I practiced as a monk alone in Japan.

Chapter 239 Going home? Going home what!

The liquor sloshed under the light, reflecting the image of the person facing the glass.

Their faces were flushed, or their eyes were filled with sorrow.

Is it an unresolved knot in the heart, an old story that cannot be understood, or a past that has already been let go?

It seems no one hears more stories than a wine glass.

Tsukino Gen looked at the woman in front of him with amusement. "You're so obsessed with this ring? If you really want it, I can give it to you right now."

"Did you bring it with you?"

Chinatsu Morita blinked.

Gen Tsukino took out his wallet. It seems like very few people use such things nowadays. It's like an old-fashioned gadget from a previous era, or perhaps a relic? A ship from an old time?
However, Gen Tsukino still carried it with him quite often, since it contained many identification documents and bank cards. These things, if left lying around, would produce a strange phenomenon: when you needed them, you couldn't find them anywhere, but if you left them unattended for a while, they would miraculously reappear.

It seems that some kind of ghost or monster caused this situation, but Tsukino Gen can't remember what it is for the time being.

However, in order to prevent such a situation from occurring, Tsukino Gen would choose to put them together, and he would often be criticized by Kiyono Mizuki for these things, saying that they were the behavior of the older generation.

"Yes, I keep it in my wallet, so I basically carry it with me at all times."

The boy gave a frank answer.

It's not that I value this ring that much; after all, the meaning of an object is given by people.

Chinatsu Morita looked at the boy with satisfaction. "Then take it carefully."

Don't you want it?

"Of course I want it, but it's not very meaningful for you to just give it to me like this. I said, I want you to give it to me willingly."

Gen Tsukino couldn't help but laugh. "What a strange sense of ritual."

"It's not about ritual, it's about perseverance. Just like good students insist on not cheating on exams. Is the exam itself something sacred? Never. But the meaning behind it is what's important: through your own efforts, you achieve extraordinary success, surpassing everyone else who worked with you, satisfying your vanity and sense of accomplishment."

Gen Tsukino raised his glass and, unusually, took the initiative to clink glasses with someone.

"No wonder you became a policeman."

"Dang~"

A crisp sound, the thin walls of the cups collided, as if they might shatter if any more force was applied.

She smiled broadly, "It's a pity he's not a very fair policeman."

Gen Tsukino shook his head. "It's been fair enough in many ways. No one can be completely on the side of justice. You're a policeman, not a saint."

"That's one thing, but it's another thing if most people find out."

"People always hope for a better life and treat others with rather harsh standards, but they ignore whether they can achieve it themselves and whether they have made no mistakes in their own lives."

After finishing the whiskey, I opened a beer.

Craft beer is different from regular beer; it's hard to finish in one gulp, but the intoxicating effect is very noticeable.

The music was soothing, and the woman in front of him had brushed her hair back for the third time, revealing her delicate face and allowing Tsukino Gen to see the blush on her cheeks.

The color after drinking is always so vibrant, like the bright appearance after being irrigated by rain.

No wonder so many people like to drown their sorrows in alcohol. The way they look when they're drunk is just like a girl blushing, perfectly mimicking what it means to be in love.

Is it just an imitation, or is it really real? In this era, not many people care about the truth or falsehood anymore.

She tilted her head slightly and glanced at the dim light above the boy's head.

Then, looking at Tsukino Gen with emotion, he said, "I really wish I could live with you and listen to you talk every day."

"Huh? I'm not a voice actor. Besides, even the best voice gets boring after a while."

"It's not that I think your voice is nice, it's just that I enjoy listening to you talk. You always manage to come up with angles I never thought of, giving me a sense of sudden enlightenment."

The woman said with a smile.

Whether it was genuine flattery or not, Tsukino Gen didn't care.

"I only have this much to say. If you listen to it every day, you'll run out of it and think I'm just a boring person."

"So, you're the type who doesn't approve of premarital cohabitation?"

She suddenly asked.

Gen Tsukino paused for a moment, "How did this turn into premarital cohabitation? Are you proposing?"

"It's not like you'd say yes if I proposed. Would you say yes? If you would, I'd propose right now, and I happen to have a ring."

"Hahaha, you want to use my ring, huh?"

"What do you mean 'your'? It's just temporarily with you; it was destined to be mine from the start."

The woman even became proud, shook her head, and then took a big gulp of beer.

"Is this a declaration of sovereignty, not a threat?"

"That's true. By the way, you haven't answered my question yet. Do you disapprove of premarital cohabitation?"

Is this question really that important?
They won't actually live together, and of course, it's impossible for them to actually marry each other.

This was something we knew from the beginning, and there was no reason to change the decision.

The young man also took a big gulp of beer and then said, "It's not that I'm taking such an extreme stance as for or against it. It's just that I feel that for people who love each other, living together every day, face to face is always a kind of behavior that drains their passion. Because the more accustomed you are to each other, the more natural and unrestrained you become with each other. And in life, you will expose more of the ugly sides of yourself that you no longer care about."

"It's like when you first start dating, you worry about whether your makeup is perfect or if your breath still smells like what you just ate. You might not even dare to fart during a date. But once you've lived together for a while, these things become things you no longer care about. It might seem like you're getting along better, but isn't there actually an invisible increase in dislike deep down?"

Listening to the young man's words, the woman thought for a moment and said, "If you really like him, these shouldn't be problems, right? After all, you'll be living together after marriage, so these shouldn't be insurmountable obstacles."

"That's why people often talk about the seven-year itch. Not everyone can overcome it."

"You're quite rational."

Gen Tsukino took another sip, then shook his head and said, "There's no such thing as rational or irrational. I'm just saying it casually, don't take it seriously. After all, when things really happen, there might be a turning point that changes all your previous thoughts."

"Are you always so meticulous in your words and actions?"

The woman had the bottle of wine pressed against her cheek, seemingly unaware that this meant the alcohol was already taking effect. The boy shook his head. "No, you could also interpret it as me saying whatever comes to mind in my dreams, just rambling on and on."

"Hmph, you're not that unreliable."

"Thank you so much for your trust in me."

Chinatsu Morita blinked. "If I don't trust you, who else can I trust?"

At that moment, Tsukino Gen thought of Morita Kaoru, the other person's older sister.

However, it is clearly not appropriate or necessary to bring this up now.

She asked again, "What have you been busy with lately? I haven't seen you around much."

"It's about school events, like the sports festival. I participated in some events and competitions."

"Really? That's a pity, I won't have the chance to see you exercise."

Gen Tsukino was actually quite curious about what was so interesting about this kind of thing.

It's not that I haven't run in front of her before, even though I always seem to be in complete control. But just imagining it should make it clear that nothing special happened.

"Is this something to regret? Then you have far too many things in your life that you should regret."

"Who said that? I can't be bothered with other people's business. It's only when it happens to you that I pay extra attention."

"Why do I feel like a celebrity?"

"Hmph, if you want to become a star, it should be a very simple thing."

"Then forget it. We've already received enough attention; any more would be too much for us."

The two chatted and drank, and soon they finished their beer.

Chinatsu Morita was about to continue, but Gen Tsukino stopped her in time, since they had agreed not to drink too much, and Chinatsu Morita was clearly already at her limit.

It's not fair to say he was just slightly tipsy, but he was definitely not drunk; he had a pretty good grasp of the situation.

Let's leave the bar together.

The autumn breeze outside is already cool, as if the summer heat is being gradually dispelled.

The woman, now wearing her coat again, leaned against the boy with a hint of dependence, holding his arm. Tsukino Gen had originally intended to avoid this, but the other woman kept pestering him, so he simply let it go.

Aren't a man's hands meant to be a woman's pillow?

"Shouldn't we go home?"

Gen Tsukino asked casually.

The intention is actually quite clear: they are preparing for a graceful exit.

The woman suddenly looked up and stared at Tsukino Gen, a sudden movement that almost startled him.

"You've come out, and you've drunk quite a bit, and now you're telling me you want to go home?"

Is that your line?
Tsukino Gen glared at the other person, annoyed. "You've had enough to drink, why aren't you going home? Are you really planning to commit a crime against me?"

"Hmph, going home isn't out of the question, but you can take me home."

She said so.

Tsukino Gen, who didn't ride his electric scooter today, looked at her strangely and said, "You're not drunk, why do you insist on me taking you? Besides, you're a police officer, you should be quite safe."

Are you forcing me to go back and have a few more drinks before you're willing to take me home?

"That's really unnecessary, isn't it? Is it really necessary to threaten people like that?"

Gen Tsukino said with a hint of amusement.

Seeing the boy's expression soften, the clever woman didn't press her advantage. Instead, she took his hand and embraced him tightly.

He spoke in a tone that sounded almost like he was being coquettish.

"I'm not threatening you, I'm just begging you~ please take me home~ it's too dark, I'm scared to go home alone."

Are you still afraid to go for it?
Gen Tsukino, too lazy to expose the clumsy lie, nodded.

"Okay, but I'm going home. I'm letting you know in advance."

"Good~"

I got into a taxi and headed straight to the other person's house.

The scenery along the way seemed unchanged, except that there were more or fewer people on the streets.

The woman in the back seat of the taxi didn't say much, nor did she nag. But in the quiet space, her heavy breathing seemed to be the best catalyst for warming up the atmosphere.

However, both of them were quite restrained and did not do anything out of line under such circumstances.

Until you get off.

Gen Tsukino kept his promise and escorted her to the elevator, all the way to her doorstep.

Opened the door.

The boy felt he had almost finished his task, so he didn't need to go in and pretend to have a drink of water.

So he said, "Alright, since it's been delivered, I'll go first."

But a vibrant atmosphere swept over us.

It's like a dazzling display created by countless lights.

His burning lips pressed against hers, silencing all the words she wanted to say.

She pulled herself along with passion, urgency, and longing.

The boy only had time to hear the door close behind him.

……

(End of this chapter)