My love index is at its maximum.

Hoshino Hanami corrected him again: "You're marrying into the family!"

Is there a difference?

"A little."

What's the difference?

“After you marry into my family, you will live in my house, spend my money, and listen to me!” Hoshino Hanami said, her face tense, looking at him with the same stern gaze she usually gave when lecturing.

Tazaki Tsukasa remained unmoved, still smiling at him with a friendly yet mischievous expression.

Slowly, Hoshino Hanami's lips began to curve upwards, and soon she burst out laughing.

She nestled into her boyfriend's arms, nuzzling his chest affectionately, her voice sweet and slightly coquettish, "Okay, okay, it's the same... What's mine is yours, and what's yours is mine, we don't distinguish between us."

"Oh, right, the pigeons." Tsukasa Tazaki looked at the pigeons.

Hoshino Hanami also looked up at the plump white pigeon standing on the railing.

While waiting for Tsukasa Tazaki's little trick, she mentally calculated how much meat would be left after plucking the pigeon's feathers, and what cooking method would make it taste better.

The plump, white pigeon turned its head and looked at the two humans.

His dark eyes were full of doubt.

"Little one, come here." Tsukasa Tazaki took Hoshino Hanami's hand and placed it on the railing in front of her.

The fat pigeon flapped its wings twice and walked blankly into the human woman's palm.

Wow, so well-behaved?

then.

A single hair sticks up on the woman's head: "Tasaki, these pigeons are so cute, they must taste really good! How about we catch them and have them for dinner tonight?"

Fat Pigeon: "...Coo coo?"

This scene reminded Tsukasa Tazaki of a dream he once had, in which he dreamt that he had become a crow and received the same treatment as this pigeon.

Having a foodie girlfriend... it's both infuriating and hilarious.

“Pigeon, pigeon~” Tsukasa Tazaki took the pigeon from her hand and gently placed its beak on his nose: “Please witness that after Hanami and I cross the Togetsukyo Bridge, I will soon be taking her to the hall of marriage.”

Hoshino Hanami looked at him with a smile.

No words are needed; simply imprint this moment and its warmth in the deepest part of your memory.

Goodbye, little one.

Tsukasa Tazaki stretched out his hand, and the pigeon flapped its wings and flew away, disappearing along the riverbed. The warm midday sun shone on his face, bringing forth a simple, genuine smile.

Hoshino Hanami reached out, hooked her arm around his neck, pulled him close, and kissed his lips directly.

Across the railing, a young man with a guitar is reopening his business.

When Tanghong stains the flowing water

May our hearts be connected.

Praying as the river flows gently.

As the song played, the water splashed against the bridge piers, creating beautiful sprays, and the sunlight shone down, making the water surface sparkle.

The kiss ended.

The two hugged and talked for a while, then walked to the other side of the bridge. A little further ahead was a small train station where they could take a train down the mountain.

Tazaki Tsukasa glanced back and saw Kuriyama Sakura still on the other side of the bridge. From here, her figure was blurry and pitifully small.

Hoshino Hanami patted his cheek: "Go and bring Sakura here."

"Uh……"

"This is your only chance, so don't bother."

"go with!"

Before he could finish speaking, Hoshino Hanami grabbed his ear and twisted it hard: "You, Tazaki Tsukasa, all you can think about is walking across the Togetsukyo Bridge with Sakura, right?"

"...It hurts, please be gentle."

"Do you still want to go?"

"think……"

Hoshino Hanami let go of his hand and rolled her eyes at him: "I'll wait for you two at the station ahead."

"Yes, madam!" Tazaki stood at attention and bowed, watching his older sister turn and leave before running to the other side of the bridge.

Amidst the gentle murmur of the Hozu River, boats come one after another downstream, playing soothing classical music as they glide slowly through the fiery red leaves of Arashiyama.

Kuriyama Sakura heard footsteps and turned around.

The autumn wind blew through her hair, bringing a slight chill, and her long ponytail swayed naturally in a beautiful arc.

Chapter 286 School Trip (The End)

"If there were an extra ticket, would you come with me?"

"...boat tickets?"

“Ah no,” Tazaki Tsukasa hadn’t even stepped off the bridge yet when his eyes were fixed on Kuriyama Sakura, “Sakura-san, it should be the bridge pass.”

Beneath her long eyelashes, her eyes seemed to gleam with a mischievous smile, like those of a playful puppy. Upon closer inspection, however, her dark, pure pupils held a touch of touching tenderness.

Their eyes met and they stared at each other for a moment.

Kuriyama Sakura looked away, and Tazaki Tsukasa strode towards her, stepping through the dust on the bridge.

The girl's face flushed slightly.

But she can swear that she wasn't attracted to him at all; she was just trying to find negative labels on him, like "spoiled brat," so she could give him a piece of her mind!

In any case, as long as you treat him as a bad person, you can despise him and disagree with him.

This would make daily interactions much easier, and perhaps we could even return to the initial aloofness.

"Haha~"

Tsukasa Tazaki couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Kuriyama Sakura regained her composure, her expression remaining unchanged, and simply let him laugh.

Passing tourists all turned their attention to the two girls. The girl wore a glossy dress that looked incredibly soft. A cream-colored scarf was casually wrapped around her neck, revealing her cute little face.

Occasionally, the autumn wind would brush her scarf against her cheek, and whenever this happened, she would brush it away with a hint of annoyance, then glare at the boy next to her with the same disdainful expression.

A red leaf twirled and fell, landing on the scarf.

Tazaki Tsukasa's smile faded, and he amusedly swatted the maple leaf away with his fingernail.

Kuriyama Sakura's expression remained unchanged.

However, what came to mind was President Hoshino's birthday celebration. That time, a moth fell onto his neck, and he only made a sound to warn him. This time, a leaf fell onto his scarf, and he directly reached out and swatted it away. What would happen if things went any further...?

Tazaki Tsukasa withdrew his hand, smiled, and asked, "Shall we cross the bridge together?"

His voice was a little hoarse than usual, but it was a perfectly balanced hoarse and deep one.

Kuriyama Sakura sighed softly and gave a faint smile: "Didn't you understand what I said yesterday?"

"Of course I understand."

"Then why did you come here?"

"Of course, I'll come back and cross the bridge with the Minister."

Kuriyama Sakura, leaning on the bridge railing, gazed at the distant blue sky: "You still don't understand..."

The autumn wind passed between the two of them, her black hair swayed gently, and a pleasant scent wafted from it.

"Let's assume, as you said, how we deduce our future relationship..." Tsukasa Tazaki looked at her profile as she gazed at the distant scenery, "If we bump into each other in the corridor, we'll immediately look away. Even if our eyes meet, we'll just laugh awkwardly a few times, gradually creating distance between us. In the end, we won't interact at all, right?"

Kuriyama Sakura gazed calmly at the shimmering surface of the Hozu River: "It's alright. I'm good at pretending nothing happened and maintaining our normal relationship. I'm sure you're just as good at it."

"You want to pretend nothing happened?"

"I won't lie to myself like that. I will always remember what happened, and it will always shine in my memory."

"Regarding the topic of loss, do you remember what I said at the Ninomiya residence?"

“I remember.” Kuriyama Sakura nodded, her gaze continuing to wander into the distance.

The lush maple forests of Arashiyama reflect the sunlight, their fiery red hues layered like mosaic murals.

“Things that are bound to be lost sooner or later are not very meaningful, and the glory of something that is bound to be lost is not true glory.” Tsukasa Tazaki repeated, paused, and then said, “No matter how much you miss it after you’ve lost it, it is not precious at all.”

Kuriyama Sakura frowned and shook her head a few times. "You're a strange person; you don't seem to know it from the outside."

“Everyone has their quirks,” Tsukasa Tazaki replied. “Like you.”

"I?"

"To put it simply, you are elusive, but that's not all. For example, in my view, you have a world that is hard for outsiders to fathom, a world that only you know, and the charm you exude may be as captivating as that world you see."

"I've never heard of this before..."

"And also, how others see you. You know how adorable you are, right?"

"Of course."

"You strongly attract the attention of the opposite sex, but you always stand a little distance away from the crowd, staring at them vaguely, as if searching for something. No one knows what you are looking for, and when someone finally figures it out, you will suddenly take a step as if you are about to escape to another place."

Kuriyama Sakura held her breath for a moment.

A gentle breeze rustled the maple leaves overhead, their vibrant colors resembling clusters of hanging flames, a sight to behold.

There was no response for a long time, not because she didn't want to, but because she opened her mouth as if to say something, but no sound came out. Finally, she simply closed her mouth and clenched her cute little tiger teeth.

The crimson maple leaves danced in the wind.

Feeling a little embarrassed by her silence, Kuriyama Sakura simply looked away and began to search for the maple leaves.

“Minister,” Tsukasa Tazaki picked up a stone, played with it on the river, and threw it forcefully, his gaze following the stone, “If you really cherish it, you should work hard to prevent it from disappearing. Otherwise, it will be like this stone, something you can never find again.”

puff.