I practiced as a monk alone in Japan.

Chapter 286 Youth is a Long River

In fact, Gen Tsukino didn't really want to care about the strange and even bizarre things that might happen in the real world.

After all, people like myself exist, so it's not surprising at all if there really are gods in this world.

So even if it actually appeared in front of me, there's nothing to say.

As long as no one was hostile towards him, that was fine, so Tsukino Gen explained to Kazama Sakura that he might be hallucinating.

It was a rather clumsy excuse, but Kazama Sakura didn't press the matter. She was just curious whether the other person needed to go back and rest.

Gen Tsukino shook his head, indicating that they could continue browsing.

The weather wasn't hot, and the air in Shigatsu City was fresher than in Shōri, making for a very pleasant walk.

However, after taking only a few steps, Tsukino Gen suddenly remembered the only strange thing about the old man from before.

Gen Tsukino couldn't smell anything on him.

It could be said that it had no trace of human presence.

This made Tsukino Gen believe that everything that had just happened was real. For a moment, he thought he was hallucinating, but it seemed that was not the case.

However, Tsukino Gen quickly put the matter out of his mind. The other party didn't say anything, didn't warn or remind him, which meant that there was nothing wrong with his current way of being.

The path I have chosen, and everything I have done, is absolutely right.

Of course, if the other party warns me, I probably won't take it to heart.

Living in an awkward way means losing the meaning of one's existence. Blindly changing oneself out of fear and apprehension is like grasping at straws when one is already ill, and it usually ends badly.

They quickly put aside these distracting thoughts and wandered through the streets and alleys of the town with Kazama Sakura.

I tried some local snacks.

I also took photos at some nice scenic spots.

For example, you might pass a railway crossing where the trams haven't been abandoned yet, and at the traffic lights, it's like a scene of saying goodbye.

For example, next to a wall covered with ivy, there is a brick wall that looks like it might collapse at any moment. Gen Tsukino captured the unique sense of desolation in autumn perfectly.

As the colors of the setting sun appeared, it was almost time to gather.

The two strolled onto a simple stone bridge, with the ceaseless flow of the river below.

There were no tall buildings or paved roads on either side, no modern facilities, only clumps of reeds.

They swayed in the autumn wind, and occasionally water birds could be seen splashing in the stream.

There were no shop advertisements around, nor the music of people scrolling through short videos that you could hear all the time, like in Zhaori.

There was no noise from machinery or the roar of engines.

It was as if the whole world had returned to its most primitive state at this moment, without even the illumination of streetlights.

Bathed in orange-red light, it feels as if you are entering the most primal night, and at this moment you can enjoy a tranquility that seems to have disappeared for a long time.

Looking down at the clear stream.

The wind blew the boy's hair across his forehead, making his handsome face even more outstanding and charming.

Sakura Kazama had to admit that even though he hadn't helped her in any way or had any impact on her life, she might still be unable to resist his face and would still involuntarily like him.

That sounds a bit superficial.

But humans are not inherently sophisticated animals; they just like to pretend to be. They spout flowery dreams, theories, life maxims, and bottom lines. But when they encounter what they truly want, they revert to their most primal selves, never truly escaping the animalistic realm.

"I really want to live here when I get old, take walks every day, and enjoy the scenery."

The girl suddenly said.

Gen Tsukino turned his head to the side. "How old are you to be thinking about what it will be like when you're old? Maybe when you're old you won't even remember what you said now."

Human memory is so fragile.

Even the things you try hardest to remember may fade away over time.

Even the person you loved so intensely back then, after a while, after the happiness has faded, you forget even what they looked like.

"That's true. But after staying in Zhaori for a while, I feel very comfortable with everything here. However, if I were to actually live here for a period of time, I might start to complain about how backward it is."

"That's normal. Aren't all people like that? We only start to dislike something because we get used to it, so we keep changing and switching, and in the end, life just passes by like that."

Does such a thing as unchanging, steadfast, and enduring affection truly exist?

The chances of this happening are extremely slim, so much so that it's hard to believe unless it actually happens to you.

Therefore, the answer to this question is destined to wait many years.

"I won't keep changing it."

The girl complained, glaring at Tsukino Gen, "Don't tell me this is your reason for wanting to have two women on each side, to maintain the novelty?"

"Hahaha, you discovered me."

"You're so wicked."

She gave a soft hum, not actually that angry, but rather she leaned her shoulder a little more towards Tsukino Gen.

To bridge the distance between us, to exist in the same world, to truly feel each other's warmth, to smell their unique scent.

"But I'll remember it for you."

"Hmm? Remember what?"

Kazama Sakura turned her head and asked curiously.

Gen Tsukino wore a languid smile, but there was no roguish expression on his face; his expression was clear and somewhat unfamiliar.

"I will remember the wish you made today, and when we are old, I will take you here for a walk." Promises that are too far in the future are like empty checks, with little credibility.

But since it was this boy who said it, Kazama Sakura felt that one day it would come true.

"What if I can't walk anymore by then?"

"Then I'll carry you over on my back."

"Pfft, you might not even be able to walk by then, how could you possibly carry me?"

The girl's eyes sparkled.

But Tsukino Gen seemed to smell a salty scent, like a harbinger of an impending dam break.

Gen Tsukino nodded.

"Of course, if you really can't carry it anymore, then we'll push you over. It doesn't matter if it takes a little longer, it doesn't matter if we walk a little slower. Anyway, we'll eventually get to where we want to go."

The girl gently rested her head on the boy's shoulder, and tears welled up in her eyes without warning.

She didn't know why she wanted to cry.

Perhaps it's because the weather is so moving, or perhaps it's because I haven't felt this kind of peace in a long time.

Or perhaps, at this moment, the setting sun reflected on the water's surface, creating a scene so dazzling that it seemed to set the river ablaze.

In short, she was unable to control herself.

"I don't know why, but I always feel that the future is a wonderful thing. It always seems so far away, but when I look back on the past in the blink of an eye, it feels so close. I'm so worried that I might be really old when I think of this feeling next time."

With tears in her eyes, she whispered, "I'm afraid of growing old, and I'm afraid of death. Am I really a coward?"

"No, that's not true. Many people are afraid of these things. But whether you're afraid or not, life goes on. Time won't stop for you even if the clock stops. So, all we can do is enjoy everything we have now. Being sad is useless, being happy is useless, so let's just be happy in a simple way."

The boy spoke in a gentle voice, using seemingly common words of comfort.

But when it reaches one's own ears, it seems to have a completely different magic because it is his, making it so easy to believe.

Or perhaps this is what I want to believe.

Her tears stopped as soon as they started, and the feeling of loss was gradually dispelled by the warmth of the other person's body. She looked up and smiled again.

"It's a pity that Rin-chan didn't come. I'll probably be disappointed if I show her the photos when I get back."

Tsukino Gen smiled and said, "It's alright, Miss is the most stubborn. Even if she's disappointed, she won't show it."

"But I can torment you secretly in private."

"Oh, so that's what you were thinking? How did you become such a bad woman?"

"Is this what a bad woman is? I could be even worse, but I still can't bring myself to be ruthless~"

The girl said in a charming and cute voice.

A woman's emotions are like turning the pages of a book; each new page reveals a completely new expression and state of mind, vividly reflected in her.

"So we should thank Kazama for his kind heart."

"Of course~ Is there any girl kinder than me?"

"That's probably not the case; it might not even exist in the next life."

"How could that be? After all, I'll find you again in the next life, and you'll find me too~"

She grasped the boy's hand.

The girl who was just lamenting the passing of spring and the coming of autumn can now speak frankly about reincarnation.

Many things do change in an instant, such as a person's beliefs or a choice made in a moment. Most people don't realize that the choice they make at a crossroads may be the most important choice of their lives.

Because everyone believes that as long as you keep moving forward, there will always be a way.

Sakura Kazama believed the same thing: as long as she continued to walk with this boy, it wouldn't matter what the future held, no matter how many changes might occur.

The most important thing is that they are on the road, that it is them, not alone.

As the dim light is about to turn into darkness.

She belatedly drew back the curtains, her posture somewhat languid, seemingly lacking energy, yet exuding an indescribable allure.

It's like a crabapple tree that has just been nourished by rain.

She looked out the window at the peaceful scene, a stark contrast to Zhao Ri's, and her heart didn't actually experience much turmoil.

After all, she still has plenty of time and many opportunities to see the world properly.

Only the phone screen lit up.

She saw a message from a girl, which contained many, many photos.

Most of the photos show her and the boy smiling at the camera together.

Asagiri Rin, unusually, showed no signs of anger; in fact, the curve of her lips even appeared somewhat charming and sweet.

She raised her phone, adjusted the angle, and then slightly lowered the strap of her suspenders.

There were bright red hickeys there.

"Click."

Take a picture and click on it directly.

【send】.

……

(End of this chapter)