I practiced as a monk alone in Japan.

Chapter 263 Disliking someone is a trumped-up charge.

"You've already discussed it again?"

Gen Tsukino glanced at the phone in the other person's hand.

The exchange was brief, typical of Asagiri Rin's usual chatting style.

He explained the situation in a few words: he and Tsukino Gen would be attending the autumn outing, and he asked the girl if she wanted to come along so they could have more time to spend together under the guise of the club.

Being alone together?

Does that count as three people?

However, it's quite obvious that when these three are together, they automatically create a natural magnetic field, setting them apart from others. Perhaps others wouldn't feel confident standing next to them.

They don't look like people from the same world at all.

Sakura Kazama readily agreed to Asagiri Rin's suggestion, seemingly without any suspicion that Asagiri Rin might have some ulterior motive, and also seemingly unconcerned about the three of them spending more time together.

Perhaps in her view, this is a process of adaptation.

Just like she said under the Ferris wheel.

Asagiri Rin can try to accept it, and she can try to sacrifice herself.

"Well, it's not a big deal, can't we discuss it? Besides, I think what she said makes a lot of sense. It's better to do activities in the name of the club than in the name of the class. There are too many people in the class, and they'll be chattering away, so you won't be able to do or see anything. You'll also have to follow their schedule, which might actually be a hindrance."

Gen Tsukino looked at Sakura Kazama with a hint of surprise.

"I never expected Kazama-kun to say something like that. I always thought you were full of tolerance and love for the world. So you can also look down on others?"

Indeed, in the eyes of many, Kazama Sakura's 'persona' is very much like that of a standard anime heroine: full of tolerance for the world, using her love to redeem humanity. Not only does she fit in, but she is also willing to sacrifice herself.

But now, it seems that under the subtle influence of this boy, obvious changes have occurred.

Sakura Kazama gently swayed her hair and smiled, saying, "I'm not that kind of person. I also feel annoyed by the bad things around me, and it's tiring to always put myself in other people's shoes. I don't want to care so much about other people's feelings. After all, not everyone deserves it."

"Sakura has grown up."

The boy looked up with emotion.

"Why are you speaking to me like an elder?"

Sakura Kazama placed her hands behind her back and leaned forward slightly.

The girl, who is getting taller and taller, is not only becoming more slender, but also developing in other areas.

Even though she was wearing a thin school uniform jacket in this weather, the slight forward lean still caused a noticeable deformation in the girl's bulging chest.

I don't even know if I contributed anything to it.

"I was using a double entendre."

What pun?

The girl, who hadn't completely become corrupted, blinked and caught a fleeting glance from Tsukino Gen. She lowered her head.

Then her cheeks turned pink like cherry blossoms in full bloom, and she playfully slapped the boy's arm.

"Dirty!"

"What? Is it my fault for just glancing through your clothes? Besides, I might have played a part in it."

"You still said that!"

They chased and made a ruckus.

Just like any other ordinary young man and woman.

Looking back years later, it may seem like a meaningless thing, as if it means nothing. But that doesn't stop you from having a smile on your face when you recall these 'meaningless' moments of youth.

The morning classes passed quickly, and it was lunchtime.

Gen Tsukino and Akihiko Miura visited the school cafeteria together after a long time.

The food at Zhaori Private High School is really good; in fact, it's arguably one of the best among high schools. You can upgrade your meal by paying extra, but even the basic regular meal is quite good.

In the past, when Tsukino Gen lived frugally on scholarships, he ate ordinary meals.

But now, as long as you're willing to go to the school cafeteria, someone will treat you to a meal; life is pretty much like that.

He even doubted whether Miura Akihiko truly treated him as his brother-in-law.
"Damn it, I'm getting so annoyed by those track and field guys these days."

"what happened?"

Gen Tsukino, who was eating a salmon set meal, looked up and asked.

Miura Akihiko said irritably, "It's all because of you. They couldn't find you, so they had to come to me. They said that as long as I could persuade you to join their branch, you would get a lot of benefits. I'm curious what those benefits are."

"Maybe I'll introduce you to a beautiful girl from the sports club?"

Gen Tsukino was joking.

But to his surprise, Akihiko Miura actually started to think about it seriously.

"I heard that the girls in the sports department all have really long legs, wow."

"You really want to?"

"If it's a pretty girl from the sports club, I wouldn't mind if you made a sacrifice."

"I'm sorry, I mind."

Tsukino Gen said irritably.

"You're eating the food I bought for you, and he's still my brother. You can't even make this small sacrifice for my happiness?"

He widened his eyes dramatically.

Gen Tsukino rolled his eyes. "First of all, if your happiness requires sacrificing me, then it's not happiness. Secondly, dating isn't as difficult as you imagine. As long as you give up those pointless fantasies, don't have higher expectations, and are bolder and more normal when interacting with girls, it's not that hard."

Miura Akihiko scoffed, "It's easy to talk when you have a face like that. If I looked like you, it would be a piece of cake. Sigh."

Ok?
So, in their eyes, the reason I have this kind of relationship with Asagiri Rin and Kazama Sakura is entirely because of my face?
But it seems that what he said wasn't wrong.

Although Gen Tsukino agrees that the human soul is more precious, there is no doubt that appearance is a stepping stone. If your face doesn't meet the requirements, it's difficult for people to understand your precious soul.

However, it is often difficult for a pretty face to hide an interesting soul, or rather, a pure soul.

He reasonably suspected that the so-called creator might be a demon, which was why he created humanity in this way.

Gen Tsukino was about to say something to adjust Akihiko Miura's worldview.

Suddenly, a shadow loomed over us from the side.

He looked over and saw a familiar figure carrying a tray.

Gen Tsukino looked at Kazuya Watanabe, a senior member of the kendo club and a fairly well-known male student at the school.

Tall, sunny, handsome, and well-mannered.

His first words were, "Excuse me, could you move aside? I have a few words to say to him."

The person he was talking to was naturally Akihiko Miura.

Miura Akihiko knew about Watanabe Kakeru and Tsukino Gen's rivalry in love. Although he always teased the boy for cheating on his girlfriend and knowing he would get his comeuppance, he still narrowed his eyes and looked at him. "Watanabe-senpai, if you're here to cause trouble, I'm definitely not leaving."

Watanabe He shook his head.

"Don't worry, it's just a few words."

"This"

Akihiko Miura looked at Gen Tsukino across from him, seeking his opinion.

The boy smiled and nodded, seemingly without any hesitation. "Don't worry, this is a school, not an octagon. What's there to be afraid of?"

Besides, if it really is an octagon, the danger will only be to his opponent, not himself.

With that in mind, Akihiko Miura nodded and left with his tray.

Watanabe He then slowly sat down in front of the boy.

The usually cheerful young man now looked serious, his brows furrowed as he stared at Tsukino Gen.

"Why are you looking at me like that, Watanabe-senpai?"

The boy greeted her very politely, not caring at all about how she appeared in his eyes; politeness was just an initial habit.

Watanabe thought for a moment, then spoke in a low voice.

"I feel that what you did was very unfair to Kazama Sakura."

Gen Tsukino immediately realized that it was similar to what he had expected, and it was also a follow-up to that confession incident.

You could also just tell the other person: "My affairs and her affairs seem to have nothing to do with you."

After all, emotional issues exist only between the parties involved and have little to do with the opinions of others, or with societal perceptions or public opinion. However, more and more people now like to link these private feelings with society as a whole.

This is a constraint, which may protect feelings to some extent on a moral level.

But humans are ultimately selfish creatures; they will do what they are meant to do. The only constraint is a momentary hesitation in the heart; the choices that need to be made will not be reduced at all.

However, Tsukino Gen's answer was, "I actually think so too, but I also have my reasons for doing so."

"Must?" Watanabe He scoffed dismissively. "Must satisfy your selfish, philandering ways?"

In fact, Watanabe felt that he had already let go enough, provided that they were truly in love and remained loyal.

But I felt inexplicably annoyed as soon as the confession happened.

How could someone like this be worthy of Kazama Sakura? Or rather, how could Kazama Sakura tolerate this boy's outrageous behavior? Even as the world becomes more open, more bizarre, and even as there are so many different genders, he never felt anything more absurd than this moment.

Or perhaps, this is a deep dissatisfaction in another direction.

Are you not even as good as this philandering jerk? Would you rather ruin your life and be with such a scumbag than look at yourself?

This had a profound impact on his worldview, and was a setback he had never imagined in his life.

This was a huge blow to his confidence.

That's why such unbearable resentment has accumulated.

While eating, Tsukino Gen calmly replied, "Actually, it's up to you what you think, because you don't know anything about what's going on between us. I think focusing on this kind of thing will only drain you, so you don't need to take it so seriously. After all, we're not stupid; we'll make choices based on our own needs. You think Kazama Sakura is naive, which is true, but she's not stupid, and at least I'm not deceiving her, am I?"

"you"

Hear what the other person is saying.

Watanabe felt an extremely absurd sense of déjà vu.

I never expected his words to be so shameless, but I feel like I can't refute them.

What right do I have to interfere in other people's relationships?
Secondly, Kazama Sakura is definitely not stupid. Otherwise, how could she have kept herself pure in a school full of nobles and never been involved in any other scandals except for Tsukino Gen?

This proves that she is not the type to be easily tempted, much less a girl to be easily deceived.

Everything seems reasonable and plausible, but why is it so frustrating?

Watanabe He was speechless for a moment, especially when he saw Tsukino Gen calmly eating, not taking his anger seriously at all, which made him even more indignant.

"Do you think this is a normal romantic relationship? Do you think this will give her a bright future?"

It seems that even clenching one's fists can only produce meaningless and offensive remarks.

We can only criticize this boy from a moral standpoint.

Gen Tsukino's expression remained relaxed as he looked at the other person. "Your family background is very good, at least much better than mine. I think you've seen quite a few things like this. Matters of the heart are never fair. So-called morality and law can't really restrain that kind of person. Of course, I'm not saying that I'm that kind of person, but you also know that I absolutely can't be judged by ordinary standards, right?"

"."

If he's considered an ordinary person, then what am I? A primitive man?

These past few days, Tsukino Gen has been making it clear to everyone that he is not just a simple bookworm with good grades. He has an exaggerated level of athletic ability and such an appearance.

As long as he doesn't do anything reckless, a successful future seems to be just around the corner.

But no one seems to know exactly how high it can reach.

But is that his justification for doing this? Is nobody going to do anything about it?
"If I am to suffer retribution, it is solely due to them, and I will accept it willingly. But what choices they make is none of anyone else's business. No matter how much you say, even if you move me to tears or slap me awake with your words, will that resolve the issue? The choice will still be the same."

Watanabe He stared blankly at Tsukino Gen.

He no longer knew how to talk about it, and he had even lost the confidence to speak.

I felt like I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't have stepped forward and said those words in a fit of anger and without thinking.

What epiphany? What empty talk? I think you're the most impressive talker.

At least for now, Watanabe He is somewhat out of his mind and can no longer find any reason to persevere.

Having finished eating, Tsukino Gen picked up his plate and stood up.

He whispered as he passed by Watanabe Kazuya.

"I think Watanabe-senpai is a good person, which is why I'm willing to say these things. At least you treated Kazama-kun kindly without resorting to any underhanded methods. So, my last piece of advice to you is to let go of meaningless persistence, which is also a way of freeing yourself."

When Gen Tsukino left so easily.

Watanabe Kazuya could no longer eat anything from his plate.

He remained silent in the cafeteria for a long time, like a sculpture without emotion or life.

Finally, he leaned back in his chair, a self-deprecating bitter smile on his face.

"Giving up so quickly, how can you prove that I was sincere in the first place?"

"But whether I'm sincere or not, who cares?"

That's the way it is.

The biggest mistake of the person who is disliked is that he is not liked.

The rest are nothing but fabricated charges.

……

(End of this chapter)