Chapter 4 Excellent Qualities
Hanon skillfully controlled the ball, while Sakuragi stiffly stretched out his arm to grab it.
Just as Sakuragi assumed he could easily get the ball, Kanon feinted with her right hand and transferred the ball to her left hand in a mere one second, leaving him speechless.
Wow, so fast!
Rukawa Kaede was somewhat surprised, but only for a moment, before his usual icy expression returned.
Sakuragi was stunned.
What a coincidence! He's a basketball prodigy!
Sakuragi chuckled confidently and said, "This genius is only just beginning, so watch out!"
In the following rounds, Kanon answered Sakuragi with her actions, he couldn't even touch the edge of the ball.
Hanon accelerated her dribble, breaking through Sakuragi with unstoppable momentum, and leaped high into the air—
Raise the basketball with both hands high—
With a loud "bang."
The basketball hoop was shaking violently.
Sakuragi stared blankly at the wildly shaking basketball hoop—
This is a dunk that gets his blood pumping!
Hana let go of the basketball hoop, her toes landing lightly on the ground, her hair fluttering in the air like a startled swan.
Shock was clearly visible in the fox's usually silent eyes.
Sakuragi, a complete novice, didn't know, but Rukawa understood—
Generally speaking, girls have natural physical limitations, and very few girls can dunk. Such smooth and fluid movements and jumping ability are truly rare and hard to come by.
He stared at that figure as if he wanted to pierce through her.
The basketball rolled to Sakuragi's feet. Looking at the imposing Kanon, he couldn't help but ask, "Are you good at dunking?"
"No, not really."
Hanon picked up the ball.
She is tall in real life, but not noticeable on the basketball court, so she rarely dunks. She only uses dunking to attract Sakuragi's attention in order to achieve her training goals.
Sakuragi scratched his head and pouted, "Eh, how can someone be better than this genius?"
Because she has been a basketball icon for a century.
Hanon is adept at all kinds of basketball skills and tactics.
Playing ball is as natural to her as eating and sleeping.
"Sakuragi Hanamichi has his own strengths."
Sakuragi, hands on hips: "Of course! I'm a basketball genius!"
"To play basketball well, you first need to have skillful dribbling, which is the foundation of playing basketball."
Sakuragi pouted, displeased, "We only do basic drills in the club~ It's so boring! All I want to do is dunk, but everyone just lets that vixen Rukawa show off!"
His tone carried a hint of grievance.
"Hanamichi, basketball isn't just about dunks."
Hana's eyes softened noticeably as she said earnestly:
"You only see Rukawa Kaede showing off every day, but you don't see how much time, sweat, and effort he puts into doing these so-called basic exercises to achieve such effortless and gorgeous moves."
Kanon's unexpected answer left Sakuragi speechless; he had never thought of that before.
“I firmly believe that from the first day he stepped onto the court, the relentless repetition of these monotonous basic drills, the skillful dribbling, shooting, and techniques, have been deeply ingrained in his bones, allowing him to play with ease in every game.”
"Persistence and hard work are his most admirable qualities."
Rukawa Kaede stared at the girl without changing his expression, a faint light shining in his dark eyes.
Sakuragi was startled. After thinking about it seriously for a moment, he puffed out his cheeks and changed the subject: "Hmm? How did you know you know Rukawa Kaede? Do you like him too?"
The voice rose slightly, and the monkey's ears bulged and perked up, like radar, extremely sensitive to certain gossip.
Hana shook her head helplessly: "I don't know him, I've only heard of him."
"The true talent in flower arrangement comes from passion, dedication, and perseverance. Are you really going to lose to him?"
Sakuragi immediately exploded:
"How could this be! How could I lose to that stinky fox! It's just basic practice, right? I'll definitely practice even more than him!"
Hanon smiled and said, "Very good! Hanamichi, catch!"
"Thump!" The basketball slammed into his face.
Sakuragi covered his face, "Ouch, that hurts!"
"Pick up the ball and focus!"
Sakuragi pouted and obediently picked up the ball.
"Dribbling and other basic skills need to be practiced every day. Only by mastering the basics can you avoid making mistakes in games."
"good!"
Under Kanon's supervision, Sakuragi activated his double-speed dribbling mode.
Thump, thump, thump...
863, 864, 865…
Sakuragi felt his arms were sore and he was drenched in sweat. After a while, his speed slowed down.
Kanon tapped out the rhythm, "Hanamichi, don't stop, keep going! Keep up with the rhythm!"
Sakuragi shuddered. Just a moment ago he was being gentle and patient, but now he's suddenly become serious and meticulous. His mood changes faster than flipping through a book!
"The more basic the subject, the harder it is; the key is to persevere!"
Thud... Thud... Thud...
In the silent park, only the loud thud of the racket hitting the floor was exceptionally clear.
Before he knew it, it was time for school. Rukawa Kaede got on his bicycle and, before leaving, subconsciously looked back at the basketball court one last time. The court had returned to silence.
...
"Hanamichi, go take a shower first, you still have to go to school."
"Okay!!"
Sakuragi took his school uniform and went into the bathroom.
Hanon wiped the sweat from her brow with a towel and turned to walk into the kitchen.
When Sakuragi came out of the bathroom, a prepared breakfast was laid out on the dining table.
The table was filled with a warm, comforting aroma.
"Come on, have breakfast first."
Sakuragi grinned and walked towards the dining room. "Wow! This breakfast looks so appetizing!"
Although there are only two people at home, Hanon prepares breakfast very meticulously, after all, the little monkey at home is in his adolescence and needs to supplement nutrition, and his appetite is indeed amazing.
Hanon pushed a bag in front of him, "Take this to school when you go to school."
He stuffed himself full of hash browns, one after another, and asked in confusion, "Hmm, what's this?"
"Some snacks, desserts, and fruits."
Hanon rubbed her red head: "Hanamichi, I will do my best to fulfill your wish!"
Sakuragi's eyes reddened for a moment, then he quickly shook his head: "What wishes do I have... Having family by my side is already a blessing..."
Hana's eyes crinkled into crescents, her tone soft yet firm, "Hanamichi, I'll always be here for you."
Sakuragi smiled shyly; he could feel that Kanon was taking care of him.
Sakuragi gulped down his milk, awkwardly put the cup down, grabbed his schoolbag and bag, and ran off to school as if fleeing!
Hana followed behind him, "Come pick me up after school this afternoon, I'll go to the basketball club with you."
Upon hearing this, he grinned broadly and exclaimed rapidly, "Great!!"
"See you at Hanamichi this afternoon."
See you this afternoon!
Entering the bathroom, Hana removed her clothes, revealing skin covered in various wounds and bruises—
These are all her "medals" for playing basketball after her recovery.
[Main character Sakuragi Hanamichi completed 100 sets of basic dribbling practice today, gaining 1 healing point.]
[Healing Points: -250]
"Huh? 100 sets and only 1 point of healing? That's outrageous!"
After being revived, Hanon's physical abilities surpassed those of ordinary people, but—
No matter what injury she suffered or how much pain she was in, no one could cure her.
Although I won't die, the pain is real! These injuries can only be repaired by accumulating enough healing points during the protagonist's extra training.
Because of these injuries, she can only wear long clothes every day.
[These points are awarded based on the difficulty of the practice session.]
Hanon: ...It's so dark! I'm complaining!
After being revived, Kanon was unable to return to Japan directly due to system limitations. Therefore, she tried to avoid injury, but in sports, injuries are inevitable.
If the pain becomes unbearable, one has to seek a loan from the system to save their life, and this treatment fee is practically borrowed from loan sharks, with double the profit.
The most important thing is that this "usurious loan" has already reached its highest point, and Kanon's injuries haven't even healed by more than half yet.
This is truly heartbreaking!
In the afternoon, at the Shohoku Basketball Gymnasium.
Sakuragi happily strode into the basketball court, carrying a large bag full of snacks.
Suddenly, the crowd on the sidelines made a commotion. Ayako turned around and exclaimed in surprise, "Sakuragi Hanamichi! Did you come back to practice?"
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