I practiced as a monk alone in Japan.

Do we still need a reward for Chapter 140?
Was that a confession?

Gen Tsukino: ? ? ?

Before he could enjoy a moment of peace, the boy seemed to hear an alarm.

Turning to look at Rin Asagiri, it seemed as if the content of the movie had become completely unimportant at this moment.

Asagiri Rin calmly watched the screen. "I'm not a girl who's easily fooled. Even if you try your best to use some tricks and say things that are appropriate for the current atmosphere, even if there is indeed a story between us that makes me feel sorry for you and willing to treat you a little differently from others..."

"But don't think of me as easy to tame, and you're not honest."

"Neither firm nor resolute."

What does it mean?

Perhaps if someone else were listening, they would be completely confused and wouldn't understand what the girl was trying to express.

However, based on his understanding of Asagiri Rin, Tsukino Gen still understood her subtext.

To win her over, such a simple one or two interactions and empty promises are far from enough.

She wanted to see the determination of this young man to give up everything for her; she wanted to be the most special and only one in his heart.

If it weren't for this premise, she would be a bit more difficult to deal with than he imagined.

Gen Tsukino blinked. "You must have misunderstood something. I just saw a pitiful, lonely little girl and couldn't help but feel empathy, so I was willing to use my kindness."

"Is that so?" Asagiri Rin didn't seem angry.

Gen Tsukino felt that the other person seemed to have figured out a lot of things that night, such as no longer getting angry with the whole world for no reason or being angry with him.

This way of letting go of oneself is indeed a good thing, and it is also a better development trend for her.

However, this means that, just like in a game, the bosses that evolve to the second stage will definitely be more difficult to defeat.

I don't really want to treat relationships like a strategy game or levels of varying difficulty.

But that's often how the world works: if you can't conquer, you'll be conquered by the other side.

It was essentially a brutal war.

Mutual understanding and things falling into place naturally apply to many people, but it seems unlikely to happen between them.

Gen Tsukino nodded. "Yeah, you're overthinking it. I didn't mean that."

"Then why did you touch my hand?"

Gen Tsukino's hand was still on the other person's hand, as if he was worried that the other person would be cold in the sweltering heat of late July.

Hearing the girl's indifferent words, Tsukino Gen widened his eyes in feigned surprise, "Hand? You put it in the wrong place."

Asagiri Rin watched helplessly as the other person took away his warm and kind hand.

She hates physical contact, whether with men or women.

Leaving behind a smell or warmth would annoy her, so she would avoid it at all costs.

But she didn't dislike his temperature or smell, and even if his palms were damp with sweat, she didn't feel disgusted or repulsed.

He is certainly special, but fairness must be upheld in her case.

He treated me so specially, how could I not treat him specially?

Not only will he keep his promises, but I will also win this potentially protracted war. Besides, he only used perhaps half his strength against me—how insincere! It would be beneath me to eagerly surrender.

It is also a form of self-deprecation.

next moment.

Her gaze fell upon the other person's hand, which gently landed on her thigh.

The dividing line between the thigh flesh and the edge of the skirt hem balances the silky smoothness of the skirt material with her own naturally delicate features.

He knows how to enjoy life.

"This is the right place."

Tsukino Gen said it casually.

Asagiri Rin glanced at him, then made a very disgusted gesture, grabbing his wrist and pulling him away.

"Do not touch me."

"Oh."

Then he really stopped touching it, obediently placing his hands in front of him and watching the movie. Anyone who didn't know better would think he was a film critic, unable to miss a single detail of the film to ensure fairness.

"Humph."

In the dim light, the girl's soft humming made Tsukino Gen's lips curl into a slight smile.

Installed.

Let's see how long you can keep up this act.

As it turns out, Tsukino Gen had good self-control; unlike those young couples in the movie theater who deliberately sat in the corner and couldn't suppress the fermentation of their youthful hormones.

They didn't even kiss in the movie, but they're already hyping it up.

In this season, people can't wear many clothes; even a jacket feels too hot, so there aren't many better ways to cover up. You can see whose chest is bulging and shrinking all the time. And when someone kisses, their bra strap slips down—it's all pretty much visible.

Gen Tsukino thought it was alright, nothing unusual.

Asagiri Rin, who had never watched a movie in a regular theater before, felt a little awkward, especially as the people grew louder and louder with the movie music, making increasingly unrestrained noise.

Then a buzzing sound appeared.

She thought they were showing some kind of R-rated movie.

The young lady was in a bad mood, and there was also the suspicion that she was taking this opportunity to vent her frustrations.

"Don't they have a home to kiss? They're even skipping the hotel room, huh? So rude."

"It's normal. Sometimes it's hard to control your emotions. Besides, how big of a market do you expect for these kinds of romantic movies now? Do you think cinemas will lose half their revenue, or even more, if they lost these young couples?"

Not necessarily, after all, there are also female fans who are willing to book out entire venues just for their idols.

The world is increasingly heading towards chaos and disorder. Many old rules are now crumbling, and you never know how those golden rules will be destroyed in a way that will shatter your worldview.

"Hey, I'm just venting, and you're taking their side?"

"You know you're complaining?"

"In your heart, I am the villain of this world, right?"

Asagiri Rin looked at Tsukino Gen with displeasure.

The boy smiled indifferently, turned his head, and looked relaxed. He placed one elbow on the armrest closest to Asagiri Rin, and naturally, his face was closer to the young lady.

"Otherwise what? Should I prove that they really couldn't control their emotions and that it's understandable?"

"how to prove?"

She looked at the boy strangely.

Then Tsukino Gen's hand reached out and, in a flippant manner, lifted her chin.

Actually, she preferred it when Tsukino Gen cupped her cheeks in his large, slender hands. Not only could she fully feel the warmth of his palms enveloping her, but it also made her face appear smaller.
Such behavior seemed frivolous, as if she were a subordinate being controlled by him, which crossed her bottom line.

"How do you intend to prove it?"

The deep voice was an aroma added to make people willingly drink the poisoned wine.

But this time, the girl didn't blush and shyly avoid the situation. Nor did she simply get angry and launch into a bluffing rebuke.

She merely glanced down indifferently, and Tsukino Gen had no idea what she was looking at, but her reaction was clearly inappropriate at this moment.

as predicted.

"If you had admitted that you were confessing your feelings to me, I could have given you a reward."

The reward was described casually, but such a young lady's reward was certainly not some trivial worldly material thing.

Gen Tsukino didn't rush to strike. Sometimes, the greatest effect is maintaining a deterrent by holding back a deadly move. Once it's delivered, it means you've run out of cards. Is this a card? It doesn't seem quite right, but it seems to be the limit that their current relationship can achieve.

However, this time, Tsukino Gen underestimated the ability and speed at which the girls around him could grow independently.

"What kind of reward? I'm not interested in anything too ordinary."

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Asagiri Rin gracefully crossing her left leg over her right. The delicate light was clearly visible even in the shadows. Despite the distance, a strange fragrance seemed to waft towards my nose.

"You like my legs so much, do you want me to play with them?"

"???"

Gen Tsukino didn't react for a moment.

How to play?
Not
Is this what you should say?
The girl caught a glimpse of surprise in the boy's eyes, and Asagiri Rin was clearly a little smug.

Her eyes weren't wide open, and they even revealed a kind of indifferent tenderness as she spoke slowly in an inexplicable tone.

"Of course, that's on the premise that you confess your feelings to me."

"As for now."

"Kiss me if you want, then go home."

She looked directly at Gen Tsukino.

The words that came out of her mouth sounded like: Do you want a one-off deal or a long-term business?

Well, one could say that being born into such a family certainly gives one a certain business acumen. But isn't using that substitution in this kind of situation a bit absurd?
Do you know how perverted I am? You dare let me play with your legs? You'd be lucky if you didn't lose two pounds.

Tsukino Gen loosened his grip; hearing her say that made things less interesting.

It's not that if she weren't afraid, the whole thing would lose its meaning. It's just that the implications are now more complex, and she shouldn't do anything just to prove something.

Someone angers you, saying you're spineless and don't even dare to kill. Would you actually kill someone to prove you have the guts? Obviously not.

So he let go of her hand and maintained his sitting posture.

This was something Asagiri Rin had expected. If she wanted, she could easily dispel the tension, and she wanted to prove to this boy that he couldn't always control himself so easily.

I can be bolder, and I can give you unexpected surprises. But the prerequisite is that you can give me what I want.

She's not a philanthropist, nor is she love-struck. So what if I have feelings for you?
Want all of me? Then trade me everything you have.

The movie wasn't particularly good, especially without Gen Tsukino's witty banter, which made it easy to fall asleep. Rin Asagiri's expression remained unchanged, but she was inwardly somewhat resentful.

How stingy.

This makes them unwilling to put in any more effort.

She tilted her head slightly. "Are you angry?"

"Ok?"

Gen Tsukino spoke slowly.

Asagiri Rin shifted slightly towards the boy's shoulder.

"Do you feel your self-esteem has been hurt?"

Gen Tsukino smiled and said, "That's not true. What can and cannot be done depends on both parties. If one party is unwilling, then it's pointless, and I won't force them, and I understand."

Asagiri Rin wrinkled her nose, wondering what was causing this inexplicable feeling of guilt.
“I didn’t ask you to deal with those people before, but you still did that kind of thing.”

It refers to that little incident involving Izumi Nami.

She understood very well that if Izumi Nami was indeed targeting her and using Tsukino Gen, then...

Given the boy's personality, he would definitely see through it immediately and then refuse.

However, he deliberately used a counter-strategy, and then taught the entire circle a lesson. This seemed like an unnecessary and complicated process, not in his character. Therefore, the true nature of this matter is quite easy to understand.

He used such a troublesome method to vent his anger.

He didn't even care about offending that girl, even at Saionji's birthday party.

This made her happy.

She had only waited one night, and she couldn't wait for him to tell her the real reason.

I don't want him to continue making jokes and beating around the bush like this.

This time, Tsukino Gen did not disappoint her.

He said in a very ordinary voice, "I just wanted to tell you what I would have done if I had been there during that time."

Asagiri Rin's eyes lowered slightly. On the screen, the male lead held the female lead's hand, running down the street. It was as if they were escaping the whole world, avoiding the wildfire of the mundane world.

She wrinkled her nose.

"Do you still want a reward?"

".Um?"

"The one I just mentioned."

……

(End of this chapter)