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

......

open the door.

"I am back."

Kai Uesugi spoke loudly because he secretly hoped that a soft, warm voice would reach his ears.

###Chapter 271 The Traveler and the Little Rabbit###

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

Life goes on. Kai Uesugi isn't a nostalgic person, but he's always awakened by the image of Hanabi as a child in his dreams.

The clock ticked away beside me, like the sound of a classic pendulum clock.

With each ring, a second quietly slips away.

Few people care about the passing of a single second, but when each irretrievable second is added up, the past is born.

The first thing Uesugi Kai did when he woke up was to reach out and touch Hanabi's forehead next to him.

She always slept so peacefully, completely absorbed in the moment.

"Thankfully, the fever has subsided."

Kai Uesugi removed his hand from her forehead, pulled the blanket up, and lay back down on the bed.

He stared at the ceiling, repeatedly muttering the names Hanabi called him: "Kai-nii, Kai-kun, Uesugi-kun, Kai-kun..."

As I called out to her, I imagined her sweet and gentle voice in my mind, and my heart was filled with warmth.

He turned his head and looked at Hanabi's pale pink face as she slept. He reached out and brushed the hair behind her ear, then stroked her cheek.

Her hair was very fine and soft; I estimate that five strands of it would be equivalent to one strand of mine.

The hair felt soft and tender to the touch... and exuded a sweet, youthful fragrance.

Hanabi Hanamaru's sleeping face is delicate, with her small hands clasped together in front of her chest, making a very girlish gesture.

Kai Uesugi gently stroked her face, carefully feeling the smooth skin, and couldn't help but love it.

Now, all I have to do is want to be able to touch her face like this all day.

"Kai-kun... are you awake?" The girl's voice broke the quiet of the morning, like being warmed by the sun, igniting a fire in the heart.

“Hmm,” Uesugi Kai replied, pinching her cheek, trying to make her aware of his response. “The fire has subsided.”

"Really?"

"Well, really."

Hanabi Hanamaru blinked, and after a moment, said:

"Does Kai-kun have class today?"

"Do you want me to go?" Uesugi Kai asked with a smile.

"I don't want to." Hanabi smiled as he stroked her face.

Her smile seemed to add a rainbow to her appearance; she was beautiful from any angle.

“Even if we’re together all day, we still need to find something to do.” Uesugi Kai removed his hand from her face.

"Shall we clean together?"

"of course not."

Kai Uesugi pulled the blanket over their heads, covering them both.

The light that had sneaked in through the window immediately dimmed, and the small, dark bed was soon filled with the scent of a young girl.

"No..." Hanabi Hanamaru curled up backward, as if trying to escape.

"Don't move." Uesugi Kai hugged her head from behind with his left hand.

"Kai-kun...?"

Their eyes met, and despite the dim light, Uesugi Kai could still see the shimmering brightness in her purple eyes.

Within this small space, the girl exuded a fresh and fragrant scent, a fragrance that seemed to transcend the mundane world.

The increasingly scarce air could no longer supply the breathing of both of them at the same time, and became heavy and slow.

Kai Uesugi pressed his forehead against hers and said, "This way, we can clearly feel each other's presence. All we see is darkness and you in front of us."

"..."

"Isn't that a bit cheesy?" Uesugi Kai quickly added.

Hanabi Hanabi smiled and said, "Yes, some."

"So what if it's cheesy? Even great writers use vulgar language."

Uesugi Kai thought that the reason she didn't dislike these kinds of words that would make her feel awkward even with a little appreciation was perhaps because they came from shoujo manga, or perhaps because they came out of her own mouth.

"Kai-kun, would you like to hear Hanabi say a few words?" Hanabi Hanamaru whispered.

"it is good."

"Has Kai-kun ever heard a story?"

"What story?"

"A story about a traveler and a little rabbit."

"No."

Hanamaru Hanabi spoke slowly:

"Long ago, a traveler crossed the sea, the desert, and the forest alone. When he emerged from the forest leaning on a tree branch, he collapsed from exhaustion."

A little rabbit carrying a bag happened to pass by and curiously poked its head out to ask him, "What's wrong?"

The weak traveler said he was fine, and then, leaning on a tree branch, he managed to stand up by himself.

The little rabbit asked again, "Where are you going?"

"The traveler said: 'Let's go see a world we've never seen before.'"

The little rabbit asked, "Is this important?"

The traveler gazed ahead: 'Without a home, this is all that's left.'

The little rabbit looked at the bundle on its back, then looked up at the weak traveler and said, "May I come along?"

“‘Of course,’ the traveler said, ‘but don’t you have any family?’”

The little rabbit shook its head: "No, I've never seen my family. A big gray wolf suddenly appeared not long ago, and it's been trying to eat me, so I have to keep moving."

“‘Oh, I see!’ The weak traveler crouched down, stretched out his hand so the little rabbit could hop onto his shoulder. ‘Come on, I’ll carry you; you can’t keep up with my pace.’”

The little rabbit politely thanked the traveler and hopped onto his shoulder. Having never been near humans before, it felt warmth and asked, "Are we family?"

The traveler gazed at the road ahead and gently said to the person on his shoulder, "Yes, family."

"And so, the traveler, leaning on a twig he had picked up along the way, embarked on his journey with the little rabbit."

"That's...it's over?"

Kai Uesugi felt like she hadn't heard enough. Hanabi Hanamaru told fairy tales vividly, deliberately lowered her voice when talking about older travelers, and spoke in a soft and cute tone when talking about little rabbits.

And she was right in front of me, her soft voice sounding like she was whispering in my ear.

"of course not."

Hanabi Hanabi said, and left a gap at the top of the blanket covering the two of them so that air and light could get through.

The light filtering into the small bed made the girl's face appear even more defined.

Urged on by Kai Uesugi, Hanabi Hanamaru continued telling short stories:

"Along the way, the traveler and the little rabbit went through many things, including being tired, laughing, having company, and feeling warmth. They experienced many stories together on their journey, just like real family."

"The traveler was old and sick, and usually very weak, but he was still very kind to the little rabbit. Whenever he had something good to eat, such as an apple he picked along the way, he would give it to the little rabbit first."

"The little rabbit was always grateful to him and felt that he was her real family."

"but......

"When they crossed the mountains and traversed the swamps, they were much, much later than planned. The traveler emerged looking just like the little rabbit had when he first met him—exhausted, barely able to walk, and even sickened by the night's chill, utterly drained..."

"The little rabbit wanted to help him, but there was nothing it could do... The anxious little rabbit realized that all it could do was chat with him. It hadn't done anything to really help the traveler along the way, and it had only added to the weight on his shoulders. So... it had no choice but to jump into the fire."

Hanabi Hanabi stopped there.

He simply looked at the person in front of him.

Kai Uesugi roughly knew who the rabbit and the traveler were talking about.

"Is this considered a cheesy love confession?"

"Hmm..." Hanabi Hanamaru responded softly.

Kai Uesugi hugged her, the warmth of the blankets and her softness nestled in his arms:

"Don't worry, I won't let you jump into the fire."

Hanabi Hanamaru didn't resist his embrace; instead, she buried her head in his chest and tugged at his clothes.

"Actually... Hanabi is already a roasted little rabbit."

"Half-cooked, not fully cooked yet."

Kai Uesugi skillfully pulled her head closer, lifted her chin, and pressed it against her soft, sweet lips.

The sweetness lingering on his lips and teeth grew increasingly alluring, and the girlish innocence emanating from her made him restless, causing him to unconsciously extend his tongue... wanting to claim more of her presence...

Sweet and soft, the sheets had slipped down to her waist, and he was now on top of her, his arms supporting his head on either side of her head, his gaze fixed on her tender expression on the pillow.

The light in his eyes seemed to be a mixture of longing and lingering affection.

"Should we...continue?" he asked uncertainly.

Perhaps it was too hot from being so close together, because Hanabi had a bit of pink sweat on her neck, and her bra strap had slipped off her snow-white shoulders, hanging loosely on her white arms.

Hanabi Hanamaru turned her head away shyly, covering her chest with her hands: