I practiced as a monk alone in Japan.

Chapter 25 Disturbance
"Here~"

Tsukino Gen got off the train.

On the bustling commercial street, I saw a girl waving her fair arm in the distance.

In the afternoon sunlight, Kazama Sakura seemed to be glowing.

Compared to her hidden worries and gloomy expression, Tsukino Gen admitted that he admired her more for her carefree, smiling self. It was as if she represented the very essence of youth.

It's Sunday, so she didn't have to wear her school uniform and changed into her everyday clothes.

A white halter dress paired with hot pants.

A simple "no pants" outfit.

However, it undoubtedly suits her perfectly. After all, she is already tall and slender among girls her age, which makes her long, straight, and fair legs look even longer and more dazzling.

The girl even styled her hair in a bun today, which made her look even more charming and adorable.

Beneath her light bangs, her clear eyes shone with a brilliance that seemed even more dazzling than the summer sun.

Her glossy pink lips curved slightly, making you want to smile along with her.

"I could have gone inside to look for it, why did I come out?"

In contrast, the boy dressed casually, still in a T-shirt and jeans, approached her.

Sakura Kazama tilted her head back and said with a smile, "I was just worried you'd waste your time. Besides, I practically asked you to come, so how could I not pick you up?"

"Thank you so much."

He said this without a hint of apology.

Sakura Kazama shook her head. "How could it be a bother for me? It's you who should be the one bothering me. I'm sorry for suddenly calling you over."

"fine."

He walked into the KTV with the girl.

This KTV is slightly different from the one I remember from Tsukino Gen; it's much quieter and more deserted, but there are still people in many of the private rooms.

The decor isn't particularly extravagant or flashy; it's rather simpler in comparison.

The girl walking in front would occasionally glance back at Tsukino Gen, as if worried that this unpredictable boy might suddenly slip away.

As soon as the door to the private room was opened, the sound of accompaniment flowed out instantly.

"Sakura, you're finally back. Eh? Tsukino-kun? You really called Tsukino-kun over!"

When Tsukino Gen appeared from behind Kazama Sakura, it immediately caused a cheer in the private room.

That's a bit of an exaggeration. If you didn't know better, you'd think some popular celebrity was participating in a variety show and then suddenly appeared at a KTV with ordinary people.

There were quite a few people inside, both men and women, but they were all around the same age as Kazama Sakura and Tsukino Gen, and were all students.

However, some of them dress in a unique and even flashy way after leaving school, making it hard to tell their true colors.

"It really is Tsukino-kun!"

"My God, he's so handsome."

"Kazama!! Tell me honestly, how were you summoned here? What's your relationship with him!"

Suddenly, nobody cared about singing anymore.

Besides the girls' excited expressions, Tsukino Gen could also clearly see the dissatisfied looks in the eyes of several boys.

Envy or jealousy?
Gen Tsukino was already used to this, and he smiled.

"Hello, I'm Tsukino Gen from Class 3."

Sakura Kazama explained somewhat embarrassedly, "What kind of relationship do we have? We're just close friends, and we happen to be in the same class. Don't talk nonsense."

Then she leaned close to the boy's ear and whispered, "These are members of the club I'm in. They're having a team-building activity today. I'm sorry, I don't know where they got the idea, but they insisted that I invite you over."

Gen Tsukino said softly and calmly, "I thought you wanted to see me, but it turns out that's the case. Then you should indeed feel sorry for betraying my feelings."

"Don't talk nonsense about feelings."

Sakura Kazama's cheeks flushed slightly, and she stole a glance at the nonchalant boy beside her.

Damn it, it's happening again!
He never tells the truth; he speaks words that are easily misunderstood as if they're free.

"Oh, friends, right? Who isn't a friend? Come, please have a seat!"

There were some drinks in the private room, but Tsukino Gen didn't smell any alcohol on Kazama Sakura.

"you've been drinking?"

He asked that question on purpose.

Sakura Kazama, who sat down next to the boy, shook her head. "Why drink if there's nothing wrong?"

Tsukino Gen smiled and said, "You used to really like drinking it when we had oden before, why aren't you drinking it today?"

The girl's ears were pinkish-red, and translucent like rubies.

"I only drank it because I was with you."

That glance held a hint of reproach, as if it were a condemnation of the young man for feigning ignorance, for knowing full well what was going on, yet stubbornly ignoring the charm.

"By the way, does Tsukino-kun want to sing? How about one?"

Someone greeted Tsukino Gen warmly.

Gen Tsukino smiled and shook his head, "No need, I can't sing, you guys can sing."

The girl who looked more like an upperclassman laughed and said, "Tsukino-kun is so good at his studies, so handsome, how come someone so perfect can't sing?"

"Sigh, there always has to be some imperfections, otherwise wouldn't that leave no room for other guys to compete?"

"Pfft, this is so funny, Tsukino-kun, hahaha."

Tsukino Gen's answer still seemed very self-centered, but it's not like any girl would dislike him because of his narcissism. Kazama Sakura was no exception, even though she always said he was too narcissistic and unbearable.

Actually, that's not true at all, because he has the right to be self-righteous.

Tsukino Gen didn't sing. After paying attention to the boy, he resumed his original activities, singing and drinking like a celebratory party.

"Won't it be a bit noisy?"

Gen Tsukino leaned back lazily on the sofa, watching, while Sakura Kazama leaned closer with some concern and whispered, "Are you alright? Aren't you going to sing?"

Gen Tsukino countered with a question.

Sakura Kazama shook her head and said, "I already sang it before you came. I'm not very good at it, so I won't embarrass myself in front of you."

Gen Tsukino feigned displeasure and said, "What do you mean? It's fine to embarrass yourself in front of others, but you won't let your best friend of the opposite sex hear it?"

Best friend of the opposite sex?
What a strange relationship!
"Get lost, I won't let you hear it. I'll consider singing for you when you sing for me."

Sakura Kazama shook her head haughtily, the little buns sticking out of her hair bobbing up and down, looking rather cute, making one want to reach out and tug them.

Because I thought that way, I did it.

Gen Tsukino never liked to mistreat himself, and he didn't need to deliberately restrain himself from doing what he wanted to do, so he reached out and pinched it.

There was no physical sensation, but I did see Kazama Sakura's cheeks turn bright red in an instant.

"What are you doing?"

Her voice trembled slightly.

Gen shrugged. "Let me see how you did it. I thought you had something hidden inside."

"What could you possibly be hiding here? You're just trying to take advantage of me."

The girl muttered to herself, while secretly glancing around. It seemed no one was paying attention to their little theater. This made her slightly relieved, but for some reason, she also felt a little disappointed.

They probably feel that even if that's not the case, the fact that others perceive them as having a relationship that others can joke about can give them a sense of possessiveness.

"Is this considered getting a good deal?" Tsukino Gen asked incredulously.

"Then what counts?" The girl raised her eyebrows, a hint of shy timidity in her eyes, yet still a defiant challenge.

Gen Tsukino pretended to reach out his hand, extending it towards the other person's fair and firm thigh.

However, it seemed that Kazama Sakura was not paying attention to what he was doing at all, and was still staring into Tsukino Gen's eyes, only biting her lip.

It was as if they were waiting for Tsukino Gen's next move.

My heart was pounding, and I didn't know if he could hear me. But it didn't matter whether he could hear me or not, because I was so nervous I could hardly breathe. Would he really dare?

What would be a normal reaction after touching it?
But at that moment—"creak."

The door to the private room was pushed open, and Tsukino Gen calmly withdrew his hand.

The singing stopped abruptly, and Kazama Sakura breathed a sigh of relief. The tension that had been choking her and holding her breath seemed to dissipate, but why was there still an undeniable sense of disappointment?
She bit her lip and gave Tsukino Gen a resentful look, while the boy smiled.

"What kind of expression is that? Do you really want me to take advantage of you?"

"Coward, humph."

Gen Tsukino: ? ? ?

Wow, this is a reversal of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches.

The door was pushed open, and an uninvited guest entered.

A handsome and aloof young man walked in, and many girls instinctively turned their gaze towards him.

"Hey. Isn't this Watanabe-senpai from the school's kendo club?"

"What's he doing here? But Senior Watanabe is really amazing. He represented our school in the National Kendo Competition and won second place. I heard that several prestigious universities have already offered him admission without taking the entrance exam."

"His kendo is so good, and he's handsome too. Although he's not as good as Tsukino-kun, he looks like he could kill Tsukino-kun with one punch."

"Oh no, I'm starting to imagine Watanabe-senpai forcing himself on Tsukino-kun. He punches him until he cries, and then..."

What kind of bizarre fantasies are these?

Gen Tsukino's senses are sharp, so he could easily hear these whispers.

However, this was not something to worry about. He clearly sensed that the handsome, tall boy who came in first noticed Kazama Sakura before looking at him.

For a fleeting moment, their eyes met, and Tsukino Gen didn't reveal any particular emotion; on the contrary, the other person was looking at him quite intently.

It seemed like a martial artist trying to find some weakness in himself, a clear sign of aggression.

That's why they're called teenagers; youth, impulsiveness, and passion are all related words. More importantly, they're not good at hiding their emotions. Of course, they don't need to.

If your youth requires you to hide, suppress your emotions, and treat them like some precious treasure that you won't show to anyone, then you're truly experiencing youth.

It seems that the most beautiful meaning of this time has been lost.

"Watanabe? What brings you here?"

The short-haired upperclassman who had greeted Tsukino Gen earlier stood up and looked at the boy with some surprise.

Watanabe He shifted his gaze back and said with a smile, "Our kendo club was having a gathering nearby, and when we saw this, we thought we'd come over and say hello. I hope we haven't disturbed you?"

The senior student was overjoyed, wondering if she was having a lucky day with handsome guys coming one after another.

"Of course I won't bother you. By the way, would you like to sit here for a while? Or have a drink or something?"

Watanabe He looked thoughtful, then smiled and nodded.

"Since you've said so, I can't refuse. I'll just sit here for a bit, you guys continue."

"Okay, then please sit down."

"Is this side okay?"

The senior students hadn't even arranged the seats yet.

Watanabe Kasa had already walked in the direction he had been gazing at for a long time.

From his vantage point, he looked down upon a couple who appeared to be a perfect match.

His stern expression softened into a peaceful smile, which looked like a blessing.

Especially this sentence he said.

It seemed as if he was speaking to the bewildered Kazama Sakura, but his eyes were clearly fixed on Tsukino Gen.

interesting.

……

(End of this chapter)