My love index is at its maximum.

Shiori Ninomiya responded enthusiastically, her little face flushed with sweat from excitement and energetic shouting. Her cheeks were bright red, like a ripe apple, making one want to take a bite.

Although her well-developed breasts were covered by her sportswear, their heaving shape, accentuated by her rapid breathing, exuded a youthful charm unique to young women.

In her excitement, the little cutie didn't forget to take out her phone and send video after video to the four-person group chat.

This time she had no bad intentions; she just posted pictures without saying anything.

Classroom for Grade 1, Class A.

Kuriyama Sakura looked down at her phone and pouted.

His expression was a cold one, a mixture of indifference and disdain.

Qichuan Wei glanced back at her, then turned her head to look at the blue sky and white clouds outside the window.

On this track, the blonde girl felt good and easily kept Kuriyama Sakura in check.

……

The PE teacher blew his whistle, signaling the end of the game.

Class F won by a narrow margin of two points.

The entire class rushed into the field, cheering and surrounding Tsukasa Tazaki, tossing him high into the air.

"and many more……"

"Don't touch me, especially girls..."

"It's just a class match, don't get so worked up..."

The school bell rang, the PE teacher announced the end of get out of class, and lunch break began.

Tsukasa Tazaki walked out of the gymnasium disheveled, and girls kept glancing at him and giggling.

It was lunch break time, and Tsukasa Tazaki was too lazy to change back into his school uniform, so he went straight to the cafeteria to eat in his gym clothes.

Passing through the courtyard, under the tall ginkgo trees, fallen leaves fluttered in the wind.

Under the tall ginkgo tree, fallen leaves fluttered in the wind.

Under the warm sun, in the pavilion by the pond, and under the dappled shade of the trees, friends and couples sat on benches eating. The chubby cat "Sardine" rubbed against the students' trouser legs, acting cute and affectionate.

The melodious strains of a piano drifted from the corridor above the clubhouse building.

After lunch, as I was heading to the library, I ran into the Minister.

He changed his mind at the last minute and invited, "Shall we go to the courtyard to soak up some sun?"

Kuriyama Sakura said nonchalantly, "The central courtyard is a romantic spot for couples, why would I go there with you?"

“I just saw a sardine,” Tsukasa Tazaki said without batting an eye. “It’s being held down by a few boys for stealing food.”

The stairs leading to the club building were right in front of her. Kuriyama Sakura stopped and hurriedly turned around to go downstairs and head towards the courtyard.

When they arrived, Fat Cat was surrounded by a group of boys, with food stuffed in front of him.

Kuriyama Sakura frowned and glared at Tazaki Tsukasa in the sunlight.

Surrounded by students coming and going, the expressionless department head was the most beautiful sight in the courtyard, like a pink cherry blossom blooming out of season in late autumn.

Tazaki Tsukasa suddenly remembered that the beautiful Sakur-san in front of him, who was as beautiful as a cherry blossom, had transformed into a cold and aloof catgirl maid in front of him, and the two had even had a rather intimate encounter.

A slight flutter ran through my heart, and my breathing became a little rapid.

"I'm not lying, right? Sardine is surrounded by a few boys."

Facing the minister's cold gaze, Tsukasa Tazaki smiled calmly and walked to her side, reaching out to tug at her sleeve, gesturing for her to sit on a bench to the side for a while.

Kuriyama Sakura snorted dismissively. She couldn't even be bothered to talk to that scumbag. Just as she was about to turn and leave, Tazaki Tsukasa suddenly stretched and said loudly, "Anyway, we're free at noon. Let's go to the student council and chat with Yui..."

"no!"

Before he could finish speaking, the minister gritted his little tiger teeth and glared at him fiercely: "Go sunbathe for a while!"

"Ok!"

The two were separated by the bright autumn sunlight, and Tsukasa Tazaki's smile was particularly irritating.

During lunch break, the courtyard is filled with groups of students chatting casually about various topics, laughing and joking.

Kuriyama Sakura silently sat down on the bench by the pool, with Tazaki Tsukasa next to her. Their shoulders were about ten centimeters apart, and they didn't say much.

Two girls were chatting by the pool in front of the bench. One was holding a tennis racket, and the other was holding several books. Both of them were quite cute, and their smiles during their conversation were unusually lively. The sound of violin practice came from the music room. The baseball team boys were washing their baseball bats and armor at the handwashing station when a teacher carrying a briefcase walked past them.

As usual, it was lunchtime on campus. However, while observing this familiar scene, Tsukasa Tazaki suddenly noticed a fact: in the midst of a busy academic life, everyone seemed very happy during their short, comfortable leisure time.

Whether they are truly happy or merely appear so is unknown.

But in any case, in November when it's already starting to get cold, everyone should be able to enjoy this warm afternoon nap.

After gazing at the campus scenery and the men and women coming and going for a long time, Tsukasa Tazaki suddenly said, "Minister, I have a question."

Kuriyama Sakura glanced at him sideways and said, "Speak."

"If I weren't here with you, looking at such a lively scene, wouldn't you feel a loneliness you've never experienced before, and feel like you're the only one who doesn't belong in this scene?"

"...You're really...stupid!"

For some unknown reason, Kuriyama Sakura felt a surge of happiness, a gentle warmth spreading through her heart. But outwardly, she pressed her index finger to the center of her forehead, saying with a great headache, "How can you ask such a pointless question? It's so disappointing."

“One more question,” Tsukasa Tazaki said, looking into her eyes, “How long has it been since you last read *The Stranger*?”

Kuriyama Sakura paused for a moment, then pouted like a child: "Could you answer my question first?"

"can."

"You've said something so many times," Kuriyama Sakura said slowly, resting her chin on her hand as if savoring something, "that I'm the prettiest girl I know. Does that still hold true now?"

"Of course it works."

"Is it true, or is it just to please me?"

"I haven't lied to you since I came back from Oma-cho!"

Kuriyama Sakura remained silent, simply wrapping her long, thin ponytail around her fingers, and looking at him with an unadorned, refined, and otherworldly smile.

Countless plump pigeons flutter among the tall ginkgo trees, their gray feathers drifting down with the leaves.

"I'm fairly popular," Tsukasa Tazaki smiled. "Although my social circle is generally limited to a few people. It's narrow and lacks breadth, but among all the girls I know or have met, you, the department head, are the most beautiful. I don't know if you understand what I mean, but your beauty is unique and different from other girls. Of course, don't think of this beauty superficially as just physical appearance; it's more about your temperament, you know? If you don't believe me, you can ask honey, clover, or the little bear in spring."

"What? Why are you bringing up honey, clover, and spring bears?"

"That means even Honey Clover and Spring Bear can't help but fall for your charm, Minister."

"Look at you, you're ridiculous!" Kuriyama Sakura shrugged and laughed with a hint of mischief. "Come on, you're sixteen years old. You should be more mature. You're always saying such nonsensical things. You're really silly!"

Even if I'm thirty-six, I'm still just as silly in your eyes, aren't I?

"That's true, you're hopelessly stupid."

"I've written that down in my notebook—it's a personal attack," Tazaki Tsukasa said, clearly holding a grudge, before asking, "Can you answer my question now?"

The minister did not answer immediately, but smiled thoughtfully.

A gentle breeze rippled across the pond, and a few ginkgo leaves floating on the surface were dragged to the bottom by fish for a moment before quickly floating back up in circles.

After a long while, Kuriyama Sakura hesitated slightly, then snorted, before finally speaking in a clear, melodious voice.

“It was true, as you said, that I used to enjoy being alone and trust myself when I was lonely. Because of my childhood experiences, my family spoiled me and almost never dared to make demands on me. Outwardly, I should have maintained a very independent self and a rather refined inner world.”

Tsukasa Tazaki nodded: "Theoretically speaking, that's true."

"In most cases, I'm happy to maintain this personality. Anyway, people in the world are either incredibly boring or incredibly stupid, and there aren't many worth wasting time communicating with."

At this point, Kuriyama Sakura paused, frowned, and bit her lower lip.

After a while, she released her lower lip, which still bore the teeth marks, and leaned back comfortably in her chair to admire the blue sky. Her tone was extremely relaxed: "After meeting Hanami-nee and Shiori, my mindset has improved a lot. To be honest, I'm a little envious of them."

“I envy them too,” Tsukasa Tazaki remarked. “In their eyes, everything is so new, including music, scenery, and people. But the biggest difference between you and me is that I’m planning to move closer to them, while you’re still stuck in the same place.”

“There’s a reason I’m stuck here,” Kuriyama Sakura said, turning her head to look at him with a meaningful smile. “When I was sixteen, I developed a strong liking for a boy. No, that might not be accurate. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say I fell in love with him, even though I’ve never been in a relationship before.”

"...Is it time to start the confession process?" Tsukasa Tazaki's chest suddenly swelled up, and he had an urge to vent something.

Kuriyama Sakura rolled her eyes at him, then shrugged: "However, this feeling only brings me more anxiety. Falling in love with someone like that, the relationship is naturally impossible to achieve. I have personality problems, and I'm also stubborn, always going against the values ​​of those around me."

"The Minister has a very clear understanding of himself."

Kuriyama Sakura neither confirmed nor denied this statement, and continued, "Before I turned 13, I built my own little world and lived in it. Hanami-nee joined first, and you joined me as I approached 16. But despite my anxiety, I never thought about leaving this little world, because I could spend my anxious days and nights with music, movies, and books."

"I believe your paranoia."

"Of course, I would sometimes think of that boy's face in the quiet of the night, as he pulled off his blindfold amidst the ardent gazes of the girls around him, revealing a radiant smile."

“It’s extraordinary.” Tsukasa Tazaki rested his chin on his hand. “The minister’s vocabulary is so rich that I now want to watch the Jade Dragon Flag competition video again.”

The minister rolled his eyes at him again.

"That's about it. I don't want to see you again today." Kuriyama Sakura stood up, straightening her skirt as she spoke. "How should I put it? Well, it's not like liking someone means you have to be together, you understand? Feelings surround me like air; you can't see them. Although I can't see them, I can feel them taking shape. With this, even if you're not here, I can still grasp them perfectly. Never mind, I'm sure this will leave you completely confused. In other words, only I understand that shape. Sigh, I can't explain it properly, how silly! Hey, do you understand what I'm saying?"

As she spoke, she seemed to become somewhat anxious, her lips moving incessantly, and her eyes becoming restless.

"Vaguely vague," Tazaki Tsukasa answered frankly.

Kuriyama Sakura glared at him angrily, her cheeks puffing out slightly.

"Could it be that you think of it this way?" Tsukasa Tazaki carefully chose her words and tried to ask, "You said you have a Cat City in your heart, right? Could it be understood that you have arranged my role in it, and that I am completely undisturbed there, belonging entirely to you? So whether I am with you in reality or not is completely irrelevant?"

"Hmm, perhaps, that's it." Kuriyama Sakura breathed a sigh of relief and stuck out her tongue playfully. "That's a very good explanation. Goodbye."

"Hey, wait a minute."

"Stop, I don't want to talk to you anymore."

"The events for the sports festival club competition have been decided. Can you come with me to practice after school?"

"dream!"

"That's a real shame," Tsukasa Tazaki shook his head, his tone helpless. "In that case, there's no need to practice anymore. I'll go find Yui after school and talk to her..."

Before he could finish speaking, the minister interrupted him once again.

"no!"

No, no, no.

Kuriyama Sakura stood in front of Tazaki Tsukasa, pressing her hand against his cheek and glaring at him fiercely: "See you on the playground after school. If you dare to break your promise, I'll show you just how much power the Minister of Education's daughter really has!"