My love index is at its maximum.

Kuriyama Sakura looked at Tazaki Tsukasa with curiosity: "Has she always been this confident since she was a child?"

“Yes,” Kurisu Kawakami answered first, “Yui is the most amazing beautiful girl in the world. My daughter and I are in complete agreement on this point.”

"I see, I understand." Kuriyama Sakura nodded in sudden realization, her tone full of teasing and condescension: "Is it because you were too confident that you evolved from a childhood friend into a loser?"

With her white-stockinged legs crossed, Kikawa Yui said nonchalantly, "It's only temporary. As a flawless and perfect girl, no one can resist my charm."

"What do you say?" Kuriyama Sakura suddenly challenged Tazaki Tsukasa.

Suddenly, Tsukasa Tazaki felt that the steak in his mouth tasted like saltpeter and was no longer fragrant.

"You're getting more and more boring." The minister rested his chin on his hand, his expression cold. "You clearly don't like this noisy scene, yet you still pretend to be polite and sensible to please the minister. Disgusting!"

“I think this is excellent.” Yui Kikawa stared at her with her cold, beautiful blue eyes and spoke up to defend Tsukasa Tazaki: “He is no longer that weak and confused little boy. He can now clearly make a yes or no decision and can act steadily at his own pace. Although he is still a bit behind me, this can be regarded as the greatest progress in his life!”

What do you mean by "a little worse than you"... Tsukasa Tazaki really wanted to retort, but if he said it at this moment, in the eyes of the blonde girl, it would be no different from him siding with Sakura Kuriyama, which could easily backfire.

A wise man knows when to remain silent.

That way you can live longer.

Kuriyama Sakura looked at him coldly: "Don't avoid me, tell me."

...Well, dying sooner or later is the same as dying, so I might as well die quickly.

Tazaki swallowed the steak in his mouth and looked at the two girls for three seconds each.

He then turned and glared at the smiling Kurisu, speaking as if he were full of admiration: "Yui is indeed remarkable. Perfectly completing tasks assigned by others and satisfying those around her seems to have been her job since childhood. In my opinion, she's trying her best to be everyone's Snow White. The results are excellent, and everyone praises her, but such sustained effort is very tiring. It's not unreasonable to say that you admire her and respect her perseverance..."

Yui Kichikawa stuffed her laptop into her bag, stood up, and looked down at Sakura Kuriyama.

"Alright, that's all for tonight." She smiled smugly, then added, "It's your birthday today, so I'll have to go easy on you this time. See you tomorrow."

"Hey, you're leaving already?" Kurisu slapped the sofa in dissatisfaction. "Mom wants to watch you two argue for a while longer, wait a bit longer before you go~"

"Goodbye."

Yui Kisakawa turned around decisively, her dazzling blonde hair swaying gently behind her.

"Xiaowei, wait for Mom~" Qichuan Li hurriedly got up and chased after her, her movements were not elegant at all.

Only three or five guests remained in the hall, and the servants began to tidy up the place, but the "Waltz of Love" continued.

Tsukasa Tazaki shook his neck and asked hesitantly, a rare occurrence for him, "Really not going to dance?"

“I won’t jump.” Kuriyama Sakura refused, her eyes dim.

"You have to jump." Tsukasa Tazaki steeled his resolve, firmly grasping her hand with unexpected strength.

“I know most of what you’re thinking, and it’s unlikely that anything will change at this stage,” he said. “It may be difficult, but at least I’ll be with you on the path to solving this problem. How about we take the first step tonight? If we keep moving forward, we’ll definitely find the key to filling the gap.”

"It will take a long time."

"Hey, there's no need to rush. What I really want to know is whether you have the determination."

"I don't know."

“Then I’ll answer for you,” Tsukasa Tazaki said decisively. “Yes!”

"Silly girl, you're such a fool... Hey, what are you doing?"

Under the minister's shocked gaze, Tsukasa Tazaki squatted down, took off her high heels, and held her warm, smooth feet, encased in stockings, in her hands.

"Let go!" Kuriyama Sakura kicked her legs, her face flushed as she looked around. "There are still people here, let go right now."

"Don't let it go."

Tsukasa Tazaki chuckled and put his arm around her waist: "Hana-nee said I could be a little more unrestrained tonight, how could I just let loose like that!"

"Ah~"

Kuriyama Sakura's legs lifted off the ground, and she cried out in fright, "What are you thinking?"

"Of course, it's dancing."

"Dance?"

"Yes, all of God's children dance!"

Tsukasa Tazaki placed her feet on his shoes, wrapped one arm around her slender waist, and pressed the other hand against her back, holding her tightly as he walked toward the dance floor.

"you……"

Sakura Kuriyama's heart was pounding, and she couldn't think straight.

As her body swayed, in order to maintain her balance, she instinctively wrapped her arms tightly around Tsukasa Tazaki's neck, her body swaying with his dance steps.

Chapter 243 Then, Kuriyama Sakura revealed a six-level smile.

The night was quiet, and the lights were soft.

In the quiet hall, one can hear the sound of the wind rustling the leaves in the courtyard.

Kuriyama Sakura took a deep breath, then pursed her lips, her cheeks puffing out slightly.

He seemed to be trying very hard to make an angry expression, but the department head who was forced to hug Tsukasa Tazaki's neck tightly didn't look scary at all. On the contrary, he had a kind of cute and fierce charm.

Tsukasa Tazaki always enjoyed teasing her into this state.

Now that they've succeeded again, how could they possibly give up so easily?

"I want to know you better," he said.

"What do you know about me?" Kuriyama Sakura looked around, her face flushed. The servants who were glanced at by her instinctively lowered their eyes, which made her feel like she was trying to cover up her secret, and she became even more flustered.

"Everything. How you grew up, what you like to think about, how you feel right now, and so on."

“It’s not worth mentioning at all.” Kuriyama Sakura gritted her teeth and wrapped her arms around his neck. “You’ll get bored after a while and you’ll definitely be sleepy.”

"I like things that are insignificant."

“Mine is something no one would like, it’s not worth mentioning.” Kuriyama Sakura turned her face away, revealing her fair and delicate ears, which were already stained red.

"Let's start with the simplest question: How are you feeling right now?"

“…I felt nothing.” Kuriyama Sakura took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, her whole body trembling slightly from nervousness and shyness.

"Then close your eyes and savor it carefully."

After saying that, Tsukasa Tazaki closed his eyes first, feeling her soft body against his skin, and gracefully turned his body while his feet touched the ground.

“Someone is watching…” Kuriyama Sakura’s body was forced to rotate with his spin, like grass swaying, like clouds drifting.

"Let them see. Who cares who they are, let them see if they want."

Without any further words, her mind was foggy. Kuriyama Sakura gently closed her eyes, trying not to think about anything, just letting her body move and sway with his movements... In the dim light, their bodies pressed tightly together.

It's a strange feeling.

Time seems to flow by, as if split in two by the body, slowly passing by.

I don't know how long I jumped.

Anyway, it went on for a very long time, until sweat was seeping from under his armpits, before Tsukasa Tazaki stopped dancing, put his arm around her waist and adjusted his breathing.

His eyes were still closed, his cheek pressed against her padded chest, listening to his heartbeat. The beating was slow and rhythmic, marking the pulse of life.

Is the current situation actually true, or is it just wishful thinking?

What was I doing when I was sixteen?

I remembered.

When I was sixteen, I was completely infatuated with a girl in my class.

Her skin was crystal clear, giving her an air of both aloofness and fragility. Her dark, beautiful eyes often held an alluring quality, and her blinks were incredibly captivating.

I wanted to date her.

But they hardly ever spoke to each other; they just watched from afar, nothing more. After school, he would draw sketches of the girl and stick them on the wall; he drew several.

"Put me down..."

Kuriyama Sakura's trembling voice interrupted her reverie. Tazaki Tsukasa came back to his senses, looked at her pale face stained with blood, and said softly, "Of all the girls I've ever known, you, Captain, are the most beautiful."

"Silly!" Kuriyama Sakura shrugged dismissively, her shoulders trembling slightly.

"Let me tell you my truest feelings." Tazaki stroked her long ponytail with one hand, feeling its smoothness and silkiness as she spoke: "I've said it a few times, haven't I? If I were just an ordinary sixteen-year-old boy, I would definitely fall in love with you without hesitation. As for the current situation, although it hasn't reached that crazy level, it's just like you said, there are occasional moments when I feel a flutter in my heart, thinking that I can't live without you for the rest of my life."

"What did you say?" Kuriyama Sakura turned around, suppressing her embarrassment. Her gaze fell into his eyes, and her heart pounded wildly.

"I said, I'm really excited tonight."

"What?" Kuriyama Sakura asked again.

This time she really couldn't hear clearly; the sound of her heartbeat was too loud.

"Let's go back to the room." Tsukasa Tazaki smiled, released her hand, and put her feet back on the floor.

“You can’t do anything reckless…” Kuriyama Sakura said, her voice trembling.

After receiving a nod of assurance from Tsukasa Tazaki, she began to move up the stairs with her socks on, Tsukasa Tazaki following behind. The two remained silent, as if they were strangers.

The room was spacious with wooden floors and white-painted walls. A large balcony opened onto Tokyo Bay, offering views of luxury cruise ships and sightseeing boats slowly passing by. The east-facing window was smaller, with simple white curtains, and outside stood a lush willow tree.

Tazaki Tsukasa stood at the door of the room, not going in, but quietly looking around at the neatly arranged interior.

The furniture was tasteful, simple and bright. Several potted foliage plants were placed on the balcony, and textbooks, pens, erasers and clips were piled on the table. The calendar on the wall had her schedule written in pretty little handwriting.

“It looks just like an art studio,” he said.

This wasn't just something he made up; it was because the room contained several easels, a large porcelain basin for washing paints, a long workbench, and a round wooden stool. A small sound system sat on a shelf against the wall, allowing one to listen faintly while painting. The breeze blowing in from the window carried the fresh scent of the sea, and the occasional sound of a cruise ship's horn could be heard—it was a truly private space for an artist to concentrate on his work, complete with all the necessary items.

Kuriyama Sakura ignored him and squatted in front of the coffee table to boil water and make tea.

After a while, the maid brought over a cake that had been prepared in advance. Tsukasa Tazaki took off his shoes, carried the cake into the house.

"To be honest, it always feels like something's missing if I don't eat cake on my birthday..." he said, turning off the lights, and candles lit up in the darkness.

The firelight shimmered in the darkness. Kuriyama Sakura squatted on the ground, lost in thought, while Tazaki Tsukasa wore a calm smile.

"Happy birthday."

"To be honest, I hate cream..."

"Huh?" Tsukasa Tazaki's hand trembled, and he almost dropped the cake on her head.