My love index is at its maximum.

Kuriyama Kazuki turned around, and a waiter carrying a bartender walked by. He casually picked up a glass of champagne and looked at his daughter with a puzzled expression.

Tazaki Tsukasa sensed a dangerous aura.

Meeting her father's gaze, Kuriyama Sakura smiled slightly: "His name is Tazaki Tsukasa, and he's the dance partner I invited."

Tazaki Tsukasa immediately looked at her chin, considering which angle to pinch the second time and how much force to use to make her remember the lesson.

Kuriyama Kazuki looked at Tazaki Tsukasa with a slightly surprised expression for a moment, then shifted his gaze to his daughter: "Fifteen years old, that's definitely the age to bring a dance partner. Tonight, you can spend your first full dance with him."

His tone was uneven, and there was a kind of awkward and stiff gentleness in his voice.

"I can't dance!" Tsukasa Tazaki tried to struggle.

“We’ll learn as we go.” Kuriyama Kazuki raised his champagne glass. “As the first person of the opposite sex that Sakura brought home, I’ll be watching your performance tonight.”

“My father is the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and he is the most powerful person in the field of education.”

Kuriyama Sakura said something in a low voice, her tone conveying more of a threat than an explanation.

"You wait for me!"

Tazaki Tsukasa took a deep breath, bent down and extended his palm. Kuriyama Sakura placed her hand in his palm, a smile of triumph on her face.

The dance floor lights brightened, and the music stopped. After a moment, the lights slowly dimmed, and the melody resumed.

A handsome young man and a beautiful young woman embraced each other, their bodies swaying gently to the tender music.

This should have been a beautiful scene, but there was no beauty to be found in the two of them.

"left."

"Wasn't it on the right just now?"

"Shoot simultaneously, pay attention to the third step of shooting simultaneously!"

"Let's just skip this third step."

Don't take big steps!

"It's because you're too young."

Ouch, you stepped on my foot!

"I'll step on it again next time!"

Tazaki Tsukasa hadn't jumped at all, and Kuriyama Sakura was by no means a competent teacher. After stumbling and falling for a while, they managed to jump to a point where they wouldn't embarrass themselves.

"mean!"

Even with his arms around the other person's waist, Tsukasa Tazaki still had a cold face: "I was clearly trying to help you, and you not only don't appreciate it, but you even used your father to threaten me?"

Kuriyama Sakura squinted, scrutinizing his sharply defined jawline and eyes that conveyed profound contempt. After a long stare, she sneered, "Helping me by beautifying yourself, huh? Thank you, how noble."

Tsukasa Tazaki stopped and asked, puzzled, "When did I beautify myself?"

Are you as cute as a stray cat?

"..."

"I know you don't care what others think of you, so I won't advise you not to do it next time."

Kuriyama Sakura raised an eyebrow slightly, her gaze extremely cold: "But your girlfriend is my friend, and I hope you can consider one thing for her sake. How would she feel if she heard others speaking ill of you?"

The two remained in their dancing poses, their feet motionless, while people around them turned and spun around. Tazaki Tsukasa said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Then let me listen to your story before I go back."

What do you want to say?

"For example, the relationship between you and your mother."

"That's a long story to tell."

"Do you have any shorter ones? Tell me a few."

“Of course.” Kuriyama Sakura smiled and asked, “Want to hear?”

"I want to." Tsukasa Tazaki nodded, adding, "After all, this is my job tonight."

"My mother is not my biological mother."

"So you can't get along?"

“No, it’s not that we can’t get along.” Kuriyama Sakura pursed her lips tightly and thought for a long time before speaking. “In terms of personality, I’m not the type to cause trouble. I don’t feel any pain when I’m alone. I can chat and eat peacefully around the table every day. Overall, I maintain a relatively friendly relationship with her and my father.”

Tazaki Tsukasa looked at the faint light in her eyes, wanted to say something, but felt he couldn't express it. In the end, he just reached out and touched her long ponytail.

Not satisfied, he simply grabbed the entire ponytail in his palm and played with it.

Kuriyama Sakura glared at him angrily, flicked her hair slightly to shake off his hand, and then continued, "Maintaining a friendly relationship with your parents is, in a way, a poor relationship. But I don't really care. I have my own little world, and I can live very comfortably once I enter it alone."

From her, Tsukasa Tazaki suddenly felt a certain resonance and a peaceful warmth.

"Are there many cats in that world?"

"Hmm... quite a lot."

"Then I'll have to find a way to break through your AT field and take all the cats out of there for spaying/neutering."

"I hate scumbags."

Kuriyama Sakura raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly, a warm ripple flickering in her eyes before quickly returning to calm, as if nothing had happened.

No, it actually happened, but then it disappeared.

"It will be alright."

Tazaki Tsukasa chuckled and patted her back lightly: "You're cute, charming, and smart, and most importantly, you have beautiful legs. You're sure to have a smooth and successful future."

The dance floor lights brightened, and the music fell silent for a brief moment.

"See you tomorrow."

Tsukasa Tazaki released his grip and walked towards the door. Ahead of him were two women wearing similar white evening gowns: Kurisu Kawakawa and Yui Kawakawa.

The mother wore a smile that seemed to enjoy watching the drama unfold, while the daughter remained calm, her clenched fists revealing slightly white knuckles.

As they passed each other, Tsukasa Tazaki glanced at Yui Kawakawa.

With her blonde hair and blue eyes, she exuded a particularly noble air against the backdrop of a pure white dress; every part of her was of high value.

Like a princess straight out of a Disney animation, she is the kind of girl who can evoke romantic fantasies in a boy's heart with just one glance, unadorned and pure.

Stepping out the door, Tsukasa Tazaki stretched and took a long breath of fresh air.

The upscale residential area was exceptionally quiet late at night; not a single car passed by, and only rows of streetlights stretched forlornly to the end of the road.

Tazaki Tsukasa tucked his hands into his suit pockets, intending to go outside and hail a taxi home. But as he turned to face the direction he had come from, he rubbed his eyes.

The black G-Wagon was parked under a lamppost. Hoshino Hanami leaned against the car door, looking up at the night sky all alone, a sight that tugged at the heartstrings.

"Hanami-san."

He called out and walked over there.

Hoshino Hanami turned around, her expression as embarrassed as a little girl whose thoughts had been exposed.

"I really did something stupid today." She brushed her disheveled hair aside, her smile unusually weak. "I was just thinking about whether I should rush in and drag you out. You're mine, how can you go to the ball without me? But when I thought about how I was the one who let you in, I couldn't bring myself to ask you to come back."

Tsukasa Tazaki asked with a smile, "I already told you you have something wrong with your head, now you know you were wrong?"

"I know I was wrong."

Hoshino Hanami nodded vigorously, as if to assure everyone, "Hanami-san will never make such a silly mistake again."

Tsukasa Tazaki opened his arms wide: "What are you waiting for? Come and hug me."

"Are you asking for a beating?"

A fist flew past his nose, but Tsukasa Tazaki remained unmoved, letting the airflow gently ruffle his bangs.

"You're so annoying."

Hoshino Hanami, embarrassed and annoyed, punched his shoulder lightly, then chuckled, put her arms around his neck, and said sweetly, "Tasaki-kun is mine, and I'll never let go of him again."

"Hanami-san is mine." Tsukasa Tazaki buried his face in her chest and rubbed it against her chest. "I will never let go of her again."

"mine."

"mine."

I like you so much!

I like you so much!

The cloying voice was particularly loud in the empty street. A man riding a road bike glanced at it sideways, then expressionlessly sped up and drove away.

He cursed under his breath.

Do people who are in love sacrifice their intelligence?

Chapter 102 Thursday, Midterm Exams in Progress.

The third day after the ball was Thursday, May 29.

It was only six o'clock, but the sky was already bright.

The sky was a deep, almost bottomless blue, without a single cloud in sight. Sunlight, like fine dust, fell silently from the sky and settled on the ground, gradually raising the temperature to over 30°C.

After running past the empty pavilion for the fourth time, panting heavily, Tsukasa Tazaki finally received a message from Hanami Hoshino.

[Hanami: I overslept (crying.jpg)]

[Tazaki: You're getting lazier and lazier.]

[Hanami: It's all your fault! It's all your fault! (Angry.jpg)]

Tazaki Tsukasa returned to the pavilion and sat down, eating his bento while replying to her messages.

[Tazaki: How can you blame me? It's not like I made you unable to get out of bed.]

[Hanami: You're the one who made it impossible for me to get out of bed!]

[Tazaki: (Cat looking confused.jpg)]