My love index is at its maximum.

A murderous intent gradually crept into those clear blue eyes.

"I'm telling you, don't think... um!"

He had only spoken halfway when Tsukasa Tazaki took a bite of pudding and pulled the blonde girl into his arms again.

"Ugh... Let go!"

The murderous intent in his clear blue eyes gradually turned into naivety.

The lips parted.

Both of them were panting.

Amidst the fluttering ginkgo leaves, the music from the symphony orchestra grew increasingly uplifting. Guests passing by cast rather strange glances—some surprised, some puzzled, some envious…

As dusk fell and the lights came on, the banquet came to an end.

The evening's family dinner was held in a spacious Japanese-style room with a high ceiling. The room, filled with soft yellow light, was packed. The windows facing the garden were open, and the night breeze blowing in occasionally made the candles on the tables flicker.

The corridor leading to the Japanese-style room was lit with lanterns on both sides, and all the servants who came and went were dressed in kimonos.

Sachiko Tono, dressed in a light cherry blossom-colored kimono, waited at the door as the butler. It was a cool autumn night, and the wind blowing in carried a moderate dampness, giving the feeling that it was about to rain.

The shop owner, dressed in a kimono, has a beautiful face and a slender waist. When she bends over, the way she sticks out her buttocks has a unique charm.

Tsukasa Tazaki quietly walked up behind her: "Miss Butler, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

"Ouch!" Sachiko Tono was startled. "Tazaki-kun is such a grown man, why are you still playing these childish tricks!"

"I was in a good mood and couldn't resist," Tsukasa Tazaki said with a smile.

"You're not behaving like a grown-up. Don't do that again!"

Sachiko Tono's stern face resembled that of a young mother disciplining her child.

"Sachiko, come here," Kurisu Kawakami called from ahead.

My beautiful aunt was still not wearing a kimono, but only a navy blue open-necked short-sleeved shirt, with a thin silver hair clip in her hair, and the same white skinny jeans she wore in the afternoon.

Beside her, Kikawa Yui, dressed in a plain kimono, stood still, her elegant posture reminiscent of pink cherry blossoms drifting into the room on a spring breeze.

Tsukasa Tazaki beckoned: "Yui, want to sit together tonight?"

no respond.

My older brother is still very angry because he was harassed earlier.

Forget about acknowledging Tsukasa Tazaki, if she had the chance, she would even like to stomp on his face to vent her anger!

"Come in quickly too," Sachiko Tono instructed Tsukasa Tazaki, then took small steps to Kurisu Kawakami's side.

“Tsukasa,” Kurisu looked at Tsukasa Tazaki and said sternly, “You’ll be spending the night alone. None of the three of us will get close to you.”

"Pfft~" Tono Sachiko shrank behind her shoulder, covered her mouth with her hand, and let out a pleasant giggle.

"Sachiko, what are you laughing at?"

"Oh, I'm laughing at you for adding yourself to the list."

"Why not? Am I not attractive enough?"

"Haha~"

Qichuan Wei rolled her eyes at the two of them as if she couldn't stand it, and left first, with the two of them following closely behind.

Tsukasa Tazaki straightened his kimono slightly and followed the three into the Japanese-style room.

The room was filled with a lively atmosphere, neither too loud nor too quiet, and everyone spoke and laughed at almost the same volume, displaying a completely consistent level of manners.

Wearing a black patterned kimono, the handsome and extraordinary Tsukasa Tazaki attracted everyone's attention from the moment he entered the room.

Chapter 294 The weak and helpless golden-haired older brother.

For large family banquets, seating arrangements are made in advance.

Arranged in order of status, starting from the left and right sides of the main position, with those closer to the main position indicating higher status within the clan.

"Young Master Tazaki, this way please."

Sachiko Tono, with her beautiful, smiling eyes fixed on Tsukasa Tazaki, led him into the banquet hall.

All the members of the Kichikawa family turned their gazes in that direction.

Everyone was curious about where this person with a different surname would be assigned.

Tsukasa Tazaki stood ramrod straight, ignoring all the meaningful glances, and followed Sachiko Tono straight to the head of the table.

The soft candlelight cast a gentle glow on his handsome face.

The black kimono, the beige tatami mat, the peach wood dining table, the white paper lanterns, and the light drizzle outside the window—everything suited him perfectly.

Walking to the first table to the right of the head of the table, Sachiko Tono bowed respectfully and said in a sweet voice, "Young Master Tazaki, please sit down."

Tsukasa Tazaki sat down in the most prominent position.

His expression and demeanor revealed a faint arrogance, as if he were showing off his extraordinary social status to others.

Opposite him, in the first seat on the left, Kurisu Kawakawa sat with her daughter. Someone next to them said, "No wonder Miss Yui has taken a liking to him, young master Tazaki is so handsome and has a natural aristocratic air about him."

Yui Kikawa glanced at Tsukasa Tazaki, ignoring the flattering remark.

“Not at all,” Kurisu Kawakami laughed happily. “Tasaki has a terrible temper. What I, his aunt, say has no effect on him. Only Yui can make him back down.”

"mom!"

Qichuan Wei reached out and tugged at her mother's sleeve, signaling her not to say anything out of line.

"Kuriko, don't be so modest on behalf of young master Tazaki," the man continued. "I have a friend who's a teacher in Kitagawa. Do you know what she thinks of young master Tazaki?"

Kurisu asked with great interest, "How would you rate it?"

"Simply put, young master Tazaki is a jack-of-all-trades. He always ranks at the top of his class, excels in all sports, is polite but knows how to maintain appropriate distance, and has excellent leadership skills. He also has a handsome and likable face. If he didn't find it troublesome, young master Tazaki could definitely become a class representative without any trouble."

After rattling off a long string of words, the man swallowed hard and continued, "Young Master Tazaki also has a beautiful voice; his singing is very pleasant. In addition, he is also very eloquent. Whenever there is a debate competition at school, he always delivers the final conclusion. As soon as he opens his mouth, he ends a dispute at just the right moment."

"Is he really that good..." Yui Kichikawa murmured.

"Furthermore, young master Tazaki is very popular with girls. In the classroom, whenever he stands up to speak, the girls look at him with admiring eyes, as if to say, 'Wow, that's great.' They also ask him questions when they don't understand math problems."

Yui Kichikawa nodded affirmatively: "He's not bad at being popular with women!"

"You're exaggerating a bit," Kurisu said with a laugh to the man. "You're not just praising Tazaki so much to make Yui happy, are you?"

"No, no," the man quickly waved his hand and explained, "Perfect, with an unreal quality. This is what the entire school believes in young master Tazaki. I'm not just making this up."

As soon as he finished speaking, the man looked at Yui Kichikawa and said, "Miss Yui is just as outstanding. She is beautiful, has excellent grades, is good at sports, and has strong leadership skills. Everyone in the school says that the two of them are a match made in heaven."

"Who wants to be his perfect match!"

Qichuan Yui snorted dismissively and stared blankly at the table.

The banquet had not yet begun; on the table were only a sake pot and white porcelain cups. She gazed at the soft light reflected from the rim of the cups, lost in thought.

This is true.

That scumbag was indeed a model student in school.

However, needless to say, from a personal standpoint, Yui Kikawa felt that she was unlikely to like this type of person. She herself was this type of person, and the principle of like repels like should also apply to her.

However, whether you like it or not, as long as you live in a group, you have to acknowledge the existence of such people and try to accept them.

This is the reason why the blonde girl convinced herself to approach him.

Thus, starting from their trip to Omacho, people could see them sitting side by side in a corner of the campus, whispering to each other; they would often agree to go home together, taking the same bus but getting off at different places; in addition, he had sexually harassed her in various ways...

How can such a tangled relationship be untangled?

The blonde girl rested her chin on the back of her hand, caught up in serious teenage anxieties.

So she's really starting to fall in love... Kurisu Kawakawa smiled and gently stroked her daughter's hair.

The banquet had not yet begun, and members of the Kikawa family were still arriving one after another.

Across from him, Tsukasa Tazaki yawned, bored.

As he stretched his arms, he accidentally bumped into the sake bottle on the table, making a clinking sound. Several people turned to look at him, and Sachiko Tono, who was standing next to him, coughed lightly.

To smooth things over, Tsukasa Tazaki had no choice but to open his right palm and pretend to check something, turning it up and down alternately.

Whether you want to participate or not is one thing, but since you're here, you should be alert. It's very impolite to doze off before the family dinner starts.

"What's wrong?" Sachiko Tono asked softly, afraid that the people around her would hear.

"I'm a little sleepy." Tsukasa Tazaki rubbed his eyes.

"I know, but please don't sleep. Everyone's watching. If you really can't sleep, I'll go get you a cup of tea."

"I'll just have to bear with it a little longer."

"Okay, just bear with it for another hour. After that, you can get a good night's sleep."

Several maids dressed in kimonos entered the dining area, bringing out some appetizers and distributing them to each table.

The Kichikawa family members around him continued their long, trivial conversation, mostly about life, economics, and politics.

Buzzing, like a swarm of flies.

After listening for a while, Tsukasa Tazaki dozed off again.

"Don't sleep." Sachiko Tono nudged his ankle with the tip of her shoe.

"I feel like I've never been this sleepy in my entire life," Tsukasa Tazaki said helplessly.

"why?"

"I guess I have a natural aversion to this family."

"It'll be over soon, please be patient," Sachiko Tono pleaded in his ear.

The cherry blossom-colored kimono's fabric fit her perfectly, and the sash was cinched tightly, making the shopkeeper's bust prominent.

The room was brightly lit. Tazaki Tsukasa gazed at her fair neck and graceful figure. Her slender waist made him want to reach out and pull her into his arms.

"Can't!"

Seeing through his thoughts, Sachiko Tono snapped, poured some sake into a glass, and placed it in front of Tsukasa Tazaki, saying in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Watch your tone, you're Yui's boyfriend now!"