My love index is at its maximum.

Chapter 161 Is a Mediocre Personality Good or Bad?

Kasuga Kanae stood up, pinched her skirt and pulled it down a bit, then patted the dust off her bottom. She knew that Tazaki Tsukasa didn't like noisy people (except for Ninomiya), so she chose to temporarily leave the girls in the literature club and walked towards him.

Tsukasa Tazaki glanced at the pile of old books behind her and asked, "How's the Literature Club doing lately?"

"It's relatively stable."

Kasuga Kanae lowered her head and said softly, "We haven't argued much this past month. Even Kitahara-senpai, who had the biggest opinion about the old auditorium, hasn't mentioned forming a new club again. As long as we can get along peacefully for a year, there shouldn't be any more disagreements after the third-year seniors graduate."

"You always seem to speak very softly."

"Yeah, I'm used to it." Kasuga Kanae gently clenched her little fist. "Tazaki-kun has changed a bit since we first met."

Tazaki Tsukasa glanced at himself. "Do I?"

"At least they'll greet me first now."

"Makes sense."

Kasugami raised her slightly flushed face and tossed her short hair: "When I first met you, I felt that you were someone who was easily admired and had a very elegant personality. Two months later, you are still someone who is easily admired, but your personality has gradually become more ordinary."

"Could the so-called elegance refer to the attributes of loneliness and melancholy?"

"It's part of it."

Tsukasa Tazaki thought for a moment and asked, "The filter that a literary girl naturally possesses?"

"Perhaps..." Kasuga Kanae blushed and smiled, murmuring softly, "Since I was little, I've always liked to add my own perspective to everyone based on my own preferences. Please don't laugh at me, Tazaki-kun."

Her voice was soft and sweet, with a hint of shy tremolo.

It seems that every time I see her, I can tell at a glance that she is a girl who is easily shy.

“No, not at all,” Tsukasa Tazaki said confidently. “After all, you’ve bought me a drink before.”

"I remember it was matcha."

Tazaki Tsukasa nodded, and was just about to say we'd talk another time when a notification suddenly popped up from the system.

[Damn it! The Qichuan Stock Index has dropped 5 points. Current stock price: 48]

So he decided to chat a little longer.

"Does Haruhi-kun think that having a mediocre personality is a good thing or a bad thing?"

What do you think, Tazaki-kun?

Tazaki Tsukasa was silent for a moment, then shook his head and smiled: "Mediocrity is like a stain on a white shirt; once it's there, it can never be washed off."

Springtime Fragrance Sprouts looked up at him.

The smile was calm, yet it felt natural—like a casual friend chatting with you and suddenly remembering seeing someone fall into a ditch yesterday, getting up with an old slipper in their mouth, and then smiling for a moment.

"No wonder Shiori kept thinking about coming to see you," she said with some emotion.

"What, are you blaming me for stealing your best friend?"

"No, not at all." Kasuga Kanae gently touched the tip of her nose with her finger, then cleared her throat.

"Actually, there's something I wanted to tell you..." she said, trying to remain calm. "Shiori is going back to Hokkaido next year. If possible, please don't let her have any regrets."

She was the kind of girl who got nervous easily, and Tsukasa Tazaki wanted to stroke her head to calm her down.

But he didn't want to cause any more trouble for himself, so he just silently stared at her face.

“Shiori came to Tokyo simply to experience things she never had the chance to experience,” Kasuga Kanae said softly. “Eating ramen with classmates, going to parks, soba noodle shops at train stations; walking home from school with the boy she liked, watching the sunset over the buildings, watching his back, watching contrails in the sky.”

Tsukasa Tazaki looked up at the sky, pretending to look for contrails.

“Shiori won’t tell you these things.” Kasuga Kanae lowered her head, her fingertips tightening the two corners of her shirt. “This is my personal request. If Tazaki-kun finds it troublesome, you can ignore it.”

[Come back right now! The Qichuan Stock Index has dropped 5 points. Current stock price: 43]

The crows on the barbed wire, bathed in sunlight, stared intently at the blonde girl below who was muttering curses under her breath.

"I have something to do, let's talk next time."

Tsukasa Tazaki waved his hand and ran back to the other side of the tennis court.

As soon as he left, Kasuga Kanae was surrounded by the members of the Literature Club.

"What's your relationship with this scumbag?"

"How can I improve my relationship with him? Please teach me."

"Hehe, shameless."

"I just admire his looks!"

"Me too!"

"Sisters, be honest, we're just attracted to his body!"

The girls laughed again, and Kasuga Kanae laughed along with them.

……

Running back to the tennis court, Tsukasa Tazaki bent over, hands on his knees: "I'm exhausted. Is there any water?"

Kikawa Yui stared at him without any change in her expression.

This guy was chatting with other girls the whole time and didn't expend much energy at all, so he can't possibly be tired now.

"Cough." Tsukasa Tazaki coughed, sat down, and took a sip of water from his bag.

Kikawa Yui slowly withdrew her ruthless gaze and continued searching for a suitable angle to take the picture.

"Hey, aren't you going to say anything?"

"Please, you were the one who asked me to come back, so what's with you not saying a word now?"

Qichuan Wei released her hand from adjusting the camera slider, her clear blue eyes staring at him: "You're so understanding. Actually, I was just thinking of having you come back quickly so I could announce that your scenes are finished."

"How can the male lead's filming be wrapped up halfway through?"

"If the director says it's there, then it's there!"

“Alright…” Tsukasa Tazaki tightened the cap on his water glass and stared into her eyes: “Since there’s nothing more for me to do, I’ll go back and chat with Kasuga-san.”

Qichuan Yui rubbed her temples. "Stop talking nonsense and get on with the filming."

"We're not filming anymore. Kasuga is so cute. She's petite, speaks gently, and is very kind. She's much better than those heartless directors who cut scenes at will."

Qichuan Wei put on his headphones, turned around gracefully, and showed him her buttocks, which were covered by her pleated skirt.

You deserve to be a loser...

Tazaki Tsukasa muttered to himself, and couldn't help but think that besides being understanding, he was also quite good at undressing people. He should find an opportunity to let this tsundere try out his master-level undressing skills.

Put away your water bottle and stand back on the track.

"boom!"

The sound of a signal gun firing came from nearby; it turned out that the track and field department's 400-meter training race had just begun.

In a flash, eight figures passed by one after another.

Tazaki Tsukasa ran slowly, watching their agile figures disappear into the distance.

"Tazaki~"

Looking to the side, Murakami Mizusaka on the soccer field clenched her fists and shouted at him, "Charge! Get past those track and field guys!"

"Okay~"

Under the watchful eyes of the young soccer players, Tsukasa Tazaki suddenly accelerated.

From trailing the leader by nearly ten meters, to overtaking one by one the track and field team members who aspired to participate in the National High School Games.

These track and field team members, feeling ashamed, rallied and chased after Tsukasa Tazaki, finally watching him cross the finish line first and begin the second round of the 400-meter race.

The boy Tazaki, bathed in the setting sun, had his body outline rendered with a layer of gold.

"I love Tazaki-kun the most~!" Murakami Mizuiro cheered, turned around, and held out his hand to the soccer boy: "Ten thousand yen each, hurry up and pay up."

"5...58 seconds?"

The track and field captain stared blankly at the timer in his hand. He could see very clearly that Tsukasa Tazaki had started running at a leisurely pace. If he had gone all out from the beginning...

He's undoubtedly number one in the country!

"catch him!"

"We absolutely must get him into our track and field team!!!"

With a loud shout from the minister, the track and field team members swarmed forward, chasing after Tsukasa Tazaki across the field, making it look like a game of rugby.

Thanks to the fighting master's quick reflexes.

Tsukasa Tazaki dodged left and right, weaving nimbly through the crowd.

In an inconspicuous moment, I was accidentally tackled around the waist and knocked to the ground with a tackle move typical of rugby. Immediately afterwards, one after another, like a human pyramid, I was instantly surrounded by track and field team members, all covered in sweat and reeking of dirt.

"Hahaha……"

The young female writers let out a burst of clear laughter.

Chapter 162 If we were to become strangers, I would not hesitate.

The fiery clouds drifted slowly with the wind, and sunlight silently streamed down through the gaps in the clouds.

The boy, his hair dripping with sweat, lay on his back on the lawn, his cheeks miraculously flushed red, as breathtaking as the twilight.

The camera zooms in on his face.

Kikawa Yui stared at the image in the viewfinder and instructed, "Make your expression even more blank."

Tsukasa Tazaki slowly closed his eyes.

Images of my little cutie's practical and tidy room, the curtains and a few potted tomato plants, the ironing board and the half-read copy of "The Night Is Short, Walk On Girl!", the amulet tucked inside the book, and the smell of the floor where he slept one night came to mind.

No regrets this year.

What about after that?