My love index is at its maximum.

“This only proves that some people,” Kuriyama Sakura said with a defiant smirk, patting the German Shepherd’s belly, “even the dog doesn’t like her.”

"I refuse to believe it!" Kikawa Yui took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "Jiro, come over here."

This time, her voice was soft and gentle, with a touch of anime girl charm.

The German Shepherd stood up abruptly, barked twice, leaped over the ridge, and pounced on the blonde girl. It sniffed her face and then licked her hands, one on each side.

"Hey, eh, eh, eh -"

"Stop! Stop!"

Yui Kichikawa was clearly not used to such an enthusiastic little animal. Startled, she plopped down on the muddy ground, pushed the German Shepherd's head with both hands, and cried out anxiously, "Tazaki, come save me!"

Tazaki Tsukasa, who was standing a meter ahead of him building a ridge in the field, wiped his sweat.

"Erlang, come over here." He turned around and called out.

The German Shepherd then turned around and pounced on Tsukasa Tazaki.

"Damn it, everything is dirty..." Yui Kichikawa's clothes, face, and hair were covered in mud, making her look rather disheveled.

Kuriyama Sakura clapped her hands with delight: "It was a wonderful experience of rural life, wasn't it? Aren't you happy?"

"Yui, look over here," Tsukasa Tazaki called out.

While still cleaning the mud off her body, Kikawa Yui subconsciously looked up at him.

"Click~"

The viewfinder frames the scene, and the "tainted" blonde princess seems to blend into the fields, pastures, and river, becoming part of the beautiful years.

then.

Tsukasa Tazaki immediately sent the photo to Kurisu Sugawa.

The aunt, who had probably just gotten up and was having lunch, immediately called via video and gave her daughter a good laugh.

"Tsukasa Tazaki, I'll kill you!"

The blonde girl, blushing furiously, brandished a small shovel and chased after Tsukasa Tazaki across the field, oblivious to her image. The German Shepherd chased after them playfully, and the boy's loud pleas for mercy drifted far across the river to the pasture on the other side, where several lambs grazing curiously looked up.

Kuriyama Sakura sat on the handle of a hoe, a smile playing on her lips as she chased after the two people and the dog.

It wasn't anything particularly meaningful or interesting—that winter was drawing to a close, and the three of them planted strawberries together at a sanatorium deep in the mountains of Yamanashi Prefecture.

……

After planting strawberries, the three of them went to a pottery workshop not far away.

Inside the workshop window, several paper-cut artworks hang from thin ropes. They are silhouettes of birds, clouds, cows, and cats, exquisitely cut and combined together.

Yui Kikawa stared at it for a long time.

"It was made by Sakura and me together," Tsukasa Tazaki said, not without a hint of pride.

In return, he received a cold look from his older brother.

Once inside, there were still more than two hours until dark, so Kuriyama Sakura used that time to glaze the porcelain.

This was a delicate task that didn't require any help. After drinking two cups of coffee from Reiko, Tsukasa Tazaki said to her, "I'll take my brother for a walk and then come pick you up later."

"Don't stay out too late," Kuriyama Sakura readily agreed.

Kikawa Yui hesitated.

A person being led away by Tsukasa Tazaki might encounter some misfortune.

But when Tsukasa Tazaki pulled her arm, all her worries vanished instantly. Although she maintained her composure, her steps were already light.

After leaving the pottery workshop, Tsukasa Tazaki put his arm around her waist, and the two walked up the mountainside along the path they had come from.

"Is the student council busy lately?"

"There are naturally a lot to do at the beginning of the semester, and since this is the last semester, many activities for next semester need to be planned in advance."

"I'm sorry to have troubled you to come see me during such a busy time," Tsukasa Tazaki said, putting his arm around her waist and kissing her hair. "Once I get back to school, please feel free to exploit me, Student Council President!"

Kikawa Yui glared at him with disdain.

"I can manage the student council just as well without you!"

Tsukasa Tazaki particularly liked his older brother's stubbornness.

While it would be nice for the older brother to become docile and affectionate, or even a little clingy, that would smooth out the perfect girl's edges, and her vitality and personality would suffer a devastating blow.

So...

Tsukasa Tazaki hopes that his older brother can always maintain this stubborn attitude.

She can always say one thing but mean another, she can always refuse to compromise with him, none of that matters, as long as she likes him and he likes her, and there's no force that can separate them, that's enough.

Only in this way will the eldest sister remain adorable, and even the destruction of the world will not diminish her charm.

As they walked up the mountain path, Yui's fingers unknowingly found themselves in Tsukasa Tazaki's hand, and the two walked hand in hand. Perhaps she noticed, or perhaps she didn't, but in any case, she didn't let go.

As they walked, the two came to a mountain terrace with a wide view.

In a patch of withered yellow reeds, there is a simple wooden shed, the roof and three walls of which are covered with reeds, leaving only one open section facing the mountainside.

"This is my secret hideout, only I know about it." Tsukasa Tazaki smiled, released her hand, took two steps forward, turned and bent down, extending her hand to the blonde girl as if inviting her to dance. "Beautiful and noble princess, would you like to be the first guest to visit?"

Yui Kisakawa blushed immediately.

"It's just a shabby shed, why make it so mysterious..." she muttered to herself, cautiously reaching out her small hand, which he gently took.

"Haha~"

Tsukasa Tazaki laughed happily.

He led her by the hand to the front of the shed, and Qichuan looked left and right with curiosity.

There was a hearth at the entrance, with a kettle on top for boiling water, and a lot of firewood ash in the hearth.

The shed was small, with a thick, dry, and soft layer of reeds covering the ground. A wicker basket sat on the reeds, containing a complete picnic set: cutlery, cups, saucers, and a set of faded, yellowed napkins neatly folded. Next to the basket was an easel and a complete set of painting tools, on which lay a half-finished landscape painting.

"Excessive fussiness!" That was the only comment from Kikawa Yui.

“The scenery here is beautiful. The moment I saw it, I couldn’t help but make this my base.” Tsukasa Tazaki put his arm around her waist and sat down, and the two looked at the scenery outside together.

The terrain is high, offering a wide view of pastures, farmland, and forests.

The stream flows through the middle, and the water level has dropped a little since midday, making the water clearer. A tractor is plowing the strawberry field, its engine chugging along in the wind.

Ms. Kikawa, who spends most of her time in Tokyo, rarely sees such a mountain scene, and her expression was momentarily one of rapture.

Just then, Tsukasa Tazaki quietly took off her tennis shoes and held her two small feet, which were wrapped in thin white stockings, in her palms.

My feet felt cold for a moment, then warm.

Qichuan Wei suddenly woke up with a start, exclaimed "Eh!", and then glared angrily with her beautiful blue eyes.

"You didn't think I made you wear white stockings just for show, did you? These two perfect ice creams are meant to be used, of course."

Tazaki Tsukasa chuckled and pressed the soles of her feet together, leaving a gap between them.

"Hey, what are you doing... Let go! What if someone sees us...?"

"Shh~" Tsukasa Tazaki put his index finger to his lips, signaling her to be quiet. "As long as Big Brother doesn't make a sound, no one will find out where we are."

As he spoke, he grabbed the ice cream at his older brother's feet with both hands and pressed it down.

The thin stockings couldn't insulate the girl's body temperature, and the sudden feeling of comfort made Tsukasa Tazaki shiver.

"I won't let you get away with this, Tsukasa Tazaki—"

Kikawa Yui suppressed her embarrassment, her eyes slightly moist, and bit her lower lip as she glared at Tazaki Tsukasa.

His expression was fierce, showing no sign of backing down.

But it wasn't long before the blonde girl couldn't take it anymore and gave in, covering her face with her hands and letting Tsukasa do as she pleased. Only when she occasionally felt resentful would she peek out from between her fingers and glare at him, threatening in a tearful voice, "You're going to be dead soon!"

Chapter 347 Little Wei, the Good Girl

The weak afternoon sunlight filtered through the treetops, casting a light and soft glow.

Withered yellow reeds swaying in the wind, a painting half-finished on an easel, golden hair neatly combed back, and white cream poured into shoes after enjoying ice cream, wafting a pungent smell.

?

Why did you pour it into my shoes?

For a moment, Kikawa was speechless, staring dumbfounded at Tazaki Tsukasa, his expression as if he were looking at a purebred pervert.

Two wagtails flew out from the thicket of trees, circled the thatched hut, and landed on the open ground in front of the two people, like bystanders watching a modern play being performed in a theater.

“…Tasaki, you…” Yui Kikawa bit her lower lip, her face so red it looked like it was about to bleed.

"what happened?"

"Tsukasa Tazaki asked, head bowed."

His hands were holding the blonde girl's feet, his fingertips touching the tips of her big toes, occasionally lifting her feet to measure their length, then moving his fingers to her toes, arches, and heels, as if checking her shape and flexibility.

During this time, the wagtails chirped amusingly incessantly.

"...Let go!"

A corner of Yui Kikkawa's mind automatically recalled Christmas Eve, and she couldn't help but raise her voice.

Her body became extremely hot, her heart pounded, and her breathing became very rapid. She was worried that Tsukasa Tazaki would notice these abnormalities, and she began to feel embarrassed, praying that her body would not make any sound.

Tazaki Tsukasa suddenly pointed to the two birds in front of him: "Yui, do you know what kind of birds those are?"

"N-I don't know..." Yui Kirikawa was completely unable to think.

“They’re lovebirds,” Tsukasa Tazaki explained. “It was these small, inconspicuous birds that taught the gods to exchange glances.”

As he spoke, he winked and gave the blonde girl a mischievous smile.

As if in response to him, the two wagtails raised their calls.

A warm feeling seeped into her heart, and Qichuan Yui blankly uttered an "Oh".

A breeze blew from afar, causing the reeds and the girl's golden hair to sway together, and a few drops of water from the leaves fell onto her burning cheeks.

Looking at her older brother, who had inexplicably become adorable, Tsukasa Tazaki felt a surge of affection and a desire to tease him.