My love index is at its maximum.

As for his ten years in the Qichuan family, living in a wealthy and powerful family, he believed that everything would melt away like ice under the scorching sun until it evaporated.

Having probably figured things out, Tsukasa Tazaki opened his eyes and continued eating his bento.

Across from the dining area is a very popular Western fast food restaurant with a sign featuring an old man with white hair, wearing a white suit, a beard, and a pair of rather silly glasses.

Next to the Western fast food restaurant is a mixed-use building with a dilapidated exterior, resembling a sore spot in the city and out of place with the surrounding prosperity.

If Charles Dickens were here, he would probably write ten pages about this dilapidated building nestled in the heart of a bustling metropolis. If he lived there for a few years, he might even create a masterpiece comparable to *Oliver Twist* and *A Tale of Two Cities*.

Sachiko Tono, sitting behind the counter, stole a glance at him. In the soft light, the boy's handsome profile was exceptionally striking. The way he frowned in thought carried a faint sense of melancholy, making him truly endearing.

The proprietress glanced at it secretly for a while, then looked back at the magazine, but could no longer concentrate.

After finishing his bento, Tsukasa Tazaki cleaned up the trash and carried it to the trash can at the store entrance.

There was no wind, and the clouds floating in the sky looked like hard clumps of dust taken out of a vacuum cleaner filter. The distant rumble of thunder could be faintly heard, and no matter how you looked at it, it seemed like it was about to rain.

A thin, black cat with its tail held high walked past him.

"Hey, little guy," Tazaki greeted the cat. "If you don't want to catch a cold from the rain, hurry up and find shelter."

But the sound seemed not to reach the cat's ears, or perhaps the aloof cat simply didn't want to bother with foolish humans. Without turning back or stopping, it gracefully continued walking, disappearing into the nearest alleyway.

After returning to the store and changing into his work clothes, Tazaki Tsukasa went back to the counter and handed the inventory book to Tono Sachiko.

"Well then, thank you for your hard work, Tazaki-kun. I'll be going now."

The proprietress smiled, picked up her bag, and walked towards the door.

Just as I reached the door, a clap of thunder rang in my ears, followed by a torrential downpour of raindrops, instantly enveloping the world in a choking mist.

"Looks like... we can't leave."

The proprietress turned around and smiled at the counter. Under the warm lighting in the store, her eyes, beneath her long eyelashes, looked like the warm, coin-sized eyes of a hot spring.

"Yes, it's raining heavily." Tsukasa Tazaki glanced outside the door; the rain was pouring down, forming streaks.

"It feels like the temperature has dropped quite a bit..." Sachiko Tono nodded, stretched her arm out the window to test the outside temperature, then shrank her neck and sat back down at the counter.

Tazaki Tsukasa returned to the staff locker room, took out the collection of short stories by Natsume Soseki that he had been reading recently from his bag, moved a stool and sat down behind the counter with the proprietress.

Occasionally, a thick bolt of lightning would flash across the sky, followed immediately by a deafening clap of thunder. A sudden gust of wind would blow as if it had gone mad, and large raindrops would violently pound against the windows, making a nervous sound.

After looking at the magazine for a while, which she couldn't concentrate on at all, Sachiko Tono bit her lower lip, propped her head up with her hand, and turned her head to look at Tsukasa Tazaki's face.

The overhead lights were bright, shining directly on his face and making his already handsome complexion appear even whiter.

Gradually, she moved closer to him, and the two of them squeezed into the small counter. Outside, a thunderstorm was raging, and the place felt like a small, isolated island, which was quite cozy.

After admiring the book for a while, Tsukasa Tazaki remained quietly engrossed in his reading. Sachiko Tono suddenly asked, "Tazaki-kun, is something bothering you?"

Tsukasa Tazaki looked up from the book and turned to look at her.

"No," he replied.

"Then why were you frowning all night?"

Tazaki Tsukasa paused, his gaze shifting unnaturally past her to the rain outside the window.

Sachiko Tono tilted her head slightly, listening to the thunder while brushing aside the long hair that fell over her collarbone. Her smooth, ink-black hair was moved aside, revealing her delicate, snow-white collarbone.

"Tell me about it." She stretched out her slender, white fingers and gently smoothed out the furrowed brow of Tsukasa Tazaki.

"Uh...it's nothing, I just ran into some people from my old family."

Tazaki Tsukasa shook his head and turned his gaze back to the proprietress. Today she was wearing a light red open-necked short-sleeved shirt and a white mini skirt, her hair tied up at the back of her head.

Wait a minute... something's not right with this collar.

That's a bit too low.

Ah...that collarbone is amazing, I want to gnaw on it with my teeth.

A smug glint flashed in Sachiko Tono's eyes, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly: "Family? That big family you mentioned before?"

“Uh, yes.” Tsukasa Tazaki looked away with difficulty.

“Look at me.” Sachiko Tono laughed and said, “It’s very rude to not look someone in the eye when you’re talking to them, Tazaki-kun.”

Could you please pull up your collar before saying that?

The bra straps are showing!

Left with no other choice, Tsukasa Tazaki had to straighten his gaze once again.

"Even though you don't want to say what happened, it's okay..."

Sachiko Tono blinked, then reached out and gently hugged Tsukasa Tazaki: "This place will always be your home."

Even through a layer of clothing, I could still feel the soft touch unique to an adult woman on my face, and the fragrance of vanilla emanated from her body.

Tsukasa Tazaki rested his head on her chest, comfortably squinting his eyes.

Young married women are great; they're not only gentler and more considerate than high school girls, but they also have much better figures.

Chapter 51 The Hoshino Sisters

"Beep beep...beep beep..."

The alarm clock rang.

A fair arm peeked out from under the covers, fumbled around on the bedside table for a moment, and then abruptly turned off the alarm.

After lying there for five minutes, Hoshino Hanami propped herself up and sat up. The blanket slipped off her silky white skin until her upper body, which was exposed to the air without any clothing covering her, was finally pulled the blanket back up.

A light rain was falling outside the window, making a soft pattering sound.

"It's raining..." Hoshino Hanami muttered, looking somewhat unhappy.

"Hmm... I'll sleep a little longer..."

A voice that sounded incredibly lazy came from beside her. Hoshino Hanami turned her head and reached out to rub her younger sister's cheek: "Get up, I've never seen anyone as lazy as you."

Hoshino Shika rubbed her eyes and said with a sweet smile, "Sister's bed is so comfortable. It has sealed me in. I won't be able to get up unless I sleep here for a thousand years."

"You always use the same excuse to ask to sleep with me. Don't you feel ashamed?"

"It's really comfortable..." Hoshino Shikami shook her head cutely, then snuggled into the blankets and murmured, "Mainly because it's so comfortable to hug my sister's body..."

Hoshino Hanami got out of bed, put on a bathrobe, and turned to her younger sister, saying, "It's raining outside. You should leave early today, or you'll be late for school."

The younger sister poked half her head out from under the covers: "It's raining so hard, can't you sleep a little longer with me, sister?"

"Can't!"

"Ah... my body is sealed by the bed, I need a kiss from my older sister to break the seal."

I can't be bothered with you.

Hoshino Hanami shook her head and smiled wryly. She stretched on the spot, took clothes from the closet, and left the room.

Only then did the younger sister reluctantly stick her head out and slowly wriggle out of the covers.

Both sisters have a habit of sleeping naked, so when the blankets were lifted, Hoshino Shikami's body looked as white and juicy as a radish that had just been pulled out of the ground.

Hoshino Hanami walked along the somewhat chilly corridor with her eyes half-closed. It was raining outside, and although it wasn't heavy, the whole world was filled with a sticky dampness.

She figured she wouldn't be able to run today... She listened to the rain and the cawing of crows, feeling a little annoyed.

I walked to the other side of the corridor and washed up in front of the bathroom mirror.

After drying her face, Hoshino Hanami used a hairband to lift her bangs, applied a thin layer of foundation, and then put on light-colored lipstick. Although she felt that her natural beauty was already outstanding and she didn't need makeup to enhance it, she also understood that necessary makeup was a reflection of workplace etiquette.

Although it was a bit troublesome, I didn't feel any resentment.

After finishing her makeup, she put on a freshly washed off-white shirt with a ruffled collar, which looked very nice. She then slipped on a pair of dark jeans, fastened a thin belt, and sprayed a light spritz of perfume on her wrists and neck.

After finishing her preparations for leaving the house, Hoshino Hanami checked her appearance in the mirror.

How old do I look?

If I tell him I'm only 22 years old, will I be able to fool him?

When she came to her senses, Hoshino Hanami realized that she had actually started to worry about her age.

"You look just like an idiot right now!"

She pointed at the mirror and laughed, then realized it was stupid to scold herself, so she started scolding Tsukasa Tazaki instead: "And you, if you were twenty-five, maybe I would have agreed. But you're only fifteen, what are you doing confessing... In my eyes, you're just a little brother..."

"Dong dong..."

There was a knock on the door behind me, followed by my younger sister's voice: "Sister... what are you talking to yourself about in there? Hurry up..."

"Oh...it's here."

Hoshino Hanami hurriedly put on a dark suit jacket, opened the door, and walked towards the corridor, meeting her sister's curious gaze.

The air, still a bit chilly from the May rain, felt two or three degrees cooler than yesterday. The air was thick with the scent of moisture and new greenery. Despite the rain, brightly colored wild birds were still chirping merrily in the courtyard.

Raindrops gathered on the roof, forming thin lines that fell from the eaves to the ground. Listening to the pleasant "patter-patter" sound, Hoshino Hanami suddenly thought of a question.

Will Tsukasa Tazaki go to Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden today?

Thinking of this, Hoshino Hanami's heart suddenly fluttered with joy, and her steps became lighter. She turned off her phone and walked towards the kitchen, thinking—if you were still here today, then let you try my cooking.

If you're not here... hehe, then you won't be able to eat here anymore.

With a cheerful heart, she opened the refrigerator door. The first layer contained ice cubes and a liter of Vanilla ice cream, her favorite ice cream, along with an unopened bag of frozen shrimp. The second layer contained egg cartons, butter, cheese, and other condiment bottles. The third layer contained various meats. The bottom crisper drawer contained tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, and other vegetables.

Hoshino Hanami bent over and searched for a while, and found the last bundle of tender shoots in the pile of vegetables. She smiled gently, and many warm memories flooded her mind.

In the bathroom on the other side, Hoshino Shika finished washing up and squinted at herself in the mirror.

Her perfectly developed breasts were covered by a black school uniform jacket, her tie was a dark red bow, and her lower body was covered by a Scottish plaid pleated skirt that was so long that her slender thighs were vaguely visible.

She thought somewhat narcissistically, "A beautiful girl like me, even just wearing the school uniform, looks much better than those TV idols."

Especially her face, it's exactly the same as her sister's.

It seems like my sister and I are a match made in heaven... Hoshino Shikami chuckled happily, completely immersed in the wonderful fantasy of having her sister all to herself.

Stepping out of the bathroom, Hoshino Shikami went to the kitchen and took a carton of milk from the refrigerator. Leaning against the refrigerator door, she sipped the milk while keeping an eye on her older sister, who was focused on preparing a bento box.

After watching for a while, she asked, "Sister... is there anything I can do to help?"

“No need…” Hoshino Hanami asked as she placed the batter-coated prickly ash shoots into the hot oil, “Have you been causing trouble at school lately? Have you been bullying any other students?”