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

[Instant noodles? No way! That's unhealthy. When you get home, just wait for me to go grocery shopping; it'll be ready in a minute.]

【Um. 】

Kai Uesugi hung up the phone and put it back in his pocket.

Unexpectedly, it rang again.

It's Goto.

【Hello.】

[Haha, Uesugi, I passed! I passed!]

【Congratulations.】

Hey, you have no idea how tough it's been for me lately. Every night I wait for the envelope to arrive at home.

【Um. 】

Kai Uesugi, phone in hand, gazed at the passersby under their umbrellas as they brushed past him.

[Hey, Uesugi, are you alright? You don't sound very happy. Could it be that you...]

You've passed; don't worry.

[You passed? Haha, that's great! The University of Tokyo... I can't even dream of it. There's a class reunion on Friday, everyone's coming. Are you coming?]

【never mind.】

Hey, no way! The class reunion wouldn't be complete without you! You're a celebrity at our school! Do you know how many girls have asked me for your phone number?

[It wouldn't be much different without me.]

【How can you say that! Every classmate is important! If you don't come, Tsubokawa and I will drag you here!】

There's no need.

"Uesugi, this is necessary. We're worried about you." Goto's tone suddenly became serious.

What do I have to worry about?

[Anyway, it's settled then. 2-6-12 Ginza. Remember to come on time Friday noon, you absolutely have to!]

Kai Uesugi put the phone he had just hung up back into his pocket.

On the way home, the sound of the plastic bag swaying and the rain hitting the umbrella were clearly mingled together.

The words Goto had invited me to the class reunion kept echoing in my mind.

To say it's perfect is an understatement; it's been imperfect for a long time now.

Uesugi Kai continued walking, the sky overcast with rain, filled with an unyielding chill.

......

open the door.

"I am back."

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

###written request for leave###

Even if I work overtime tonight, I still won't be able to finish... I've been sleeping late every day and haven't been feeling well, so I'm taking a day off.

I'm so, so sorry!

My thoughts are still not clear...

The story should have ended a long time ago, but I'm just forcing a continuation at everyone's request.

Once the daily routine of dog food loses its novelty, the desire to interact with the characters diminishes. It's also because my writing skills are insufficient to make it particularly engaging.

"Once a person gets something, they forget the feeling of standing on tiptoe, peering through the shop window to see it." — This sentence is for Zai, and also for the author himself.

Hanabi is a girl who cherishes every moment spent together, and I believe her feelings will not be in vain.

Thank you so much to everyone who continues to read, comment, and give rewards every day. Thank you so much!

###Chapter 280 The Silver Watch###

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

The freshness of the morning never disappoints.

The air circulates in my lungs, the wind whistles past my ears, and I feel the solid ground beneath my feet.

Kai Uesugi returned home from his run, and coincidentally, he ran into two ladies who were walking from the direction of the tram.

"Kai!" Mrs. Hanamaru stretched out her arms and waved to him, signaling him to come over.

"Mom, Auntie," Uesugi Kai greeted her as she jogged over, beads of sweat still clinging to her forehead.

"You're out for a morning run so early?" Mrs. Hanamaru smiled and looked him over. Hanamaru Hanayu in her arms wanted him to hold her, so she opened her chubby arms and babbled.

Meanwhile, her younger sister was still sleeping in her mother's arms.

"I got up early today. I had nothing to do on Saturday, so I went for a morning run," Uesugi Kai said, glancing at his sister-in-law.

"Why didn't you invite Hanabi along?" Mrs. Uesugi asked, handing Hanabi to him. "If Hanabi doesn't get some exercise, she'll definitely get fat."

"She's still sleeping, so I shouldn't disturb her. Otherwise, if she doesn't sleep well, she'll be acting silly all day." Uesugi Kai took his sister-in-law from him, and as soon as she sat on his arm, she rubbed her head against his chest.

Children do have a higher body temperature and are constantly radiating heat, like little suns.

“Hanabi does become silly if she doesn’t sleep well. She’s always a bit groggy when she first wakes up,” Mrs. Hanamaru said with a smile, lifting the box in her hand. “Noriko and I made breakfast. Let’s eat it while it’s hot.”

"Ah."

On the way home, Uesugi Kai took out his keys at the door.

Just as I was about to open the door, I suddenly remembered that Qian Aiyi and her sister were still sleeping downstairs.

These two little girls... I hope the two ladies won't say anything if they see them.

When Mrs. Uesugi saw that he had stopped what he was doing, she asked, "Kai, what's wrong?"

"nothing."

After thinking for a moment, Uesugi Kai opened the door.

There are just two more little girls in the house, what can you say when you see them?

Holding tightly to his sister-in-law, who was trying to break free and crawl around on the ground, Uesugi Kai waited in the entryway for the two ladies to change their shoes.

As she walked to the corner of the living room, Ai Yi, still half asleep, bumped into the two ladies. Her hair was still loose, but it was soft and not frizzy.

Uesugi guessed that she wanted to go to the toilet.

......

Aiyi lifted her little face and said in a still-sleepy voice:

"Good morning."

Mrs. Hanamaru blinked in confusion upon seeing the child before her, then exchanged a questioning glance with Mrs. Uesugi before turning to Ai and asking:

"...Who are you?"

"Who am I?" Ai Yi, still half asleep, didn't know either.

Mrs. Hanamaru: "Yes, who are you?"

"Waaah—"

After rubbing her eyes, Ai tried hard to figure out who she was.

To be precise, she and her sister Chiai had no relation to Uesugi Kai.

"Freeloading!"

"..."

That's a good explanation.

Just as Uesugi Kai was about to speak, his mother-in-law gestured to shut him up.

"Xiao Kai, don't speak, I want to ask her myself."

Mrs. Hanamaru smiled and asked, "What's your name?"

"Aiyi".

"Then Ai-chan, can you tell me what your relationship is with Hanabi?"

"My sister and I both call her 'sister'."

Does she have an older sister? Mrs. Hanamaru wondered, while scrutinizing her nose.

What's your father's name?

Ai Yi shook her little head. "I don't know."

Don't know your father's name?

Mrs. Hanamaru was somewhat taken aback. "Where's Mom?"

“Mom’s name is Aiji.” After saying that, Aiyi rubbed her eyes and yawned, looking like she hadn’t woken up yet.

Mrs. Hanamaru had no recollection of the name. "Then, Ai-chan, do you know what your father's characteristics are?"

Ai said, "He's tall and wears a silver watch."

When Uesugi Kai saw his mother-in-law's expression, he realized something was wrong. His father-in-law was wearing a silver watch and was also quite tall.

As expected, Mrs. Hanamaru's face immediately fell.

Because of Ai Yi and Qian Ai Yi's appearance, well... their noses look a lot like their father-in-law's, and if you look at them again, their face shapes also seem a bit similar.

The more you look at it, the more you ponder it.

Even Uesugi Kai was starting to have doubts; could it really be his father-in-law outside...?

It's completely unacceptable to suspect someone based on just a few clues. Since Ai really had no memory of her father, Mrs. Hanamaru could only ask Uesugi afterwards.