I practiced as a monk alone in Japan.

Chapter 290 The Beginning

"Huh? How did we get here?"

It's still early, some time before ten o'clock.

As the two walked, they came to the entrance of a bar hidden in a courtyard covered with ivy, which looked more like a small, family-run shop.

It looked like the entrance to an ordinary family's courtyard.

However, the store looks quite nice from the outside. The glass door is decorated with a grid pattern made of wooden strips, there are several teru teru bozu (Japanese teru bozu dolls) hanging at the door, and there is a cute-looking Samoyed tied to the door, sticking out its tongue and looking at the two of them with longing eyes.

"I feel like something's missing from this trip. How about we grab a couple of drinks?"

Gen Tsukino has no interest in bars and doesn't drink alone for no reason in his daily life.

However, Asagiri Rin seems quite interested.

"Drinking isn't a good idea, especially since the teachers all told us not to drink."

"Don't give me that. Do you look like the kind of person who follows the rules?"

"That's pure prejudice. I've always been very disciplined. Go ask around and see which teacher doesn't say that I, Tsukino Gen, am a good student."

Tsukino Gen, who consistently ranked among the top three in the school and was considered a promising student for Showa University, was naturally a good student in the eyes of all the teachers.

Even with that previous 'confession incident,' it won't affect many people's opinions of him. At most, they'll think of him as a young man with a strong personality, or even more likable.

This is evident from the opinions expressed on the school forum. Most of those criticizing Tsukino Gen are boys, while girls don't seem to think he's some kind of universally disliked scumbag. Calling it a double standard wouldn't be wrong, since if Tsukino Gen were even slightly unattractive, the public opinion surrounding him would be questionable.

"I think you don't want to drink with me, do you?"

"That's not what I meant. If you really want to drink, then go ahead and drink."

Saying that drinking is bad for your health is pointless; after all, who doesn't know that drinking is harmful? It's like many other things in life: eating junk food is bad for your health, and smoking hurts your heart and lungs. Yet, many people still indulge in it.

"If you don't want to drink, fine, but you still expect me to treat you?"

"No, no, no, let me treat you to a drink, Miss, okay?"

"That's pretty much it~"

The two pushed open the door and entered. There weren't many people in the small shop called 'Lin Shen', whether it was the norm or because it wasn't the busiest time of the weekend.

The waiter was very polite and served the two of them. The sophisticated young lady naturally wouldn't sit at the bar or any casual place, but this kind of small shop naturally didn't have any private rooms or anything like that.

So I sat in a rather secluded booth in a corner.

Fortunately, the place had several of the cocktails that the young lady usually liked, and she ordered a Long Island Iced Tea.

Gen Tsukino casually ordered a Black Russian.

"You usually enjoy drinking this much?"

Gen Tsukino asked casually.

The young lady's hand casually caressed the wine glass, reminding Tsukino Gen of another very similar incident.

"No, but I think it would be a shame to come to a new place and not have a drink of the local wine."

"The bartending isn't exactly a local bar."

"Strictly speaking, it doesn't count, but the flavor of cocktails varies from place to place. It's not like a beverage, where every brand tastes the same."

"You really know a lot about these things."

Gen Tsukino smiled and took the initiative to pick up his wine glass to clink glasses with the other person.

In the past, clinking glasses was mostly done for no apparent reason, and both people seemed somewhat unwilling.

This situation has clearly changed now.

The crisp sound of glasses clinking together no longer evokes any sense of heartbreak.

Asagiri Rin took a sip and looked lazily at Tsukino Gen.

"After all, I don't seem to have anything else to boast about in front of you."

"When did Miss become so modest?"

"It's not modesty, it's the truth."

Her seriousness at this moment left Tsukino Gen somewhat speechless, but Asagiri Rin didn't mind and quickly said something lightly.

"I'm actually quite curious about what it would feel like to drink with me under these circumstances."

"Feel?"

"Well, before our relationship reached that point, what were you thinking when I asked you to drink with me?"

Gen Tsukino thought about it for a moment, and realized that he really couldn't quite remember how he felt at the time.

Just like when people reminisce about past hardships, it may not necessarily be a genuine expression of emotion; it could be more of a way of showing off the past version of themselves who suffered.

It's a kind of vengeful pleasure towards those people and those events back then.

As for my feelings towards Rin Asagiri at that time.
"To be honest, I find it quite funny. A rich, pampered young lady using frequent drinking to show the emptiness of her inner world has a kind of affected and pretentious beauty."

"Pfft. You really dare to say that."

Rin Asagiri didn't get angry when she heard this; instead, she laughed self-deprecatingly.

Gen Tsukino shrugged. "I can't help it. I can't deny that I had some resentment in my heart at that time, so I was biased. No, I should say that I had no objective opinion about you."

"why?"

"There's no reason why, it's just that I can't remain objective towards you."

Look into the boy's eyes.

He is very honest, but ironically, he is likable when he lies and annoying when he is honest.

"Sourness."

"Asagiri Rin said softly."

Gen Tsukino smiled nonchalantly. "But looking back now, it wasn't exactly making a fuss over nothing. After all, your identity meant that the way you relieved stress and emotions would be different back then. Drinking is normal, and there might be times like this in the future."

So you're planning to make me quit drinking?

"I have no such plans."

Gen Tsukino picked up his glass and looked at her earnestly. "I just plan to never let you drink alone again. I know you must have had countless nights like this before, but it's okay, I'll make up for those nights. If you want to get drunk, I'll let you get drunk."

The girl's beautiful, crescent-shaped lips curved into a lovely smile.

"I don't want to get drunk tonight, just this one."

"Hmm? I'm prepared to drink with you until we're completely drunk."

"Bullshit, you've never been drunk."

"Of course I can't get drunk. What will you do if I get drunk?"

Looking into his deep eyes, you see that they are not entirely dark, but always contain a glimmer of light, like a few bright morning stars in the sky before dawn.

"boom."

Suddenly, I watched as the beautiful girl in front of me finished her Long Island Iced Tea in one gulp.

It's like drinking water.

The name sounds appealing, but this cocktail is actually mostly 40% ABV. Definitely a strong drink. "So, still planning to drown your sorrows?"

Gen Tsukino couldn't help but ask with a smile.

But then she saw Asagiri Rin put down her cup and raise her arm, saying, "This is where I'll pay."

"Ok?"

Tsukino Gen looked at her in surprise.

For people who enjoy drinking, the concept of "taking a sip and stopping" seems to be forever out of reach, and the so-called "slight buzz" is basically never achieved; even if it is, it's just a pretense.

Then he saw Asagiri Rin scrutinizing him with her eyes narrowed.

There was a rare and unusual emotion in his eyes, like a faint flame trying to light up the entire wasteland.

"I don't want to get drunk right now, I want to go home as soon as possible."

"Going back soon?"

The boy still seemed unable to fully grasp the meaning of the sentence, but then he saw the girl opposite him reach out and tap the fluffy rabbit ears on her head.

The young man asked questions with a charming and alluring air.

"I told you I'd wear this all night, don't you want to?"

Now Tsukino Gen completely understands.

He couldn't help but laugh. "Is this your new way of relieving stress?"

"I don't feel any pressure." Her cheeks flushed slightly, but she was no longer shy. "It's just a simple release, so you can treat yourself like my toy. Does that make sense?"

"This is truly an unprecedented level of arrogance."

"It's true."

"Okay, okay, so you mean I, as a toy, have no right to refuse?"

"You want to refuse?"

"To be honest, I don't want to."

"Humph."

After paying the bill, I quickly walked back the way I came.

The wind on the road was still refreshing, but it seemed unable to dispel the radiance on the girl's cheeks.

I am the one who looks imposing, and I am even the one who took the initiative to extend the 'invitation', but when I think about what is about to happen...

The body will then generate an irresistible instinct.

The flames were burning, as if an air conditioner with warm air was on next to me.

On the contrary, the boy was as calm as if he were just going home, as if he wasn't in any hurry at all.

how?

Am I just an ordinary girl?

Does he have the same attitude towards Kazama Sakura?
I don't know, but having wild thoughts is a girl's natural right.

Emotional instability is the norm.

"We're going back tomorrow, so all of you should get some rest. Don't go out unnecessarily at night, and please contact your teachers if you need anything."

"Know it."

A respectable promise in front of all students and teachers.

Then, after all the students had returned to their rooms, he quietly left the room and reappeared at the door of the only private cubicle.

There was no knocking, just a message.

I waited for about a minute, which is considered a very long time.

“Crack.”

The door opened a crack.

Gen Tsukino saw the girl peeking out.

The fluffy rabbit ears were put back on her head.

Her cheeks were flushed, as if she had just applied makeup.

Gen Tsukino looked at her with some surprise, "I thought you would find some difficult way to make things difficult for me before you would open the door."

Although Asagiri Rin's face was flushed, her usual imposing manner hadn't completely disappeared. After opening the door, she stood there casually, looking at the boy with disdain.

"I'm not that kind of coy girl. Enough talk, are you coming in or not?"

"Of course, no man could refuse such an offer."

"Fuck off!"

The boy entered the room.

Asagiri Rin did not change her clothes.

They even added some ingredients.

Beneath that black dress, instead of smooth, slender legs, were covered a layer of subtly flesh-colored black stockings.

It seems to be catering to the boy's hidden preferences.

The room, with only one bedside lamp on, provided just the right amount of ambiguous lighting.

I wanted to say something, but Tsukino Gen abandoned those plans.

He reached out and cupped the girl's cheeks in his hands.

A hot body pressed against him.