My love index is at its maximum.

Indirect kiss?

Only after her reminder did Tsukasa Tazaki notice the problem and instinctively explained, "Why worry so much? We've already kissed several times..."

The explanation only made things worse.

He clearly did it unintentionally, but the way he said it gives the impression that it was deliberate.

“Y-yes, that’s right…” Yui’s cheeks flushed slightly as she reached out and took the water ladle from Tsukasa Tazaki’s hand.

Reach for the stream closest to you, fill your cup, and then brush aside the hair behind your ear to drink.

The pale throat moves up and down with each swallow.

Tazaki Tsukasa watched her fair fingers tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, thinking that being straightforward was definitely the best way to deal with a tsundere.

After leaving Otowa Waterfall, the two walked out of the scenic area.

Along the way, we passed a gentle slope planted with small pine trees, which still bore the marks of careful pruning by previous generations.

At the bottom of the slope, there was a fence of foxtail grass. Under the slender leaves, pale yellow flowers stretched out one by one, resembling a fountain.

Everywhere you look, there are many antique buildings, giving the impression of the mansions of various daimyo during the Warring States period.

Under the eaves of a house with very deep eaves, Hoshino Shikami squatted motionless with his head drooping.

The eaves are very deep.

The paper sliding window on the second floor was only one foot high and was a long, thin strip.

From Tazaki Tsukasa's perspective, his sister-in-law looked like a leftover orange in a fruit shop in a deserted village, ruthlessly abandoned under a glass box blackened by coal smoke.

"What happened?" he asked with concern.

Upon hearing Tsukasa Tazaki's voice, Shikami Hoshino stood up abruptly and rushed over without saying a word.

It was so fast that Kuriyama Sakura didn't even have time to react before she could stop it.

"Waaaaah ╥﹏╥"

She buried her face in his arms, the silly girl looking up at him with a pitiful pout: "Someone is bullying Shikami, Tazaki, you have to help me!"

Her face was as beautiful as her sister's, her eyes were brimming with tears, and her brown pupils looked more captivating than usual.

so cute.

I really want to pat her head and give her candy.

I just want to hold this silly little thing tight like this... No, no, no!

This idea is a bit bad!

Tazaki Tsukasa held her shoulders and pushed her away slightly: "Tell your brother-in-law who bullied Shikami, and your brother-in-law will beat him up for you!"

"It's Sakura!" Hoshino Shikami clutched her stomach and raised her voice: "She kept forcing Shikami to drink water, and when Shikami refused, she imitated her older sister's expression and tone to scold me."

"..." Tazaki Tsukasa's eyes twitched. He looked down at his sister-in-law's round belly, then looked up at the department head.

Kuriyama Sakura straightened her back and crossed her arms over her chest.

His slightly narrowed eyes revealed an aura even more dangerous than the iceberg that caused the sinking of the Teconic.

"Uh……"

"Haha."

A collision would mean the destruction of the ship and the loss of life.

We can't avoid crashing.

After all, the sister-in-law is one of our own...

Tazaki Tsukasa chuckled awkwardly, forcing a smile as he rebuked, "Minister, that's not right of you. If you have something to say... you can come at me. Shikami is still a child."

“Not a bad suggestion.” Kuriyama Sakura nodded slightly, revealing a haughty smile: “Then let’s do it for you. I’ll share a room with Kikawa-kun. I’ll be waiting for you tonight.”

This moment.

Tazaki Tsukasa's heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys all trembled from the cold.

After leaving Kiyomizu-dera Temple, the students gathered together for lunch.

In the afternoon, we visited the Toji Five-Storied Pagoda, a landmark building in Kyoto. The path leading to the ancient pagoda was lined with towering trees on both sides, and the sunlight was cut into fragments by the dense foliage, dancing on the shoulders of the visitors.

Before they knew it, the four beautiful girls had all left their original group and joined forces with Tsukasa Tazaki.

Walking on the cobblestone path, the crunching sound is quite pleasant.

"Speaking of To-ji Temple, it's also known as Kyōō Gokoku-ji Temple." Tazaki Tsukasa spoke eloquently in front of the four beautiful girls, showing off the knowledge he had just Googled. "It was presided over by the famous monk Kōbō Daishi. The ancient pagoda we see here is a relic from the Heian period. It was burned down several times and rebuilt in the Edo period, and has been preserved to this day."

“Tell us about the life and deeds of Kobo Daishi,” Kuriyama Sakura interrupted him.

Who is the Dharma Master Kobo Daishi?

“Kuriyama-kun,” Tsukasa Tazaki turned to look at the department head who had been targeting him since noon, “we’re here for sightseeing, don’t delve too deeply into the reasons behind it. Speaking of this five-story pagoda, there’s an antique flea market here on the 21st of every month…”

Kuriyama Sakura ignored his attempt to change the subject and instead said to Hoshino Shikami, "See? He's a complete liar. Don't be fooled by him."

"No way?" Hoshino Shikami looked at Tazaki Tsukasa with a skeptical expression.

“Really.” Kuriyama Sakura answered without the slightest hesitation.

Thankfully, my temper has improved...

Tazaki Tsukasa walked ahead, feeling annoyed. He thought to himself that if it were before, he would have pinched Tazaki Tsukasa's chin and made him meow like a cat.

The five of them walked along the stone path under the maple leaves and came straight to the courtyard in front of the ancient pagoda.

What comes into view is a dry landscape garden.

Dry landscape gardens are a unique Japanese garden landscape. They use white sand and gravel to create beautiful flowing lines, such as the sky or the sea. The staggered stones symbolize islands, land, and mountains. With just a few strokes, they depict the spiritual world as understood by Zen Buddhism.

"This is what they mean by 'a world in a grain of sand, a paradise in a flower'."

Tsukasa Tazaki was talking eloquently again.

The other four ignored him and dispersed to take photos, even striking poses as if they were meditating, to prove that they too had practiced Zen.

shallow!

vulgar!

The boy, Tazaki, who was ignored by everyone, commented on the four little girls.

After taking off their shoes at the door, the group went together into the meditation room they had rented.

A screen is displayed as soon as you enter.

The combination of elements such as autumn leaves, bamboo forests, cherry blossoms, a full moon, and rivers is a common feature in traditional Japanese landscape poetry.

In Japan, there are three kinds of sights: moon viewing, flower viewing, and snow viewing. These fleeting yet beautiful sights are imbued with an elegance that transcends nature in Japanese aesthetics.

Tsukasa Tazaki glanced at it a few times and then went to the window.

There are two very large windows, one round and one square.

The four-sided windows are "windows of delusion," symbolizing the suffering that people cannot escape from birth to death, representing the four sufferings and eight kinds of suffering in life, old age, sickness, and death.

The round window is the "window to enlightenment," representing the state of enlightenment without any prejudice as the "perfect understanding of Zen," symbolizing wisdom, Zen, and the universe.

The above is the information that Tsukasa Tazaki obtained from the sign.

He sat cross-legged, clasped his hands together, and gazed out the window with an air of enlightenment.

In late autumn, the mountains and forests outside the window are dyed in shades of red and yellow, with a few golden ginkgo trees in particular that are breathtakingly beautiful. If you were walking inside, you might not feel much, but now that you are sitting on the tatami mats quietly observing, the scenery seems even more serene and elegant.

I pondered the Zen principles for a moment.

Ninomiya Shiori opened her eyes and leaned closer to ask, "Kiki, have you realized anything?"

“This lady, stay away from me.” Tazaki Tsukasa leaned back tactically to create distance. “Also, please call me Master.”

A disdainful expression appeared in Yui Kikawa's clear blue eyes.

Tsukasa Tazaki turned to her and said gently, "Please rest assured, I have no worldly desires now."

"Has it always been like this?" the blonde girl asked rhetorically.

"..."

Kikawa Yui didn't even bother to give him a disdainful look, acting as if she didn't know him, and got up to walk towards the door.

"A vulgar person whose mind is full of lewd nonsense." Kuriyama Sakura flicked her ponytail and got up to leave.

It's ok.

There are two more.

Tazaki Tsukasa turned to his two devoted female admirers and said kindly, "Now, it is time for Master Tazaki to impart his teachings. Please cast aside your distracting thoughts and follow me into..."

"I'm going to buy souvenirs now, bye-bye~"

"Sakura said Shikami should be wary of you, bye~"

"Hey, wait for me."

After leaving Toji Temple, the group strolled along the Philosopher's Path, where the maple leaves were particularly beautiful.

As you walk along, you might suddenly come across a courtyard with red-tiled walls and a two-story wooden house. This is a unique architectural style of Kyoto, featuring ordinary houses with a secluded and tranquil atmosphere.

At 5 p.m., the students gathered together and headed to their accommodations.

The hotel where Kitagawa Gakuen stayed is located in Kiencho, Higashiyama Ward.

This area is close to popular attractions such as Gion, Yasaka Shrine, Kodai-ji Temple, and Kiyomizu-dera Temple; it is also less than two kilometers from the Kamo River, making it one of the top choices for accommodation for tourists in Kyoto.

As soon as he got off the car, Tsukasa Tazaki slipped out of the group and went to the vending machine at the hotel entrance to buy a can of coffee and juice.

Behind her, in front of the F class line, Hoshino Hanami was shouting instructions.

"Boys are on the second floor, girls are on the third floor."

"You will be assigned to different groups for accommodation. Each person's name will be posted on their door. You are not allowed to change rooms at will, understand?"

"Put your luggage away, and then it's time for dinner."

"Your phone must remain reachable. In case of emergency, contact your teacher immediately. Do you remember what I said?"

Although these students had already experienced school trips in junior high school, Hoshino Hanami still explained the things that needed to be noted very seriously and responsibly.