I practiced as a monk alone in Japan.

Chapter 89 Keep Trying, Tsukino-kun (Second Update~)

"Did Tsukino-kun just come out of the study room?"

They went downstairs again. If Tsukino Gen had known earlier that Saionji was going to take this box of things to the building with the club activity room, he might have ignored her flattery.

It's not that there's anything particularly difficult about it, it's just that he personally doesn't like going in the opposite direction.

This seems like the most wasteful thing to do. Hmm? But after joining some kind of 'Wasting Life' club, it doesn't seem so bad anymore. Occasionally being a god who's neither close to God nor far from humanity is harmless.

"Hmm. But if you were going to deliver these things to the activity room, why are you here in the classroom?"

The girl next to me had a faint floral scent, like a light perfume mixed with shower gel. In this country, it's normal for high school students to wear makeup and perfume, and ear piercings are commonplace. Here, being too innocent or naive can be considered a fault, or even a reason to be ridiculed.

Saionji Karen smiled gently, her beauty as tender as the afternoon sun, quietly blooming with floral fragrance. She raised her smooth arm, neatly tucking the strands of hair behind her ears. Her ears were beautiful, with a rounded cuteness as the hair peeked out.

"The equipment that the photography club needs was taken to be repaired by someone I asked before. It was a boy who didn't think much of it and just brought it to the classroom. It's not appropriate to leave so much stuff in the classroom, so I had no choice."

Karen Saionji sighed helplessly, "Sigh, why can't all boys be as thoughtful and considerate as Tsukino-kun?"

They're still blowing it up.

The boy's arms usually looked fair and clean, even giving the impression of being weak and frail. But when he steadily held this not-so-light box, the muscle lines in his arms became prominent, like the marks of a sculpture. One wonders what kind of lathe could machine such beautiful curves.

"Does that mean you want me to become the enemy of all the boys in the school?"

"It seems that's pretty much the case." Saionji smiled. "Anyway, there probably aren't many guys who would genuinely want to be friends with you, right?"

That's true. Apart from Akihiko Miura, her relationships with other boys were only superficial, and of course, she didn't really need such interpersonal relationships.

Many people are attracted by inexplicable personal charm, but even more fear that outstanding individuals of the same sex will steal all the limelight. This is an understandable territorial instinct deeply ingrained in males' genes.

"I do have very few friends."

"But there are many concubines?"

"Ok?"

Gen Tsukino gave the other person a strange look.

Saionji covered her mouth and chuckled softly, giving off a feeling reminiscent of an anime heroine deliberately creating a memorable scene, but it didn't seem out of place on her.

"Your classmate Kazama Sakura is quite famous, I think she's no worse than Rin. Momoka is pretty good, Tsukino-kun."

It seemed he was mocking the women around him, but Tsukino Gen was not only thick-skinned, but also adept at taking things to extremes. He glanced at Saionji without leaving a trace.

"Now that a beautiful girl like my senior is around me, is she one of my potential romantic interests?"

"Huh? You've already added me to your harem list?" She feigned surprise, widening her eyes, then waved her hand. "No, no, I can't become Rin's enemy."

"However," he changed the subject, "why didn't you ask the boys in your class to help you carry it? You just carried it out by yourself?"

The sunlight is brighter downstairs.

It fell into his slightly open collar, the obvious collarbone lines like a meticulously designed architectural complex, only revealing a beautiful tip of the iceberg, arousing endless desire to explore.

Saionji blinked, and an arc of light rippled in her pupils.

"Is this how you change the subject? And in such a clumsy way. It seems that Tsukino-kun isn't good at everything."

"I never said I could do everything; I'm not Superman."

“That’s true.” Saionji sighed with a sense of regret, though she didn’t know why. “Because I don’t really want to bother other boys, and other girls might mistake me for the kind of girl who uses her beauty and coquetry to ask boys for favors without any hindrance.”

"You still have this to worry about?" Tsukino Gen looked incredulous.

"Hey!" Saionji pretended to be angry.

What's with that look on your face? Do I look like a mean girl?

"No, it's just that I thought this kind of busyness was the norm in this world, a generally accepted rule. No one would make a big deal out of it, and your thinking so much is a bit unrealistic." It could even be said that he was deliberately creating a persona in front of me.

But why would she need to create a persona for herself?

As we spoke, we entered the building where the activity room was located, and the light dimmed.

"Hmm, you and Xiaolin really look alike."

"Really?" How did you get in touch?

"Of course, everyone instinctively remains skeptical of everything and doesn't believe the information others release. Did she learn from you, or did you learn from her?"

Saionji opened her eyes wide with curiosity.

Gen Tsukino shook his head. "That's not true. My relationship with her isn't as close as you think."

"Really? Then you specifically asked me to relay those words to her that day."

"Well, I just happened to have something to do, and it just so happened that I ran into you, senior."

"So I'm just a tool."

"Who hasn't been a tool in this world at some point? Aren't I just a tool for my senior to move things around with right now?"

The boy lifted the box in his hands, pretending to be struggling, which made Saionji Karen laugh so hard she almost fell over.

"How can you be so funny?"

"It's a natural sense of humor, there's nothing I can do about it."

Upstairs, at the photography club's activity room, Saionji Karen unlocked the door with her key, and Tsukino Gen carried the things inside. The photography club looked somewhat messy, with equipment scattered everywhere. Various photos were scattered on the walls and tables.

"Just put it on the table."

Saionji said with a smile.

Tsukino Gen nodded and put down the box. Since it was noon and class hadn't started yet, there was no one else in the spacious activity room except for the two of them, a man and a woman alone.

The thoughtful short-haired senior took a bottle of water from a box in the corner and handed it to Tsukino Gen.

"Thank you for your hard work, Tsukino-kun~"

Gen Tsukino didn't refuse, and opened the bottle to drink. Saionji's gaze fell on the other's noticeably moving Adam's apple, then calmly shifted away.

"Oh, right, Tsukino-kun."

"Ok?"

"How have things been going with Rin lately?" Actually, as soon as Saionji Karen opened her mouth, Tsukino Gen had a vague feeling about what she was going to say. Aside from Rin Asagiri, there seemed to be no other topics. It could even be said that Saionji's attitude and interest in him stemmed entirely from that girl.

While it's undeniable that she is indeed a special person, there are many special things out there, and not everyone rushes to fawn over them, especially a girl like Saionji Karen who has both good looks and other desirable qualities.

The only thing that Tsukino Gen found strange or awkward about this was why she insisted on using him to find out. Wouldn't it have been better to just ask Asagiri Rin? Their relationship wasn't that bad, was it?

"It's alright, nothing serious."

Since the other party seemed rather strange, Tsukino Gen naturally spoke vaguely as well.

"It's already quite difficult for her if nothing major happens, so it seems they get along really well."

"Why does Saionji-senpai keep asking me if she's so curious about Asagiri-san? Why doesn't she just ask her directly?"

Gen Tsukino brought up the issue himself.

Saionji smiled. "If she were that honest, I wouldn't be so worried. And you know, people with strong pride are unwilling to show their weaknesses to others. She's like a hedgehog with quills all over her body, wanting to tell the whole world how sharp she is. If the people around her worry too much, she'll feel offended."

Gen Tsukino shook his head.

"If you don't know either, then don't expect me to give you any answers."

"Not always."

Gen Tsukino leaned against the table, while Karen Saionji sat elegantly in a chair, looking up slightly at the languid and languid boy.

She gently lifted her left leg and placed it on top of her right, slightly pulling open the pleated skirt to reveal a glimpse of her upper body above her gray stockings. It wasn't that Tsukino Gen was a crotch-watching cat; her dynamic vision was simply too good, instinctively not missing the slightest movement.

This is especially evident after the Ultimate Formless Skill enters the third level.

"Girls are strange creatures. Especially girls with strong self-esteem, the stronger they appear in front of others, the more vulnerable they will seem in front of certain people."

"I may not be the person you're talking about. I'm not that narcissistic."

Gen Tsukino's eyes were indifferent.

But Saionji Karen stared straight at him, smiling faintly.

"It's alright, I was just saying it was a possibility. If such a moment ever comes, please be as gentle as ever, Tsukino-kun."

Gen Tsukino squinted at her in the classroom, which was so quiet it was almost unbearable, and the atmosphere was even a little strange.

"Are you perhaps Asagiri's long-lost older sister or something?"

It was a strange metaphor, but it accurately expressed his doubts.

Karen Saionji blinked her amber eyes. "Just treat me as an insignificant bystander, an audience member in your coming-of-age story. There's no need to overcomplicate things."

"But I'm not an actor, and I don't like my life being appreciated and watched by others."

The boy's gaze drifted away, and his demeanor became somewhat unfamiliar, even cold.

But Karen Saionji didn't seem to care about any of that. She simply took two books out of the drawer of her desk and placed them casually on the table. A quick glance revealed their conspicuous covers.

It was Tsukino Gen, holding an umbrella with a gentle smile, and Asagiri Rin, standing under the umbrella with a cold expression, as if she loathed the whole world.

As Saionji Karen mentioned before, they seem like people from two different worlds, with different personalities, yet they exist in the same scene. There's an inexplicable contrast that's also harmonious. Especially after post-production processing, the rain curtain looks incredibly realistic.

People from different worlds are forced into the same world by an inescapable torrential rain, resulting in a brief but thought-provoking encounter.

The photos are well taken and processed very well.

It seems to be the literary society's upcoming publication; its name is surprisingly written in Chinese characters: "Mountain Flowers."

She laughed and said, "Look, you guys are the best actors. Whether we like it or not, we're actually performing our whole lives, aren't we?"

Gen Tsukino rubbed his short hair in front of his forehead with a hint of helplessness.

"The way you talk sounds like you're in a stage play. Who taught you that?"

"Does talking like that bother Tsukino-kun?"

"I'm just a little tired, and I feel like I'm out of my normal life, so I'm not used to it."

"That's great. It proves that there's no one as special as me in your world yet."

"???"

Seeing the puzzled look in Tsukino Gen's eyes.

Karen Saionji stood up and gracefully straightened the hem of her pleated skirt. She then casually tugged at the edge of her grey knee-high stockings in front of Gen Tsukino.

It was a perfectly normal action, like a boy adjusting a bullet's trajectory. But on her, this scene held a strange allure.

The light falling on her long legs became alluring as a result.

"Alright, alright, enough joking around. Please take a copy to Rin, Tsukino-kun. It's a really good book, right? Maybe in the future, many years from now, even if we never see each other again, seeing this book, 'Mountain Flowers,' will still evoke special feelings."

Why didn't you just give it to her directly?

Gen Tsukino didn't pick it up immediately.

Saionji Karen thought about it for a moment.

"Well, it's not very interesting for me to give it to her. If you give it to her, you'll probably see a more interesting expression."

"Why do you sound like a director, a screenwriter, meticulously crafting our story?"

"Tsuno-kun."

Karen Saionji suddenly looked directly at the boy.

"Ok?"

Gen Tsukino stared at her without any hesitation.

She said, "My birthday is after summer vacation."

“We haven’t known each other for very long, and our relationship isn’t close enough for me to give you an expensive birthday gift.”

"Pfft. I'm not that mean." Karen Saionji walked to the door, turned back, and covered her mouth with a light laugh. "I just hope to see you and Rin participate together. Do your best, Tsukino-kun, for that!"

……

(End of this chapter)