Chapter 48 Love at First Sight
Miyagi and Mitsui followed them to the third floor and saw Rukawa leaning against the wall.
Hearing footsteps, Rukawa Kaede turned his face away, raised his hand, and extended his index finger, making a gesture for silence.
The two men, puzzled, pointed inside and asked, "Why don't we go in?"
Rukawa Kaede lifted his eyelids, glanced at them coldly, and said in a flat voice, "Someone's here."
The two looked at him with some confusion, then peeked out furtively and realized, "Ah, it's Haruko."
Rukawa's appearance made them think there were boys inside!
Rukawa Kaede looked away and hummed in agreement.
Miyagi raised an eyebrow. Anyone with a brain knows that Haruko likes Rukawa Kaede.
At that moment, a voice came from inside.
Haruko: "Sister...did you fall in love with Rukawa Kaede at first sight?"
Rukawa's pupils dilated, his heart churning with turmoil.
Gong San and the other man stared wide-eyed, their mouths agape in an "O" shape. They quickly moved closer, their ears practically pressed against the wall.
Hanon's voice was tinged with laughter: "Of course not! The first time we met, he sent me flying with his eyes closed!"
Gong San and the other man suppressed a laugh; this was indeed something Rukawa would do!
Hanon is clearly not the kind of girl who would say, "You created me, but because you're so handsome, I still fell in love with you."
Rukawa Kaede lowered his eyelashes and pursed his lips slightly.
Haruko: "Then... did you give Rukawa a bento box because you like him?"
Hanon: "No, from the team's perspective, Rukawa is so talented. If he maintains good nutrition, he will definitely be even better. I want to give him a helping hand."
A blow to the head.
Rukawa Kaede's mind was filled with overwhelming helplessness.
Haruko: "So... you often watch Rukawa Kaede train in your spare time, is it because you like him?"
Hanon: "No, it's just that I find his playing style pleasing to the eye. I'm pretty superficial, I just can't resist his perfect looks."
Time seemed to freeze for a second, as if a mute button had been pressed.
Rukawa Kaede's mind went blank; he realized he had misunderstood something.
Gong San subconsciously looked at Rukawa Kaede and easily noticed his silence and dejection.
Miyagi couldn't help but chime in, her voice barely above a mosquito's buzz, "Um, Rukawa, just because you didn't like him before doesn't mean you won't like him later!"
Mitsui, thinking of this kid who had confidently declared they were a couple, grinned smugly and said, "Well... welcome to the Heartbroken Alliance!"
For the first time in his life, Rukawa Kaede felt dizzy due to severe heart pain.
Everything around us was completely still at that moment.
He couldn't accept that Kanon didn't like him.
It turns out she never liked him.
It's an absurd joke.
Rukawa Kaede clenched his fists, then forced them to relax before calmly turning and leaving.
The two exchanged a glance and silently followed after him.
Haruko smiled sweetly: "When did Kanon-neechan start liking Rukawa Kaede?"
…
On the rooftop.
Rukawa Kaede sat quietly on the ground, his long legs casually spread apart, gazing up at the sky at a 45-degree angle.
A lonely cloud drifted by.
Gong San and the other man exchanged a glance, walked over, and sat down on either side of him without hesitation, looking up at the sky.
A silence that lasted for several minutes.
Miyagi couldn't help but speak up, "Hey Rukawa, being heartbroken isn't a big deal."
Then, with a smug grin, he added, "Mitsui just broke up with his girlfriend this afternoon, hahaha..."
That was like rubbing salt in the wound, hitting Mitsui right where it hurt. He retorted angrily, "I haven't broken up with anyone!!"
Miyagi's expression was quite amused: "Didn't you say at noon that you wanted to be with Kanon?"
Mitsui immediately started talking to Miyagi: "Isn't that little spark that had just begun to bud get buried alive?!"
Miyagi burst out laughing, but when she turned to face Rukawa, her smile froze on her face.
Rukawa Kaede's eyes, which had always been cool and aloof, showed a fleeting hint of sadness at this moment. His features were already handsome and refined, and this expression added a touch of melancholy to his appearance.
Gong San and the other person exchanged a glance.
Miyagi comforted him, "Are you alright, Rukawa...?"
Rukawa Kaede remained silent.
Her words kept replaying in his mind. Each replay brought a pang of pain to his heart.
fraud!
…saying he's special.
In the end, it all comes down to the team!
She said that one shouldn't spend all their time on the team, but should dedicate some time to family and...boyfriend.
He was very angry, and the more he thought about it, the angrier he became, angry at her and angry at himself.
Miyagi: "Rukawa, Kanon must have feelings for you! Otherwise, what kind of person would bring you a bento box like that!"
Mitsui, with his cheeky grin, quickly chimed in, "So she's a good person?"
Rukawa Kaede's expression changed several times, leaving him no room to think.
After being speechless for two seconds by Mitsui, Miyagi continued, "...Watching you practice every day, what else could it be but having feelings for you?"
Mitsui bluntly replied, "So she's bored?"
Rukawa Kaede felt a lump in his throat.
Miyagi's eyebrows twitched: "...After spending so much time together, that subtle, almost imperceptible atmosphere, what else could it be but affection?"
Mitsui shook his head and retorted, "So Rukawa is just being presumptuous?"
Miyagi rolled her eyes: "...You're such a homewrecker! You talk like you know all about girls!"
Mitsui retorted, "Well, senior definitely knows more than you!"
Those few words made Rukawa Kaede feel even more suffocated. For the first time, he felt...ashamed.
After calming down for a moment, he turned to look at the two of them.
After being met with his cold, indifferent glare, their smiles froze abruptly, and they swallowed the rest of their words.
Rukawa Kaede knew he had made a fool of himself.
He had never experienced anything so heartbreaking in his entire life.
He knew that these two idiotic seniors meant well in comforting him. But their few words repeatedly stabbed him in the heart.
He doesn't need any comforting!
But he really doesn't understand girls.
Rukawa Kaede, somewhat annoyed and impatient, said, "Let's go."
With that, he stood up and walked towards the basketball court without looking back.
That departure was utterly heartless and ungrateful.
…
The Shohoku basketball team is training in the basketball gym.
As the weather gradually warmed up, Huayin suddenly entered the building, as if she had fallen directly into the white steam from an overturned pot lid.
Upon seeing her arrive, the younger team members all came forward to greet her, "Good afternoon, teaching assistant!"
At first, I was simply amazed by Kanon's appearance. Later, during training, she was always able to quickly find the key points and give training suggestions.
Today, everyone is deeply impressed by her extraordinary skills, and they can't help but feel a sense of admiration when they face her.
Hanon looked confused, not understanding why everyone was so enthusiastic.
Ayako rushed forward and gave her a bear hug: "Oto-chan! You're finally back!"
While they were chatting, Rukawa Kaede slightly turned his head to look at Hanon, then quickly looked away.
The two kept a distance between them, and Huayin glanced at him several times, but he didn't look at her.
His recent good diet and intensive training have made him noticeably stronger, and his cheeks have become fuller and more chubby, giving him a baby-like appearance.
Some people are truly born beautiful.
His face was so tender it looked like you could pinch water out of it.
I really want to pinch her cheeks and rub her black head.
My chest pounded, and blood rushed to my cheeks.
Ayako teased, "Why are you blushing?"
Hanon cleared her throat: "...No, continue!"
Having lived for so long, no one has ever made her heart flutter.
At that moment, she felt her heart flutter very clearly.
My mindset is completely different from before; I always feel that he is a feast for the eyes.
However, she still had a lot to do. Hanane calmed herself down, looked away, and continued communicating with Ayako.
A while later.
Rukawa Kaede caught a glimpse of her approaching step by step, and his heart began to pound.
"Hey, Rukawa."
Hana observed his features up close and found them to be even more in line with her preferences.
Even the direction of her eyebrows perfectly matches her aesthetic.
Especially her eyes, deep black, are most striking when you stare at her.
Rukawa Kaede gave a blank "hmm" and unconsciously tossed the basketball to his fingertips, spinning it around.
Rukawa Kaede doesn't hide his emotions.
He couldn't ignore his body's most honest reaction—
His rapidly working brain told him,
His heart, pounding so hard it hurt, told him...
His slightly sweaty palms told him...
He wanted to see her, to talk to her.
He could have rushed to her side immediately, but due to a narrow-minded mentality, he didn't.
He stood there, watching her come for him.
Compared to Rukawa's deliberate indifference, Kanon was much more enthusiastic, praising his recent outstanding performance in the competition and pointing out areas for improvement.
Taking in the slight dark circles under her eyes, Rukawa Kaede's face remained expressionless, as if he didn't care at all: "Busy?"
Hanon asked happily, "It's alright. How about you? You must be very busy practicing tactics lately."
In preparation for their match against Shohoku, Shohoku has been focusing on practicing new tactics.
Rukawa Kaede: "Not as busy as you."
Kanon seriously doubted that she had misheard. Rukawa Kaede's expression was very serious, but there was something... awkward about it.
Just then, Mitsui shouted loudly from across the noisy stadium, "Rukawa—"
He received a cold glance in return. After seeing the other person's eyes, Mitsui froze instantly, swallowing back the rest of his words.
Hanon smiled broadly: "Your senior is calling you. It must be for tactical drills. Go on."
Rukawa glanced at Hanon, said nothing, and walked away coldly and directly.
Hanon stared at his handsome back of the head. Why was everyone so enthusiastic after a week, while Rukawa was so indifferent?
His expression remained unchanged, but he felt inexplicably uncomfortable.
She had absolutely no experience with this feeling and felt extremely uncomfortable.
After a brief moment of reflection, she attributed it to a sense of disparity—
He has always maintained a distant demeanor.
Now that I like him, my focus is on him, and I get upset if he ignores me even slightly. That's only human nature.
Rukawa walked over to Mitsui and said coldly, "What is it?"
Mitsui was speechless, wondering what he had done to offend Rukawa, who spoke to him so aggressively. He said, "...It's about training, of course!"
Rukawa ignored him, not even sparing him a glance, and walked quickly toward Captain Akagi.
...
As the players from both sides took to the field, the atmosphere immediately became tense upon the sound of the whistle.
On the basketball court, the basketballs bounced against the ground with a series of thuds.
Kanon's focus was entirely on Rukawa Kaede.
He was aggressive and swift, like a cheetah hunting its prey. When he attacked, the opposing team couldn't defend him at all, and his dribbling and passing were fluid and effortless.
Jump, a graceful shot, and you score!
"Ah—Rukawa Kaede is so incredibly handsome! So cool!!"
Every time Rukawa Kaede scores, he is greeted with screams of excitement from the fans.
I glanced at the substitutes' bench a few more times:
"What's wrong with Rukawa? He looks so pale."
"It's hot, you must be irritable."
Rukawa Kaede was indeed a bit hot-tempered, but after playing basketball to burn off the heat, he calmed down considerably.
Hanon asked Ayako, puzzled, "Has anything happened lately? Everyone seems a bit strange."
"You want to ask about Rukawa, right?" Ayako gestured with her chin in a certain direction.
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