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

Hanamaru Mieko glanced at Uesugi Kai with great delight, her expression filled with joy. "Let's go sit in the living room first, Kai."

"Hmm." Uesugi Kai replied casually as usual, without any difference.

Inside the living room, NHK's evening news was playing on a large television set, while Hanamaru Hiroki leaned back on the sofa in front of the television.

However, instead of looking at the noisy news broadcast on TV, he turned his head and stared intently at him with an extremely sharp gaze that Uesugi Kai had never seen before.

Under that sharp and serious gaze, Uesugi Kai involuntarily paused.

###Chapter 40 Hanamaru Yuuki as a Father###

"..."

Kai Uesugi fell silent. Under that sharp gaze, he even began to doubt whether the Hanamaru Yuuki in front of him was the same Hanamaru Yuuki he had known before.

"Hey, what are you standing there for? Pour some tea!"

"Ah... okay."

Kai Uesugi paused for a moment, then noticed the empty cup on the coffee table in front of Yuuki Hanamaru. He walked over, picked up the porcelain teapot next to him, and poured himself a cup of barley tea.

The water gurgled gently, and the barley tea in the teacup swayed softly.

The clear and bright voice of the NHK presenter continued to ring out on the television.

Hanamaru Yuuki, with his legs crossed, looked up at Uesugi Kai, who was offering him a teacup with both hands, but made no move.

"..."

Time passed slowly, and Uesugi Kai's aching arms began to sway gently.

The pale orange barley tea in the cup rippled, reflecting Hanamaru Yuuki's stern expression.

Time continues to flow slowly...

The ripples in the teacup grew denser, and the aroma in the kitchen grew stronger.

Uesugi Kai did not put down the teacup in his hand, and still maintained the posture of slightly bending down to serve tea.

Hanamaru Yuuki stared intently at Uesugi Kai's familiar face for a long time, his feelings quite complicated. After a struggle with his conscience, he finally sighed and said:

"Never mind, put it down, I won't drink it for now."

Kai Uesugi obediently placed the teacup steadily on the coffee table, her hands still trembling slightly from the soreness.

The archery club's training is already very professional and exhausting. If Uesugi Kai were to maintain that tea-serving posture for even longer, he really wouldn't be able to keep it up for long.

The teacup didn't tip over just now; he managed to hold it up entirely thanks to his own willpower.

Hanamaru Mieko was still busy cooking in the kitchen, and Hanamaru Hanabi was still changing clothes on the second floor and hadn't come down.

Kai Uesugi carefully sat down next to Yuuki Hanamaru.

At this moment, Hanamaru Hiroki's aura was so strong that Uesugi Kai didn't dare to utter a sound.

Hanamaru Yuuki stared at the large LCD TV in front of him and said to Uesugi Kai beside him:

"I knew you'd come to this eventually, and I never expected you to treat Hanabi like a little sister forever, but once you've made your move, you've really shown your true colors."

"I--"

Just as Uesugi Kai was about to speak, he was immediately interrupted by Hanamaru Yuuki, whose stern tone carried a hint of emotion.

"You don't need to explain anything, I understand. After all, you've both entered puberty, and it's normal for boys and girls to develop feelings for each other, especially since you've grown up together and have an inseparable bond."

Kai Uesugi remained silent, not daring to interrupt Yuuki Hanamaru. Right now, he always felt like he had been caught doing something wrong by his parents.

Hanamaru Yuuki crossed his arms, turned his head to look at him, and his expression was extremely solemn:

"Hanabi has been very dependent on you since she was little. I noticed it a long time ago, and it has only grown stronger over time, to the point where it's hard to separate from you. She trusts you completely; she would probably believe any lie you tell. This is the result of more than ten years of accumulated trust."

"Conversely, you, who have her trust, absolutely must not betray her trust."

"Now I can tell you that I come from the First Investigation Division, and I believe you know what this job means."

“If you do anything excessive in the future,” Hanamaru Yuuki paused, his eyes narrowing, his tone growing increasingly harsh, “I will be the first to find you with a gun, and no matter what your reasons are, you will all suffer the same fate.”

Do you understand?

The last question was enunciated with extreme clarity, and the heavy, stern tone struck Uesugi Kai's rapidly beating heart.

From the very beginning, Hanamaru Hiroki's aggressive aura constantly pressed down on Uesugi Kai, causing his heart to clench.

His last words revealed a ruthless and cunning side, making it impossible to recall his previous image as a good father.

This reminded Uesugi Kai of what Hanamaru Hanabi had said about Hanamaru Yuuki's identity.

—Police

Moreover, he is the Superintendent of Police in Shinjuku, Tokyo.

Shinjuku, as Tokyo's red-light district, is home to all sorts of people, from prostitutes and gamblers to members of the underworld; they all leave their mark here.

As police officers working here, they inevitably encounter these people in confrontations.

As a police inspector who ranks second only to the chief in the local police station, Hanamaru Hiroki naturally possesses the corresponding strength and charisma.

Although this is a complete transformation from the Hanamaru Hiroki that Uesugi Kai knew.

But without a doubt, this is another side of him as a good father, as a police officer, and even as a member of society.

"Understood." Uesugi Kai nodded seriously to him.

"Your attitude is alright," Hanamaru Yuuki's stern expression gradually faded, "but your stamina is terrible. You can't even hold a teacup properly without your hands trembling. Starting today, you'll come here every night to learn kendo from me. As a man, how can you not have the ability to protect people?"

"Yes..."

Uesugi Kai could only lower his head and reply, trying to appear more sincere. No matter how strict he was, he was now his prospective father-in-law.

How could I refuse my father-in-law's offer?

Besides, he already had the idea of ​​learning kendo from Hanamaru Yuuki, so this was just going with the flow.

Exhausted by Hanamaru Yuuki's imposing manner, Uesugi Kai could only console himself with this thought.

Just then, footsteps sounded upstairs, and Hanabi Hanamoto, dressed in casual home clothes, came downstairs. Seeing the two people in the living room, she sensed something was off and, feeling worried, went over and asked:

"Did...Did Daddy and Uesugi-kun have a fight...?"

"Ha ha,"

Hanamaru Yuuki immediately smiled when he saw Hanamaru Hanabi's worried little face. "Of course not, Daddy was just talking to Kai. Kai was just saying happily that she wanted to learn kendo from me, right, Kai?"

"..." Uesugi Kai could only look up at Hanabi Hanabi and try his best to force a smile. "Uncle Yuuki is right. Hanabi is overthinking it. We had a very pleasant conversation."

Hanamaru Hiroki's smile was very natural and comforting, completely different from his stern appearance just now. It was the image of a good father that he had seen since childhood, without revealing any flaws.

Adding to what Uesugi Kai had just said, Hanabi Hanamaru completely believed it.

A happy, radiant smile immediately spread across her face:

"Ok!"

"Hoo~ hoo~ Alright, everyone, dinner's ready!"

Wearing gloves, Hanamaru Mieko hurriedly placed the casserole dish she was holding on the table and called out to the three people in the living room.

"It smells good."

Hanabi Hanabi sniffed the air and smelled the spicy aroma. She immediately turned around, her eyes sparkling with joy. "It's spicy curry!"

Hanamaru Mieko's face also showed great joy, and she smiled at her and said, "Oh right, it's Hanabi-chan's favorite super spicy beef curry, come and eat!"

Hanabi Hanamaru quickly ran over, sat down in a chair, and waved to the two people in the living room, calling out:

"Dad, Uesugi-kun."

"coming!"

Hanamaru Yuuki smiled as he stood up, patted Uesugi Kai on the shoulder, and walked towards the dining table.

"..."

The aroma of food gradually permeated the air, and under the warm orange light, everything around us felt comforting.

"A family... huh..."

Kai Uesugi looked at the smiling, happy family of three in front of him and murmured to himself.

Chapter 41: Kendo Training from the Hanamaru Family###

at night,

The moonlight, cast by the toad in the darkness, bathed everything on the ground in a bright silver glow.

After dinner, in the small courtyard outside Hanamaru's living room.

Hanabi Hanamaru sat on a small wooden platform protruding from the living room. The orange-yellow light from inside shone through the transparent glass door, illuminating her back, her fair legs dangling in the air.

The sounds of dishes being washed inside the house were still ringing out. She looked at the two people holding swords on the grass in front of her, her small hands clasped together on her thighs.

His expression was a mix of seriousness and curiosity.

Snapped!Snapped!

The sound of the bamboo sword striking each other vibrated the surrounding air, creating a commotion.

Kai Uesugi and Hiroki Hanamaru gripped their bamboo swords tightly and jumped back a step in unison.

Hanamaru Yuuki's gaze was fixed on Uesugi Kai's serious expression, and he frowned as he asked:

"You kid, you've studied kendo? This is nothing like the level a beginner should have."

"..."

"I've only seen it on TV."

Kai Uesugi replied that although he tried his best to appear as a novice, he often deliberately made mistakes to make himself look clumsy and slow.

But for some reason, the more he fought, the more comfortable he became, and many times his body would subconsciously meet the sword.

This was his first time holding a bamboo sword, and he was indeed very unaccustomed to it at first. However, with the blessing of [Kendo Lv5], he quickly demonstrated the level of a seasoned swordsman.

"You only saw it on TV?!"