I practiced as a monk alone in Japan.

Chapter 61 You deserve it!
Sometimes, words spoken are like water spilled; they cannot be taken back.

Since she had said who cared, Asagiri Rin naturally wouldn't pry into who the girl in the photo was.

I couldn't see her clearly because she was still in a wheelchair, but judging from her demeanor, she seemed to have a very good presence. However, she didn't seem to be as young as me.

Where did you meet?

The connection between an orphan and a disabled person is strangely harmonious.

But given his poverty, how could he possibly take care of someone? Or perhaps they just happened to meet on the street.

Hmm. Very likely.

Taking advantage of the opportunity to ask him to send a photo, he then produced this particular photo, pretending to have sent the wrong one, actually trying to attract his attention. He wanted to throw himself off balance and elicit the emotions he desired.

Ha, that's hilarious.

How could you fall for such a clumsy trick?

You think you can fool yourself with just a random photo? Do you really think you're still that little girl who couldn't help but run to the orphanage to see you every day?

Why do you have such a weird expression?

Tsukino Gen had no idea what the girl was brainstorming; he only knew that she kept glancing at her phone, then at him. Then, for some inexplicable reason, a wicked, knowing smile appeared on his face.

Why is it considered evil? It's hard to say; it simply makes Tsukino Gen worry about his personal safety.

After all, not everyone can resist being alone in a room with a handsome guy like themselves, especially at this age when youthful hormones are at their peak.

Asagiri Rin realized what was happening and immediately adjusted her expression, reverting to her aloof and noble princess persona.

"You're the one thinking too vulgarly, aren't you? I know being alone with a girl like me is a test for you, but I advise you to restrain yourself and not challenge yourself with consequences you can't handle."

Gen Tsukino: ? ? ?

Goodness, I'll just think about it in my head.

Dude, you just said it out loud, didn't you?
Gen Tsukino turned his head and saw the refrigerator, which he hadn't seen a few days ago but was now sitting in the corner.

This activity room is quite special in many ways. In other activity rooms, club activities in this weather would at most have an electric fan and a few fans on the table. But this activity room has air conditioning, and now there's an extra refrigerator. Is this some kind of privilege?

Evil capitalism.

"Why did you suddenly get a refrigerator?"

Gen Tsukino immediately changed the subject.

Asagiri Rin raised an eyebrow. "Of course you need a refrigerator in this weather. Otherwise, why would the mango juice you're given be ice-cold?"

"Oh~ so you admit it was for me?"

Tsukino Gen suddenly leaned closer to his face and blinked.

Asagiri Rin was taken aback.

He then said through gritted teeth, "You've already taken a sip, so I definitely don't want it anymore. Naturally, it's yours. Also, you can't use the refrigerator without my permission."

"Why did you put it in the club if you can't just use it? I'm a club member, of course I can use it."

As he spoke, Tsukino Gen stood up, ignoring Asagiri Rin's hand gripping the armrest, and opened the refrigerator.

Take a look at it.

Various fruit juices from the same brand as the mango juice, including orange, lychee, lemon, and apple juices.
Gen Tsukino turned his head and looked at Rin Asagiri suspiciously. "Are you afraid I won't like mangoes, so you prepared something else?"

"Have you no shame?!"

"Haha, don't worry, I was just joking." Tsukino Gen closed the refrigerator. As Kiri Rin breathed a slight sigh of relief, he returned to his seat and said in a low voice, "I don't have any dietary restrictions. I can drink any kind of juice."

"Who cares about you? If you keep acting so self-righteous, get out."

The girl was furious.

However, this was already quite restrained compared to Tsukino Gen, since almost the entire school knew that Asagiri Rin was skilled at hurting others not only on a psychological level, but also more physically.

At least Tsukino Gen knew that when he first entered high school, there were still some self-important rich kids in the school who thought they were good enough for Asagiri Rin and started pursuing her, even to the point of being relentlessly persistent.

Later, that person seemed to have taken a half-semester leave of absence. I don't know what happened, but when they came back, they behaved themselves like a pet dog. They didn't even dare to mention Asagiri Rin's matter.

"Bang."

Just as Asagiri Rin said those words, there was a sound of the door opening.

Asagiri Rin initially thought Tsukino Gen had teleported to the doorway and was about to leave, unable to bear her own sarcasm. But then she saw...
A sweet smile, a youthful and beautiful face, and a neat school uniform. Her long, neat hair was tied back into a cute and charming bun.

Kazama Sakura.

Kazama Sakura.
It would have been better if Tsukino Gen had simply left, unwilling to be humiliated! Why are you here again?
Her eyes met directly with the girl who seemed utterly unafraid of looking at her.

The other person stood smiling at the door, as if the whole world was beautiful because of her smile. To be honest, Asagiri Rin didn't like people like that, because they seemed like flowers in a greenhouse, unaware of the harshness of the world, and just looking at them made one want to destroy them.

"You called him?"

Asagiri Rin looked at Tsukino Gen, her tone noticeably colder. All the tsundere traits that had been present just moments before vanished. Tsukino Gen seemed to hear a sound from the void.
[Activate Battle Mode!]

Gen Tsukino shook his head and looked at Sakura Kazama. "Why did you come here?"

Kazama Sakura walked into the activity room with a smile on her face. She said softly, "I didn't tell you because I didn't come to see you."

"You didn't come to see me?" So you came to see Asagiri Rin?
Gen Tsukino looked at her with a strange gaze. Rin Asagiri was equally puzzled, "What do you want with me?"

Overestimating their abilities, they've delivered themselves to our doorstep, only to court death.
Sakura Kazama walked to the table in front of Rin Asagiri, opened her schoolbag, took out a piece of paper, and placed it on the table.

She said with a sweet smile, "This is my application to join the club. I hope Asagiri-san will approve it."

"Join the club?"

Asagiri Rin frowned.

Genji Tsukino looked at Sakura Kazama in surprise, "You want to join this club? Don't you already have a club?"

Sakura Kazama nodded. "I've been studying desserts for a long time, and I don't feel like I need to spend all my time on it. My skills are pretty good now. So I was thinking of finding another club to enrich my extracurricular life. Is that okay?"

It sounded plausible, but Tsukino Gen knew perfectly well that wasn't the main reason. Why come to this club of all places? Her purpose seemed quite clear. But when did this gentle, lamb-like girl develop such audacity?
Rin Asagiri did not take the application form, but looked at the other person and said.

"I'm sorry, my club might not be a good fit for your desire to enrich your extracurricular life. Also, we don't have any plans to recruit new members at the moment. You can try looking for other clubs."

That's already a very polite way of putting it.

Gen Tsukino felt that if he weren't there, Rin Asagiri would probably only say one thing—"Take your application form and get out of here."

All of this seemed to be within Kazama Sakura's expectations. Instead of taking it away, she pushed the application form further in front of the girl, as if she wanted to hand it to Asagiri Rin.

Then she said, "I chose this place after careful consideration, so I'm sure it meets my requirements. As for your statement that there are no plans to recruit new members, what can a club with only two people do? Are you not planning to recruit new members, or are you afraid?"

Scared?
Gen Tsukino couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.

Is that the smell of gunpowder? It's so pungent.

Moreover, Kazama Sakura's demeanor during her conversation with Asagiri Rin was quite unfamiliar to her; it was as if Sakura had never displayed such a confrontational attitude towards her before. Or perhaps, women only become like this when they encounter other women?
Rin Asagiri clearly sensed the other party's will.

She leaned back against the sofa, straightening her graceful posture. Her hands rested on the armrests, like a regent queen coldly gazing at a subject who dared to challenge her.

"Scared? Interesting. Tell me, what am I afraid of?"

She smiled too, without any sign of anger or embarrassment. Her smile, however, was sharper, more playful, and sarcastic.

Sakura Kazama was not frightened by that expression; her expression remained unchanged, and she smiled as she spoke.

"Everyone has something they're afraid of, and that's something that power and wealth can't erase. For example, you might find that everything about you—your looks, your temperament, your family background, your power—is nothing compared to simply liking each other."

Is this a battle?
Gen Tsukino's eyes lit up.

Asagiri Rin's smile widened, but her aura became even more oppressive.

"What kind of love-struck person would think that everyone needs something as meaningless as liking or being liked as you do? And what makes you think that everything that seems so perfect now won't change one day?"

Her fingers twirled the ends of her hair, a playful and flirtatious gesture.

"Oh, you are beautiful and young now. But what if you grow old and lose your youth? You will start to fear that everything you value will leave you. And everything you despise now, the power and wealth you cannot obtain, can not only be insurance for all of this, but may also easily destroy everything you think you have."

She looked at Kazama Sakura's gradually furrowed brows and said, word by word.

"You want to get hurt so badly? Then I can give you that chance."

Ok?
Does this mean I agree?

Gen Tsukino was somewhat disappointed; it still wasn't enough of a fight. He was still too much of a gentleman.

But is Asagiri Rin's choice a case of being tricked?

Kazama Sakura nodded with a smile.

"I'm very grateful to Asagiri for agreeing to my application. But I also want to say that people who aren't honest deserve to suffer a lot."

"."

Asagiri Rin suddenly looked up, staring intently into Kazama Sakura's eyes.

She didn't speak, but it seemed as if an invisible pressure was spreading, as if her aura was unfolding.

At this moment, Kazama Sakura turned around and looked at Tsukino Gen, who was lamenting that he didn't have a handful of melon seeds in his hand.

"Have you had enough of the excitement?"

"Huh? What do you mean by 'watching the show'? You can't say that."

"Okay, whatever you say, now come eat with me. I'm starving."

"Are you no longer an animal that can't eat by yourself? Ouch. Don't pinch me. I'm already on my way."

"Humph, you have bad intentions."

Asagiri Rin didn't take their flirtatious exit to heart.

She sat on the sofa, looking towards the door.

"Serves you right? Do you really think I'm just good at making threats?"

……

Here it comes~ This is the battle!

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(End of this chapter)