My love index is at its maximum.

"So comfortable!"

She murmured something, and soft snores soon began to escape from under her nose. Tsukasa gently wrapped his arms around her back, marveling at how incredibly soft and supple her body was.

How soft is it?

When I hold her, it feels like I'm holding a cloud that's wearing clothes.

And it's the cutest cloud in the world!

At 7:30, Hoshino Hanami woke up. The two of them, holding umbrellas, walked along the artificial lake in Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden toward the parking lot. The lake water looked slightly murky, and there was a lingering mist on the surface, like a layer of powder on a geisha's face.

Listening to the sound of rain hitting the umbrella, Tsukasa Tazaki suddenly said, "I don't really want to go to school."

"It's because you're still so young," Hoshino Hanami said helplessly, reaching out to ruffle his hair. "If you were a teacher, we wouldn't have to sneak around at school."

"How about we skip the first class on rainy mornings from now on?"

Hoshino Hanami slapped him on the head and said sternly, "Don't even think about such a thing!"

Tsukasa Tazaki sighed: "Makoto Shinkai really is a fraud."

"By the way, tomorrow is the weekend, come to my house early."

"Going to the horse farm?"

"correct."

"Can I ride a horse with the teacher?"

"It's not impossible if you can convince the staff."

I'll do my best!

The footsteps and voices gradually faded away, and the surrounding trees were bathed in the rain, shimmering with the deep green unique to this season.

The day quickly turned into afternoon, and the light rain in Tokyo turned into a downpour.

Large raindrops kept pattering against the windowpane, making a pattering sound.

During the last class, Tsukasa Tazaki suddenly thought of something: if it rains like this for the next two days, he might have to prepare two disposable rain maidens.

Professor Ota, who teaches world history, glanced out the window, turned on the classroom lights, and continued his lesson.

"The defeat at Waterloo essentially signaled the end of the Napoleonic Empire and drastically altered the landscape of the entire European continent..."

The class ended twenty minutes later.

Tsukasa Tazaki packed his schoolbag and walked with Mizuiro Murakami through the elevated corridor to the club building.

In the corridor, a student was playing the theme song "Stay With Me" from Spirited Away on a recorder, and people next to him were clapping and humming along. The oak trees were rustling in the rain, and the whole campus was filled with a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere.

"Ah, Tazaki."

As they parted ways, Murakami Mizuiro suddenly asked him, "The European Championship starts this month, which team do you think will win?"

Tsukasa Tazaki casually replied, "Italy, I guess."

"Those old Italians?" Murakami Mizuiro laughed as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world. "Impossible! I'm telling you, this year's champion will definitely be England!"

"Are you an England fan?"

"A 30-year veteran England fan!"

"I remember you also said that you were an Arsenal fan."

"Yes, is there a problem?"

"No, I really admire you." Tsukasa Tazaki patted his back and said with emotion, "It's a miracle that you've lived this long without being driven to death by anger."

Murakami Mizuki's face flushed red, and the veins on his forehead bulged as he argued, "What kind of fans are champions... When it comes to playing football, the most important thing is to have fun!" Then he launched into some incomprehensible remarks, such as "the philosophy of beautiful football" and "it's all Benzema's fault," which made the students passing by burst into laughter, and the corridor was filled with a joyful atmosphere.

Back in the ATF club's activity room, Kuriyama Sakura was writing something on the desk.

Tsukasa Tazaki leaned closer and asked, "What are you writing?"

"Compete with the articles from the Literature Department."

"Wow, what's the question?"

"My high school experience."

"Someone like you who doesn't even have a single friend wants to write about his high school life?" Tsukasa Tazaki took out an Italian dictionary from his bag and said with a smile, "You might as well write an article called 'My Cabinet Minister Father,' that would definitely outshine them."

“Tazaki-san…” Kuriyama Sakura looked up at him, her clear eyes sparkling: “Do you want to be forced to transfer to Hokkaido to learn how to grow potatoes because you’ll step into the school gate with your left foot first tomorrow?”

Tazaki Tsukasa avoided her gaze and looked out the window at the rainy season: "It's such a shame. I thought our relationship would become a little closer than before."

Kuriyama Sakura gave a barely suppressed smile: "Dream on!"

surrender.

Tsukasa Tazaki opened the dictionary and began to study.

The dim twilight, like dominoes, poured down from the eastern sky onto the streets of Yotsuya.

At 6:30 p.m., Tsukasa Tazaki arrived at the convenience store where he worked and immediately spotted the proprietress standing in front of the shelves.

The widow is still beautiful and charming today, wearing a white floral print long dress and white high heels. Her long hair is loose and hangs over her shoulder. She looks very young and has a wonderful mature woman charm.

Tsukasa Tazaki walked up to her and greeted her with a smile: "Sachiko-nee looks so young today."

The proprietress glanced back at him, snorted, and turned away again. Tazaki Tsukasa saw that she was holding a notepad and a pen; the notepad had a phone number and some unintelligible numbers written on it.

"What are you writing?"

"I'm trying to make money. Go eat." Sachiko Tono said to him, then turned and walked towards the fruit counter. A new batch of apples had arrived today. She picked up each apple one by one, inspecting them from various angles under the light. If she wasn't completely satisfied, she put them back and picked up another apple to examine it closely in the same way.

After about ten minutes, she had chosen two apples. She then carefully wiped the apples with a tissue and handed them to Tsukasa Tazaki, who was sitting by the French windows eating his lunch.

"Thank you, Sachiko-nee."

"All he does is say thank you..." Sachiko Tono muttered resentfully, crossing her legs and sitting on a high stool, staring helplessly at Tsukasa Tazaki: "Anyone who doesn't know better would think I've hired a boss. He comes and goes as he pleases, skips work without a reason, and often takes advantage of the boss's wife."

"Isn't the boss the one who can take advantage of the boss's wife?" Tazaki Tsukasa muttered as he chewed on an apple and started singing.

What you can't get is always in turmoil

Those who are favored are fearless

Sachiko Tono listened for a while but didn't understand. She could only sigh to the heavens—she had wasted her life, unable to even seduce a little boy.

……

The next day, Saturday.

It's a cloudy day with a wind chill of 16°C, perfect for a date.

Tsukasa Tazaki got up early, quickly washed up, and rushed to Sakura's family.

Hoshino Hana and others had also made preparations well in advance.

Leaning against the door of the G-Class, I looked at Tsukasa Tazaki, whose hair was all messy.

She tilted her head slightly and smiled.

Chapter 124 Everything That Was Expected and That Wasn't Expected Arrived

The G-Class left Shibuya Ward, exited Tokyo, and headed towards Tomisato City in Chiba Prefecture.

Tazaki Tsukasa was sitting on the right side of the back seat, with "The Stars of Humanity" open in his hand. Hoshino Hanami was in the middle of the back seat, and her younger sister was to the left.

My father-in-law was driving, while "Navy" was assisting in the passenger seat.

After driving for half an hour, leaving the 23 wards of Tokyo, the scenery on both sides of the road became increasingly pastoral as we drove eastward. Villages and fields occupied most of the view, and the black plastic greenhouses that hadn't been taken down last winter were billowing high in the wind.

Hoshino Hanami tore open a box of Kuzu-oakura sweets and held a piece to Tazaki Tsukasa's lips: "Open your mouth."

"Ah~!" Tsukasa Tazaki opened his mouth, taking in a clear jelly filled with red bean paste. It tasted cool and sweet. The coolness came from the teacher's fingers, and the sweetness from the pastry, or perhaps it was the other way around.

Is it delicious?

Tazaki Tsukasa looked up from his book and said sweetly, "Of course, Teacher's is delicious."

"So cheesy," Hoshino Hanami said with disgust, picking up a piece and stuffing it into her mouth. Her delicate, white fingertips were still sticky with Tazaki Tsukasa's saliva, but she didn't care.

"Sister..." The younger sister clung to her older sister's hand from the side, her voice sweet and childish, "Lu Jian wants to eat too."

Here, take it yourself.

"I want my sister to feed me."

Hoshino Hanami raised her hand and tapped her forehead: "How old are you? Do you still need your older sister to feed you?"

"You fed that guy, why didn't you feed me?" The younger sister covered her forehead and glared fiercely at her brother-in-law.

Tazaki Tsukasa closed the book, wrapped his arms around his sister's waist, and asked provocatively, "Are you envious?"

"Be serious." Hoshino Hanami nudged him with her elbow, and when he didn't let go, she simply leaned against her boyfriend and stuffed Kuzu-orange pastries into her mouth one after another.

The sister-in-law puffed out her cheeks in anger and said to the driver's seat with a wronged expression, "Dad, you need to control those two!"

Hoshino Takeo drove silently, pretending not to hear.

More than an hour later, the sky cleared up.

The Mercedes-Benz G-Class drove into Tomisato Horse Farm in Chiba Prefecture and parked in front of a two-story Western-style villa in the guest accommodation area. The villa had a small garden with a birch tree, under which were rattan tables and chairs for dining.

A person was sitting in a rattan chair reading a book.

She was about fifteen or sixteen years old, with shoulder-length short hair but tied in a long ponytail. She wore a flawless white shirt without a single wrinkle, a black pleated skirt, and black tights over her slender, shapely legs.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the birch trees, creating patches of light that fell on her face, making for a truly delightful scene.

Tsukasa Tazaki rubbed his eyes and looked at the pair of A-cups: "What are you doing here?"

Kuriyama Sakura, still engrossed in her book, didn't even lift her eyelids: "Tomisato Horse Farm is the most professional and worthwhile horse farm in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Every weekend, many people come all the way from Tokyo specifically to visit. Is it strange to see me?"

"No, I'm asking why you're in this yard too?"

"Aren't you welcome?" Kuriyama Sakura closed the book and smiled gently at him.

Tsukasa Tazaki did not speak.

It wasn't his place to say whether he welcomed her or not, because Hoshino Hanami had already pulled her suitcase and entered the house with her. Hoshino Shikami stuck out her little tongue at him and also ran into the house with her luggage.

"Tasaki, come help me move these things," my father-in-law called from behind.