My love index is at its maximum.

"This inexplicable bad habit needs to be changed!"

"Hehe..." Tsukasa Tazaki rubbed against him.

Hoshino Hanami kissed him on the cheek, then pushed him away, saying, "I need to talk to Sakura. You should go find your father-in-law."

With his hands behind his head, Tsukasa Tazaki lazily hummed a song as he slowly strolled from one side of the courtyard to the other.

The painful memories linger in my heart.

The sight of raindrops touching the flowers at night fills me with sorrow.

Forget it.

Words fail me... I'm not singing anymore.

At the entrance to the Japanese-style room where the banquet was being held, they bumped into the pretty boy, Keita Suzuki.

"You're really shameless." Suzuki Keita raised an eyebrow and gave Tazaki Tsukasa a meaningful smile: "Young man, Sakura's family is a complicated place. You'd better stay in school and not get involved."

Tsukasa Tazaki glanced at him lazily: "The same old thing. Try a different excuse."

Keita Suzuki frowned, pondered for a few seconds, and then said with a grim face, "I'm not joking with you. If you don't want to be suddenly harmed one day, it's best if you never set foot here again. Don't think that just because the young lady is nice to you, you should remember that you're just a high school student. Besides unilaterally enjoying the kindness she gives you, what can you do to repay her?"

Goodbye, Mr. Suzuki.

Tsukasa Tazaki waved his hand and went into the Japanese-style room.

Keita Suzuki, standing behind him, looked grim. After holding back for a long time, he finally managed to utter, "You ignorant brat, you'll regret this someday."

Compared to the more harmonious atmosphere of the tea party, the banquet was much more lively.

As soon as Tsukasa Tazaki entered, he heard Takeo Hoshino's gruff voice.

"Let me tell you, you have no idea how infuriating that woman is. If I weren't so lazy about bullying women, I could take her down with one hand! What big family? Bah! Let's drink, bottoms up!"

"cheers!"

Several wine glasses clinked together, spilling wine that glittered and fell from the air.

"Wang!"

The Border Collie barked and bit the president's sleeve tightly, preventing him from drinking.

"The navy should behave themselves."

Hoshino Takeo reassured the dog, took the glass with his other hand, and downed it in one gulp.

Then, the president, his face flushed and neck red, glared and started bragging to his subordinates again.

"Who am I, Hoshino Takeo? How did I get to where I am today, from a fishmonger? By my looks? No, by my strength! You know what strength is, right? Do you believe me? I can make that woman cry for days with just one punch?"

Amidst the compliments, "Navy" turned around and looked at Tsukasa Tazaki with a pitiful expression, as if to say, "I can't persuade him, you have to come and help me."

"Father-in-law."

He called out and quickly stepped forward: "Don't get drunk, or the teacher will scold me too."

"Ah..." Hoshino Takeo shook his head, staring at him for a while with his drunken eyes, before laughing loudly, "Tazaki came to drink with me, haha... You came at just the right time, I was just about to talk about you."

Tsukasa Tazaki said helplessly, "I came here to persuade you to drink..."

Halfway through his sentence, Hoshino Takeo grabbed his shoulder and began his speech to his men: "Do you know what Tazaki said to that woman? He said the Kikawa family has everything, except for the person he likes! Hahaha, that's so satisfying, I feel so good! Come on, let's drink!"

It turned out that the woman was referring to his aunt... During a break in Tazaki Tsukasa's recollection, Hoshino Takeo drank another glass and slammed it heavily to the ground.

With a "bang".

The ceramic wine glass is broken into four pieces.

The room fell silent as the burly men stared in astonishment at their leader.

Tazaki Tsukasa was a little confused and didn't know what was going on.

With one arm around his son-in-law's shoulder, Hoshino Takeo pointed at everyone at the table with the other: "I know some of you have been talking behind my back, saying that Tazaki is just a kept man, that he's incapable of repaying Hanami. I'll put it out there today: he gave up his status as the young master of the Kikawa family and chose to stay with Sakura's family. That's the best way to repay Hanami! I accept him as my son-in-law. Anyone who dares to continue gossiping about him, I'll kill them... *hiccup*!"

With a thud, someone fell down at the door.

Keita Suzuki, who had just returned from the restroom, got up and awkwardly smiled at everyone, saying, "I'm drunk, I'm drunk."

Tsukasa Tazaki smiled, genuinely feeling that her teacher's family was truly kind.

Needless to say, the older and younger sisters are wonderful, and their father-in-law is equally admirable. Having risen from humble beginnings to become a formidable figure, he is undoubtedly ruthless, yet he shows no authority whatsoever when facing his family.

He himself was talked about by his subordinates as being no match for his wife or daughter, but he didn't care at all. However, when his son-in-law was being gossiped about, he would hurl insults and curse at them.

There's also his kind yet strict grandmother, his mother-in-law whom he can't meet but whose personality is probably similar to his eldest daughter's, and even his smart and lively dog—Takashi Tazaki finds himself very fond of them all.

While he was lost in thought, a wine glass was handed to him.

My father-in-law called out, "Tazaki, have a drink with me!"

"No... I'm here to advise you not to drink."

"I'm happy today, so I have to drink."

Tazaki Tsukasa gritted his teeth and accepted the glass, thinking that his father-in-law had saved face for him today, so he might as well have a drink with him.

"Wang!"

The Border Collie barked and bit down hard on Tsukasa Tazaki's sleeve.

"Navy, be good, I'll just have one drink."

Tazaki Tsukasa reassured the dog, took the glass with his other hand, and downed it in one gulp.

"That's great!" A bald man quickly refilled his glass and raised his own: "Tazaki-kun, I, Minami Isamu, also toast you, not for any other reason than that you were willing to give up your status as the young master of the Kichigawa family!"

I remember this big bald guy, Tsukasa Tazaki.

Sakura's family is the head of the Maikicho area, and has said many times that they want to show Tsukasa Tazaki the dozens of brothels he oversees.

"Wang!"

"Good boy, Navy. I'll just have one more drink and then I won't drink anymore."

The Border Collie blinked, finding the human's words rather unbelievable.

After the second drink, Tsukasa Tazaki, who wasn't a big drinker, started to feel a bit dizzy.

Hoshino Takeo poured him another full glass. "Do you know what I like most about you?"

Tsukasa Tazaki shook his head.

“It’s because you’re not greedy!” Hoshino Takeo bit his tongue and said indistinctly, “I’ve looked into the matter of you being asked by Shikami to pay protection money. At that time, you were so poor that you could barely afford to eat, but why didn’t you take the money for that pompadour?”

“That wasn’t my money,” Tsukasa Tazaki recalled with difficulty. “The German philosopher Nietzsche once said, ‘When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.’ If I use force to steal what doesn’t belong to me because I can’t afford to eat, then next time, I will do something even bolder. Once a person’s moral bottom line is broken once, it will always be easier to break it a second time, a third time…”

"Well said!"

Hoshino Takeo roared with satisfaction, his imposing gaze sweeping across the surroundings: "The reason our Sakura family has prospered so much over the years is because I'm not greedy! Is collecting protection money profitable? Yes! Is lending money at exorbitant interest rates profitable? Yes! But there are many things that are more profitable than that, such as the weapons and drugs you often ask me to deal with. Can I touch those things? Yes, but it's illegal, and many people will die!"

Keita Suzuki's eyes flickered, and he lowered his eyelids.

"Is collecting protection money illegal? No, it's illegal to extort money and not pay taxes. That's why I had you set up a security company to charge legitimate fees under the guise of providing security, while paying all taxes to the tax bureau. Is lending money at exorbitant interest rates illegal? No, it's illegal to use violent debt collection and not pay taxes. That's why I had you set up a financial company to lend money at exorbitant interest rates through legitimate means, while paying all taxes to the tax bureau. The higher-ups are happy with us doing this, which is why Xiaoying's family is safe and can grow and thrive!"

Tsukasa Tazaki clicked his tongue in amazement.

I felt there was something off about my father-in-law's explanation, but it was damn reasonable.

“Tasaki…” Hoshino Takeo’s gaze fell back on his son-in-law. “Hanami will definitely continue to be a teacher; that’s Sakura’s last wish. Shikami, on the other hand, has been spoiled since childhood, and her personality isn’t suitable. You will definitely be the one to take on the responsibility of Sakura’s family in the future. I’m very pleased that you’re not greedy for that.”

Tsukasa Tazaki nodded emphatically: "I will do my best!"

"Come on, have another drink with me."

"No... I can't take it anymore."

"You can't even handle two drinks?" Bald-headed Minami Yupo also raised his glass and egged them on. "As the future leader of the gang, Tazaki-kun is far too weak."

"Drink!" Takeo Hoshino raised his glass and shouted, "For that philosopher, you're something else!"

Tsukasa Tazaki corrected him: "It's the German philosopher, Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche."

"Oh dear, now that you mention it, I'm even more confused. Let's just call it whatever dish it is."

"Cheers to whatever dish it is!"

"Alright, I'll drink this one. Father-in-law, please feel free to drink as you please."

"Don't call me 'Father-in-law,' it's too formal. From today onwards, we're brothers. You call me 'Brother,' and I'll call you 'Younger Brother.' If the younger brother drinks, how can the older brother be so casual?"

"Brother, that's great! Another drink, please!"

When Hoshino Hanami was pulled in by the sleeve by the Border Collie, she immediately saw her father with his arm around her boyfriend's shoulder, nagging, "Big brother, I have something to say. Could you please talk to your wife and tell her to go easy on your brother next time she beats him up?"

"Brother, what kind of talk is this...?" Tazaki Tsukasa shook his throbbing head, his eyes searching back and forth.

After finding Hoshino Hanami at the door, he grinned and said, "Teacher, hurry up and apologize to my brother."

Time froze for a moment, turning into silence.

Hoshino Hanami smiled slightly, walked over, tugged at his ear, and leaned closer to ask, "Besides apologizing, is there anything else you need Hanami-neechan to do?"

Tsukasa Tazaki shuddered and instantly snapped back to reality.

"...Why are you here?"

"Wait a minute, let me explain!"

……

The next day, Kuriyama Sakura said, "When I arrived, your heart and lungs had already stopped."

Of course, it's probably just a joke.

Anyway, after Tazaki Tsukasa took a nap, he had basically forgotten everything.

The idea of ​​calling my father-in-law a brother... is really embarrassing to think about, so I'd better forget about it.

After a mundane Thursday, a similarly mundane Friday followed.

After school, Tsukasa Tazaki lingered in the classroom until five o'clock before packing his schoolbag.

The light gradually dimmed, and twilight drifted over the school building. He looked towards Class D on the other side of the corridor, but there was no one there.

Chapter 147 Suki-kun. It's Tasaki. Then let's just call him Kiki.