Chapter 56 Not Ashamed to Ask Questions
The next day, the sky was just beginning to lighten.
When the Shohoku team members arrived at the basketball court, they found two basketball hoops encased in a huge net.
Mitsui's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed excitedly, "Wow! Is this... an automatic ball-serving machine?"
Hana replied with a smile, "Yes, the automatic ball-serving machine can help everyone practice shooting more efficiently. There's no need to pick up the ball, which is very convenient."
Regardless of whether it's a mid-range or long-range shot, the most basic skill in basketball is shooting.
In the 1990s, Japan had very little support for basketball, a limited number of available courts, and a lack of professional training facilities.
Moreover, automatic ball-serving machines are rarely produced and are expensive. Even in most American teams, players help each other retrieve and pass the ball to save costs.
This was the first time the boys had ever seen a real ball-serving machine.
The children thronged around the large toy, excitedly and wholeheartedly exploring and experimenting with it.
Regardless of whether the shot goes in or not, the ball will fall into the large net, then be transferred to the machine, and then automatically bounced out. The player only needs to catch the ball to continue shooting.
With a "thump," the ball bounced out—
The boys shouted excitedly, and even Rukawa Kaede, who was usually expressionless, had a hint of youthful spirit in his eyes.
No basketball prodigy could resist this giant toy.
Hanon continued demonstrating how to use the basketball machine to the team members, "You can also adjust the serve angle here..."
The ball-serving machine can serve 1,500 balls per hour, and considering physical exertion, it can rotate 3-4 players per hour.
The Shohoku team members were having a blast, and Ayako shouted from the sidelines, "There's still almost a month until the Hainan game. In this month, everyone's goal is to reach 10,000 made shots!"
"What?!"
"Ten thousand times?"
"Hit?!"
Ayako said with a serious expression, "Speaking of which, Sakuragi and Rukawa's monthly goal is 20,000."
The Shohoku team members couldn't contain their expressions, "?!?!"
Haruko blindly praises him: "Sakuragi is really amazing!"
Sakuragi dribbled the ball closer to Haruko, slapping it loudly, his face flushed: "Hehehe... this is a piece of cake for a genius."
Not to mention Rukawa Kaede, who is obsessed with basketball, this red-haired monkey's quantity is double that of theirs. How can they bear this?
Akagi gritted his teeth and shouted, "I'm fine!"
The Shohoku team members cheered: "I can do it too!"
By the end of morning training, Rukawa noticed that Kanon could offer a few pointers to everyone and even smiled.
He was the only one I forgot.
Rukawa Kaede followed the rest of the team to the dining area with a cold expression.
Ayako was the first to notice something was wrong; she had a deep understanding of the relationship between the two.
I thought that once Hanon returned from the United States, the two of them would enter a period of passionate love, but in the blink of an eye, it felt like winter had arrived in a second.
She asked in surprise, "You and Rukawa had a fight?"
Hanon looked down at the team members' training status today, briefly stating, "I didn't, it was just him."
Like what you like, and dislike what you dislike—it's such a simple principle.
Therefore, she didn't understand why Rukawa was giving her the silent treatment and refusing to communicate properly.
She's been busy with training programs these past few days and hasn't had the time or energy to deal with relationship issues, so she's temporarily put them out of her mind.
As Hanon packed her things, she said to Ayako, "Ayako, I won't be going back to school for lunch either, so you'll have to take care of yourself."
Ayako quickly packed breakfast and handed it to her: "No problem! Hey, take your breakfast with you, don't forget to eat while you're busy! Call me anytime if you need anything."
Mitsui leaned closer: "Hmm? Where are you going instead of going to class?"
With a sandwich in her mouth, Hanon mumbled back to Mitsui, "Go prepare a new training ground for you guys."
Everyone exclaimed in surprise: "A new training ground?"
Shohoku High School doesn't value its basketball team. The basketball gym needs to be shared with other sports, and when necessary, training has to be stopped to make room for other sports.
To provide better training conditions, Kanon had been looking for a better training venue for a long time, and it will be completed soon.
Ayako crossed her arms, a strange smile spreading across her face:
"In any case, everyone needs to be mentally prepared for even more rigorous hellish training!"
The Shohoku team members exclaimed in shock: "Hellish training?"
"Sounds like an advanced version of grueling training!"
Ayako covered her mouth and laughed: "Everyone, keep up the good work! We're one step closer to the national competition!"
"yes!"
Ayako took a bottle of low-fat fruit smoothie and handed it to Kanon.
Hanon swallowed the sandwich, took a few sips of fruit smoothie from Ayako's hand, and said in a hurry, "I'm leaving now, bye-bye."
Rukawa gripped the toast tightly, his expression even colder than before.
She didn't even glance at him before leaving.
Hana's figure had already disappeared from his sight, and Rukawa's anger surged even more.
He felt a strange panic, as if he was about to lose something, which made the pain in his heart feel like it was burning.
...
Kanon and Sakuragi did not come to the basketball gym for the afternoon training session.
The unusually high temperature inside the stadium, along with the strange atmosphere between Rukawa and Kanon, permeated the entire arena, as if something was brewing.
Rukawa practiced like a madman, trying to unleash the pent-up anger within him.
"Bang!"
Each powerful dunk made the girls on the sidelines blush, their hearts race, and they cheered incessantly.
They just thought Rukawa Kaede was incredibly cool!
"Bang!"
The loud noise sent shivers down the spines of the young players, who nervously hid in the other half of the court to train, none daring to look directly at the menacing attacker.
"Bang!"
Kogure pressed his hand to his chest, looking distressed, and said, "Akagi, I think I've been getting a heart attack lately..."
Akagi: "Rukawa has been practicing with a lot of energy lately, which deserves praise."
Mu Mu: "..."
At 10 p.m., the crowd dispersed from the stadium.
Rukawa Kaede kept shooting, and he was already exhausted, unable to maintain his previous high accuracy.
But if you don't win, keep trying.
Calm, without any emotional fluctuation.
Even before Miyagi got close, he could already feel the oppressive aura surrounding Rukawa Kaede, a presence that inspired awe. He asked:
"Rukawa, aren't you going home yet?"
"when!"
The three-pointer missed.
Rukawa Kaede replied emotionlessly, "Mm."
Mitsui was breathing heavily, covered in sweat: "What, you still want to practice? You're more like a machine than a ball machine!"
Miyagi rolled his eyes dramatically: "Are you blind? Does he look like he wants to practice?"
Mitsui pondered, "Hmm? Rukawa, are you... troubled by love?"
Rukawa Kaede's behavior has been very strange lately.
"Bang!"
The ball is launched from the ball machine.
Miyagi wasn't in a hurry anymore. He caught the ball, dribbled it, and shot, making a mid-range jumper.
Rukawa:
"Well, there are plenty of fish in the sea! Our Shohoku ace is in high demand, right?! Thousands of girls are holding up their love numbers, cheering and screaming for you on the sidelines."
"Bang!"
Rukawa Kaede runs, catches the ball, and shoots.
He didn't care what the millions of people were cheering for.
He just wanted to know her name.
"Whoosh~"
Mitsui nodded frantically: "Xiao Liang is right! Anyway, it's fake that your junior likes you, why don't you like someone else? All the girls in the school are waiting for you!"
Mitsui's inner calculations were making a racket, and Miyagi could hear them deafeningly.
Rukawa looked at Mitsui, his tone chillingly indifferent: "It doesn't matter if it's fake, I'll make it real."
Tough and domineering.
Gong San and the other man's hearts suddenly skipped a beat.
In their eyes, Rukawa Kaede showed no particularly strong emotions towards anything, always appearing indifferent and arrogant.
Therefore, they believe that Rukawa Kaede is too indifferent, as if anything exists in his life and is dispensable.
Now—
Rukawa Kaede was not as aloof and nonchalant as usual, unlike his usual taciturn self, and certainly not as fierce and reckless as when he was playing basketball.
His deep black eyes seemed to be covered with a layer of ink, so that no light could penetrate them.
There is only a shocking...paranoia.
Is Rukawa Kaede, this male fox, really that devoted to love?
After all, who would put all their eggs in one basket? Sakuragi, for example, has already pursued 50 girls!
Rukawa Kaede didn't care about their opinions, lost in thought.
He was thinking about something else.
…Should we seek help from relationship coach Ryota Miyagi?
Those petty pride and self-esteem were utterly insignificant in the face of the fear of not having her.
Yes, even if he desperately didn't want to admit it, he had to face it.
He didn't want to face it—
I don't want to face that... the shame of being delusional, it makes me seem like an idiot.
I don't want to get angry with her; that would be stupid.
He has a strong desire for control.
He can control the game. As long as he can win and score, what does it matter if others say he's selfish?
He believed that he could also control Kanon.
But before he could find a solution, she ignored him today.
He just felt uncomfortable.
Losing a game is painful, but as long as you practice like crazy, it'll be fine.
But she made him feel bad, what should he do?
Rukawa Kaede lowered his eyes, dribbled the basketball, and shot, but missed.
He didn't want to continue like this any longer.
This idiotic, boring feeling must be stopped.
"Senior, may I ask you a question?"
His tone was as indifferent as usual, but there was also a hint of sincerity that would never have been seen before.
Rukawa Kaede lowered his eyes, and wisps of hair fell between his eyebrows and eyes, casting shadows on his nose and face, making him look both obedient and bewildered.
Miyagi found it unbelievable: "Ah, what's wrong, junior?"
The three of them chatted while shooting hoops.
"How can I get her?"
? ? ?
Miyagi froze, watching helplessly as the basketball slipped from his grasp in an unbelievable trajectory.
"What?! What did you say?!"
He really wanted to ask Rukawa Kaede, "Do you know what you're saying?"
Rukawa Kaede accepted the ball expressionlessly and asked again with undeniable force.
"Or, what should I do to make her like me?"
Looking at the guy in front of her, so handsome it was outrageous, with a perfect physique, exuding an ace-level aura from head to toe and inside out.
Gong San and the other two seriously doubted that they had misheard!
Rukawa Kaede, on the other hand, remained completely serious, and his expression even seemed a little... awkward?
Rukawa Kaede held the ball, his lips pressed into a thin line, as if lost in thought.
Miyagi and Mitsui looked at each other, reading the same message in each other's eyes—
Rukawa Kaede has completely fallen for him.
By channeling all their intense emotions into one person, they appear tough on the surface and successfully gain control.
In fact, all attention and emotion were focused on that person, and they had already fallen into a passive position.
Miyagi paused for half a second, then calmly pressed the stop button, turning off the ball machine.
In his entire life, Rukawa Kaede will probably only humbly "pay homage" to him this once.
Just thinking about it—
...So exhilarating! So exciting!
Miyagi, with an air of erudition, said, "Ahem! Based on my extensive experience, teaching you is no problem."
"good."
Rukawa Kaede nodded, standing there leisurely, as if waiting for the coach to explain the tactics, his fox-like eyes filled with a thirst for knowledge.
Miyagi glanced at Rukawa Kaede. His profile was delicate and aloof, but when he talked about the person he liked, the gleam in his eyes was impossible to hide.
So it's true that warm water can melt ice spikes.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
