My love index is at its maximum.

Tsukasa Tazaki curiously leaned closer, intending to eavesdrop.

"Don't come any closer..." Shimamoto Kana scolded playfully.

A leg clad in white stockings stretched out and stepped on his lips, even flattening his face.

The feel, the size, everything is the most beautiful shape for my wife.

"...Why have you also learned to step on people?" Tsukasa Tazaki asked angrily.

No sooner had she finished speaking than Hoshino Hanami kicked him in the face, glaring at him with a brutal expression: "Tonight, it's either you die or I die!"

"..."

How terrifying.

Tsukasa Tazaki shrank back.

On his left and right cheeks were imprints of Shimamoto Kana's white stockings and Hoshino Hanami's bare feet, respectively. He smelled the scent of their washed feet and felt a little dizzy.

Shimamoto Kana tilted her head, staring at Hoshino Hanami, remaining motionless for a long time. Only her back trembled rhythmically with her breathing. Dressed in a white wedding dress, she appeared vulnerable and defenseless.

In her memory, Hoshino Hanami was a beautiful and strong woman who was capable of managing the entire Sakura family. But when she saw her now, she realized that she was not as strong as she had imagined in front of Tazaki Tsukasa. Instead, she showed a helpless and somewhat lonely complex expression.

After a while, Shimamoto Kana spoke softly: "I'm very sorry about what happened tonight."

She probably realized that her behavior tonight had gone a bit too far, and her face turned red as she spoke: "To be honest, it's a problem caused by my own anxiety. What am I anxious about? For example, love, a peaceful, stable, and happy family, and a simple life."

Hoshino Hanami scratched her cheek with her finger.

"Hanami," Shimamoto Kana clasped her hands together in front of her face, her shoulders trembling slightly, "You know what? All along, I've been envious, or rather, jealous of you..."

“How would I know?” Hoshino Hanami shook her head.

Kana Shimamoto suddenly chuckled and leaned close to her ear, saying, "It's strange, isn't it? I want to tell you everything. But there's no need to say it out loud, since you're so smart you must already know."

He spoke very softly, and Tsukasa Tazaki couldn't hear him clearly.

He could only hear fragmented words such as "as long as you don't separate us," "I can call you sister," "I'm just being a cheater anyway," and "together, no." Because the voices were too low, he couldn't piece together a complete picture for a while.

Just as she was wondering, Hoshino Hanami suddenly unconsciously gripped the energy lamp in front of her chest with one hand.

She was usually tall and dashing, but at this moment she appeared somewhat frail and thin. She sat on the headboard with her knees bent, slightly biting her lower lip.

The request she had just heard seemed to have left her somewhat dazed.

After maintaining this posture for a while, Hoshino Hanami finally came to her senses and looked at Tazaki Tsukasa, who was being trampled underfoot, with a complicated expression.

The boy she loved was an extremely promiscuous young man.

"Uh, I didn't hear that..." Tsukasa Tazaki raised his hand, "Can we talk about this?"

His response was a powerful kick from Shimamoto Kana.

It went down with a "bang".

Tsukasa Tazaki fell off the bed.

"Go stand by the window and don't disturb our conversation!" Shimamoto Kana rarely showed any toughness in front of him.

"Hana-nee?" Tsukasa Tazaki asked softly, swallowing hard with a loud, unnatural sound. "Uh, don't hold back. Just say whatever's on your mind. If you want to hit someone, come at me..."

After saying that, he went to the window and pretended to look outside.

Snowflakes drifted down, and the world was quiet. Suddenly, he heard the sound of a zipper, followed by the subtle sound of stockings being removed.

Kana Shimamoto gently embraced Hanami Hoshino's shoulders, pulled open the necklace behind her suit, and gently, like untying a gift ribbon, removed her Ultraman dress, leaving her only in her underwear.

She looks tall and attractive when she's dressed, but she looks much fuller than you'd imagine when she's only wearing underwear.

"What an enviable figure."

As she spoke, Kana Shimamoto bent down and took out a complete set of pure white wedding dresses from the bedside table, smiling gently, "I also prepared one for you."

What are those two doing...? Tazaki Tsukasa kept thinking about the commotion behind her and the snippets of conversation she had just overheard, considering what these fragments might mean when put together. Naturally, an extremely absurd idea flashed through her mind...

My heart suddenly warmed up.

To calm himself down, Tsukasa Tazaki had no choice but to open the window a little to let in some fresh air.

It's very cold outside.

He let the cold wind tousle his hair and seep into his collar, his thoughts slowly returning to clarity.

In the dark room, under Shimamoto Kana's gentle movements, Hoshino Hanami slowly had a pure white gauze dress slowly covering her body.

"Hanami is so beautiful." Shimamoto Kana praised, cleared her throat and laughed. "But I won't just give it away like that. Not only that, if I don't see Tazaki, I'll be so distracted that my mind goes blank and I can't think of anything."

Tazaki Tsukasa heard the sound of a zipper, followed by the sound of stockings being put on.

"It sounds like you've been bewitched." Hoshino Hanami chuckled softly, trying not to appear too surprised.

“That’s really true. Don’t you think so, Hanami?” Shimamoto Kana moved behind her and saw her exposed back. She gently stroked it with her fingers, finding it smooth and soft to the touch.

Hoshino Hanami shook her head: "It's alright."

"You're so stubborn." Shimamoto Kana gently held her hand. "He's funny and considerate. I think Hanami should understand what I mean now, she should understand."

The voice sounded like someone had just started singing, and the hands were warm, damp, and slippery.

Hoshino Hanami got goosebumps starting from her elbows.

She felt no displeasure at Shimamoto's sudden show of weakness, but she was unsure how to respond.

Should one be more assertive or show their magnanimity?

As she pondered what to do, the scent of sweat wafted from the hair resting on her shoulder. Sometimes, the hair would drift onto her nose, giving her the urge to inhale it fully, causing her to breathe rapidly and almost unbearably.

“Whether he’s married or not doesn’t matter.” Shimamoto Kana looked at her, smiled mischievously, then took her hand and rested her head on her shoulder like a girl coaxing an adult. “Anyway, Tazaki will only marry you, I’m fully aware of that. But even if he’s marrying into the family, he shouldn’t be living with Sakura’s family, don’t you think?”

Hoshino Hanami looked towards the window.

The young boyfriend's back still looked upright, and his heavy breathing reached the bedside, only to be blurred and swallowed by the darkness.

"You're all dressed up in your wedding dress, now he can see you!" Shimamoto Kana's cheeks began to bead with sweat. She narrowed her eyes and wrinkled her nose slightly. "Tazaki, come here!"

Ugh……

Hoshino Hanami sighed.

Slowly closing her eyes, a tear welled up in the darkness and silently slid down her cheek...

……

Snowflakes fell on the eaves, and dim light shone in through the window. Tsukasa Tazaki stood there for a while, then finally sighed, turned around, and walked back.

Things eventually became clear.

The greatest responsibility definitely lies with myself. It seems that I have no other choice but to try to win their compromise and tolerance as honestly as possible.

In the silvery-gray light, Hoshino Hanami crossed her arms slightly, looking a little embarrassed.

The pure white wedding dress outlined the smooth curves of her figure, and the floral decorations on her chest were quite eye-catching. The beautiful curves extended downwards from her chest and parted elegantly at her feet, like the tail fins of a mermaid.

Looking at Hoshino Hanami in front of him, Tazaki Tsukasa remained silent for a long time.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"My sister has gotten much better."

Hoshino Hanami looked at him with blurry vision.

The thin veil covering her head, like snowflakes drifting in from outside the window, draped over her face, making her look fragile, beautiful, and melancholic.

Chapter 321 Snow Country

12 month 27 day.

I woke up at seven in the morning, and the sunlight was just coming out of the window.

After washing up, Tsukasa Tazaki took out milk from the refrigerator and put the bread into the electric oven. The bread smelled nice after it was baked.

From the kitchen window, you can see pretty dresses hanging on the clothesline in your neighbor's yard. In the distance, you can hear the sound of someone practicing piano, and several black crows perched on a telephone pole, cawing incessantly.

After stuffing two slices of toast into her stomach, the crow flew away, leaving only the pretty dress and the telephone pole behind.

In short, it's a winter vacation morning, so the crows probably don't have to go to school and are definitely out playing somewhere else.

Thinking this way, I immediately felt cheerful, and even the most mundane place seemed full of life.

Tsukasa Tazaki washed the dishes and put them in the sink, fed Mei the cat breakfast, and then went to a nearby supermarket to buy a dozen cans of cat food and cat litter, as well as a new set of pajamas and underwear.

There was a ticket agency in front of Sendagaya Station, where he picked up two tickets he had booked for today's flight to Asahikawa. Then he bought two hardcover books at a nearby bookstore to pass the time.

When I got home, I changed Mei's cat litter.

Shiori Ninomiya arrived at eight o'clock, her face still radiating a sweet smile.

Seeing such a smile can bring you a wonderful mood.

"Let's go home." Tsukasa Tazaki patted her head, picked up his luggage, and left.

The driver was already waiting outside. While waiting for the two, he carefully wiped the Cullinan's windshield with a cloth. The massive vehicle was spotless, gleaming brilliantly in the sunlight.

On the flight to Asahikawa, Shiori Ninomiya kept looking out the window at the scenery below, while Tsukasa Tazaki was watching "Killing Commendatore" next to her.

The winter sky is clear and cloudless, and the ground is always visible.

“What a beautiful day!” Shiori Ninomiya exclaimed, gazing at the sky. “How should I put it? It’s practically transparent.”

Tsukasa Tazaki nodded.

"With the weather this clear, God's will is probably easier to convey, right?"

"That's not true. The will is already in everything, in the flowers, in the stones, in the clouds..."

What are you saying?!

At 3 p.m., the plane landed at Asahikawa Airport.

"Remember to wear warm clothes," Shiori Ninomiya reminded him. "Asahikawa is very cold in winter, with temperatures usually dropping to minus 20 or 30 degrees Celsius."

"Would the iron railings taste sweet if you licked them in this weather?" Tsukasa Tazaki asked curiously as he put on his clothes.

He was only wearing a sweater and a red and black down jacket, which Kana Shimamoto had chosen for him; it was a rather fashionable style.

"I don't know if the railing is sweet, but my tongue is definitely sweet," Shiori Ninomiya said cheerfully.