My love index is at its maximum.

"What if we fail?" Kuriyama Sakura asked herself.

Tsukasa Tazaki waved his hand: "Then let's never mention this again."

"hope so."

"goodbye……"

Goal achieved!

Tazaki Tsukasa breathed a sigh of relief and left with the little cutie.

As we left the activity room, the autumn twilight had already fallen.

By the pool in the courtyard, several students were playing musical instruments. The saxophone's spirited sound, light and playful, floated in the air, drifting away on the autumn breeze.

"Is Kiki confident she can persuade Sakura?"

"I think so."

"That was a rather reluctant answer."

“After all, she’s so stubborn, there’s nothing we can be 100% sure about.” Tsukasa Tazaki stretched his neck and laughed easily. “But it’s not like we have no chance at all. After all, I hold a lot of weight in Kuriyama-san’s heart, so I can sway her thinking a little.”

The two walked side by side out of the school path, passing the tall oak tree at the entrance.

The leaves had long since turned yellow and fallen, leaving the tree completely bare, its slender branches stretching out under the clear sky.

“As long as we get through this winter,” Tsukasa Tazaki looked up at the sky through the tree trunk, “this century-old tree will be able to come back to life next spring. Even trees change with the seasons, so how can people not change with their living environment?”

“Yes, that’s right.” Shiori Ninomiya tilted her head up. “Kiki used to ignore everyone, but now she’s slowly becoming a warm-hearted person.”

"Speaking of this, Shiori deserves 90% credit."

"Shiori-chan thinks so too."

After walking down the slope from the school gate, the two entered the café owned by Sachiko Tono.

Upon entering, a wave of warmth washed over them. Tsukasa Tazaki went into the kitchen to prepare dinner for two. Shiori Ninomiya untied her scarf, took off her cardigan, and then walked to a spot by the window, sitting down with her legs together.

The waiting time was a little boring, so she only sat for a few minutes before getting up and heading into the kitchen.

As Tsukasa Tazaki rummaged through the refrigerator for eggs and milk, and then took out beef and chikuwa rolls from the other refrigerator, Shiori Ninomiya peeked out from behind him as he placed all the ingredients on the sink.

"It's so late, eating high-calorie foods will make you fat."

"It's okay, Shiori-chan is still cute even if she gets fat."

"Wow, Kiki is so careless! She's a girl, how can she get fat so easily..."

While listening to the little cutie's complaints, Tsukasa Tazaki poured water into the pot and turned on the stove. While waiting for the water to boil, he went to the other cupboard and peeked inside: "There's a lot of seaweed. Then, soak the wakame seaweed... and a can of corn, please."

"Anything is fine, Kiki makes delicious food."

Watching him skillfully prepare dinner, Shiori Ninomiya felt genuinely happy.

A handsome young man with excellent grades, honesty, and humility. No matter what he wears, he always looks neat, dashing, and refined. He goes to great lengths to prepare dinner for himself, a privilege that many would envy.

"Hey, Kiki, what's that?"

"Milk."

"You poured the milk into the noodles?"

"correct."

"Please stop, it looks terrifying!"

"Shiori doesn't know how to eat it this way?" Tsukasa Tazaki said as she poured milk into the boiling pot.

"Ahhh!" The little cutie screamed instantly, "I told you to stop! What kind of culinary disaster is it to put milk in soup? I can't accept it!"

"No problem, adding milk will make the soup richer and more flavorful."

"No, I won't eat it!" Shiori Ninomiya protested, waving her hands.

Tsukasa Tazaki simply left the uncultured country girl aside and continued preparing dinner.

While the noodles were cooking in boiling water with some broth, I stir-fried a dish with beef and chikuwa rolls. After the noodles were cooked, I drained them, fried another egg on top, and then added wakame seaweed, nori seaweed, and corn… All done!

"Alright, eat up."

Tsukasa Tazaki pushed the little cutie, whose brows were furrowed, to the outdoor dining table and handed her chopsticks and a spoon.

"If it's not good, I won't let you off the hook..." Shiori Ninomiya cautiously picked up a spoon and scooped up a mouthful of soup. Her previously stiff face immediately relaxed. "...Ah, it's surprisingly delicious."

The girl sighed softly, blew on the noodles and soup, and began to eat in small bites. Her reaction was as expected, and Tsukasa Tazaki watched her with amusement, leisurely enjoying the noodles he had made.

The night outside the window was deep, with only the faint light of streetlights floating in the darkness.

Further away, there are several nicely decorated shops, their lights gently cascading onto the sidewalk.

After finishing her meal, Shiori Ninomiya picked up her clothes from the back of her chair, put them on, and took the train home. With her loose sweater off, the petite girl appeared somewhat frail.

"Rest for a while, then I'll take you back." Tsukasa Tazaki put his arm around Shiori Ninomiya's shoulder and pulled her to his side.

“Then let’s listen to Kiki.” Shiori Ninomiya rested her head on his shoulder, and a refreshing fragrance wafted from her hair.

"Shiori will be a member of the ATF club from now on, which is fantastic."

"Let's entrust the important task of saving Sakura to Shiori-chan!"

"Let's do our best together." Tsukasa Tazaki gently ruffled her hair.

Ninomiya Shiori nestled in his arms, slowly closing her eyes contentedly, breathing quietly as if she were fast asleep.

The café was quiet and pleasantly quiet with few customers.

Two middle-aged men were sitting far apart, sipping coffee and whispering to each other, their expressions suggesting they were discussing crucial business. Next to them, a young couple was also talking amongst themselves, their Uniqlo shopping bags at their feet.

Tsukasa Tazaki grabbed Shiori Ninomiya's hand and examined it closely under the light.

“kiki~”

Shiori Ninomiya lifted her eyelids, her gaze lingering on his face for two or three seconds before a comfortable smile spread across her face.

The soft, slender fingers glowed with a pinkish light, strangely conveying something childlike. Tsukasa Tazaki lowered his head and gently kissed the girl who was still just a child.

Chapter 290 The Golden-Haired Brother Has Quite a Few Bad Ideas Too.

The weather was great on Saturday.

The sky was as blue as a canvas, and the clouds looked as if they had been drawn with a brush, simple and vivid.

At 8:30 in the morning, after having breakfast, Yui Kikawa tidied her appearance in front of the mirror.

A low-cut T-shirt, layered under a white sweater, a floral ruffled skirt, white thermal tights, and brown low-heeled shoes. Compared to a typical school uniform, this outfit is much more mature and elegant.

After applying a light spritz of cologne perfume and confirming everything was in order, I grabbed my handbag and headed out.

Today is the day of the Sports Festival Executive Committee meeting. The meeting starts at nine o'clock in the morning, and Tsukasa Tazaki will also be attending.

The Cullinan stopped at the top of the hill in front of the school. Just as one foot stepped out of the car, the wind suddenly picked up, causing the skirt to flutter wildly.

Yui Kikawa looked in the direction the wind was blowing.

As if she had been waiting for a long time, Tsukasa Tazaki's figure naturally came into her field of vision.

He walked straight to the car door and extended a hand: "Good morning, beautiful princess brother."

"What a strange title." Yui Kichikawa extended her hand expressionlessly.

"My eldest brother is so beautiful today, I have to add 'princess' as a prefix."

"I can't stand you..."

"Brother, have you ever heard the story of the 'vegan cat'?"

"I don't know." Yui Kikawa smiled faintly, a smile that could be interpreted in various ways.

The driver glanced at the two of them in the rearview mirror.

The young lady didn't get out of the car, so young master Tazaki simply squeezed into the car, closed the door, and the two sat shoulder to shoulder in the back seat.

"Do you want to hear it?"

"I really want to."

“Ahem,” Tsukasa Tazaki cleared his throat, took her hand and brought it to his lips: “A mouse encountered a very large tomcat in a granary. The mouse was cornered with nowhere to escape, trembling with fear, and kept begging the cat for mercy.”

"What did the cat say?" His gentle smile was reflected in Qichuan Yui's beautiful blue eyes.

"The cat said not to worry, I'm a vegetarian cat and I don't eat meat at all. You're so lucky to have met me."

"Are you sure it's just luck?"

"Of course it's luck."

"and after?"

"Later, the rat lowered its guard, and in that instant, Tsukasa Tazaki wrapped one arm around Yui Kikawa's waist from behind, and with the other arm, he pulled her close to him.

He lowered his head, looking into her clear blue eyes, a mischievous smile playing on his lips: "In that instant, the cat pounced on the mouse, pinning it down with its claws and controlling it."

Kikawa Yui's calm expression remained unchanged: "Didn't you say you were a vegetarian and didn't eat meat at all? Was that a lie?"

“Yes, I don’t eat meat, and that’s not a lie.” Tsukasa Tazaki licked his lips and brushed his nose against hers. “However, the hunting instinct is etched into my DNA, so I’m going to capture you and imprison you.”

What is the main point of this story?

"There's nothing particularly noteworthy. I just happened to think of this story when I saw Xiaowei today. That's all. Of course, it's your prerogative to look for the key points, and I won't say anything."

"A story that is not heartwarming at all."

"The rats think so too."

You're calling me a rat?

"I didn't say I was a cat."

Tsukasa Tazaki smiled happily and hugged her quietly for a while.

About ten minutes later.

Qichuan Yui pushed him away, straightened her clothes, and then got out of the car and walked towards the school gate.

“Big brother,” Tazaki Tsukasa said as they climbed the hill side by side, “I have a strong feeling that you will definitely become a beautiful and elegant mother in the future.”