Chapter 5 First Encounter with Your Name

Previously, Sakuragi didn't want to do basic practice and asked to join the team's scrimmage.

After being rejected by Captain Akagi, he threatened to quit the basketball club and stormed off in anger.

Even the carefree Sakuragi would feel embarrassed after being proven wrong, "Yeah... Ayako... I'm here to practice~"

After walking in, Ayako finally noticed Sakuragi's hairstyle. She covered her mouth, suppressing a laugh, "It's so good you're back! But what's with your hair... hahaha~"

Cai Zi was delighted, thinking to herself that this kid's head was quite round and bright red, which looked very festive!

Sakuragi gets upset whenever hair is mentioned.

Because of his new hairstyle, he was frantically followed by all the students in the school. Whether in the classroom or in the toilet, everyone watched him like a monkey.

Later, he couldn't take it anymore, so he clenched his fists, glared back with a "want to fight?" look, and everyone finally stopped!

"It's normal for geniuses to be under scrutiny for their every move. But why do you mortals all have that kind of expression?!"

Growing increasingly irritated, Sakuragi glared at everyone, "He's obviously super handsome~!"

The group hid in the safe zone, admiring the round, red head.

Rukawa Kaede remained expressionless, casually remarking, "Idiot."

Sakuragi immediately spotted his target, grabbed Rukawa's clothes, and yelled, "You bastard! You blind, stinking fox!"

Kogure grabbed the enraged Sakuragi and hugged him tightly: "Hey, you guys, stop fighting... Sakuragi, welcome back... Let's practice first..."

Ayako covered her mouth and laughed. In that instant, she turned her head and saw the girl outside the basketball court. She exclaimed, "Eh? Sakuragi! Who's that?!"

Everyone turned to look.

A thin layer of light from outside the door gently fell upon that tall figure.

Both her facial features and face shape are absolutely stunning.

What's most special are those gray-blue eyes, which seem to be filled with stars and the sea.

She possesses a kind of pure yet fierce beauty that is hard to describe.

Basically, once you see her, you can't help but look at her a second time.

"Hello, you must be the beautiful manager Ayako? I'm Hanon, the older sister of the flower arrangement school. Nice to meet you."

Faced with such direct praise, Ayako felt very embarrassed, her face turning bright red, and she shook her head.

"Hello! I'm Ayako... Oh dear~ I'm actually not that pretty, hahaha~"

Hanon wasn't shy at all and greeted the other team members in a very natural and generous manner.

The young team members blushed and their hearts pounded; they were too shy to meet her gaze.

When Kanon first saw the young players from Shohoku High School, she was quite surprised.

Apart from Captain Akagi and Sakuragi, the others are so thin they look like bamboo poles. It's really worrying that they might get knocked away by the opponents during the game.

When she saw the boy she had just glimpsed yesterday, Hana was first taken aback, then exclaimed with delight, "Oh, classmate... it's you!"

His sharp gaze fell upon me, cold and distant, and his reply was only a single, indifferent syllable, "Hmm."

"You're also from the Shohoku basketball team? This is our second time meeting, do you remember?"

His narrow, fox-like eyes looked at her, hesitated almost imperceptibly for a moment, then nodded, still with a distant, monosyllabic "Mm."

The third time.

Rukawa Kaede thought to himself, then tossed the basketball, caught it with his index finger, and the ball began to spin on his fingertip.

Sakuragi stared at the two of them suspiciously, becoming wary. "Huh? Didn't you say you didn't know Rukawa Kaede?"

[Manga protagonist appears: Rukawa Kaede.]

[Triggering part of the plot: ]

Hanon was greatly shocked, "You're Rukawa Kaede?"

Rukawa Kaede.

It has a nice name.

For a basketball player to look like that is simply a foul!

He has high sports intelligence, strong comprehension, and is both talented and hardworking—a true genius.

He is also Sakuragi's teammate and lifelong rival.

A formidable opponent is often also a good teacher.

The basketball court was bathed in golden, clear light, and his aloofness stood out vividly against the warm sun.

She observed him naturally, with more care than she usually put into observing others.

Kanon couldn't help but exclaim, "Rukawa Kaede, you're amazing!"

He was born for basketball.

Her direct gaze fell into Rukawa Kaede's eyes, but instead of feeling embarrassed, she smiled and raised her beautiful eyebrows at him.

His gaze lingered on her face for a second before he glanced away, continuing to spin the ball in his hand as if the basketball was more appealing.

Hana's sudden attraction caused the red-haired monkey to instantly bristle. He stomped his feet frantically, yelling, "Hey! Don't let this vixen be bewitched you! I hate this guy the most!"

Sakuragi's face clearly said, "I'm jealous!"

Everyone was left speechless, neither laughing nor crying.

Kogure gazed indulgently at the excited Sakuragi, then glanced down at him out of the corner of his eye, "Hey Sakuragi...did you buy basketball shoes?"

The monkey's attention was immediately diverted, and it put its hands on its hips to show off, "Yes! My sister bought this for me! Isn't it cool! Hahaha..."

"...Hey! Why did you step on my new shoes? That's so mean!!"

Kogure gently pushed up his black-rimmed glasses. "Because the new sneakers are quite stiff, stepping on them will prevent your feet from getting blisters."

The group withdrew their feet and nodded repeatedly from behind Kogure.

Sakuragi suddenly realized, "Oh... I see."

Rukawa glanced at Sakuragi's black and red sneakers.

He collected the ball and walked over, saying, "I haven't stepped on it yet."

Sakuragi took a big step back, his voice rough, "Get away from me, you bastard! I don't want you stepping on me!"

Rukawa ignored him and stomped on him repeatedly without expression.

"Ouch! It hurts! It hurts, you stinky fox!"

The roars echoed throughout the basketball arena as the Monkey vs. Fox battle commenced as scheduled.

Finally, Captain Akagi couldn't take it anymore and gave each of them a whack with a stick, which finally calmed the monkey and fox down.

The two held their heads in their hands, snorting defiantly.

At that moment, a petite and sweet girl hopped in front of Sakuragi.

Her black hair was neatly draped over her shoulders, and she had a cute and lively appearance, even her walk had an indescribable charm.

Haruko exclaimed happily, "Sakuragi! Did you come to practice on time today? That's really great!"

Kanon sighed inwardly, "Sakuragi has excellent taste."

Haruko Akagi is pure and kind-hearted; she's definitely a national first love!

Sakuragi blushed and grinned sheepishly, "Yes~ Haruko..."

Sakuragi, eager to practice, handed over the bag in his hand, "Ayako! These are snacks my sister prepared. You can share them with everyone during breaks."

Haruko stared at Kanon curiously, then smiled at her, "Sakuragi-neechan is amazing! The dessert this morning was delicious too."

Looking at the petite girl, Hanon couldn't help but ruffle her hair, clearly liking her: "Haruko is so cute..."

Haruko blushed and instinctively rubbed against him, saying, "Thank you for the compliment!"

Sakuragi's older sister is so beautiful and gentle!

Haruko is lively and cheerful, with a very outgoing personality. When introducing the Shohoku team to her, she was extremely enthusiastic and almost never stopped.

Hanon didn't find it noisy; on the contrary, she found it very interesting.

Ayako picked up the heavy bag, which was filled with various fruits, beef jerky, and handmade energy bars.

Curious, she picked up an energy bar and examined it closely, then smiled and said, "Does this energy bar contain bananas, almonds, oatmeal, and honey? These are all great for boosting energy and stamina!"

Sakuragi nodded and said happily, "Ayako is amazing! She also has some chocolate chips and dried cranberries. My sister said they can add some sweetness and vitamin C."

"Wow... everyone is so lucky today! Thank you, Kanon."

Hanon smiled brightly: "It's nothing, thank you for taking care of my flower arrangement."

The Shohoku team members blushed slightly, vividly recalling their daily interactions with Sakuragi. That little monkey was so mischievous; they had never even considered taking care of him.

Sakuragi ran over and snatched the ball from Yasuda, beaming with excitement, "This genius is going to start practicing! Hehehehe..."

Yasuda silently shed tears: Waaah... Why am I the one who gets hurt again?

Everyone was dumbfounded: He actually started practicing with the ball on his own? Unbelievable!

As is customary, this monkey should cause some trouble and be disciplined by the captain before it will be willing to practice.

Ayako nodded with satisfaction. "Not bad, Sakuragi! You still remember after just one day... Eh? You actually learned how to dribble behind your back?"

Everyone exclaimed, "Wow... Manager Ayako went to so much trouble!"

Ayako's eyes widened, and she shook her head. "No... I haven't taught you to that point yet..."

Sakuragi hugged the ball, hands on his hips smugly, "My sister taught me!"

The group exchanged glances.

I don’t know if it’s just my imagination, but I always felt that Sakuragi’s tone was proud and boastful when he said that.

Akagi clapped his hands, bringing everyone back to their senses: "Alright! Next up, intra-team sparring practice!!"

Shohoku team members: "Yes!"

Kogure patted Akagi on the shoulder, "Hey Akagi, how about we let Sakuragi join too... It's just team practice after all... Hahaha..."

Sakuragi pricked up his ears, distractedly bouncing the ball.

When Kanon saw Akagi hesitate, she didn't say anything, but gently patted Sakuragi's head to soothe him.

Sakuragi grinned, patted Kogure on the shoulder with a sunny expression, and said loudly, "Let the genius hone his basic skills first before participating in the intra-team scrimmage~ Glasses-kun, you guys go ahead!"

After saying that, he burst into laughter, completely absorbed in his basic exercises.

Haruko was overjoyed: "Sakuragi is awesome!"

Everyone was dumbfounded.

Is Sakuragi-neechan a monkey trainer?

Normally, Sakuragi would give up easily when practicing basic moves, so what's wrong with him today? He actually volunteered to practice the basics?

Rukawa glanced at Hanon, and when she looked at him, he coldly looked away.

The group matches began, and Kanon watched the game intently.

Rukawa Kaede was the most eye-catching presence, capable of breaking through defenses, grabbing rebounds, and making dazzling mid-range shots... he was almost omnipotent, catching the entire team off guard.

The ball was being played more and more frequently in his hands.

He got the ball, took a clean step back, and the ball smoothly went through the net.

Hanon has high standards and high expectations, but his actions made her exclaim, "Wow, that goal was so beautiful!"

Upon hearing this, Rukawa Kaede, who had been keeping his head down, tilted his head slightly and glanced in her direction.