Slam Dunk: Sakuragi learned from Kawamura Eiki's experience

The streetlights cast the shadows of the two people on the ground, one tall and long, the other thin and slender, overlapping as if glued together.

Sakuragi's brain is still rebooting.

The soft touch on my arm never disappeared.

After Yuri Yanai finished speaking and expressed her gratitude, her hand remained on his arm, showing no intention of letting go.

Five fingers gently rested on his forearm, the fingertips sinking slightly into his skin, warm and soft.

She was aware, of course, that she hadn't let go, but she didn't want to.

She didn't let go because the redhead's reaction was just too interesting. Even though it was the first time she'd ever held a strange man's arm like this.

From the moment she met him until now, only three minutes had passed, and his face had remained red the entire time. Not just a slight flush, but a burning red that ran from the base of his neck all the way to his forehead, with even the tips of his ears seeming to steam.

He dared not look at her; his gaze drifted left and right, then fixed on the cardboard box in his arms, but he dared not look her way.

He was more than half a head taller than her, and she had to tilt her head slightly to see his expression.

But every time her gaze swept over him, his eyes would bounce away as if burned, and then he couldn't help but sneak back, like a kitten being tossed around by a cat toy.

Yuri Yanai smiled inwardly.

This person is so interesting. She'd never seen this kind of reaction before.

The boys at school either acted cool in front of her, were too nervous to speak, or leered at her with their eyes in a lewd and sticky way.

But this one was different. His eyes were clear, but he looked flustered, like a child caught doing something wrong.

She felt like she had found a very interesting toy.

"Thank you so much for helping me out of that situation!"

"that……"

Sakuragi finally spoke, his voice a little strained, as if he had squeezed it out after something stuck in his throat.

"You're welcome."

He freed one hand, the one that was being held, and scratched the back of his head.

After I finished scratching her, I put my hand down and accidentally touched her arm again.

His fingers jerked as if he'd been electrocuted.

"There are quite a few biker gangs and delinquents around here."

Sakuragi's gaze finally landed on her face, lingered for half a second, then snapped away, landing on the dark street behind her. "Um, I'll take you home."

After saying that, he realized he might have been a bit too direct, so he quickly added, "It's...it's on the way! I'm going this way anyway!"

Yuri Yanai looked at him.

He gets talkative when he's nervous. Those few sentences just now came out like a machine gun, at least twice as fast as a normal person.

Moreover, when he said "on the way," his eyes were clearly wandering. He had no idea where she lived, so how could it be on the way?

But she didn't expose him.

"Okay." She smiled, her eyes curving into two shallow crescent moons. "Thank you."

Then she took another step, still holding his arm.

The two of them walked along the streets at night.

Streetlights swept overhead one after another, casting alternating light and shadow on them.

Sakuragi took long strides, but deliberately slowed down to match her pace. She clutched the cardboard box to her chest, the milk and bread inside making a soft clinking sound with each step.

Yuri Yanai's heels clicked on the sidewalk, clattering and mingling with his footsteps, one crisp and the other muffled, like two instruments playing in harmony.

A night breeze blew by, carrying the scent of leaves from roadside trees and a faint lingering smell of car exhaust. In the distance, the roar of a motorcycle engine echoed briefly before fading into the distance; it was probably some biker gang speeding.

"By the way, I still don't know your name?" Yanai Yuri turned her head to look at him, her voice not loud, just loud enough for the two of them to hear.

"Sakuragi... Sakuragi Hanamichi."

"Sakuragi Hanamichi." She repeated it, emphasizing each word as if savoring their meaning. "It's a pretty name."

Sakuragi's ears turned a little redder.

"And you?"

"My name is Yanai Yuri."

"Oh." He nodded, then paused for about two seconds before speaking again, "Yanai...is that Yanai?"

Which Yanai?

"It's...that..." Sakuragi stammered, clearly unaware of the meaning behind the surname, and had only asked casually.

Yuri Yanai's lips curled up slightly, but she didn't continue the conversation.

"Does Sakuragi-kun live nearby?"

"Huh? Yes, it's not far away, and I'm all alone."

"Hey! Your family doesn't live here?"

"No... I don't have any family." Sakuragi said this in a very flat tone.

Yuri Yanai's fingers twitched slightly on his arm, but she didn't ask any further questions. She and her father had met many people and knew what to say and what not to say.

"If you live alone, who will cook for you?"

"I'll make it myself. I can bring back some food from my part-time job at the convenience store." Sakuragi glanced down at the cardboard box in his arms. "The boss gave me these today. They're almost expired, but they're still edible."

Yuri Yanai's gaze fell on the box of milk and bread, lingered for a moment, and then looked away.

"By the way, Sakuragi, which school do you go to?"

"Wako Junior High School. Third year."

"Third year?" Yanai Yuuri's eyes widened slightly. "The same as me? Then you must be older than me, a senior."

"S-senpai and stuff..." Sakuragi scratched his head again, "Forget it, it's weird."

"What's it called?"

"Just call him Sakuragi."

"Sakuragi," she called out, then realized it didn't quite fit, "calling him by his surname sounds a bit too formal."

Sakuragi paused for a moment.

Life score?

She was wondering what it meant to be "not strangers"?

His brain started spinning again.

"Sakuragi, what clubs do you participate in at school?" Yuri Yanai quickly steered the conversation back on track, preventing his brain from completely overheating.

Basketball Club.

When Sakuragi said those three words, his tone changed. It wasn't the tone of "I'm answering your question," but a more proactive tone, tinged with a hint of smugness.

"I've been practicing hard lately in preparation for the county tournament in June."

Yuri Yanai glanced at him. His profile was clearly defined under the streetlight, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned, and there was something bright in his eyes—not showing off, but seriousness.

She wasn't very interested in basketball.

She's never been a fan of ball sports. What's so interesting about a group of people chasing a ball? She never goes to watch school basketball games, and she always finds excuses to skip basketball class during PE class.

But her face showed no sign of disinterest.

"Really?" Her eyes lit up, her voice brimming with perfectly timed surprise. "No wonder you're so strong, you're a basketball player!"

Her gaze swept over his arm, the one he was holding, and she could feel the firm muscle lines in his skin.

Sakuragi couldn't suppress the urge to smile.

"No, not really..." he said modestly, but his chin was already starting to tilt upwards slightly. "I've just been practicing every day lately. Coach Takeda said I'm a genius and that if I practice hard, I can become the team's ace."

"An ace?" Yanai Yuuri's expression was even more astonished, her eyes widening. "Amazing!"

Of course, she didn't know who Mr. Takeda was, nor did she know how much of this "genius" title was exaggerated.

But her response was very generous.

Sakuragi's face turned another shade red, his steps became lighter without his noticing, and he almost didn't realize the cardboard box in his arms was crooked, so he quickly nudged it with his chin.

Yuri Yanai took in all his reactions.

She mentally gave herself a score.

very.

Acting skills: perfect.

The two walked on the street for about ten minutes.

Yuri Yanai stopped in front of an apartment building.

"I'm home." She released Sakuragi's arm and took a step back.

The warmth on his arm suddenly vanished, replaced by a cool night breeze. Sakuragi glanced down at his arm, then quickly looked away.

"Is this where you live?"

"Mm." Yuri Yanai stood at the apartment door, her hands behind her back, tilting her head slightly as she looked at him. "Thank you for today, Sakuragi. I don't know what I would have done without you."

When she said this, her expression was grateful and her voice was sincere.

However, if Sakuragi were observant enough, he would notice that there wasn't a single label with "Yanai" on the mailboxes at the entrance of the apartment building.

Unfortunately, he wasn't attentive enough; his attention was entirely on her face.

"N-nothing." Sakuragi hugged the cardboard box in his arms tightly. "Then you should get some rest."

"The same to you."

Sakuragi turned and walked away.

He took three steps, then stopped and looked back.

Yuri Yanai was still standing at the apartment entrance, waving at him.

He turned around and continued walking. After five steps, he stopped again and looked back once more.

She was still standing there.

This time she didn't wave, she just looked at him with a faint smile on her lips.

This time, Sakuragi didn't look back. He carried the cardboard box and strode forward, his pace twice as fast as when he came. His red pompadour looked like a moving flame under the streetlights, getting further and further away until it disappeared around the street corner.

Yuri Yanai stood at the apartment entrance, looking in that direction.

A night breeze blew by, ruffling the hair behind her ear.

She smiled.

It wasn't the kind of laugh that showed "acting skills" just now; it was a genuine laugh, from the heart, from finding the situation very interesting.

"Sakuragi Hanamichi." She repeated the name again, pronouncing each syllable very softly and slowly.

Third year at Wako Junior High School. Basketball team member. Lives alone. Works at a convenience store. Red hair. Very tall. Thin-skinned. Blushes easily when teased. Gets cocky when praised.

Like a large dog.

Despite its frighteningly large size, it's actually quite soft-hearted; give it a bone and it'll wag its tail.

Yuri Yanai put her hands back into her coat pockets, turned around, and walked into the apartment building.

She walked through the lobby and went out the back door. Outside the back door was a small path, where a black sedan was parked quietly.

She opened the car door and got into the back seat.

"Miss, are we going home?" Mr. Yamada, the driver, turned around from the front seat.

"Um."

The car started and slowly drove off the side road, merging into the nighttime traffic.

Yuri Yanai leaned back in the back seat, the lights outside the car window flashing across her face one after another, alternating between light and shadow.

She remembered the way Sakuragi scratched his head, the way he blushed, the way his eyes lit up when he mentioned basketball, and the way he took three steps and then turned back.

who cares.

Anyway, this guy named Sakuragi looks really fun. Yanai feels like he's found a really fun toy.