My love index is at its maximum.

During a brief moment when the two were alone, Ninomiya's mother took the opportunity to chat with Tsukasa Tazaki for a while.

“Tasaki-kun,” her mother sat up straight against the headboard, speaking gently, “is it alright if I call you that?”

"No problem." Tsukasa Tazaki sat up straight like a primary school student.

The air in the ward was stuffy and filled with various odors. After a short while, he became uneasy and kept looking at the tightly closed window.

"Could you tell me about your experience?" Ninomiya's mother asked.

"An orphan. Sixteen years old, with excellent grades and good athletic talent. Currently learning Italian. Has worked part-time at a convenience store and is now a minority shareholder in a coffee shop."

"Minority shareholder?"

"Yes, it was a gift from an older sister who cares about me a lot."

“That’s not bad.” Ninomiya’s mother nodded, with a slight smile. “Could you open the window to let some fresh air in? It’s too stuffy in the ward, and I can see that Tazaki-kun is feeling a bit unwell.”

"Are you alright?" Tsukasa Tazaki asked hesitantly, looking at her frail body.

"It's alright." Ninomiya's mother pulled the blanket up a little to cover her upper body. "I'll just cover myself up. Besides, being stuffy all the time is actually worse for your health."

“That makes sense.” Tsukasa Tazaki stood up and opened a corner of the window.

The wind blows from the sea, the windmill blades turn slowly, and behind them is the vast sky.

The clouds floating against the blue background are snow-white clouds that retain the charm of autumn, with a fresh color as if they have just been brushed on.

On the bedside table were a kettle, a water glass, a saucer, and a small clock. On the saucer were some fruit and snacks. Tazaki Tsukasa poured a glass of water for Ninomiya's mother, adding the second blood-nourishing pill as he did so, and casually asked, "Is there anything you'd like to eat?"

"Peel an apple for me." Ninomiya's mother took the water glass and took a sip; her voice sounded a bit more moist than before.

Apples are a low glycemic index fruit. The flesh contains an antioxidant called quercetin, which helps regulate post-meal blood sugar, making it one of the few fruits suitable for diabetics.

The white curtains swayed gently in the breeze, and the yellow flowers in the potted plant swayed gracefully.

Tsukasa Tazaki slowly peeled the apple with a knife, the peel falling off intact like springs.

A nurse walked in; she was a woman in her thirties with a friendly face, and her plastic name tag on her chest read "Sato".

Seeing a stranger in the room, she was surprised for a moment, then smiled and nodded at Tsukasa Tazaki, and then asked Ninomiya's mother some questions, took her temperature, checked the remaining IV drip, and wrote a few numbers on the record sheet with a ballpoint pen.

With her task completed, Nurse Sato tucked the whiteboard under her arm and smiled at Tsukasa Tazaki: "Is this Shiori's boyfriend?"

"She's not bad looking, is she?" Ninomiya's mother asked, as if showing off.

"She's really pretty." Nurse Sato smiled with satisfaction, tilted her head slightly, and then looked at the peeled apple in Tsukasa Tazaki's hand. She said with delight, "Judging from her apple-peeling skills, she's not a spoiled child. Shiori is lucky."

“I was lucky too,” Tsukasa Tazaki nodded.

Nurse Sato chuckled twice: "She's such a good girl. She takes such good care of her mother, she's thoughtful and strong, and she's beautiful too. You must cherish her and not give her up."

"I won't give up," Tsukasa Tazaki replied solemnly.

"That's good." Nurse Sato sighed softly, her tone slightly critical. "Young people these days have absolutely no patience for taking care of patients. They don't even come to the hospital; they spend their holidays surfing or dating, just having fun all day long. It's outrageous!"

“Speaking of which, Shiori loved to play when she was little.” Ninomiya’s mother chimed in, “She had short, boyish hair and did everything from climbing trees to steal bird nests to playing in the mud in the river. I was always worried that no one would want her, so I forced her to grow her hair long and taught her how to be gentler.”

"That's interesting! Tough guys are kind of cute, aren't they?"

Ninomiya's mother smiled happily: "She has a very stubborn temper, so I'll have to trouble Tazaki-kun to be more tolerant of her in the future. If she throws a tantrum, you can come to me, and I'll help you teach her a lesson."

She's quite stubborn.

Tazaki Tsukasa thought to himself that the little cutie's stock price hadn't changed at all in the past few days, which showed that the happiness and satisfaction she showed on the surface were completely different from her true self.

As for the little cutie's true nature... it's quite baffling.

"Oh, right, Tazaki-kun, I have something to tell you..."

Nurse Sato and Ninomiya's mother talked about many embarrassing things that happened to Ninomiya Shiori when she was a child. Tsukasa Tazaki listened quietly, a smile occasionally flashing across his face. The atmosphere of the conversation was very harmonious.

When Shiori Ninomiya returned to her hospital room, she overheard her mother talking about something that happened when she was six years old.

“One winter, we bought a batch of chicks to raise. Shiori especially liked one of them, so she brought it into her bed to sleep. When she woke up the next day, the bed was covered in chicken droppings, and the chicken was flattened…”

"She's so silly~"

Tsukasa Tazaki chuckled a few times, then suddenly heard a sound at the door.

Looking back, I realized that my little cutie had returned sometime earlier and was leaning against the door frame, silently looking at her shoes.

He quickly stopped laughing, got up and walked over: "Let's eat together, I'm so hungry I can't walk."

Upon reaching the door, Shiori Ninomiya pulled him into the hallway and then slipped inside.

Tazaki Tsukasa was about to follow him into the house, but she blocked the door, preventing him from entering.

"Hey, I'm still outside!" Tsukasa Tazaki gently knocked on the door.

"It's all your fault! Shiori-chan is so embarrassing today!" Ninomiya Shiori's face was flushed red, and she stood firmly against the door, refusing to let it open.

The other two middle-aged women in the ward had eyes full of annoying, gossipy glints.

"Mom~"

Shiori Ninomiya let out a wail and covered her face with her hands in despair.

"Shiori, open the door quickly."

"No, no, you can talk to that stinky parrot all you want!"

Nurse Sato walked to the door and gently patted Shiori Ninomiya's shoulder: "I have to go back to write my report. Shiori, aren't you going to open the door either?"

Shiori Ninomiya peeked at her through her fingers and said, "Aunt Sato helped them bully me too..."

“Isn’t that what dating is all about?” Nurse Sato said, tilting her head slightly. “You want to know more about your partner, ideally everything. It’s wonderful that Tazaki-kun is willing to listen to your past and likes it.”

"You guys are full of fallacies!" Shiori Ninomiya gave up and stepped aside.

Nurse Sato walked out and playfully gave Tsukasa Tazaki a victory sign. "Go for it, kid."

Tsukasa Tazaki didn't rush into the house, but instead chatted with her for a while in the hallway about Ninomiya's mother's condition.

What's the situation now?

“The improvement is unbelievable, almost unreal,” Nurse Sato exclaimed. “Let’s see the test results in the next two or three days. If it continues to improve, it will be a medical miracle. Then we’ll go to a major hospital in Sapporo for a second check-up. If it doesn’t go well, we’ll have to deal with it according to the worst-case scenario we’ve prepared for.”

"Thank you for your help."

"You're welcome." Nurse Sato nodded and said in a low voice, "There is a family history of diabetes in Ninomiya's family, so please keep an eye on Shiori's health."

The hospital was bustling with noise at noon, as doctors, nurses, and visitors crowded together.

People were talking about the disease, and the corridor was like a closed underground passage, with the sounds buzzing and echoing.

Tsukasa Tazaki entered the ward and closed the door to block out the noise.

"Kiki, come and eat." Shiori Ninomiya sat at the table eating lunch. There was a window next to her, and the wind was blowing outside. The white windmills on the coastline were slowly turning.

Several seagulls perched on the treetops of the windbreak forest, their eyes closed, letting the wind ruffle their feathers.

Lunch consisted of a set meal of buttered fried meat patties, potato salad, stew, white rice, and miso soup, neatly served in white plastic cutlery. Both of them had good appetites and finished the entire meal with relish.

"Kiki, are you still hungry?" Shiori Ninomiya asked, sipping her miso soup.

"That's enough. Save your appetite for Shiori-chan's cooking tonight."

"I won't make it for you." Shiori Ninomiya rolled her eyes at him, then turned to look at her mother. "Want to go for a walk? Kiki is strong, she can lift Mommy into the wheelchair."

"No, thank you." Ninomiya's mother shook her head and looked at Tsukasa Tazaki. "Since Shiori is here, Tsukasa-kun, how about you two tell me your plans for the future?"

Tsukasa Tazaki wiped her lips with a tissue: "The school trip is on the 2nd of next month. I plan to fly directly from Asahikawa to Kyoto with Shiori to meet up with my classmates. I would appreciate your permission, Auntie."

While they were talking, he secretly observed Shiori Ninomiya's expression.

As expected, after hearing this, the little cutie immediately lowered her eyes and remained silent, as if trying to escape.

“Of course I agree.” Ninomiya’s mother nodded gently. “What happens after that? Shiori’s life in Tokyo is what I, as her mother, am more concerned about.”

"Please don't worry, Auntie."

“It’s not that I’m worried,” Ninomiya’s mother said. “As long as they like each other, they can overcome any difficulty. I know my daughter well. She’s not afraid of difficulties. She’s just worried that Tazaki-kun might not be able to maintain his current enthusiasm.”

"Of course it will always be there."

"If you can't do that, Auntie will come to Tokyo to settle the score with you."

"I'll give you the address right away."

After their conversation ended, Shiori Ninomiya, who had been silent the whole time, finally looked up and poked Tsukasa Tazaki's thigh with her fingertips.

“You bastard,” she cursed.

"What's going on?" Tsukasa Tazaki tilted his head. "Do you think I'm lying?"

"Bah ah."

“Shiori,” Ninomiya’s mother scolded, “be a lady.”

Shiori Ninomiya immediately sat up straight and took out her textbook from the drawer: "Shiori-chan is going to start reviewing her lessons now, so please don't disturb her."

Tsukasa Tazaki moved his stool over and sat down next to her: "I'll tutor you."

"Don't don't!"

"I'm the top student in the grade, can't you give me some face?"

"No, no." Shiori Ninomiya tilted her head slightly, her exceptionally bright eyes glancing at him. "If I encounter something I don't understand, I can ask Sakura. It's none of your business."

“How could she know as much as I do?” Tsukasa Tazaki held her hand, his expression very serious. “Besides, the only person who can stay with Shiori-chan until the end is me. She’s just a fake yuri and can’t bring you happiness.”

"Ah~ What did you say!" Shiori Ninomiya quickly covered his mouth, then glanced back at the hospital bed as if feeling guilty.

Ninomiya's mother was smiling as she looked at her daughter.

Under her gaze, Shiori Ninomiya lowered her head shyly, a blush spreading across her face. Her clear, autumn-water-like eyes gleamed with tears, as if they held untold emotions.

With a slight thought, Ninomiya's mother turned over, her back to the two of them, and said, "I'm asleep now, you can continue."

For a moment, the ward was eerily quiet, with only the faint breathing of the three people audible.

Shiori Ninomiya gripped Tsukasa Tazaki's hand tightly, her eyes no longer as clear as before. Her dark pupils resembled solid crystals, both lustrous and imbued with a strong personal will.

What does that mean?

Tsukasa Tazaki knew.

He didn't say anything more, but simply put his hand under her down jacket, put his arm around her tight, firm, and shapely waist, and let her snuggle in his arms.