I practiced as a monk alone in Japan.

Chapter 109 You'll know once you try it~
The corridor outside the barbecue restaurant.

At the other, relatively secluded end, one can overlook a park beyond the backyard. It has lush green grass and crows perched on the walls. The evening sunset is at its most brilliant, before nightfall has completely fallen.

The fiery clouds looked as if someone were holding a torch aloft, which was what set the sky ablaze.

There's no need to worry about classmates passing by at the end of this road; relatively speaking, the danger is significantly reduced.

Actually, there's really no need to feel threatened. After all, Tsukino Gen is already a model student, and he stole the spotlight today. It's understandable that he's receiving special treatment from the homeroom teacher.

"What does Sakuraba-sensei want to say?"

Gen Tsukino leaned against the corridor railing, his posture still nonchalant and lazy.

It was as if he was a completely different person from the one who ran and played football.

"Why did you agree so quickly when I asked you to play in the soccer match today?"

Sakuraba Yuki's long hair, which was originally neatly tied back, was now slightly disheveled. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, but this drew the boy's attention to her fair and delicate neck, or perhaps even lower down.

The fabric was pressed against the chest of the shirt, as if a ferocious beast, eager to break free of its cage, was imprisoned.

"With so many people watching, I can't possibly refuse to give Sakuraba-sensei face, can I?"

Tsukino Gen said with a smile.

"Oh, so you're still spoiling me?" the woman said, gently patting the boy's shoulder. The gesture was intimate and practiced. Tsukino Gen was slightly surprised, but quickly realized that this was probably how she joked and played with her younger brother in her world.

She underestimated her charm as a woman, which, combined with her identity as a teacher, made her even more irresistible. Of course, it would be difficult to pass censorship.

"How could that be? It's just out of respect for the teacher."

"Hmph, that's not necessarily true. I think the reason you agreed so quickly might be because you already had this idea in mind."

Sakuraba Yuki said with a smile.

Gen Tsukino blinked. "I'm just being a little more pragmatic. After all, you called me by my name, so it would seem like I'm throwing my weight around if I didn't participate. But why did Sakuraba-sensei insist that I participate? You couldn't have known beforehand that I would be playing, could you?"

There was no football field in the orphanage, and I rarely showed my athletic talent there. I spent most of my time quietly reading.

"Of course I didn't know, I just thought you should participate in this kind of activity. Didn't you have fun? At least seeing you kids running around on the lawn makes me feel so youthful."

Sakuraba Yuki's smile appeared very innocent at this moment.

This also let Tsukino Gen know that this was indeed her thought at the time.

There's nothing to blame her for, and it doesn't imply that she's creating trouble for herself. After all, being more mature and unique than her peers means she should bear the cost of excessive attention. Besides, in Sakuraba Yuki's eyes, she always felt that her indifference in many ways because she was an orphan was a cowardly fear of not getting what she truly wanted.

They dare not enjoy their youth as bravely as other children, which can develop into a psychological problem.

She genuinely cared about him, so Tsukino Gen was willing to give her face for this minor inconvenience.

"Don't you think it's too much of a rip-off that I've stolen all the limelight?"

"You know it's going too far?" Sakuraba Yuki rolled her eyes at the boy, but quickly burst out laughing when she met Tsukino Gen's gaze. "But there's nothing I can do. Some people are born for certain occasions, and besides, you wouldn't be ignored if you just stood there."

"So you want me to become a high school student like those other classmates?"

Tsukino Gen's question elicited a slightly aggrieved expression from Sakuraba Yuki. "What do you mean?"

She gave a soft hum and said, "Everything I've done isn't to assimilate you, but simply to ensure you don't miss out on your youth and fully enjoy it. To let your brilliance shine in the time that should belong to you, just like this ball game."

Gen Tsukino waved his hand, "I'd better not do this kind of thing next time. I don't like being in the limelight that much. Besides, it's easy to make people hate me."

"Look how smug you are. You should be secretly happy to have such a good teacher as me." It was clear that Sakuraba Yuki was quite happy and proud of the result.

"Didn't you ever think about what would happen if I hadn't stood up and watched the class lose the game?"

"I've thought about it. At worst, I'll treat them to a meal. What else can I do?" She smiled indifferently. "At least, it has taught these kids what class honor is, and it has given them a sense of striving together for a period of time. I don't think winning or losing is that important."

Listening to the woman's words, Tsukino Gen couldn't help but sigh.

"So it turns out that some teachers really do care about this kind of thing."

I thought this only happened in anime. After all, most teachers have families and are too busy managing their own affairs to care about so many students' youthful days, let alone their mental health.

After all, everyone thinks they have it the hardest from their own perspective. Nobody understands them, so why should anyone understand others? Where did you come from, some kind of saint? If the end of the world comes, I'll kill you first!
"Why wouldn't I care? I told you, so don't underestimate me."

Sakuraba Yuki said proudly.

"Okay, okay, teacher, you're the best. Have you finished explaining everything? I need to go back now."

"That's about it. By the way, what are your plans for summer vacation?"

Sakuraba Yuki asked.

Gen Tsukino thought for a moment, "I don't have any plans. Maybe I'll work during the summer? Maybe not, who knows? I'll just take it one day at a time."

"That's not very charming. How about I take you out to have some fun?"

Sakuraba Yuki made the suggestion.

Tsukino Gen looked at the other person strangely, "You've only been working here a short time and you already have money to go out and have fun?"

"Oh, don't worry about that. Whether you go or not, the old capital or the snow island are both great places to visit this time of year."

"I'm not going. There are too many people during the summer vacation. I'm too lazy to run around everywhere."

The boy waved his hand.

He didn't go back into the store, but went straight through the corridor to the entrance, where he saw the figure that wasn't unexpected.

Her long, jet-black hair was tied into a high ponytail, revealing her delicate profile. Standing at a full 1.7 meters tall, her long, slender legs, which the pleated skirt couldn't fully conceal, made her stand there like a work of art, a signature sculpture.

Hearing footsteps, the girl, as if sensing something, turned around with a smile.

"You're out?"

Huh? What came out? Don't talk nonsense.

"Are you leaving too?"

Tsukino Gendo asked.

The girl laughed and said, "Why would I stay here if you're leaving? Do you think I like barbecue that much?"

Gen Tsukino walked over, and Sakura Kazama naturally turned around, as if it were a move she had rehearsed countless times, and stood side by side with the boy, accompanying him on every possible path.

"Anyway, it's someone else's treat, so it's okay to eat more."

"No way! Don't even think about leaving me behind and sneaking away." Sakura Kazama's ponytail swayed behind her head, moving with the rhythm of her light footsteps. It looked so tempting that one wanted to grab it tightly and use it as a rein to ride her away.

"What you're saying is, I wasn't the one who brought you here."

"But I really came because of you, otherwise what's the point of the gathering?"

The girl turned her head, her beautiful, delicate face as blushing as peach blossoms in April. Her beautiful, clear eyes gazed at the boy, like a mirror reflecting his soul.

“Kazama-kun is getting more and more natural at saying these flirtatious things now.”

Tsukino Gen commented with a smile.

The girl pouted her pink lips slightly, "Who do you think I learned that from?"

"Huh? I never say sweet nothings, I'm just not good at lying."

".Well."

It's because this bastard is always like this that I can't handle him!

How abominable!

How much do I need to learn to make him feel shy and embarrassed even once?

Seeing the girl's somewhat embarrassed and annoyed expression, Tsukino Gen couldn't help but laugh out loud and reached out to pinch her delicate cheek.

Whether it was shyness that exceeded the limits of reason, Kazama Sakura directly grabbed Tsukino Gen's hand and put his fingers, which he hadn't pulled back, into her mouth.

"Ok!"

It was indeed a bit of force used, and there would probably be some teeth marks. However, the force was still carefully applied to avoid injuring Tsukino Gen, but the boy, whose physique was different from ordinary people, naturally did not feel any pain.

The girl wasn't sure if she had bitten hard enough, so she raised her eyes and tentatively glanced at Tsukino Gen.

Then I saw him looking at me with a playful gaze.

Then, laughing, she said, "You're afraid of hurting me, but you still insist on biting me. Why? Aren't you full?"

"You're the one who's not full!"

Sakura Kazama angrily removed the other person's fingers, but she could clearly see that there seemed to be some glistening residue on those slender fingers.

Yeah, but I didn't dare to use force. What was I doing just now? Wasn't it like sucking on something? I can't think about it anymore, it's too vulgar!

The boy smiled without speaking, and the two walked again down the street as the sun set, as if the shadows of darkness were chasing their steps. Only now, the girl was no longer the child afraid to walk alone at night.

She seemed to remember something, and after a brief silence, she said softly, "Oh, right, Miss watched you play soccer today too."

"Really? I didn't notice. I was too caught up in the passion of playing football to pay attention to anything else."

That's just pure pretense.

Sakura Kazama knew to some extent that this boy was definitely not slow-witted; he was too smart to notice how to resolve various difficult situations. Pretending to be stupid was just a tool he could use.

"Don't give me that, hmph, I've never heard of her caring about these things."

"She's in Class 1 too, maybe she's cheering for her class?"

Do you even believe what you're saying?

Gen Tsukino scratched his head. To be honest, it was quite difficult to believe. After all, everyone knew that Rin Asagiri wasn't the kind of person who had a strong sense of collective honor. Cheer up? She wouldn't even cheer for the national team, let alone a friendly match between classmates.

The boy sighed helplessly, "It's not like I asked her to go. Who knows? Maybe she's taken to sports lately or something."

"I didn't tell you that~"

The girl shook her head, her ponytail swinging back and forth, but due to the height difference, it was difficult for it to reach Tsukino Gen's face.

"What are you going to say?"

With her hands behind her back and her steps light, the girl exudes youthful beauty. She seems to be the ideal woman every boy should have during his adolescence.

She will always be young, always lovely, and always innocent.

Kazama Sakura stopped at just the right moment, turned her head, and squinted her eyes into crescent moons.

She is laughing.

"You looked so handsome playing soccer today, incredibly handsome!"

Gen Tsukino laughed as well. "Thank you. Although this is practically common sense, thank you for the compliment."

"Shameless again~"

"With such a handsome face, who wouldn't want him? Why don't you take a closer look?"

"Hahaha, don't come any closer, you're so annoying~"

The two joked and laughed as they approached the station, seemingly preparing to go their separate ways and find their own mothers.

Sakura Kazama didn't choose to cling to the boy or ask him to spend more time with her. She also knew that Gen Tsukino, who had exhausted himself, probably needed to go home and rest.

"returned home?"

She asked.

Gen Tsukino nodded, about to answer, but his gaze subtly glanced to the side before quickly returning to the girl's face. Sakura Kazama didn't notice.

She only heard the boy say that.

"It's still early, how about we take a stroll around?"

"Hey? Don't you need to rest?"

"I'm in great shape, you'll see once you try."

"Ok?"

How do I try it?
Hey, wait a minute.

Her gaze instinctively darted away, passing over the boy's shoulder to see the ambiguous pink sign on the building across the street.

The above is the hotel's logo.

……

(End of this chapter)