It seems a little different from before.

Seeing Hana's flushed cheeks, Rukawa's lips twitched up almost imperceptibly, a fleeting moment before he returned to his usual indifferent demeanor.

...

After a week of grueling training, the Shohoku basketball team celebrates Captain Akagi's birthday.

To give the young team members time to relax and have a fun weekend.

Captain Akagi decides to host a small party at home to celebrate his birthday with all the members.

Kanon invited Ayako out for a stroll and shopping, but to her surprise, Ayako, who always loves shopping, directly declined this time, and the reason was unexpected, leaving Kanon both amused and exasperated.

Hanon's eyes narrowed into crescent shapes, her smile mischievous, as she asked:

"So, do Hanamichi and I really look like poor guys?"

No wonder I've noticed Ayako acting strangely lately. Whenever we're eating, drinking, or having fun, Ayako always insists on paying first, and she's even invited me shopping less often.

"In short... there's no need to buy new clothes for Akagi-senpai's birthday party. Just wear whatever you normally would. Don't be too formal, since we're all already familiar with each other."

When discussing their financial situation, Ayako only mentioned it briefly. In reality, she didn't truly understand the financial situation of the Kanon siblings and was afraid of embarrassing them by revealing their predicament...

"I only brought my workout clothes back from the US. I can't exactly wear them to my senior's birthday party, can I? Besides, it's nice to dress up occasionally like A-Cai does."

Hanon remembered Ayako saying that in interpersonal interactions, if you receive an invitation, you should dress up carefully to show politeness and respect.

She kept it firmly in her heart.

Congratulations! Thanks to the extra training of the five tigers from Shohoku, her healing value has increased rapidly, and now all the external injuries on her upper body have been wiped away with a single click.

In the sweltering summer, I can finally wear pretty tank tops!

Ayako chuckled and laughed, "No need for makeup or dressing up... You're stunning even without makeup!"

Looking at the other person's expression, Hanon suddenly smiled, feeling a warm glow in her heart:

“Our Ah Cai is beautiful and incredibly considerate, she’s so sweet! But we still need to buy her a gift.”

Ayako winked at her knowingly and said, "The gift, Rukawa has already prepared for you!"

Kanon was quite surprised: "Rukawa? He prepared a gift for me from Akagi-senpai?"

Ayako took out a purple gift box, handed it to Hanon, and said excitedly, "Here, this! As for why he prepared it for you, you can ask him yourself tonight."

Hana shook her head and asked weakly, "So, it's not just you, everyone thinks my brother and I are poor?"

Are they so poor that they even know about Rukawa Kaede, that simple-minded guy?

Ayako didn't answer the question; her eyes were full of understanding.

"Alright, now you have the gift! If you think it's impolite to wear sportswear to your senior's birthday party, I'll just go with you!"

Ayako is very concerned about her image. Her big, wavy hair is her proudest achievement. She meticulously manages her makeup and accessories every day and never slacks off.

After staring at her for a while, Hana put her arm around her shoulder, gently leaned her head against her, and her eyebrows curved into a gentle smile.

"Thank you, Cai, but you really don't need to worry about my finances."

She continued, "I lived alone in the United States for five years. Do you think I could have grown so tall if I didn't have the ability to earn money?"

Upon hearing what Kanon said, Ayako's eyes suddenly lit up, and she stared at Kanon's face, looking her up and down.

This delicate little face has a natural air of nobility.

Tall and well-nourished, he definitely doesn't look like he's short of money!

Thinking of this, she immediately felt at ease and asked with great interest, "...So, what made you look like such a big, clumsy guy?"

"...Hey! Isn't it going too far to talk about your friend like that!"

Amidst laughter, Hanon angrily pokes Ayako's ticklish spot, and the two girls playfully wrestle and entangle together.

...

The next morning, Hanon and Ayako happily rushed to the shopping mall.

In the entire shopping mall, all the clothes and jewelry that Ayako wanted were bought up by Kanon!

Ayako followed her in a daze, feeling as if Kanon had magic powers, giving her whatever she wanted, and stuffing pretty things into her hands.

The two lay on the soft couch in the upscale beauty salon, Ayako enjoying the meticulous and attentive service while looking at the face of the woman sleeping soundly beside her.

Recalling Kanon's extravagant and ruthless spending, only one thought remained in her mind—

I'm the only one who's poor!

In the evening, the Akagi family's living room was bustling and crowded.

The Shohoku team members were gathered together playing video games, enthusiastically discussing game tactics and character attribute allocation strategies.

Rukawa Kaede gradually slumped onto the sofa, rubbed his sore eyes, and yawned.

Akagi walked around the reception room and asked in a calm tone, "Haruko, are Kanon and Ayako the only ones missing?"

“Yes, brother.” Haruko placed the cut fruit on the table, turned to Sakuragi with a bright smile, and asked, “Sakuragi, why didn’t Kanon-neechan go out with you today?”

Upon hearing the name, Rukawa forced himself to open his eyes and looked around, but he couldn't find that familiar figure.

He yawned again, a tear of weariness rolling down his cheek. He closed his eyes, and sleepiness quickly pulled him into a dream.

Sakuragi immediately turned to look in Haruko's direction, her face flushed red with embarrassment, almost the same color as her hair: "My sister went out early this morning to look for Ayako-nee, the two of them should be coming together."

A huge "KO" sign appeared on the screen, and Mitsui immediately roared, "Hey Sakuragi! Don't take your eyes off the TV! You failed this level again because of this!"

Sakuragi scratched his head and grinned foolishly: "I know, little mistress!"

"Mitsui, it's clearly because you're bad at the game!"

"Damn it! You guys are the ones who dragged me down, a bunch of useless teammates, you're a real pain in the neck!"

"...I know you get the best grades in chemistry, so please shut up, okay?"

"Hahaha--"

Even the usually serious Akagi couldn't help but laugh out loud when he heard Mitsui's chemistry show.

"Ding-dong—"

Haruko's face lit up with a smile: "Ah, it must be the older sisters who have arrived~!"

"welcome--"

After opening the door, Haruko suddenly stopped speaking and looked at her two older sisters with amazement.

Everyone put down their game controllers and turned their heads away.

The noisy atmosphere immediately quieted down.

A series of admiring gazes converged in that direction.

Seeing Ayako in her super short mini-skirt and exuding charm, Miyagi couldn't stop drooling.

Haruko quickly ushered the two inside.

Hanon and Ayako greeted everyone with bright smiles: "Good evening!"

A familiar voice reached his ears, and Rukawa Kaede slowly opened his eyes.

In an instant, his pupils dilated slightly, and his scalp tingled as if electrified; his heart fluttered with excitement.

Hanon styled her long hair into a bun, revealing her fair shoulders and neck. Her halter-neck fishtail dress accentuated her slender and graceful figure.

As she stepped into the room, her figure swayed gracefully, each step like a lotus blossom, her voice gentle and clear: "Sorry I'm late~"

The young team members blushed and furtively glanced at the two girls.

Upon entering the room, Hana was immediately struck by the red banner on the wall.

It is written in yellow letters on a red background—

Happy 17th birthday to the gorilla!

She couldn't help but chuckle and looked at Mitsui: "Senior, you must have done this, right?"

In the Shohoku basketball team, only Sakuragi and Mitsui dare to call Akagi the Gorilla.

It was, after all, his future brother-in-law's birthday, so Sakuragi had to give him plenty of face and not give him any reason to complain.

Mitsui, looking quite pleased with himself, put his hands on his hips and smugly said, "Well, Kanon-senpai really understands me! How about it, isn't it festive? Hahaha!"

Ayako's laughter couldn't stop: "Hahaha...that's definitely Mitsui-senpai's style~!"

Mitsui retorted somewhat defiantly, "What are you laughing at? Don't you think it's very unique?"

Akagi sighed and said with some disdain, "Idiot."

After handing the purple gift box to Akagi, Kanon said "Excuse me" and went to the restroom.

Rukawa Kaede stared straight at her, and in his vision, a large expanse of Hanon's fair back was exposed.

He narrowed his slender fox-like eyes, stood up, casually put his hands in his pockets, and strolled after her.

"...Hi, Rukawa."

As Hanon emerged from the bathroom, she once again came face to face with Rukawa Kaede, who was leaning against the door. She said helplessly, "What a coincidence?"

This is the third time.

So where did he learn the habit of squatting at the door?

Rukawa Kaede's gaze fell on her delicate face, then down to her lips, which were so red they seemed to drip with moisture, and further down, a large expanse of bright white skin.

Her collarbone was flat and straight.

……very beautiful.

Rukawa Kaede's breathing suddenly became lighter, his back stiffened slightly, and then he took another step forward and unbuttoned his team uniform jacket from top to bottom.