My love index is at its maximum.

A pristine white blouse with French pleats at the neckline, its chest undulating gracefully, tucked into a pale yellow belted skirt, and on her feet were a pair of suede high heels.

"You're here so early," Tsukasa Tazaki greeted her and sat down opposite her.

Kuriyama Sakura looked up and nodded slightly.

"The azure sky, with sunlight falling like dust, illuminates the Minister today, making her elegant and beautiful."

"Is that so?" Kuriyama Sakura smiled, completely disregarding his words.

"It's your turn."

"What's my turn?"

Tsukasa Tazaki said earnestly, "It's your turn to praise me."

"Wait a minute, let me think if there's anything I can praise about you." Kuriyama Sakura closed her book, looked him over thoughtfully for a few moments, sunlight streamed down from above, and the sounds of harp and organ music from the coffee shop filled the air.

The autumn wind blows, and the bangs on her forehead tremble gently.

"What do you think about turning into a cat?"

"To become the minister's favorite cat?"

“Yes.” Kuriyama Sakura neatly placed her hands together on the table, her tone natural: “That way we can perform the sterilization surgery on him.”

"No!" Tsukasa Tazaki protested. "That's calling me a scumbag, not a compliment."

"I really don't have any words to praise you," Kuriyama Sakura sighed, then suddenly clenched her fist and said, "Good luck, Tazaki-san, please try to give me a chance to praise you next year."

The waiter walked by with the menu, which Tsukasa Tazaki took, and Sakura Kuriyama leaned over. In the soft autumn sunlight, the two smiled at each other.

"What would you like to order?" the waiter asked.

"Two cups of signature coffee, an apple tart and a croissant, plus a small dish of honey."

"Ah, okay." The waitress gave Tsukasa Tazaki a deep look, quickly wrote down the order, and said gently, "It'll be ready soon," before turning and leaving.

“You’re very popular.” Kuriyama Sakura rested her arms on the table, looking at him with great satisfaction. “Wherever you go, Tazaki-kun always manages to easily attract the attention of women.”

"I won't refute that statement." Tsukasa Tazaki snapped his fingers, saying with no small amount of pride, "The boy standing at the pinnacle of human charm is named Tsukasa Tazaki."

The customers in the restaurant all looked at him with surprise.

Three girls' high school cliques, two working women, and a couple in their early twenties.

After getting a good look at the person speaking, the customers turned around, huddled together, and whispered among themselves, debating the truth of the statement.

“Peacock~” Kuriyama Sakura gave him a cold look.

The waitress was right; the food arrived quickly.

Sakura Kuriyama picked up a croissant and dipped it in honey to eat.

“I had a dream last night, phew~” Tsukasa Tazaki blew on his steaming coffee, looked up and said, “The ship I was on sank in the Pacific Ocean, so I grabbed a lifebuoy and drifted alone on the night sea, watching the stars. In the quiet, beautiful night, I saw a young woman on the other side also drifting towards me, holding onto a lifebuoy.”

"Is the woman pretty?"

"Definitely."

Kuriyama Sakura took a sip of coffee and shook her head, saying, "It's a bit ridiculous."

“Listen to me honestly.” Tsukasa Tazaki glared at her. “The two of us were holding onto lifebuoys, huddled together, and chatting as we floated.”

"What did you talk about?"

"We talked about where we came from, where we want to go in the future, our hobbies, favorite scenery, the dreams we had yesterday, and so on. We also had coffee together."

“Wait a minute,” Kuriyama Sakura looked down at the coffee on the table with a thoughtful expression, “Where can we get coffee in the middle of the Pacific Ocean?”

That's not the point!

"How can it not be the point? It's illogical!"

"Ugh……"

Tazaki Tsukasa sighed deeply as if admitting defeat, and after a moment's thought, said, "It drifted from the shipwreck, okay? Not just canned coffee, but also canned fried sardines. Does that make sense now?"

"Hmm." Kuriyama Sakura nodded in satisfaction.

"While we were drinking, I suddenly asked the woman what we were going to do next, whether we should swim to find land. She said there was no land nearby, so we might as well lie in the swim ring and drink coffee."

"and after?"

"Later I swam away alone, and after two days and two nights I finally climbed onto an island, where I was quickly rescued by a passing plane."

"Where is the woman?"

"I begged the pilot to go back, but the spot was empty."

"Could that woman be a mermaid?"

"Of course, she's so beautiful."

"foolish!"

Don't you feel sad?

"Perhaps." Kuriyama Sakura took a sip of her slightly cooled coffee, tilted her head slightly, and revealed a five-level smile: "Let me guess, the mermaid's name is Kuriyama Sakura, and the airplane pilot's name is Hoshino Hanami, right?"

Tsukasa Tazaki gave a thumbs up: "Minister, you're brilliant!"

"Haha~" Because of her happiness, Kuriyama Sakura suddenly felt a surge of anger that she hadn't felt in many years.

"What are your thoughts after hearing that?" Tsukasa Tazaki picked up his cup and slowly took a sip of coffee.

"Is this the kind of talk you use to win over Hanami-nee?"

“How could that be?” Tsukasa Tazaki put the cup back on the table and spread his hands. “Her first reaction to the mermaid would definitely be to argue that there are no mermaids in this world, otherwise there would definitely be records of cooking techniques and taste.”

“Absolutely right!” Kuriyama Sakura agreed, then crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair, smiling sweetly at him: “So, Tazaki-san, the reason you said this is that you’re planning to officially start your conquest of me, right?”

"...!" Tsukasa Tazaki subconsciously looked away, and the Tokyo Skytree in the distance was shining brightly in the sunlight.

His inability to answer only made Kuriyama Sakura stare at him even more amusedly. "Was the phrase 'I'm the king of the world' also said for me?"

"...Don't be so narcissistic."

"Isn't that right?" Kuriyama Sakura blinked in confusion. "Am I not cute enough?"

"enough……"

"You don't like me enough?"

"Well, how should I put it," Tsukasa Tazaki picked up his coffee cup, his head bowed so low his nose almost touched the coffee, "Anyway, when I'm with you, uh... well, I have this feeling of getting younger and younger..."

"If you don't dare to answer directly, then I'm right." Kuriyama Sakura covered her mouth, laughing heartily.

"..." Tazaki Tsukasa downed his coffee in one gulp and slammed his hand on the table: "Eat up, then leave."

It has a very strong presence.

But his steps as he ran to pay the bill were as frantic as if he were fleeing a flash flood. Kuriyama Sakura followed behind, a knowing smile on her face.

After leaving the Takashimaya department store, the two strolled aimlessly along the street.

Footprints were left on a street corner, in front of a coffee shop, and on a path under the shade of a tree.

"What book?" Tsukasa Tazaki glanced at the hardcover book in her hand.

"Cat City."

"You really do like cats. By the way..." Tsukasa Tazaki suddenly remembered something and quickly asked, "Where's your Maine Coon?"

"I'll pick you up tomorrow."

"how old are you?"

"Two and a half months."

"Tell me, if I send it to work at my coffee shop, wouldn't that be considered illegal child labor?"

"foolish."

"What if I asked the minister to work for me for free?"

"Don't go."

"We're such good friends, this request isn't unreasonable, is it?"

“Stop,” Kuriyama Sakura said with a slight smile, “Our relationship is not good at all.”

"Alright then," Tsukasa Tazaki said helplessly, "can't you at least take a few photos for me to use for publicity?"

After a moment's thought, Kuriyama Sakura decided that this was acceptable and nodded in agreement. The next second, seeing the smile on Tazaki Tsukasa's lips, she immediately realized that she had fallen into his trap.

She remembered seeing this so-called 'compromise effect' in some book, but couldn't recall the title. It probably wasn't a Japanese author's book… Oh well, why think about that? Today's a perfect day for a walk, so let's enjoy it.

The young men and women strolled leisurely, adding a touch of beauty to the Tokyo street scene wherever they went.

Perhaps tourists who have traveled from afar will also see the two of them as a scenic view in Tokyo, capturing them in their cameras and making it an unforgettable memory of their trip.

The two strolled along the road and arrived at Jixiang Temple.

There is no Kichijoji Temple in Kichijoji; it is just the name of a street that has reportedly been voted the most desirable place to live in Tokyo for five consecutive years.

An elegantly dressed couple were having a rendezvous at an open-air bar, slowly sipping champagne from their glasses.

The bartender silently wiped the glasses behind them, while faint music played softly from somewhere.

The afternoon sun shone on the neatly arranged fresh flowers and plants in front of the flower shop across the street. Leisurely young men and women passed by, and strings of bubbles rose from the wine glasses in front of them.

“In their eyes, we must look like a couple too,” Tsukasa Tazaki suddenly said.

“I haven’t experienced enough,” Kuriyama Sakura said casually, arms crossed.

"Actually, that's quite a lot." Tsukasa Tazaki counted on his fingers, one by one. "Not to mention the schools, I've already attended two birthday parties with you, and there's also Omacho, Kamakura, Fukuoka, and the school festival..."

“I’ll ask you one more time,” Kuriyama Sakura turned to him, smiling, “Are you really planning to win me over?”

A cool breeze greets him, dappled sunlight falls overhead, and the department head's pristine white shirt gleams in the breeze. Tazaki Tsukasa reaches out to greet the sunlight that bathes his cheek.

“Autumn is never a pleasant season,” he said.

Kuriyama Sakura turned her head and asked, "Which season is the most pleasant?"

"Of course, it's spring."

"What's the reason?"