I practiced as a monk alone in Japan.

Chapter 285 A Shrine Where No One Exists
The morning, filled with fresh scents, passed quickly, and we had a simple meal together with the locals.

The afternoon still gave these students some freedom; they could choose to climb some of the more famous local mountains or wander around the surrounding area.

While it doesn't have the countless luxury shopping malls of Zhaori, where you can buy many things you can't even imagine, it combines modernity with fun.

It's more like a town under the jurisdiction of a county, without many high-rise buildings, but with more historical traces and an antique charm.

After finishing her meal, Kazama Sakura didn't mention wanting to rest; instead, she was full of enthusiasm.

"Let's take a walk around the neighborhood. The guidebook says there are many other places around here."

"is it?"

Tsukino Gen didn't know how much planning this girl had done for this autumn outing, but he roughly understood her thoughts. Perhaps she felt that there weren't many opportunities to travel alone with him, and even though this was an activity for the entire grade, she wanted to treat it as a serious trip.

He naturally wouldn't disappoint the girl's wishes, so he went out with Kazama Sakura.

We didn't use any transportation; just as Kazama Sakura said, everything we wanted to visit was nearby.

The square is covered with graffiti from various subcultures, and many young people and even children are playing skateboarding and inline skateboarding there.

The girl took a few photos, then smiled and said to Tsukino Gen, "I remember there used to be a lot of kids playing skateboards downstairs in my old apartment complex. I was so envious of them back then, and I wanted to try it too. Later, someone saw me watching them play downstairs and invited me to try. The first time I tried, I fell and scraped my knee."

Gen Tsukino pretended to look down and glance at it.

"There are no scars."

"Pfft, that happened when I was six or seven years old. There wouldn't be any scars now."

Scars on the skin are hard to leave for long, but the marks in one's heart are hard to get rid of from childhood to adulthood.

Gen Tsukino smiled and looked at her, "Then why haven't I seen you playing with these things before?"

Sakura Kazama sighed with some regret, "At first, I didn't think it was a big deal, and I didn't cry much. But when my parents saw how hurt I was, they were heartbroken and wouldn't let me play anymore, saying things like, 'Why should a girl play this?' But that's not what I want to talk about now."

"What is it?"

Gen Tsukino looked at her.

The autumn wind will blow through the girl's hair.

It was as if every hair was floating like seaweed, and perhaps the clouds were the sea surface, and all the people on land were actually at the bottom of the sea.

"Back then, they clearly cared about me and loved me very much. Why do so many things change as we grow up?"

When talking about these things, the girl didn't show much sadness, and she asked the questions in a very calm manner.

Gen Tsukino shook his head. "I don't know. There's no pattern to how people change. Maybe it's because too much pressure in life forces people to change, or maybe it's because they can't release the pent-up emotions in their lives, and they're tempted by desires to do things they never thought they would do. Of course, some people are just like that from the beginning, but they've started to hide it very well."

"So, does that mean people inevitably change over time?"

She asked with a smile, a smile that seemed to suggest she didn't want to put any pressure on the boy, not out of sentimentality, but simply because she hoped he would give a genuine response.

Gen Tsukino had no reason to lie, and he shook his head.

"I don't know either, and I can't guarantee what I'll become, or whether I'll remain unchanged. Maybe you like everything about me now, but you won't like it anymore by then."

"Yeah, it seems like I can't guarantee anything either. Maybe I'll be the one who changes first?"

Seeing her warm smile, Tsukino Gen couldn't help but reach out and pat her head.

"That's okay, at least we still have the present."

"Ok!"

The girl nodded vigorously and then stretched out her hand.

Gen Tsukino did not refuse and grasped the other's soft hand.

They continued walking, and not far beyond the square was a shrine.

Compared to the bustling shrines of Shōri, this place is much quieter and more secluded.

It's not that it's so dilapidated that it's fallen into disrepair, but you can see that the moss on the steps and the ivy on the walls haven't been cleaned properly for a while.

There were few tourists inside and outside the shrine, only a handful of shrine staff chatting idly inside.

It's not surprising to see people here, nor is it an overly enthusiastic attempt to entice guests to spend money on incense offerings; it's as if they don't even give a second glance.

This place doesn't feel like a shrine anymore; it's more like the courtyard of an ordinary country family. Whether you're a stranger or someone you know, you can look around if you want, since there's nothing particularly interesting to see anyway.

Sakura Kazama blinked. "The internet says this place is great for taking photos, and it's pretty accurate. But it doesn't seem to have that atmosphere at all right now."

Gen Tsukino smiled and said, "That's why seeing is believing. After all, if some travel guides don't mention some lesser-known places, why would people browse them out of curiosity?"

"Would you like to go in and offer your prayers?"

Gen Tsukino thought for a moment and said, "You can go and pray if you want. At least there are people worshipping here, unlike those random shrines deep in the mountains." "Is there any particular significance to those?"

"Of course, it's easy to attract strange things, and you don't know whether it's bad luck or good luck."

"Ugh~ I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it. But I'll give it a try anyway, since I'm already here. The shrines in Shōri are so crowded, I have no desire to explore them at all."

The girl seemed to be in high spirits. Tsukino Gen figured she probably had a list, something she'd made while planning the trip. There were certain things she absolutely had to accomplish.

It's different from a free-spirited personality, but it's hard to say which is better or worse. Sometimes people try to minimize their chances of feeling lost, even if they don't know the meaning of doing so. But wouldn't it be even more pathetic to not even know what to do?
He took out the prepared coins and gave some to Tsukino Gen.

The two approached the donation box.

Tsukino Gen didn't know which god was enshrined at this shrine. He found the girl's seemingly devout actions somewhat amusing, but he maintained basic respect for the deity and didn't laugh out loud.

But the unfamiliar footsteps were approaching.

An elderly man dressed in white shrine attire, though his beard and hair were white, was in excellent spirits. His eyes were bright, and he was not hunched over; on the contrary, his upright posture made him appear very robust.

"You two aren't from around here, are you?"

He smiled and took the initiative to speak.

Tsukino Gen nodded. "Yes, I came from Zhao Ri. The school organized an autumn outing here, and since I was nearby, I came to check it out."

"Is that so? That's really great. It's rare to see young people like you come here to worship."

"Really? It's alright. After all, both young people and so-called adults have aspirations."

The old man chuckled and said, "Most young people treat visiting shrines as a fun activity, rather than something they are truly sincere about. But this young girl seems quite devout."

Gen Tsukino remarked with a sigh, "Sometimes, even piety is useless. In the end, wishes are just words you say to yourself. It's unrealistic to expect other forces to help you achieve them."

"That's right, most people just want peace of mind. After all, if praying to gods and Buddhas were really that effective, then there would be no need to work or have any so-called life pressure. You're so young, yet you see things so clearly."

Everything that had been said before seemed normal, as if it were just casual conversation between strangers.

However, Tsukino Gen's tone was slightly different in the last sentence.

He looked at the other person and said calmly, "No, not really. Many young people in this era are very thoughtful, and I am quite naive."

But the old man shook his head, and then his eyes changed noticeably.

He seemed to be intently scrutinizing and observing the boy, rather than with the nonchalant air he had displayed at the beginning.

He said, “I can see that there is something very special about you. Almost everyone in this world has all sorts of shackles, which may be their troubles, their fate, or the guilt they bear for making a wrong choice. But you seem to be free of any shackles. You are so free that you don’t seem like a human being.”

That's completely baffling.

Even Gen Tsukino himself didn't feel that he was very free.

If living a peaceful life is considered freedom for an orphan without parents...

So, not having a family or a childhood shouldn't be considered a misfortune, but rather a blessing. It's just that such a statement is a bit too hellish. While Tsukino Gen might find it comforting, he can't truly empathize with other children facing similar fates.

He smiled and said, "I don't quite understand what you mean."

The old man chuckled and said, "It's alright, I was just saying it casually. It has nothing to do with revealing any secrets of heaven. I just think you're a very special young man. You can pretend I didn't say anything. Alright, I won't bother you anymore."

The old man turned and left peacefully with a smile, without saying anything more.

Gen Tsukino stood there for a long time, watching the other person's back as they left, until Sakura Kazama returned.

"Hey? What are you looking at?"

She asked.

Gen Tsukino pointed ahead in the direction where the old man had disappeared and said, "An old man was talking to me a while ago. He seemed a bit mystical. I wonder if he was the owner of this shrine."

"Huh? An old man? I didn't see him. Where is there an old man?"

"what?"

Gen Tsukino looked at the other person strangely, thinking that the other person had simply not been paying attention to this side and therefore hadn't noticed.

But Kazama Sakura nodded vigorously and said...

"I saw you standing here alone for a long time, and I thought you were thinking about something. I didn't see you talking to anyone."

"Is that so?"

……

(End of this chapter)