My love index is at its maximum.

Amidst these strange sounds, she could vividly imagine the actions of Tsukasa Tazaki and Hanami Hoshino, the images clearly imprinted in her mind.

Sometimes when she woke up in the middle of the night, Kuriyama Sakura could hear the two of them snuggled in the blankets, talking about something, occasionally covering their mouths and giggling, and then she could hear the sound of kissing.

In any case, she herself found it somewhat unbelievable.

She didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

Although Hoshino Hanami's panting kept reaching her ears, and she could hear them laughing as they nestled in bed, Kuriyama Sakura felt completely at peace and didn't have any strange thoughts.

They are truly a happy couple.

It was really strange that Kuriyama Sakura had fallen so blindly in love with this boy that year, but apart from occasionally feeling slightly jealous because of the infatuated look that Tazaki Tsukasa gave Hoshino Hanami, she didn't feel jealous or dissatisfied.

She gradually grew to like this unusual way of getting along and became addicted to it.

Chapter 331 About Sakura's Past Illness

On the 9th, the cold wave finally passed.

But the weather didn't improve much; the sky remained overcast, and it started raining and snowing from the morning.

The room lights were turned on, casting a soft glow on the pristine white bedding. After a rustling sound, Hoshino Hanami whispered, "You're wearing them inside out!"

Tsukasa Tazaki poked his head out helplessly: "I was already wearing them, why didn't you say so sooner!"

"How am I supposed to know it's backwards if you don't help me put it on!" Hoshino Hana, seeing the lingering blush on her face, giggled and accused him, "You did it on purpose, you didn't want your older sister to wear it, did you?"

"It's clearly because you don't want to wear it!"

"You won't... Ah—no, no, Tazaki-nii-san, have mercy..."

Sensing that Tsukasa Tazaki was fidgeting again, Hanami Hoshino immediately gave in.

Tazaki Tsukasa smiled irritably, withdrew his hand, and sat down by the window: "You dress yourself, I can't be bothered with you."

"Hana-mi doesn't want to move..."

"Then go naked."

“Fine, then I’ll stay naked.” Hoshino Hanami sat up, wrapped in the blanket, and rested her head on his shoulder. “When Sakura comes back and sees her sister like this, let’s see how you explain it to her…”

"You're threatening me?"

"No, no, I wouldn't dare threaten Tazaki-nii. At most, I could only tell Sakura that some pervert has satisfied himself and then abandoned his sister here. As for which pervert it is... don't worry, his sister would rather die than reveal his name, Tazaki Tsukasa."

"surrender!"

Tsukasa Tazaki crawled back into bed and helped her put on her underwear.

"Tazaki-nii-san is the best!" Hoshino Hanami happily leaned on his shoulder, sniffing the lingering smell: "Open the window, it's suffocating."

Tsukasa Tazaki opened the glass window a crack, and immediately, a gust of cold wind rushed in.

It was around 3 p.m., and the world as far as the eye could see was gray and desolate, with empty streets and a bleak and dreary atmosphere.

"It's more comfortable to stay in bed in this kind of weather," Hoshino Hanami yawned lazily.

"Isn't it just that I'm thinking about those things?" Tsukasa Tazaki retorted.

"Sister wants to, so why doesn't little brother want to?"

The two looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh.

"I love people like you who aren't pretentious at all." Tsukasa Tazaki put one arm around her shoulder and picked up a half-read manga from the floor with the other to flip through it.

Hoshino Hanami rested her chin on his shoulder, remaining obediently still like a little girl, her bright eyes gazing at him.

Satisfaction and warmth flow through the blood, permeating every part of the body.

The sounds of wind and rain, falling snow, and occasional car horns could be faintly heard outside, as if separated by another world.

“Hey, Tazaki,” Hoshino Hanami said, watching him flip through a manga, “School’s about to start.”

"Yes, less than a week."

"My sister doesn't want to be a teacher anymore."

"Why?" Tsukasa Tazaki turned around and looked at her radiant face.

Looking at the boy with whom she had a close relationship, Hoshino Hanami puffed out her cheeks and said defiantly, "If I don't become a teacher, I can justifiably monopolize you every day."

Tsukasa Tazaki leaned down and kissed her forehead: "Now I've been taking over her every day."

"Not enough!" Hoshino Hanami hugged his shoulders tightly and shook her head repeatedly: "I want more and more, sister."

This is the truth.

Whether it's naivety or innocence.

It was precisely this desire for more and more that made her cherish the happiness and fulfillment she felt with Tsukasa Tazaki.

During her stay at the sanatorium, Hoshino Hanami became unusually clingy and dependent, spending all her time with Tazaki Tsukasa, enjoying his meticulous care.

She deliberately teased and opposed him in front of Sakura, but quickly softened and begged for forgiveness when she was retaliated against.

If she woke up in the middle of the night and needed to use the restroom, she would wake up Tsukasa Tazaki and have him carry her to the restroom door. After she finished, she would have him carry her back to the room. Otherwise, she would refuse to use the restroom and would keep bothering Tsukasa Tazaki to prevent him from sleeping.

Even Sakura couldn't stand this behavior and called her a "Siamese twin."

Hoshino Hanami didn't care at all.

She wanted Tsukasa Tazaki to do these things for her so that she could greedily enjoy this level of intimacy that even married couples might not have.

Hoshino Hanami hugged Tazaki Tsukasa: "You belong to Hanami-neechan, and no one can take you away."

“I’ve been the older sister for a long time,” Tazaki Tsukasa replied, his hands stroking Hoshino Hanami’s back as if searching for something.

"How many people have you said this to?"

“I’ve never said that to anyone…” Tsukasa Tazaki muttered to herself. “To other people, I always say ‘you are mine,’ but only to my sister do I say ‘I am the older sister.’”

"Really?"

"Of course it's true. Even in front of Shimamoto-sensei, I would say 'you are mine'."

"Ah."

Hoshino Hanami closed her eyes and remained motionless in his arms, her heart beating rapidly yet gently.

It was still raining outside the window, the winter rain as clear and distinct as ice as it fell on the ground. I could hear the rain dripping from the eaves, but the sense of distance was hard to grasp.

A moment later, Hoshino Hanami opened her eyes and looked at him: "Please tell your wife that I will make sure she pays back the money she suffered last time!"

"...Huh?" Tsukasa Tazaki's face fell. "It's all in the past. Let's not dwell on what's past. Today, I'm planning to start a business with my aunt's help. We'll buy a big house by the end of the year, and everyone can have a go..."

Hoshino Hanami narrowed her eyes and stared at him meaningfully: "Oh—?"

very scary!

That look is terrifying!

Tazaki immediately shut up, revealing a fawning smile that resembled that of a lackey trying to please his master.

With a kind smile, Hoshino Hanami commanded, "Continue!"

"...We all lived together happily, calling each other sisters, and sharing the same blankets... Ouch, be gentle..."

"You've been getting too big for your britches these past few days, haven't you?" Hoshino Hanami grabbed one of his arms, pressed his head to the floor with her knee, and laughed coldly, "You want to sleep with me in the same bed? Don't even dream about that as long as your sister isn't dead!"

His face was squeezed out of shape, and Tazaki Tsukasa frantically pounded the floor with his other hand: "I was wrong, sister, I was really wrong, have mercy—"

Amidst his wailing, he couldn't help but find a way to console himself: Just you wait and see, my dear sister, one day I'll teach you a lesson and show you what it means to be the true head of the household!

……

By 5 p.m., the rain had subsided considerably.

Looking out the window, one can still see that the winter fog has obscured most of the sanatorium's building outlines, as if it were covered with a layer of ambiguous dust.

"Sister, I'm going to pick up Sakura."

"Okay, go ahead." Hoshino Hanami shook her hand and turned her gaze back to the comic book in her hands.

Tazaki Tsukasa then got up from the floor and rubbed his knees, which had gone numb from kneeling.

As he reached the door, Hoshino Hanami suddenly said, "Remember to buy a durian," which startled him so much that he almost tumbled down the stairs.

"elder sister……"

Tazaki Tsukasa leaned against the door and looked back, his expression almost tearful.

Hoshino Hanami burst out laughing, her laughter melodious and pleasant.

"Silly girl, I was just kidding."

Those clear, bright eyes blinked a few times, and she blew a kiss to Tsukasa Tazaki: "Go and come back quickly, your older sister is waiting for you in bed."

Her voice was sweet and languid, her expression both charming and innocent.

So beautiful.

How can there be such a pure yet alluring woman in this world!

"Just wait till tonight, I'll show you what I'm made of..." Tazaki Tsukasa forced back the thought of turning back to lie in bed, went downstairs, put on his thick snow boots, opened his umbrella, and went out.

As darkness began to fall, streetlights illuminated the roads, and a strong wind whipped raindrops onto the wet branches. In the distance, one could see cultivated land, the crops already harvested, some covered in snow, others a patch of withered weeds, all appearing desolate and indistinct.

Holding an umbrella, Tsukasa Tazaki walked down the slope and left the sanatorium where the patients lived.

After the alley turned a corner, he entered the sanatorium's commercial street and walked into a small supermarket.

The spacious store was nearly empty, with only a young clerk in a striped uniform sitting at the checkout counter, flipping through a weekly magazine for sale. When she saw Tsukasa Tazaki walk in, she put on a business-like smile and said, "Hello, Tsukasa-kun, your order is ready."

As she spoke, she took a full shopping bag from the counter—it contained lettuce, tomatoes, some fresh beef, and fresh milk.

"Thank you."

Tsukasa Tazaki paid and left with his shopping bags.

I walked along the commercial street for a few minutes, and while I was in a hurry, I opened the system to check the January mall update.

There weren't many surprises in terms of skills, but there were two interesting items.

One of the props is called the "Super Rubber Man," which can enlarge or shrink the human body by multiples of 1.25, 1.5, 2.0, and 5 according to the current proportions, with each change lasting for one hour.

Another item is the Sleeping Princess, a DIY accessory that has the effect of calming the mind, promoting sleep, and soothing emotions.