My love index is at its maximum.

Page 56

If you have a girlfriend and still say you want to date me, then you might as well die! (Angry.jpg)

……

Inside Suga Shrine.

Tsukasa Tazaki clutched his stomach and burst into laughter.

Chapter 73 It's all because this sunset is too gentle

Hoshino Hana is the best in the world when she sees her!

Tsukasa Tazaki reaffirmed his belief once again.

But... sometimes he's so adorably silly.

Haha... This beautiful single flower, she's just suffering because she's never been in a relationship.

"Young man, concentrate."

The old witch's disgruntled voice rang in his ears, and Tsukasa Tazaki snapped out of his reverie, quickly raising his hands, which were wrapped in colorful ropes: "I'm sorry, I was just thinking about something interesting."

"Young people are like that, they have no self-control at all." Grandma Lin glared at him unhappily, then said helplessly to Shiori Ninomiya, "And you, from the moment you came in until now, your mind has not been on your work at all. It's okay to look at him less, he's in this room, he can't run away."

"Oh... I see." Ninomiya Shiori winked at Tazaki Tsukasa. "How about I slack off for a day today, Grandma Hayashi? I can never get enough of looking at Tazaki-kun's face."

The old witch's face immediately darkened.

"Ninomiya, concentrate." Tsukasa Tazaki raised the rope in his hand. "Hurry up and free my hands, it's tiring to hold them up like this."

"no problem!"

Shiori Ninomiya snapped her fingers smartly and obediently returned her attention to her work.

The old witch's face darkened further.

This little girl... can you still tell who pays your salary?

In a room of about twenty square meters, the sound of spindles clapping together resumed. They were making knots used in rituals—a traditional Shinto craft passed down from ancient times. The knots were woven from thin red, white, and yellow cords, and the finished knots were decorated with various adorable patterns.

"Listen carefully to the sound of the knot being woven..." Grandma Lin said, skillfully pulling the thread. "Only knots woven with care can have feelings, and only then can they connect people's hearts."

"Huh?" Shiori Ninomiya blinked. "Is that even a saying?"

“Of course.” Granny Lin turned to look at her. “The significance of the form is not just something to be shown to others. Although it may not be obvious in ordinary times, it will awaken one day, perhaps when you are going through the most painful time of your life… When I was young, I once… Uh, you silly girl, stop looking at him, the rope in your hands is all tangled!”

"Haha... Sorry, Grandma, I couldn't help myself." Shiori Ninomiya quickly turned around and took the brightly colored kimono down from the work rack.

Tsukasa Tazaki glanced at the Hokkaido girl, whose face was beaming with an uncontrollable smile.

As the long day gradually passed and dusk approached, a bright yellow light shone into the room, making the tatami mats on the floor seem to reflect light.

After the two shrine maidens, one old and one young, finished their work, Tsukasa Tazaki stood up and stretched. The oak trees planted outside the window, bathed in the setting sun, seemed to have turned from bright green leaves into the yellow of autumn.

Behind them, the old witch was whispering to the young witch.

"You need to be careful with this guy."

"Huh? What are you saying, Grandma?"

Grandma Lin pointed to Tsukasa Tazaki's back: "Girls love handsome, refined boys like him. Ninomiya, you're so cute, don't be fooled by his looks. Who knows, he might already be hooking up with countless women behind his back. Ah, times have changed. Back in the Showa era, the popular guys were rugged, sunny, and handsome. Now..."

As she spoke, the old witch shook her head with a sigh.

"Haha..." Shiori Ninomiya tilted her head, still laughing without a care in the world: "Don't worry, Grandma. Look at his cold and aloof appearance, who else but me would have the patience to pursue him?"

"You've learned your lesson from coming from the countryside; you have no idea how wicked people in big cities can be." Grandma Lin sighed, rubbing her forehead, and stared at Tsukasa Tazaki with a knowing, melancholic gaze. "Let me tell you, Tokyoites are the biggest liars... I fell for their tricks back then, otherwise I'd be..."

"Okay, okay, I got it. I'm going back now. See you next week, Mom."

Shiori Ninomiya smiled and walked towards Tsukasa Tazaki, pulling up his sleeve: "Sorry to keep you waiting, let's go to Yotsuya Station together."

The old witch's face darkened again.

This girl... she's been drugged, isn't she? I'm really worried about her future.

……

When Shiori Ninomiya came out after changing her clothes, Tsukasa Tazaki noticed that she was still wearing her school's spring uniform. A Scottish pleated skirt, a long-sleeved white shirt, and a burgundy bow tie—it was an outfit that suited her perfectly.

"Let's go, let's find a place to eat." She smiled and shook the bag in her hand, which contained two vermilion lunch boxes and two cups of hot soup.

"This is?"

"Don't worry, the lunch boxes at the shrine have all been disinfected."

After leaving the shrine, the two walked along the alley for a while and entered a street park in front of Yotsuya Station.

The park was very small, with nothing but a fountain surrounded by six stone pillars. Across the street stood a public Yotsuya Junior High School, and the evening breeze rustled through the flowing water, causing the leaves of the trees to shake.

Sitting on a park bench, the red brick wall was clearly visible, covered with ivy. Tsukasa Tazaki saw many red dragonflies hovering among the greenery.

"Eat quickly, or it will get cold."

Shiori Ninomiya smiled and handed over the bento box: "Keep the bento box, I'm returning it to the shrine next week."

Braised beef, mashed potatoes, corn kernels, and carrots, with seaweed soup in the broth.

Tsukasa Tazaki took a bite of the grilled beef: "The sauce is very unique; you probably can't buy it in stores, right?"

"It's a secret recipe from Grandma Lin's family. If you want to know, I'll go get it for you."

Shiori Ninomiya smiled as she opened her bento box, her long hair draped over her shoulders, bathed in the lingering warmth of summer, fluttering gently in the breeze.

Tazaki Tsukasa silently ate the uniquely flavored grilled beef, listening to Ninomiya Shiori speak in his ear, and gazing for a long time at the shimmering roof ridges and red dragonflies under the setting sun.

Listen to her talk about the past of the remote town, the joy of the autumn harvest, and the scenery of the vast snow country, and immerse yourself in the wonderful world she has created.

"Hey, Kiki..." Shiori Ninomiya suddenly turned around and asked, "Do you want some potatoes?"

"Potato?"

"My dad sent a lot of potatoes, I can't eat them all by myself, I'll bring you some on Monday?"

"Uh..." Tsukasa Tazaki glanced at her slender arms and shoulders, "The potatoes are so heavy, it's not good to make you carry them to school, is it?"

"Hmm... what should we do then?" Shiori Ninomiya moved slightly closer to him, her eyes sparkling with a dazzling light.

"let me see……"

Slightly dizzy from the light in her eyes, Tsukasa Tazaki had no choice but to look away. There was a red swing in the open space in front of him, but there were no children playing on it, only a few red dragonflies perched on it.

The warm glow of the setting sun shone through the thin clouds and onto the lawn.

"The sunset is so beautiful!" Shiori Ninomiya exclaimed, gazing at the crimson sky in the west.

Tazaki Tsukasa looked up and saw a large expanse of bright and beautiful sunset clouds, which were indeed very beautiful.

"Hey, how about..."

He watched for a while, then said to the Hokkaido girl, "How about I come to your house to get some potatoes next weekend?"

"It's a deal."

"Ah."

Shiori Ninomiya laughed triumphantly, while Tsukasa Tazaki rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. The lampposts around them gradually lit up, casting warm, shimmering light, adding a touch of gentleness to the approaching night.

Chapter 74 Tazaki-kun Wants to Make a Big Money

[A pleasant afternoon! Shiori Ninomiya's stock index rose 40 points. Current stock price: 100]

When taking the train back to Shinjuku from Yotsuya Station, Tsukasa Tazaki, as usual, stood by the door and gazed at the scenery outside through the glass window.

Grandma Lin's braised beef tastes really good; I'll see if I can learn to make it next time...

After seeing how cute Ninomiya looks in a shrine maiden outfit, I'm even more excited to see her in a cat-eared maid outfit...

I'm craving soup. I'll check the fridge tonight to see if there are enough ingredients...

His mind was filled with all sorts of random thoughts. The lights outside the window flickered on and off with the precision of the ticking on a clock. Whenever the lights dimmed, he could clearly see his own face—excessively handsome!

Back at his rented room, Tazaki Tsukasa opened the refrigerator and saw that there was still half a black-boned chicken left. The landlady had given him soup ingredients with cordyceps and goji berries last time, so he could make a pot of cordyceps and black-boned chicken soup.

Boil a pot of water, blanch the black-boned chicken in boiling water for a few minutes to remove the gamey smell, then put the cordyceps and goji berries into a casserole, add rice wine, scallions and ginger, and simmer over low heat for 2 hours.

Efficacy: Tonifies Qi and nourishes the kidneys. Can prevent dizziness, fatigue, shortness of breath, weakness in the lower back and knees, palpitations, and excessive sweating caused by kidney Qi deficiency.

While the soup was simmering, I did my homework, cleaned, and exercised. By the time I finished showering, it was already 11 p.m.

While drinking soup, Tsukasa Tazaki opened the system's trading interface.

He's planning something big.

[Tono Sachiko stock current price: 60]

[Sachiko Tono's shares have been sold off, with funds received: 60000]

Current available funds: 75000

[Current stock price of Kuriyama Sakura Ryokaku: 40]

[Kuriyama Sakura stock has been sold off, with proceeds of 40000 yen.]

Current available funds: 115000

[Current stock price of Chunrixiang Miao: 40]

[I have sold all my shares in Chunrixiangmiao, receiving 40000 yuan.]

Current available funds: 155000