The Promise

The next day, during afternoon club activities.

Junko arrived at the basketball gym on time to watch the team's practice.

To showcase his strongest side in front of Junko, Wu Yufei specially changed into the basketball gear he only wore during matches.

Basketball was Wu Yufei's dream, and that had never changed. But he had to play ball properly, and naturally, he had to date properly too.

An outstanding person had to handle both hands, and both hands had to be strong.

As for the fact that Junko was actually Naito's real younger sister, the other teammates' first reaction was about the same as Wu Yufei's. Even the second and third-year seniors reacted similarly.

They had actually known for a long time that Naito had a younger sister, but preconceived notions made them mistakenly think that Naito's sister must be just like Naito, so they only saw Junko for the first time today.

With Junko watching from the sidelines, aside from the few members who already had girlfriends, all the rest of the single guys howled like wild wolves that had seen meat after three days of starvation, forcefully turning an ordinary intra-squad scrimmage into the intensity of a National Tournament finals.

Yet the others merely reached that level of intensity, while their skills remained the same. Wu Yufei, however, truly combined both strength and intensity.

After thirty minutes of the scrimmage, Wu Yufei naturally became the brightest star on the court. Breaking through, shooting, and passing, steals, rebounds, and blocks, handling both the offensive and defensive ends, he slashed a perfect triple-double stat line of 22 points, 20 assists, and 10 rebounds.

Naturally, Wu Yufei had not forgotten the promise he made to Naito yesterday, helping him smoothly rack up 30 points and 10 rebounds. With these two powerhouses shining brightly, the Blue Team they led easily crushed Murasame's Red Team.

Coach Harada was well aware of the players' unusually desperate state today.

Therefore, after the scrimmage ended, to maximize this enthusiasm from the players, the coach increased the intensity and demands of the tactical training, brutally working this group of single wild wolves over hard.

It was not until seven o'clock in the evening that the basketball team's group training finally came to an end, and the players, already exhausted to the extreme, panted heavily as they packed up their things to go home.

"I didn't expect the basketball team's training to be so tough."

Watching Naito and Wu Yufei panting like oxen, Junko wore an expression of mild heartache.

"Well, since the goal is to conquer the country, this bit of effort is just the threshold."

Wu Yufei explained with a smile.

After chatting with Junko for a few minutes and resting enough, Wu Yufei returned to the court, picked up a basketball, and began practicing passing coordination with Naito.

Today's task quota had not been completed yet.

The two continued extra practice until nine o'clock at night, and Junko was extremely patient, watching from the sidelines the entire time.

Once Wu Yufei forcefully compelled Naito to accompany him in completing the task quota and even practiced a hundred more times, he finally announced with satisfaction that today's training had concluded.

Supporting an exhausted Naito, he left the school laughing and chatting with Junko, walking toward the Naito Family's direction.

Actually, this was also part of Wu Yufei's plan for today.

That was to work Naito until he couldn't even walk, so that he would have a solid excuse to walk home with Junko!

Moreover, through this stunt, he made Junko realize that he was an even more amazing existence than her older brother!

Watching the adulatory expression on Junko's face when she saw that he was still able to lift the two-hundred-plus-pound Naito after such a long training session, Wu Yufei's vanity was immensely satisfied.

Along the way, Wu Yufei and Junko laughed and chatted, completely ignoring Naito, who was acting like a giant, glowing light bulb on the side.

"Little Junko, have you joined a club at our school yet?"

Wu Yufei suddenly asked.

Hearing this question, a trace of melancholy appeared on Junko's face.

"Not yet... After all, it's been over half a month since the start of the semester, and many clubs have long since passed their recruitment periods. Although quite a few classmates in my class invited me to join their clubs, none of them are what I like, so I guess even if I went, I'd only be a ghost member."

Hearing Junko's lonely words, Wu Yufei suddenly grew enthusiastic.

"In that case, why don't you just come and be our basketball team manager!"

"Eh?!"

Junko was quite surprised by Wu Yufei's proposal.

"But I don't even know what a basketball manager is supposed to do."

"You understand the basic basketball rules, right?"

Wu Yufei asked.

"Well... I heard a year ago that Brother Tie joined the basketball team, and I was quite interested back then, so I looked into it."

"Then there's no problem!"

Wu Yufei said quite affirmatively.

"A basketball manager's job is actually quite simple. You just assist the coach in monitoring the team's training normally, then organize information on upcoming opponents before matches, and tally the data and performance of players from both sides during the game. That's all there is to it."

Listening to Wu Yufei speak so casually, Junko's face gradually bloomed with radiance.

After watching the basketball team's practice today, the young girl felt that the sport of basketball was actually quite interesting. Everyone could sweat and strive for a common goal, and this kind of atmosphere made her feel very nice.

"Can I really do it?"

"Of course! If I say it's fine, then it definitely is!"

Wu Yufei patted his chest in assurance.

"How about this, you prepare a club application first, and tomorrow I'll mention this matter to the coach. I'm sure he won't object to having one more assistant. After all, with Little Junko here today, the players performed very actively, and the coach definitely saw that."

"Hehe, then I'll leave it to you, Yufei-kun!"

"Leave it to me!"

Safely escorting Naito Tetsuya and Naito Junko home, he even took the opportunity to meet their parents and chat briefly.

Wu Yufei felt he had carried himself rather well, leaving no bad impressions on these two key figures.

Politely declining the invitation from Junko's mother to stay for tea, Wu Yufei left the Naito Family.

Thus, today was a day full of a bountiful harvest for Wu Yufei.

First, he successfully completed the quota required by the task; second, he increased Naito Junko's favorability; and third, he smoothly met Junko's parents and left a pretty good first impression on them.

Yeah, yeah, pockets bulging with rewards.

Wu Yufei walked on his way home with a satisfied smile.

On the other side, at the Naito Family...

"Junko, Junko! Was that handsome guy just now your boyfriend? He's a very nice young man!"

Naito Junko's mother, Naito Kako, with the fires of gossip burning fiercely within her, questioned her daughter.

"Yufei-kun is a teammate of Tetsu's on the basketball team, and he's also the person who saved me in the parking lot next to the mall last time. Didn't I tell you about that before?"

Junko replied.

"Oh~~ So he's that Wu Yufei! I didn't expect him to be such a handsome young man. It seems our little Junko's spring is coming too!"

Although not entirely certain, as someone who had been through it all, Naito Kako faintly felt that the young man named Wu Yufei definitely did not look at her daughter as just a classmate!

I have to say, a woman's intuition is truly terrifying.

"What nonsense are you talking about, Mom? Yufei-kun is a well-known basketball star throughout the school. There are quite a few people just in our class who like him. How could I possibly..."

How could I possibly compare to those girls.

Before Junko could finish her sentence, her mouth was blocked by a finger extended by Kako.

"Good daughter, whether in inner qualities or appearance, you are no worse than any girl. You must be a little more confident! Trust your old mom, as long as you are willing to try, there is definitely no problem! In my experience, Yufei-kun definitely does not just feel like an ordinary classmate toward you!"

Naito Kako encouraged.

"Mom!"

"Our daughter is only fifteen years old, what kind of unreliable things are you saying!"

Walking over with a cup of coffee, the head of the Naito Family, Naito Masao, said with slight dissatisfaction.

"What's wrong with fifteen! When you were chasing me, I was about Junko's age too, and I was only twenty when I gave birth to little Tetsu."

Naito Kako retorted quite strongly, leaving Naito Masao speechless.

"Mom! What are you talking about! Yufei-kun and I have only known each other for two days!"

Junko was inherently a shy person, and being teased like this by her own mother made her blush all the way to the root of her neck as she said in vexed anger.

"Well, well, anyway, this is your own business. I think the young man Yufei is quite good and very suitable as an object for romance. Whether it ultimately works out or not depends on you yourself. Anyway, if it finally reaches my stage, I'll raise both hands in approval!"

Kako smiled and patted her daughter's shoulder.

"Youth is capital. If you meet the right him in your most beautiful years, what does it matter to have a romance full of green, youthful flavor! As long as you can hold your bottom line, whether successful or failed, it will definitely become a good memory."

Since she truly could find no words to refute, Naito Junko had no choice but to blush, fleeing back to her room like a startled bird, closing the door and ignoring her mother.

If Wu Yufei were present at this moment, he would definitely excitedly step forward to hold Kako's hand and shout out loud, "Auntie is brilliant!" But unfortunately, he was not here.

Inside Junko's own room, the young girl sat on the bed holding a pillow, the blush on her face unable to fade away no matter what.

According to my experience, Yufei-kun definitely doesn't just see you as a classmate!

Her mother's words constantly replayed in Junko's mind over and over again.

Could it be... does Yufei-kun really... have feelings for me?

The young girl got out of bed, walked to the mirror in her room, and looked at herself in the glass.

It was not that she lacked confidence, but Naito Junko never believed she possessed the charm to attract a campus-star-level boy like Wu Yufei.

No way!

Junko sighed and lay back down on the bed.

Forcibly casting all those messy thoughts to the back of her mind, Junko quickly went to take a bath, then returned to her room, hit the pillow, and fell fast asleep.

That night, Naito Junko had a dream.

She dreamed that she actually became Wu Yufei's lover, the two of them happily holding hands while strolling through the streets, watching movies, doing all the things lovers do, and people all along the way cast envious gazes at them.

Early in the morning, when Junko awoke from her dream, she felt her own heartbeat and slowly savored the feeling of happiness from the dreamland.

"Mmh... it's all Mom's fault, talking nonsense about this and that."

Spring had truly arrived already.