My love index is at its maximum.

“It’s over here,” she said in a calm voice, as soft as a spring breeze across a grassland, but between them was a river so wide that the other side was invisible.

Tazaki Tsukasa ate his strawberry smoothie without saying a word. He had nothing to say anyway, so he might as well just listen to her. He didn't need to worry about having to take responsibility for her just because he kissed her; the fact that her stock price hadn't fluctuated meant she wasn't interested at all, so he ate with peace of mind.

Qichuan Wei took off the necklace from her neck and placed it on the table: "This morning, you stared at this necklace several times, with a rather disgusted look in your eyes."

Tazaki Tsukasa glanced at the necklace and continued, "Since you dislike that past, I don't need to look at it with any filters. Here, take the necklace back. From today onwards, I'll consider the Tazaki Tsukasa I knew to be dead."

At this point, Yui Kikawa shrugged slightly, the light deep in her pupils remaining icy cold.

After a fifteen-second silence, she said, "My emotions have been fluctuating a lot lately, and I don't like this feeling. So from now on, you are just a stranger to me. I will never feel annoyed by your affairs again, nor will I feel angry if someone sends me a picture of Eriri."

"You're pretty amazing." Tsukasa Tazaki chewed on a piece of pineapple and pointed to another plate of shaved ice on the table: "It's going to melt if you don't eat it soon."

"I'm not eating anymore." Yui Kikawa jumped off the high stool, picked up the camera, and said, "I'll go talk to Ninomiya about the filming plan first."

As she turned around, her long golden hair fluttered slightly, swaying in beautiful trails of light.

Tsukasa Tazaki stretched and picked up the necklace from the table.

Under the cold air from the air conditioner, the girl's remaining body heat dissipated completely, and all that her palm touched was the cold, metallic texture, the same texture as her eyes.

He looked at it for three seconds, then threw it into the trash can.

While eating her second smoothie, Sachiko Tono squeezed next to Tsukasa Tazaki and asked with a displeased look, "What happened just now?"

Without looking up, Tsukasa Tazaki said, "A farewell ceremony."

"Does the farewell ceremony require a kiss?"

"Hmm... This is like a sacrifice, and the act of kissing is an indispensable offering. The saintess named Qichuan sacrificed her first kiss, and from then on, she turned evil and fell into the cold-hearted Qichuan Great Witch!"

Sachiko Tono shook her head: "I don't understand what you're talking about."

"Life needs a little ritual," Tazaki Tsukasa said, spouting nonsense.

What exactly is the relationship between the two of you?

"It used to be somewhat related, but now it's not."

Sachiko Tono rolled her eyes at him: "Then why did you kiss her?"

"She kissed me..." Tsukasa Tazaki mumbled, his mouth full of fruit, "though I didn't dodge..."

Sachiko Tono was instantly furious. She pinched Tsukasa Tazaki's cheek and asked fiercely, "I tempted you too, so why didn't you kiss me?"

The sound was very loud; it could be heard clearly even from a great distance.

In an instant, the eyes of the rest of the shop's employees and several customers all turned to the proprietress.

The still-attractive widow blushed instantly.

She covered her face in despair, letting out mournful cries through her fingers: "It's over... I can't face anyone anymore, Tazaki-kun, take good care of yourself... I'm going to kill myself..."

Tsukasa Tazaki suppressed a laugh: "Don't commit suicide yet."

Sachiko Tono peeked at him through her fingers, hoping he would say a few words of comfort to her.

result……

Tsukasa Tazaki patted the box on the table: "I plan to leave these equipment in the shop for now, so I'll trouble Sachiko-nee to take good care of them. You can go commit suicide after we finish filming the promotional video for this workplace event."

"To! Saki! Tsukasa!"

Sachiko Tono lunged at him, baring her teeth and claws: "I'll kill you first!"

A moment later, Tsukasa Tazaki left the convenience store.

The widow, covering her burning cheeks, rushed into the lounge like a stowaway fleeing from the police, and did not come out for a long time.

……

Although it was still the rainy season, the sky was already a clear blue, and the summer sun shone brightly on the earth. The lush willows, after many days, once again cast dense shadows on the asphalt road.

Climbing the steps in front of Suga Shrine, Tsukasa Tazaki unbuttoned the two buttons under his shirt collar, feeling a little cooler.

Entering the shrine, passing through the water pavilion and a small worship hall, we found Shiori Ninomiya playing in the pond because of the heat. Yui Kikawa was carrying a video camera, the lens aimed at the pond.

A witch in white and red sat on a rock on the shore, her feet submerged in the water. As her calves swayed gently, ripples spread across the surface of the water.

Occasionally, she would bend down, scoop up water with her hands, and sprinkle it into the air. Sunlight shone through the treetops onto the surface of the pond, creating a small artificial rainbow.

Tsukasa Tazaki slowed his pace as he walked over, so as not to disturb the free, fresh, and tranquil aura emanating from her.

Hearing footsteps, Shiori Ninomiya turned around and looked back. As if moved by her mischievous smile, her hair swayed gently along her jawline.

"Kiki, do you want to come play in the pool with me?"

"no."

Tazaki Tsukasa shook his head and walked to her side. He could clearly see that her clothes, hair and face were covered with water droplets, and even the color of her underwear under her shrine maiden outfit was visible.

Shiori Ninomiya tilted her head and asked, "Do I look like a lotus emerging from the water right now?"

"No, you look like a drowned ghost."

Are all drowned people ugly?

“You are different, you are a beautiful female ghost.”

The little cutie chuckled happily.

"Did Kirikawa-kun tell you about the filming?"

"I told you, that's amazing!" Shiori Ninomiya exclaimed excitedly, jumping up and clenching her fists. "I've never participated in a workplace skills class before! When I saw it on TV, I thought it was just taking a few photos and filling out a survey. Who knew they could make an entire promotional video? Tokyo high school students are really amazing!"

"..."

Tsukasa Tazaki was speechless.

The high school students in Tokyo aren't really that amazing; the only amazing one is Yui Kichigawa, a pervert who strives for perfection in everything.

"Hey, Kiki..." Shiori Ninomiya leaned forward slightly, getting closer to him, and said excitedly, "Are we going to have a romantic scene? Will there be a kissing scene?"

A scorching summer breeze blew between the two of them. She smiled expectantly, and her wet hair clinging to her cheeks and her tiny toes peeking out after she took off her socks looked incredibly cute, as if they had crossed a dimensional barrier.

"Don't even think about it!" Tsukasa Tazaki ruthlessly interrupted her romantic fantasies, lecturing her with the serious face of a middle-aged man: "Kissing is a sacred and romantic thing. You should save it until you find someone who truly loves you before giving it away."

As he said this, he glanced at Kikawa Yui out of the corner of his eye.

As expected, the blonde girl's expression remained completely calm, as serene as a wisp of smoke rising straight up on a windless day.

Tsukasa Tazaki admired her greatly.

Humans are creatures that tend to have very vivid memories of members of the opposite sex who like them, especially attractive ones.

Moreover, they will constantly reminisce about things they once had but have lost.

Yui Kikawa can cleanly and decisively sever ties with others. Tazaki Tsukasa can only admire this calm and rational way of handling things, and can't feel anything else about it.

After all, when dealing with certain people, he can be considered a sentimental person, and his behavior is often influenced by his emotions.

Perhaps this is a common problem among artsy types?

"Kiki?"

Shiori Ninomiya waved her hand: "Did you hear me?"

Tazaki Tsukasa snapped out of his daze and asked in confusion, "What is it?"

"You really weren't listening!"

The little cutie glared at him angrily: "Didn't you say last time that you wanted to know Grandma Lin You's secret recipe for the sauce when she braises beef? I finally managed to get the recipe out of her, and I've been telling you about it just now!"

“Oh… I think you might have misunderstood.” Tazaki Tsukasa tried to be rational and said calmly, “Last time I only said that the grilled beef tasted unique, I didn’t think it was delicious, let alone say I wanted it.”

Shiori Ninomiya rested her chin on her hand, staring intently at his face.

Apart from the sound of the wind rustling the treetops, nothing else could be heard by the pond. After a long while, she said, "I'm angry. Don't talk to me until I forgive you!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the Hokkaido girl, pulling up her trousers, ran barefoot across the shrine's cobblestone path and hurried into the worship hall.

[She's angry! Shiori Ninomiya's stock index dropped 20 points; current stock price: 150]

Yui Kikawa packed up the camera and glanced at Tsukasa Tazaki: "Filming starts next Saturday. Please don't have any unpleasant incidents with the female lead to avoid affecting the filming schedule."

The voice was cold and indifferent, like the chicken's bathwater had been frozen in a freezer all night.

Tazaki Tsukasa rubbed his temples, thinking, "I've messed up."

An old woman carrying a bamboo broom rushed out from the entrance of the worship hall.

As he sprinted, he shouted in a piercingly loud voice that hurt his eardrums, "You brat, what did you do to Ninomiya?"

"Wait... let me explain!"

"Nisunai~!"

Yui Kikawa packed up the camera and left Suga Shrine.

As I walked out of the alley and onto Shinjuku Avenue, the sky gradually began to darken towards dusk. By the time I returned to Chiyoda, it was already six o'clock in the evening.

Walking up the slope marked with a sign that reads "Private Property," at the top of the slope, a large, antique-style mansion stands like a mountain under the setting sun.

Qichuan Yui rubbed her forehead and walked into her secluded backyard amidst respectful "Miss" greetings.

I didn't eat; I went straight to take a shower. Afterward, I went back to my room upstairs, opened the window, and the night breeze blew in through the screen window.

Several large, lush willow trees, weathered by time, stand in the yard outside the window, swaying in the wind like wandering ghosts. A flock of birds perches on the top of a willow branch, while a large cat stealthily approaches them.

Yui Kikawa poured a glass of water.

He lay hunched over the table, continuing to refine the script.

The pen tip scratched across the paper with a soft "shush" sound, which could be heard clearly in the quiet room.

"Has Xiaowei eaten yet?"

Yui looked up and saw her mother, dressed in pajamas, standing in the doorway.

"Don't worry about me."

The blonde girl lowered her head and continued writing.

Kurisu slumped onto the table, touching her cheek as she scrutinized her daughter.

"My daughter is so beautiful."

She whispered something.