I practiced as a monk alone in Japan.

Chapter 44 You've been accepted!
She was usually the goddess of the class, a perfect girl in the eyes of all her classmates, with a cute and charming personality, and a beautiful girl who was simply flawless.

In this study room shrouded in gloomy weather, it became a little dog hoping for comfort from its owner.

What a strange contrast!

Gen Tsukino can swear that he never intended to manipulate or psychologically abuse this girl, nor did he use any special methods to control her and subtly influence her into this state.

This has never happened before.

But now, looking at her flushed face, there was a clear longing in her eyes.

He gradually realized this.

Just as stray dogs find shelter and carp always try to leap over the Dragon Gate.

The girl possessing this other side wasn't a result of her own influence, nor was it something that had always existed within her. Now, she has simply found herself, encountered herself, and is gradually wanting to unleash her true, other self.

Will M find his S?

Such thoughts seem to subconsciously excite one, as if one has easily gained the power to control the beautiful girl in front of them. However, Tsukino Gen wondered, what kind of upbringing and experiences had led her to painstakingly conceal such a contrasting personality?
The boy, who disliked being sentimental and didn't consider himself a savior, reached out his hand with a touch of pity.

As she wished, it was gently placed on her head.

It crossed the distance of the table, and it seemed to shatter her restless, crumbling barrier.

However, he did not say anything shameful or humiliating at this moment, but spoke softly.

"You are not a homeless puppy, you are the cutest girl."

His hand was on her head, stroking very gently, as if he were only touching her hair, but it clearly made Kazama Sakura feel a warmth. Her cheeks flushed, and she gently raised her head to look at him.

His hazy eyes cleared up considerably.

In her luminous pupils, the underlying color was the boy's warm smile.

"Um"

She nodded gently, seemingly obedient and docile. When Tsukino Gen let go of her hand, she seemed to resume normal tutoring, as if nothing had happened.

They still laugh and joke, and they still occasionally make eye contact.

However, it seems that Tsukino Gen himself is unaware that when this girl occasionally sneaks a peek at Tsukino Gen, there is a strange obsession in her eyes.

Even if it's Asagiri Rin, she won't let her.

……

The gloomy weather eventually brewed into a heavy rain, which seemed to bring a refreshing coolness to many students. The rain washed over the earth, dispelling much of the summer heat.

Despite the unpredictable weather, many students still forgot to bring umbrellas.

Sakura Kazama was the same. After changing her shoes, she came to the eaves of the teaching building and saw a torrential downpour. The raindrops were clearly visible, like bullets falling to the ground, creating obvious splashes and shattering into many mirror-like fragments.

It does look beautiful, and in this kind of weather, the youthful campus seems to have a unique atmosphere.

But how will I get home? It's hard to imagine how soaked I'd be if I tried to get through this rain.

At that moment, a figure walked up to Kazama Sakura's side.

"Didn't you bring an umbrella?"

When Kazama Sakura turned her head, she saw Watanabe He standing next to her, and she subconsciously took a step to the side.

Even though people come and go, and everyone who passes by keeps a certain distance from her, she seems to feel that the distance is not enough.

This small gesture made Watanabe He's eye twitch slightly.

He took a deep breath, and seeing the other person remain silent, he spoke softly.

"I brought an umbrella. If you don't feel comfortable with that, I can take you to the station. Or I can take you to a convenience store to buy an umbrella. If all else fails, you can take my umbrella home; you don't need to return it."

After Watanabe He lost a minor but significant amount of time at the karaoke bar, he didn't show up in front of Kazama Sakura for several days, and his messages went unanswered.

This seemed to be a clear signal. But Watanabe He was not willing to accept this. He thought he was far superior to Tsukino Gen. Although Tsukino Gen might be more stunning in appearance, his family background and abilities were far better than this orphan's.
He felt that Sakura Kazama was deceived by appearances. How could a pretty and cute girl like Sakura Kazama, who should have a bright future, be deceived by a scumbag who looks like he only knows how to lie to women?

I have a responsibility to pull her out of this abyss, regardless of who gave me that responsibility. But what kind of man is he if he can't protect the girl he likes? However, I haven't had a good chance to get close to her these past few days, and her current behavior seems to be full of wariness and even indifference towards me.

The situation is not good.

So he could only say such humble words, hoping she could feel that he was genuinely good to her.

But Kazama Sakura simply shook her head. "No need."

Watanabe sighed and said softly.

"I didn't mean anything by it, an umbrella doesn't mean anything. Or are you waiting for him?"

These words startled Kazama Sakura. She wasn't actually waiting for anyone; to be honest, she had just been worried about how Tsukino Gen would get home in this weather.

Just as I was about to speak.

Another figure appeared beside her, and she immediately sensed its familiar presence, turning around.

Gen Tsukino stared calmly ahead, seemingly oblivious to what the two had been saying.

“It’s raining so hard.”

He said with emotion.

Sakura Kazama looked at him. "Didn't you bring an umbrella?"

"You didn't bring any either?"

Tsukino Gendo asked.

Kazama Sakura nodded, then said softly, "Why don't you wait here for a bit, I'll go buy an umbrella."

Watanabe He almost popped his eyes out.

What kind of comment is this? How can she be even more humble than a guy?! Seriously, you, a girl, went out in the rain to buy an umbrella for a guy? When did the world become like this?!

Gen Tsukino ignored Watanabe He's exaggerated expression and smiled.

"Are you crazy? You'll get soaked if you go buy me an umbrella, won't you? With your skinny arms and legs, you'll probably catch a cold and fever if you get even a little chilly. I'll go instead."

After finishing his sentence, Tsukino Gen took a step forward. He walked directly into the rain, and just as Watanabe He was about to say something, he saw Kazama Sakura walk into the rain without any hesitation.

"Wait a minute, let's go together."

"No, what are you doing here? You'll catch a cold."

"A little bit of rain won't hurt, just walk faster."

"Give me your schoolbag and walk in front of me."

"it is good."

The two figures, one in front of the other, walked briskly towards the school gate in the torrential rain, and soon disappeared into the dense rain curtain.

Watanabe opened his mouth, but found he couldn't say anything, still clutching the unopened umbrella in his hand.

He thought about it for a while and suddenly felt somewhat powerless.

A relieved yet self-deprecating smile appeared on his face.

"If you don't like it, you just don't like it. Even Superman can't change that."

Also in the rain.

It was a black sedan with its windows tightly closed, as if the car could block out the sound of the rain outside, quiet and peaceful, like a completely different world. In this world, Asagiri Rin could coldly watch the boys and girls outside braving the rain, or holding umbrellas but with their shoulders soaked.

Her gaze was cold and calm, as if nothing could stir her emotions.

Until a pair of figures came into her view.

A man and a woman, one in front and one behind.

The girl walked ahead, her hair was a little messy, and her steps looked a bit hurried and awkward.

But you can still see her beautiful face and her cheerful, youthful spirit.

The boy behind her was slender yet tall, holding his backpack and shielding the girl's head from the rain. He seemed completely unconcerned about getting wet in the downpour.

In an instant, Asagiri Rin's eyes in the car seemed to be stung.

She watched as the two figures quickly entered the convenience store.

"Stop."

The driver in front quickly stopped the car and looked at the rearview mirror with a hint of doubt, but she only saw the expression on the other person's face.

It's like dark clouds gathering over the sea before a storm.

She dared not speak at that moment.

She stopped by the roadside for about five minutes, and Asagiri Rin finally saw the two of them come out of the convenience store again, with the two of them holding up two umbrellas.

They were standing at the entrance, under two umbrellas, one tall and one short, with two people looking at each other, seemingly smiling.

Rin Asagiri couldn't hear what they were saying.

She couldn't see from under the car window that she had already gripped the door handle tightly, as if she were about to rush into the rain at any moment.

"Let's go."

The black sedan sped away, attracting the attention of many people on the roadside. It seemed normal for a car to cross the road, but why was it driving so fast? It was as if it was hiding anger, like a wild beast running wildly in the rain.

Gen Tsukino, who had safely brought Sakura Kazama home, had just finished taking a shower.

Then I received a call from Sakuraba Yuki.

The other party got straight to the point.

"How was your day? Did you join any clubs?"

Gen Tsukino thought for a moment and replied, "No, her admission requirements are a bit too strict, so I didn't accept."

As for the content, he wouldn't tell Sakuraba Yuki, because it was too strange. Tsukino Gen didn't know whether Sakuraba Yuki knew about the true relationship between Asagiri Rin and himself, so he didn't intend to cause any unnecessary trouble.

Sakuraba Yuki listened and remained silent for a moment.

"You didn't do this on purpose, did you? Were you actually trying to make things difficult for them?"

"Sakuraba-sensei, at least have some faith in my character. Would I play such a prank? I'm a good student."

"No good student claims to be a good student all the time, and grades don't represent everything. But since this place isn't suitable, let's go somewhere else. I'll take you there tomorrow."

Gen Tsukino paused, stunned.

"Going again? Is it something really that important?"

"Of course, now that we've reunited, your teacher will definitely take responsibility for your high school life. I know you're mature and sensible, but I won't let you seem to be in this world alone, yet feel like you're detached from everyone else. I won't give up on you."

After hanging up the phone, Tsukino Gen looked at his phone.

He touched his cheek in disbelief.

"Does this guy look like some kind of problem student? Being too normal is also a kind of abnormality, right?"

Never mind, I'll go make some money first.

Then I bought ten scratch-off lottery tickets, but I only won one out of ten, and it was the lowest possible prize.

Why does it feel like everything's going wrong all day?
So, it seems he can only try his luck at mahjong parlors and become a mahjong master. However, he has won at almost every mahjong parlor in the area, so it seems he needs to go to a much farther place.

Just as he was hesitating.

The phone rang.

There was no note on the number, but Tsukino Gen, who has a great memory, immediately recognized it.

He clicked on the content and only saw a simple sentence.

"You've been accepted. Be sure to attend the club activity on time tomorrow."

……

(End of this chapter)