My love index is at its maximum.

“No problem,” Shimamoto Kana replied. “The school trip is at the end of October, and first-year students usually go to Kyoto. How about we sneak out to Gion one evening and enjoy ourselves to the fullest?”

"A fantastic suggestion!"

The two remained in the rain, sharing the same umbrella, and embracing each other tightly.

It was still raining outside the umbrella, a quiet, fine drizzle, almost imperceptible. If it weren't for the subtle sound of raindrops hitting the umbrella, it would be almost impossible to hear.

Mrs. Tazaki's body was soft and warm, pressed close to mine, and with each breath I could smell the faint fragrance of her hair, and the subtle scent of rain.

"Hmm~"

Kana Shimamoto parted her red lips slightly and let out a satisfied nasal sound, "I love this comfortable feeling. Tazaki-kun, hold on tighter, break my waist, I don't mind dying in your arms."

"I can't bear to part with it," Tsukasa Tazaki said, head down.

The warm breath tickled her sensitive ear, and Shimamoto Kana buried her face in his chest and rubbed against him.

"A Kyoto beauty and a Showa-era scumbag, it seems like I'm destined to be ruined by you in this life. Is this fate?"

"Calculate."

"I like this kind of destiny."

Whispering softly, gently yet firmly, Tsukasa Tazaki hugged her even tighter.

Cars occasionally drove past the two, splashing water from the puddle. Rose vines, already withered, had climbed the walls of houses along the roadside.

By mid-April next year, beautiful roses will bloom there.

After what seemed like an eternity, it was almost time for class to start.

"I really wish it would get dark right now, and then we could go home and lie in bed together." Shimamoto Kana took a deep, lingering breath, reluctantly leaving Tazaki Tsukasa's embrace.

"Let's continue tonight," Tsukasa Tazaki said with a faint smile.

The two strolled through the rain-soaked streets of Tokyo, content even without holding hands.

Upon arriving at Sendagaya Station, Kana Shimamoto stood at the station entrance, waved goodbye to Tsukasa Tazaki, and instead of going into the station herself, she turned around and hailed a taxi to return to school.

Even though they're living together, they still need to try their best to avoid their relationship being exposed.

It's not allowed until at least high school graduation.

Back at school, it was still drizzling, but not enough to affect our work. For outdoor work, all we needed to do was wear a hat or hood and a raincoat; umbrellas weren't necessary.

Instead of going back to class for the morning meeting, Tsukasa Tazaki went directly to the stage construction site on the playground. The stage construction was nearing completion; the next two days were spent cleaning up the trash and laying the wiring.

From afar, one could see Yui Kichikawa standing in the rain, inspecting the area. She was wearing an olive-green rain hat, and the wet steel was bathed in rain that was almost invisible to the naked eye, causing the color to gradually darken.

"Here, set up this light in this position."

"This row needs to have dry ice spray nozzles reserved; remember not to weld them all shut."

"Have any people placed orders for the decorative flowers? If not, hurry up and do it, or I'll have to repeat myself."

"Hey, Tazaki, where are you?"

“Here I am…” Tsukasa Tazaki put down his phone and came to the blonde girl’s side.

"Hurry up and help!" Qichuan Wei immediately rolled up her school uniform sleeves. "This rain has slowed things down a bit. If this continues, we won't make it to the opening ceremony."

"Understood, Chairman!"

Tsukasa Tazaki put his schoolbag under the umbrella to cover it, and braved the rain to join the stage construction work.

Workers used loading trucks and small excavators to hook the garbage from the ground onto the trucks and remove it. The excavators were quite sophisticated and maneuverable, allowing them to operate even in confined spaces.

A total of four professional workers were hired: one to operate the machinery, one to supervise the site, and two to work as operators. In order to meet the deadline, many students from the student union and the executive committee also joined in.

They were all dressed in blue raincoats and waterproof pants, thick-soled work boots, and tempered plastic safety helmets.

Qichuan Yui acts as a commander, managing numerous machines and personnel in an orderly manner. Even the adults look at her with respect.

After the bell rang to signal the end of class, the students dispersed and returned to their classrooms to prepare for the first lesson.

Tsukasa Tazaki, holding an umbrella, walked back to the teaching building side by side with Yuichi Kawakami.

It was already nine o'clock in the morning, but the sky was still dark. A thick layer of dark clouds had gathered over Tokyo, and fine raindrops were falling continuously.

"Ah~"

Qichuan Wei yawned restrainedly. Although her back was still straight, she felt a little tired. She didn't know if it was because the autumn rain made people feel listless.

It seems this young lady has had a tough time – the preparations for the school festival have been incredibly busy, leaving her physically and mentally exhausted.

“Kikawa-san,” Tsukasa Tazaki tilted the umbrella slightly toward her and said, “When you’re tired, it’s wise to ask for help from those around you.”

"Okay, how about I hand over all the rest of my work to you?"

"...I'll pretend I didn't say anything."

"You..." Qichuan Wei was about to curse him, but she couldn't help but open her lips and yawn, then rubbed her eyes as if she was sleepy.

Tazaki felt sorry for her in this state and couldn't help but advise her: "Being conscientious and responsible is a very good quality and deserves to be praised. But people in high positions don't need to do everything themselves. All you need to do is coordinate and delegate the work to your subordinates. There's no need to roll up your sleeves and do even the work of a porter yourself."

Qichuan Yui shook her head, went to the shoe cabinet without saying a word, and took out white flat shoes. After taking off her muddy leather shoes, her warm little feet, wrapped in white, slowly slipped into the flat shoes.

Only after she had put on both shoes did Tsukasa Tazaki look away, go to her shoe cabinet, change her shoes, and then look up again. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught the last trace of blonde hair disappearing in front of the stairs.

“Wait,” Tsukasa Tazaki caught up with her and walked alongside her. “Give me all the rest of your work that you can, it doesn’t matter how much.”

Qichuan Wei was surprised for a moment, then looked straight into his eyes with a sharp gaze: "Not sick?"

"no!"

"You've become strange." Yui Kichikawa smiled. "You seem to be getting gentler these days. Is it just my imagination?"

"It shouldn't be, right?"

"I advise you to go back to your old indifference as soon as possible."

"Clam?"

"The more capable and gentle a person is, the less likely they are to live the way they want. They are constantly entrusted by others and expected to meet their expectations. Unconsciously, this relationship becomes the norm and a shackle on their lives."

Tazaki Tsukasa fell silent, speechless.

Kikawa Yui glanced at him sideways; his face held its usual nonchalant expression. A handsome face, always calm and thoughtful, giving the other person a sense of relief.

As they reached the corner of the stairs between the fourth and fifth floors, a faint smile appeared on Tsukasa Tazaki's face. He said to her, "If it were anyone else, I definitely wouldn't bother with them. But when it comes to someone important, isn't it only right to be gentle? Because this way, wearing these shackles won't make me feel unfree."

Kikawa Yui frowned slightly, looking directly into his eyes as if she could see through his deepest thoughts.

"Really, Xiaowei is also very important to me..."

"No need for pleasantries." Qichuan waved his hand dismissively and headed towards the fifth floor.

"..."

Loser!

Tsukasa Tazaki turned around helplessly, preparing to return to the classroom.

"Wait a moment."

As she reached the middle of the stairs, Yui Kikawa turned around, a smile blooming on her lips, her beautifully shaped pink lips parting slightly.

"Come directly to the conference room at 3:30 PM." She announced to Tsukasa Tazaki with a smile as radiant as a blooming flower, "There won't be time for you to participate in club activities these next two days."

Tsukasa Tazaki nodded, picked up his schoolbag, and went back to the classroom.

As the school festival approached, the classroom of Class 1-F was making a terrible clattering noise.

Everyone pieced together the tables to form the stage.

Under the class monitor's direction, the sports committee member named Tang Ze set up a backdrop made of thin wooden boards and cardboard boxes; Murakami Mizusaka and the arts committee member were going over the script.

Some girls were wearing headphones and meticulously altering their costumes, while others were cutting paper, folding it several times, and then tying rubber bands in the middle to use as decorations for the class.

As for Tsukasa Tazaki, he didn't have anything special to do and just sat by the window watching them rehearse.

Before long, it was afternoon. Before Murakami Mizuiro could finish complaining, Tazaki Tsukasa quickly got up and left the classroom.

On the way to the meeting room, every class we passed was full of energy.

Not only were the classrooms bustling with activity, but the executive committee's meeting room was also incredibly lively. Many people were coming and going, and the usually closed door was kept wide open today, propped up by chairs.

"Chairman, the publicity website has been set up!"

"Understood. Please arrange for someone to test it, and open it immediately after confirming that there are no problems."

"Chairman, the equipment needed for the performance by Class 2A is insufficient."

"The personnel coordination team will communicate with the representatives of Class A, and the management team will decide the number of loans to be made. They will then report the results to me."

"Chairman, the opening ceremony rehearsal has taken longer than expected, and we have already had a conflict with other classes over the use of the venue."

“Let them use it first. The opening ceremony team will stay behind separately after school to rehearse. The extra transportation and food budgets for the performers due to the rehearsal delays will be subsidized by the student union funds.”

Like a programmed robot, Yui Kikawa skillfully manipulated the computer, issuing instructions to the executive committee member who came to report the problem while distracted, without even glancing at the other party.

Her efficient and decisive approach to work is very much like that of a powerful businesswoman who dominates the business world.

Tsukasa Tazaki sat down in the assistant's seat next to her. "What are today's tasks? Please give instructions."

"Stamp this for me." Yui Kichikawa finally looked up from the computer screen and onto Tsukasa Tazaki. After giving the order, she let out a slight sigh of relief and took the opportunity to stretch her sore wrists.

"I have reviewed all these documents, and theoretically there shouldn't be any problems. I have also corrected any oversights; you just need to stamp them."

After speaking, Yui Kichikawa turned her gaze back to the computer screen, reviewing the documents that filled the screen one by one.

Each class and club needs equipment, number of participants, time allocation, and how to use the allocated budget... Beyond the practical aspects, there are also abstract details such as the purpose of the plan and a brief description to fill out. Although these written descriptions could be glossed over, she is a girl who strives for perfection in everything and is exceptionally strict with herself. Therefore, she would carefully review each form, fill it out, and distribute it, striving for a 100% perfect result.

Tazaki Tsukasa held the stamp in his hand, not even glancing at the contents of the document, and kept stamping it, then put the stamped document into a special folder.

The preparations for the school festival have progressed smoothly in some areas and encountered unexpected situations in others. However, so far, all the work has been going quite well, and the greatest credit for all of this belongs to Yui Kikawa.

After stamping all the seals, Tsukasa Tazaki asked, "What's next?"

"Go and check the chemical demonstration materials purchased by the chemistry laboratory department. If any materials were obtained without proper legal procedures, confiscate them directly."

"That's the work of the accounting audit team, isn't it?" Tsukasa Tazaki said helplessly. "I only helped because I agreed to take over your work. I can't be bothered with other people's work."

Kikawa Yui slowly raised her face, her gaze revealing a strong will, her clear eyes like sparkling sapphires.

"I can only feel at ease if I complete my own work."

“You haven’t changed at all. I’m really defeated by you…” Tsukasa Tazaki sighed.