My love index is at its maximum.

"How could that be... I'm very well-behaved." The younger sister sipped her milk and lied without batting an eye: "Every teacher and classmate praises me, saying that I'm polite and kind-hearted."

"Really?" Hoshino Hanami took a moment from her busy schedule to turn around and look at her. "I remember when you were in junior high school, your homeroom teacher complained to me that you were taking protection money from your classmates."

"Um...that's not true."

The younger sister shook her head angrily, making a protesting sound in her throat: "That will never happen again, I'm being very good now..."

"I'll be keeping an eye on you, so don't let me catch you doing anything wrong!"

Hoshino Hana smiled slightly, then turned back to concentrate on frying tempura.

From the younger sister's perspective, the older sister's waist was astonishingly slender. Thanks to regular exercise, there wasn't an ounce of fat on it. Her hips, encased in tight jeans, were high and pert, and her long, sexy legs were simply irresistible.

The flickering flames from the gas stove reflected on her perfect body and face, adding a layer of ethereal beauty to her entire figure, making her breathtakingly beautiful.

As she watched, Hoshino Shikami blushed and her heart raced; even her breathing became rapid.

Such a beautiful woman... can only belong to me!

Thinking this, she tiptoed closer and wrapped her arms around her sister's waist from behind. Pressing her face against her sister's back, Hoshino Shikami vowed in her heart—she would never let go for the rest of her life.

Chapter 52 On a rainy morning, there were still two people in the pavilion.

"Don't move..."

"No... I haven't touched it... It smells so good, did you make tempura and tofu balls again, sister?"

"Of course, these are my sister's two best dishes."

Hoshino Shikami peeked out from behind and saw the tender shoots of prickly ash coated in frying powder rolling in the oil, their skin gradually turning a golden yellow, and a fragrant aroma wafting over.

These tender shoots of the prickly ash were sent to me by my maternal grandfather from Kyoto. They were picked from Arashiyama in Kyoto and are the tender shoots of a wild tree.

The method of using prickly ash shoots as a filling for tempura was passed down from my maternal grandfather to my mother, and then from my mother to my older sister.

However, when Hoshino Shikami was very young and could not remember anything, her mother had already passed away. She had never eaten the aralia tempura that her mother fried, but she had eaten the ones that her grandfather and sister fried.

Is Mom's cooking as good as my sister's?

The younger sister buried her face in her older sister's back again, her nose feeling a little sore.

"Okay~!"

Hoshino Hanami clapped her hands, "Mission accomplished!"

She smiled and used long chopsticks to place the fried tempura into the insulated lunchbox, then sprinkled some pepper on it and closed the lid.

Meanwhile, the tofu balls stewing in the other pot were ready. Hoshino Shikami let go of her sister's waist and watched with delight as her sister busied herself preparing her lunchbox, just like countless mornings before.

After Hoshino Hana packed the dishes into two bento boxes and filled two portions with heated rice, she said sweetly, "Thank you for your hard work, sister. Here you go. I'll heat them up at noon and come to your office to find you."

"Oh... I forgot to tell you."

Hoshino Hanami slapped her forehead as if suddenly realizing something. "There's only a little bit of prickly ash left. I was planning to let Tazaki try it. Shikami can go to the cafeteria for lunch today."

"Huh?...Huh! What?"

At such a young age, Hoshino Shikami experienced for the first time what it meant to be struck by lightning.

"Alright, I'm leaving now. Shikami, you can take a taxi back to school later." Hoshino Hanami hurriedly walked out of the kitchen with her lunchbox, changed into high heels in the entryway, opened a transparent umbrella, and quickly disappeared from sight.

The younger sister stood frozen in the kitchen, her expression gradually shifting from petrified to utterly devastated.

A moment later, amidst the patter of the drizzling rain, a bloodcurdling scream, like that of a pig being slaughtered, rang out.

"Taka! You just wait!!!"

……

"Ah..."

As soon as he stepped out the door, Tsukasa Tazaki involuntarily sneezed. He rubbed his nose and muttered to himself.

Did you catch a cold today because you got caught in the rain on your way home last night?

That shouldn't be the case; my physical condition is clearly better than before.

Someone must be thinking of me, maybe it's Hoshino... Just as this thought crossed my mind, a notification popped up.

[We absolutely must kill Tsukasa Tazaki! The Hoshino Shikami Stock Index has dropped 4 points; current stock price: 1]

Okay, it really is Hoshino, and I guessed right.

With a wry smile, Tsukasa Tazaki opened his transparent plastic umbrella and stepped into the rain.

This transparent umbrella, which I took from a convenience store and cost 200 yuan, suddenly became a speaker, playing the melody of rain from the sky.

Crackling sounds.

He listened to these sounds as he walked alone through the streets of Shinjuku, holding an umbrella, passing by a large group of glamorous women with heavy makeup and tired expressions.

"handsome guy……"

Someone called out to him, and he turned around to look.

Several women, as if they had planned it in advance, called out in unison, "Need a free in-home bubble bath service?"

Tazaki Tsukasa shook his head and replied, "I've already been chosen by a rich older sister. You're a little late."

After saying that, he calmly turned and left.

"How much? Can we crowdfund to support you?"

A heart-stirring shout came from behind, followed by a burst of laughter.

Is this how Liu Yong was treated?

It's pretty good.

"what……"

Tsukasa Tazaki yawned, thinking to himself that the image of him walking alone in the rain in Tokyo in his high school uniform was an absolute source of artistic inspiration that would drive all artists crazy.

Arrive at Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden and swipe your card to enter.

The surrounding trees, bathed in rain, shimmered with the vibrant green unique to this season.

The distant roar of trains entering and exiting Shinjuku and Sendagaya stations, along with the noise of trucks speeding along the Metropolitan Expressway, seemed to be shut out the moment you stepped into the park.

Tazaki Tsukasa took a deep breath of the air, which smelled of tender leaves, and felt refreshed. He walked across the lawn, through the drooping maple branches, and across the small bridge over the lake, until an empty pavilion came into view.

Will the teacher come today?

With this question in mind, Tsukasa Tazaki closed his umbrella and sat down on the bench. Listening to the sound of rain, he leaned against the pillar in the middle of the L-shaped bench and slowly closed his eyes.

All I could hear was the clumsy patter of raindrops on the pavilion.

Dong, dada, dong, dong, pada, dong.

The chaotic rhythm was interspersed with the loud cawing of crows, and soon, a faint snore quietly joined in.

At the park entrance, Hoshino Hanami swipes her card to enter.

With a loud "bang," the automatic gate opened, sounding especially clear on a rainy morning.

The park seemed deserted on a rainy morning.

On her way to the pavilion, Hoshino Hanami couldn't help but start to worry—what if Tazaki Tsukasa wasn't there? Would I look silly sitting alone in the pavilion?

Walking along the path leading to the artificial lake, a flock of crows, their feathers soaked by the rain, took flight from the treetops and soared into the distant sky. In this weather, their flight appeared strangely heavy.

Crossing the arched bridge and entering the cedar forest, the pavilion, hidden by the wet leaves, gradually comes into view.

Hoshino Hanami breathed a sigh of relief, and her mood brightened.

Did you not sleep well last night?

Or is it because you started practicing cooking too late?

With questions in mind, Hoshino Hanami walked into the pavilion, sat down beside him, and curiously looked him over.

She hadn't paid much attention before, but this opportunity made her realize that Tsukasa Tazaki had very long eyelashes and her skin was supple and radiant, as if a pink glow was shining through her skin.

Her clean lips were slightly parted, and her two ears were as smooth as porcelain, with an adorable shape that made you want to pinch them!

He really is a handsome young man.

As she sighed, she couldn't help but reach out and touch Tsukasa Tazaki's earlobe.

It feels soft, warm, and comfortable to the touch.

"Croak!"

A piercing cawing sound came from the side, startling Hoshino Hanami. She glanced over guiltily and saw that it was the sound of a clumsy, large-beaked crow. She glared at it angrily.

Then she burst out laughing again.

On a rainy morning, there were still two people in the pavilion. And he was asleep... Hoshino Hanami felt inexplicably happy because she could enjoy his appearance to her heart's content.

But soon, this joy was dispelled by a gloomy atmosphere.

While it's understandable that male students might admire beautiful female teachers, the social pressure they would face if they were to actually date a 15-year-old high school student would be immense.

He himself didn't care; at worst, he could go back to Sakura's family and take over his father's position.

But what about him...?

Hoshino Hanami shook her head vigorously, trying to dispel the thoughts in her mind. Seeing that he showed no signs of waking up yet, she sat down next to him and gazed absently at the rainy scene on the lake.

Chapter 53 In short, Hoshino Hanami is the best in the world!

The torrential rain of May fell in a downpour, pattering against the pointed roof of the pavilion. All around were the clear chirping of wild birds and his snores rising and falling with his breath.

After listening to the sound of rain for a while, Hoshino Hanami turned back to look at Tazaki Tsukasa's face again.

He was still asleep, not yet awake.

It seems that it's not just a matter of being sleepy in the morning; more likely, he didn't get enough rest last night and is catching up on sleep now.

Staring intently at the curve between Tsukasa Tazaki's nose and her upper lip, Hanami Hoshino licked her upper lip, feeling inexplicably excited, but also overwhelmed by an equal amount of guilt.

I actually had inappropriate thoughts about a high school student...

A breeze blew across the lake, stirring up the tender green leaves and creating a rustling sound of wet leaves shaking all around.