My love index is at its maximum.

Recalling the feeling of her lips touching Tsukasa Tazaki's, a heat seemed to rise deep within her body. The sensation of him holding her foot and fondling it—all these vivid memories could be traced back to her.

The morning breeze blew through her dazzling blonde hair, caressed her delicate collarbone, and then trickled into her neckline.

She was horrified to discover that her body was reacting, her heart beating rapidly and loudly like a timpani.

You can't think about these things in a place like this; you must concentrate on thinking about things that are more beneficial to you.

Kikawa Yui shook her head several times in the morning light.

However, my thoughts kept running.

The memories of our time together are vivid in my mind.

A fish tank filled with goldfish, a kiss that ends with a light touch, the faint smell of sweat, handcuffed hands and feet, a sea filled with starlight; a declaration of wanting to possess, unfulfilled hopes, dashed dreams, churning jealousy...

"What's the point of you standing here all by yourself?"

Kuri gently put her arm around her daughter's slender shoulders from behind and looked at the dilapidated courtyard with her: "Like Mom, there are many things that I'm too embarrassed to tell my cousin. After she eloped, I could only regret it in secret. When I finally mustered up the courage to confide in her, her son was already calling me 'Auntie'."

It's unclear whether the blonde girl heard it.

She didn't respond to her mother's words, but simply lowered her head, occasionally trembling her shoulders.

"Xiaowei, look at your mother."

Kurisu spoke patiently to her daughter in a gentle voice.

"Is there a problem?"

"It's like mother and daughter having a heart-to-heart talk. Xiaowei wouldn't refuse her mother, would she?"

Yui Kikawa turned her head and stared at her mother: "No."

Those clear blue eyes were unusually bright, slightly misty with moisture. If you looked closely, you would see an incredible sense of transparency, like gazing at a rain-soaked sky.

"Xiaowei's eyes are so beautiful."

"Thank you."

"Why are you being so polite with Mom?" Kurisu gently patted her daughter's shoulder. "Did you have a fight with Tsukasa?"

"I guess so." Yui Kichikawa nodded, her long golden hair swaying in the breeze.

"It's either yes or no, what does 'calculate' even mean?"

Yui Kawakawa bit her lip to gather her thoughts.

"I don't think this is good either, but..."

As she spoke, her eyes darted around, and finally she only uttered, "I don't know, whatever."

The conversation ended.

The blonde girl started walking back to her home.

"Hey? Wait a minute, Mom's still talking to you!"

Kurisu quickly followed, nagging her daughter, "Yui, it's not that I'm criticizing you, but you really need to change your personality. With men, a little arrogance can arouse their desire to conquer, but being arrogant all the time will only push them further away, you know? You need to soften up a bit, make some changes that he can see based on his preferences, and that's how he'll maintain his interest in you!"

"August 8th is Xiao Si's birthday. Do you know what he likes?"

"Alright, judging from your expression, you don't know anything."

"Here's what you'll do: figure out what kind of person he likes to see during this time, and then show yourself to him on his birthday!"

Qichuan Yui stopped and looked at her mother with a complicated expression.

What kind of self does he like to see?

He enjoys seeing his daughter being humiliated. Do you want your own daughter to face him like that?

“Your eyes…” Kurisu looked at her daughter in surprise, her voice wailing, “You don’t even know this?”

Sichuan Yui: "..."

know.

But I'm too embarrassed to say it out loud.

"Let Mom think of a look that would attract him..." Kurisu rubbed her chin, scrutinized her daughter for a long time, and then her eyes lit up: "I've got it. A captured female knight, a princess who has become a slave, a saint who has been bought and sold—choose one of these three cosplays to seduce him!"

?

Mom, are you sick?!

Qichuan Wei's eye twitched slightly, and without saying a word, she locked herself in the bathroom.

"Xiao Wei, I'll buy you a set of all three outfits and props. You can choose which one you want to wear. Or you can try on all three one by one and let him choose which shape of Qichuan Wei you want."

"And another thing, if you dare disobey your mother, then you can wait for me to turn him from your childhood sweetheart into your father! Don't believe me? I've always liked my cousin since we were little. Now that I can't get her, it's not a loss for me to get her son, right?"

Kikawa Yui leaned against the glass door of the bathroom, staring blankly at the ceiling with a slightly helpless expression.

Only after the annoying noises outside the door subsided did she take off her clothes and stand under the showerhead to shower. After rinsing off the soap, she examined her body in the large mirror with the same scrutiny one would use to inspect collateral.

Her breasts were well-shaped and full, her skin was smooth and moist, and there was not an ounce of excess fat on her body. A few drops of water that had not been wiped off outlined the perfect lines on her firm calves.

Although she didn't care much about it and didn't think it was of much use, she still felt a sense of pride in her perfect body.

But... who am I showing this off to?

Kikawa thought to herself, surely it can't be just Tsukasa Tazaki who can make her feel something, right?

After breakfast, I picked up my luggage and headed out.

There are many tall oak trees on both sides of the slope in front of the house. Because it is private property, it is usually quiet. When walking under the trees, you can often see a flock of graceful birds perched on the top of the oak tree, or a row of cats basking in the sun on the wall next to the house.

A Cullinan was parked at the bottom of the slope, its body reflecting the sunlight like a black beetle.

Kikawa Yui narrowed her eyes involuntarily.

In a daze, the boy's handsome face was reflected in the car window.

His unfathomable, icy gaze was fixed on me as he said, "If we were to become strangers, I wouldn't hesitate."

Yui Kawakawa blinked a few times.

She then bypassed the Cullinan and headed west from Chiyoda towards Yotsuya.

……

If in the sunset

Try calling

Will we meet?

Gentle You

"Oops, it's going to burn!"

The Hokkaido girl, who was humming a song just a second ago, exclaimed in surprise, and the next second she hurriedly flipped the hamburger patty from the frying pan and put it on a plate.

I couldn't wait to take a bite, and the hamburger patty was impeccable. The sauce was just right, spicy and flavorful to the perfect degree, with the bottom coated in juicy meat and the slightly charred crust making a crisp sound when you bit into it.

"Shiori-chan is amazing~!"

The little cutie happily praised herself, then turned around and took out three cucumbers from the refrigerator, washed them with water, cut them into pieces, and planned to eat them with salad dressing.

Then I poured a large glass of milk, and put the hamburger patty and cucumber chunks on the table. That was all for breakfast.

I was eating while looking at photos on my phone.

Most of the photos are landscape shots, followed by photos with Kanae, and also quite a few pictures of Kiki and Sakura. Two enjoyable weekends spent together in Omacho, including eating ramen, going to the park, Ninomiya Shrine Maiden, and more.

On the way home from school, the setting sun sinks behind the buildings, Kiki's handsome figure stands out. And there are contrails stretching across the sky above Kiki's head.

"It's so nice to live in Tokyo."

A small sigh escaped from her lips, which were smeared with vegetable oil. Shiori Ninomiya quickly finished her breakfast, then planned to tidy up the house and head out.

The cell phone rang.

A phone call from my hometown in Hokkaido.

"Hello, Mom~"

The little cutie held the phone in both hands and gave it a quick kiss on the microphone: "Mua~ Shiori-chan missed you so much!!!"

"You're on summer vacation, right?"

"Yes, they started showing them a couple of days ago."

"Then why don't you go home? Your mother hasn't seen you for four months."

Even through the receiver, my mother's voice was still so warm and touching that it made my heart ache, and even the sound of each other breathing seemed especially precious.

"Is something the matter...?"

Shiori Ninomiya bent over and rested her chin on the table: "Don't worry, Mom. I'll take some time to come home for a few days at the end of August."

"Oh...that's good. Do you have enough money? You haven't had to force yourself to work, have you?"

"No, no, Mom, don't worry. You don't need to send me any money either. Shiori-chan has been doing exceptionally well on her work assignments lately, and the school has given her a lot of scholarships, which is more than enough. By the way, Mom, how are you feeling? Have you gone to the hospital for a check-up recently?"

"As usual, Shiori, don't worry about me. Just take good care of yourself in Tokyo."

"I can rest assured that."

"Oh...your dad said he wanted to whisper something to you. Honestly, I have no idea what you two are hiding from me!"

"Hey, Shiori, is what you told Dad last time true?"

The voice on the other end of the receiver changed.

A hoarse, middle-aged male voice, flat as if it had been run over by a large truck.

"dad……"

The little one murmured, the image of her father appearing in her mind.

An ordinary middle-aged man.

It has two legs.

Knowing how to grow potatoes.

He drives that Toyota truck that hauls fertilizer all day long.