Living in Tokyo, all I want to do is laze around.

"Mmm," the girl replied softly.

“We are each other’s sun, and our light illuminates each other’s flaws.” Uesugi Kai smiled at her. “As long as we are together, we will always be happy.”

Hanabi Hanabi looked up at him with her little face, "Hanabi... will always stay by Kai-kun's side..."

"You won't go back on your word, will you?"

Never.

As Uesugi Kai stroked her cheek, he could sense that she had always cherished this relationship.

Whether she gets it or not, she will always be that girl who tries to stand on tiptoe, her eyes shining, peering out the window at the novel toys in the cupboard.

No matter how many times it's repeated, Uesugi Kai will still repeat the same sentence.

Meeting this pitiful girl was the luckiest thing that had ever happened to him in both his lives.

"Little Fireworks, Ice Cream."

"Kai-kun, do you want to eat Hanabi?"

“No, let’s take turns eating.” Uesugi Kai handed over his half-eaten ice cream.

Hanabi Hanamaru hesitated for a moment, then took his ice cream and handed over her own.

Looking out at the boundless blue sea, the waves ripple and shimmer, while the salty sea breeze ruffles the hair of a young girl under a roadside convenience store or newsstand.

Even though it was ice cream that the other person had eaten, it tasted sweeter than my own.

What exactly is this fluttering feeling?

The coastline witnessed the sixty-sixth wave.

The ice cream was finished, but my heart was pounding even more under the blazing sun.

They exchanged a glance, and the budding youthful energy in their hearts instantly overflowed from their throats.

"Is it hot?"

"Hot..." Hanamaru Hanabi's small, white, slender arms reflected the light of her skin.

"Did you sweat a lot?"

Hanabi Hanamaru entwined her small hands between her tightly pressed, snow-white thighs, and weakly replied with her head bowed:

"Um......"

"Should we... go home first?" Uesugi Kai asked slowly.

"Okay..." Hanabi's hands, which were clasped tightly together, tightened even more.

Hand in hand, they returned to the Uesugi family home.

Hanamaru's mother and Uesugi's mother went out to visit neighbors and play mahjong, while Aunt and Uesugi Shio went to see an orange grove, and Grandpa stayed in Matsuyama City.

In the huge house, only Mrs. Uesugi was watering the flowers in the courtyard.

Water droplets slid off the green leaves of the money tree. The two, sneaking home, quietly bypassed the old lady's sight and headed towards the bathroom for bathing.

"Kai, Kai-kun...why are you hiding from Grandma?"

Kai Uesugi didn't answer, but turned to the girl whose small hands were tucked into her chest and asked, "Isn't Hanabi shy?"

The answer is definitely yes.

The shy Hana-maru Hanabi nodded her little head.

The current Kai Uesugi has a vibe of leading young girls to do bad things.

"How about tomorrow? What do you think of tomorrow?"

"Aren't we going to the fireworks festival tomorrow...?" Hanabi Hanamaru asked.

"Correct."

"Kai... Kai-kun's decision is final..."

The girl, dressed in light summer clothes, lowered her voice slightly.

"And...what about taking a bath?"

"Wash it now."

"Together...?"

"Together."

"Just... taking a shower?"

“Just taking a bath,” Uesugi Kai replied.

--------

Uesugi Shio didn't return to the Uesugi family home until 7 p.m., when she moved the picked oranges from the car to the warehouse.

“Ah-Zhao”.

"What's wrong?" Uesugi Kai, who was doing gymnastics in the twilight, turned around.

I feel quite refreshed.

"Come and help me out." After saying that, Uesugi Shio pulled out a hand-cranked rotary machine from the warehouse.

Kai Uesugi understood what it was for.

"Should we sort through the oranges today?"

“Yes, the bigger ones are more valuable and sell for better.” Uesugi Shio wiped the sweat from her forehead and said, her long black hair already tied up in a dry ponytail.

Kai Uesugi lifted a box of oranges that had just been picked that day and poured them into the machine's metal frame.

Uesugi Shio sat behind the sorting machine, turning the lever.

This type of sorting machine consists of two spiral metal rods installed inside the machine.

As the orange falls, it rolls towards the front along the constantly rotating spiral in the middle.

The further out you go, the smaller the gap becomes when you fall.

Kai Uesugi was responsible for carrying boxes and chasing away the oranges, while Shio Uesugi was responsible for sitting in a chair and cranking the machine.

"By the way, why hasn't Sister tide been eating lollipops lately?"

"You know."

After Uesugi Shioichi reminded her, Uesugi Kai understood why Shioichi hadn't been as lazy as before lately.

"Should I go and take a look on the 16th?" Uesugi Kai gently shaved the oranges, letting them roll towards the rotating machine.

"It would be good if one more person could come."

"Uncle, are you going or not?"

“He doesn’t want to,” Uesugi Shio said, her sapphire blue eyes lowered.

When he returned in the afternoon, Uesugi Kai saw his uncle, Uesugi Jiro, playing cards with some neighbors in the town.

"Sister tide, Grandma asked me to come and get some oranges." Little helper Hana-maru Hanabi suddenly ran over.

Uesugi Shio looked up, her blue upturned ears standing out beautifully against the sunset. She smiled and said:

"Are you making fruit daifuku?"

"Hmm." Hanabi Hanamaru nodded her little head.

Fruit daifuku is made by wrapping various kinds of fruit in cooked glutinous rice flour.

In Katsuoka Town, the only fruit served at fruit daifuku shops is usually oranges.

"Do you want me to help you carry it over?"

"No, not too much," Hanabi Hanabi quickly said. "My aunt brought back a lot of fruit from the city yesterday."

If we're talking about local specialties, Katsuoka Town only has oranges.

Even if something is delicious, you should still try different flavors.

Compared to the fruit in the town, the fruit in the city is much cheaper.

Although it's still expensive because of the agricultural cooperative.

"Okay, I'll pack some for you."

Uesugi Shio got up and went to the warehouse to look for the bag.

Once again, only the two of them were left alone on the field.

The little firework that was so cheerful in the afternoon, now I don't dare look at him anymore.

"Are you shy again?" Uesugi Kai said with a smile.

"Kai-kun...always lies."

The girl was referring to the agreement that she would only take a shower in the afternoon.

"Little Firework lied to me yesterday, and today I lied to Little Firework. This is called an equivalent exchange."

Hanabi Hanabi pouted, knowing she couldn't argue with him, so she quickly helped Uesugi Shio, who had brought over a bag, to choose oranges.

Then, looking rather embarrassed, he quickly ran home.

"Kaori," Uesugi Shio said, sitting back down next to the machine, "I won't be going to the fireworks festival tomorrow."

"Why didn't you go?"

"There's no point in me going," Uesugi Shio said bluntly. "Don't you think a fireworks festival for one person, Kai, will only make you feel more lonely?"

"A fireworks festival for one person?"

Kai Uesugi, who has been accompanied by fireworks at the annual convention, can understand this feeling even if he hasn't experienced it himself.

It's similar to going to the hospital alone for cancer surgery.

"Sister tide, I think you need to find a boyfriend you can confide in."

“At least, not now,” Uesugi Shio said.

“Grandma wants to go this year too.” Uesugi Kai tried to persuade Shio to go on a trip, as her mental state had been somewhat poor lately.