My love index is at its maximum.

The two embraced, listening to the passage of time until dusk arrived.

The sky was painted with a magnificent sunset.

The sunlight that fell on the desolate town gradually dimmed, revealing an amber-like luster.

Gentle sunlight streamed down from the sky, and Tsukasa Tazaki lowered his head slightly, seeing the fine hairs on her smooth neck shimmering with a golden luster.

But after 5:30, the sky suddenly turned gloomy.

The low-hanging dark clouds in the sky told people that a real heavy snowfall could strike at any moment, and that this was just a brief respite. Looking out the hospital window, the sea appeared as a dark, oppressive mass.

Ninomiya's father arrived at the hospital before the snow began, drove Tsukasa Tazaki and Shiori Ninomiya home, and then drove down the mountain.

The fire in the stove inside had gone out, but the air was still warm.

Shiori Ninomiya plopped down on the porch eaves, leaning against a pillar and gazing out over the courtyard. Icicles hung from the persimmon tree in the corner, and the sound of falling snow was incessant.

"Hey, come back," Tsukasa Tazaki called out as he started a fire in the stove. "Aren't you cold, you idiot?"

“People in Hokkaido don’t like snow at all,” Shiori Ninomiya said to herself. “In winter, just clearing the snow is exhausting. Even a donkey can’t stand it, let alone a person. The locals in Hokkaido hate snowy days the most.”

Tsukasa Tazaki stood up and walked towards her.

Snow was falling heavily outside, there was no moon, the roads were icy, and the sound of ice cracking could be faintly heard from the dark village. The faint lights of the farmhouses in the mountain village flickered in the cold, sounding as if they were about to burst.

Upon noticing Tsukasa Tazaki approaching, Shiori Ninomiya quickly wrapped her arms around a pillar and pressed her chest against the railing.

Against the backdrop of the cold winter night, this posture was incredibly stubborn.

"Let's go inside and talk." Tazaki Tsukasa grabbed her arms with both hands and pulled her back forcefully, saying, "It's so cold outside, you'll catch a cold!"

My fingers touched her cheeks, her hair, and the wooden pillars; everything my hands touched felt cold for the first time.

Shiori Ninomiya clung tightly to the railing: "Let me sit here a little longer."

"Let's talk about it inside."

No!

"Don't try that on me!" Tsukasa Tazaki hardened his heart, bit her arm and pried it open, then carried her into the house, kicking the door shut behind him.

Upon entering the room, the temperature immediately rose.

Shiori Ninomiya remained listless, lowering her head and remaining silent as she shoved her arms and legs deep into the kotatsu (heated floor mat) to warm herself.

"What happened?" Tsukasa Tazaki sat down next to her.

"You should go back to Tokyo tomorrow."

"You're talking nonsense."

"Alright, go to sleep. That's all."

Why do I have to go back to Tokyo tomorrow?

“I’m not going back,” Shiori Ninomiya said, burying her face in the kotatsu. “I’ll just stay here for the rest of my life.”

"This is pointless." Tsukasa Tazaki put his arm around her trembling shoulders. "Stop being stubborn. Can't we just talk things out?"

"Who's being difficult?" Shiori Ninomiya bumped his head against him. "I'm not being difficult, I'm just feeling down."

"So……"

"Hey, I'm feeling unwell, don't talk to me and don't touch me."

“Oh,” Tsukasa Tazaki put his other arm around her waist, “I’m just hugging you, I didn’t do anything to you.”

"Hate!"

"You're really stupid."

"I'm heartbroken." Shiori Ninomiya shook her head desperately. "You should go back to Tokyo, otherwise I'll be really, really sad."

“No problem,” Tsukasa Tazaki said. “I was planning to go back to Tokyo tomorrow anyway.”

"Huh? What?"

As if suddenly startled, the girl's face turned pale instantly, and she immediately put her hands on Tsukasa Tazaki's shoulders. "Didn't you say you were going to the 2nd? Tomorrow is only the 31st, why are you suddenly going back? You liar who doesn't keep his word, you big liar, all you do is lie!"

"You don't want me to leave?"

"Of course I can't bear to part with you!" Shiori Ninomiya suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck, closed her eyes, and nuzzled his chest with her forehead, shouting passionately, "That's your problem, that's your problem!"

"What exactly is wrong with it?"

You know perfectly well what's going on!

She snapped at him, then lay down, tucking her neck and lower body into the kotatsu, her eyes gentle and moist: "Really, you should go back tomorrow, otherwise Shiori-chan really won't want you to leave. Just come see me once a year from now on, as long as I'm still here, once a year is enough..."

The almost mournful voice, like the echo of a cold wind blowing across a snow-capped mountain, lingered in Tsukasa Tazaki's ears for a long time.

Chapter 266 It's Time to Say Goodbye

For a long time, the only sound in the living room was the burning of firewood in the stove.

Tsukasa Tazaki heated up the food and brought it to the table. There were also some oranges on the table, which Ninomiya's father had bought that afternoon.

The two finished their meal in silence, and then Shiori Ninomiya went to the bathroom to take a shower.

Snowflakes drifted down from the pitch-black sky.

After washing the dishes, Tsukasa Tazaki stood on the veranda for a while, watching the snowy scenery late at night. The lights in the mountains and fields flickered, making it look desolate and cold.

A chill swept over me, like the cold light of stars, chilling me to the bone, even my feet felt icy cold.

Leaning against a pillar, pondering how to persuade the little cutie to return to Tokyo with him, Tazaki Tsukasa waited until his legs were numb with cold before preparing to go inside.

As soon as I opened the door, I found my little cutie staring blankly at me, her expression somewhat frightened.

The girl, who had just changed into her close-fitting clothes, still had moisture in her long hair, and her porcelain-like skin was still slightly warm, radiating a pink and rosy glow.

"Hey, where did you go?"

The moment she found him, Shiori Ninomiya pounced on him as if she were drawn to him, pressing her forehead against his chin and shouting, "I thought you went back! Where did you go?"

A soft, warm body pressed against him, and Tsukasa Tazaki reached out to hug her. A wave of heat rushed into his mind, and he finally felt the girl's unease.

"I just went to wash the dishes."

"Oh, then I'll leave you be."

Ninomiya Shiori immediately let go of him, ran back to the kotatsu (heated floor heater), and put her red and frostbitten little feet inside to warm them.

When Tsukasa Tazaki saw her, she was huddled up as if trying to hide, which made her look especially cute.

"I should have taken you to wash the dishes." He walked in and sat down next to the little cutie. "It's so cold outside. I'm washing the dishes while you're taking a nice hot bath. It's not fair."

"You only say you'll take me at a time like this? You're really something." Ninomiya Shiori's expression changed abruptly, and she suddenly leaned her shoulder against me with a smile. "Why didn't you talk to me during dinner? Has Kiki become distant? How annoying!"

"I'm just afraid you'll throw another tantrum..." Tsukasa Tazaki reached out and carefully gathered her hair back.

Under the dim yellow light, the girl's cheeks and neck were slightly flushed.

"Hey, Kiki, cut my hair."

How do I cut it?

"Cut your hair short."

Tazaki Tsukasa grabbed her hair, pressed his face against it to feel the warmth and fragrance emanating from it, and said, "I won't cut it. I like long hair."

"But I don't like it, it'll be too hot in the summer." Shiori Ninomiya tilted her head back and smiled sweetly. "Forget it, I won't cut it. Who cares if it's hot or not, hehehe, how ridiculous."

"fool!!!"

Tazaki Tsukasa cursed and gently put his arm around her shoulder. "If we keep making a fuss, it'll be dawn soon. Let's hurry up and talk things out."

Can you understand how I feel?

"Of course I understand."

"Since you understand, then tell me." Ninomiya Shiori embarrassedly buried her face in her knees, then, as if remembering something, suddenly propped herself up on one arm, raised her head, and said, "What does that mean? Tell me, what do you mean by understanding me? See, you can't say it now. You're just lying, you're such a carefree Tokyoite. You would never understand me!"

Tsukasa Tazaki found her half-shy and half-nervous demeanor particularly adorable and couldn't help but blurt out, "Shiori-chan is such a good girl!"

"What's so good about it?"

"Anywhere is fine."

"You're so annoying." Shiori Ninomiya reached out and shook Tsukasa Tazaki's shoulder. "You say you understand me, but you can't say a word. You even say I'm a good girl. Tell me, aren't you laughing at me?"

soon.

Her face flushed red, and she glared at Tsukasa Tazaki, demanding an explanation.

She looked somewhat angry; her shoulders trembled slightly, and her face was a little pale.

"You have to give me a chance to speak," said Tsukasa Tazaki, supporting her shoulder.

Ninomiya Shiori seemed speechless, silently closing her eyes, thinking: You should go back to Tokyo tomorrow and just come to see me once a year.

How pathetic!

She muttered to herself, curling up into a ball and lying face down inside the kotatsu, with only her head sticking out.

"It's so warm." Tsukasa Tazaki crawled into the kotatsu and picked her up.

"I'm naturally warm-hearted."

I was referring to the kotatsu (heated table).

"Ugh, ugh!" Shiori Ninomiya turned her head and looked towards the stove.

The firelight cast rhythmic shadows on her slightly flushed face.

Tsukasa Tazaki reached out and covered her cheek with his hand, his fingertips trembling.

Her hands warmed up considerably, and Shiori Ninomiya's face felt much hotter.

“It’s time to speak frankly,” Tsukasa Tazaki said. “No interruptions this time.”

"I can't explain it!" Shiori Ninomiya gritted her teeth, eager to explain.

She threw back the covers, intending to crawl out, then put them back down. The firelight tinged the fine hairs on her arms with a golden-red hue, making her look quite beautiful.

Nestled in his arms, the girl stared at the flames for a long time, as if trying to find the right words to explain them.