I practiced as a monk alone in Japan.

What makes Chapter 226 so appealing?
In the 4x100 men's relay, not everyone goes up to the podium; instead, one person is selected as a representative to stand on the podium.

Kono and the others strongly urged Tsukino Gen to go on stage to receive the award, but the boy refused. In the end, Kono was allowed to go on stage and receive the four medals.

Of course, there will be bonuses deposited directly into your account later.

As for the so-called media interviews specially invited by the school, or even the filming activities with influential internet celebrities, Tsukino Gen did not participate.

His pretentiousness was limited to a small circle; he didn't want to expand his influence or become a national celebrity.

It would be quite easy for him to become a well-known internet celebrity, whether through his looks or some 'unusual skills' or something.

However, when it comes to internet celebrities
"Hey! Mr. Tsukino!"

Gen Tsukino was on his way to the changing room when he heard a familiar voice.

At first glance, a young man and woman carrying filming equipment excitedly walked towards him. Their eyes had changed from fear when they first met to excitement and fervor. For a moment, it was hard to tell who the big internet celebrity was.

"Why are you here?"

Tsukino Gen asked curiously.

Recently, Yuna Nakamura and Daisuke Takahashi, who seemed to be in high spirits, came to the boy and said with a smile.

"Your school specifically invited us to come and produce a vlog of your school's sports festival, and they even paid us."

"So willing to spend? The cost of hiring you must be quite high now, right?"

Gen Tsukino wasn't completely oblivious to these two. Although there hadn't been any contact since he reminded them to report on Yamazaki Jihei's case, he noticed that their accounts had undergone a transformation because of that incident.

The focus shifted from solely reviewing domestic food to highlighting social events, the hardships and compassion of ordinary people.

The former is definitely faster at making money, but its development is limited.

While the latter group was slower to make money, their accounts grew stronger and their positive reviews increased rapidly, laying a solid foundation.

Therefore, they were quite grateful for the information Tsukino Gen had provided. As for his amazing abilities and mysterious identity, they no longer cared much about them.

"Actually, it's alright. After all, we are now focused on people's livelihoods. Many of the filming sessions are free, and we are even willing to give some money to those who are suffering."

Gen Tsukino nodded. "It's been a long time since I've seen such a conscientious blogger like you."

"I still want to thank you, Mr. Tsukino."

Yuna Nakamura said very respectfully.

Gen Tsukino shook his head. "It has nothing to do with me. In the end, the account belongs to you, and you can decide what to do. But I quite like the direction you're taking now."

"That's good."

Yuna Nakamura let out a long sigh of relief.

At this moment, Daisuke Takahashi, who was standing next to him, said curiously, "I just saw that you participated in the project, Mr. Tsukino. Why didn't you go to be interviewed and filmed by those bloggers? I saw many of my colleagues talking about you and really want you to be in their videos."

Gen Tsukino replied with a smile, "That's unnecessary. I'm not participating in the competition to become famous."

"Huh? There are people who participate in competitions not to become famous?"

"Of course, I did it for the Olympic spirit."

Yuna Nakamura, Daisuke Takahashi: ? ? ?

Regardless of what the two of them were thinking, Tsukino Gen had no intention of appearing in their video call for the time being, and he said goodbye with a smile.

"Alright, you guys keep filming, I'm going to change my clothes. See you again sometime."

"Oh, okay, take care, Mr. Tsukino."

After the boy's figure disappeared, Daisuke Takahashi looked at Yuna Nakamura with a puzzled expression.

"What Olympic spirit?"

Yuna Nakamura couldn't help but roll her eyes, then said with a hint of amusement, "Alright, let's do our own thing. Someone like him doesn't need our exposure."

Takahashi couldn't help but wonder, "Just who is he?"

Yuna Nakamura thought for a moment, then shook her head and said, "I don't know either, but I guess I'm probably someone who's different from everyone else?"

Unaware of the gossip, Tsukino Gen changed his clothes and went to eat with Kazama Sakura.

After all, Asagiri Rin was with her mother, so they were probably eating something different from the other students. They'd likely be drinking and chatting happily. Even if Tsukino Gen were invited, he probably wouldn't go.

The two of them didn't go to any restaurants outside the school; they ate in the school cafeteria.

Whether or not Asagiri Rin's mother will see it is actually not important. Given her understanding of herself and her ability to investigate clues and control over even the smallest details, she should be fully aware of the relationships she has with those around her.

"Oh, right, I think I saw the young lady's mother. She's so beautiful and has such a great presence. Will the young lady grow up to be like her?"

Kazama Sakura said with some curiosity.

Girls who are still in their innocent and romantic years are often prone to admiring mature women.

It seems that from this point on, she was already thinking about what she would become in the future. But for Tsukino Gen, such considerations were completely futile. Because time, fate, and the realities of society will mold you into what others want you to be.

However, Sakura Kazama doesn't need to worry about this problem, because she has herself to rely on.

"Probably not, after all, there are no two people in the world who are exactly alike. And do you really want her to become like that?"

Sakura Kazama thought for a moment, "It seems like becoming like that wouldn't be good either. Although the current young lady often seems cold and aloof, and I find her rather disdainful, I can still roughly tell what she's thinking, what she likes, and what she dislikes. If I became that kind of woman, she would be too meticulous. Whether as a friend or a partner, it would be exhausting."

"You're thinking so far ahead? What if we lose contact in the future?"

I always love to imagine how we'll get along in the future with my younger friends, but in reality, most of us end up going our separate ways during that process.

Kazama Sakura blinked her beautiful, lively eyes and said, "Because you're here, it seems like there's always a possibility of us staying in touch."

Gen Tsukino ate his meal, saying, "Maybe in the future, these kinds of words will become your complaints."

"It's not impossible, but if that happens, remember to be a little tolerant of me," the girl said with a smile, then placed a chicken leg from her bowl into the boy's bowl. "You're playing soccer this afternoon, so make sure you get some energy."

The boy smiled. "So now you've learned to use this way of showing concern for me to stop eating meat?"

Kazama Sakura looked at the boy with feigned surprise, even exaggeratedly covering her pink lips.

"Huh? You noticed that?!"

"Don't give me that. You're not allowed to eat less meat. You're still growing, how can you lack nutrition?"

Gen Tsukino returned the chicken leg.

The girl pouted, "You really will get fat. I heard that it's easiest to gain weight when you're growing."

Gen Tsukino replied casually, "If you get fat, I'll take care of it."

"Hmm? You have a way?" The girl was a little surprised, but of course she believed it, since in her dictionary, the word Tsukino Gen meant omnipotent.

"Of course, haven't you heard that sex is quite energy-consuming?"

"Screw you!"

The girl's cheeks immediately flushed, and she glanced around furtively, as if afraid someone had overheard their conversation.

It's not that having this kind of relationship with Tsukino Gen is so embarrassing to talk about, it's just that it's not a topic suitable for school. Even though I often hear girls talking about these things, and even comparing whose boyfriend is better in bed, it's all too much of a shock to Kazama Sakura's worldview.

Gen Tsukino smiled and said, "Speaking of which, if I win all the championships I participate in, will there be any reward?"

The girl's beautiful eyes darted around. "You signed up for these programs not for me, so why are you asking me for a reward?"

Gen Tsukino said innocently, "Who said that? You've been cheering me on so much, I'm definitely playing hard for you."

"Hmph. So what reward do you want?"

The girl blushed as she said those words.

Because even though she knew the boy was just trying to coax her, she still agreed, which meant she wanted to give him a reward. And what kind of reward was it? It seemed obvious.

The boy gave a mysterious look and said, "You don't need to worry about that. You'll find out when the time comes."

"He has ill intentions."

"Don't say anything, just watch my performance."

The boy buried his head in his rice, seemingly having instantly replenished his energy.

What motivates men? Is it supreme power or ultimate beauty? Both are possible.

in the afternoon.

After lunchtime, the first event of the afternoon sports festival was a soccer match at 2:30 pm.

It was also held as a key event, and it's said that professional referees from national competitions were invited. Although there were only four matches in total, completed over two days, the enthusiasm for the event was clearly quite high.

As the world's most popular sport, it's only natural that it receives such enthusiasm. Moreover, Zhao Ri's football level is already quite high; even within their youth system, they can't be described as a bunch of amateurs.

Even when Tsukino Gen went to the locker room, he found that quite a few people had already entered, seemingly choosing the best viewing spots.

Almost everyone had arrived in the locker room.

As a key member of the school team, Suzuki is naturally the captain of the White Team, and he is currently busy strategizing.

They even set up a makeshift tactics board, probably because this time the team consisted mostly of players with prior soccer training, hence the elaborate setup. Whether they could understand it or not, Tsukino Gen certainly couldn't.

Forget all that, buddy, I'll just make a soup and that's it.

"Tsukino, you're here? Perfect timing, I'm going over tactics."

"You keep talking, I'll change my clothes."

As the boy spoke, he changed his clothes, and at the same time, he heard Suzuki deliver an enthusiastic and important speech.

"This time we're playing against the Green Team. In terms of overall strength, the Green Team is actually a fairly even team, consisting of four main players from the school team, as well as other substitutes. The difficulty lies in their goalkeeper being the school team's starting goalkeeper, so their focus is probably on defense. Therefore, we must be careful of their counter-attacks."

"As planned, we'll decide whether to bring Tsukino on in the second half depending on the situation. So, Nobi, number 11, your main task is to score if you can, and if you don't have the chance, you should try your best to wear down the opponent's defense. We'll play cautiously in the first half."

Indeed, Tsukino Gen will not play in the first half, which was agreed upon beforehand.

Mainly, they all wanted a chance to show off, and Suzuki, who had witnessed the boy's strength, embellished the situation with other reasons.

For example, concerns about his stamina should be reserved for the finals.

Gen Tsukino didn't object to this; he couldn't let himself be the center of attention. There was no need to incite resentment and become the enemy of all the male students.

"Alright, our goal is definitely to make it to the finals, everyone, let's do our best!"

They made a final roster change in the locker room before coming out one by one.

The afternoon sun grew increasingly dazzling and bright, but thankfully it was already autumn, and the wind that blew by carried a slight chill.

The stands were already packed with people. Several familiar school leaders could even be seen seated in the VIP area.

Of course, Rin Asagiri and her daughter Jun Asagiri were also among them.

Looking at the players on the field, Tsukino Gen sat down on the bench in advance.

Mrs. Saionji smiled. "So the young man you favored this time is just a substitute?"

Jun Asagiri didn't answer immediately, but instead glanced at her daughter beside her.

Asagiri Rin understood what her mother meant and couldn't explain, "He said he would come on as a substitute in the second half. His teammates were taking care of him by having him participate in so many events, considering his physical condition."

"Oh, so you're using him as your trump card."

It was clear that Mrs. Saionji was still somewhat skeptical.

Although she kept saying she had no interest in sports, as the mistress of the Saionji family, she had seen most of the world and knew a little about everything.

You never hear of any ace player truly hiding until the very end; this isn't chess. While there are exceptions, they're mostly accidental. The players who truly decide the game can't possibly remain hidden until the very end.

Have you ever heard of a Ballon d'Or winner playing as a substitute in crucial games?

Jun Asagiri smiled upon hearing this, "I don't know, but since that's how it's arranged, let's see. Our school's soccer team is pretty good, it won't be too bad to watch."

"That would be best. Oh dear, my husband loves watching football and always makes me watch with him, but I don't see what's so great about it."

Karen Saionji muttered from the side, "Isn't that because you fell asleep while watching?"

"If it wasn't pretty, of course I fell asleep!" The mother glared at the girl.

Karen Saionji secretly stuck out her tongue at Rin Asagiri.

Clearly, she wasn't firmly on her mother's side.

However, Asagiri Rin didn't seem to appreciate it much, instead leisurely fiddling with her phone.

Then his face darkened.

"He just finished the 4x100 relay this morning, and now the forums are full of pictures of him crossing the finish line? You've got some serious talent."

At that moment, the voice of the student who was specifically responsible for explaining the key points came from the loudspeaker.

"Alright, the match is about to begin. White team versus green team! White team serves now!"

……

(End of this chapter)