I practiced as a monk alone in Japan.

Chapter 230 You Are a Sky Full of Stars

"Tsukino-kun, this is your second championship today, and your first individual championship. You've participated in so many events and are still in such good form. You even seem to win every event you participate in, and you even played a soccer match beforehand. Tsukino-kun, is there anything you'd like to say?"

I don't know if it's a newly added segment or if this sports festival is paying special attention to the participating students.

It's not just about receiving an award; there's also a special interview.

Gen Tsukino looked at the crowd below. The 3,000-meter race wasn't supposed to be a particularly noteworthy event, and he hadn't seen many people when he went up on stage. So why were there so many people below after he received his medal?
Many unfamiliar faces raised their phones to take pictures of him, while familiar faces like Kazama Sakura watched him from below the stage.

Surprisingly, Jun and Rin Asagiri, mother and daughter, were among those present and had not yet left.

I don't recall this family being particularly interested in sports.
Seeing these strange looks, Tsukino Gen didn't feel nervous at all.

He calmly took the microphone.

"I didn't expect to achieve such good results beforehand; maybe it was just luck. I hope that students who are dedicated to sports won't be discouraged by this and will continue to strive for their dreams. Thank you."

After saying that, Tsukino Gen stepped down from the stage.

I didn't hear anyone shouting anything from below.

They didn't head directly towards Asagiri Rin's area, since there seemed to be quite a few people surrounding them, as if they wanted to say something, which probably wasn't about themselves.

"Are you OK?"

Kazama Sakura looked at the sweaty boy who came up to her, but didn't seem bothered by the smell. She leaned close to him and asked with concern.

"What could possibly happen to me? Don't worry."

The boy answered with a smile.

Seeing that Tsukino Gen was still the same as always, the girl felt relieved. He really wasn't putting on a brave face. Come to think of it, she couldn't see when this boy was ever putting in effort, which was perhaps one of his traits.

He never does anything he's not confident about, and seems to dislike taking risks and lacking in some romantic qualities, but who says that's not another kind of charm? She just really likes his effortless and confident demeanor, no matter what he does.

"But why did you think of saying that on stage just now?"

The girl asked curiously, seemingly feeling that speaking like that wasn't in Tsukino Gen's style.

The boy replied with a smile, "I'm afraid if I don't say it like that, those sports students will block my school gate later."

"Pfft." The girl laughed as brightly as a summer flower, and then said, "But it sounds like you're making people hate you even more by saying that."

"is it?"

"Hahaha, don't be nervous."

The two were chatting casually.

Someone is walking towards us.

"Tsuno-kun."

They were a somewhat unfamiliar mature woman and an acquaintance.

"Are you...Saionji-senpai's mother?"

Tsukino Gen glanced at Saionji Karen, who was standing beside him with a smile, and said...

A mature woman with an air of elegance still retains her charm, though she may not quite reach the otherworldly level of someone like Jun Asagiri. However, for her age, she has maintained herself remarkably well.

"How clever of you. I haven't even introduced myself yet. It seems that Lady Asagiri was right."

Mrs. Saionji answered with a smile.

Gen Tsukino glanced at Sakura Kazama beside him, but didn't mean anything by it. He just didn't want her to misunderstand that he had any relationship with this upperclassman.

If there is a real connection, let her misunderstand; but if there is nothing going on, it's best to clarify it beforehand.

Kazama Sakura clearly received this message, and she asked politely, "How about I excuse myself for a moment, and you two talk?"

Gen Tsukino smiled and shook his head. "It's nothing. Did your aunt need something?"

Mrs. Saionji glanced at the intimate state between the two, clearly guessing something, but Gen Tsukino made no attempt to hide it.

This made Mrs. Saionji's expression intrigued.

"It's nothing, I just heard that my daughter and you are on good terms. I happened to watch a few of your matches today, and your performance was amazing. So I thought I'd have Hualian bring me over to meet you."

"Oh, thank you for your concern, Auntie. There's nothing special about it. I just like to exercise a little bit in my spare time. I didn't expect to get such good results."

"Tsukino-kun is too modest. The level of this high school is not something you can achieve by simply training. I even suspect that you are a sports student who has been training for many years. If not, then your talent is quite amazing. Have you ever thought about pursuing sports? I have some connections and can help you get in touch."

Gen Tsukino shook his head. "I don't have that idea for now. Thank you for your kindness, Auntie."

"That's a pity." Mrs. Saionji didn't show any regret on her face. She smiled and said, "I've always felt that young people should make more friends with capable people, rather than trying to climb the social ladder for wealth. That's too mercenary. You can spend more time with Karen in the future. I support you both."

"Okay, I know."

"Then let's not bother you any longer, let's go."

Mrs. Saionji smiled and left with Saionji Karen.

Before leaving, Saionji Karen glanced at Tsukino Gen, a slight smile playing on her lips, looking somewhat inexplicably smug.

The boy had no idea what she was so proud of.

Is she worried that her mother might discover her ambiguous relationship with Kazama Sakura and Asagiri Rin, and that something unexpected might happen?

After the two left, Kazama Sakura didn't react excessively. Instead, she smiled and said something meaningful.

"Now it's not just attracting girls, it's attracting their mothers too."

"You can't say things like that that could be reviewed at any time. It's just their appreciation for a junior."

"Oh? Is it the kind of admiration you'd want to take as a son-in-law?"

"Hmm? Kazama-san's sharp tongue has been getting better and better lately; I'm finding it a bit hard to keep up."

The boy said with a half-smile.

"Hmph, that's the awful jealousy girls have. Of course I have it too. I don't like it, but I have to put up with it~"

That's true, but if all girls in the world were jealous in the same way she was, men in this world would suffer 80 percent less.

"Since you've put it that way, there's nothing I can do. By the way, would you like to have dinner together?"

"I'm afraid it won't work today." "Huh? Why?"

This time, the girl didn't give a direct reason. Instead, she took out her phone, which showed chat logs. These weren't conversations between her and her mother.

It turned out to be a conversation with Rin Asagiri.

It seems that the message was sent by that young lady herself.

The content is...
Can I borrow Tsukino Gen today? My mom's going to entertain him.

Gen Tsukino: ? ? ?

Is it really possible to say something like that so easily? And Kazama Sakura's answer was...
【Okay, Miss, good luck!】

Rin Asagiri: [What's with the encouragement? ???]

Gen Tsukino also wanted to ask for encouragement, but given his current situation, it seemed inappropriate to press his luck with such questions.

He asked out of curiosity, "Do you often talk like that?"

Kazama Sakura didn't seem aggrieved at all. She swayed her ponytail slightly and said with a smile, "We talk a lot more than you think. Do you think we're in a state of never speaking to each other again?"

"No, not at all. But am I some kind of object that you can just lend to someone without even asking how they feel?"

Kazama Sakura chuckled and playfully punched the boy's arm.

"You've already gotten both of us beautiful girls for free, what more do you want in return?"

"That's true, but I'm still sorry."

His tone lowered slightly. Although Kazama Sakura appeared all smiles and seemed completely unharmed, he couldn't accept it so easily, as if it had no impact whatsoever.

No one would willingly share something they cherish; convincing oneself, comforting oneself—there are too many mental preparations required. And fate has already been unfair to this girl; perhaps the most devastating blow was delivered by her own hand. This makes her undeniably culpable.

However, Sakura Kazama clearly knew that while she was sorry, some facts could not be changed.

Blindly striving and forcing things may not necessarily bring happiness, even if you have a chance of winning in the end.

But she didn't want that scene to happen.

"It's okay, as long as everyone can end up with smiles. Some price is acceptable, isn't it?"

Looking into the girl's bright, sparkling eyes.

Gen Tsukino gently reached out and touched the other person's bangs.

"Thank you."

"Okay, I'll head back now. Keep up the good work tomorrow, but don't push yourself too hard."

"Okay, I understand. Be careful and contact me anytime if you need anything."

"Good~"

The girl waved and left with her schoolbag slung over her shoulder, under the boy's gaze.

She seemed relaxed and walked with a light step. She ran into some girls from her class on the way, and they talked about Tsukino Gen's performance that day. In their eyes, the two of them seemed to be in a committed relationship, so they didn't hold back.

Sakura Kazama smiled and joined in their conversation, showing no sign of embarrassment.

There are some situations they may never have imagined, and some things seem destined to remain buried in their hearts.

Having chosen this future and made countless preparations, she still needs to manage her expressions, yet she remains poised and elegant.

I said goodbye to them at the subway station and boarded the subway alone. Luckily, there were seats available.

But as she sat there, looking down at her phone, the girl's eyes began to redden.

Convincing yourself is not an easy thing. No matter how hard you try to act normal, you can't stop the ups and downs of your emotions.

These grievances and tears seem to be better kept to oneself than spoken of.

That would put him in a difficult position, wouldn't it?

That's how many things are; there's no perfect solution, and you can't be greedy and demand more. Someone has to sacrifice; someone has to be silently swallowed by the churning waves.

All I could do was put aside all my emotions when I got off the bus and look forward to our next meeting.

When the girl reached the bottom of the stairs, she suddenly received a phone call from an unknown number.

"Hello, is this Ms. Kazama Sakura?"

"I am, are you?"

"I'm downstairs at your place. Someone's delivering something to you. Is it convenient for you to pick it up?"

"Hey? I'm downstairs too, I see you."

The girl put down her phone and saw a food delivery guy holding the phone and looking for her.

He walked towards him and presented him with a bouquet of flowers.

It is a cluster of stars.

"These flowers are a gift for you. Please accept them."

"OK, thanks"

The delivery driver left quickly.