I practiced as a monk alone in Japan.

Chapter 136 Hostages!

"It's been so long since we last met, how about we find a place tonight and have a few drinks?"

Even amidst the glitz and glamour of the crowd, Asagiri Rin shines as the brightest star.

However, her expression was tender, and she seemed somewhat indifferent.

"Maybe next time, I don't have time tonight."

The handsome young man who was speaking looked regretful, while Saionji next to him smiled and smoothed things over, "Indeed, today is not a good day. Rin didn't come alone; she has a male companion."

"male companion?"

The tall, slender boy, wearing a pair of refined-looking gold-rimmed glasses, clearly had a slightly off-key voice; his voice was noticeably a little louder.

Several people nearby looked over.

She clearly sensed something was amiss, but Asagiri Rin didn't take it to heart, or rather, she simply couldn't be bothered to care about the occasion.

They used to be fairly close friends, but over time their relationship had become somewhat distant. Besides, she had learned from a young age that making friends didn't necessarily depend on sincerity, but rather on whether the interests were aligned.

"Okay, I have something to do. Let's talk again next time."

Ignoring the subtle changes in the atmosphere, Asagiri Rin spoke calmly.

Naturally, no one present dared to stop the girl; they simply waited until she was a little further away.

The handsome young man with a noble air couldn't wait to look at Saionji Karen.

"Sister Hua Lian, what's the deal with the male companion you mentioned earlier?"

Karen Saionji looked at the boy in front of her with a half-smile. "A male companion is a male companion, after all. He's also Rin's classmate. She's not a child anymore, so I think she has the right to decide who to bring to these kinds of events, right?"

Hearing what Saionji Karen said, the handsome boy looked a little embarrassed. "I didn't mean anything by it. It's just that I've been away from Shōri for too long, and some things have developed too quickly. I didn't react in time. I was just curious."

Saionji smiled and touched the ends of her hair behind her ear.

"Aoki, you're right. It's been a long time since we've all seen each other. It's amazing that we can still get together, laugh and talk, and reminisce about the past after all these years. I think it's a precious and hard-won connection that we'll have the opportunity to help each other in the future. What do you think?"

Aoki Shin's expression dimmed slightly, but he quickly put on a polite smile.

"Of course, Sister Hualian is right. Otherwise, we wouldn't all be gathered here today. Alright, your birthday party should be starting soon, let's go together."

Saionji nodded.

She has a kind face and seems never to get angry.

But a soft sigh escaped her lips. Indeed, time changes, and so do people. The more one knows, the more one understands, the more thoughts and schemes arise. They're all friends; it seems this is all she can do.

Meanwhile, when Asagiri Rin returned to the hall, she found that Tsukino Gen was nowhere to be found.

She frowned, wondering where that bastard had run off to this time. Just as she was hesitating whether to make a phone call, Saionji and the others returned to the lobby.

"Huh? Where's Tsukino-kun?"

Saionji asked curiously.

Asagiri Rin frowned. "I don't know where he ran off to, but we don't need to worry about him."

Saionji knew the girl was just saying things out of anger, but she wasn't in a hurry. Instead, she said, "I'll ask someone to see if anyone has seen him. After all, he's such a conspicuous person."

Saionji simply asked around and received some astonishing news.

"What? Someone saw Tsukino-kun and Izumi go upstairs?"

The moment she heard those words, Asagiri Rin's expression instantly shifted from warm spring to freezing winter, the chill even stronger than the central air conditioning in the entire villa.

Without saying a word, she walked straight towards the second floor.

The manner was as if they were catching someone in the act of adultery, but judging from the atmosphere, the others behind them roughly understood what was going on.

Karen Saionji hurriedly chased after Rin Asagiri. She didn't know how Gen Tsukino had suddenly gotten involved with that girl. She didn't think the boy was a lustful person, but at this moment she was obviously more worried about Rin Asagiri's condition. As for what would happen to her birthday party, it seemed that she couldn't care less anymore.

As the two walked away, Aoki Shin frowned.

"Follow them, just in case anything goes wrong."

As he took his first steps, his seemingly anxious face actually relaxed slightly, and he felt a strange sense of joy.

It's probably a case of "after the darkest hour comes the dawn"?
But he didn't hear the slender figure with rose-gold hair standing not far behind him, her head slightly lowered.

He was also a good friend he met while studying abroad, and he was muttering something to himself.

It can be faintly heard.

"Tsukino.?"

……

The spacious three-story villa naturally has many guest rooms.

If it were placed on the second floor, then naturally no one would accidentally break in, making it quite safe.

Even when she dragged the boy into the dark room, Izumi Nami felt a little excited; it was quite thrilling.

People like to tread on the edge of danger, always feeling that wandering between taboos and reality is a unique kind of freedom, as if it transcends all the rules and constraints of this world, like fish leaping freely in the sea and birds soaring freely in the sky.

Of course, the most important thing is that this boy is Asagiri Rin's boyfriend.

That makes it even more exciting.

The boy seemed to have forgotten what he had said earlier, "How did we end up here? It's not appropriate for a lone man and woman to be here together, is it?"

Now you're acting all high and mighty? What, you want me to be the one to blame for that scumbag couple?
She didn't seem to mind at all, and even reached out to hook her arms around Tsukino Gen's shoulders, offering her charming face to meet the boy's eyes.

"Isn't Tsukino-kun being hypocritical after getting the benefit? I don't think you're that scared, especially since I'm just a girl."

The boy's expression was calm, and his head was slightly lowered.

"Things are moving too fast, don't you think Ms. Izumi is being a little too enthusiastic?"

Izumi Nami: ? ? ?
What does that mean? Does it mean I'm too unrestrained, or...?
Whether this counts as humiliation is unknown, but it certainly doesn't sound pleasant. However, she's managing to hold back, unlike Asagiri Rin, who gets angry at the slightest provocation.

So she pressed herself tightly against the boy's chest, seemingly without any restraint or modesty.

The deep trench is an abyss with no bottom.

"Is it because Asagiri doesn't want to accompany you like this? It's okay, your older sister is also helping her to train you properly, right?"

At this moment, Tsukino Gen showed a hesitant expression.

"She's been gone for too long; I'm worried about her."

Seeing Tsukino Gen's hesitant and indecisive look, Izumi Nami knew she couldn't hesitate any longer.

She grabbed the boy's body without any regard for anything else, almost with all her might. The boy seemed completely unprepared and was pushed backward by her until he hit the edge of the sofa in the guest room.

"boom."

The two fell down.

Gen Tsukino lay on the sofa, looking at the blonde girl who was practically pressing her entire body against him.

She looked down at him with a seductive gaze, even lightly licking the corner of her lips, as if trying to elevate the allure to an impeccable level.

"Miss Izumi."

The boy seemed about to say something more.

But the girl simply reached out and covered his mouth with her finger, placing it between his lips.

Shh, do you know what the most exciting thing in the world is?

The boy didn't speak, but the movement of his eyes expressed his curiosity.

While smiling charmingly, Izumi reached out and lifted the boy's arm, a resolute glint in her eyes.

Taking his hand was like leading him into a fairyland he had never seen before.

This is an adventure, a daring act, and of course, a price that must be paid. But using it on this handsome young man doesn't seem like such a bad deal.

she says.

"It's like knowing perfectly well that there's no affection between the two of them, and that they're both with other people. But because of various unexpected events, they can't help themselves."

Gen Tsukino felt that the other person had the talent to be a philosopher. At least in terms of relationships between men and women, he had unique insights.

Just as the boy seemed to be losing control, and the atmosphere in the unlit room was about to reach its peak.

"Boom."

Suddenly, a footstep sounded outside.

Almost instantly, Izumi Nami's expression changed drastically.

She grabbed the boy's hand, which was still wrapped around her chest, looked up, and shouted in a panic.

"Someone is coming!"

"boom!"

Just like a perfectly timed plot, the moment her scream rang out, the unlocked guest room door was kicked open.

At the same time, four or five figures eagerly filed in from outside.

"Clap."

The lights are on.

The group immediately noticed the man and woman on the sofa, who appeared somewhat disheveled and in an ambiguous posture.

Their faces displayed exaggerated expressions, almost theatrical.

"What...what are you doing?!"

Izumi Nami, who seemed to be struggling to escape Tsukino Gen's 'clutches', was actually holding on to Tsukino Gen's arm tightly, trying to leave indelible evidence in this way.

Then, looking like she was about to cry, she said, "He said he wanted to talk to me alone, I never expected him to... Waaah!"

The boy in the lead was the one Tsukino Gen had met before, the one who had invited him to play Texas Hold'em.

This is clearly a key part of this crude plan.

He was also the person Izumi trusted the most; otherwise, he wouldn't have appeared at this crucial moment.

He immediately looked at Tsukino Gen with an angry expression.

"Damn it! How could such a bastard sneak into this place today? Beat him up! I'll take responsibility if anything happens!"

It doesn't really need to be this serious.

Izumi Nami's thinking was very simple, which is why she had such a simple plan.

The most important result would be to create an even bigger commotion, letting everyone know what kind of person Rin Asagiri has chosen as her partner. Of course, it won't shake Rin Asagiri's foundation, but it will disgust her for a while and intensify the gossip behind her back.

For example: What kind of vision did they have, and what kind of people did they choose?

It seems like birds of a feather flock together; they're all cut from the same cloth.

Of course, this would deepen Asagiri Rin's hatred for her and her group, but it didn't matter. The conflict had been going on for a while, and she could only suffer in silence. What good was her resentment anyway?
Ultimately, even ants from one's own family won't let others manipulate them.

Whoever suffers a loss first has no choice but to accept it and wait to see if there will be a chance for revenge later. Of course, she doesn't think so.

She was already imagining what kind of expression Asagiri Rin would have when she came in and saw the boy's disheveled state.

What's certain is that once the rift forms, no matter how much she trusts Tsukino Gen, there's absolutely no possibility of them being together. How could she possibly deserve such a handsome boy? Even if he's just a pretty face, it's not acceptable.

Those people surrounded her, and Izumi Nami could naturally make a clean getaway. Besides, the boy beneath her didn't seem to react at all; he was probably too scared to move.

So she slowly let go of her hand.

She also plans to give a post-war MVP speech.

"Don't be sad, just think about when she gets here. Ah!"

But he hadn't finished speaking.

Tsukino Gen had already stood up immediately. A dark shadow flashed before her eyes, and she didn't even have time to see Tsukino Gen's movements clearly.

"boom!"

He was struck directly in the chest.

Izumi Nami, who was used to being pampered and treated like a work of art, could not believe that she had been kicked away by this boy!
When she collapsed to the ground in a disheveled state, she wanted to hysterically unleash a torrent of curses.

But she only had time to see the boy get up and walk toward the group of companions who had surrounded him.

Wait.

What is he doing?
No, he wouldn't be planning to...
"boom."

Asagiri Rin flung open the tightly closed door.

To be honest, she was angry when she first heard the news.

It was an instinct; she couldn't accept, from the bottom of her heart, that Tsukino Gen and Izumi Nami were together. It was practically a betrayal of her, and by the very person she least wanted to be betrayed.

But as she walked, Asagiri Rin gradually calmed down.

Others might not know Tsukino Gen, and Izumi didn't either. But she knew very well what kind of person Tsukino Gen was. He seemed ordinary and unreliable, and quite easygoing. But his inner pride was no less than hers.

He'd known this since he was a child, but he was just too good at hiding it.

And who is Izumi Nami? Her looks are nowhere near his; she may be pretty, but she's not attractive enough to seduce him.

How could he so brazenly do such a thing in front of everyone? Besides, everyone knows he was his male companion; wouldn't that be embarrassing for him?

He hasn't been that bad to himself yet.

Or rather, all the bad things I did before were just to stir up my emotions; it's just that I'm weak and always fall for their tricks.

As she approached the door and found the interior eerily quiet, Asagiri Rin's anger turned into suspicion.

What on earth is he doing?
He was probably approached by Izumi Nami, and he should have known what he wanted to achieve by contacting Izumi Nami. So, was he playing along with her plan?

What are they planning to do now?
Without hesitation, and without caring how many people were following behind him.

She simply opened the door.

The lights inside were on, and the scene I was most worried about did not appear; on the contrary...

It's a scene that puts me completely at ease.

Gen Tsukino was sitting leisurely on the sofa, drinking water from who-knows-where, his clothes showing no signs of being torn or disheveled.

"What are you doing? Huh?"

But when she turned her gaze, she saw something to the side and her eyes widened.

Izumi Nami was there, not only herself, but also the circle member she was so proud of, whom she didn't really care about.

Trembling and cowering, she huddled in the corner by the bed.

Bruised and swollen face
This scene looks
They were kidnapped hostages, and Tsukino Gen was the vicious kidnapper.

Upon seeing Asagiri Rin arrive, followed by Saionji Karen and the others.

Saionji looked to her left, then to the side where everyone was silent.

She didn't understand what was going on until she saw Tsukino Gen.

The boy stood up and spoke to the bewildered crowd.

"Is anyone going to do anything about this? This group of people suddenly tried to harm me, dragged me into this room without warning, and tried to attack me. Is there anyone who will stand up for me and seek justice?"

"what?"

Saionji scratched his head blankly.

Will you seek justice?

No,

I thought you were planning to have me call their family to send money!
……

(End of this chapter)