My love index is at its maximum.

Holding the doorknob, Shiori Ninomiya saw a tear roll down her father's cheek.

The fluorescent light shone down from the ceiling, making the tears shimmer with a faint silver light as they slowly slid down his cheeks. He had probably used up all his remaining strength, and he slumped onto the hospital bed, completely exhausted.

They quietly left the hospital.

When she arrived at the parking lot, Shiori Ninomiya took a deep breath and, instead of riding her motorcycle, painfully sprinted at full speed.

Run out of the town and run between the terraced fields and farmland planted along the hillside.

Deep within the wide canyon, one can see the sparse, scattered lights of farmhouses.

Fluffy white clouds could be seen in the sky, but the atmosphere was not heavy. Under the moonlight, the clouds shone with a faint glow, adding a touch of color to the indigo sky.

The vast night sky is always awe-inspiring, like a rabbit emerging from the ground, making one feel even more insignificant than one's own already small self, like a pebble or weed by the roadside.

"Whoo~"

The girl exhaled a heavy breath of white mist and lay on her back on a patch of wheat stalks, gazing at the sky.

The sky, dyed a deep wine color, was illuminated by only a few stars, which remained motionless in the same spot as if nailed to it.

She closed her eyes and pricked up her ears.

Listen to the sound of the sea breeze sweeping over the mountaintop.

A missed opportunity, a permanent separation, words left unspoken, promises that could not be kept.

Open your eyes.

A vibrant smile blossomed on his lips.

The girl got up and started running forward again.

Even though she might encounter obstacles along the way and be unable to reach any destination, she just wanted to run as fast as she could.

I ran all the way home, turned on the kitchen light, gulped down several mouthfuls of water, and quietly breathed to calm my heart rate.

A gentle evening breeze carried a few fallen leaves.

Withered yellow leaves flew in through the window and floated on the surface of the water in the bucket, appearing white under the dim kitchen light.

It's ok.

Even with such dim lighting, Shiori-chan still manages to stay alert.

Back in his room, he took off his clothes, knelt by the window, and took out his phone to start copying the letter from the day.

The silvery sunlight streaming in through the window cast long shadows, faintly imprinted on the floor as if coated with a layer of light ink.

After finishing copying, Shiori Ninomiya rubbed her hands together, stretched her stiff body, and then added a few paragraphs.

Strangely, I sat naked, kneeling alone in the moonlight, letting the moonlight bathe my body in beautiful colors. My shadow was cast on the floor, and then vividly, darkly, onto the wall.

I don't understand why I did this.

In short, I cried.

[Suddenly, she covered her face with her hands and burst into tears!]

Are you surprised?

[I've always kept this from you, but I'm actually a crybaby; I cry over the smallest things. It's my secret weakness. So, bursting into tears for no reason isn't unusual for me. Whenever I'm about to cry, I force myself to stop. Being able to cry one moment and stop the next, isn't that amazing?]

I think Sakura will understand me, right?

[A sixteen-year-old girl, naked and weeping in the moonlight late at night—how would you rate this scene?]

[The above is what happened in the last half hour; I was kneeling and writing you a letter with a pencil.]

【goodbye.】

[Of course, this means the letter ends here.]

I've decided to send this letter to you.

Please keep this a secret from Kiki.

I'll find some time to go back to Tokyo, complete the withdrawal procedures, and see Kiki one last time.

[One last point.]

I'm so glad to have met a friend like Sakura. Anyway, I, along with the ducks in the pond, wish you all the best, hoping you always have a warm and peaceful heart.

If you miss Shiori-chan, feel free to call out to me in your heart!

【Good night.】

Chapter 258 Long Time No See

As October drew to a close, temperatures plummeted.

The autumn wind blowing in our faces is already cold enough to be described as chilly.

Monday the 25th.

When Tsukasa Tazaki entered the classroom, he noticed that the atmosphere was very lively, with the students chatting happily. He didn't go in, but instead leaned against the doorway, watching the students talking inside.

It's not that I don't like lively atmospheres.

However, his seat was taken by Murakami Mizuiro, and Murakami was surrounded by a group of people. By the way, the female literature committee member who was a fan of yaoi was sitting in Murakami's seat.

The group was chatting happily, and their conversation was clearly audible.

Where is our class going on this school trip?

"Please, I don't even know if you're from Tokyo! For the first school trip in high school, 70% of Tokyoites go to Kyoto, okay?"

Why can't we be in that 30%?

"I second that, I want to go to Osaka."

What are some fun things to do in Osaka?

"Universal Studios..."

“To be honest,” a boy suddenly interjected, “I don’t like people from Kansai; they’re all country bumpkins.”

This statement, rife with regional discrimination, was unanimously endorsed by the students in the class, who burst into laughter.

Tsukasa Tazaki could understand.

One of the defining characteristics of Tokyoites is their particular dislike of the Kansai region, especially Kyoto.

Similarly, people from Kyoto also particularly dislike people from Tokyo.

This mutual disdain is probably similar to the dispute between the sweet and savory faction and the cilantro faction; it's not necessarily malicious, but simply represents a conflict between two different lifestyles.

but.

As someone who has a girlfriend in Kyoto, Tsukasa Tazaki couldn't stand these words and was about to go over and argue with them when someone patted him on the shoulder from behind.

Turning around, I saw a pair of familiar breasts—no, a familiar face.

"Go inside and sit down," Hoshino Hanami said, tapping his forehead in an annoyed tone. "Class is about to start, what are you standing here for?"

Tsukasa Tazaki said earnestly, "I'm thinking about how to become prime minister."

"What's the point of being prime minister?" Hoshino Hanami tilted her head, her black hair tied in a ponytail swaying behind her head.

"Enact an anti-regional discrimination law."

“I won’t let you become prime minister,” Hoshino Hanami leaned forward slightly and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, “You’d better be the president of Sakura’s family, understand? Otherwise, I’ll make sure you don’t graduate high school.”

"No problem, I love being a henpecked president! My father-in-law is my idol!"

"Good~"

Hoshino Hanami resisted the urge to kiss Tazaki Tsukasa at the classroom door, and after shooing him back to his seat, she began today's morning meeting.

"You'll be back next week for your first school trip of your high school life."

"Whoa!"

"Yay!"

"Quiet, quiet, let me finish." Hoshino Hanami raised her hand to signal the students to be quiet, and then said, "The schedule starts next Tuesday, November 2nd, and lasts for four days and four nights. The first day is a class trip, the second and third days are for each group to explore separately, and the fourth day is for individual free time. We will return to school at 10:00 AM on Saturday."

"Yay!"

"Hoshino-sensei is amazing~"

"I love Hoshino-sensei the most~"

Cheers erupted in the class again, as if everyone mistakenly believed that the four-day, four-night school trip was something Hoshino Hanami had secured for them.

Especially the guy who said he hated Kansai people the most, he's the one shouting the loudest among all the guys now.

Hoshino Hanami shouted "Quiet!" several times, but she couldn't suppress her excited emotions.

"I love Hoshino-sensei the most!" Tsukasa Tazaki shouted.

Even though he was shouting the same sentence, it sounded especially pleasant coming from his mouth. Hoshino Hanami couldn't help but laugh, letting the students fool around while her eyes would always drift contentedly to the back row by the window.

After the students' excitement subsided, she smiled and continued, "The destination of the school trip will be decided by you. I will have the class monitor distribute the survey forms later. You will fill in the three options: A, B, and C. The place with the highest vote weight will be your final destination."

"Yes~"

"It's a four-day, four-night trip, so please remember to bring a change of clothes. But it must be school uniform; wearing personal clothes is not allowed."

"Oh~"

"You can discuss and form groups now. Class monitor, come with me to get the survey forms; we'll distribute them later."

As soon as Hoshino Hanami stepped out the door, the classroom erupted in laughter once again.

The four-day, four-night school trip consisted of a fixed group activity on the first day, followed by three days of free time. The students were discussing what to do on the second and third days, as well as who would form their teams.

"If we're going to form a four-person team, we're still short two people. Who are we going to ask Tazaki to fill the gap?"

"If there are only two people there when the time comes, just merge with them."

“Good idea, so all that’s left is deciding where to go…”

"Oh, I don't mind." With that, Tsukasa Tazaki lowered his head and looked at the school trip survey form in his hand.

School trips are an integral part of Japanese elementary, middle, and higher education, serving as cultural and educational exchange travel experiences. With the aim of learning and fostering relationships among classmates, students gain knowledge and forge friendships through their travels.