My love index is at its maximum.

The breath that just blew over was warm, but after being blown by the cold wind of the mountain forest, it turned into a bone-chilling cold.

"Wait until your uncle is gone, and I'll see how I deal with you!" Tsukasa Tazaki threatened in a low voice, then glanced sideways at Ninomiya's father.

"Waaaah, Shiori-chan's scared~"

Shiori Ninomiya laughed without fear, wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, and looked ahead at the road.

Under the cover of snowy night, the rooftops of the farmhouses appeared even lower, as if the entire village was quietly nestled in the embrace of the mountains, fast asleep.

Chapter 322 Sugar and spices, and all good things.

"Mom, I'm home!"

The old-fashioned sliding door, blackened by coal smoke, was pulled open from the inside of the house, and Ninomiya's mother leaned out. Her round face with slightly raised cheekbones vaguely resembled that of a beauty.

When she saw her daughter, husband, and Tsukasa Tazaki beside her, she froze for a moment, speechless.

It wasn't that I was surprised that Tsukasa Tazaki was back, since we had already agreed on it. It was just that I hadn't seen my daughter for so long, and I didn't know how to express myself properly.

"Mom, how have you been lately?" Shiori Ninomiya jumped up onto the corridor, snuggled into her mother's arms, and smiled happily.

"Okay, that's already very good." Ninomiya's mother recovered and gently touched her daughter's face. "Let Mom see if you've gained any weight recently?"

"There's no reason for girls to be fat!" Shiori Ninomiya muttered.

Ninomiya's mother laughed and turned to look at Tsukasa Tazaki: "Tsukasa, it's been a long time. Come inside and warm up."

"Thank you, Auntie." Tsukasa Tazaki nodded and bowed before entering the house.

A gust of cold air swept into the room behind him, and the sound of the night wind sounded particularly mournful.

Ninomiya's mother took two pairs of slippers out of the shoe cabinet, one pair that Ninomiya Shiori wore at home, and the other a new pair. Ninomiya's father carried the luggage and placed it in the entryway, then immediately crawled into the kotatsu (heated floor mat), rubbing his hands together and breathing on them to warm them.

Shiori Ninomiya also crawled into the kotatsu and sat down, letting out a comfortable sigh.

Returning home from Tokyo was a long and arduous journey, and she was almost at her breaking point.

The food on the table was still steaming, and the aroma of the food wafted past my nose, making Takazaki feel a little hungry.

"You two should eat quickly, don't go hungry." Ninomiya's mother chuckled happily, then instructed Ninomiya's father, "Don't eat yet, go tidy up our daughter's room before you come over. Wait..."

She paused, looking at the scratches on her husband's face in surprise: "What happened to your face?"

"Uh, I tripped and fell on the way here." Ninomiya's father hurriedly gulped down a mouthful of hot tea, then turned and ran upstairs. "I'm going to tidy up Shiori's room. You take good care of Tazaki-kun."

"Wait a minute, didn't you drive there? Where's your car?"

"The car's out of gas!"

Before the words were even finished, the person had already run up the stairs, making a loud thumping sound on the wooden steps.

"Honestly, you're so unsteady..." Ninomiya's mother grumbled, then looked at Tsukasa Tazaki with a big smile: "Eat quickly, don't let the food get cold."

At the square wooden table, Ninomiya's mother sat on the side, leaving the head seat empty, while Ninomiya Shiori and Tazaki Tsukasa sat next to each other on the other side.

The dishes were simple and not particularly lavish, but they were all made from local produce and looked quite appealing.

Tazaki Tsukasa took a sip of the hot radish soup and said contentedly, "It's so wonderful to be able to drink hot soup made by my aunt on a cold winter night."

"Eat as much as you like," Ninomiya's mother said happily.

Her complexion was much better than before, and there were no longer any signs of the disease.

Shiori Ninomiya ate the stewed mushrooms in small bites.

Ninomiya's mother glanced at her and said again, "Shiori needs to eat more. I think she should gain at least ten more pounds."

"Mom, don't say that!" Shiori Ninomiya threw a tantrum on her fair face.

"Are girls in Tokyo all about being thin?" Ninomiya's mother asked, looking at Tsukasa Tazaki with a puzzled expression.

“That’s not true,” Tsukasa Tazaki shook his head. “At least in my opinion, girls who are a little chubby are cuter.”

Ninomiya's mother laughed a few times: "Shiori, did you hear that? Aren't you going to eat two more bowls of rice?"

"...When did you start liking chubby girls?"

Under the table, Shiori Ninomiya stretched out her fair and delicate foot and kicked Tsukasa Tazaki's foot.

Compared to the boy, her feet were much smaller and cuter.

Tazaki Tsukasa quietly reached under the table and lightly tickled her feet a few times.

"Yeah~"

Because of the itch, Shiori Ninomiya instinctively cried out, and her toes curled up instantly.

"What's wrong?" Ninomiya's father asked curiously.

"It's nothing~"

Shiori Ninomiya grabbed Tsukasa Tazaki's arm and shook her head, pretending to be nonchalant.

"Why is your face red?" Ninomiya's mother looked at her daughter meaningfully.

"Mom, have some soup!"

Shiori Ninomiya grinned and pushed the soup she had drunk from in front of her mother, then took the opportunity to pull her leg back.

After her mother finished her soup, she filled the bowl again and asked, "How about we make rice cakes tomorrow?"

"Didn't you never like eating rice cakes before?" Ninomiya's mother asked with a strange expression.

"Kiki wants to eat!"

Shiori Ninomiya answered very naturally.

"Haha, no problem." Ninomiya's mother laughed very happily.

Halfway through the meal, Ninomiya's father came down from the second floor and sat in the seat of honor. Ninomiya's mother took the opportunity to talk to him about making mochi.

“What’s so good about rice cakes? They’re sticky and don’t keep well…” He looked at Tsukasa Tazaki with a look of smug satisfaction. “Tomorrow, come with your uncle. Your uncle will make natto with you.”

"No natto! No natto!" Shiori Ninomiya pinched her nose and shook her head vigorously. "That stuff stinks! Don't touch natto!"

Tazaki Tsukasa originally wanted to give it a try, but seeing the little cutie's disgusted expression, he could only give Ninomiya's father an apologetic smile.

After dinner, Shiori Ninomiya went to the second-floor bathroom to take a shower.

Ninomiya's mother chatted with Tazaki Tsukasa for a while, asking her about the details of her daughter's life in Tokyo.

Tazaki Tsukasa tried to say nice things, and the atmosphere of the conversation was very relaxed throughout, which made Ninomiya's mother very satisfied.

"You must be very tired today, you should get some rest too. Tomorrow, Shiori will take you for a walk in the mountains."

"Okay, goodnight, Auntie."

After Tsukasa Tazaki went upstairs, Ninomiya's mother pulled Ninomiya's father aside and whispered something to him, mostly about her opinions on him.

On the second floor, at the end of a narrow corridor, stood a young girl in a nightgown, her hem spread out on the gleaming black floor, giving off a cold and aloof feeling.

"Waiting for me?" Tsukasa Tazaki stepped forward.

"Seeing you talking to Mom, I didn't dare go downstairs." Shiori Ninomiya could have turned her face away, but she lowered her gaze in embarrassment. "It's so embarrassing. Why didn't I feel this way before?"

"If anyone's embarrassed, it's me!" Tsukasa Tazaki sighed dramatically. "Auntie asked so many questions, I was so scared I couldn't even speak properly."

Shiori Ninomiya blushed, but pretended to be nonchalant: "What are you asking in such detail?"

"When she asked Shiori-chan if she was ever shy, or if she's always been as carefree as a boy," Tsukasa Tazaki teased, staring intently at her face as if he wanted to see her make a fool of herself.

"What's wrong with Mom? I don't look like a boy at all..."

Perhaps because she was at home, she changed her usual straightforward and bold style and became a little shy. When Tsukasa Tazaki teased her, she was so embarrassed that her neck turned red.

"Shiori-chan is so cute, like she's made of sugar, perfume, and some kind of chocolate." Tsukasa Tazaki slowly moved his face closer to her lips, his breathing quickening. "I want to eat her whole!"

"Hey, stop talking and go take a shower!"

A blush rose to Shiori Ninomiya's face as she smiled slightly and pushed him away, saying, "I'll go turn on the electric blanket and wait for you."

"What a spoilsport." Tazaki Tsukasa had no choice but to let her go for now, and took his clothes to the small bathroom to take a shower.

There was a small window in the bathroom, and looking out, you could see a frigid night scene. There was no moon, and the distant mountains were a dark, indistinct expanse.

It's as if you can hear the cracking of ice deep within the earth's crust, sealed by snow and ice, giving you a chilling, tranquil, and isolated feeling.

After taking a bath, I returned to Shiori Ninomiya's room, where two futons were laid out on the tatami mats.

It looks like they'll be sleeping separately.

Without even glancing at the second quilt, Tsukasa Kadoya crawled straight into the bed where Shiori Ninomiya was lying.

"Kiki, I'm so happy today~" Ninomiya Shiori smiled silly, then suddenly curled up and grabbed Tazaki Tsukasa's pajamas collar with both hands like a child. "Hokkaido is my home turf, Shiori-chan is invincible here!"

The lights were on indoors, and the dim light cast the shadows of her long eyelashes beneath her eyelids, making them flutter like the leaves of a mimosa.

Looking at her rosy cheeks, Tsukasa Tazaki kissed her lips.

Ninomiya Shiori kept her eyes closed and let him kiss her for a while before patting his back.

"Go back to your cup."

Her voice was slightly hoarse, which was captivating.

Tsukasa Tazaki held the girl's slender waist and whispered in her ear, "I promise I'll just sleep well tonight."

"Really?" Shiori Ninomiya looked up from his arms, her cheeks flushed as she pressed her face against Tsukasa Tazaki's palm. In the chill of this snowy night, this vibrant red could bring warmth to one's heart.

"Maybe it's true," Tsukasa Tazaki said vaguely.

What if you break your promise?

"That fulfills your wish."

"My wish?"

"Yes, I held your hands down and, ignoring your crying face, I forced myself on you."

"You really think that way?" Shiori Ninomiya smiled charmingly.

Perhaps she remembered "that" she had said at that moment, or perhaps Tsukasa Tazaki's words were too explicit, gradually turning her body red as well.

"You said it yourself, are you planning to renege on your debt now?" Tsukasa Tazaki joked.

"Are you laughing?" Shiori Ninomiya puffed out her cheeks. "Are you laughing at me? You're laughing at Shiori-chan, aren't you?"