I practiced as a monk alone in Japan.

Chapter 10 The Puppy We Took In

Gen Tsukino paused, his hand holding the beer beer twitching.

The white steam rising from the oden floats under the lamplight, making it seem as if you're looking at flowers and people through the mist.

he said softly.

"I'll take you home."

The sensible girl didn't go crazy under the influence of alcohol.

She knew clearly that she had already troubled the boy enough, and she couldn't ask for more.

Nod slightly.

"Ah."

Gen Tsukino walked in the night with the girl beside him, the moon in the sky seemingly veiled by dark clouds.

Their steps were close yet distant. Because of the alcohol, Kazama Sakura had ample reason to bump into Tsukino Gen's arm and shoulder from time to time, as she was unable to hold her liquor.

Genji Tsukino was unfazed and continued walking steadily, like a soft wall.

"Do you think everything will really get better when we grow up, and we'll be able to solve all our problems ourselves?"

"Not necessarily. After all, every age has its own set of troubles and problems that you can't solve. And when you look back at that time, everything now will seem insignificant."

"So why do our current troubles seem unsolvable?"

She shook her slightly dizzy head in distress.

Her instinct was to move closer to the warm-hearted boy beside her, to press her whole body against him.

Gen Tsukino raised his head, feeling the warmth of the shoulder. He could clearly feel the other person's slightly rapid breathing on his cheek and neck.

With a sweet fragrance unique to young girls, it makes people feel even hotter than the summer breeze.

He's not a moralist; on the contrary, he's quite charming in many ways.

Whether or not to add so-called genuine emotions is irrelevant; it's just about doing the right thing in the right atmosphere, so there's no need to feel conflicted about it.

So he simply reached out and put his arm around the other person's shoulder.

Sakura Kazama's body trembled noticeably.

She looked up at herself in disbelief, her cheeks and ears burning pink.

Those glossy, rosy lips looked like a delicious jelly inviting Tsukino Gen to taste.

Gen Tsukino's gaze was calm and deep, like the night sky above him.

"Because there are things we are powerless to change at every age, we should never be too hard on our past selves. No one can live without regrets, and even if you try your best, there will still be things you regret."

"It seems so."

She gently snuggled closer to the boy, wanting to get even closer.

I want to merge into the other person's body.

"So, what you said to me this afternoon was actually a farewell?"

Suddenly, Tsukino Gen's question punctured the softest bubble in Kazama Sakura's heart.

She panicked immediately, but couldn't break free from his embrace.

She could only pitifully raise her head to look at the boy whose expression seemed somewhat indifferent, making her heart clench.

"You noticed?"

"Do you feel that the difficulties have left you with no way out, or is despair about to overwhelm you? Or do you think that leaving school, leaving here, and leaving my side will make you feel better?"

The boy's words were like sharp daggers, piercing her heart and causing her unbearable pain.

But she could only turn her head to the side, grab the boy's shirt tightly, and murmur an apology.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry."

"You don't need to apologize to me."

Gen Tsukino put his arm around the other's shoulder and strode forward.

Walk through the darkness of the alleys, walk through the bustling streets.

I walked past one colorful neon sign after another.

She could clearly feel the summer night wind howling, blowing through her bangs and the hem of her skirt.

Push the dark clouds away from the moon.

When Tsukino Gen let go of her hand, she realized that she had arrived at the building where she lived.

Gen Tsukino, who had taken a step back, bent down slightly and looked into the other person's eyes.

"Did you cry again?"

Feeling a little embarrassed by Tsukino Gen's gaze, Kazama Sakura still mustered the courage to glare at him.

"I wasn't crying, it's just that the wind was very strong."

Indeed, the wind was too strong.

The cypress trees in the neighborhood were all swaying in the wind, their branches and leaves rustling.

"Hmm, do you want me to blow the sand out of your eyes? Wait, it might be a brick."

"Pfft. What are you saying?"

Kazama Sakura was easily amused again; she usually found it difficult to control her emotions in his presence.

Now that I've been drinking, it seems like my mental state has become more fragile.

Tsukino Gen commented.

"She was both crying and laughing, like a poor little dog."

Normally, if a girl were said that to her, she would blush and retort sharply.

But now, she no longer avoids his gaze.

The lingering warmth from the embrace, as if still resting on her shoulder, emboldened her.

"If you're willing to take me in, I can be this poor little dog."

"hiss"

Gen Tsukino gasped.

"This statement is far more perverted than anything I've said before."

The girl's cheeks were burning hot, but her eyes shone even brighter, gleaming like moonlight.

She reached out and gently grasped Tsukino Gen's wrist, feeling the warmth of his hand against her skin.

"Little dog. It's okay for you to be a little weird, right?"

I can hardly believe I said those words.

Although her grades have been declining recently, Kazama Sakura has always been well-behaved, has no bad habits, and doesn't even search for embarrassing information online.

She actually felt a hidden excitement just from saying those words. When Tsukino Gen reached out and lifted her chin in a flippant manner, she tilted her head back at a humiliating angle.

Looking up at the boy like this, she was like a puppy having its chin stroked.

She felt her legs trembling slightly and her scalp tingling.

"abnormal."

Gen Tsukino's undisguised cold gaze seemed to pierce her heart.

It almost made her kneel down.

She even felt that from this angle, Tsukino Gen could easily kiss her.

There's no need to be gentle.

You can be a little rude.

You could be even more indifferent.

That way, she can completely sink into despair, sink along with her own despair, and have the ease of giving up completely.

Even pleasure.

But Tsukino Gen let go of her hand and looked at the girl whose eyes showed no sign of regret.

"Don't worry, even if the sky falls, it won't crush the puppy."

"Go home and get a good night's sleep tonight, everything will be alright tomorrow."

Will it get better?
In reality, Kazama Sakura wasn't that optimistic; she was long past the age where a good night's sleep could make everything go away.

But she was willing to believe that tonight.

In his presence, she made no attempt to hide her trust and reliance on him.

Nod vigorously.

"See you tomorrow."

"Well, see you tomorrow."

Gen Tsukino waved his hand and easily disappeared into the moonlight.

It was as if they had never been here.

Back home, the girl hid in her room, hugging her blanket tightly and burying her face in the pillow.

This time it wasn't a suppressed, loud sob.

She first took out her phone and sent a message to Tsukino Gen.

Let me know when you get home safely.

Then turn on the camera and take a picture of your face.

She held one hand up and gently pinched her fair and delicate neck with the other.

Squeeze it tighter, little by little.

Squeeze it tighter, little by little.

Until I felt that slight feeling of suffocation.

Her cheeks were flushed.

But she quickly let go of his hand in dejection.

"If only it were his hand."

I collapsed weakly onto the bed, and my mind started wandering again.

Tonight is wonderful, but tomorrow's troubles will eventually come.

Will things get better?

Will there be any miracles?
It seems impossible, because miracles are something that only those who have given up on themselves pray for.

If you're going to give up on yourself, how can you expect to become better?

The next day.

A cloudy day that seemed devoid of sunshine.

It was as if a dark veil covered the sky, a concrete manifestation of her terrible mood.

Kazama Sakura, who needed some makeup to conceal her red, swollen eyes from crying, was already prepared.

She will find Yamazaki Jihei and tell him.

If she loses her scholarship and there's nothing she can do even if she improves her grades, she will choose to transfer schools.

She didn't even dare to turn around and look at the boy who had already arrived in the classroom, wondering what kind of expression he would have on his face.

Because he's so smart, he'll definitely find a flaw in himself.

But class was about to start and Yamazaki Jihei still hadn't appeared until the grade leader arrived at the classroom looking hurried and serious.

Tell everyone.

"Mr. Yamazaki had an accident last night; he fell from a building and is currently in the hospital, unconscious. Therefore, he cannot be your homeroom teacher for the time being. The school is arranging for a replacement teacher, so I will be filling in for the next few days."

?

???

Kazama Sakura thought she had misheard.

She only realized it wasn't an illusion when she heard the murmurs in the classroom.

A strange impulse, or rather, an intuition, welled up within her.

She turned around and looked at that incredibly familiar spot.

She seemed to have rehearsed the perfect angle for turning her head so that she could see everything without attracting too much attention from others.

She saw him.

It just so happens that he's looking at me too.

He smiled, as always, calmly going about his daily life.

And it was at this time.

A golden ray of light pierced through the dark clouds on the horizon.

It landed on his handsome face and short, black hair.

Does God really exist in this world?
He stretched lazily in the sunlight and spoke amidst the noisy chatter of those around him.

"On days like this, we should eat red bean rice."

……

(End of this chapter)