My love index is at its maximum.

By this time, the group of four had left the town and arrived at a small river at the foot of the mountain.

"Let's take a break!" Shiori Ninomiya called out.

Tazaki Tsukasa turned around and saw that she was more than ten meters behind, and Kuriyama Sakura, who was next to her, also looked like she couldn't walk anymore.

Yui Kichikawa nodded and said, "Let's rest here for a while."

Even though she has great physical strength, she was exhausted after carrying the camera for so long.

The group sat down in a grove of cypress trees by the river, taking out water and snacks to replenish their energy. The grove was covered with tangled wild grass, and brightly colored baby's breath and hydrangeas were scattered haphazardly among the greenery, creating a beautiful scene.

Shiori Ninomiya tilted her head back and poured the barley tea from the plastic bottle into her mouth, making a series of swallowing sounds in her throat.

The pale yellow liquid swayed, refracting a crystalline brilliance in the sunlight.

Tazaki Tsukasa swallowed, feeling a little thirsty.

He carried the heaviest box the whole way, and his bottle of water was long gone.

"Whoo~"

The little cutie sighed contentedly.

Yui Kikawa pointed the camera at this scene and recorded a short clip.

The Hokkaido girl was short, with slender arms and legs, making her look like a petite model at first glance. Her hairstyle was unpretentious, simply tied into a ponytail for ease of movement. The smooth neck peeking out from under her hair complemented her straightforward manner, revealing a natural and adorable side.

"Hey~ are you filming?"

When Ninomiya Shiori realized she was being photographed, her eyes widened instantly as she looked at the camera, waving her hands and saying, "No, you can't take pictures, Kikawa-san! No, no, no! That action was so embarrassing, it didn't show any of a girl's gentleness..."

“I think it’s fine,” Tsukasa Tazaki said.

Kuriyama Sakura nodded: "I second that!"

"You three Tokyoites ganged up on me, I'm not playing with you anymore!"

Shiori Ninomiya stuck out her little tongue and ran to the river to play in the water.

The weather outside was still hot, but fortunately there were occasional gusts of wind, making it quite comfortable to sit in the shade.

"By the way..." Tsukasa Tazaki asked Sakura Kuriyama, "You know that Shikami will be coming to our activity room for tutoring next month, right?"

"Ah."

Kuriyama Sakura's slender, fair hands gripped the cap of the PET bottle and twisted it back and forth a few times. But her palms were sweaty and slippery, and she couldn't open it even after several attempts, her hands aching from twisting.

"let me."

Tazaki Tsukasa took the bottle from her hand and twisted it hard.

He opened it and handed it back, saying, "Take it."

"Never mind..." Kuriyama Sakura crossed her arms, looking disgusted. "I don't want anything you've touched."

"Is this revenge for that glass of orange juice from last time?"

Tazaki Tsukasa leaned close to her, his face full of a sly grin that seemed to say, "I've seen right through you."

Kuriyama Sakura slapped him across the face, shoving his handsome face onto the grass: "Give it back if you're not going to drink it!"

"How can we not drink it?"

Are you an idiot?

"If I were an idiot, how could I possibly read your mind at a glance!"

Kuriyama Sakura gritted her little fangs, her pretty face flushed with anger: "I think you're an idiot, totally stupid!"

Submitting to the minister's tyranny, Tsukasa Tazaki obediently drank the half-empty bottle of barley tea that the beautiful girl had left. Watching his dry lips become moist again, Sakura Kuriyama raised her head and gave a haughty snort.

Her fair and delicate chin was slightly upturned, outlining a proud curve that was irresistible.

Yui Kichikawa hugged her knees, watching the two interact with a completely expressionless face.

I was here first...

Why did it turn out like this?

"Kiki, come play with me."

Shiori Ninomiya's voice came from the riverbank, and Tsukasa Tazaki stood up and walked over.

It's a very small river, two meters wide, crystal clear, and just knee-deep. The water flows directly down from the mountain, completely unpolluted, and the riverbed is covered with sand washed down from the mountain, soft to the touch.

The little cutie is having a great time playing in the water.

Her uniform, hair, and face were covered in water droplets, and even her underwear was faintly visible under her shirt.

Tazaki Tsuyoshi rolled up his trousers and walked into the river. The little cutie quickly splashed water with both hands, and the water spray hit him on the forehead like an attack from a water turtle.

"Haha~"

Shiori Ninomiya laughed happily.

"I just spoil you too much."

Tazaki Tsukasa shook his head, rolled up his sleeves, and a water fight was about to break out.

"Ah~"

"Sakura, come help me!"

"Kiki bullied me, a girl! Come and help me beat him up!"

"coming."

Before leaving, Kuriyama Sakura took a book out of her bag and handed it to the blonde girl: "I often read this book. If you're bored by yourself, you can flip through it."

After saying that, she walked to the riverbank and joined the melee.

Kikawa Yui leaned against the tree trunk, staring blankly at the three people playing in the river.

Two women and one man were having a great time, splashing water that shimmered in the sunlight. The stuffy space was filled with bright, warm laughter.

Ugh……

The blonde girl sighed and looked at the book in her hands.

"outsider"

The neatly printed Japanese text was impossible to read from any angle. It took her a long time to carefully peruse it before she finally grasped a principle.

He writes as an outsider, but reads as Qichuan Wei.

Chapter 165, Act Two: Encounter with the Super Energetic Tuna Girl

Even after climbing out of the river, the weather was still excessively hot.

At Tsukasa Tazaki's suggestion, everyone rested for an extra hour.

At 3 p.m., we returned to town to eat udon noodles.

The noodles were fresh and chewy, the broth was fragrant, and the price, of course, followed the excellent tradition of tourist attractions, was surprisingly expensive.

It was so delicious that Tsukasa Tazaki ate two bowls by himself. The restaurant was packed with local customers, who were gesturing and making a lot of noise. Amidst the busyness, the waiters brought out a plate of vegetable salad and a large grilled sliced ​​fish.

Kuriyama Sakura sprinkled salt on the fish and squeezed lemon juice over it. Tazaki Tsukasa followed suit, picking up a piece of fish and putting it in his mouth. The fish was tender and juicy, and the seasoning was just right. Every bite was incredibly delicious.

After filling their stomachs, Yui Kikawa sat at the shop entrance and began filming a short aerial view of the town with a drone. Tsukasa Tazaki sat comfortably under the air conditioner vent, gazing up at the clear sky.

"Kiki, eat watermelon."

Shiori Ninomiya thoughtfully served fruit after the meal.

Tsukasa Tazaki took a big bite, his mouth filled with sweet juice.

Ah, that feels so good!

He thought to himself, it was just like the evil landlord and his devoted maid in the old days.

As I left the noodle shop, evening was approaching, the sunlight was weakening, and the long shadows of the trees stretched to my feet.

Shiori Ninomiya and Sakura Kuriyama bought everyone a grilled mochi. The outside was grilled to a golden brown, while the inside was very soft. It was delicious with the sauce, but it was a little too hot to eat.

Around 4 p.m., the group of four arrived at a low-lying area next to the fishing port, a small aquaculture farm enclosed by a breakwater.

The water was very shallow, less than half a meter deep.

Yui Kikawa met with the person in charge of the fish farm, while Shiori Ninomiya went to a nearby convenience store to buy ice cream. Tsukasa Tazaki, bored, rested his chin on his fist and stared at a "Tuna Fishing Tourism Tour" poster to pass the time.

Kuriyama Sakura stood to his side, the two of them with the same expression and the same pose.

According to the information shown on the poster, the tuna fishing tour will last from mid-August to early October each year. A trip to sea will cost 120,000 yen, and for an additional 6000 yen, you can enjoy a feast of freshly caught tuna in Oma Town.

Below the poster is an introduction to the habits of tuna, including the following text.

The gill muscles of tuna have degenerated, so they can only swim with their mouths open, obtaining oxygen by the water flow hitting their gills.

If they stop swimming, they will suffocate and die from lack of oxygen.

As if sensing something, Tsukasa Tazaki turned to look at Sakura Kuriyama, who also turned to look at him at the same time.

They both smiled.

She asked, "Does this look familiar?"

"Days of Being Wild," Tsukasa Tazaki replied.

Kuriyama Sakura smiled happily: "A bird without feet will fall to its death if it doesn't keep flying."

“I just said this to my teacher a few days ago.”

"What did you say?"

“I said I was that bird without feet, because I saw her, so I was willing to end my own life to land on her ahead of time.”

As he spoke, Tsukasa Tazaki suddenly raised an eyebrow smugly: "Isn't that a high level of sweet talk? If you heard it, wouldn't your heart flutter?"

Kuriyama Sakura glared at him, then turned her head away angrily.

asshole!

What's so great about that!

They're living just fine without it...