I practiced as a monk alone in Japan.

Chapter 79 Going Astray?
Gao Cheng's palms were almost worn raw by the ball.

Kimura, who was hit in the back first and fell to the ground in a sorry state, took a long time to get up.

At this moment, Miura Akihiko realized what had happened and rushed to Tsukino Gen's side.

"Hurry up! I'll carry it; they won't dare do anything to me!"

Seeing Miura Akihiko's anxious look, Tsukino Gen had a strange expression on his face.

"I still don't understand what you're afraid of."

"I"

Miura Akihiko wanted to say something, but he couldn't bring himself to speak. Some things, kept bottled up inside for too long, can even deceive yourself. They can make you believe it doesn't matter anymore, until you encounter a similar situation again and realize that the pain and hatred never truly disappeared; it was just self-comfort that numbed their existence.

When you finally want to speak out, you find that you have no idea how to express yourself.

People who are used to swallowing bitter pills will even forget how to spit them out.

Gen Tsukino interrupted his hesitation.

"After all, it was just an accident, and we weren't the ones who made the mistake."

"."

"Accident?!"

Enraged, Gao Cheng and his two companions nearly lost their temper and rushed forward. The wounds and pain on their hands were the worst they had ever experienced in their lives.

The unfamiliarity made him almost feel ashamed.

These are things that should appear on others, the scars on those you have ruthlessly oppressed. How could they appear on yourself? Especially since they are just friends of Miura Akihiko!

Faced with the three menacing figures, Gen Tsukino showed no sign of backing down; in fact, his expression was too calm, as if he were an outsider.

"Didn't you guys keep saying it was an accident? An accident involving two balls? Well, my footwork isn't good either, and it just so happens that I hit one of you, that could also be an accident. Oh, by the way, are you blaming me for not warning you beforehand?"

The boy's overly lazy tone infuriated Gao Cheng and the others.

These pampered rich kids, known for bullying the weak and fearing the strong, had never been treated like this before. Even those with similar backgrounds wouldn't dare treat them like this, let alone Tsukino Gen, an ordinary boy with only a pretty face and no connections!

"You bastard, how dare you have such an attitude!"

Takashiro was about to rush forward, but unexpectedly, a figure blocked his way between him and Tsukino Gen.

"Miura?"

Miura Akihiko finally took his trembling steps. He didn't know what he was thinking, and he knew that even now, standing in front of Takashiro Katsuya, his legs still felt weak.

But he knew even more that Tsukino Gen was doing this for his sake, not for his own cowardly good-for-nothing self. He couldn't possibly get himself into this trouble.

His conscience and the last vestiges of his dignity wouldn't allow him to remain silent at this time, to try to distance himself. Even though his father always told him otherwise.
"If you have something to say, come at me."

He gritted his teeth, trying to make a fierce expression as he uttered those words, his voice trembling.

Anyone who listened to him could hear the deep sense of guilt and timidity in his voice.

Katsuya Takashiro couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"You? You really think I'm giving you face? I'm not going to make things difficult for you because of our childhood friendship, but don't think you're something special. Who do you think you are! Get out of my way!"

"He's my friend. So I won't step aside, I won't."

Akihiko Miura's voice was very soft, as if he were talking to himself.

Katsuya Takashiro seemed to have heard the funniest joke in the world.

"Friend? What kind of lame joke is that? You're so childish it's disgusting, get lost!"

Katsuya Takashiro seemed to have no intention of holding back and was about to make a move against the tactless Akihiko Miura.

But at that moment, hurried footsteps and shouts came from behind.

"What are you doing! You want to fight?!"

The muscular physical education teacher seemed to finally notice the unusual situation, along with the gazes of many students nearby, who, of course, had already noticed the scene. However, like most bystanders, they remained indifferent.

They may not have any bad intentions, but they also have no obligation to be kind enough to stop it.

The arrival of the physical education teacher forced Katsuya Takashiro to abandon his plan for immediate revenge.

"Get out of there! If you keep making a scene, I'll have to call the grade leader!"

The physical education teacher knew that many students in this school were people he couldn't afford to mess with. Despite their seemingly good reputation outside, there were quite a few spoiled brats causing trouble inside. After all, money was the last thing they lacked, and in their naivety, they thought that the way to show their superiority was to bully the weak.

But they didn't have a better way. Stopping it on the spot was the only thing he could do. If all else failed, they would ask the grade leader to come.

Katsuya Takashiro led his men back a step, then glared fiercely at Gen Tsukino and Akihiko Miura.

"Very well, you wait. Miura, you too."

After saying that, Takashiro Katsuya left with his men.

The PE teacher only gave a perfunctory lecture to the indifferent Tsukino Gen and the worried Miura Akihiko, saying things like, "Young people are bound to be impetuous, don't let your impulsiveness ruin the harmony," and so on.

Soon, with the end of the physical education class, the incident seemed to be regarded as a normal little episode.

After all, which school doesn't have its share of minor conflicts? They're all students of this age, experiencing the rebelliousness and impulsiveness of adolescence. Sometimes it's not even that these boys and girls genuinely feel they can't tolerate something or that the boundaries have been crossed; they might just feel the need to express their individuality and do something strange.

When you grow up and look back on your past, you'll realize how incredibly naive you were.

So it didn't cause a huge uproar at the time, but it did encounter a little trouble. It was just because the teacher was Sakuraba Yuki.

"Hey you, you've been restless since I haven't called you to the office for a few days?"

Wearing a business suit, Sakuraba Yuki still wore those black-rimmed glasses.

Even so, it couldn't conceal her unique intellectual and alluring charm.

Shiny black stockings can easily make one's mouth dry in this season, but Tsukino Gen has good self-control; his gaze doesn't linger, or at least not for long.

"No, that's not true. I've been very well-behaved lately, Sakuraba-sensei."

Looking at the boy's innocent and well-behaved student appearance, Sakuraba Yuki felt a surge of inexplicable anger.

"You're still behaving yourself? I heard about what happened in PE class. What happened? Did you get into a fight with someone?"

Gen Tsukino replied helplessly, "It was just an accident. The people from Class 4 accidentally kicked me while playing soccer, and then I accidentally kicked them back. They probably think I was getting revenge, but I'm just bad at soccer."

"Wait, something sounds a bit off."

Sakuraba Yuki couldn't help but scratch her hair.

"What's strange about it?"

"There are no accidental kicks! You kicked it back on purpose, didn't you?"

"Of course not, do you think I'm that petty? Jokes and playful fights between classmates are normal. Because of youthful exuberance, misunderstandings can sometimes be blown out of proportion and lead to conflict. Don't worry, I'm very calm, I didn't take it to heart." "Wait, are you done? What did I say?"

Sakuraba Yuki opened her mouth, only to find that everything she wanted to say had already been said by the boy.

Wow, you're not just a top student in the grade, you can now educate yourself and be your own teacher, right?
"Hey, what skincare products has Sakuraba-sensei been using lately?"

Suddenly, Tsukino Gen changed the subject, catching Sakuraba Yuki off guard. She subconsciously touched her delicate face.

"I think I switched to a different face mask and toner. What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, it's just that Ms. Sakuraba looks especially beautiful lately, you could say she's radiant, I can hardly keep my eyes open."

"Pfft. It's not as exaggerated as you say. I just... wait a minute. What does this have to do with what I'm talking about?"

Sakuraba Yuki's face was still slightly flushed when she suddenly realized that something was wrong.

Gen Tsukino gazed at Yuki Sakuraba with his clear eyes, making Yuki's voice soften.

There's no way to resist those eyes; they're just too beautiful. Even if you know he's pretending to be innocent, you can't help but gradually melt into those eyes.

"Sakuraba-sensei, please don't worry. I'm not a troublemaker and I won't cause you any trouble."

"Good to know. By the way, I heard that Kazama-kun also joined your club. How are things going?"

Sakuraba Yuki took the initiative to change the subject.

Perhaps it was the filter of memories from their past interactions that made her trust this boy, who was completely different from his peers, so immensely. Or perhaps it was that his gaze that made her feel slightly strange, stirring up emotions that only a young girl would experience, leaving her vaguely uneasy.

How did you know that?

"Of course, I am, after all, the homeroom teacher."

"They get along pretty well, everything seems normal."

"Hmph, there are only three people in the club. You're the only boy, and the other two are such pretty girls. Don't go astray."

"What do you mean by 'going astray'? I always feel that Sakuraba-sensei has a serious misunderstanding about me."

Gen Tsukino pondered for a moment before speaking.

Sakuraba Yuki scoffed.

"You still misunderstand? I just hope I didn't underestimate how wicked you are. Don't think that being young means you can make mistakes, and don't think that those you've hurt will necessarily have a chance to make amends. The vibrancy of youth is wonderful, so wonderful that it makes people prone to indulgence. But the price of hurting others and yourself as a result is equally high."

She earnestly offered her words of comfort.

Gen Tsukino nodded. "What the teacher said makes a lot of sense. I'll remember it."

"That's good. As for what happened in PE class today, since there was no obvious physical conflict, it's fine. But please make sure there's no further escalation. If the other party takes any action, notify the teacher, the school, or even the police immediately. Don't act impulsively, understand?"

"I know. Sakuraba-sensei is becoming more and more like a mother."

"Get lost, I'm your older sister, don't make me sound old."

"I'm going to class now, goodbye teacher."

"go Go."

Sakuraba Yuki breathed a sigh of relief as the boy left.

Actually, dealing with problem students, or even truly good students, wasn't too difficult for her; she never felt this much pressure. But Tsukino Gen was different; he wasn't a problem student, yet she always felt there was something wrong with him.

He was clearly a good student, but something always seemed different about him.

Especially when I look at him, I feel strange myself.

She's just too good-looking. Am I just a sucker for good looks?

Sigh, you're a teacher, what are you thinking about!

Gen Tsukino was unaware of these inner monologues, and he had no particular feelings for Yuki Sakuraba, simply regarding her as a normal woman.

"Did the teacher say anything to you?"

Back in his seat, Akihiko Miura looked over with concern.

Gen Tsukino glanced at him. "You didn't say anything, but you seemed worried about me?"

"Of course. After all, you're only here because of me."

Miura Akihiko hesitated, feeling awkward as he spoke. He lowered his head, unsure of what to say or how to express his feelings.

Feeling grateful to the other person? That seems a bit sentimental.
Gen Tsukino calmly opened the textbook he would use for the next class, and then said softly.

"I think you should be more worried about yourself than me."

Miura Akihiko knew what Tsukino Gen was talking about, and he said with some shame.

"I'm sorry. I'm too weak. I'm really a piece of trash."

"Do not."

Gen Tsukino concisely denies his own self-denial.

Miura Akihiko looked at him with some doubt, his expression resolute.

The boy didn't look at him, but his voice grew clearer.

"Finally, you said, 'He's my friend, so you won't move aside.' That was a cool line. I should apologize for calling you trash before."

"."

Miura Akihiko was at a loss.

He took several deep breaths and repeated the motion of looking down and looking up countless times.

Finally, he clenched his fist, gritted his teeth, and said.

"My story might be... melodramatic, clichéd, and embarrassing. Do you want to hear it?"

Gen Tsukino smiled and looked at him.

"You can tell me, and I'll decide whether to laugh or not after I hear it."

"You guy."

He's the kind of guy you envy, are jealous of, and are most grateful to have as a friend.

……

My eyes still aren't better, it's so annoying. I'm also not sleeping well. I'm thinking of going to the hospital to get some sleeping pills.

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(End of this chapter)