Chapter 72: A Perfect Score Exists

Hanon smiled broadly, "Don't worry, Hanamichi has been going head-to-head with me the whole way, but he hasn't been able to hurt me in the slightest."

Rukawa scratched the back of his head, realizing that he might have been overly cautious because of his excessive concern for Kanon.

…What an idiotic thing to do.

Rukawa Kaede's face remained calm, and his voice was even, "You need to apologize to me."

Hanon was completely confused. "What?"

"You misunderstand me and want to distance yourself from me."

Hanon stared wide-eyed at Rukawa Kaede in astonishment, "How could I do this?"

She doesn't seem to have said anything about distancing herself from him.

Rukawa Kaede puffed out his cheeks. "Call me Rukawa-kun."

Using affectionate terms of address can shorten the distance between two people.

Rukawa Kaede didn't want to admit it, but the way Kanon called him by his cold surname made him feel a little uneasy for a moment.

Hanon was a little confused, not understanding the little fox's sudden change in mood. "...Huh?"

"You can't call me that."

Hua Yin's lips twitched, wondering what kind of drama he was trying to create for himself this time.

Oh well, he's my boyfriend after all, so I can only spoil him.

Hanon couldn't hide the smile in her eyes. She lifted Rukawa's hand and affectionately pecked the back of it.

"Okay, I'm sorry."

This kiss seemed to ignite an invisible flame, burning from her lips to the back of his hand, and then all the way to his earlobe.

Although Rukawa Kaede didn't look in the mirror, he could feel that his ears, face, and neck were all red.

My heart was pounding wildly, like I was being struck by an electric current, and a tingling sensation started running from my scalp to my spine.

Hua Yin gently pinched his blushing face and provocatively said:

"Now, I'm going to show you the power of an invincible champion on the court."

Rukawa Kaede stared blankly at his carefree girlfriend with a dazed expression.

Hanon said in a serious tone, "You've been playing basketball for so long, and you've hardly encountered any equally matched opponents, right? So far, Sendoh is probably the only one. However, you will encounter many more powerful opponents in the future."

Looking at his opponents in the following matches, such as Hainan Amu and Shanwang Zebei, none of them were easy to deal with.

A sharp and fearless light flashed in Rukawa Kaede's eyes.

Hua Yin blinked and said loudly, "You try it and see if you can withstand my attack."

Rukawa's eyes turned cold. "Fine!"

He paused, then said domineeringly, "Let's make this clear first, you're not allowed to cry."

Sunlight fell on Rukawa Kaede's shoulders, scattering across his body. Even just standing there, he exuded an aura and confidence that could not be underestimated.

Rukawa Kaede is not afraid of any strong enemy; he has the courage and belief to defeat anyone.

Hanon couldn't help but laugh. She teased, "You're really confident, aren't you? Don't let my attack knock you down."

In her view, Rukawa Kaede, with his strong mental fortitude, was extremely attractive.

Rukawa bent down and pressed his knees down, as if gathering strength.

Kanon calmly walked towards Rukawa Kaede—

She appeared very relaxed as she executed a classic crossover dribble.

Rukawa could sense that although Kanon was dribbling the ball calmly and leisurely, she might suddenly erupt like a tiger in the next moment.

Rukawa Kaede was on high alert, like a vigilant cheetah, keeping a close eye on Kanon's every move.

At that moment, the whole world disappeared, leaving only him and Hanon.

Hanon turned and leaned against Rukawa, cleverly blocking his view so he couldn't see her dribbling.

Rukawa Kaede had no choice but to retreat.

Hanon turns around—

Feint, then turn, fake shot, collect the ball, turn again, and take a mid-range floater.

The movements were as smooth as flowing water, without any hindrance.

Rukawa stood frozen in place, watching helplessly as the ball gently fell into the basket.

My heart was pounding wildly, as if it were about to jump out of my chest.

That's too ruthless!

Her steps were agile and light, breathtakingly beautiful.

Rukawa Kaede could see it clearly: from the moment the ball was put together, Hanon's pivot foot was as if it were nailed to the ground, remaining perfectly still.

"Again!"

Rukawa Kaede clenched his fists tightly, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit, and launched an attack.

In Rukawa's hands, the basketball moved like a serpent, changing direction rapidly and unpredictably.

However, in Hanon's eyes, these things seemed to be slowed down tenfold, and she could see them clearly.

Hanon quickly moved to defend in front of him.

Rukawa Kaede's speed showed no signs of slowing down; he swiftly cut from left to right with fluidity and agility.

Just as Rukawa was about to break through Kanon's defenses—

Hana reappeared before him, swiftly and decisively—

They snatched the basketball from Rukawa's hands!

Without any unnecessary movements, just super-fast speed and agile dribbling, Hanon hooked the ball with a soft touch, making it easy for her to score.

Bang...bang...bang

The basketball rolled to the ground.

Hua Yin said with a smile, "Xiao Feng, even if you go all out, I can still beat you 6-0, so never underestimate any opponent."

Rukawa Kaede stood there, looking at Hanon's figure in a daze.

"It's not over yet, please continue!"

Like an arrow released from a bow, Rukawa Kaede seemed glued to the basketball in his hands, swiftly rushing to the right.

Hanon took a step back to regain her balance.

Rukawa Kaede drove to the basket and launched an attack using his most proficient method.

Suddenly, Rukawa Kaede changed direction, creating space for acceleration once again.

With a powerful push of his left foot, he stormed into the penalty area!

With an extreme change in rhythm, Rukawa Kaede's speed instantly becomes as fast as lightning.

Kanon was forced to continue retreating.

It was this retreat that made Rukawa Kaede's eyes light up.

He pushed off with his feet, and his whole body soared into the air like a rocket.

In mid-air, he stretched his waist and abdomen to their limit, raised his right hand high with the basketball, and swung it with all his might.

One-handed dunk —

At the same time, Hanon also leaped into the air, stretched out her hand, and pressed it towards the basketball!

Rukawa Kaede stared in disbelief in mid-air. He had clearly succeeded in shaking off Kanon and getting her back under the basket, so how could she still keep up with his pace?

However, the attacking demon is no pushover!

Rukawa Kaede quickly retrieved the ball, and the moment he landed, he jumped again.

His airtime was extraordinary; he was as light as a feather being blown by the wind.

He quickly surpassed the height of Hanon, who was descending, and made his move—

And Kanon leaped again with explosive power…

"Smack!"

At that moment, Rukawa Kaede loosened his grip, and the basketball vanished.

The two landed.

Hanon smiled mischievously: "Innocent little fox, you've fallen into the enemy's defensive trap."

Rukawa had to admit that Kanon's actions were indeed a bit reckless.

He was tricked by Huayin into eating a huge hot pot, and then he suddenly woke up.

She was telling him that the competition was always full of deception and backstabbing!

To win, both skill and game intelligence are equally important.

Hana continued, "Which do you find more difficult to handle: my offense or my defense?"

Rukawa Kaede fell into deep thought.

After about ten seconds, he leaned forward slightly, meeting Hana's gaze. His beautiful fox-like eyes were filled with a pure, burning desire:

"Please teach me how to improve my defense."

A low, husky voice echoed across the empty stadium.

Whether on offense or defense, Kanon is truly a perfect score.

Hanon smiled and said, "We train the basic defensive footwork every day using rope ladders and cones, mainly to improve the proficiency and flexibility of these movements."

Rukawa Kaede nodded.

It was only after he met Hanon that he truly began to receive such systematic basketball training.

"Defense requires coordinated arm movements, and you've done a great job of interfering with and stealing the ball."

"The key to defense is reading the defense."

"You need to understand the opponent's offensive strategy first, and the opponent's offense depends on reading your defense. Offense and defense are like a spear and a shield."

Rukawa Kaede's blood was boiling, and he felt an inexplicable itch from the soles of his feet to his fingertips. "In other words, I need to anticipate the opponent's anticipation."

Hanon's basketball philosophy is novel and unique, always refreshing.

Hanon nodded approvingly: "That's right. Spear and shield are relative. To become the best shield, you must first become the best spear. That's how you anticipate your opponent's moves."

Rukawa Kaede's heart was pounding: "Before, you never matched up against me, was it because you wanted me to become the best spear first?"

"What? You think I only have a preference for flower arranging?"

"…snort."

Huayin rubbed the jealous fox's face with her dirty hands. "Xiaofeng, you still have a long way to go, so you must be steady and cautious with every step. I hope to always be able to accompany you and witness your growth."

Rukawa Kaede brought his face closer, letting her rub it, his deep voice slightly dissatisfied: "Please change 'hope' to 'certainty'!"

Hanon smiled, "Next, I'll practice with you diligently and give you pointers in one-on-one combat. You have to be able to withstand the setbacks."

Rukawa Kaede looked very calm: "No big deal!"

God knows how long he'd been waiting for this opportunity!

A new week of training has begun.

This week we added pool recovery training, which helps relieve muscle fatigue.

Mitsui stared speechlessly at the radiant Miyagi: "Hey Miyagi, what's going on in your head, you idiot?"

Miyagi glared at Mitsui: "What do you know! Aya's going to wear a swimsuit later! A sexy swimsuit!!"

Sakuragi's ears instantly magnified several times, receiving the signal: "Sexy swimsuit!! Hehe... So, Haruko..."

The little red-haired monkey was so engrossed in thinking that his mouth watered uncontrollably.

Mitsui looked at the two of them with disdain, then hooked his arm around the expressionless Rukawa Kaede: "You two be normal. Look how calm Rukawa is. He's got a formal relationship with her! What are you two, secretly in love, making such a fuss about?"

The Lemon Brothers: "Tch! Vixen!"

Rukawa Kaede puffed out his tender cheeks and pushed Mitsui away with disdain: "Three idiots."

Rukawa Kaede was secretly conflicted. He was both looking forward to it and troubled. He wanted to see his girlfriend wear it, but he didn't want her to wear it for others to see.

"What?!"

The three lemon brothers used civilized language to gang up on Rukawa Kaede, but when it came to sharp tongues, Rukawa Kaede was clearly superior.

The teammate living next door overheard the argument and secretly rejoiced that he hadn't lived with them.

When the three girls from the Shohoku team appeared in conservative sports swimwear, the four handsome guys from Shohoku were dumbfounded.

"...This is quite different from what I expected!"

Ayako greeted everyone listlessly, "Hi, good afternoon..."

Haruko said listlessly, "Good afternoon, everyone..."

Rukawa Kaede, holding Kanon's hand, asked, "What's wrong?"

Why is my girlfriend so listless?

Ayako: "We just weighed ourselves and found out we've gained weight! I've gained three kilograms!"

Shohoku team members: ...

Mitsui glanced at her round face and blurted out without thinking, "Well, she does seem to have gained weight."