I practiced as a monk alone in Japan.

Chapter 264 Her Taste
When Tsukino Gen saw Kazama Sakura again, it was already afternoon class time.

The autumn sun always carries a stubborn quality; it's not actually that hot, yet it's so dazzling it seems to mimic the feeling of summer.

When that stubbornness subsided, the entire sky at dusk seemed dead. It was the grayness of winter, like Silent Hill where no ashes drifted.

When get out of class ended, Tsukino Gen didn't mention that Watanabe He had approached him at noon.

There's not much to say. He doesn't think that maintaining a relationship includes dealing with rivals or anything like that.

A relationship between two people is about living well together and coexisting.

As for the so-called third party or rival, they are not a threat as long as you have no ulterior motives. Instead of blaming others for ruining your relationship, blame something that isn't so important to your partner: loyalty.

Why blame yourself for lacking charm and ability?
Didn't I know this when I started liking you?
If relationships are like workplace competition, where the best rise to the top, then it shouldn't be called love; it should be called selective mating.

It seems that the current era is becoming more and more accustomed to such rules, to the point that most people are internally conflicted, feeling inferior, feeling that they are not good enough for the other person, yet unable to resist their instinct to like them.

It can only be said that history is a cycle, and people are still expendable in different eras.

Life is precious, and its preciousness lies in the fact that it can be consumed for nearly a hundred years.

"What are you laughing at? You seem very happy."

I saw Tsukino Gen smiling in his seat.

The girl, who had walked over lightly after class, reached out and stroked his hair without any hesitation.

Gen Tsukino raised his head and shook it. He looked at the girl and then asked amidst the noisy laughter around him.

Have you been feeling very tired lately?

"Huh? Why do you ask?"

The girl leaned against the boy's desk, then thought for a moment, and taking advantage of her height, tiptoed to sit on the desk.

He turned sideways to look at Tsukino Gen.

The boy leaned back in his chair and didn't comment on how 'cool' the other person's movements were.

He just smiled and spoke.

"It's nothing, it's just that it seems that matter has indeed had a significant impact, and I don't want to force you to always appear happy in front of me."

"No, that's not true. I'm happy in front of you because it's instinctive. I'm not an actor, how could I pretend to be happy?"

Her long legs swayed gently right in front of him.

Gen Tsukino thought for a moment and said, "I don't really understand girls. What if I don't realize you're just pretending to be happy?"

"Ah-Xian."

She murmured, tilting her head slightly—was it a perfect 45-degree angle? Her neck, without an Adam's apple, was long and slender, without the slightest flaw, not even a hint of wrinkles.

The swaying of both legs became slightly less pronounced.

She said it with a dreamy smile.

"No matter what kind of girl she is, she can be very cunning. Even if she pretends to be happy, it's just so you can see that she's forcing herself to be happy."

"Is that right?"

"Of course, otherwise how can I tell these silly boys: Come on, comfort me, I'm not really happy~"

"Ha ha ha ha."

It seems that the problem of internal friction that I had just thought of has been solved in an instant.

This was, in his opinion, the most beautiful moment for Kazama Sakura.

This girl is so wonderful, so wonderful that I feel like I don't deserve her.

"Oh right, I forgot to mention, I have something to tell you."

"what?"

"Do you have time after school? Come with me to the dessert shop!"

She said with a smile.

Normally, Tsukino Gen would subconsciously refuse something that seems meaningless like this, but relationships always have some constraints. Besides, he has plenty of free time and isn't afraid of wasting it.

"We have plenty of time, but what's the point of going?"

"The dessert club is having an event recently. We invite other students to come and taste our desserts and rate them. The best dessert we make each day will receive a reward!"

"award?"

"Hmm, a nice set of coffee cups!"

"This is so meaningful!"

"Disgusting~"

Seeing the boy's exaggerated expression, Kazama Sakura couldn't help but slap him.

If you think it's childish, then forget it~

"How could that be? Since you're asking me, I'll go. What if I choose you directly? Wouldn't that be considered cheating?"

"No way, it's a blind selection, you won't know who made it. Desserts all taste very similar, even if you're familiar with them, it's hard to tell the difference right away, right?"

"Okay, see you later."

"Let's go~"

The girl, full of energy, lightly jumped off the table and returned to her seat.

When she turned around, she saw the boy seemingly examining the spot where she had just been sitting.
The girl's cheeks flushed instantly.

That's so malicious.

How come it also has a touch of perversion?

It wasn't that he was really perverted; Gen Tsukino was just checking if there was a mark on it.

After all, the weather is getting colder this season, and since human body temperature is high, it's inevitable that some moisture will be produced due to the temperature difference.

However, perhaps the time frame was not long enough, and this phenomenon did not occur.

Wait until school is over in the afternoon.

When the time came, the girl didn't stand at the door waiting for him as she usually did, trying to cover up her intentions.

Instead, he stood right next to me with his backpack slung over his shoulder and urged me on.

"Hurry up, hurry up!"

Many students passing by saw this scene and would make a joke or two.

"They used to at least pretend, but now they don't even bother anymore, like a young couple~"

Sakura Kazama would still blush because of these words.

But she didn't run away in embarrassment. She stood there until the boy picked up his schoolbag and, in front of the jeering students, took her hand.

"Let's go."

"Eh?"

She hasn't reacted yet.

How come my hand was held just because I put it here?

Why does it seem like he doesn't care about anything except himself?
How did I suddenly become someone who was once an unacknowledged shadow, but now has a name and is proven to exist?
Why did I feel the urge to cry?

She didn't know how these things had suddenly happened; it was as if the boy had only done something insignificant.

But this scene is destined to remain in the memories of many people.

Holding hands with the prettiest girl in the class, it wasn't about eloping or running away; it was simply about stepping into her life through their eyes.

Throughout the journey, Gen Tsukino did not let go of the girl's hand.

It wasn't until Kazama Sakura seemed a little slow to realize what was happening that she finally understood.

“Ah-Xian”.

"Ok?"

Why did you suddenly take my hand?

She asked directly, her cheeks still flushed.

It wasn't dislike, it wasn't anger, and it wasn't just shyness.

Gen Tsukino replied matter-of-factly, "Didn't they say we're a couple? What's wrong with couples holding hands?"

"You still care about what other people think?"

This seemed different from the boys she knew before. She felt a pang of guilt, wondering if it was because of her that he was also under pressure and burdened with unnecessary responsibilities.

Tsukino Gen said nonchalantly, "Of course it doesn't matter to me. No matter what others think, they can't kill me." "Then why did you say that?"

"But our Kazama is a sensitive yet strong-willed girl. She's easily influenced by the outside world, but she always tries to act like she doesn't care. So, I hope I can make things easier for her."

Kazama Sakura gripped the boy's hand tightly, their fingers intertwined as close as could be.

She even moved closer to Gen Tsukino.

"It's so kind of you."

"No, the reason I seem good is because you make people want to be better."

"No way! You're all smiles today, aren't you going to get diabetes from eating dessert?"

"Hahahahaha."

It was rare for Kazama Sakura to tell an interesting joke.

Gen Tsukino smiled happily.

They arrived at the dessert shop quickly. Of course, Tsukino Gen hadn't forgotten to send a message to Asagiri Rin beforehand to let her know that he wouldn't be coming today.

She simply replied with an "okay".

Maybe she's a little angry? But that's normal, that's just a princess's temper, like a professional quality inspector whose job is to find fault with everything she does.

"Sakura's here!"

When Kazama Sakura and Tsukino Gen appeared at the entrance of the confectionery shop.

It immediately attracted the attention of the members inside.

Seeing a girl like Kazama Sakura, the first feeling is naturally one of happiness. When you see something beautiful, you don't show any disgust. Jealousy comes later; politeness is the first line of defense.

However, they soon discovered a tall, slender young man standing behind them.

The appearance of Tsukino Gen was somewhat unexpected, but it also seemed to confirm some people's guesses.

"You actually called Tsukino-kun over?"

"Wow, that's amazing!"

"Tsukino-kun looks even more handsome up close. I'm so envious of you, Sakura~"

The dessert club is basically all girls.

After all, it seems a bit strange for a guy to learn this. Although many pastry chefs are actually men, in places like hobbies, where a certain level of professionalism is lacking, guys still feel embarrassed to join such "enthusiast groups."

So the reaction to seeing such a handsome guy as Tsukino Gen was like throwing a chubby little boy into a bay.

For a moment, Gen Tsukino thought he was holding a fan meeting, and he almost reached up to his eyebrows to pay homage.

The short-haired senior I had met before, who was also the president of the dessert club, walked over with a smile.

"They really managed to invite Tsukino-kun over. As expected of Kazama-kun."

Gen Tsukino laughed and said, "No way, if you had told me earlier that it was such a leisurely task, I would have definitely helped. There was no need for Kazama to tell me."

The short-haired senior smiled and replied, "I didn't want to bother Tsukino-kun, but actually I thought you weren't interested in this, so I asked Sakura for help on a whim, and I didn't expect it to work."

Gen Tsukino didn't like long periods of polite conversation, especially with so many people watching him. It felt like he was on display, like he was some rare animal.

"Actually, I was really curious about what you guys make. I also really like desserts, so I shamelessly came to give it a try."

"Hahaha, how could you say that? Alright, let's get ready first. Please wait a moment, Tsukino-kun, we'll invite you to try it soon."

"Ok."

Gen Tsukino stood obediently to the side, watching the group of girls make their preparations in full swing.

I don't know if it was because they really wanted that coffee cup set, or some other factor.

They seemed very nervous, even like they were on high alert.

Finally, the table was filled with all sorts of desserts.

From cookies to mochi, and even things like rice cakes, there are all sorts of strange and wonderful things.

As for the types, Tsukino Gen couldn't actually tell which one was made by Kazama Sakura, because he didn't know what kind of desserts she was learning to make recently.

Seeing Tsukino Gen's gaze, the short-haired senior put her arm around Kazama Sakura's shoulder beforehand.

"No prior communication is allowed, even between family members."

No, that's not true.

Kazama Sakura blushed and denied it.

The senior student was still teasing her.

"Is the lack of communication, or is it a denial that they are not considered family members?"

"oops!"

Gen Tsukino looked at it, then seriously raised his hand, "May I try?"

"Of course, but only if Tsukino-kun remains fair and impartial, judging solely by your own taste buds. Choose whichever tastes best, okay?"

"No problem, I've always been a fair person. I'm not a Libra, but I'm even more fair than a Libra."

"Hahaha, okay then, please give it a try, Tsukino-kun~"

Gen Tsukino began to try the desserts one by one.

The change in the gazes of the girls around him was also quite noticeable.

He seemed quite nervous about how his work would be perceived by the young man—whether he would like it or dislike it.

From these expressions and subtle movements, one can actually draw some conclusions about who made what dessert, but Tsukino Gen is a fair person.

I do not intend to cheat in this regard.

Tsukino Gen finally finished the last piece of dessert.

The short-haired senior asked him with a smile, "Can you choose? Or do you want to try again?"

Gen Tsukino shook his head. "No need. Everyone did a great job, and you could say they each have their own style. But people always have preferences, so my choice doesn't represent anything else; it just means it suits my taste better."

"So, Tsukino-kun, what do you want to choose?"

"Well, this is it."

I chose a very simple chocolate with a strawberry filling.

Chocolate is very ordinary, just the most common dessert.

Strawberry fillings are even more common, and are arguably the most overused type of fruit in desserts.

It was such a simple combination that Tsukino Gen was chosen.

Others seemed not to understand, because chocolate had nothing to do with them.

The short-haired senior student asked curiously, "Can you tell me why it's this particular chocolate?"

Tsukino Gen's simple answer.

"Actually, there's no particular reason. It just felt like when I tasted it for the first time, it melted into my heart. I thought it was incredibly delicious, but I can't quite put my finger on why it was so delicious."

The short-haired senior nodded, then turned to look at Kazama Sakura.

"Congratulations, Sakura!"

This result will definitely make many people think that it was the result of prior communication between Tsukino Gen and Kazama Sakura, and that the process in between was just an act.

However, only Kazama Sakura knew perfectly well that she had never told Tsukino Gen what she had done.

After the girl walked out of the activity room building with Tsukino Gen, carrying her favorite coffee cup set, she couldn't help but ask curiously.

"Do you genuinely think that chocolate is delicious, or did you actually realize I made it?"

Gen Tsukino smiled and asked the girl in return.

What kind of answer would you like?

"I don't know, but I want to know the truth."

There seems to be no time more eager to know the truth than now.

I don't actually know what I'm expecting.

It's just simple expectation.

Gen Tsukino thought for a moment and said softly, "That piece of chocolate has the most of your flavor on it."

……

(End of this chapter)