The setting sun dyed the sky the color of orange soda, and the plastic ground of the outdoor court still held the lingering warmth of the day.
Gu Jin leaned against the iron frame under the backboard, watching Aida Yayoi, who was adjusting equipment in the center of the court, his eyebrows subtly raised.
Completely different from the professional suit image he saw in the gymnasium last time, Aida Yayoi's makeup today was particularly pure, without heavy eyeshadow, yet it made her almond-shaped eyes, which seemed to sparkle, even more beautiful.
She was wearing a light blue tracksuit today, the cuffs casually rolled up to her forearms, revealing her neatly defined wrists.
On her feet were a pair of white and blue Jordan 1s, the edges of the shoes as clean as if just unboxed, and white short socks wrapped around her ankles, glowing softly in the sunset.
Her neat hairstyle exuded a hint of heroism, with slightly curled bangs combed to the right side of her cheek, gently swaying as she bent down to check her camera—exactly the type of "sporty girl" Sendo had mentioned last time.
Gu Jin lowered his head and tugged at the collar of his jersey, chuckling inwardly: he was clearly here to be a third wheel.
"Gu Jin, Nakamura is ready!" Aida Yayoi turned around, her face flushed from exertion, her smile a bit more vibrant than usual. "Why don't you go to Nakamura and take a few close-ups of your shots first?"
Gu Jin responded and stepped onto the court, spinning the basketball on his fingertips.
Assistant Nakamura's shutter clicked crisply as he cooperated, changing poses, jumping, staying airborne, and shooting—his movements were fluid, and his camera presence was, as Sendo said, unbelievably good.
"Perfect!" Aida Yayoi held up her camera and took two steps back, her eyes shining as if sprinkled with starlight. "Sendo, let's start too."
Sendo slowly walked over from the sidelines, his fingertips spinning the ball halfway.
"Sendo," Aida Yayoi suddenly put down her camera and quickly walked up to him, her cheeks still flushed from running. "I have an idea I'd like to discuss with you—since we're filming a pre-battle documentary, why not add a public service announcement segment?"
Sendo raised an eyebrow, signaling her to continue.
"Let's shoot a special feature on 'Teaching Beginners How to Play Basketball,'" she said, gently tapping her camera strap with her fingertips, her eyes full of anticipation. "It can show the team's friendliness and also encourage everyone to exercise more. What do you think?" As she spoke, her gaze fell on herself, a hint of undetectable nervousness in her tone. "I tried a few shots while checking out the court just now. Although I'm not good at it, would you mind letting me be the 'beginner model'?"
Sendo was stunned for a moment, then broke into a smile, the sunlight catching the corners of his eyes: "Of course I don't mind! Just tell me what you need me to do."
After Gu Jin finished his shoot, Nakamura went to film Sendo and the others.
"That Sendo kid, he's quite good at taking advantage!" Gu Jin chuckled to himself.
On the court, Sendo patiently taught Aida Yayoi how to dribble, his fingertips occasionally brushing her hand, eliciting her momentarily stiff movements and lowered eyelashes;
Then he saw Sendo standing behind her, holding her wrist to adjust her shooting posture, his breath on her neck, making her ear tips turn crimson, almost dripping blood;
He watched Aida Yayoi, after sinking a shot, excitedly turn to Sendo, the light in her eyes brighter than the shot itself.
Gu Jin silently averted his gaze and picked up a bottle of water from the sidelines.
Well, what public service announcement? This was clearly a couple's teaching documentary, and he, the third wheel, was almost burning up from the heat.
Anyone with eyes could see that Aida Yayoi had fallen, fallen for this seemingly nonchalant high schooler, Sendo.
The shooting ended as the sun completely set.
Aida Yayoi, while tidying her camera, looked up at Sendo, her eyes filled with gratitude: "Sendo, thank you so much this time, for helping me so many times."
Sendo smiled: "It was nothing."
"Speaking of which, you've helped me so many times." Aida Yayoi bit her lip, as if gathering courage, "Is there anywhere you'd like to go? I can accompany you, consider it... a thank you."
The water Gu Jin had just drunk almost sprayed out of his mouth.
This invitation was quite direct, wasn't it? He glanced at Sendo, waiting to see if this blockhead would get it.
Sendo rubbed his chin, seemingly thinking seriously, then his eyes lit up: "How about the beach?"
Aida Yayoi's face instantly turned red, even her earlobes tinged with pink. She subconsciously twisted her fingers, her voice as faint as a mosquito's hum: "The... the beach? Then... should I wear a bikini?"
Gu Jin muttered to himself: "You two aren't even treating me like a person, are you?"
He was waiting to see how Sendo would respond, but then he heard Sendo ask, utterly bewildered: "Why wear a bikini?"
Aida Yayoi's face froze.
Sendo, completely oblivious, added: "Wear more sun protection, or you'll get tanned. Going to the beach is for fishing, of course. I know a place where the sea bream are especially easy to catch."
As he spoke, he enthusiastically gestured: "This weekend, wear a sun hat, bring some bait, and we might be able to fish all day."
Aida Yayoi: "..."
Gu Jin leaned against the iron frame, looking at the last rays of twilight in the sky, utterly speechless.
Alright, he took back what he just said. This wasn't a blockhead; this was an unyielding stubborn rock.
Aida Yayoi next to him stood stunned for a long while before slowly lowering her head, a hint of undetectable disappointment in her voice: "...Oh, fishing, that's... that's good too."
Sendo didn't notice the unusual tone in her voice and clapped his hands with a smile: "Then it's settled."
"...Okay."
Gu Jin watched Aida Yayoi turn to pack her things, quietly raising a hand to rub his forehead, unable to help but sigh inwardly—there was no way he was going to be a third wheel on this trip to the beach.
Wouldn't it be better for him and Ye Zi to go to Sakurai Video Room?
However, perhaps it was precisely Sendo's personality that attracted Aida Yayoi even more.
However, these two did not yet know that, at this moment, Ryonan Gymnasium was full of tension.