I practiced as a monk alone in Japan.

Chapter 283 Camellia

"Today's itinerary will take us to the famous sunflower field. Everyone is welcome to take photos, but please be sure to follow the rules of the local facilities and do not do anything that is not allowed in public places."

The meeting time is a little later than the morning self-study time.

Gen Tsukino, who had changed into a long black T-shirt, appeared at the door of the room very early.

Miura Akihiko and Suzuki, who had rushed out as if they hadn't had enough sleep, were both startled to see Tsukino Gen there.

"Holy crap, when did you get back?"

"You didn't stay out all night, did you?"

Gen Tsukino looked at the two of them with feigned helplessness.

"Are you guys sleeping too soundly? Didn't you hear me come back in the middle of the night? I could hear you snoring, anyway."

Akihiko Miura scratched his head.

"I'm a very heavy sleeper, so it's normal that you can't hear me. Suzuki, do you know when he got back?"

Suzuki shook his head. "Your snoring is too loud. Luckily, I brought earplugs, but I can't hear any other sounds with them on. I didn't notice unless you came back and turned on the lights, Tsukino."

"Oh, I didn't turn on the lights so as not to disturb you."

This explanation is now perfectly valid.

"Is that so?"

Miura Akihiko and Suzuki exchanged a glance.

Tsukino Gen, who always seemed distant and very tactful with others, took the initiative to put his arm around the two of them, acting as intimately as an older brother.

"Alright, let's go eat breakfast first. Didn't you hear that Sakuraba-sensei is gathering?"

"Too."

"Hmm? Why do you seem so happy today, Tsukino?"

"Really? I'm quite happy every day. After all, I'm a carefree person, so it's easy for me to be happy."

"You're heartless? I think Miura is the one who's heartless."

“Miura is different; he’s completely brainless.”

"Ha ha ha ha."

"Hey! You two, don't let me catch you!"

They were having breakfast together in a pleasant atmosphere, but as they ate, the students in Class 3 noticed a subtle difference.

It seems that some things that were expected didn't happen.

"Hmm? Has the young lady not come out yet?"

"It seems so. I heard he took leave."

"She really is a young lady, a princess of noble birth."

"You can't say that. Maybe it's just a change in environment. Didn't some of my classmates feel unwell when we first arrived? And several of them got carsick."

"That's true, but why bother with this autumn outing? We're not even from the same world, are we?"

Regarding Rin Asagiri.

Public opinion is naturally polarized.

After all, she's not like Kazama Sakura, a girl who, regardless of whether you approve of her or not, or whether you're jealous or not, is someone no one would openly criticize, and is basically the type you can't find fault with.

The young lady, however, was clearly different. Where she couldn't hear, there were naturally many complaints. Because of her demeanor, her way of doing things, and the high walls she naturally built between herself and those around her, she practically erected barriers from the outset. It was only natural that many people disliked her.

Gen Tsukino had nothing to say about this; everyone living in this world is subject to evaluation.

Everyone knows the best way to solve this is to ignore other people's opinions, but very few people can actually do that.

Most of them just pretend they don't care, but inside they're furious. Then, before long, they're influenced by these words and actions and unconsciously start to change themselves, eventually becoming unrecognizable.

The girl next to her leaned closer, squinted, and asked, "Why is Rin-chan suddenly feeling unwell?"

Gen Tsukino knew what the other person meant, and he said with a bit of a laugh, "How would I know? I just suddenly felt unwell. Probably a cold or something like that."

There are some things that everyone knows, but it's ultimately not appropriate to talk about them as if they were something to brag about.

You can't say that she can't even get out of bed now, and it's all thanks to her buddies, can you?

Speaking of which, it was still dark when I wanted to go back to my room first, and the young lady started to cling to me like she had never done before.

It stubbornly clung to me, refusing to let me leave.

It was a rare thing for her, after all, how could someone as strong and aloof as her possibly act like a little girl and try to win back a boy?

But it's also clear that this incident still has an impact on her.

It doesn't seem like what she herself said, that giving up everything means anything. A strong heart doesn't need to worry about temporary gains or losses. True freedom is doing whatever you want when you want to do it.

There was still some insincerity in what they said.

However, these things have nothing to do with whether or not one regrets it later.

"Oh, I see. That's strange. I felt perfectly fine when I was in her room, without any discomfort at all, but I started feeling unwell after someone else came in."

Of course she knew about the boy's abilities.

Having experienced it herself a few times, she couldn't know what it was like for others, but she had searched online.

Gen Tsukino's behavior is indeed abnormal, and could even be described as somewhat exaggerated.

Gen Tsukino picked up his chopsticks, placed a piece of chicken on the girl's plate, and then smiled and said...

"If you're really that curious, I can let you experience it tonight, and maybe you'll understand."

"Huh?"

The girl paused for a moment, then her face honestly flushed crimson, like a blooming rose. Not a bouquet, but a field of flowers. "How could you say something like that at a time like this!"

The girl lowered her voice and, appearing extremely shy, pinched the boy's thigh under the table.

Thankfully, they didn't pinch my hip.

Tsukino Gen smiled at the other person, "Didn't you say it first? Do you think I don't know what you wanted to say?"

"Hmph, feeling pretty smug now, huh?"

She hummed softly, saying that this act of deliberately appearing jealous was actually a way to reassure the boy.

Because everyone knows that genuine jealousy and anger don't manifest in this way, and that kind of genuine jealousy is annoying and disliked.

As for Kazama Sakura, it's more like a cute kind of tsundere, a manifestation of joking.

This shows the girl's good intentions; after all, how could she really not care?

What appears to be a distorted and complex relationship to others may be manageable for them, but ultimately it is an inescapable part of human instinct and the underlying emotional rules.

"What's there to be proud of? Hmm? But I think I heard you say that last night."

"is it?"

Although she felt a pang of sadness that she couldn't resist, Kazama Sakura was still quite curious about the two of them.

She was naturally curious about how such a proud and arrogant young lady could give up everything, and what her feelings were. She really wanted to see Asagiri Rin and talk to her.

I don't know what she'll say, but that young lady would probably be very reluctant to talk to me in this situation, right?
"Hmm, is my smugness really that obvious?"

Gen Tsukino asked with a smile as he ate.

Kazama Sakura looked at the boy's handsome face, then snorted softly, "Isn't it obvious? And this is something to be proud of, isn't it? After all, it's Rin-chan~"

The sarcastic tone was intentional.

It was also telling the boy that she wasn't really angry, but just needed a way to release her slight bitterness.

Genya Tsukino, of course, understood these little emotions.

Under the table, he reached out his hand and, from an angle where the other students couldn't see, grasped the girl's soft, delicate hand.

he whispered.

"There's nothing for me to be proud of. After all, it's not like playing a game or getting a reward for completing a strategy. I've never considered you guys as spoils of war."

Kazama Sakura knew, of course, that Tsukino Gen was not such a despicable person.

Because if that were the case, he wouldn't need to wait until now; he could have taken everything much earlier.

This applies to both her own and Asagiri Rin's.

"I know"

She answered softly with her head bowed, feeling a little guilty because the boy's voice was so gentle.

But Tsukino Gen didn't want her to feel guilty, nor did he wish for her to feel guilty. What did she have to feel guilty about? In this kind of relationship, the one who was clinging to her own obsession was herself. The culprit who made them fall into more frequent entanglements was herself.

There's not much he can do besides expressing his true feelings.

"But you don't know, in my heart, it's not because of her status that she seems more precious. To me, I will always love the girl who secretly watches me from the seat in front of me, the girl who always smiles so hard at me when we say goodbye after school."

"Ah."

With a slight upturn of her lips, the girl looked at him.

Breakfast ended quickly, and many people set off together.

The weather today was also very cooperative, a classic clear and crisp autumn day. A cool breeze brought fresh air without being harsh. The bright sunshine was like countless golden beams falling upon the earth, not scorching, while creating every perfect angle for taking photos.

I even took a lot of photos on the way there.

Without Asagiri Rin, Kazama Sakura seemed more at ease, and she even had some strange thoughts.

Could it be because of what happened last night that Asagiri Rin felt bad for him, so she simply took the day off today to create some space for them to be alone?
"By the way, do you like sunflowers?"

As they approached their destination, Kazama Sakura asked with a smile.

Tsukino Gen could smell the faint fragrance on the other person without turning his head. He smiled and said, "It's alright. Boys and girls are a bit different. Generally speaking, boys don't have any particular favorite or favorite flowers. If they do, excluding the influence of special stories, it's basically a self-imposed label to cater to their preferences."

"Huh? That's pretty harsh. But don't you think different girls are like different flowers? I think Rin-chan is like a snow lotus or a purple rose."

"That's somewhat true."

"So what kind of flower do you think I am?"

The girl looked at Tsukino Gen with curiosity.

Is it a rose? Or a lily? Or some other flower whose name I've never heard of?
Gen Tsukino gave a very ordinary yet extraordinary answer.

You are like a camellia.

"why?"

"Because where you are, it is everywhere, not just a tiny little flower."

"How cheesy, Ah-Xian~"

"Just wait, there'll be even more cheesy stuff to come."

"Ha ha ha ha."

Looking out the car window at the golden light.