My love index is at its maximum.

Clang, clang!

As the tram swayed forward, Tsukasa Tazaki couldn't help but yawn.

Since Kurisu Kuri started involving him in the affairs of the Kurisu family, he has had very little rest time, so much so that his daily morning run plan has had to be temporarily put on hold.

"Today's the 22nd, final exams for two and a half days," Tsukasa Tazaki said, dozing off as he counted the days while gripping the rings. "The big cleaning is on the afternoon of the 24th, then winter break starts... I'll have to spend Christmas Eve at home. Hanami-nee is coming too, should I drag those three high school girls along too...?"

"What should I buy for Christmas...?"

After thinking for a while, Tsukasa Tazaki gave up on thinking about it.

The question of what to give a girl is so complicated that it can drive any man crazy. Just go to the mall and buy whatever you see.

Arriving at Yotsuya Station, as he walked out of the platform with the flow of people, Tsukasa Tazaki glanced at the December shopping mall.

There's nothing particularly noteworthy about it; the only item available for exchange is a ring called "Heart to Heart".

Having only one instead of six won't solve the current problem.

Shut down the system.

We arrived at the slope leading to the school gate.

A biting wind whistled softly through the power lines, and the asphalt pavement of the slope was covered with dead branches, making a "crunching" sound when you stepped on them.

The students I encountered, regardless of gender, were all dressed in thick winter clothes, with scarves wrapped around their necks, and they were exhaling white breath as they spoke.

Compared to them, Yui Kichikawa's clothes looked too thin.

Tazaki Tsukasa ran forward. The blonde girl was wearing a light brown autumn school uniform jacket, with a simple gray-black Scottish kilt underneath. Between the white stockings and the hem of the skirt, her fair and delicate skin was reddened by the cold wind.

Good morning, President.

Qichuan Yui nodded, not intending to say anything.

In the first week of December, the eldest brother successfully won the student council president election and became the new president. From that day on, Tsukasa Tazaki was considered to have connections at school; if he encountered any trouble, he could always get it resolved by going through the president's back door.

Of course, there are consequences to using connections.

As the assistant to Yui Kiseki on two consecutive large-scale events, he naturally became the president's personal assistant.

Why is it called private?

Because he hasn't officially joined the student council yet...

"Isn't Yui cold?" Tsukasa Tazaki asked.

"I have a necklace, so I'm not cold." Qichuan Wei quickened her pace slightly, as if she wanted to shake him off.

Tazaki Tsukasa then remembered that he had given her a necklace that said "you won't feel cold in winter or hot in summer," but that wasn't the point. The point was that his older brother was still angry.

unknown reason.

She's been like this ever since the sports festival; she always treats him with indifference.

According to Tazaki Tsukasa's speculation, it is highly likely that the request for her to perform at the sports festival is now being used against him as a form of retaliation.

I changed into indoor shoes at the shoe cabinet and went up the stairs.

Tsukasa Tazaki then asked, "Christmas is just around the corner after the exams, Yui, do you want to...?"

Before he could finish speaking, Yui Kichikawa interrupted him: "There are arrangements at home."

"Another party or something? How boring..."

"I didn't say you had to come."

"Xiaowei, how about this? I'll go with you this afternoon, and you can come with me tonight?"

"What's the reason?"

"This is the first Christmas that Xiaowei and I have spent together!"

“If you really can’t find anyone to keep you company,” Yui Kikawa casually tossed her dazzling long golden hair, her tone as proud as ever, “then I can only sacrifice some of my personal time so that you don’t have to have a ‘Lonely Christmas’.”

lovely!

Super cute!

Super incredibly cute!

On the path of being arrogant and aloof, the eldest brother is getting smoother and smoother.

Apart from Kuriyama Sakura, Tazaki Tsukasa had never heard anyone else say such a standard tsundere statement, and couldn't help but laugh.

Kikawa Yui rolled her eyes at him.

Long, slender legs encased in white stockings, clad in spotless white flats, the pure and noble blonde girl quickened her pace, leaving him behind in the stairwell.

Back in the classroom, the warm air made me groan comfortably.

With just over ten minutes left before the first subject, Mandarin, the students in the class were mostly chatting, their greetings and idle chatter creating a noisy cacophony.

Some people are frantically studying with their textbooks; we should try our best not to give up if we can salvage the situation.

Tsukasa Tazaki returned to his seat and breathed hot air onto the window. After the glass fogged up, he wiped it while gazing at the Yotsuya street scene outside.

The atmosphere was still and spotless, the blue of the sky appearing even deeper and more distant. A dry north wind blew from Siberia, carrying not a trace of moisture, making the rooftops of the residential area even clearer, as if they were being secretly dampened and gleaming faintly.

A few crows flew out from among the ginkgo trees whose leaves were almost gone, drew a circle in the sky, and landed on the rusty wire mesh of the tennis court, watching the school building with the vigilance of police officers monitoring suspects.

Autumn and winter always give people a bleak feeling...

The exam bell rang, and the third-grade teacher entered the classroom of Class F, Grade 1, carrying a bag of exam papers.

A few seconds before the exam papers were handed out, Tsukasa Tazaki suddenly remembered a haiku.

The chill is deepening; I wonder what the people next door are doing?

Who made this?

I can't remember it right now.

……

After school, in the ATF club activity room, Tsukasa Tazaki and Sakura Kuriyama discussed this haiku.

“It’s a haiku by Matsuo Bashō,” Kuriyama Sakura opened her laptop on the desktop, glanced up at him, and said, “Besides, the original line is ‘autumn’s feeling’ not ‘chill’, so there’s no need to distort the ancient poet’s words to try and trick me.”

"What it means is not important; what's important is why you want to know what the people next door are doing."

"The reason I want to know what the people next door are doing is simply because of the sadness and loneliness that autumn brings. Because of loneliness, I care more about someone than usual and miss their existence more."

"No wonder when I was taking the Mandarin exam, all I could think about was the Minister's face!"

"Don't give me that..." Kuriyama Sakura smiled contemptuously, "This level of skill might fool Shikami, but it won't work on me at all."

"Then I'll go talk to Lu Jian."

"Come back here!"

Tsukasa Tazaki turned around and smiled smugly: "Please give your instructions, Minister."

"Go make me some tea!" Kuriyama Sakura ordered angrily.

"clear."

Tsukasa Tazaki went to the cupboard, boiled water, and washed the cups.

Kuriyama Sakura sat upright by the window, listening to the clinking of glasses. She opened the school's counseling email and began to select the less troublesome emails to reply to.

After being annoyed by Tsukasa Tazaki, her mood was not affected at all; on the contrary, she felt a little excited.

"Wow, it's so cold outside..."

Ninomiya Shiori suddenly pushed open the door, hurriedly closed it, and then snuggled into Kuriyama Sakura's arms. "This wind is almost blowing Shiori-chan back to her hometown in Hokkaido. Sakura, hurry up and warm me up."

"The winter winds blowing from Siberia will only blow you to the Pacific Ocean," Kuriyama Sakura corrected helplessly. Looking at her rosy cheeks from the cold, she couldn't help but put down the keyboard and gently cup her cheeks with her hands. "Are you warm now?"

Shiori Ninomiya blinked and smiled mischievously.

This gesture is exceptionally cute, and it also contains an unusual level of intimacy and dependence.

"You two have such a good relationship..." Tsukasa Tazaki returned with three cups of black tea, protesting with a hint of dissatisfaction: "As the club president and vice president, how can you openly show affection in an event? Have you considered how I, the only member, feel?"

Kuriyama Sakura gently stroked her chin, looking as if she was thinking about something.

After a while, she looked up at Tsukasa Tazaki, her eyes conveying a bright light.

Tsukasa Tazaki obediently turned around and went to the refrigerator to get some snacks and fruit.

"Haha," Shiori Ninomiya laughed without any restraint, "Poor Kiki..."

The daylight hours are significantly shortened in winter. Around five o'clock, the sun begins to set and is about to disappear behind the Yotsuya high-rise.

Looking out the window on the fifth floor of the ATF building, the street corner across the street was already tinged with orange. Between the office buildings and the mixed-use buildings, there were rows of utility poles, their wires stretching across the sky, where rows of crows rested, casting long black shadows on the ground.

"Phew, the black tea is so comforting."

Shiori Ninomiya let out a comfortable sigh and placed the mug back on the table.

"Winter break is almost here..." Tsukasa Tazaki looked at her slender neck. "Was this semester very memorable for Shiori?"

"Mmm-hmm." The little cutie nodded vigorously.

Seeing her excited expression, Kuriyama Sakura couldn't help but smile.

"To be honest, I also feel a sense of relief." Tsukasa Tazaki slowly sipped his black tea, his thoughts drifting. "School festival, school trip, sports festival, the student council election a while ago—there's been so much going on this semester. But luckily, we've managed to bring everything to a perfect close. Cheers!"

"cheers!"

The three of them drank the black tea in their cups in one gulp, and simultaneously let out a soft breath, the bottom of the cups still warm.

Kuriyama Sakura turned her head and looked at the little cutie's hand: "Shiori, would you like me to pour you another cup?"

"Okay, thank you, Sakura." Shiori Ninomiya happily pushed the cup towards her.

"Tazaki-kun, bring your cup too."

"Eh?" Tsukasa Tazaki was flattered and handed over the cup with both hands.

“For Shiori-chan’s sake,” Kuriyama Sakura glanced at him, pouting her soft lips, “This is a one-time thing, and it won’t happen again.”

"This discrimination is too obvious!"

Hearing Tazaki Tsukasa's protest, Kuriyama Sakura narrowed her eyes slightly, looking at him with a terrifying gaze: "These are the words you said back then. Even if it's differential treatment, it's just using their own methods against them!"

"Did I say that..." Tsukasa Tazaki was unsure.