My love index is at its maximum.

The cat stretched out its limbs on her lap, its claws occasionally scratching at her collar.

"Minister, have some shrimp." Tsukasa Tazaki peeled a shrimp and handed it to her: "These shrimp are especially fresh; they were still jumping around when they were cooked."

Kuriyama Sakura took the shrimp and fed it to Mei the cat.

"..."

Tazaki Tsukasa peeled another one for Shimamoto Kana, and as he handed it to her, the lady immediately opened her red lips and said, "Ah~ feed me."

Just as she was about to put the bright red shrimp into her mouth, Kuriyama Sakura suddenly reached out with her chopsticks, picked up the shrimp, and put it in her own mouth to eat.

"Honey, look at her!"

Shimamoto Kana slammed her hand on the table in a resentful tone, then unleashed her acting talent to the fullest.

Tazaki Tsukasa had a slight headache, so he peeled another shrimp for her. This time, Kuriyama Sakura didn't snatch the shrimp; instead, after he finished feeding Shimamoto Kana, she picked up a fork and stabbed his thigh under the table.

"...?" Tazaki Tsukasa not only has a headache now, but his thigh is also hurting terribly.

Gan!

Can you two please stop torturing me and let me have a proper meal?

Seeing his pained and miserable expression, Shimamoto Kana smiled and looked at Kuriyama Sakura across him, slowly saying, "If you have something to say, it's best to say it before dinner, otherwise there won't be time later."

"What?" Kuriyama Sakura looked up at her, puzzled.

"About us in the future..." Shimamoto Kana's slender fingers gently tapped the rim of the glass, producing a crisp, melodious sound.

Tsukasa Tazaki involuntarily held his breath.

He dared not make any rash plans while the two women were talking, otherwise the blame would fall back on him.

"I don't quite understand..." Kuriyama Sakura calmly picked up the clam soup and drank it.

"Don't let fatigue weigh on your mind." Kana Shimamoto tilted her head slightly, thought for a moment, and said, "My mother always told me this when I was little. She said that the body may be unable to resist fatigue, but you must let your mind be free."

The sound was elegant and clear, and although the volume was not loud, it was enough to fill the entire room.

Kuriyama Sakura didn't answer, but just looked at Shimamoto Kana like a teacher grading an exam. After Shimamoto Kana took another sip of wine, she sighed deeply, her slender shoulders trembling slightly.

"To be honest, I don't quite understand what you mean by 'liberating the mind,' and I don't know its exact meaning."

Kana Shimamoto placed her hands on the table and shrugged slightly: "To give an example, what kind of feelings do you feel for Tsukasa Tazaki—are they pleasant or unpleasant?"

“Neither, yet both,” Kuriyama Sakura replied.

Kana Shimamoto cupped her wine glass in both hands and looked at her face for a moment: "It seems you'd better learn a little about how to express your emotions."

"So what should I do?"

Are you very tired right now?

"A little."

"How about leaning against Tazaki and resting for a while?"

"..." Kuriyama Sakura looked at her in surprise, seemingly unable to believe what she had just heard.

"Don't listen to her nonsense, she might be drunk." Tsukasa Tazaki hurriedly interrupted the two's rambling conversation and explained to his wife, "Kuriyama-san just spent more than an hour drawing posters after school, which is why she looks tired."

Kana Shimamoto smiled slightly, fiddling with her hair on her forehead with her little finger as she said, "I believe you. You two are such good friends, and very, very close friends, so of course I don't mind taking a break."

"..." Tsukasa Tazaki was speechless.

Kuriyama Sakura was silent for a moment before asking the thoughtful Shimamoto Kana, "Is Shimamoto Kana very satisfied with her current life?"

"Well, I don't have any complaints." As she spoke, Shimamoto Kana stretched out her two legs and rubbed them against Tazaki Tsukasa's thighs under the table. "The job pays well and there's not much work. I eat, drink, and have fun every day. My married life is harmonious and loving. I enjoy every day."

Tsukasa Tazaki silently used his fork to pick up his steak and eat.

Under the illumination of the overhead chandelier, the fork gleamed with a soft, shimmering light.

Under the dimly lit table, he touched his wife's enchanting little feet with one hand. They had just taken a bath and were clean, soft, and free of sweat.

When you gently knead it, the incredibly smooth texture comes through your palms, and even if you can't see under the table, you can imagine how alluring that snow-white and delicate skin must be.

“But Shimamoto-sensei is only 28 years old,” Kuriyama Sakura asked. “Is this really the end?”

“There’s nothing wrong with this…” Shimamoto Kana felt quite comfortable, her cheeks slightly flushed: “But you, you’re still so young, you’ll be dating and getting married soon, life is full of surprises every day.”

“What fancy moves could there be?” Kuriyama Sakura said to herself as she peeled a shrimp. “All I’ll ever do in my life is paint a few pictures and raise a few cats.”

“Don’t be so pessimistic,” Tsukasa Tazaki said, her heart pounding, but her expression remained calm. “You’re cute, charming, have long legs, and are very clever. You even peel shrimp so beautifully—you’re sure to have a smooth future.”

Kuriyama Sakura shrank back slightly, looking disgusted: "You've said the same thing before, it doesn't count the second time. Besides, is peeling shrimp nicely a virtue?"

“Of course it’s not a good thing,” Tazaki Tsukasa replied while pinching his wife’s foot. “The excuse of peeling shrimp was just a way to flirt with you.”

"How disgusting!" Kuriyama Sakura moved even further away, even covering her chest with her hands.

“Let’s stay further away,” Tsukasa Tazaki said irritably. “Most things look beautiful from a distance.”

Kuriyama Sakura leaned closer again: "Am I not beautiful and charming when I'm close?"

Looking at her delicate nose so close to his face, Tazaki Tsukasa resisted the urge to bite it: "It's alright, nothing to make me swoon."

“That’s a lie,” Kuriyama Sakura said confidently, as if judging a judge. “I saw panic in your eyes just now, which means you’re very guilty in front of me right now.”

Tazaki Tsukasa's heart skipped a beat, and a chill ran down his spine: "...Minister, you are incredibly perceptive!"

It's because I feel guilty!

If you don't believe me, look at Kana Shimamoto next to her.

Mrs. Tazaki's breathing grew heavier, her eyes were tightly closed, her long eyelashes trembled slightly, and her small feet slowly became warm, with a thin layer of fine sweat seeping out, but it was quickly evaporated by her body temperature, leaving a warm and cloying fragrance.

Kuriyama Sakura smiled at him again, using the same expression as Shinomiya Kaguya, and said, "You're quite cute, Tazaki-kun."

Just then, Shimamoto Kana's body trembled, and a low moan escaped her throat.

Although she tried her best to restrain herself, Kuriyama Sakura still caught it. Seeing her flushed cheeks and alluring expression, the club president subconsciously lifted the tablecloth and looked underneath.

Tsukasa Tazaki let go.

But Mrs. Tazaki didn't pull her foot back!

“Shimamoto-sensei,” Kuriyama Sakura smiled coldly, her sharp lines staring directly at Tazaki Tsukasa, “what are you doing with your feet?”

Shimamoto Kana shrugged, looking at her with a resentful expression, as if she had suffered a great injustice, without saying a word.

"..." Tazaki Tsukasa quietly crouched down, preparing to slip away.

The next second, Kuriyama Sakura's slender fingers grabbed the tender flesh on his waist and twisted it hard!

"……what!"

The scumbag's screams startled the cat, which jumped up. After realizing that its male owner was being tortured, it yawned and then jumped onto its female owner's lap, where it lazily lay down and went to sleep.

Kuriyama Sakura withdrew her hand and scratched the back of the cat's ears a few times.

After this meal, Tsukasa Tazaki suffered severe injuries to his waist and thighs, and his face turned blue with pain.

As compensation, Mrs. Tazaki washed the dishes herself, letting him rest on the sofa. Kuriyama Sakura, on the other hand, took the cat back upstairs and then finished the posters for the sports festival promotion.

Tsukasa Tazaki was eating grapes while looking out the window.

After a while, Kana Shimamoto came out of the kitchen, sat down next to him, and then opened her arms: "Hug me!"

Tsukasa Tazaki spat out the grape seeds from his mouth and stretched out his hands toward her.

The two embraced on the sofa.

Kana Shimamoto's soft limbs and the scent emanating from her skin blended together, evoking a warm and comforting memory, like a childhood recollection. Tsukasa Tazaki gently brushed her hair aside with his fingers and kissed her ear: "You were so naughty tonight!"

"Do you like bad women?" Shimamoto Kana placed her hands on his chest, a blush rising on her cheeks. "Kuriyama-san is so cute, I can't help but tease her, don't you think?"

"No talking about other women!"

Discussing another woman while with one is a major taboo, and Tsukasa Tazaki wouldn't fall for that. He had one arm around Kana Shimamoto's waist, while the other hand quietly slipped under her skirt, feeling her delicate skin.

Kana Shimamoto's body gradually relaxed, her eyes narrowed, and she looked on with enjoyment: "Every time I'm with you, I feel like my body has come alive, full of vitality."

"Are you referring to the heart?"

"No. Besides my mind, my body also seems to have its own independent consciousness, restless and ready to act."

“I need to explore more carefully,” Tsukasa Tazaki said, his hands exploring every inch of her skin.

The lady's figure was very attractive, with a plump and smooth appearance.

To put it simply, when you rest your cheek on it, it feels as sweet and comfortable as sleeping in a pile of cotton candy on a sunny afternoon.

Kana Shimamoto nuzzled his neck with her nose like a cat: "Can you feel the life force in your body, Madam?"

“It does look alive.” Tsukasa Tazaki’s lips were almost touching her earlobe, his hot breath escaping her ear.

"I really, really like it this way," Shimamoto Kana whispered.

Her slightly flushed cheeks stirred a flutter in one's heart.

Tsukasa Tazaki wrapped his arms around her back and hugged her tightly. As she breathed warmly, he brushed the hair from her forehead with his lips and kissed her ear again.

"Is 28 too old?" Kana Shimamoto whispered in his ear.

“Yes,” Tsukasa Tazaki replied, “but that’s just my taste, otherwise I wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to possess you.”

"You're a bad person!" Shimamoto Kana tilted her head slightly and smiled calmly. "Of all the people I've ever met, you're the worst!"

Tsukasa Tazaki stared at her face and her ears for a long time.

"Let's just live like this for the rest of our lives." Shimamoto Kana's eyes were dreamy, and with the white breath she exhaled, she exuded a girlish shyness.

The light from the chandelier gently streamed down, enveloping the two of them.

The wind outside flowed through the house like a transparent fault line in the darkness, crackling and shaking the branches of the trees in the courtyard, and rhythmically scattering the leaves to the ground.

At 10 p.m., Tsukasa Tazaki carried the disheveled Kana Shimamoto back to her room.

After she fell asleep, she wandered around the living room for a while, and soon carried a cardboard box in both hands up to the attic on the second floor.

The box contained half a pound of black tea, a bag of biscuits, a water bottle, and a set of two large glasses printed with Snoopy comics.

Upon entering, Kuriyama Sakura stood in front of the glass door of the balcony, an easel in front of her.

"Let's draw again tomorrow, eat something, and then go to sleep." Tsukasa Tazaki placed the cardboard box heavily on the floor and started boiling water in the kettle.

Mei the cat ran over and rubbed her head against his trouser leg, but when he reached out to touch her, the cat immediately pounced and tried to bite his finger.