My love index is at its maximum.

Kurisu narrowed her eyes, recalling the past, and pouted: "When I was little, Rin-nee scared me like this, saying that there would be evil dwarves in the forest, and that I should not stray far from people when I was alone."

"Thank you for the reminder, Auntie." Tsukasa Tazaki looked into her eyes.

"Ah, if only Sister Rin were still here, the four of us from both families could be together."

"Don't talk nonsense."

"It's really unbelievable."

"What is it?"

"That wonderful era has passed and will never return. So many wonderful possibilities have been absorbed and flowed away with the passage of time."

Tsukasa Tazaki nodded silently.

Although he knew what he should say, he felt it was better to say nothing at all.

"This winter is unusually long," Kurisu sighed, as if talking to her inner self. "The nights are so long, it feels like they'll never end, and spring never seems to arrive. So I've been thinking about the past more often, which is strange. But thankfully, spring is coming soon!"

After saying that, she climbed into the carriage and hugged Tsukasa Tazaki.

Tazaki could feel her calm smile on his neck; her soft skin was brimming with the power of life, and the fingers stroking his back felt so real.

The Cullinan slowly started moving, turned a corner, and disappeared on the mountain road.

As the sun slowly set, the western mountains began to glow orange. Yui Kikawa stood for a long time in the sunset, gazing at the Yamanashi Prefecture mountains bathed in its light, pondering how Tsukasa Tazaki and Sakura Kuriyama would spend the coming night.

……

The next few days were uneventful.

Although the time spent in the sanatorium was not exactly blissful, it was peaceful and tranquil enough.

Every day, several phone calls came in from Tokyo. Hoshino Hanami, Shimamoto Kana, and Ninomiya Shiori would inquire about the situation from time to time. Of course, the most frequent caller was Mrs. Kuriyama. Tazaki Tsukasa would give them detailed reports to put their minds at ease.

As February begins, daytime temperatures start to rise.

The trees are sprouting new buds, and the early-blooming cherry blossom varieties have even developed flower buds.

After the daytime rehabilitation sessions, Tsukasa Tazaki and Sakura Kuriyama would usually take a walk along the stream in the ranch.

Sometimes, Kuriyama Sakura would hook her arm around Tazaki Tsukasa's hand, and sometimes she would put her hand in his coat pocket. When the temperature was lower in the evening, she would let Tazaki Tsukasa hug her to shield her from the wind. Through the thick coat, Tazaki Tsukasa could clearly feel her warmth.

They chatted, watched the lambs, and then went back to the commercial street in the center of the sanatorium to buy things after the sun had almost set. Sometimes Dr. Kobayashi would come over to chat with the two of them, and sometimes the two of them would take their German Shepherd for a walk.

People started playing tennis on the tennis courts in the sanatorium. On February 2nd, Tsukasa Tazaki played a few games with a middle-aged man who used to be a professional tennis player. The two of them had a great time, taking off their shirts and swinging their rackets while wearing only shorts.

During her breaks, Kuriyama Sakura would read "In Search of Lost Time" over and over again, and sometimes Tazaki Tsukasa would have her read it to him.

He didn't know much about Proust, only that the writer was famous worldwide for his outstanding stream of consciousness, and that Wong Kar-wai's film shots and Haruki Murakami's writing style were deeply influenced by him.

Sakura Kuriyama has a very pleasant voice when she reads aloud.

Her voice is captivating, her tone powerful, and her emotions rich; if you only listen to her voice without seeing her, you might think she is a French noblewoman—she has a noble appearance, an indifferent expression, a cold and acerbic demeanor, and occasionally reveals a straightforward warmth, profound and powerful, yet also peaceful and comforting.

There is one more thing I must report: the Minister has lost a lot of weight in the past month.

Her cheeks were slightly sunken, and her neck and arms had become even thinner, as if they would break at the slightest touch.

Despite this, thanks to her fairy-like appearance, she never gave off an unhealthy vibe.

She looked extremely thin, as if she had quietly disappeared into a small space, and she even seemed a little prettier than before.

On the evening of the 4th, while making dinner, Tsukasa Tazaki emphasized that her improved appearance was "thanks to the blood-nourishing medicine!"

"Thank you, Mr. Tazaki, but could you please not repeat this at least twenty times a day?" Ms. Kuriyama's disdainful voice was as cold as a transparent ice cube illuminated by sunlight.

"Twenty times?" Tsukasa Tazaki asked uncertainly, opening the refrigerator with one hand and taking out ingredients.

"Your memory retired fifty years earlier than your body, right?"

Kuriyama Sakura lay on the sofa and tsk-tsked a sarcastic remark at him.

"...I told you you're listless when you do anything else, but why do I get all excited when you scold me?" After making a comment, Tsukasa Tazaki turned to her and asked, "What do you want to eat tonight? I'll make you everything."

"Tender tofu stewed with bonito".

"We don't have soft tofu, how about frozen tofu?"

"That works. Add more kelp rolls. Also, the yam and pork rib soup I made last night was delicious. Let's make another pot tonight."

What kind of snacks would you like to go with your drinks?

"No."

"How about we have a little more tonight?"

"You just want to see me drunk."

"I just want you to have a little drink so you can sleep soundly until dawn. Of course, I also want to see the Minister's drunken appearance! Especially Kuriyama catgirl's state, nibbling on her own tail while cutely meowing, makes me want to just reach out and pet her."

Kuriyama Sakura stretched and closed her eyes, not wanting to talk to him anymore.

After dinner that night, the minister was still forced to become a catgirl by the scumbag. Her tail, paws, and cat ears were all "humiliated" for a whole hour.

……

Taking care of a patient is actually quite a challenging task.

Tsukasa Tazaki has a lot to do.

I have to clean the house, wash clothes for two people, cook, buy groceries, keep an eye on Kuriyama Sakura's health, tell her jokes to cheer her up, ask if she's brushed her teeth, buy her sanitary napkins, and keep her updated on things with people I care about...

Before this, Tsukasa Tazaki had never lived such a life.

Fortunately, Kuriyama Sakura had a positive attitude and didn't give up; she always tried her best to cooperate with him.

The two played tennis together, grew vegetables, and spent their free time lying in the woods discussing what "postmodernism" really meant. They also rode around the sanatorium on an old, peeling bicycle.

On February 1st, a movie theater with only eight seats on the commercial street showed an outdated new film.

Adapted from Haruki Murakami's short story collection "Men Without Women," the film tells the story of stage actor and director Yusuke Iefuku, who, after the death of his wife, gets to know his driver, a young woman with a mysterious past, and they begin to have a deep connection.

There were only two people in the cramped theater, both of them watching the narrow, old-fashioned red Saab 900 on the screen.

The film's overall style presents a sense of loneliness, helplessness, and alienation, with a unique Murakami atmosphere; the themes are searching and loss, infidelity and betrayal, a mysterious and free woman, long dialogues, and jazz music playing all the time.

There's a shot like this early in the movie.

When the protagonist, Jiafu, returned home, opened the door, and pushed it open to enter the house, he heard melodious jazz music and the creaking of the bed. His expression became strange, and he cautiously walked into the house.

The wife was having intimate relations with another man; the man was breathing heavily, and the wife was covered in sweat.

On the bedside table, the record player's needle traced the vinyl record with varying depths of light and dark.

The elegance of jazz is timeless.

This shot lasts for about a few seconds.

Finally, the male protagonist leaves dejectedly, and the camera returns to his cheating wife in bed and the man with his back to the camera, pausing for a few more seconds, the sound echoing throughout the theater.

Kuriyama Sakura was engrossed in watching, and only after the scene changed did she ask Tazaki Tsukasa with a wistful look on her face, "How did that action feel to the woman just now?"

"...?" Tsukasa Tazaki was completely confused.

"The bed is creaking, it feels really strong," in the darkness, Kuriyama Sakura tilted her head, her clear and deep eyes staring intently into Tazaki Tsukasa's eyes, and asked with an inquisitive mind, "Isn't this going too far for the woman?"

Faced with such an adorable question, Tsukasa Tazaki hugged her across the armrest and answered seriously, "Maybe the woman would be more willing."

"Really?" Kuriyama Sakura's warm breath blew evenly on his neck as she asked, slightly nervously, "Hey, Tazaki, is this what you're thinking about all the time?"

At this point, watching movies becomes meaningless; it's much more fun to tease the minister.

Tsukasa Tazaki pulled Sakura Kuriyama over and made her sit on his lap.

Like a scene from a movie, the two people are huddled together facing each other in a small chair, with armrests on both sides restricting their movement space.

“My dear Miss Kuriyama,” he said, his arm around the minister’s slender waist, “would you believe me if I said I didn’t want to?”

Kuriyama Sakura thought for less than two seconds before answering, "I don't believe it!"

“That’s more like it,” Tsukasa Tazaki leaned back in his chair, looking at her eyes that still shone brightly in the darkness. “I’ll do that anytime I get better, so please be prepared.”

"Hey, hey, no way!" Kuriyama Sakura threatened, grabbing his collar with both hands. Then she lowered her head slightly, forehead to forehead, and asked, "Is a man's desire to possess a woman really that strong?"

“It varies from person to person, but instinctively, it’s perfectly natural for a man to want a woman,” said Tsukasa Tazaki, then asked her in return, “Ms. Kuriyama, have you studied anything about this?”

"I know a little bit," Kuriyama Sakura said, biting her little canine tooth, in a very small and dry voice. "I know a tiny bit from watching TV and reading those kinds of books..."

"That makes much more sense. In order to ensure the continuation of the race, therefore..."

"I don't want to hear about preserving race, or that boring stuff from sex class."

Before he could finish speaking, Kuriyama Sakura interrupted him, saying fiercely, "I asked about desire. What exactly is it?" Seeing that Tazaki Tsukasa didn't seem to understand for a moment, she added, "I asked about desire. What exactly is it?"

"Why are you suddenly asking this?" Tsukasa Tazaki looked at her strangely.

“For my own safety,” Kuriyama Sakura said seriously, “after all, I have to endure it from Monday to Friday, and I’m afraid that you might be tempted by lust and do something bad to me.”

"Don't worry at all!"

Using the light from the screen, Tsukasa Tazaki saw her fair and slender neck, leaned forward, and kissed it.

"Speak quickly!" Kuriyama Sakura twisted her waist in protest.

"How should I put it?" Tsukasa Tazaki thought for a moment, then spoke uncertainly, "Imagine you're a car with independent thought. You enjoy speeding down wide roads, which can give you a great sense of exhilaration. But cars need regular refueling and maintenance. If, for some reason, the car can't be driven for a long time, then the unused power will make you feel restless and uneasy. You understand that feeling?"

Kuriyama Sakura thought for a long time.

It wasn't until halfway through the movie that she managed to answer, "I understand a little bit. So, cars need to be driven on the road frequently to speed things up, otherwise the mechanical strength will decrease?"

"Minister, you're a real genius. That's a very interesting way to think about things."

How did it feel to go street racing last time?

"How delightful!"

"Always so cheerful?"

“From my perspective as an individual, yes,” Tsukasa Tazaki nodded. “But because it’s two cars with different ideas racing, it’s not always smooth sailing. Sometimes it’s disappointing, and sometimes people get carried away and forget to follow traffic rules, which can lead to accidents that result in car crashes and fatalities.”

"Well--"

Kuriyama Sakura responded and fell into thought.

Judging from her expression, she was probably thinking about how fast the car would have to go before it veered off the road and overturned.

After a long while, she sighed and muttered, "Why don't we try it now?"