My love index is at its maximum.

"what happened?"

A voice suddenly came from beside her, startling Shiori Ninomiya. She then noticed that Tsukasa Tazaki was looking at her strangely.

"What? What happened?" Her heart was pounding.

“You’re blushing,” Tsukasa Tazaki said, pointing to her cheek.

"what?"

Shiori Ninomiya subconsciously reached out and touched her cheek.

"Haha, you got tricked." Tsukasa Tazaki leaned over and put his arm around her shoulder. "Why are you spacing out while walking? I saw you almost fall several times just now."

"Hehe~" Shiori Ninomiya laughed foolishly.

Tazaki Tsukasa glanced down at her: "You still need to gain some weight, otherwise I'm afraid a strong wind will blow you away."

"Ugh, don't say that!"

Ninomiya Shiori complained unhappily.

This person is really something. Why does she always want to gain weight? And her mother too. As a woman herself, doesn't she know that weight is one of the most important indicators for a girl's life?

If one of them weren't my favorite boy and the other wasn't my mother, I would definitely have blacklisted them on social media.

As they walked, passing scattered houses, the pebbled path gradually turned into a narrow dirt road. By this time, the two had left the village and were in a pine forest so quiet that they could almost hear the sound of falling snow. They walked along a path trodden through the weeds toward the ski resort ahead.

From the weeds on both sides, an old stone tablet or a small Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva statue would occasionally peek out.

As the day progressed towards noon, the temperature gradually rose.

The bright sunshine evokes images of a warm spring morning.

Although there was no wind or the sound of flowing water that seemed to carry a tender, lingering quality, ten minutes after entering the thicket, Tsukasa Tazaki took off his gloves and removed his scarf.

“It’s like spring,” he said.

“It’s still early,” Shiori Ninomiya retorted, leaning against him.

The sunlight was soft and gentle. She looked up several times, enjoying this rare moment of warmth in the winter. Her right hand was in her coat pocket, and her left hand was in Tsukasa Tazaki's palm.

Tazaki Tsukasa held her warm little hand and thought to himself, "The New Year is here, can spring be far behind?"

As they admired the surrounding scenery, the two strolled toward the ski resort on the mountainside.

During this time, Shiori Ninomiya hardly spoke.

It wasn't that she had nothing to say to Kiki, but rather that she felt there was no need to talk.

The pristine white snow, the birds with small red berries in their beaks, the thick leaves of winter vegetables bent low in the fields, the snow-covered rooftops—all the familiar sights seemed to have a different visual appeal, giving people a strange sense of intimacy.

After walking along the path through the weeds for a while, you come to a gentle slope where the mixed trees become sparser.

Before you lies a wide, gentle slope, with a few dozen tourists dressed in various colored ski suits scattered across the pure white snow.

Tsukasa Tazaki slowly stretched.

Looking down the ski slope from here, you can clearly see the outline of the entire town, but it looks more like a distant, ethereal phantom.

"The entrance is over there."

Shiori Ninomiya took his hand and led him toward the ski slope surrounded by barbed wire. Sure enough, there was a small gate with the iron gate opening outwards.

“This ski resort is free for residents of the town,” she explained.

After changing into ski suits in the changing room and putting on goggles and gloves, the two met up at the starting point.

"Has Kiki skated before?"

"Not yet, but you don't need to worry about me at all."

Tsukasa Tazaki's expression was confident.

With his exceptional physique and mastery of the skill, he wouldn't be stumped by something as simple as skiing.

“You’ll enjoy skiing more if you have an experienced person to teach you than if you ski alone,” Shiori Ninomiya said, turning to look at him.

I won't give you a chance to take advantage of me!

With a proud turn of his head, Tsukasa Tazaki dashed off from the starting line.

It was moving very fast and had a strong momentum, so after crashing into the tree, it fell into the snow in a particularly disheveled state, tumbling several times before finally stopping.

"Haha~" Ninomiya Shiori slid to his side with a gloating laugh, looking down at him lying on the ground: "Still dare to talk big?"

"Once I master the cornering technique, I'll make sure you can't even see my butt!" Tazaki Tsukasa said defiantly, slapping the snow off his face.

Shiori Ninomiya extended her hand to him: "Get up and continue."

She is petite, yet her skiing is incredibly agile and fast, and she seems to have quite good stamina.

"You should teach me how to turn first." Tsukasa Tazaki reached out his hand and didn't want to let go.

"I won't give you the chance to take advantage of me!" Shiori Ninomiya retaliated with a proud "humph."

After Tsukasa Tazaki stood up, she pushed him hard from behind.

"Eh?"

Tazaki Tsukasa realized what was happening and quickly swooped downwards.

Fortunately, there weren't many people here; fortunately, he had a strong enough mentality; fortunately, falling in the snow didn't hurt...

Shiori Ninomiya followed behind him with a delighted air, her graceful figure as beautiful as a snow sprite.

In just half an hour, Tazaki Tsukasa's movements began to become more standardized, smoother, and his speed became more and more under his control.

"Shiori, come here."

Feeling that he was ready, Tsukasa Tazaki waved to Shiori Ninomiya.

"What's wrong?" Shiori Ninomiya approached him.

"Let's fly together, let me take Shiori-chan with me!"

With Tsukasa Tazaki supporting her shoulders, Shiori Ninomiya brought her legs together to reduce the area of ​​the skis, and the two of them rushed downhill one after the other.

He controls the direction, and when he encounters a steep slope, he doesn't turn but flies directly over it.

“kiki~”

"what?"

"The feeling of flying is so exhilarating!"

"Should we go faster?"

"Okay, hey... there are people ahead!"

Before hitting the slow-moving passenger in front of her, she instinctively closed her eyes and covered her face with her hands.

Tsukasa Tazaki held her shoulders tightly and laboriously swerved slightly, successfully avoiding a rear-end collision. However, the passenger in front seemed to be startled by Shiori Ninomiya's voice and lost control of her skiing path, crashing into someone next to her. That person then crashed into another person, and screams filled the entire ski slope as a chain reaction of collisions unfolded one after another.

Sorry!

Shiori Ninomiya shouted excitedly, then left gracefully under Tsukasa Tazaki's lead.

After sliding down to the bottom of the mountain again, the two took a cable car back to the starting point.

"Hahaha, this is so much fun!" Shiori Ninomiya looked at the ski resort below the cable car, her voice changing with excitement.

Tsukasa Tazaki stood next to her and reached out to wipe her face.

The little face, covered up tightly, also gained a touch of childishness.

"Is something wrong?" Shiori Ninomiya subconsciously touched her face.

Wrapped in a thick ski suit, she looked petite and adorable, her big eyes holding a mischievous charm—unlike Hoshino Shikami's憨憨气质 (simple and honest demeanor), she was truly as clever and cute as an elf.

"There are snowflakes." Tsukasa Tazaki brushed the snowflakes off her cheek and couldn't help but lean his face closer. In the warm cable car, he could clearly smell her body fragrance.

Shiori Ninomiya leaned closer and hugged Tsukasa Tazaki.

“kiki~”

"Ok?"

Can I ask you a question?

"As many questions as you like!"

"One is enough, but you must answer honestly."

"I'll tell you anything you want to know!"

"If I make up my mind to leave you in the future, will you let me go?"

"will not."

"What if I cry and want to leave?"

"That's even less likely."

"Um--"

Shiori Ninomiya emitted a nasal sound that seemed to acknowledge the answer, yet also seemed to lack any specific meaning.

After a while, she asked again, "What about Hoshino-sensei?"

After a slight hesitation, Tsukasa Tazaki replied, "Perhaps..."

"Kiki always treats me differently!" Shiori Ninomiya frowned unhappily.

"You only just realized this now? It's too late." Tsukasa Tazaki shook his head and smiled, looking down at the ski resort below the cable car, which was surrounded by pine forests that resembled high walls.

Near the bottom of the ski slope are stretches of farmland, a vast expanse of white, with no sign of crops yet.

"Kiki, I need your help with something..."

As she spoke, Shiori Ninomiya suddenly sat between his legs and touched his lips with her fingers.

"What is it?" Tsukasa Tazaki looked at himself reflected in her eyes.

"If you really make me cry, remember to come and comfort me right away~"

In the warm cable car, her voice was so soft it sounded like she had no strength, yet her expression was unwavering.

"Okay~" Tsukasa Tazaki nodded.