My love index is at its maximum.

I long for it

I was carrying a thin travel bag.

Keep heading north

Chewing on the rough, bitter sand

The street performer was a young man in his early twenties, dressed in a trendy style, and his accent suggested he was from out of town. He was singing Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi's "Dragonfly".

Tsukasa Tazaki crossed his arms and listened attentively.

To be honest, although Tokyo is a metropolis, once you live in one place for a long time, you realize that a person's range of activities is very limited. To this day, his social circle hasn't expanded much.

Or perhaps everyone is the same; no matter how big the city they live in, they only frequently interact with the people close to them.

After listening for a few minutes, Shiori Ninomiya suddenly ran inside, stretched out her hand, stared intently at the person, and a beautiful smile bloomed on her face – a super energetic and adorable smile.

The singer paused for a moment, then immediately handed her the microphone.

Taking the microphone, Shiori Ninomiya turned to look at Tsukasa Tazaki, her eyes reflecting the brilliant streetlights of Shinjuku.

I was barefoot

Counting the cold, icy nights

But I love this city and I hate this city.

I'm a complete idiot who's obsessed with Tokyo.

As she sang, she suddenly handed her the microphone, and Tsukasa Tazaki started singing without hesitation.

Ah, where is the happy dragonfly headed?

Where are you flying to?

Ah, the happy dragonfly

He was sticking out his tongue and laughing.

A dazzling array of lights, avenues teeming with traffic, and a megacity where millions of people are crammed together.

In that instant, all sadness seemed insignificant.

Amidst the dazzling lights, everything is both complex and romantic.

Under the lights, Shiori Ninomiya tapped her foot to the beat, looking at him affectionately.

Tsukasa Tazaki doesn't remember how much applause she received after finishing the song. She only remembers how her black hair swayed in the wind as car headlights flashed by, and how her radiant appearance was exceptionally captivating.

Chapter 260 Take me to see my first snowfall, my little cutie.

The tram leading to Otsuka Station was packed with couples.

After finally squeezing into the carriage, the two, who had no seats, had to stand by the back door, swaying and rattling as they moved forward.

Through the mirror-like glass window of the carriage, Tsukasa Tazaki saw his own face and the back of the little cutie's head. The two were very close, probably only the light beam could squeeze through the gap between them.

"Is the house still there?" he asked.

"Yes, Uncle Fujiwara reserved it for me, and he even waived the rent."

"What about the shrine?"

"I just got back to Tokyo today and went to see Grandma Hayashi. She really didn't want me to leave."

"Everyone loves Shiori-chan."

"Where's Kiki?" Shiori Ninomiya looked up at him.

"Well……"

"Look at you, you start stammering when discussing important matters."

"I haven't decided yet..." Tsukasa Tazaki shook his head helplessly.

I don't know why, but I can get along well with older women, but I always feel a bit awkward around pretty girls. It's really strange.

“That’s good.” Shiori Ninomiya smiled slightly and looked up as she said, “Think carefully and thoroughly, don’t make decisions too hastily. That’s the calm style that Kiki should have.”

Tsukasa Tazaki lowered his head and looked at her slender and graceful neck.

Like it?

Maybe...

What I felt from her was far beyond what could be described simply as an optimistic and cheerful personality; her unique charm deeply attracted me.

I've thought about it many times, and I'm just a little bit away from embracing her.

That remaining distance, is it from oneself, from her, or exists in the hearts of both of them at the same time?

Unable to come up with an answer for a long time, the tram had already pulled into Otsuka Station.

Stepping off the train platform, the shopping street was bustling with pedestrians, mostly families out shopping. The street was lined with cafes, bars, dessert shops, general stores, and small clothing boutiques with a touch of design, creating a vibrant, lived-in atmosphere.

The streetlights on both sides of the road have been replaced with white flower bud-shaped ones, creating a rather warm atmosphere when walking along them.

Back in their small rented room on the second floor of the record store, Shiori Ninomiya asked him to boil some water while she went to take a bath.

Tsukasa Tazaki boiled water and poured in tea leaves.

Before she finished showering, she drank a glass of water and her eyes scanned every corner of the room.

Almost nothing had changed since my last visit. The blue-painted walls were adorned with posters and calendars. Two old wooden tables, a swivel chair, and small items like water cups, tea canisters, and insecticides sat peacefully side by side. The copy of "The Night Is Short, Walk on Girl" that I saw last time was still there, and all the objects were covered in a layer of dust.

Clang!

The bathroom door opened, and Shiori Ninomiya emerged from the mist.

Her hair was tied up in a bun at the back of her head, exposing her fair neck and ears. Her small, pink ears looked as delicate as if they had just been painted with a soft brush.

The two sat down across the table. The little cutie sipped her tea, resting her chin on her hand, and stared intently at him.

Apart from the ticking of the clock and the sound of the wind outside the window, nothing else could be heard in the room; the hour hand was about to point to 11 o'clock.

Tazaki Tsukasa sipped his tea slowly, his gaze occasionally drifting to that slender, graceful neck. Under the lamplight, that neck shimmered like a cabbage basking in the sun.

Although it was the first time I had seen her with her hair up, the pure and flawless sight was miraculously kind and beautiful.

"Oh, right, there's something I need to tell you," Shiori Ninomiya said, putting down her cup and speaking seriously as if she had remembered something important. "Please see me off at JR Ueno Station tomorrow."

"Where?"

"Aren't all the trains from JR Ueno Station heading north?"

“Okay.” Tsukasa Tazaki nodded, taking a breath.

Looking out the window, all I could see were power lines and poles; there wasn't a single cloud in the sky.

"Hey, kiki."

"what?"

"I'm so sleepy." Shiori Ninomiya looked directly at his face.

“Then let’s sleep,” Tsukasa Tazaki said. “Like last time, you sleep in the bed. I’ll sleep on the sofa. You don’t have to feel bad for a guest; I can sleep anywhere.”

This is a fact.

Tsukasa Tazaki doesn't mind sleeping in any bed; he can fall asleep anywhere, which could even be considered a talent.

Shiori Ninomiya simply nodded, offering no opinion, and stared at his face for a while. She had intended to express her opinion, but then changed her mind and inexplicably gave up.

The opinion, never uttered, quietly sank back to its original place, deep and dark.

"After I get into bed, can you read to me or tell me a story?" she changed her question.

“Sure,” said Tsukasa Tazaki. “I still have some energy anyway.”

It was a slightly chilly night. After Ninomiya Shiori got into bed, she pulled the blanket up to her neck, as if trying to completely separate the outside world from her own, leaving only her small head exposed.

He looks like a child, no more than twelve years old.

After finishing the water in his cup, Tsukasa Tazaki went to the balcony and closed the door. Warm lights twinkled on the commercial street outside, lending the night a gentle hue, and even the rooftops of the houses seemed to glow with an ambiguous glow.

Then, he took the book "The Night Is Short, Girl, Walk On!" from his desk, moved a small stool to the bedside, and opened the book.

“I only have the last chapter left to read,” Shiori Ninomiya suddenly said. “You can just read the last one.”

"Ah."

Tsukasa Tazaki nodded and turned to Chapter Sixteen.

In the ancient city of Kyoto, a wondrous love journey is about to bear sweet fruit.

"I nervously pushed open the glass door of the coffee shop, and a warm, gentle atmosphere, as if from another world, enveloped me..."

"The senior was sitting in the seat facing Imadegawa. He noticed me, smiled, and nodded..."

"I nodded to my senior as well."

"So I walked toward my senior, whispering to myself."

"It is fate that we meet."

The gentle, affectionate voice stopped, and Shiori Ninomiya groggily opened her eyes. In the light shining down from above, the boy sat with his hands folded on the edge of the bed, staring blankly at her like a cat halfway through its afternoon nap.

Seeing his silly expression, the girl's heart suddenly warmed.

This is a moment you'd want to preserve forever, like having a tiny, soft kitten on your stomach, and the two of you rolling around in the sunshine.

"Hey, Kiki," she asked, "can you hold me until I fall asleep?"

"Holding you?" Tsukasa Tazaki asked, his eyes wide.

"Don't you want to hold me?" Shiori Ninomiya asked without hesitation.

"No, no, that's not it. It's just..."

"Come up."

"it is good……"

Tsukasa Tazaki got up, turned off the room light, and crawled into the warm, cozy bed.

He timidly reached out and hugged the little cutie's soft, defenseless body.