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

I lazily got up and walked to the window where it was still raining, listening to the pattering raindrops washing over the town below the mountain.

Use wooden sticks to prop open the window, place your hands on the wooden frame, stick your head out, and take a deep breath.

The fresh morning air after the rain refreshed my mind.

Having wasted another day, Uesugi Kai couldn't help but wonder, what should I do today?

Never mind, I'll read a book for a while.

When Uesugi Kai took the book out of his suitcase and started flipping through it, he just couldn't get into it.

He could fluently understand every scene constructed in the book, but at this moment it was as if he had encountered the subject matter he disliked the most in a movie.

No matter how famous or smooth the film is.

That would make it difficult to continue appreciating the work.

Looking up, Uesugi Kai casually noticed the PS5 game console that hadn't yet gathered dust in the corner.

He planned to randomly pick a game to experience the boring, sweltering summer.

There's an LCD TV in this room; it's neither new nor old.

After messing around with the computer for a while, Uesugi Kai finally managed to turn on the console. When he saw the TV icon light up, he suddenly realized that he didn't have an account or any games.

Besides, I haven't used a gamepad in years; I don't even recognize all the buttons, and I have no habit of using it.

Just then, Uncle Sakakibara arrived, and he temporarily stopped playing games.

Walking on the eaves, the sound of raindrops splashing as they hit the ground filled the small courtyard next door.

"Ahem, did my beloved student do any research on Hanamaru Hiroki yesterday?"

"..."

"Well, I know a little about him. He seems to be a swordsman of the Jigen-ryu school and also a policeman."

"That's right!"

Uncle Sakakibara walked ahead with his hands behind his back, holding a wet umbrella, water droplets dripping from the umbrella tip from time to time. "His style is characterized by speed. If he can defeat his opponent in one move, he will never use a second move."

"What if there's a third option?"

"Even if there's a third move, it's only when you're under immense pressure."

Kai Uesugi admitted that the older man made a lot of sense.

But his current mindset is similar to that of a retired, reclusive swordsman; he has no interest in being number one or anything like that.

"I feel like you've changed a lot." As he turned the corner, Uncle Sakakibara glanced behind him and blurted out.

Kai Uesugi felt that the tone of that sentence was a bit too flat, and the middle-aged man suddenly didn't seem like a middle-aged man anymore:

"Is there?"

"You know yourself better than I do," Uncle Sakakibara turned around. "Is it because of your girlfriend who left you?"

"..."

silent.

Kai Uesugi admitted that he missed her. At night, he tossed and turned, recalling the peaceful and calm breathing of her as she slept in front of him.

As they walked to the eaves of the gate, Uncle Sakakibara opened his umbrella, and Kai Uesugi stepped inside.

The cold raindrops in the morning sprinkled all over the curved blue umbrella.

"Sigh, although I can't give you much advice on this, I still hope you can think more about what you really want."

"Isn't that selfish?"

"You'll have to think about that yourself. I'm just an old man who teaches swordsmanship."

Stepping onto the grassy rocks, Uesugi Kai stared at Sakakibara Isshin's face for a long time:

"By the way, why did you go to that Hachiman Shrine in the first place, uncle?"

Sakakibara Isshin didn't turn around, his eyes fixed ahead, his tone filled with reminiscence: "That... should be my home."

"After leaving Tokyo, I have been searching for this place for more than ten years. I have searched all over the country, from Hokkaido to Kanto, Kansai, and Kyushu. I only came to Shikoku Island two years ago."

With just a few words, Uesugi Kai also sensed a story in the older man.

"But wasn't the Hachiman Shrine destroyed by an earthquake decades ago?"

“I knew nothing about these things before. I only remember a few features: a torii gate, an old bell, a shrine, a large rope, a promising young father, and the smile of an extremely beautiful woman dressed as a shrine maiden.”

After saying this, Sakakibara Isshin shook his head.

"Forget it, let's go practice kendo first. Even though you don't seem to have a goal, it's always good to stay healthy."

###Chapter 223 Return to Tokyo (Yesterday's last paragraph deleted)###

Kai Uesugi wanted to go to England to bring her back, but after making a phone call with his mother-in-law, he felt like something was missing.

He spent a long time that night holding her favorite big shark toy, and he understood:

Going to her without thinking things through is pointless and will only make things worse.

"Oh, are you going back to Tokyo?" Sakakibara Isshin scratched Shiba's head.

As a Shiba Inu, Ah Shiba was raised by him to have a round head and a fat bottom.

"After all, school is about to start."

"You came to me to ask if I'm going to Tokyo, right?" Sakakibara Isshin glanced at him.

That's what I mean.

"I will definitely go, but I want to stay here a few more days. If there are any kendo events like the Jade Dragon Flag or tournaments, please remember to participate."

Grandma Uesugi was very reluctant to see her two grandchildren leave, but she just smiled and said goodbye, telling them to be careful and take care of themselves.

That was all.

On August 27, the flight to Tokyo took off.

After overlooking the layers of dark clouds over Shikoku Island from 10,000 meters above the ground, Uesugi Kai returned to Tokyo from Haneda Airport.

During this time, he watched the buildings on the ground shrink little by little, and couldn't help but imagine what Hanabi's mindset was when she left from that position.

Reluctance, sadness, or calmness...?

Unlike the cheerful laughter that had amused her when she arrived, this time a strange woman sat next to Uesugi Kai.

Silently closing their eyes to rest is the best summary of this flight attendant's experience.

8 month 29 day.

After exercising at home for two days, Kai Uesugi couldn't resist asking Takahiro Tsubokawa to come out and have some fun.

"Today is the 23rd day of this absurdity. Uesugi actually asked me to go out."

Why is it the 23rd day?

"Because you gave me a PS5 23 days ago!"

At Akihabara Station, Uesugi Kai waited for Tsubokawa, who was getting off the train.

He had a bag slung across his shoulder, wore newly fitted glasses, and carried an umbrella.

Uesugi Kai glanced at him briefly before looking up at the dark sky again.

"what happened to you?"

"I was just wondering, why is it still raining even though we're in Tokyo?"

Is it raining?

Takahiro Tsubokawa spends most of his time at home playing video games and has little concept of the weather. "I think it started a couple of days ago, but don't worry, there's no weather goddess in reality, and Tokyo won't be flooded."

As the tram pulled away towards the next station, more and more passengers passed by the two of them.

The two walked out of the station. The Akihabara station was covered with posters of "Genshin Impact". Uesugi Kai only recognized the little girl with the red hat, because Tsubokawa seemed to have used her before.

"So, what's the reason you asked me to come out?" Tsubokawa asked.

"I'm bored, so I thought I'd treat you to a meal."

"Aren't you supposed to be a tightwad? How come you're giving me a PS5 and treating me to dinner?" Takahiro Tsubokawa covered his chest with both hands. "Are you after my good looks?"

Uesugi Kai knew he was joking, of course. "I have 613.52 yen in my savings right now. It's no problem for me to treat you to a meal."

"So what is the reason?"

Stepping out of the subway station, you are greeted by towering buildings that fill your view, as well as various posters with anime/manga vibes.

Kai Uesugi: "What do you think?"

Takahiro Tsubokawa pushed up his reflective glasses. "Judging from my experience with dozens of wives, you've just broken up with your boyfriend and want to find someone to share your sorrow."

"I'm thinking about some things, but I don't know what reason to use."

Kai Uesugi was actually tired from exercising at home and wanted to come out and relax.

"The problem? I... I guessed right...?" Takahiro Tsubokawa was in a state of extreme shock. "Impossible, weren't you two already engaged? Did you dump Hanamaru-kun?"

“We didn’t break up,” Kai Uesugi said. “She just went to study in England.”

"What kind of morning drama plot is this?"

Takahiro Tsubokawa looked at his face and asked, "What are some good places to visit in England?"

The Royal Academy of Arts.

"......"

"That's alright then, but doesn't that place only accept graduate students?"

"Going to study in advance and having professors provide guidance is like reserving a spot for the future."

I understand, it means there are special channels.

"Should we go eat first or go to the arcade?" Uesugi Kai asked, glancing around. The orange-yellow Sega Building No. 2 was covered with Genshin Impact posters.

"Playing games, of course! There's absolutely nothing more exciting than games. If there is, it's visual novels!"