Chapter 61 Maple's Heart Stirs

Rukawa's sudden, crystal-clear honesty made her heart flutter and her chest feel uncontrollably tingling.

His beautiful, dark fox eyes stared at her intently.

Despite being incredibly nervous, her face remained as cold as ice.

Hanon's mind was still a little fuzzy, and she wanted to laugh, but she held it in.

She really likes Rukawa Kaede.

Hanon doesn't shy away from her feelings, but dating and confessing her love are not in her plans for the near future.

They had only known each other for a little over a month, and their understanding of each other was not yet complete.

Infatuation and novelty last a maximum of four months; if they withstand the test, then it becomes love.

Hanon doesn't have time for fleeting infatuation; she craves a love that lasts a lifetime.

Her primary goal is to win the national championship.

The national competition is less than three months away.

During these three months, there are many unstable factors, and Hanon is also worried that romantic feelings will affect Rukawa's condition.

Hanon analyzed everything with a clear mind, and when she wanted to refuse, her heart felt a strong sense of weightlessness.

Rukawa Kaede remained silent, calmly observing and analyzing Kanon's subtle expressions.

What if your shot is rejected by the rim? There are plenty of ways to fix it.

In the past two days, Rukawa Kaede could sense that Kanon liked him, and this liking made her indulge him time and time again.

Perhaps that's not enough to make her agree to date him.

It's okay, as long as there's even a little bit of interest, he has a chance.

As Hanon carefully considered her words, she heard Rukawa Kaede's cold, deep voice ring in her ears:

Do you hate me?

Hua Yin was slightly surprised and shook her head.

Do you mind me touching you?

"...I don't dislike it."

Do you have feelings for me?

“...”

All three questions are straightforward, without any twists or turns, and there will be no invalid output.

Hana's cheeks flushed.

Rukawa Kaede calmly pressed, "You didn't shake my hand off, so you have feelings for me, right?"

"…right."

At this moment, Rukawa Kaede's eyes were no longer empty.

He fell from the altar, shattering all the barriers, enveloping Hanon, and revealing her most original colors and form.

Hanon saw it clearly, and her heart was scorched by that pure, intense light.

"Nini."

She saw his Adam's apple bob slightly as he spoke, outlining a sharp and sexy curve from his jaw to his neck.

Rukawa Kaede moved closer to her, his cold, narrow eyes staring straight at her, using a feigned retreat as a tactic to ask, "Excuse me, may I try out for the job first?"

Trial period before starting work.

She'll practice in the boyfriend's position first, and after passing the assessment, she'll be officially hired on a later date.

Hanon's heartbeat was completely erratic.

Rukawa Kaede remained calm, seemingly unconcerned: "If you feel it's not appropriate, you don't have to force yourself. I will never trouble you."

At this point, he changed his tone, "As long as you nod, I'd be happy to start working immediately."

Hanon stared blankly at Rukawa Kaede's fair and clean face.

He looked at her with his fox-like eyes, his gaze deep and unfathomable, seemingly carrying a hint of urgency that clashed with his aloof demeanor.

She was completely unable to cope with this.

Rukawa Kaede has very few interests. Aside from playing basketball and sleeping, there's not much else he cares about.

His world was not open to everyone; very few people could stand outside the city walls and peek through the cracks.

Now, Rukawa Kaede has shattered the walls he built and invited her into his domain.

Kanon felt clearly once again that she was very important to Rukawa.

what to do.

I just like it, I just feel a spark.

The closer you get, the more you fall.

Hana felt a tightness in her chest.

A sweet and sour feeling of fullness.

She slowly took his hand in hers, her eyes bright and resolute, and nodded: "Okay."

A surge of overwhelming joy exploded in Rukawa's heart, traveling through his nerves to his entire body, causing his fingertips to tremble uncontrollably.

Suddenly, the corners of his lips even curled up slightly.

His face was already cold, aloof, and unapproachable, but when he curled his lips, he immediately revealed a rare tenderness.

It's just like the seductive charm a fairy shows when she tries to seduce a scholar in a story from Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio. With just one look, you can make people dazed and want to get close to her.

My new boyfriend is kind of alluring.

wrong.

Kanon silently corrected herself, "It's incredibly alluring!"

The large hand, clasped with an overbearing force, gradually tightened its grip on Hanon's fingers.

Most of the time, Rukawa Kaede's expressions are not very rich, and he looks a bit silly and cute in real life.

But even so, his occasional glimpses of intense and undisguised possessiveness became extremely alluring.

Her heart skipped a beat, and feeling that her fetish had been completely violated, Hana's face flushed: "I really should go home."

"Um, can I call you tonight?"

Kanon noticed that Rukawa was being very affectionate with her in a natural way.

When their eyes met, his gaze shifted from cool and aloof to subtle, tinged with a hint of viscous anticipation.

"sure."

Rukawa Kaede pressed, "What time?"

"...After 10 o'clock."

"Okay, 10 o'clock."

Kanon was somewhat speechless at his persistence. Was Rukawa Kaede really the type to talk on the phone with other people...?

Watching her departing figure, the predatory and possessive desires that Rukawa Kaede had been trying so hard to suppress suddenly sprouted up like wildly growing vines.

That little bit of liking isn't enough.

He wanted Kanon to need him, depend on him, and never be able to leave him again.

The nickname "Ghost of Offense" suits him well, referring not only to his playing style but also to his personality.

Rukawa Kaede displays all his sharp edges and corners on his exterior, giving people a sense of aloofness and making people hesitant to approach him. Could this be considered a defensive personality?

But in reality, he was a born top hunter.

Calling Sakuragi Hanamichi a cunning fox isn't entirely unreasonable.

Animals share common traits. When faced with prey, they simply attack in a brutal and straightforward manner.

He never treated anything with any caution.

However, in order to obtain Hanon.

He had enough patience to lure her closer, then suddenly strike, hitting her with deadly accuracy.

Rukawa Kaede was prepared... prepared for a lifetime.

...

At 9 p.m., all the team members left the Shohoku Basketball Arena.

Kanon and Sakuragi returned to their new residence.

She yawned, grabbed some clean clothes and a towel, and went into the bathroom.

Sakuragi continued his shooting practice diligently.

She had just finished showering, and sitting on the sofa with a towel, she wrung out the water from her hair.

The phone rang, breaking the silence in the house. Huayin looked up at the wall clock and was somewhat surprised; it was exactly 10 o'clock, the time was perfect.

Kanon draped a towel over her shoulder and answered the phone, "Hello, Sakuragi family."

"Hello, I'm Rukawa Kaede."

A deep, slightly hoarse, and magnetic voice came from the other end of the phone.

It sounds great.

Hanon felt a slight itch in her ears and said in a light tone, "Good evening, Rukawa."

There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone, and Hana waited patiently for his reply.

After a moment, the other person's voice became slightly hoarse, and seemed to tremble slightly, "Good evening...girlfriend."

He spoke slowly and deliberately, as if trying to confirm something.

Hana's face turned red and her ears burned; she unconsciously rubbed her ears.

Silence fell between the two sides.

Perhaps due to a cold, the other person's breathing was uneven.

“…Nini.”

Even over the phone, Hana could clearly sense his slightly anxious state from his tone.

Hana's tone softened, and she gently replied, "Good evening, boyfriend."

Silence returned.

She seemed to have calmed down a bit, and her voice was deep and resonant: "Nini."

Rukawa Kaede couldn't express how happy he was, so he whispered, "We're dating."

Hanon tried to suppress the embarrassment in her ears and said into the receiver in a natural manner, "Yes... that's right."

On the other end of the receiver, all the joy was attributed to, "I like you, I like you so much."

Her voice was as cool and clear as ever, but perhaps because it was a little low, Huayin could hear the gentleness that was unique to her.

Even though he is not in front of me now, he is still so clear in my mind.

Kanon will always be moved by Rukawa's sincere and tender affection.

The house is quiet at the moment, with a gentle night breeze blowing in through the window and the chirping of insects in the distance.

She heard the thunderous sound of a heartbeat in her ears, like the roar of ocean waves or the sound of a train passing by.

She leaned against the edge of the sofa, her earlobes growing hotter and hotter, as if they were burning into her heart.

Hanon clutched her rapidly beating heart: "Rukawa."

Her eyelashes curled into a thick row, and her voice sounded somewhat unnatural, "Aren't you still on trial?"

There was another pause on the other side.

"I am a mature adult, and I have automatically become a full-fledged adult."

Listen closely, and you'll find a hint of pride and smugness, a rarity in his usually cold and indifferent voice, along with a touch of unease.

Hana couldn't help but laugh, not taking the fox's little trick to heart: "Have you ever seen an employee who gets a trial period in the afternoon and becomes a full-time employee in the evening?"

The crisis seemed to have passed, and the person on the other end replied confidently, "The Rukawa family."

Hana blinked and smiled, "I understand."

On the other end of the line: "...Mm."

She immediately added, "Your boyfriend has passed his trial period and is now officially on the job."

Hana saw a figure reflected in the glass window, a bright smile on their face. "Mm."

Isn't their relationship a bit childish?

The sound of my heartbeat amplified and became clear in my chest. "It's getting late."

Get some rest early, goodnight.

The little fox obediently said, "Goodnight."

After hanging up the phone.

Keiko Rukawa touched her throat, lowered her voice, and mimicked Kaede Rukawa, her expression one of "lovely trepidation": "...Good evening, girlfriend."

Rukawa Kaede: ...

Rukawa's father: ...

The father and son's indifference could not extinguish Keiko Rukawa's burning passion, and she continued:

"I like you, I like you so much... Oh my! You're really ruthless and don't talk much!"

Rukawa Kaede turned his head away, his expression calm to the point of being almost indifferent: "...Ms. Rukawa, please stop talking."

Keiko Rukawa jumped onto the sofa, looked down at Kaede Rukawa with an imposing air, and pressed her index finger against his forehead, "What! Does having a girlfriend mean you're no longer Mommy's good boy?"

Rukawa Kaede puffed out his chubby cheeks, his voice as indifferent as ever: "I'll be shy."

He turned around and calmly returned to his room.

Keiko Rukawa's eyes held a mixture of confusion and disbelief.

How could her autistic son, with that expressionless face, utter such... words of budding romance?!

And she did it to make fun of him, not to eat dog food (a Chinese slang term for witnessing public displays of affection)!

Keiko Rukawa, still somewhat unconvinced, kissed her old baby and said, "...Honey, is your son delirious with fever?"

Rukawa's father smiled faintly: "Yeah, it's a mess."

After closing the door, Rukawa Kaede lay calmly on the bed.

This is a completely different feeling from playing basketball.

He pulled the thin blanket over his face, and the thought of Hana calling him "boyfriend" made him—