My love index is at its maximum.

"I'm warning you, my sister..."

Kawagoe Rimi called out from behind, "Second Miss... Eldest Miss is out."

As soon as he finished speaking, Hoshino Hanami came out of the office and immediately saw her younger sister and her student pressed together. Their faces were very close, and the curve of her sister's breasts was almost touching her chest.

A clean-cut, handsome young man and a beautiful young woman with delicate features; at first glance, they seem quite close.

Hoshino Hanami walked over, her heels tapping against the floor tiles with a crisp "tap-tap" sound.

"Sister..." Hoshino Shikami called out, and the fierce lioness instantly turned into a docile lamb. She released Tazaki Tsukasa and ran to her sister's side, clasping her hands in front of her and tilting her head slightly upward.

That expression... Tazaki Tsukasa felt it looked somewhat familiar.

At Sakura's family's house, when he was playing with "Navy," the Border Collie would occasionally look at him with those "wanting to be petted" eyes.

Sure enough, when Hoshino Hanami affectionately patted her little head, she squinted her eyes and showed an expression of enjoyment. It's a good thing humans don't have tails, otherwise she'd be wagging them faster than a five-speed electric fan.

"Class has already started, why aren't you in the classroom? What are you doing here?"

"Huh? Has class already started?"

"Let's go back quickly."

"OK then……"

Hoshino Shikami pursed her lips, glared at Tazaki Tsukasa with a warning look, and pulled Kawagoe Rimi upstairs.

"When did you and Shikami meet?" Hoshino Hanami came up to Tazaki Tsukasa, crossed her arms, and looked like she was interrogating a criminal: "Judging from how you two were just now, you seemed quite close."

"That was our first meeting." Tsukasa Tazaki shook her head, distancing herself from the relationship. "And we're not close at all. If you had arrived any later, I might have been stabbed by you."

"How could that be?" Hoshino Hanami chuckled. "Shikami has always been a well-behaved and polite child. Did you do something wrong that's why she's giving you trouble?"

Is it wrong to want to date a teacher?

Hoshino Hanami pondered for a moment, then nodded: "Then it is indeed necessary to stab it."

"Stabbing someone is illegal..."

"Oh dear, didn't I tell you?" Hoshino Hanami chuckled softly, tilting her head slightly as she began to speak: "The things that the teacher's family does are almost all illegal, you know."

As she spoke, she gazed into Tsukasa Tazaki's eyes, as if she were standing by a clear stream, searching for pretty pebbles at the bottom.

“It’s alright,” Tsukasa Tazaki replied calmly. He reached out and lifted the teacher’s smooth, long hair, stroking her soft, round earlobe, and said, “No matter what, I love you, teacher… Oh dear.”

Hoshino Hanami withdrew her fist and tidied her hair, which had been messed up by Tazaki Tsukasa: "If you want to win me over, you'd better max out your defense stat first."

"Uh, I'm the attacker, so the teacher should max out my defense... Goodbye, I'm going back to class now."

"You're lucky you ran fast."

Hoshino Hanami leaned against the railing, watching him walk into the classroom. At that moment, she felt unusually happy, and her eyes even curved into beautiful crescent moons.

The elevated walkway shimmered in the sunlight, and a breeze blowing from the atrium carried a faint, sweet fragrance of pink pollen. It was so sweet it made one's lips dry, and one couldn't resist the urge to lick it with their tongue.

She licked her lips, thinking that the plump clouds in the sky looked like cotton candy.

……

After school in the afternoon, Tsukasa Tazaki didn't go to the ATF club, but went to the library instead.

Mr. Shimamoto was not there, so he did not stay long, only borrowing a few books before leaving the school.

The hazy outlines of the green trees passed beneath my feet, the sun sank behind the building, the streetlights came on, and the temperature slowly dropped.

When I arrived at the convenience store, my colleague was squatting in the aisle checking the inventory with a list in hand, while a hip-hop music program was playing on the TV.

"Tasaki's here, here you go." His colleague smiled and handed him the notebook. Tasaki looked it over and realized that the landlady wasn't there either.

I ate some bread and then started working.

At 9 p.m., I left the convenience store, walked into the ticket gate of Yotsuya Station, walked towards the platform, boarded the yellow tram that was stopping at the station, the departure bell rang, the doors closed, and the tram left the platform.

Tsukasa Tazaki leaned back in his chair, his body swaying slightly.

My gaze swept past several heads bowed, the dazzling Tokyo nightscape flashing by through the narrow car window. In this scene, the lights of the cubicles in the office buildings stood out vividly.

The train entered a dark tunnel, and the view outside the window changed from the Tokyo night view to the interior of the carriage, with people's faces clearly reflected in the glass.

When Tsukasa Tazaki saw her reflection, her hair was quite long and thick, her face looked rather small, and she exuded a gentle, artistic aura.

He closed his eyes and began to count silently.

One, two, three, four... When the count reached ten, the train tilted to the right and rushed out of the tunnel. The entire carriage began to shake due to the change in wind pressure, and then let out a loud "boom".

Tazaki Tsukasa opened his eyes and looked out. The scenery passing by outside the central carriage window seemed to be playing at high speed like a series of still animation frames.

When the tram arrived at the station, he reluctantly stepped off the carriage.

Perhaps it was because the crowded tram was full of strangers, and everyone was a stranger to each other, that he felt as if he had found a place to belong and felt particularly at ease.

Stepping out of the east exit of Shinjuku Station, you are greeted by the bustling Kabukicho shopping district.

A giant screen playing business news programs, waiters bustling about in an izakaya, faded bubble bath posters on the roadside, motorcycles speeding out of a parking lot; the lives of these strangers, like shards of glass fluttering in the air, constantly flashed before my eyes.

When he first transmigrated here, Tsukasa Tazaki was overwhelmed by the immense and unfamiliar unknown.

The city was far less elegant than he had imagined.

People spit on the streets anytime and anywhere; countless homeless people gather in the underpasses; countless cigarette butts and fast food boxes are scattered on both sides of the road; and empty beverage bottles and food scraps are always left on the benches at the station.

Back home, after heating the bento in the microwave, Tsukasa Tazaki sat in a chair, leaning all his weight against the backrest.

"I'm so tired..."

He thought to himself, it wasn't physical fatigue, nor mental fatigue.

He stretched his neck and stared blankly at the ceiling.

why?

He tried hard to find the right words.

"Lonely……"

Yes, that's it.

Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and then open them.

The world before me has become completely unfamiliar. My favorite foods, familiar friends, important things, and past experiences have all vanished like smoke, leaving only a loneliness that I can't share with anyone.

"Ding"

The microwave oven timer went off.

After finishing his bento, Tsukasa Tazaki lay shirtless on the floor, doing ab exercises. His shirt and tie were draped over the back of the chair, and his phone and watch were placed side by side on the table.

Although she was still a bit thin, she was much better off than when she first transmigrated. After taking off her clothes, you could even see the outline of some muscles.

Tazaki Tsukasa took deep, rhythmic breaths while quickly propping himself up and twisting from side to side. A thin layer of sweat glistened on his skin under the energy-saving light.

The phone on the table was playing the upbeat tune of "Headlight".

The rhythm of the music seemed to match the range of his body movements, which made his movements fluid and confident.

imagine.

I have been making progress throughout this process.

I am moving forward.

After completing a set number of flexion and extension exercises, I took my pajamas from the closet and headed to the bathroom. I washed my face with facial cleanser, dried it with a towel, shampooed my hair, and used shower gel to wipe away the dirt from my body, performing each movement meticulously.

After showering, turn off the bathroom light and close the door before leaving the room.

He took out his school uniform for tomorrow and ironed out the wrinkles on his shirt while listening to music. Tsukasa Tazaki always did this, ironing while listening to music.

The sounds of trains entering and leaving Shinjuku Station outside the window echoed in my ears like an unknown language from a distant land.

He raised his palm and examined it closely under the light, vaguely sensing the lingering tactile sensation on it.

Thinking about it carefully, he likes his teacher.

There wasn't a specific reason why I liked her; I simply enjoyed the relaxed feeling of being with her.

Besides, can the reasons for liking something be expressed in words?

Forget it.

There's no need to think about it so much.

From the moment she raised the carp streamer for me, I felt a sense of security, like being at home, from her. To the city of Tokyo, I was no longer just a passerby.

Today's handshake has only strengthened this belief.

Of course, thinking about those things is still too far off.

To her, she's probably just a fifteen-year-old kid right now.

Tsukasa Tazaki turned off the light and got into bed.

Encourage yourself in the darkness.

A little higher.

Go to higher places.

He must be good enough to make her feel he can rely on him.

Chapter 42 I Want to Be a Teacher's Pride

The fish sauce in the east is gradually turning white.

The scent of dawn filled the air, the night was drawing to a close, the whistles sounded, the tram system began to operate, and a colossal modern metropolis gradually awoke.

In the windows of each house, people are completing the same morning rituals with precision and speed: brushing their teeth, shaving, choosing a tie, applying lipstick, eating, and saying goodbye to their families.

Then, they left their homes and were taken in different directions by commuter trains of various colors. They were both independent individuals with different faces and spirits, and nameless elements in the behemoth that is Tokyo.

"Ha!"

Tazaki Tsukasa yawned as he walked out the door, and a notification flashed before his eyes.

[Has Tazaki-san already forgotten me? I'm so sad~! The Yajima Hazuki stock index fell 30 points. Current stock price: 22]

He thought for a while before remembering that he had invested in the kendo club.