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

Children are like that; they have both good and bad sides. They will do everything in their power to achieve what makes them happy, fully displaying their bad side.

Regardless of how the other person feels, regardless of whether the other person is sad or heartbroken.

After all, it's not me, so I can't truly empathize.

Even if something is incredibly precious to others, they can easily trample on it, and this shadow will stay with the person for life.

Because of this incident, Hanabi Hanamaru became extremely insecure and sensitive during that period. She was particularly afraid that others would dislike her and tried her best to satisfy their wishes.

The thought of those guys' arrogant expressions only made me feel more and more annoyed.

They're just a bunch of little kids.

Recalling this, the smile on Uesugi Kai's face gradually faded, and he fell silent.

"Uesugi-kun...did you recall something unpleasant?"

Seeing the change in Uesugi Kai's expression, Hanabi Hanamaru realized that she seemed to have reminded him of something unpleasant.

Remorsefully, she turned back and whispered:

"I'm sorry, Uesugi-kun... I've reminded you of that again..."

The weak voice was filled with deep apology.

"No, it's nothing,"

Kai Uesugi responded, then immediately recalled Hanabi's distressed and disappointed expression at that time. "That wasn't your fault. You don't need to blame yourself or apologize to me. I'm not unhappy at all."

"But back then... I made Uesugi-kun worry for so long..."

Hanabi Hanabi's gaze returned to her small hand holding her handbag. "I've never had a chance to properly apologize to Uesugi-kun..."

Apologize...

Kai Uesugi had heard this word from her countless times; no matter how familiar the two were, she would still utter it.

He couldn't help but shift his gaze to the side.

From the overpass, one can see the endless stream of vehicles below, and the surrounding towering buildings shine with bright lights. Despite the dim sky, the hustle and bustle of the city can be felt under these superimposed lights.

One passerby after another walked by, each with a different gait and a different emotion, searching for their own corner in this city.

Kai Uesugi turned back to look at the girl beside him.

Her eyes, nose, lips, face—everything about her exquisite features—looked both familiar and strange at that moment.

She, who is never stingy with apologies and gratitude, only expresses her emotions properly in this situation.

So shouldn't I also take a serious look at my own feelings?

My usually calm state of mind was stirred up at this moment.

He called out to the girl beside him:

"Hanabi."

"Mm." Hanabi Hanamaru nodded, just like usual.

"We've known each other for twelve years now."

"Ah."

"Did you get bored over those twelve years?"

"No."

"In the past twelve years, do you think I've changed?"

"Uesugi-kun is still Uesugi-kun."

"After twelve years, will you still be there for me?"

"Hanabi said she would always be with Uesugi-kun, so please don't worry."

"I understand."

Upon hearing these words, a genuine smile naturally appeared on Uesugi Kai's face.

He stopped in his tracks on the overpass where pedestrians were slowly passing by, his gaze fixed on the girl who was looking back. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and with mixed feelings, he earnestly uttered those words:

"Fireworks, you've been with me for twelve years, are you willing to date me now?"

Upon hearing this, Hanabi Hanabi's eyes widened as she stared in surprise at the figure standing under the lamplight.

The cool evening breeze caused her black pleated skirt to sway slightly, and her small hands, which were carrying her handbag, unconsciously pulled inward.

Skyscrapers stand tall in the distance, vehicles pass by below, and pedestrians walk around. Neon lights illuminate the entire city, making its outline gradually become clearer and more distinct.

Kai Uesugi awaited her answer, expecting her to shyly lower her head.

But a moment later, as if she had been prepared, she revealed a radiant smile:

"Okay."

At this moment, Hanabi's smile was just like the dazzling fireworks blooming in summer, blossoming in the distant, dark night, illuminating everything.

"Okay..." Such a light and airy word, yet it filled Uesugi Kai with a deep warmth that permeated his entire body.

Amidst a multitude of conflicting thoughts, there was also an indescribable gratitude.

I am grateful for the twelve years she has been by my side, and grateful that she accepted my request so easily.

This strange feeling compelled him to open his mouth instinctively, his Adam's apple bobbing, but out of a thousand words, only two syllables came to mind:

"Thank you."

###Chapter Thirty-Two: An Ordinary Morning###

The next day,

The morning sun shone through the slightly open blinds onto the bedside once again, dappling the air in the room with its light.

Uesugi Kai woke up a little earlier today. After washing up, she glanced at the time and realized that there was still some time before dinner, so she lay back down on the bed and started looking at her phone. Suddenly, she remembered what happened yesterday.

Am I being too much of a jerk?

For some reason, the two of them started school a year earlier than their classmates.

Fireworks won't turn 16 until October of this year.

And I, last night, actually made a move on a 15-year-old girl and asked her to be my girlfriend. Just thinking about it makes me feel guilty.

Kai Uesugi put his phone aside and kept thinking about the name Hanabi Hanabusa in his mind. Her face, which had slowly changed from childhood to adulthood, appeared in his mind and seemed familiar and dear.

More than ten years may have been a short time for her, but it felt like an eternity for him.

With nearly 40 years of experience across his two lifetimes, Uesugi Kai can be considered a middle-aged man in a way.

I opened LINE and looked at that familiar profile picture: a cartoon shark holding a bright red chili pepper. That strange feeling from before still lingered.

dong dong...

The sound of knocking on the door.

The voice of her mother, Noriko Uesugi, came from outside the door:

"Kai, are you up yet? Time to eat."

Upon hearing the sound, Uesugi Kai quickly got out of bed, walked to the door, and opened it.

"So you're already up." Noriko Uesugi smiled as she looked at Kai Uesugi, who was dressed neatly in front of the door.

"Hmm," Kai Uesugi replied casually, "What's for breakfast this morning?"

"Potato curry with miso soup."

"Ah."

It wasn't the Western-style breakfast of the past, but Uesugi Kai didn't say much and followed her mother downstairs to the living room.

As always, Kenichi Uesugi leaned back in his chair, flipping through the pages on his computer, looking quite relaxed.

However, he only has this moment of leisure in the early morning.

The aroma of curry and miso soup filled the air on the table, making even the surrounding air feel more palatable. Uesugi Kai skillfully sat down on the other side of the table and began to enjoy this moment of breakfast.

Kenichi Uesugi glanced at Kai Uesugi, who was eating breakfast across from him, and said:

"You seem to have gotten up very early today. You should usually still be washing up in the bathroom at this time. Did something happen?"

Kai Uesugi, who was eating, paused slightly. Sometimes he couldn't help but admire his father's intuition. Even when it was just an ordinary thing, he could guess the gist of it.

"Ah."

Kai Uesugi answered casually, not wanting to say it directly yet.

Upon hearing Uesugi Kai's reply, Uesugi Kenichi understood that there must be something he didn't want to say, since he had been like that when he was a child.

As a father, he felt he should try to talk to him and offer some guidance.

"It's obvious you're keeping something to yourself. Although you've always been very easy to take care of since you were little, and you're not like a child at all, it's still better to talk about things. As your parents, we'll listen patiently."

“Yes, Kai,” Uesugi Noriko, who had just sat down, smiled at him. “When I was pregnant with you, I felt that this child would definitely be extraordinary, but I never expected that a child could be so easy to take care of. When he was little, he didn’t like to cry or make a fuss. He was very obedient and well-behaved.”

Kenichi Uesugi was clearly also reminded of the past by his wife beside him, and he leaned back in his chair and suddenly burst into laughter:

"Haha, that's true. I didn't like any of the toys I bought you. You preferred to hold books and read. For a while, I thought we had a child prodigy. I often took you to the shrine to thank the gods for their gifts."

"..."

Kai Uesugi was speechless. Although it had been a long time and he was just a baby at the time, making his memory extremely blurry, he could still vaguely recall a few scenes.

The clearest view is the wide blue stone path leading to the shrine, with towering trees and birdsong on both sides, creating a tranquil and beautiful scene.

As an infant with some memories of my past life, the days I spent lying in the cradle were incredibly boring. The only fun I had was watching TV or flipping through books.

"So, Kai, you can talk to us about anything. Don't always shoulder everything alone. Your parents can also help you."

Kai Uesugi nodded.

Noriko Uesugi's words are always filled with a mother's tenderness, which is something that can be truly felt.

“It’s not really anything to worry about,” Uesugi Kai put down the salty miso soup in his hand, “It’s just what I told Hanabi about my thoughts yesterday when we were walking home together.”

"Huh? Don't you always go home early to study?" Noriko Uesugi clearly missed the point.