My love index is at its maximum.

With a shout, the little cutie deftly retrieved candles and a handheld ceremonial cannon.

"Let Hoshino-sensei and I set off the salute." Shimamoto Kana smiled gently, holding the salute, and stood on either side of Tazaki Tsukasa, one on the left and one on the right, with Hoshino Hanami.

Tsukasa Tazaki looked left and right, then right again.

Turn around, light the candles, and clasp your hands together to make a wish.

Open your eyes and blow out the candle.

With a bang, the cannon fired, and colorful confetti spun and fell, scattering and reflecting a dazzling luster.

Happy birthday~

Hearing the five people's sincere blessings, Tsukasa Tazaki closed his eyes happily.

Oh, by the way, he just made two wishes.

1. I hope I won't get beaten to death by my darling tomorrow.

Second: I hope I can spend my birthday with my older sister again next year.

Chapter 198 Good morning, Tasaki-kun.

On an early August night, a nearly full moon peeked through the fine, fish-scale-like clouds, suggesting that tomorrow would also be a good day.

I've finished my summer math homework.

Tazaki Tsukasa began to prop his chin up, staring blankly at Hoshino Hanami and Kuriyama Sakura chatting intimately under the zelkova tree outside the window, his right middle finger still feeling a slight numbness from writing for so long.

The sea breeze blows up the mountainside, swaying the branches and lawns, making everything in sight shimmer with a leaping silver light.

Someday I must buy a villa in Kamakura, a clean and beautiful villa with a large kitchen and a large study. There I'll read, listen to music, watch movies, and cook. Looking at Hoshino Hanami's black hair fluttering in the wind, Tazaki Tsukasa thought, living there with her would be so wonderful.

I cook, she eats.

While I was thinking about what dish I could cook to please her, a feeling of exhaustion suddenly descended upon me as if the sky had collapsed.

The grand villa and the delicious food vanished without a trace. Only he remained, floating on the table like a whale, fast asleep.

After an unknown amount of time, the door opened with a "click," and Hoshino Hanami walked in.

She was still wearing her school uniform, and as she walked into the room, she looked at him with a sweet smile.

Tsukasa Tazaki woke up with a start, looked up, and called out in a hoarse voice, "Hanami-san."

"what?"

"You've been here all along?"

"Is it even possible that it's fake?"

"They didn't go anywhere or disappear?"

"A person cannot disappear so easily."

"I was dreaming."

"I know, I've been watching you, and I heard you call my name."

After saying that, Hoshino Hanami took off her watch and placed it on the table, then took off her shoes. Next, she unbuttoned her shirt one button at a time, like shelling peas, took off her skirt and black stockings, folded them neatly and placed them on the chair, then walked barefoot across the carpet and quietly slipped into bed.

After tucking her in, she turned her head and asked, "Aren't you going to sleep yet?"

Tazaki Tsukasa turned off the light, gently lifted the blanket, and pulled her into his arms.

A warm and smooth body, carrying a reassuring weight of reality.

"It hasn't disappeared."

“Of course not,” said Hoshino Hanami. “Didn’t I tell you? People don’t just disappear so easily, unless they are silently buried in Tokyo Bay.”

"Sister, have mercy!" Tsukasa Tazaki said, touching her cheek with her fingertips.

"Has my figure gone out of shape?"

"If it's gone bad, you can't blame anyone else. Who told you to eat so much?"

"It's gastric dilatation~" Hoshino Hanami said calmly. "I can't help it when I see something I want to eat. I can't help it. By the way, put your ear to my stomach and listen."

Tazaki Tsukasa shrank into the cup, obediently pressing her ear against her canvas-flat stomach.

Its skin is thin and soft, and very warm. Despite eating a lot of food, its belly did not bulge at all, making it seem like the ninth wonder of the world.

"How is it?" Hoshino Hanami asked.

"I can't hear the child making any noise."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Hoshino Hana tugged at his hair in annoyance. "I asked if you heard any sounds of digestion?"

Tsukasa Tazaki held his breath and focused intently.

Besides the slow beating of her heart, there was a very subtle vibration emanating from her body. It was like walking in a quiet forest, listening intently to the distant sound of logging.

"Your body is incredibly beautiful, sister." Tsukasa Tazaki poked his head out from under the covers, put his arm around her shoulder, and the scent of her hair wafted up from the darkness.

Hoshino Hanami asked, "Anything else?"

"Her legs are very attractive."

"Not bad," Hoshino Hanami said with a smile. "No excess fat, no wrinkles on her abdomen, and very elastic skin. It seems she can still be a womanizer for a while."

At this point, she placed her hand on Tsukasa Tazaki's cheek: "But all of these will suddenly disappear one day, won't they? Like a thread that has broken and can never be repaired."

"It won't disappear." Tsukasa Tazaki held her tightly, etching that warmth into his heart.

“I always feel that even if we separate…” Hoshino Hanami paused, burying her face in his shoulder, “we will meet again in some strange way ten or twenty years from now.”

Tazaki Tsukasa rested his chin on her hair: "It sounds like something out of a Dickens novel."

"You like Dickens?"

"Yes, he's one of my favorite authors."

“I don’t like it.” Hoshino Hanami shook her head and muttered, “Death, women, sadness—these three elements are always present in Dickens’ novels, and they are all quite tragic. I can’t stand these things; I prefer something happier, something with a happy ending.”

“Tragedy is what makes it profound.” Tazaki Tsukasa felt her supple body and her beloved teardrop shape with his hands, and said with emotion, “Love has to turn into tragedy, and regret can create poetry.”

"I see." Hoshino Hanami nodded thoughtfully and asked him, "Then stabbing the male protagonist to death is also considered a poetic act?"

Tazaki Tsukasa's hand froze for a moment, then he quickly and obediently moved to her waist: "Could we try something more poetic, like counting the moon's phases..."

"For example, putting a sack over your head and sinking it into Tokyo Bay?"

"...Who exactly did Tokyo Bay offend? Why does everyone want to fill it in?"

"Stop talking nonsense!"

Hoshino Hanami bit his shoulder in annoyance, the bite not hard enough to draw blood, but enough to make Tozaki Tsukasa clench his teeth.

I want to bite you to death.

As she spoke, she moved her lips and kissed Tsukasa Tazaki's collarbone.

His long hair fell to his chest.

Tsukasa Tazaki closed his eyes comfortably, savoring the sensation of the kiss. He thought of the pavilion in Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, the handkerchief embroidered with flowers and deer, and the carp streamers fluttering on the flagpole of Sakura's family dojo.

I really can't leave her...

Quietly opening his eyes, Tsukasa Tazaki reached behind her back to unhook her bra, searching for the hook.

He groped around for a while but couldn't find it. Hoshino Hanami opened her mouth and stared at him silently in the darkness.

“A little higher,” she said.

Remove the barrier, and the two are pressed tightly together.

Hoshino Hanami smiled and said, "Life is truly an incredible thing."

A soft, dim light shone on her cheeks; it was moonlight streaming in from the window. Her eyes reflected the light, warm and soft, like the gentle warmth of spring sunshine.

"Thank you," said Tsukasa Tazaki. "Thank you for not causing a scene during dinner."

"How can we let such delicious food go to waste!"

Hoshino Hanami rested her head on his chest, pressing her body close to his, her soft breaths carrying a warm, moist scent.

“But this is the last bit of tenderness,” she added.

Tazaki Tsukasa reached out and hugged her, feeling her trembling as he pondered what kind of person he was.

The problem is not that simple; it cannot be explained in just a few words.

What exactly is one of us, caught in the middle?

As I thought about it, I felt a pang of sadness.

Tsukasa Tazaki understood that if he were to make the same choice again, he would repeat the same mistake.

He could no longer be a genuine person; his desire to turn Kana Shimamoto into his own was an innate and biased trait.

Looking back after many years, all I realize is this: while I never had the intention to harm anyone, actions and thoughts are two separate things. I can become selfish and greedy when necessary. Even the person I should have cherished suffered irreparable and devastating harm.

It's painful to admit, but that's the truth.

"Hanami-san."

Tsukasa Tazaki held her tightly and whispered everything in her ear.

It includes the entanglements between three high school girls, the existence of the landlady, and the events that happen between her and Kana Shimamoto.

He left out his relationship with Sakura Kuriyama and emphasized, "There was nothing between Sakura and me that I kept from you. The only intimate contact we had was when she knew there was someone hiding in the closet and deliberately let me touch her feet."

“No need for your nonsense.” Hoshino Hanami placed her hand on his cheek and whispered, “I trust Sakura; she’s not the kind of person who lies like you!”

Bathed in the soft moonlight, his fingertips radiated a faint, eerie warmth. Tazaki carefully felt it, letting the lingering warmth on his cheek seep into his heart. Sweet memories of the past few months floated into his mind like distant wisps of cloud.

"You can actually be this honest..." Hoshino Hanami said with some emotion, "It really surprises me. I was originally planning to beat you up right now, but since you're so honest, I'm a little embarrassed to do it."

Tazaki Tsukasa thought to himself that he was just a bit of a jerk, not an idiot. Things would eventually come to light. Rather than waiting for his darling to come to his rescue after being exposed, he might as well detonate the bomb himself in advance, lower his stance, and seek a sliver of hope in the cracks.

Moreover, he couldn't bear the guilt of continuing to hide it, so he told everyone. The confusion he had felt during those days vanished, and his thoughts and direction became much clearer in an instant.

"Big sister..."

Tazaki Tsukasa smiled ingratiatingly, his hands supporting her waist: "How about we beat him up tomorrow? Let the brat live one more night."