Chapter 42 is about falling in love.

"Beep—Red Team #10, technical foul."

Sakuragi looked confused: "Huh? What do you mean?"

Miyagi snapped out of his shock and hurriedly shouted, "Get down here, Hanamichi! You can't hang on the rim for more than a second! You idiot!"

Rukawa Kaede sighed: "Idiot."

He was cool for no more than three seconds.

Sakuragi's big eyes blinked, completely oblivious to anything amiss: "Eh, is that so? But it looks really cool hanging up there~"

After saying that, he landed lightly on his feet.

Mitsui was utterly speechless: "Idiot! What's so handsome about him? He looks like a monkey swinging on a swing!"

Oda glared at Sakuragi, practically spitting fire!

Compared to the two slaps from Hanon, this humiliation in her groin was far more painful and sharper than a knife.

These two siblings, one tormented his body, and the other tormented his spirit!

Enraged, he threw the ball at Sakuragi, nearly causing a riot.

The martial arts team captain immediately stopped him and scolded, "Idiot! Do you want to withdraw from the competition?"

Xiaotian's self-esteem suffered an unprecedented blow, and she wished she could disappear into the ground.

The Sakuragi Army whistled one by one:

"As expected of a master of flower arrangement! That counterattack was so stylish! I love it!"

"Look at Xiaotian's face, it's both red and black!"

"Hahaha, this is so awesome!"

"Sakuragi Hanamichi! The most handsome man! I love you to death!"

Haruko's eyes were filled with that red figure: "Sakuragi... he's really amazing!"

…

As the game neared its end, the excitement intensified, with the shoes screeching violently against the ground.

When Sakuragi was scrambling for the ball out of bounds, Kanon suddenly jumped up from the bench, startling Ayako who was standing next to him.

"Are you alright, Oto-chan?"

"without…"

Somewhat flustered, Hanon felt an indescribable unease.

Ayako looked towards the court, her heart pounding as she watched the save: "Sakuragi is more dedicated than anyone else!"

Sakuragi entered a state of complete absorption, fighting for every ball, whether it was effective or not, he would grab it first and think about the consequences later! Even if he fell flat on his face and was covered in injuries, he didn't care.

Kanon followed Sakuragi's steps with a solemn expression, as if being drawn by some unseen force.

rebound!

Sakuragi blocked Oda, and in the chaos, a Takezono player touched the ball, which was forcefully deflected and flew out of the court.

Without hesitation, Sakuragi rushed out and leaped forward to tackle the enemy.

"Sakuragi, watch out!"

Amidst gasps of surprise—

It felt like stepping back into that moment at the national competition.

The body rushed forward even faster than the mind.

"Bang!"

"Oto-chan!"

"Sakuragi!"

Hanon, acting as a human cushion, slammed her body against the wall, the pain causing her vision to go dark.

Thump, thump, thump…

The ball slipped from his hand and fell to the ground.

Rukawa Kaede stood a few meters away, his breath almost stopping in that instant. The blood in his veins went cold, and his fingers became completely stiff.

His usually expressionless face now showed a hint of indescribable panic.

Sakuragi stared wide-eyed in disbelief, shaking his head, yet he couldn't help but look again, and then again…

Caught off guard.

Kanon was embraced tightly by Sakuragi, and felt a dampness on her neck.

Overwhelmed with emotion, he spoke in a tearful voice, "Finally! I've finally seen you, sister..."

[Warning! The system has been attacked, and an unknown entity has entered the anime world...]

Sakuragi's low murmur and the jarring, familiar mechanical sound simultaneously reached her ears.

Hana's eyes narrowed instantly.

Ayako, carrying a first-aid kit, rushed over and asked anxiously, "Oto-chan, Sakuragi, are you alright?"

[Warning! The system has been attacked, and an unknown entity has entered the anime world...]

Does "unidentified" refer to her, or...?

He looked down and glanced at his palm.

It shimmered with a bright red light.

What is presented is a countdown.

Hanon's forehead was covered in a fine sweat as countless thoughts flashed through her mind.

Rukawa rushed forward, threw Sakuragi aside, and knelt down beside her, carefully examining her. "Where are you hurt?"

The voice remained cold and clear, yet it trembled involuntarily.

Hanon raised her head.

Those beautiful fox-like eyes lost their usual composure and turned burning red.

In that instant, Hana felt as if she had been electrocuted by his gaze, a sensation of both soreness and swelling shooting straight to her central nervous system.

Looking at Rukawa Kaede's aloof and stunningly beautiful face, she thought of many things—

Thinking of his extreme purity.

I can picture the satisfied look on his face when he let me pat his head.

And, whispering her name softly in her ear.

Hana suddenly realized that all the intense heartbeats she had experienced these past few days seemed to be because of him.

At first, she took things as they came.

At that moment, she desperately, desperately wanted to stay in this world.

Hanon then realized that she probably really liked the person in front of her.

The idea was so burning hot that it felt as if the door to her heart had been violently flung open, letting in endless surprises and anticipation.

Hanon clenched her fist, her eyes resolute.

Despite her back pain, she smiled and comforted the others, her voice light and cheerful: "I'm fine, let's switch out of the flower arrangement competition and continue."

She tilted her head back slightly, smiled, and extended a hand towards Rukawa Kaede.

This was the first time Hanon had ever reached out her hand to him.

Suppressing his overwhelming joy, Rukawa Kaede didn't hesitate. He supported Kanon's back with one hand and held her hand with the other. "Are you really alright?"

The moment our hands met, it felt as if we were touching each other's souls.

My heart trembled violently.

With his help, Hana stood up, her eyes shining like stars. "Don't worry, let's go to the competition first."

After staring at her intently for a while, Rukawa Kaede's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, calmed down considerably. He tightened his grip on her hand before letting go.

The game proceeded as scheduled, and all four players except Sakuragi took to the court.

The two siblings sat on the bench, neither of them speaking.

Fine beads of sweat began to appear on Hanon's forehead. She wondered, "So, Sakuragi's back injury hurt this much during the National Tournament?"

Haruko asked worriedly, "Sakuragi, sister, are you alright?"

After a brief moment of surprise, Sakuragi's mind slowly began to work. He moved his lips, but instead of his usual shy and awkward smile, he said, "I'm fine... Haruko."

He quickly lowered his head, forcibly trying to calm his erratic heartbeat.

Seeing Hanon's calm expression, Sakuragi's fist, which had been clenched tightly at his side, subconsciously loosened slightly. He took a breath before speaking, "Sister..."

Hearing the tremor in Sakuragi's voice at the end, Ayako looked at the strange siblings, puzzled.

Kanon looked into Sakuragi's eyes and said very seriously, "Hanamichi, we can talk about it when we get back. Let's watch the game first."

Her attitude strangely calmed Sakuragi down. He nodded, sat up straight, and looked at the arena.

"All team members," Hana suddenly spoke, and the players on the bench looked at her. "Fighting for the ball out of bounds and persevering to the end is a commendable spirit."

In a basketball game, it's normal for the ball to go out of bounds. Hana gestured for everyone to look carefully at the court.

At this moment, Kakuta was fighting hard for the ball, but unfortunately, possession fell to Takezono's side.

"However, you need to be aware of the game. If you can't handle the ball, don't touch it; instead, signal to the opponent to save it."

If Sakuragi continues to make saves without considering the consequences, his professional career will not go far.

The score is now 112-65.

After the match, the two teams shook hands amicably.

The audience erupted in enthusiastic applause and cheers:

"Shohoku, they really did it!"

"Keep up the good work, and we look forward to your performance in the county competition!"

"Rukawa Kaede! I love you!"

Shohoku members: ...

Sakuragi turned around, his face darkening: "These low-class fangirls!"

Threatening gaze.

The threat was not delivered effectively.

Rukawa's fate remains unchanged; he continues to do as he pleases.

"Go, Shohoku No. 10!"

Sakuragi was instantly overjoyed: "Eh? A girl is actually cheering me on? They have good taste!"

He turned around and cheered, "Thank you everyone! I will definitely work hard!"

The Shohoku team: ...double standard dog.

Yohei and the others: "Wow, Hanamichi! That slam dunk! I'm sure no girl will ever reject you again!"

Sakuragi glanced at Haruko beside him, his face instantly turning red. He pouted and scolded, "What nonsense are you talking about! How annoying...!"

Upon hearing this, the Sakuragi Army quickly covered their mouths, fearing Haruko's questioning and also worried that Sakuragi would be dumped again.

...

On their way back from Shohoku High School, the team ran into some old acquaintances, Yoko and Oda. Their relationship seemed a bit tense, and the atmosphere was somewhat off.

The members of Shohoku stopped in their tracks and fell silent.

Yezi untied the bracelet from her wrist and handed it to Xiaotian: "Here, take this back."

Xiao Tian looked surprised and questioned her, "Ye Zi... what do you mean?"

This couple's bracelet is their token of love, and she has worn it on her wrist ever since they started dating.

Seeing this familiar scene, Sakuragi's gang said with a cheeky grin:

"I have a feeling."

"Me too!"

Ye Zi looked dejected and said, "Let's break up, Xiao Tian."

Xiaotian looked at her incredulously: "Why? Why did you break up with me?"

I never expected that I would not only lose the game today, but also get dumped.

Ye Zi put it subtly: "I don't think we're very compatible."

Sakuragi's army cheered and jumped for joy in hushed tones:

"Wow! Just as I expected, I'm witnessing that iconic dumping scene again!!"

"Xiaotian is really having a double whammy today, losing both face and substance!"

Xiaotian grabbed Yezi's shoulders excitedly and shook her violently, "Why? Why where? What did I do wrong?"

Ye Zi was startled by the sudden, violent shaking and struggled desperately to get rid of him, but to no avail.

The Sakuragi Army couldn't stand it any longer and stepped forward to successfully rescue Yoko from Oda's clutches.

"Xiaotian, you've been dumped, there's no need to keep dwelling on it. Stop harassing that girl!"

Xiao Tian saw the group and was filled with anger. He took a few steps toward them with a gloomy face: "It's all your fault! It's all because of you that Ye Zi wouldn't have broken up with me!"

"Hey, what does your getting dumped have to do with us? It's clearly your own problem, okay?"

"That's right!"

Oda's fist went straight for Kanon's forehead.

"Holy crap!"

"elder sister!"

Sakuragi's gang and Sakuragi reminded her, and Kanon also saw it and tried to hide behind her, but the tearing sensation behind her made her react slowly.

She felt that there was probably no way to avoid it, and even Ayako next to her wanted to cover her eyes.

In the blink of an eye.

She was pulled away and shielded behind someone.

Although the grip on my hand was quite strong, it wasn't painful enough.

Upon recognizing the familiar aura, Hana immediately knew who it was and looked up before she could even steady herself.

They happened to run into Rukawa Kaede's gaze.

Her facial features are still very attractive and striking.

Fine strands of hair partially obscured her eyebrows and eyes, which were deep black.

A sign that anger is about to begin!

After Huayin regained her balance, he smoothly placed his hand down to support her lower back.

Hua Yin was taken aback. Had he discovered her injury?