Chapter 120 All Over Lingnan
Ayako smiled knowingly: "As expected of our coach!"
She clapped her hands to wake the dazed team members, "Alright everyone! Still standing there? Don't you want lunch?"
"Oh—!!" The commotion resumed.
Rukawa moved closer quietly, his lowered eyelashes casting shadows beneath his eyes: "...The reason?"
Hanon gazed at the bright sunshine outside the window: "Because basketball... should have endless possibilities~"
She turned to look at Rukawa, her eyes sparkling as she smiled: "Besides... don't you think it's more fulfilling to have your own trained opponent defeat the strongest Sannoh?"
Rukawa's pupils dilated slightly.
...So that's what happens when souls touch.
The next second, he leaned down and placed a light, fleeting kiss on the corner of her lips: "...Mmm."
"Hey! You stinky fox, what are you doing?!" Sakuragi rushed over immediately. "Don't you dare touch my older sister!"
The locker room erupted into chaos once again.
Hanon shook her head helplessly, but her gaze involuntarily drifted to the window.
The Little Mermaid...
Under your leadership, Ryonan
Just how far into the deep sea did they swim?
***
Back in the hotel room, Hanon had just opened the door when Rukawa pushed her inside.
The moment the door lock clicked shut, Rukawa Kaede pulled her into his arms.
The kiss came too fast and too fiercely, like waves crashing against rocks on a stormy night. Before Huayin could even catch her breath, he pried open her teeth, his tongue sweeping deep into every sensitive spot.
She instinctively grabbed the fabric of his shirt at the chest.
From the moment the match ended, Rukawa Kaede's suppressed desires all transformed into the sticky, wet sounds between his lips and teeth.
"Hmm..."
Hanon really wanted to kiss him.
I started thinking about it the moment the final whistle blew.
But Rukawa's aggressiveness still caught her off guard.
Just as her legs gave way and she leaned back, Rukawa's arms steadily supported her waist, lifting her up completely.
—That's too dangerous!
The thought had barely crossed my mind when it was shattered by a new round of kisses.
Rukawa turned his head to deepen the kiss, his tongue sweeping over every inch of her mouth, as if he wanted to possess her breath.
Hanon finally gave up resisting and wrapped her arms around his neck.
After an unknown amount of time, Rukawa carried her back to the edge of the bed and sat down. Hana straddled his lap, both of them breathing heavily.
Rukawa's nose was still pressed against hers, gently caressing it.
The arms wrapped around her waist were clearly full of strength, yet they restrained themselves from using force. This extremely contradictory gentleness made Hana's heart tremble.
Rukawa Kaede slowly raised his head, his dark eyes surging with a heart-pounding heat.
I really love you.
The clear, crisp voice conveying such a passionate confession sounded all the more sincere and moving.
Hana's fingertips traced his brow bone, and she suddenly realized—
Having lived through countless years, I'm afraid this touch might be a dream. Will this boy who paved the way for her disappear like morning dew in the sunlight?
Rukawa suddenly bit her sliding fingertip, crushing all her unease with his action.
"Why did it turn into a basketball?" The cool voice was filled with curiosity.
Hana reached out and poked his tense cheek, her voice tinged with amusement: "Probably because I'm a basketball fairy~"
She leaned on his shoulder, saying, "When you've exhausted your energy beforehand, you'll revert to your purest form when you're at your limit."
Rukawa's arms tightened suddenly, holding her firmly in his embrace: "Will...it disappear?"
"No." Hana smiled and pinched the tip of his nose. "At most, he'll just stay in the basketball for a few days. Once he recovers his strength, he'll turn back."
A dark glint flashed in the fox's eyes, and he pulled her closer to his chest: "So... when you're tired, you turn into a ball?"
"Hmm...can I understand it that way?"
"You're not allowed to disappear." He lowered his head and pressed his forehead against hers, his voice muffled. "I can... bathe the basketball every day."
Hanon blushed and said, "Who needs your help!"
Rukawa, however, remained serious: "Use warm water...to wash together."
"Shut up!" Hana tried to cover his mouth in embarrassment and anger, but he grabbed her wrist.
Rukawa Kaede slowly lowered her hand, his Adam's apple bobbing: "Last time...did you see that?"
"Bang!"
A pillow was thrown hard at his face.
"Now! Immediately! Right now! Take a nap!" Hana jumped up in a huff, but Rukawa pulled her back into his arms.
Rukawa buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling deeply, his hot breath brushing against her skin: "...Wait for the finals..."
The voice faded, "...I'll win for you..."
Before the last word had even faded, even breathing could be heard.
Huayin: "...?"
What kind of superpower is it to fall asleep on cue?!
She looked helplessly at Rukawa Kaede, who had fallen asleep instantly, and gently brushed her fingertips across his long eyelashes. The man who had been acting like a hooligan just moments before was now as innocent as a child.
Carefully adjusting his position to make him more comfortable, Hana slowly closed her eyes.
Seriously... I'm defeated by you.
***
In the afternoon, the match between Ryonan and Sannoh began.
The stadium was packed, but almost every seat was painted in Sannoh's support colors.
Ryonan had very few supporters, like a small boat swallowed by a giant wave, appearing extremely lonely.
"Hey, isn't this a bit over the top?" Miyagi whistled, looking around. "Is the entire arena filled with Sannoh's men?"
Mitsui crossed his arms: "After all, they're an undefeated legend... Everyone's just waiting to see Ryonan get crushed."
As soon as Hanon sat down in Shohoku's designated area, she heard whispers all around her:
[Ryonan will be lucky to even make it past the first half!]
[Sannoh is stronger this year than last year, and Sawakita has evolved again.]
[Even if Sendoh is incredibly powerful, he can't single-handedly take on the entire Sannoh squad...]
Just then, the conversation of several audience members behind me became particularly jarring—
"I bet Shan Wang will win by more than 30 points."
"30 points? That's too conservative, it should be at least 40 points!"
"Oh? Gambling?" Gao Gong's ears perked up immediately. "Hey, did you guys hear that? Someone's opening a betting pool!"
Noma rubbed his hands together and chuckled, "It would be a shame not to get involved in such a sure-fire way to make money!"
Da Nan stroked his chin: "But we don't have much money on us..."
Yohei smiled and looked at Hanon: "Big Sister, what do you think?"
Sakuragi's puppy-dog eyes attack: "Sis~"
The group of lively characters surrounded Hanon, and she couldn't help but chuckle. She reached out and ruffled Sakuragi's red hair, then took out her wallet and tossed it directly to Yohei.
"Bet all your bets on Lingnan and you'll win."
"Wow—!!" The Sakuragi Army erupted in cheers. "Onee-sama is so awesome!"
The members of Xiangbei collectively facepalmed.
"Hey, hey..." Miyagi's lips twitched, "Are you serious?"
Mitsui looked at him incredulously: "Junior, you said this morning you wanted to help Ryonan win, you don't actually think they can...?"
Akagi warned in a deep voice, "Sannoh is not an opponent that can be defeated by luck alone."
Rukawa Kaede sat down next to Kanon and handed her his wallet with a blank expression.
Hua Yin raised an eyebrow: "You're betting too?"
Rukawa: "I bet you'll win."
The Shohoku team: "..."
Rukawa Kaede is hopeless!
Amidst the noise, a clear voice pierced through the clamor—
"Ayin—!"
Looking in the direction of the sound, on the Ryonan bench, Hanon Haruka was waving a towel vigorously, which seemed particularly out of place in the solemn atmosphere.
Hana's eyes crinkled into a smile as she waved to her: "Hi~"
Kanon's gaze briefly met Coach Taoka's, who simply nodded seriously without any further expression.
Sakuragi suddenly leaned over and asked, "Sis, does Ryonan... have a chance of winning?"
On the field, the Ryonan players are warming up.
Sendoh maintained his composed smile, while Uozumi was vigorously slapping his face, and Fukuda's eyes were fierce enough to kill...
Hana's lips curled up slightly. "Miracles can always happen on the basketball court."
"Beep—!"
The competition has officially begun!
Sannoh's Okawata was the first to swat the ball towards his own half of the court.
Sendoh had already predicted the landing point, and his fingers barely grazed the edge of the basketball.
"Oh! Oh! Oh!" The whole audience exclaimed.
Possession ultimately fell to Fukatsu. But this opening move sent the stands into a frenzy.
"Bang!"
"Whoosh!"
The numbers on the scoreboard jumped slowly:
2:2...4:4...6:6...
Sannoh's offense maintained a suffocating formation throughout. Ryonan's defense, on the other hand, was like a meticulously woven net, with each node perfectly positioned.
Sakuragi crossed his arms: "What are they doing?"
"Both sides are testing each other." Hanon nodded slightly, following every subtle movement on the field.
Sendoh dribbled forward, and just as the Sannoh players were double-teaming him—
"Whoosh!"
A behind-the-back pass, precisely finding the trailing crossner lurking in the corner—
The basketball traced a perfect parabola, but in an instant, it was swatted away from the side by Sannoh Zebei!
Miyagi: "Such a fast reinforcement...!"
Hua Yin narrowed her eyes slightly: "The Mountain King is deliberately slowing down the pace."
She pointed to Fukatsu, who was on defense, and said, "That point guard isn't even serious."
On the sidelines, Taoka gestured.
Uozumi nodded, and the next second he suddenly changed his defensive strategy, using his massive body to firmly block the Sannoh center on the outside.
Sendoh suddenly faked out the defender and pulled up for a jump shot—
"Whoosh!"
At 22:20, Ryonan took the lead for the first time.
"Great shot!!" Sakuragi jumped up, his red hair practically standing on end. "See that?! That's Kanagawa's ace!"
Rukawa Kaede scoffed, "It hasn't even started yet."
The mountain king immediately retaliated.
Kawata violently backs down Uozumi, then turns and slams a dunk!
"Boom!" The basketball hoop shook violently.
22:22
"Damn it..." Uozumi slammed his fist on the floor.
In the stands, the spectators who made the bets were beaming with pride: "Just watch, Sannoh will catch up soon!"
Hanon suddenly laughed: "It's coming."
Ryonan serves.
Sendoh suddenly executed a no-look pass, the basketball weaving through the gap between two defenders and precisely finding Fukuda who was cutting in—
"Bang!"
A powerful and heavy dunk!
24:22!
Hanon exclaimed, "Beautiful! That's it, disrupt their rhythm!"
Rukawa Kaede's eyes lit up.
Everyone from Shohoku was stunned.
"Ryonan actually... fought Sannoh to a standstill?" Mitsui asked incredulously.
Miyagi gestured excitedly, "That pass just now! Sendoh's vision is amazing!"
Sakuragi's attention, however, was on Fukuda, pouting: "That stinky Fukuda's defense seems to have improved quite a bit!"
Akagi pondered, "Sannoh... isn't serious yet."
As if in response to his judgment, Coach Domoto slowly stood up.
A simple gesture.
Zebei's expression changed instantly.
"This is just the beginning," Hana chuckled.
Rukawa Kaede unconsciously leaned forward.
The air suddenly became tense.
The mountain king made a move.
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