My love index is at its maximum.

Where is Lu Jian?

"Lu Jian wants a Coke."

"Alright~ The two little cuties are waiting."

Hoshino Hanami took out a cola and juice from the refrigerator and returned to the coffee table. She poured the thoroughly chilled cola into a mug. A fine, pleasant foam rose in the glass.

"Thank you, big sister~" Hoshino Shikami sat up with her legs crossed, gently shaking her small feet covered by stockings.

Kuriyama Sakura closed the book and came over to the two sisters to have lunch together.

"I'm starting to eat!"

After a brief pre-dinner ceremony, Hoshino Hanami raised her Coke and made a toasting gesture to her two younger sisters: "To celebrate this wonderful moment without any scumbags in the way, cheers~!"

Kuriyama Sakura drank about half a glass of juice, put down the glass, and asked, "Where did Hanami-nee go today?"

"Hmm, I'm going to the Magic Club to watch their show." Hoshino Hanami ate a delicious grilled venison steak. "And I'm also going to the Chemistry Club to watch them do some experiments. The rest of the time I'll just follow Tazaki Tsukasa around and watch him show off."

"Why didn't you invite me, sister?"

"I'm going to settle accounts with Tazaki this afternoon, it'll be too inconvenient to bring you along."

"Settle the accounts?"

"Of course!" Hoshino Hanami slammed her hand on the table, her ahoge standing on end in anger. "You were flirting with Kikawa Yui right in front of me, weren't you? I'll break his leg this afternoon! By the way, Sakura, try these venison chops, they're really delicious!"

“Okay.” Kuriyama Sakura picked up a small piece and put it in her mouth, chewing slowly and elegantly.

The flavor is very rich. You can taste the unique sauce flavor as soon as it touches your tongue. The taste is different when you put it in your mouth and when you swallow it. The aftertaste is endless.

"Not bad, right?"

“It’s delicious,” said Sakura Kuriyama.

"My sister made it herself!" Hoshino Hanami said with a smile.

Hoshino Shikami, while drinking her cola and enjoying the stimulating carbonation, asked, "Should we call Tazaki over?"

"I can't be bothered with him. Hey, you guys try the fish."

As Hoshino Hanami chewed on the venison steak, she said contentedly, "This is a rare find this season. The monkfish is undeniably delicious, with a refined sweetness and a clean, refreshing aftertaste. After a quick steam, it's immediately drizzled with tarragon sauce. Just one bite and I guarantee you'll be happy all day!"

"Mmm, mmm, delicious!" Hoshino Shika picked up several large pieces of fish, her cheeks bulging out like her older sister's.

The early autumn sunlight cast the shadows of the curtains onto the ground. Because there was no wind, the shadows remained fixed on the ground, motionless, regardless of the changes in the outside world.

The air was filled with the aroma of meat.

Kuriyama Sakura was very relaxed. Watching the two sisters chew their food heartily, she also ate more.

"By the way, how many challengers did Sakura defeat today?"

"Not a single one..."

"Huh?" Hoshino Hanami looked up in surprise. "No way, Sakura is that bad?"

“No one has come to challenge us,” said Hoshino Shikami, holding her cup in both hands. “This place is too remote, and Sakura is usually so aloof, so nobody comes to play with her.”

"That sounds so pitiful." Hoshino Hanami gestured with her hands, thinking of the right words: "It's supposed to be a student's holiday, but I, the teacher, am having more fun than you..."

"It's all Tazaki's fault!" Hoshino Shikami said indignantly. "He's the one who got Sakura involved, and he just ignored everything and did whatever he wanted to have fun. Humph, he's such a jerk!"

“That’s right, he’s a jerk!” Hoshino Hanami nodded vigorously, turned around and held out her hand to her sister, “Shikami’s summary is excellent.”

"Yay!"

The two sisters gave each other a high five and laughed heartily.

Then, Hoshino Hanami turned her head and looked at Kuriyama Sakura's profile: "After dragging this out for so long, I'm going to talk to you about Tazaki now."

Kuriyama Sakura's heart skipped a beat; she had subconsciously overreacted.

The twisting motion was so strong that the long ponytail flew around.

Hoshino Hanami gazed at the hair swaying in the wind, then said in a gentle tone, "Tell me, what are you thinking?"

"Besides 'Yes,' I don't think I have any other answer..." Kuriyama Sakura's voice was soft, and unusually, she took a long time to choose her words. "How should I put it, uh... to some extent, a mutual affection?"

Hoshino Shikami looked at her older sister, then at Sakura, and asked, bewildered, biting her hand, "What are you two talking about?"

"Shikami, eat your food properly." Hoshino Hanami patted her younger sister's head and smiled indulgently.

"Oh……"

Hoshino Shikami spat out her finger and lowered her head to eat her rice.

Turning to look at Kuriyama Sakura, Hoshino Hanami sighed, "You, once you have a secret, you lock it in a safe and swallow the key. You basically never discuss it with anyone or confide in them. If your older sister doesn't ask, are you planning to never tell me again?"

“No…” Kuriyama Sakura lowered her head and pondered for a long time, “It’s hard to explain. As a feeling, it’s like from the day we first met, I felt that I could be completely unguarded around Hanami-nee, almost intuitively. After three years of getting along, this feeling has become even more unshakable.”

"Am I that amazing?" Hoshino Hanami asked with considerable pride.

“Yes, there is.” Kuriyama Sakura nodded. “Hana-nee is completely trustworthy.”

"Thank you for saying that, I'm very happy." Hoshino Hanami happily took a sip of juice and said, "But many times, I feel that I can't understand you no matter what. No matter what you think, you are someone beyond my comprehension. To be honest, many things about you have truly surprised me, and sometimes left me speechless."

"Understood." Kuriyama Sakura nodded gently again, rubbing her hands together on her knees, just like warming herself by a fireplace on a winter night. "This isn't Hanami-nee's problem, it's my problem. I'm aware of that."

“Tasaki is fine,” Hoshino Hanami said, looking at her in a strange tone. “Many times, I’ve envied the compatibility between you and him. I feel like you two are a match made in heaven.”

"No, I didn't think that way." Kuriyama Sakura shook her head frantically, her voice growing weak. "Let's not talk about this anymore..."

"Will ignoring it lead to a satisfactory ending?" Hoshino Hanami stared at her face as if spying on her, and smiled sweetly: "On the contrary, it will only bring chaos, and in the end, I'm afraid no one will be happy, including me."

"Hana-chan..."

"Okay, okay, I'm not blaming you."

Hoshino Hanami's face broke into a delightful smile, an unpretentious and naturally charming smile.

“If a certain distance is created, the sense of loss will only become more intense.” She put her arm around Kuriyama Sakura’s shoulder, still smiling, and shook her head, saying, “In severe cases, it could even lead to emotional distress. In short, no matter what, there won’t be an ideal outcome. Do you understand what I mean?”

"clear."

Kuriyama Sakura blushed slightly.

Apart from Tsukasa Tazaki and Hanami Hoshino, she never blushed for a third person.

"Shikami doesn't understand what you two are talking about." Hoshino Shikami lifted her head from her rice bowl, rice grains still clinging to her cheeks. "Since we both like being with that bastard Tazaki, why don't we just stay together forever..."

"Just eat your food." Hoshino Hanami glared at her sister, then turned back and affectionately stroked Kuriyama Sakura's hair. "Do whatever you think is right. Even if something happens, I'll only hold Tazaki Tsukasa accountable, so don't worry about that."

"I won't."

"You're sixteen now, shouldn't you be living a normal life a bit?"

Kuriyama Sakura looked up at Hoshino Hanami with her eyes wide open.

She was like a deep spring under the shade of a rock, everything still and crystal clear. You could see right through her eyes to understand what she was saying and what she was trying to express.

The minister suddenly realized that even without Tsukasa Tazaki, it wouldn't be such a big deal...

"I understand," she nodded.

"Then I can rest assured, sister..."

With great relief, Hoshino Hanami whispered in her ear, "Tazaki is a very self-centered person, and he almost never changes his attitude for others. You are an exception. For that phrase that is clearly inconsistent with his personality, 'I'm the king of the world!', Sakura should also make a change. Isn't interpersonal communication about give and take to be called communication?"

……

On the second day of the cultural festival, the challenge continued.

The ATF team remained as quiet as ever, with no one stepping forward to take on the challenge.

The afternoon passed quickly, and sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting patches of shadow on the white shirt, like the uneven surface of the earth.

The room was completely silent, so quiet that it was as if you could hear the breathing of the green leaves outside the window as they photosynthesized.

Kuriyama Sakura leaned back in her chair, bored, and lifted her long ponytail. Her silky smooth, jet-black hair flowed through her fingers like water.

The large screen on the playground was still broadcasting the competition between Tsukasa Tazaki and Yui Kikawa, with a bruise near Tsukasa Tazaki's eye that looked quite satisfying.

Occasionally, crows would fly by and land on the wire mesh of the tennis court, making the autumn atmosphere seem even more distant and profound.

After reading for a long time, Kuriyama Sakura closed the book and walked out of the activity room.

The corridor was filled with the cheerful laughter of students. She walked as usual and bumped into Tsukasa Tazaki and Yui Sugikawa, who were just coming up to the fifth floor in the brightly decorated corridor.

"Minister, are you here to watch me compete as well?"

Tsukasa Tazaki waved from afar, his face still flushed from the exertion.

"No, I'm not in the mood to talk to you." Kuriyama Sakura smiled faintly as she walked to the door of the piano club on the fifth floor and said condescendingly, "As the club president, I have to work hard for the ATF club's ranking."

"Eh?"

Under the surprised gaze of Tsukasa Tazaki, she walked into the piano club, signed up, and sat down at the piano.

The students who gathered around all looked surprised.

This top beauty usually gives the impression of being aloof, knowledgeable, and possessing knowledge that many others are unaware of. The students were quite surprised when they saw her participate in the challenge.

After all, she has always given the impression of being very eccentric...

Kuriyama Sakura glanced at the sheet music and gently opened the piano lid.

A Yamaha grand piano, its surface gleaming and spotless, without a single fingerprint. Afternoon sunlight streamed through the window, casting shadows on the oak trees in the courtyard, while lace curtains swayed in the breeze.

Press your lips tightly together and take a deep breath...

Then, Franz Liszt's "Hungarian Rhapsody" slowly began to play in the audience's ears.

Her long ponytail, neatly combed back, her focused gaze on the sheet music, her ten long and beautiful fingers on the keyboard, and her feet precisely pressing the pedals all revealed a hidden strength that was not usually visible.

The gentle melody, the drumbeats that seem to resonate in one's heart, and the dreamlike beauty of a young girl.

There was no extraneous noise in the activity room or the corridor, and everyone calmed down to appreciate the music, gently closing their eyes to listen.

Originally intending to watch the show, Yui Kichikawa involuntarily took a deep breath and looked at Tsukasa Tazaki with a puzzled expression: "What's wrong with her? Why did she suddenly get involved in this?"

"I'm not entirely sure what happened," Tsukasa Tazaki said with a smile. "But her great era is about to begin. Is Yui ready to face the challenge?"

Kikawa Yui rolled her eyes at him.

When she looked back at Kuriyama Sakura, a confident glint flashed in her clear blue eyes.

After finishing the piece, Kuriyama Sakura closed the piano lid, and the surroundings instantly fell silent. In a daze, there was a strange feeling that time had been interrupted.