Chapter 43 Regardless of Everything

After confirming that she was alright, Rukawa Kaede turned his gaze to Oda, grabbed his wrist with his left hand, and pressed it down.

"You're asking for it!"

His gaze was icy and sharp, and his eyes revealed an undisguised rage and ferocity.

The sudden, intense pain turned Xiaotian's face deathly pale. He struggled in agony, screaming, "It hurts! Let me go!"

The Shohoku team members were startled when they saw Rukawa Kaede's face, which was even more pale than Hanon's: "Rukawa! Don't make this a big deal..."

Rukawa Kaede's face remained expressionless, displaying an indifferent indifference that disregarded everything.

The protective instinct is an excessive emotion.

If he hadn't been standing next to her, would this scumbag have already hit her?

He knew she was calm, agile, and far stronger and more flexible than the average person, but he was still afraid she would get hurt.

In particular, she was also injured.

Thinking of this, Rukawa Kaede's anger surged. He wasn't someone who cared too much about the consequences; if he had an idea, he would put it into action.

Rukawa Kaede twisted Oda's hand and continued to press down.

Xiao Tian howled incessantly.

A tense atmosphere quickly spread.

Kanon put her hand on Rukawa's arm.

He paused and tilted his head.

Her voice was gentle, "Rukawa, let go."

These four words, like a refreshing cool rain, extinguished most of Rukawa Kaede's violent little flames.

After a brief pause, Rukawa Kaede easily pushed Oda away.

The Xiangbei team breathed a sigh of relief.

Oda stumbled a few steps after being pushed, swaying slightly before regaining her balance. She glared at Rukawa and shouted weakly, "What's it to you?!"

Before I could even react, I was suddenly grabbed by the collar and my feet left the ground.

Sakuragi's hand throbbed with a vein. "So, is this any of my business?"

"Sakuragi!"

The breath that the Shohoku team had just breathed a sigh of relief was once again caught in their throats.

This scene terrified Haruko, who rushed to his side and pleaded, "Sakuragi...you can't do that..."

Sakuragi naturally understood the consequences of basketball players fighting, but he found Oda's behavior unbearable.

Hanon said helplessly, "Hanamichi, let go."

With his reason returning, Sakuragi restrained his emotions and loosened his grip on Sakuragi's hand.

The tense nerves of the Shohoku team finally relaxed, and they thought to themselves—thank you, Shohoku's animal trainer…

Sakuragi's gang blocked their way, saying nonchalantly, "Oda, if you want to fight, we're all in."

The look in his eyes was like a dark cloud looming over the city.

Ye Zi's face remained calm: "Xiao Tian, ​​I am very disappointed in you."

After saying that, he turned and left.

"Ye Zi! Let me explain!" Xiao Tian suddenly came to her senses and chased after him.

...

When they reached the school bus, Kanon and Sakuragi did not get on.

Hanon: "You guys go back to school first, I need to go to the hospital with Hanamichi."

Everyone exclaimed in surprise: "What?!"

Ayako asked anxiously, "Were you badly injured? Are you alright? Does it hurt?"

Rukawa Kaede stared intently at her.

Hanon reassured her, "Don't worry, it's better to just get it checked out."

Ayako breathed a sigh of relief: "Yes, yes, yes! I'll go with you."

Rukawa Kaede frowned, his expression serious. "I'm going too."

Kanon refused again: "No need, you guys go back to class, Hanamichi and I will go."

Rukawa Kaede paused slightly, his handsome face cold and expressionless as he stared at her.

His face was full of displeasure.

Knowing Hanon's personality, Ayako didn't insist: "Okay, let's go back to school first. Tell me immediately if anything happens."

Hanon nodded slightly, and from a distance of one meter, she met Rukawa Kaede's gaze.

His thin lips were pressed tightly together, and a hint of emotion crept into his calm voice, his eyes showing a touch of grievance: "Tell me after the examination."

Hana smiled: "Okay, I'll call you tonight."

Her eyes crinkled slightly, and her smile was so beautiful.

Rukawa Kaede's anger dissipated immediately. He scratched the back of his head and reluctantly replied with a "hmm".

Hana watched him leave, a strange voice echoing in her mind.

Hello, system upgrade complete. System 099 is at your service.

Hanon was surprised. The mechanical voice had turned into a cute loli voice, becoming more human.

"Upgrade? What's going on now?"

[Dear host, please allow 099 to answer your question.]

Hanon's revival was to rewrite the fate of the Shohoku team.

Sakuragi caused turmoil throughout the world, and to ensure that the world does not deviate from its original purpose and to maintain the balance and order of the world, the system was upgraded.

Before Hanon could respond, 099 eagerly began broadcasting.

[After the upgrade, new tasks will be released.]

[Task 1: Don't let anyone notice Sakuragi's unusual behavior. On the basketball court, make the most of his performance.]

[Task Two: Win the county-level competition.]

[Task 3: Win the national championship.]

Hanon asked in her mind, "Does that mean I still want to win the championship, but I have to find the right balance?"

[Host is so smart! We're a motivational and inspiring comic, so hard work and struggle are essential~ Host, you can only act according to the mission requirements, otherwise you'll be punished.]

"What punishment?"

[You wouldn't want to try that, would you?] The loli voice took on a cold, ruthless tone: [If you disobey the rules, the punishment will be worse than death.]

Hua Yin raised an eyebrow slightly. In other words, unless the mission fails, the system has no right to decide her life or death?

Having understood her situation, Hana's tense body relaxed slightly.

She then asked, "What does the countdown on my hand mean?"

If Shohoku loses to Hainan, it proves your existence is meaningless, and you can collect your lunchbox, hehe.

Hana uttered softly, "You make it sound so easy."

An innocent voice, cruel words.

Our initial goal was for Shohoku High School to dominate the nation; you were merely a tool.

The host's characteristics are not important; what matters is serving the mission.

"If that's the case, then there's no need to restrict me with healing points, right?"

The purpose of the healing value is twofold: first, to prevent her from slacking off, keeping her close to the Five Tigers and urging them to train harder; second, to prevent her from pushing herself too hard in training, causing the Five Tigers to unleash their full potential.

In short, we need to win the championship, but we can't go against the original intention of shonen manga.

【certainly. 】

During this time, the system also understood her weakness: even after a hundred years, she still thought of Sakuragi Hanamichi.

Having weaknesses makes them easy to exploit, and the system is brimming with confidence that it can perfectly control Hana.

Hana lowered her eyes. She could clearly feel that the pain in her back and legs was beginning to heal and disappear at an abnormally fast pace.

She felt something inside her being released.

Hanon was in a good mood, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.

We absolutely must win the championship. As for the punishment?

Who cares? It's not going to die anyway.

She's not a dough that can be kneaded by anyone.

...

The two siblings, Hanon and her brother, did not go to the hospital but went straight home.

The two sat in the living room, looking at each other in bewilderment.

Sakuragi Hanamichi has somehow returned from after the National Tournament.

He inherited his back injury, allowing him to avoid injuries during the national competition.

It seems the system is the protagonist's mother; since the original plot can't be completely overturned, she, as a tool, has to take the blame when things go wrong.

Sakuragi was bewildered, and there was a vague sense of fear in her eyes: "So, sister, what happened to you...?"

Just as school was starting, he received terrible news from the United States: she had passed away…

Kanon: "Actually, in a sense, at this point in time, I did leave this world."

The story begins when the manga's protagonist, Sakuragi, is in high school.

The author deliberately left many blanks and omitted his family background, prompting readers to make their own imaginations and making him both inspiring and passionate.

Kanon knew in advance that she would end up as a nobody, so she wrote a letter to Sakuragi to say goodbye and told him to face life positively.

Sakuragi's hands, gripping the hem of his shirt, turned white with tension: "Now? What's going on now?"

He panicked.

He truly cannot bear to lose any more of his family members; they are his only remaining family!

The thought that she might leave filled him with unbearable sorrow.

What should he do?

"Don't worry, Ikamichi."

Seeing Sakuragi's tearful eyes, Kanon felt a pang of sadness. The little red-haired monkey was really just a child, always shedding tears.

Kanon has no sense of belonging to this world; she only thinks about making up for Sakuragi's regrets and doing what she should do in the present so that she will have the opportunity to live the life she wants.

In the future, many people in this world will love him and support him.

He will have a new family, and perhaps it won't matter if she's not around. But now she understands that family is irreplaceable.

Now, she has a bond here, not just with Sakuragi.

besides……

Rukawa Kaede.

Just hearing this name on your tongue can stir up waves of emotion within you.

"Although I can't tell you how I got back, now that I'm back, I have the opportunity to stay."

Chance? !

Sakuragi keenly sensed the implication in her words, and his eyes lit up instantly. "Sister! What do you need me to do?"

He's not stupid.

Although he usually doesn't care about many things and is too lazy to think, he's not brainless.

How Kanon returned, whether she was human or a ghost, is not important.

As long as she can stay.

Hanon thought for a moment and said, "Hanamichi, let's go to the United States."

—On the field, how can we best utilize Sakuragi's performance?

Sakuragi's current basketball skills are very different from what they will be in three months. It's impossible for him to improve to the level he will be in three months overnight.

This is probably the key.

We can't wait until the county tournament to test the system's limits, and we can't let others discover Sakuragi's abnormality.

Now is the perfect time to go to the United States.

Sakuragi's eyes widened, and after regaining his senses, he said firmly, "Okay!"

...

Rukawa House

Rukawa Kaede sat upright next to the telephone at home, glancing at it every now and then.

The Rukawa couple exchanged glances with different expressions. "Your son... is he waiting for a phone call?"

"Ring ring ring..."

After what seemed like an eternity, the phone on the table finally rang.

The house was very quiet, so the ringing of the telephone was particularly clear.

Rukawa Kaede answered the call immediately, his calm voice tinged with urgency, "Hello, Rukawa family."

This was the first time Kanon had ever spoken to Rukawa Kaede on the phone.

The low, soft voice, imbued with a faint electric current, carried a strange, distorted quality, a tingling, numb sensation, like static electricity rising in her soft hair and sticking to her cheek.

Hanon subconsciously moved the phone receiver away slightly, touched her numb earlobe, and said with a smile, "Hi Rukawa, it's me, Hanon."

Her soft, gentle voice came from the other end of the phone. A hint of joy flickered in Rukawa's eyes, and he gripped the phone slightly tighter. "Hmm, how were the test results?"

"It's a minor scratch, nothing to worry about."

For a moment, I couldn't quite describe what that feeling was like.

But when his worries subsided, he could clearly see his hand holding the phone trembling.