"Takamiya, stop squeezing me! Move over!"
"I barely have any space! Let Oliver go over there!"
"Don't be ridiculous! I take up the least space among us!"
"Shh! Quiet! It's about to start!"
Oliver and his group immediately fell silent.
Sakuragi, despite his usual boisterousness, was trembling with nerves. Haruko stood before him, confusion written all over her face.
"What's wrong, Sakuragi-kun? Did you want to talk to me about something?"
"Haruko-sister! What... what do you think of me?"
"Huh?"
Haruko was taken aback, stunned by the unexpected question.
"Hahahaha, Hanamichi's so dead!"
"Keep your voice down, idiot! If he hears us, we're done for!"
Oliver and the others nearly burst out laughing at Sakuragi's nervous expression, quickly covering their mouths.
Oliver now understood why Sakuragi's gang constantly teased him—watching a friend confess only to get rejected was strangely entertaining.
"Sakuragi-kun? You're a really nice and funny person! I really enjoy spending time with you!"
"Is that so!?"
Sakuragi sighed in relief.
"Well, how do I compare to Rukawa-kun?"
"Eh!?"
Haruko was startled and covered her mouth.
"He asked, guys! He actually asked!"
"Shut up! If Hanamichi hears us, we're dead meat!"
Oliver and the others were fidgeting with anticipation.
"It's just... I saw Haruko-sister always mentioning Rukawa and... I thought maybe... is he your boyfriend?"
"Hey!! Boyfriend!?"
Haruko blushed instantly. Seeing her reaction, Sakuragi's heart sank.
"He is your boyfriend, right...?"
"No! No!"
Haruko waved her hands wildly. Sakuragi sighed in relief.
"Actually... he probably doesn't even know I exist..."
Haruko looked down, her voice soft.
"Rukawa was on the basketball team at Fuqiu Junior High. I went to No. 4 Junior High. Our schools often played each other."
"Even when our team marked him man-to-man, we couldn't stop him. It took three people to guard him."
"Still, during one game, even against three defenders, he dunked four times and scored 51 points by himself."
Haruko's eyes sparkled as she spoke.
"That performance... I still remember it clearly."
Sakuragi's heart went cold. His breathing stopped.
"Oh no! I told Sakuragi-kun all that... I just feel so comfortable talking to him that it came out without thinking. So embarrassing..."
Could it be...?
Sakuragi forced a smile through the sweat.
"So Haruko-sister... has feelings for Kaede Rukawa?"
"Um..."
Haruko turned away, blushing.
"...It's a secret crush."
!!!
Sakuragi collapsed, emotionally flattened!
"So embarrassing! You can't tell anyone, okay?"
Haruko covered her face shyly, and when she looked up again, Sakuragi had vanished.
"Eh? Sakuragi-kun?"
Meanwhile, on the other side of the school...
"Wahahaha! Celebrating my first failed confession of high school! What a memory!"
"The great losing streak continues!"
Mito and the others surrounded Sakuragi, throwing confetti and blowing party horns. Even Oliver lit a small firework in tribute.
"You guys..."
"Uh-oh! He's turning around!!"
Everyone flinched, bracing for a headbutt from Sakuragi—but instead, he just stood there, tears brimming in his eyes.
Then, silently, he turned and walked away.
"Hanamichi..."
Mito and the others watched his lonely figure with a mix of guilt and admiration.
"He's truly heartbroken this time... and it's serious."
Back in the classroom, Sakuragi lay face-down on his desk.
"Hanamichi... don't be sad..."
Oliver, sitting beside him, whispered.
"Haruko doesn't dislike you. You still have a chance!"
Sakuragi curled deeper into his seat.
"Besides, nothing's going on between her and Rukawa. They barely know each other! And you've spent so much time with her during the break!"
No response.
"Look at this! A bento made by Chika! It's got tamagoyaki, croquettes, and your favorite octopus sausages. I'll share it with you, so cheer up."
Oliver opened the lunchbox and held it near Sakuragi's nose, but he didn't move.
"He's really broken this time..."
Mito leaned over and whispered to Oliver.
"No girl ever hung around him this long before. This one hit hard."
"If he won't eat it, I will. I've had my eye on Chika-sister's cooking forever!"
"No way! I'll eat it first!"
Oliver quickly shut the lunchbox.
Just then, the classroom door burst open with a loud bang!
"What the heck??"
"What's going on?!"
Chaos erupted.
"These students! You're still in class!"
"Sorry, teacher. This won't take long."
A group of senior students marched in, the leader calling out loudly:
"Which one of you is Sakuragi Hanamichi!?"
Instantly, Oliver and his friends tensed. Sakuragi sat up.
"That redhead... you must be Sakuragi."
The senior smirked.
"We've heard about some hotshot freshmen. Time to show you who's boss. Dragons bow, tigers crawl—get it?"
"So you're just here to show off to underclassmen?"
Oliver narrowed his eyes.
He'd seen this act before—no point reasoning with them.
"We're still in class. If you've got a problem, wait until it's over. Don't bother everyone else."
"Do Shohoku seniors not have manners?"
Despite Oliver's usual calm demeanor, he was fierce when provoked. Basketball players weren't known for their patience.
"You've got a mouth on you, bean sprout! Freshmen sure are cocky this year."
The senior turned back to Sakuragi.
"Don't go running scared, Hanamichi."
"You said I... ran away in fear?"
Already in a foul mood, Sakuragi snapped!
"Perfect timing, jerk! I'll make you regret ever stepping in here!!"
"Oh no! He's going nuts!! Everyone hold him back!!"
Mito and the others leapt to restrain Sakuragi.
"We'll be waiting on the rooftop. Don't chicken out."
The senior smirked and left.
"Get off me! Let me go! I'll smash those punks!"
Sakuragi roared, dragging half the class with him.
Meanwhile, up on the rooftop, Kaede Rukawa was fast asleep, completely unaware of the storm headed his way...
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