My love index is at its maximum.

"...Okay, it's a trap, too."

Synchronization rate: 100%

【Result Determination】

[Competent Level: Grade A]

A steam jet sound came from my ears, the cockpit chair slowly rose, the hatch opened, and sunlight shone in.

Tsukasa Tazaki looked towards the doorway.

Kuriyama Sakura had her back to him, her hand on the cabin door, her long ponytail hanging down to her waist.

"Goodbye." She took a step.

Tsukasa Tazaki smiled and replied, "See you again tomorrow."

After leaving the experience center, everyone took a group photo standing on the palm of Unit-12, and then ate at a restaurant in the park. They had salmon-flavored thin noodles, sea bass, salad, and soup. Since it was before noon, the restaurant was empty, and the noodles were delicious.

In the afternoon, we visited the Los Angeles area.

Kinkaku-ji, known as "the most beautiful temple in the world," is located in this area. The path leading to Kinkaku-ji is winding and has many bends. Red leaves fall from above, and the route also passes Ritsumeikan University.

Besides Kinkaku-ji, there are also a number of popular attractions nearby, such as Ninna-ji and Ryoan-ji.

After visiting Ryoan-ji Temple until closing time, at 5 PM, the group took a tram back to the hotel.

The train carriage swayed, and Tsukasa Tazaki leaned against the window, looking at the scenery outside.

The little cutie leaned on his shoulder and fell asleep from exhaustion.

The sunset was still magnificent. The shadows of the train carriages were cast beside the tracks. On the balconies of apartment buildings in the distance, some people were watering their potted plants, while others were collecting clothes that had been drying all day.

He didn't think about anything.

Even after Kuriyama Sakura said goodbye, he didn't think about it.

No matter how much I think about it, it seems inevitable that I will grow to like her more and more; thinking about it won't change that fact.

That has nothing to do with willpower or determination; liking someone is simply a primal human instinct. And as she said, it's not even certain that in the end, she'll be the person I like the most.

but.

Even if it were true, those words would never be spoken.

The tram pulled into the station, and the group dragged their weary feet back to the hotel.

Only Tsukasa Tazaki walked with light steps.

From a distance, he saw Kana Shimamoto looking at him from the balcony on the fourth floor of the hotel.

Tsukasa Tazaki waved.

Kana Shimamoto pretended not to see him, calmly got up, and went inside to change her clothes.

tonight.

The Gion Promise.

Chapter 282 School Trip (12)

The sunlight had dimmed, and fluorescent lights scattered artificial light throughout the corners of the Japanese garden.

Kana Shimamoto wandered alone in front of the hotel, glancing at her watch every now and then.

Tsukasa Tazaki also had dinner with the students at the restaurant.

We need to wait a little longer.

As night fell, more and more visitors began to stroll around Dongshan District at night.

Many men passing by the hotel would instinctively glance at the woman in the kimono.

She wore a light blue top, a pink skirt embroidered with white flowers, an embroidered belt around her waist, and her hair was styled in a high bun.

She possessed the dignified, composed, gentle, and virtuous demeanor of a noblewoman.

This vividly demonstrates just how captivating Mrs. Tazaki's current charm is.

She wasn't particularly glamorous, but she possessed a pure and unblemished feminine grace, and her charm was just right in every aspect, leaving no room for criticism.

About twenty minutes.

"Mr. Shimamoto, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

Kana Shimamoto turned around and saw Tsukasa Tazaki walking out of the hotel.

As always, she was dressed simply and stylishly, wearing a blue-dial diving watch on her wrist, with an affectionate and playful look in her eyes.

"I'll go first." Shimamoto Kana smiled, turned around and stepped forward, her wooden clogs making a pleasant "clattering" sound on the cobblestone path.

Tsukasa Tazaki followed behind her and walked a short distance ahead.

The lady wasn't wearing gloves or a scarf, and her glasses were contact lenses. Her belt was tied in two fan-shaped knots. Her elegant demeanor exuded the captivating charm of a mature woman.

Everything she wore, and everything she didn't wear, seemed perfectly natural to Tsukasa Tazaki.

I can't think of anything that should be removed, nor anything that can be added.

Lanterns hung between the roadside trees, casting a warm yellow glow on the rows of open-air vendors. A group of female students from Kitagawa, who were on a school trip, wandered around the stalls. Kana Shimamoto lowered her head slightly and walked past them from behind.

Two figures were walking towards us from the front of the road.

It seems to be two boys from Class F.

Kana Shimamoto didn't dare to raise her head, only staring at her toes covered by white socks as she walked forward.

Tazaki Tsukasa slightly distanced himself and followed behind her at a leisurely pace.

In the dim light of the streetlights, both sides seemed to be deliberately avoiding each other, walking along their respective sides of the road.

After sunset, the temperature dropped rapidly, and a cold wind began to blow. The branches of the beech tree creaked and groaned like ancient, warning fingers.

Kana Shimamoto wrapped her clothes tighter around herself.

Two more people walked towards us.

The man had his arm around the woman's waist, while the woman leaned against the man's shoulder, whispering to him.

Mrs. Tazaki couldn't help but think to herself that in this kind of weather, it should be Tazaki Tsukasa with his arm around her waist, while she leaned on his shoulder. She glanced back slightly; Tazaki Tsukasa was still keeping a distance of seven or eight meters from her, his gaze occasionally drifting curiously towards the roadside stalls.

Yeah.

You little rascal!

She muttered a slightly resentful curse, then gently covered her mouth and chuckled.

The "bad student" behind me is steady, intelligent, and studious. He always handles difficult situations with ease and has a high reputation at school.

Kana Shimamoto loved everything about him.

Before meeting him, everyone perceived Shimamoto-sensei as a gentle, beautiful, warm, and generous teacher. However, she rarely engaged in social activities, preferring to spend her free time reading, researching new lessons, and reporting to the school board.

Regardless of whether there will be a salary increase or a promotion.

For her, studying after starting work was also a way to escape reality and find enjoyment.

After Tsukasa Tazaki appeared, everything quietly changed.

Without a doubt, she desperately needed someone to give her warmth and comfort at that time. Although it didn't matter whether it was a man or a woman, Tsukasa Tazaki was like a ray of light shining into her dark reality, which was like a long-awaited rain after a drought.

Or, to put it another way, Tsukasa Tazaki's appearance filled a void at just the right time.

Although he initially only liked her body and temperament, she treated him wholeheartedly without caring, and even directly gave him a way to take advantage of her.

As we walked, a dark, dense forest came into view. Through the gaps in the forest, we could see the lights of stalls selling drinks to tourists who came to admire the autumn leaves at dusk. The forest was bustling with people.

As she drew closer, the fiery red maple leaves illuminated by the vibrant yellow lights came into view, and Kana Shimamoto finally stopped.

“There shouldn’t be anyone I know here…” Tsukasa Tazaki walked up to her.

Kana Shimamoto ignored his words, her mind preoccupied with the two people who had just passed by.

It's impossible to tell whether the two were lovers, a married man having an affair with a single woman, or vice versa, but their figures were very intimate, and they certainly had an arrogant demeanor.

Is it the fulfilling feeling of being in love that makes them so infatuated?

"Humph!"

Shimamoto Kana suddenly felt jealous of those two people from earlier. She turned around and glared at Tazaki Tsukasa unhappily: "Let's go back."

"...?"

Completely unaware of what had happened, Tsukasa Tazaki looked utterly bewildered.

"What happened?" he asked cautiously.

Kana Shimamoto, carrying her delicate cloth handbag, gently patted his forehead and said reproachfully, "It's so cold tonight, what about your duties as a husband?"

Oh.

It turned out to be the case.

Tazaki Tsukasa smiled knowingly, and seeing her indignant expression, he reached out to cover her ears, which were red from the cold: "Well, it's my fault. I'll make it up to you tonight."

Shimamoto Kana then let him go.

Turning back, I looked up at the red leaves illuminated by the lamplight, a shy, happy smile spreading across my face. It was a beautiful trace of happiness etched on my face, far more beautiful than the maple leaves overhead.

He warmed Mrs. Shimamoto's ears, then put his arm around her waist. Kana Shimamoto rested her head on his shoulder, and the two walked into the maple garden.

The lights illuminated the red leaves, which swayed in the evening breeze in layers, appearing much more vibrant than when they were in the sunlight.

The ground was covered with fallen leaves, which made a crisp sound like chewing potato chips when stepped on. Shimamoto Kana's complaints of the past few days vanished, leaving only a faint sense of satisfaction and sweetness.

"What's that smell?" Tsukasa Tazaki suddenly sniffed.

Kana Shimamoto looked over with a smile in her eyes: "Take a guess?"

"It seems to be coming from Madam..." Tsukasa Tazaki leaned closer and sniffed her neck, smelling a warm, milky scent. "Wow, how much perfume did Madam wear tonight? It's all soaked in."

"...Well-marinated?" Shimamoto Kana's lips twitched, and she couldn't help but reach out and grab his ear, scolding him with a slightly angry tone, "You brat, can't you talk properly? What do you mean 'well-marinated'? Do you think I'm a radish?"

"Ouch, it hurts..." Tsukasa Tazaki wrapped his arms around her waist, begging for mercy.

Tourists passing by all looked over, and when they saw that it was a relationship between an older woman and a younger man, their gazes were filled with curiosity, disbelief, and some even looked at them as if they were crazy.