I practiced as a monk alone in Japan.

Chapter 196 If it weren't for you

"Hmm? Oden again? That's strange, why did I say 'again'?"

Sitting down in the bustling oden shop, Tsukino Gen smelled the familiar aroma and looked at the girl who had placed her order.

Sakura Kazama laughed and said, "You forgot? The last time you came to my house, we had oden for dinner."

"Of course I haven't forgotten. This is my unique style of witty remarks, similar to stand-up comedy."

"Hahaha, are you an idiot? What kind of genius tells manzai stories on a date?"

That's why I say I'm a genius.

He is indeed a genius, as can be proven in many ways.

The girl then lowered her gaze slightly, "and then the incident of Yamazaki Jihei's accidental fall occurred."

"is it?"

Gen Tsukino pretended not to remember.

The girl looked up at him and said, "You know, at the time I thought, how could there be such a coincidence in the world? Was I really blessed by God and finally got lucky, or was it because of someone else?"

That look in her eyes revealed the guess she was making when she said those words.

Gen Tsukino didn't react strongly, because if there were things she wanted to know, it wouldn't hurt to tell her. He was quite certain that this girl wasn't the kind of heroine with a strange sense of justice found in bad movies.

They are a strange race who always emphasize the justice of the judiciary whenever they themselves have been harmed.

"What do you think?"

Gen Tsukino countered with a question.

Sakura Kazama smiled and shook her head. "I don't think it matters. Anyway, the result is best for me, and I believe I became lucky because of someone's existence. That's enough."

"So that's the reason you came here specifically to eat oden today?"

Gen Tsukino asked with a smile.

Sakura Kazama nodded vigorously. "Of course, I genuinely believe now that eating oden brings good luck, especially when I'm with you."

"That's incredibly superstitious."

“It’s different. Superstition is believing in some ethereal deity or an unproven fantasy. I’m showing faith in you, how can that be considered superstition?”

Gen Tsukino blinked. "If you keep going, I'm already full just from listening to your sweet talk."

"Hahaha, is this a sarcastic remark directed at me?"

The girl pouted slightly. This girl, who can be both sweet and sophisticated, always manages to make the most likable expression at the most appropriate time.

"How could that be? I'm just praising your sweet talk."

"It won't be sweet after you eat something."

She muttered.

Gen Tsukino blinked. "A sensible girl will chew her own gum."

"Hmm? So experienced? Which sensible girl chewed gum in front of you?"

Sure enough, men and women focus on different things. He didn't even have time to be shy; he was jealous first.

Fortunately, the staff immediately brought out the oden, as the restaurant's main selling point is that the food is served quickly.

Gen Tsukino didn't have any particular feelings about oden; he still preferred authentic mala tang (spicy hot pot). Fortunately, Sakura Kazama enjoyed her meal.

Originally, Tsukino Gen was supposed to pay the bill, but Kazama Sakura insisted that she pay it.

"I was the one who asked you out, and besides, I got paid, so I'll just buy it for you."

Gen Tsukino thought to himself, "Although I'm not working right now, if I need money, someone will immediately hand it to me. I'm not short of money."

But do girls also have the vanity to pay for this?
What divine treatment!

Next, we went to see a movie, since it was still early, but the girl went to a convenience store first.

When I came out, I saw that she was already chewing gum.

Tsukino Gen chuckled, "You're actually going to buy it?"

Sakura Kazama blushed slightly. "Mind your own business. It's just my habit to chew gum after meals."

"You better be."

"Oh dear, the movie's going to be late, let's hurry up and go."

Pushing and shoving the boy, she was like an ostrich burying its head in the sand. Of course, in Tsukino Gen's eyes, this guilty conscience was only cute.

This movie I watched was finally unrelated to Mochizuki Miki, otherwise Tsukino Gen would always have a sense of temporal disorientation.

The woman who should live on the movie screen is actually intimately connected to you in real life. It feels as strange as having her private life on display for everyone to see.

I watched a heartwarming and tear-jerking film about the lives of ordinary people at the bottom of society.

The storyline is good, and the acting skills of some veteran actors are particularly good, making the audience feel immersed in the story.

Gen Tsukino has a high threshold for emotion, so he wasn't very moved.

However, as the movie progressed, many people in the theater were already in tears, and the sounds of people taking out tissues and sobbing could be heard everywhere.

Under the glow of the silver screen, many people's eyes welled up with tears.

Even Kazama Sakura, who was standing next to her, couldn't help but hug her arm, her big eyes becoming watery. As she wiped her eyes, she said in a slightly choked voice, "Why do some people have to live such miserable lives?"

This is also the kind of resonance that most people will have when watching this type of film.

Another related question is: We are all ordinary people, and we already have a hard enough life, so why do we need to watch movies like this?

Gen Tsukino patted the girl's head.

"The essence of these films, besides giving a voice to the underprivileged, is to remind us to cherish the life we ​​have. Many seemingly unfortunate lives actually have even more unfortunate ones."

Kazama Sakura looked up at Tsukino Gen with teary eyes, "But if happiness is something that is compared to others, is it really happiness?"

This question made Tsukino Gen pause for a moment.

He replied with a smile, "Perhaps for many people, it's already a rare treat to feel happiness even occasionally. Actually, I also think that focusing on oneself, whether one is happy or not, is what truly matters."

The girl hugged Tsukino Gen's arm tightly and gently buried her head inside.

"It's okay, I will cherish everything I have now."

"So nice."

The movie ended.

The outside air dispelled the remaining stuffiness.

Fortunately, most people can distinguish between movies and their own lives.

The girl quickly cheered up again, chatting and laughing about some funny things that happened at work, and wasn't too affected by this pretty good humanistic film.

This reminded Tsukino Gen of a rumor from the past.

Many people broke up because of a certain movie with a breakup theme, the third one, which seems absurd now.

After strolling along the street for a while, Tsukino Gen didn't realize that the girl was leading the way. It felt so natural, like a aimless walk, just wandering around.

We arrived at the entrance of a hotel.

Sakura Kazama's cheeks flushed noticeably, and she stopped walking.

She looked at Tsukino Gen, "Should we buy some snacks to take upstairs?"

"Go up. Wait, is this what you mean?"

Gen Tsukino looked towards the hotel.

Kazama Sakura lowered her head slightly, but you could see her bright red ears peeking out from her thick hair.

Suddenly, Tsukino Gen realized that he had almost forgotten the theme and ultimate purpose of the date because the journey had been so pleasant and natural.

Unable to hear the girl's faint, mosquito-like response, Tsukino Gen smiled and said.

"Let's buy some water. I heard it's quite expensive to use inside."

"It is said that?"

"Or is it based on personal experience?"

"You're so annoying!" She patted the boy's arm, the force not too strong, not too weak. It was more like she was so nervous that she couldn't even control her strength.

Throughout the entire process, Kazama Sakura acted like an ostrich that dared not raise its head, perfectly embodying a girl's shyness and reserve. "Embodying" is just a figure of speech; Tsukino Gen could clearly see that she was genuinely nervous.

So I didn't tease her much, or use my usual pranks or mischievous tricks.

I naturally bought water and some snacks.

Then he led the girl into a hotel that was mysterious and 'dangerous' to inexperienced young people.

Until they went upstairs and followed the boy into the room.

Sakura Kazama's head was buzzing. She was thinking, "I've made all the preparations and mental preparations, so why do I still seem completely unprepared?"

So embarrassing.

I didn't even realize it until I entered the room.

"Why did you book such a big room?"

She looked at Tsukino Gen in surprise. The spacious room was so luxurious that it even had a living room, unlike a typical double room.
Gen shrugged. "I didn't prepare anything for you, so since tonight is so important, I thought the environment should at least be comfortable for you. Don't worry, it's not expensive."

"Are you kidding me? This isn't expensive! Is it some kind of presidential suite?"

Damn.

I was so nervous just now.

I couldn't hear what Gen Tsukino was saying to the receptionist. I just felt a tinnitus enveloping me, and my heart felt like it was floating in outer space, drifting aimlessly, not knowing where it would land.

Close the door.

Gen Tsukino pulled the girl to sit on the sofa in the spacious living room.

The lighting was deliberately kept from being too bright, so as not to give people a feeling of being completely exposed and naked.

Seeing the girl so nervous that she couldn't look him in the eye, Tsukino Gen couldn't help but chuckle and say, "Weren't you pretty brave before? Now you're too scared to even look at me?"

The blushing girl couldn't help but glare at Tsukino Gen.

"Anyone would be nervous in a situation like this, right? And you're laughing at me."

"Okay, I won't laugh at you anymore. Don't push yourself too hard. You haven't rested all day. Why don't you go take a nap?"

"Sleep for a while?"

Although she had mentally prepared for many scenarios, the girl who was still somewhat at a loss when she actually got to this part clearly hadn't thought about it.

Wouldn't the atmosphere become strange if we took a nap first?

And can you really fall asleep?
Gen Tsukino deliberately yawned, "Anyway, I'm a bit sleepy. I've been walking all day, I should rest for a while, don't you think?"

"I, I'm fine with either."

"Let's go then."

He took the girl with him and simply lay down on the soft bed without any preparation.

Sakura Kazama was initially a little nervous, thinking this was some kind of trick boys use to coax girls. But when Gen Tsukino actually turned off the lights, then naturally hugged her in his arms, and even gently patted her back...

She then realized that the other person genuinely wanted her to relax naturally.

Lying together, the comforting, warm atmosphere, and his reliable chest brought back all the fatigue that had accumulated throughout the day.

An overwhelming sense of drowsiness swept over me, even though we had been chatting intermittently.

But without her noticing, and without any warning, the girl drifted off to a peaceful sleep.

This was the situation Tsukino Gen had anticipated. In this kind of weather, after walking around outside for so long with almost no time to rest, how could anyone not be tired? Not everyone has an almost abnormal physique like him.

Moreover, Gen Tsukino is really not in a hurry for these things.

He prefers not to force Kazama Sakura; a slow and steady approach, letting things happen naturally, is better than any sense of ceremony.

that's it.

Sakura Kazama had no idea how long she had slept. When she groggily opened her eyes, she felt the warmth around her and smelled the comforting scent that made her feel so at ease.

She opened her eyes and stared intently at the boy's profile.

After watching for a while, she suddenly widened her eyes, as if she had remembered something.

What am I even doing here? How did I actually fall asleep?! What time is it? Could it be that I have to check out tomorrow?!
Because the lights were off and the curtains were excellent at blocking out light, it was impossible to see what was happening outside, whether it was daytime or nighttime.

She could only look for her phone, and before she could even finish looking through it, she heard the boy's calm voice.

"You've only slept for three hours, why don't you sleep a little longer?"

Suddenly, it was like a thief being discovered by its owner.

Kazama Sakura was so tense that she dared not move. In this place, she seemed to be in a state of constant tension.

She saw Tsukino Gen's face slowly turn towards her, smiling.

"Still so nervous?"

Sakura Kazama quickly shook her head. "No, I'm not nervous. I'm just a little groggy from waking up."

"Oh, all right."

That seems to be the end of the story.

Kazama Sakura thought for a moment, then snuggled closer to the boy.

"Why don't you wake me up?"

"Why should I wake you up? You were sleeping soundly. I'm not that wicked."

The girl chuckled softly, then said, "Aren't you afraid I might really fall asleep and never wake up until I check out tomorrow?"

"What's wrong with that? If you can sleep for that long, it just means you're really tired and need to rest."

"But...won't it be a pity?"

This question seems to be testing the man's character, but it has a deeper meaning. If you don't feel any regret at all, then it proves that you have no charm in his eyes, and it's not something to look forward to.

Gen Tsukino naturally understood. He turned his head and kissed the girl's forehead.

"No matter how regrettable it is, it's not as important as your feelings. I am a man with normal desires, that's true, but that doesn't mean I'm an impatient beast."

Hearing Tsukino Gen say that, an indescribable warmth welled up throughout his body.

She hugged the boy tightly around the waist and back, taking deep breaths of air.

Then, resolutely, he let go of her embrace and sat up.

Gen Tsukino looked at her strangely.

"what happened?"

Her face was still flushed.

This time, however, her eyes did not dart away at all.

It seemed to carry with it a resolute will to see things through to the end.

"I'm going to take a shower."

".good."

Gen Tsukino smiled.

She looked around, and although she had already gotten up from the bed, she bent down again.

She kissed the boy's cheek and then whispered in his ear.

"wait for me."

It wasn't that I was afraid he would leave, but rather that I wanted to tell him that I had never regretted anything because this moment was about to arrive.

The darkness was just right.

The sound of splashing water came from the bathroom.

……

(End of this chapter)