My love index is at its maximum.

She wore a thick brown trench coat over a white turtleneck sweater, paired with thick thermal pants and shiny white women's snow boots. Her plump and chubby appearance was quite adorable.

Tazaki Tsukasa couldn't resist pressing her down in the seat and pinching and rubbing her face hard for a while.

"Aaaaaah, Kiki, you bad girl, you big bad girl!"

The little cutie, with her red cheeks and baring her teeth, looked just like an angry little piglet.

When I got off the plane, the temperature was very low, but because there was no wind and the sky was bright, the perceived temperature wasn't too cold.

The shoes made a faint 'crunching' sound as they rubbed against the snow on the ground.

A sunny winter day perfect for a walk.

Because the in-flight meal didn't suit their taste, the two found a restaurant to eat as soon as they left the airport.

Each of them sipped warm tea and ate potatoes and salmon. The food was quite delicious, light and refreshing with a lingering aftertaste.

Looking out the restaurant window, the streets were covered in snow, and the pale blue sky on the edge of the city contrasted with the towering white peaks.

Gazing at the snow-capped mountains standing in the distance, Tsukasa Tazaki slowly exhaled.

A white mist, like a slowly building bridge, drifted towards Shiori Ninomiya. She sniffed and asked cautiously, "Kiki, what happened in the latter half of Christmas night?"

"We chatted for a while and I got punched a few times," Tsukasa Tazaki said, sipping his hot tea and nodding. "That's about it. It's nothing special. The two of them ganged up on me."

"But you don't seem to be in a good mood." Shiori Ninomiya adopted the demeanor of an intellectual older sister.

Seeing Tsukasa Tazaki's denial, she laughed and said, "Never mind, never mind, let's just say Shiori-chan is overthinking it."

After lunch, the two headed to Asahikawa Station.

The streets were covered with high, dirty snowdrifts, and the air was frigid. Pedestrians were particularly careful where they stepped, moving cautiously and quickly. Several girls, their cheeks flushed from the cold, exhaled puffs of white breath that seemed so white they could be written on.

Tazaki Tsukasa strolled leisurely, admiring the street scene.

"Kiki, hurry up! Daddy's already out to pick us up!"

The sun was shining brightly, and Shiori Ninomiya pulled his hand, urging him to walk faster.

Arriving at Asahikawa Station, I boarded a rural tram that leads to the town.

After the train left Asahikawa Station, the view outside the window became much more desolate, with scattered and inconspicuous buildings, resembling a snowy wilderness.

The small, two-section tram, with its mottled red paint, travels through snow-capped mountains and sunshine, as if traveling through a fairytale world.

As evening approached, Tsukasa Tazaki looked out the car window, the twilight gradually spreading across the snow.

As we approached Hamaka Town, the pale yellow sunset cast its rays upon the distant mountain peaks, making the thick white snow seem a little shy, revealing a hint of pink.

We arrived at the seaside town at 6 p.m.

After the sun set, the temperature plummeted, snowflakes drifted down from the sky, and there were hardly any people on the deserted platform. The lights in the corridor flickered on and off, like strange firelight swaying in the midnight.

A biting wind blew, and Shiori Ninomiya shivered, trying to tuck her exposed skin into her coat as much as possible.

Tsukasa Tazaki hugged her small body tenderly: "How about we stay in Tokyo for the New Year next year?"

"Is Kiki staying in Tokyo too?" Shiori Ninomiya asked, looking up at him.

The cold night air chilled her skin, and her rosy cheeks made her look even more beautiful.

Her cautious tone and unwavering, serious gaze revealed the sincerity of her feelings. Tazaki Tsukasa lowered his gaze, admiring her captivating beauty: "I'll also be spending New Year's in Tokyo next year."

“It’s a deal!” Shiori Ninomiya happily tugged at his fingertips, took a scarf from her suitcase, wrapped it around Tsukasa Tazaki’s neck, covered his mouth completely, and then wrapped it up to his cheeks.

This is a way to protect facial skin from being cracked by the cold wind.

Tazaki Tsukasa looked at her affectionately, feeling a sweet and peaceful atmosphere amidst the icy snow.

"How about we go skiing tomorrow?"

"Okay."

"Also, would you like to eat some rice cakes made by Shiori-chan herself?"

"Of course I want to!"

Shiori Ninomiya gently helped Tsukasa Tazaki wrap his scarf properly. Noticing the hem of his coat was sticking out, she tucked it back in naturally.

That posture almost made people forget about reality, and they could walk hand in hand towards the boundless distance.

Stepping out of the small station in Hamanaka-cho, surrounded by tranquility, Tsukasa Tazaki breathed quietly, watching the speed at which the snowflakes fell.

The snow on the road was deep, and the only sounds in the world were the two people talking and the crunching sound of their boots sinking into the snow.

"Really, what's wrong with Dad? Why isn't he here yet..." Shiori Ninomiya looked in the direction of the village, her brows furrowing in dismay.

The small houses with lights on are scattered like stars on the mountainside, giving a sense of desolation.

"It's probably because of the heavy snow and the difficult mountain roads," Tsukasa Tazaki comforted her.

"You should have told your daughter!"

Walking to the small waiting pavilion in front of the station, dimly lit, there was a tall cherry tree next to it, covered with snowflakes and all its leaves gone.

The two remained silent, as if by unspoken agreement.

Shiori Ninomiya caught a snowflake falling from a treetop in her soft palm, turned around and gave Tsukasa Tazaki a super sweet smile.

The faint lights of the mountain town illuminated the girl's face, and the indescribable beauty made Tsukasa Tazaki's heart tremble.

“Hey, Kiki,” she asked, “do you think this looks like a cherry blossom?”

Tazaki Tsukasa gazed into her clear eyes: "Are you frozen stiff? This doesn't look like cherry blossoms at all."

"You're the idiot!" Shiori Ninomiya yelled, scooping up a handful of snowflakes and throwing them at his face. "This is Shiori-chan's territory, you're dead!"

Tsukasa Tazaki shook his head to dodge the snowflakes she threw at him.

"Don't hide! Let me punish you on behalf of all of Hokkaido today!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Tsukasa Tazaki took a step forward and pulled her small body into his arms.

In this small, warm waiting shelter, it seemed as if the concept of time only existed within the two of them, running its own course.

"Kiki deserves to be beaten by Hoshino-sensei~" Ninomiya Shiori pouted and made a face at him.

Tsukasa Tazaki kissed her lips.

What I felt in that instant was the gentle tenderness in her heart, the softness and warmth of her lips, and the youthful vitality that nothing could match.

"Shiori~!"

A shout came from behind them, and the two turned around to look.

A man with a scarf wrapped around his nose and his hat pulled down to his ears walked briskly through the snow to greet me.

The wind was strong, and the sound was inaudible.

After walking a little closer, Shiori Ninomiya let go of Tsukasa Tazaki and rushed forward, asking, "Dad, why are you only coming now? Did something happen on the way?"

"It's nothing, it's just that the snow on the road was too deep and the car slipped. How are you, Shiori? Are you cold? Are you hungry?"

Ninomiya's father held his daughter's hands tightly with his red hands, and his voice sounded like he had been relieved.

Tazaki Shiratsu bowed and followed, greeting him politely, "Hello, Uncle."

"Oh, thank you for your hard work, Tazaki-kun." Ninomiya's father immediately beamed with joy. Seeing that Tazaki-kun wasn't wearing many clothes, he nagged, "Why are you only wearing so little? I'm wearing four layers! Young people just love to look good. When I was your age, I wore the same amount even on freezing days, and I just kept drinking. When I got drunk, I'd stagger around and sleep in the living room, and I'd catch a cold the next day!"

His voice was cheerful and rough, echoing loudly in the snowy night.

"Kiki is such a big idiot!" Shiori Ninomiya covered her frostbitten cheeks with her hands and complained sweetly to her father, "When he came back this afternoon, I told him to bring some warmer clothes, but he refused. The first night after the snow cleared up was especially cold. I wonder if he'll be freezing."

"Is the first night after a snowfall particularly cold?" This was the first time Tsukasa Tazaki had ever heard of such a thing.

“Yes, it’s several degrees colder than when it snows. Every year, a lot of cattle and sheep die from the cold.” Ninomiya’s father wrapped his coat tighter around himself and reached out to take the luggage from Tsaki’s hands as if he wanted to end the conversation quickly. “It’s cold outside. Let’s talk when we get home.”

In the dim light of the bus shelter, Tsukasa Tazaki noticed several scratches on his sleeves and around his eyes.

Shiori Ninomiya noticed it too, and immediately pointed at the scratches with a serious expression: "What happened to these? Tell me the truth, or I'll tell Mom you bullied me when I get home!"

“Uh… the car overturned,” Ninomiya’s father said, scratching his head shyly through his hat. “The roads were too slippery because of the snow, and the car spun off onto the edge of the field when I was turning… I couldn’t get the car up by myself, that’s why I came so late.”

"Dad, have you frozen your brain?"

Shiori Ninomiya was furious. She raised her little fists and punched her father's chest repeatedly: "How many times have I told you not to drive in such heavy snow? It's not like you haven't fallen before. That careless Toyota is going to be totaled sooner or later..."

She was aggressive, as if she were the head of the household.

As she scolded him, the girl's expression softened with concern. She stood on tiptoe to check the scrapes on her father's body, gently breathing on them: "Did you hurt yourself? Honestly, you're such a grown man and you still make your daughter worry... When we get home, I'll get Mom to give you a good scolding..."

"No, please don't let your mother know." Ninomiya's father smiled ingratiatingly and bent down to his daughter's side. "I bought you and Tazaki-kun two brand-new sets of ski equipment as a reward. You have to keep the crash a secret from your mother!"

"Brand new?" Shiori Ninomiya blinked.

“Yes, yes,” Ninomiya’s father nodded vigorously, “Even the ski slopes were repaired by Dad and the villagers, I guarantee you’ll have a great time!”

"Dad is the best dad in the world!"

Ninomiya Shiori cheered, a playful smile spreading across her face. "Don't worry, Shiori-chan has no idea why you were late tonight."

"No, you have to tell your dad a lie. Say that you were supposed to be home soon, but the car broke down and you have to leave it at the repair shop."

The scene of the father and daughter loudly plotting was both somewhat funny and heartbreaking.

On the way back to the village, Ninomiya's father was in high spirits, talking all the way about what had happened in the town since the beginning of winter.

First, he happily announced that the Asahikawa Municipal Government had sent three snowplows to clear snow from the roads. Then, he angrily berated one of the drivers, calling him an idiot for crashing into the town's already scarce green flowerbeds.

They also said that the snow was too heavy a while ago, and an avalanche occurred in the neighboring town, which destroyed a lot of power facilities. This area was also affected and had a power outage for a week.

Even the train tracks to Asahikawa were interrupted for a while. At that time, the villagers would ask him for help with anything they needed, and he said that during that period, he felt a sense of pride as a great hero who had saved the world.

When we reached the halfway point of the mountain, a small Toyota was lying quietly on the ridge of a field by the roadside.

Shiori Ninomiya happily took out her phone and snapped a picture from every angle, saying she would keep it to tease her dad later.

After walking a little further, she was so tired that she collapsed on the ground and refused to walk any further.

Of course, it's also possible that she was faking it. Anyway, she's so quirky and clever, it's hard to say that she didn't intentionally want Tsukasa Tazaki to carry her back.

Because of the clothes, the little cutie is much heavier than usual.

Carrying her on his back, he walked step by step through the snow towards the village on the mountainside.

"Kiki, kiki~"

Ninomiya Shiori, wanting to tease him, kept lifting his scarf and blowing air into his earlobe along the way.