I practiced as a monk alone in Japan.

Chapter 174 Only Him, Only About Him
The night was quiet.

It seems that nothing is left behind except for the wind that passes through it.

It's a dark and stormy night that often appears in novels, a night for murder.

At this moment, the atmosphere at the table was one of perfectly timed silence, as if to complement the atmosphere.

They all thought this young woman named Miura Ayaka was a smiling killer, but none of them expected her to be so cunning!

Since everyone present was aware of the ambiguous relationship between Tsukino Gen and Asagiri Rin, it was meaningless to ask her if she had someone she liked, or whether that person was Tsukino Gen.

She admitted it was expected, nothing surprising or astonishing, just putting an end to countless speculations.

Asking other questions is even less meaningful; being too aggressive might just lead the other person to throw up and down a bottle of alcohol.

However, this problem
Subtle and just right.

It's just a bit too exhausting.

It might be evidence that Tsukino Gen and Asagiri Rin's relationship has progressed to a certain stage. If it turns out to be a result that even Tsukino Gen himself didn't know about, wouldn't that be even more explosive?

Matsushita thought with a somewhat gloomy tone.

However, Asagiri Rin's expression did not show the fury or hostility they had imagined.

She simply looked at Ayaka Miura quietly, her scrutinizing gaze seeming to ask: What could possibly make you ask such a question?

Ayaka Miura seemed unaware of the seriousness of the question. She blinked and said, "Isn't this a bit inappropriate? It's alright, Rin-san can drink too."

Good grief, you're actually giving me a way out, aren't you?
"Well, I feel a little sorry for him, mainly because he doesn't want to hear an answer that would frustrate him even more, so he's going to step in and smooth things over."

But I didn't expect it.

"There's nothing difficult to answer, of course I still will."

"It's calm," Asagiri Rin said.

Matsushita covered his mouth.

but
"then what?"

Ayaka Miura blinked and asked.

"virgin."

Gen Tsukino could clearly see that the girl next to him had clenched her fists. Was this gesture a sign of her gritted teeth?
No, it's one thing to clench your fist, but why are you sticking it out at my leg? It's not shameful!

What truly upset Asagiri Rin wasn't the question itself, but Miura Ayaka's attitude. Was she interrogating her? Or did she want to see her embarrassed? Was it a display of her ordinary human nature? Whatever it was, it seemed offensive.

However, Rin Asagiri respects the game and will not resort to dishonorable methods.

"Alright, alright! Let's move on to the next question~ By the way, Tsukino-kun."

Matsushita quickly put away the cards, glancing at Tsukino Gen in the process.

"what happened?"

Tsukino Gen was confused, while at the same time enduring the feeling of Asagiri Rin grabbing his thigh under the table.

"You're still not trying hard enough~"

"."

Tsukino Gen didn't answer, and Asagiri Rin's gaze turned to him. Matsushita immediately dealt the cards.

"A sexy dealer is dealing cards online!"

This round.

I don't know if it was Matsushita's technique or if sincerity could move mountains.

The smallest is Tsukino Gen's 5, and the largest is Matsushita's own Q.

"Yay! I caught you!"

Matsushita excitedly waved the cards in his hand.

Tsukino Gen looked at the other person with amusement, "You're acting like you're going to shoot me. It's just a question, ask away."

Panasonic even offered a heads-up: "It's settled then, you have to be able to take the risk, no backing out, no lying!"

"But you can drink alcohol."

Tsukino Gen said.

"Whatever you like~"

Matsuo was completely at ease. After all, if you drank alcohol while doing something like this, wouldn't that mean you were guilty?
Whether you drink it or not, the outcome is the same.

"go ahead."

"Cough cough cough."

To prove the point of her argument, Matsushita deliberately coughed a few times to draw everyone's attention to herself. Whether she attracted much attention is unknown, but summer mosquitoes certainly swarmed around her.

It hovered around her head, looking quite comical.

"Besides Xiao Lin, have you ever had feelings for any other girl?"

This is a common problem, but that doesn't mean that common things are useless.

Will this issue go viral?
Will he choose to lie, tell the truth, or drink?
Matsushita felt he had the rhythm under control.

When everyone's eyes turned to Tsukino Gen, including Asagiri Rin, the boy's answer was easier and simpler than they had expected.

"Yes, I have."

"."

Whether it was because Tsukino Gen answered too quickly and easily, or something else, no one was prepared to react for a moment, even Matsushita was stunned.

He spoke two seconds late.

Wow! So you're this kind of person!

She kept winking at Asagiri Rin, as if she was helping her best friend see through this jerk's true colors.

However, Asagiri Rin didn't react at all, not even bothering to show any surprise.

"Are you concerned?"

She asked.

"Huh? No...wait, is there some mistake?"

Matsushita scratched his head, wondering why things weren't going as he expected.

Upon seeing this, Aoki Shin immediately realized, "Are you stupid? You didn't say when. He's a teenager. Isn't it normal for him to be attracted to a few pretty girls when he was young and confused? Is this all you've got?"

Matsushita then realized that he had been taken advantage of.

The question was not precise enough!
The girl was a little frustrated, but there was only one question per round, so she could only grit her teeth and wait for the next round.

But the situation became more delicate in the next round.

The largest is Rin Asagiri's K, and the smallest is surprisingly Ayaka Miura's 5.

It seems that good luck is leaving Ayaka Miura.

However, this woman, who had seemed confused but whose attacks all resulted in real injuries, was quite frank: "Hey, it's me, Ms. Rin. What would you like to ask?"

There doesn't seem to be much connection between the two, and it's unlikely that any explosive news will be generated.

But Asagiri Rin's first words were...

Are there any members of the opposite sex present that you like?

"."

Matsushita was taken aback for a moment, then belatedly realized that this meant she suspected Miura and Tsukino Gen were having an affair? But didn't these two only meet today?

Or is she questioning the relationship between Miura and Aoki? But why would she care about Aoki? Is she simply trying to embarrass Miura Ayaka?

For some reason, the moment Matsushita heard the question, he felt a strange atmosphere permeate the air, and the atmosphere became tense.

Aoki Shin had never imagined anything could happen between him and Miura Ayaka, even though they seemed like a good match and had a good relationship abroad. However, he always had something on his mind that he couldn't let go of, so he found it hard to pay attention to the good things around him.

The moment I heard that question, a thought popped into my head.

What about your own things?

But why not say it's about the opposite sex instead of just herself? Is it because Asagiri Rin has suspicions?
His gaze fell on Ayaka Miura. Ayaka Miura seemed not to have reacted yet, looking at Shin Aoki with a blank expression, then at Gen Tsukino.

"If they were here, don't the people who were drinking with us just now count?"

"Not counting."

"Oh, yes, there are."

Why did you add those people from before?

Matsushita mentally cursed, then realized, "So that means it's either Shin Aoki or Gen Tsukino?"

Aoki Shin?
It might seem a bit more likely, after all, they had a good relationship abroad, became friends after coming back together, and he even introduced her to a lot of people in the industry. Perhaps it's also a matter of gratitude leading to affection? Tsukino Gen... that bastard is just too good-looking, which is an uncertain factor.

I don't know how effective it will be.

Matsushita carefully observed Asagiri Rin's expression, as if all of this was within the young lady's expectations, and she simply nodded.

"it is good."

She looked at Gen Tsukino again, who was smiling at her.

Matsushita immediately turned her head away, feeling a little guilty. Why was she looking at her friend like that? She hadn't started this whole thing, and she was starting to feel a bit nervous.

Because Rin Asagiri's mood started to change.

"Continue dealing the cards."

Asagiri Rin gave the order.

Matsushita actually wanted to say, "How about we stop here?" But once she said that, she became like an AI robot, only able to act according to orders.

This round of card dealing continues.

The result is exactly the same as the previous round! Asagiri Rin is the oldest, and Miura Ayaka is the youngest!
Ayaka Miura blinked. "It's me again."

"second question."

Asagiri Rin looked at Miura Ayaka without saying much.

Ayaka Miura nodded. "Yes, go ahead and ask."

"You just said there was someone of the opposite sex you liked present. Is that person Shin Aoki?"

Ok? !

Does he really have his own things to do?
Aoki Shin immediately sat up straight, looking very energetic.

While he genuinely had no feelings for Ayaka Miura, any man faced with this choice would undoubtedly harbor a sliver of hope. Who wouldn't want their charm proven, even if it's someone they don't like?

Matsushita had already sensed that something was definitely wrong.

This is a good question.
There were only two boys present, Tsukino Gen and Aoki Shin. If she answered yes, it would be fine, but if not, wouldn't that cause a huge uproar?

You dare to be interested in Tsukino Gen, whom the young lady brought along? Do you really think the young lady has a good temper? Damn... are we going to fight later?
She glanced guiltily at Tsukino Gen beside her, only to find the boy still smiling and watching her, seemingly unconcerned about what was about to happen.

I'm just telling myself: The game you suggested is great, really good.

Depend on!
Nobody said this is how the game is played! There are no jokes, no tolerance. It's like facing a true enemy, with only tangible aggression and questioning.

This isn't a test; it's practically an interrogation!
Combined with Asagiri Rin's aura at this moment.

It seems to leave only room for people to hold their breath.

Ayaka Miura, however, did not seem to feel this pressure. She even had a thoughtful expression on her face, as if she was seriously recalling something.

Then she sighed, picked up a beer, tilted her head back, and gulped it down.

Asagiri Rin's expression froze for a moment, then relaxed.

Watching Ayaka Miura quickly finish her bottle, she said sarcastically, "I thought you were a fun-loving person."

Ayaka Miura looked apologetic and said, "I was thinking that if having a good feeling is considered liking someone, then this question seems a bit impossible to answer. Sorry~"

Goodwill
That makes sense; it's natural to have a good impression of the friendly Aoki Shin.

It's perfectly normal to have feelings for the handsome and youthful Gen Tsukino.

But is having a good feeling really the same as liking someone?

However, judging from the way Ayaka Miura answered, it seems that this young woman has realized the situation and has begun to soften.

However, when the new round began, the Heavenly Stems were reversed.

The smallest became Asagiri Rin, and the largest became Miura Ayaka.

Aoki Shin gripped his cards tightly. Good grief, what was he even doing here? He needed to feel involved!
Dude, you come up with so many good questions, but you can't use any of them?
Gen Tsukino didn't care. He wasn't curious about anything, or rather, he couldn't come up with any interesting questions. It was the two of them who were more interested.
"What do you want to ask?"

Asagiri Rin spoke directly.

Ayaka Miura scratched her head. "I'm thinking of something more suitable."

The subtext of this statement is: what questions are neither boring nor offensive?
Asagiri Rin narrowed her eyes. "It's okay, it's just a game anyway, anything is fine, it doesn't matter."

"Really?"

"Ah."

"Then may I ask, Ms. Rin, how many men have you been attracted to since you were a child? Not including elders or your father. Nor including casual feelings of affection, but the kind of attraction that makes you want to be with them."

"hiss"

Are you serious?
Matsushita was confused. Wasn't he showing weakness before? Why was he being so sharp now? He even tightly controlled the scope, leaving no room for ambiguity.

From small to large
How long have Asagiri Rin and Tsukino Gen known each other? Isn't this like trying to squeeze into a crack in the wall, or even die trying?

Aoki Shin was both nervous about whether the atmosphere would turn sour and expectant.

Even if it's not the person by her side now, perhaps she once had feelings for him? That would be some kind of comfort, wouldn't it?

It's really something that Ayaka Miura dares to ask such a question.

You're not afraid either.
"One."

There was silence on the field.

Tsukino Gen, who had been calmly observing the whole situation, slightly shifted his gaze and changed his expression.

He looked at Asagiri Rin's profile.

Those exquisite features gradually blurred, and he seemed to see the little girl who had found him and was looking for a paper airplane.

Ayaka Miura seemed to think that the other person's answer was incorrect.

She reminded her softly.

I'm talking about from childhood to now.

"On a."

Aoki Shin's heart almost stopped beating.

Just one.
It must be Asagiri Rin, whom she wanted to get to know, right? Was it herself first? Then, this one and only one, the most special one in her heart, the one who left an impression from the beginning and hasn't changed since, could it be...?
Then he saw Asagiri Rin's gaze turn to that side in front of everyone.

The train tracks seemed to connect with that boy.

They collided together perfectly.

There shouldn't be any extra explanations during a truth or dare game, because it would just sound like you're trying to excuse your answer.

Rin Asagiri chose to commit a foul at this moment.

“I knew him before I knew you.”

If the waves only have one chance in their lifetime to kiss the beach.

If a rose only has one chance in its lifetime to bloom for someone.

If you only have one impulse to want someone's everything.

That's him.

The first ray of light, shining from the depths of memory, has continued to this day, covering the sea of ​​flowers.

……

(End of this chapter)