My love index is at its maximum.

[Connect with nature, experience culture, understand society, and grow...]

After a long introduction, there are accompanying charts and graphs.

[A survey on the destinations of high school students' school trips...]

[For the Tokyo metropolitan area, Kyoto is the top choice, followed by Kyushu, Nara, and Okinawa.]

"Hey, has Tazaki made up his mind yet?" Murakami Mizuiro asked from the front.

"I'm not going anywhere but Kyoto," Tsukasa Tazaki replied, casually filling in "Kyoto" in all three categories (A, B, and C).

Forget about Kyushu and Nara.

Going to Kyoto not only allows you to visit Grandma Hoshino, but also unlocks the geisha Kana—just for these two reasons, even if the final vote result is a different destination, Tsukasa Tazaki will pull strings and manipulate the process to change the final destination to Kyoto.

After school in the afternoon, I went to the ATF activity room as usual.

Ever since the weather turned cold, every time Tsukasa Tazaki arrives at 3:35, he can always hear the kettle hissing as it boils. Upon hearing this, Sakura Kuriyama will press her bookmark into her book and get up to go to the kettle.

Hot water is poured into the glass teapot, and the tea leaves slowly rise and swirl, absorbing the hot water and gradually releasing tea polyphenols. A warm aroma begins to fill the room, while the sound of an accordion drifts in from outside.

The steam from the kettle and the setting sun made the room feel a bit stuffy.

Tazaki Tsukasa opened the window slightly and washed two mugs, placing them on the table. Kuriyama Sakura filled her own mug, paused for a moment, glanced at Tazaki Tsukasa in thought, and then slowly filled his mug.

Then, she snorted dismissively, picked up her tea, and returned to the window.

The other cup lay forlornly on the table, the steam rising from it wafting aimlessly, like a lost child.

Even though their relationship has taken a big step forward, why does she still have to act all haughty when pouring tea...? Tazaki Tsukasa thought to himself, criticizing her adorable behavior, and sat down opposite her with the tea in hand.

"Whoo~"

He held the cup in both hands, blowing out white steam as he asked, "Where is Class A's school trip going?"

"I haven't been following it." Kuriyama Sakura didn't even look up, only her eyebrows twitched.

Clearly, for her, the school trip was almost torture.

"Minister, if you don't have a single friend in your class, um, uh..."

"so?"

"When you encounter activities that require group work, how do you handle it?"

Kuriyama Sakura looked knowing and picked up her teacup with one hand: "Whoever comes to me, I'll join their group."

"Amazing!" Tazaki Tsukasa exclaimed with curiosity. "Someone actually dares to come looking for you?"

"You're so naive..." Kuriyama Sakura gently pressed her temples, saying with a headache, "My dad is the Minister of Education. Even if something happens, the teachers won't bother us if we're in the same group, understand?"

“...Damn privileged class.”

"Are you envious?" Kuriyama Sakura said, brushing aside her ponytail and raising her delicate chin. "Marry into the family, and you can do it too."

"Cough cough~"

Scalded instantly by the hot tea, Tsukasa Tazaki stuck out his tongue and gasped for breath.

Kuriyama Sakura looked out the window boredly; the whistling wind made her feel cold.

"You're kidding, right?"

"Of course, I'm not as shameless as you."

"That's good..." Tsukasa Tazaki breathed a sigh of relief, then continued the conversation about school trips, "How about your class also chooses to go to Kyoto?"

"reason."

Why not visit this ancient capital with its rich historical and cultural value?

"for example?"

"I don't need to elaborate on places like Kiyomizu-dera, Kinkaku-ji, and Shugakuin Imperial Villa. There's also Gion, Hanamikoji Street, and the Philosopher's Path. While Kyoto is incredibly beautiful in spring with its cherry blossoms, it has a unique charm when the autumn leaves turn red, doesn't it? And then there's Togetsukyo Bridge—the bridge dyed red by the maple leaves is practically a must-visit spot for couples..."

As Tazaki Tsukasa spoke at length, Kuriyama Sakura remained silent throughout, merely resting her chin on her hand and observing the subtle changes in his facial expressions with profound meaning.

In the minister's eyes, he looked like a roadside salesman vigorously promoting his products, with his constantly moving lips and twitching eyebrows giving off an air of "you'll suffer a great loss if you don't listen to me."

As Tazaki Tsukasa finished speaking and was sipping his tea, panting, Kuriyama Sakura absentmindedly said, clutching the page, "Places like Kyoto are better suited for a leisurely visit by oneself. A group of noisy high school students together will only ruin the atmosphere."

“No problem,” Tsukasa Tazaki said. “You have your own schedule, right? I’ll go sightseeing with you on the last day.”

"Can't you hear me say someone?" Kuriyama Sakura smiled brightly and leaned forward. From her slightly parted lips, Tazaki Tsukasa could already guess what she was about to hear.

"Could it be that Tazaki-san isn't..."

"How is Shiori doing lately?" Tsukasa Tazaki interrupted her directly, asking, "Let me see what that letter I received after the school festival says."

“Nothing new.” Kuriyama Sakura turned her face slightly away, looking at the pigeons outside the window: “Just a bunch of ducks, and how to feed them.”

"Duck?"

"There's nothing else but ducks."

"What did you reply?"

“I told her that the duck wasn’t being funny to make Shiori laugh. But it shows a truth: even someone who lives life seriously can stumble and fall, just like her, so she finds it funny.”

"...Damn it, why are the wife and concubine secretly contacting each other behind my back?"

By the time Tsukasa Tazaki's complaints began, it was already getting dark outside.

As autumn arrives, the days shorten rapidly, and club activities seem to become shorter as well. Before you know it, it's dark.

The two locked the classroom door and left the school building.

Inside the courtyard, a flock of plump gray pigeons hopped back and forth on the lawn, looking proud and arrogant, as if they were the masters of the Divine River.

"It's getting colder and colder." Tsukasa Tazaki exhaled a puff of white breath, letting the chilly autumn wind of the evening blow into his uniform collar.

“Yes, I hate cold air.” Kuriyama Sakura nodded and wrapped her scarf around her neck.

That fair and delicate face became even more adorable without the contrast of her neck.

Neither of them said anything more.

Tazaki Tsukasa put his hands in his pockets, and Kuriyama Sakura followed suit. The two of them strolled slowly toward the coffee shop, stepping on the fallen leaves.

The slope in front of the school gate was covered with red and yellow ginkgo leaves, like a thick blanket. The clouds on the horizon were tinged with pale pink by the last rays of the setting sun, and even the mist floating in the air turned pale pink.

The light of the setting sun dissipates and permeates the mist, which is why the clouds turn this soft pink.

The pink twilight slowly drifted away, disappearing into the streets, caressing passersby, and gently enveloping the two of them. Even individual strands of hair were subtly and faintly illuminated by the pink light.

Arriving at the coffee shop, Sakura Kuriyama stretched, enjoying a pleasant autumn evening.

"I'm leaving." She waved and disappeared into the mist.

Tsukasa Tazaki walked into the coffee shop where he was part-owner.

There were three life-size cardboard cutouts at the entrance. He himself stood in the middle with a smile on his face, with Kuriyama Sakura and Kikawa Yui on his left and right sides, respectively, with their arms crossed.

The two most beautiful girls stared at each other, completely ignoring the most handsome boy sandwiched between them.

It has to be said that the rivalry between the two female leads for the male lead's position has attracted a lot of customers to the coffee shop. Especially since it's located near Kitagawa Academy, an elite high school, many wealthy kids are happy to come in and spend money lavishly because of this school's popular trio.

As I pushed open the door, a bell rang.

"Welcome." Behind the bar, a short-haired waitress in uniform looked over with a surprised expression: "Oh, it's Tazaki-kun."

The rest of the coffee shop staff and customers all looked over.

"You guys go ahead with your work, don't worry about me."

Tazaki Tsukasa nodded lightly, went straight to the coffee counter, and made himself a coffee.

Weigh the coffee beans and grind them in a grinder. The ground particles should be slightly coarser than salt. Filter the coffee through filter paper. When brewing, pour the coffee into the grinder for 15 seconds until it is half full, then stop pouring water and let it bloom for 25-35 seconds. Observe the coffee grounds. If no bubbles emerge, start the second pouring of water.

A simple pot of hand-drip coffee is ready.

Carrying his bag to an empty table, Tsukasa Tazaki planned to stay there until eight o'clock before going home, when his phone suddenly received a call from an unknown number.

“kiki~”

See you in ten minutes!

A long-lost form of address.

Tsukasa Tazaki placed his phone on the table, not even bothering to drink his coffee.

His heart was already filled with the desire to see the girl from Hokkaido. He gently massaged his eyes with his thumbs and forefingers. No words could express his feelings at that moment.

The extremely long ten minutes slowly passed, and under the traffic light diagonally opposite the coffee shop, Shiori Ninomiya appeared.

She walked across the road and strolled leisurely along the ginkgo trees lining one side of the slope. There was only a sidewalk on the village side. On the other side, right next to the asphalt road, stood a solitary stone wall. The ginkgo trees were towering, their leaves sparse and insufficient to cover the branches; their varying heights and orientations, bathed in the slanting sunlight, cast a pale pink glow on her face.

Tsukasa Tazaki stared blankly out the window.

Her figure looked so petite that it gave off a sense of fragility. When she walked to the coffee shop and smiled at us through the glass window, her delicate face shimmered in the indoor light, flushed with a healthy glow.

In Tsukasa Tazaki's view, this is another color that lies between fantasy and reality.

He raised his hand, smiled slightly through the glass window, and said, "Long time no see."

Chapter 259 I'm a complete idiot who's obsessed with Tokyo

During pause

In your smiling eyes

The beauty of longing

There were seven or eight customers in the shop. Tsukasa Tazaki was drinking coffee, and the refreshing aroma created an intimate and harmonious atmosphere under the warm lighting.

Shiori Ninomiya sat opposite, eating a curry rice.

She was wearing a white sweater and coarse cloth trousers. The gray, worn-out cuffs of the trousers were rolled up, and between the trouser legs and canvas sneakers, one could glimpse the girl's fair feet.

Her slightly wavy black hair cascaded over her shoulders, and a thin silver necklace hung around her neck. The lines from her ears to her neck were unusually slender, making her look very delicate.

After wolfing down her curry rice, Shiori Ninomiya downed two glasses of ice water in one go. Her slender shoulders tilted slightly, and the rapid, rhythmic movement of her throat possessed a miraculous charm, firmly holding onto Tsukasa Tazaki.

“He looks like someone who just came out of the desert,” he said.

"Ugh, there's been a lot going on at home, I haven't had a chance to rest properly." Ninomiya Shiori gulped down some water, then took a few breaths and stared intently at his face: "Hey, Kiki, have you missed me these past two and a half months?"