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

"Ah."

Kaiya Uesugi smiled and nodded at her. That smile stirred a strange flutter in his heart, compelling him to move forward.

The light drizzle continued to patter against the transparent umbrella, the transparent raindrops sliding down the transparent corners of the umbrella.

Hanabi Hanabi looked up at his face, which was pressed against the white cotton pad, closed the umbrella she was about to open, and asked with concern:

"Uesugi-kun, is your injury much better?"

"Much better," Uesugi Kai smiled slightly as he recalled what happened last night. "This is all thanks to Hanabi's help yesterday, otherwise I would definitely still be swollen and painful. Especially the wound on my back, I definitely wouldn't be able to reach it if I tried to treat it myself."

back...

Recalling what happened afterward, Hanabi shrank her head, her pretty face flushed, and she looked a little embarrassed.

"Uesugi-kun... Was the fireworks last night... enjoyable...?"

"..."

Kai Uesugi paused, realizing she was referring to "shoulder massage," the agreement made at the study session yesterday afternoon.

"Ah, yes, thank you, it's quite comfortable."

"That's...that's good."

Hanabi Hanamaru buried her head deeply in her scarf, her fingers interlaced and pressed tightly against her chest.

"After all... after all, it was Hanabi's first time last night... she didn't have much experience, she had just learned from her mother... her body... couldn't react very well, but if she could make Uesugi-kun feel comfortable on her first time, Hanabi would be very happy."

"..."

That night, for the first time, my body felt comfortable and happy...

"Too white," that line is so ridiculous.

Kai Uesugi felt his body rising and falling with that weak voice. If Hanamaru Yuuki heard these words, he would probably be tied to an oil drum, covered in concrete, and sunk into Tokyo Bay tonight.

Chapter 45: The Rainy Way to School

Crystal-clear water droplets slid down from between the umbrellas, disappearing evenly and hurriedly onto the stones under the eaves.

Kai Uesugi looked at Hanabi Hanabi's gentle face, held a transparent umbrella in his right hand, and smiled as he invited her:

"It's still raining heavily, let's go together."

Hanabi Hanabi looked up at that perfectly proportioned face, smiled, and nodded happily in response:

"Ok!"

......

The walk to school was a time they had long spent alone together.

The two walked side by side under the transparent umbrella. They were very familiar with each other's rhythm, and even the sound of their footsteps in the rain was unusually neat and even.

Kai Uesugi held a transparent umbrella in his right hand, placing it between the two of them.

The continuous "patter" of raindrops on the umbrella, mixed with a slight breeze, seemed to make the weight in my hand feel much heavier.

A small red scarf lay quietly against her chest beneath her black sailor uniform, rising and falling gently with her even breathing.

The nasal cavity was still filled with the scent of a young girl, mixed with a hint of lilies.

This is a sweet smell I've never had before, but it's become more and more noticeable in the last few days.

So he asked aloud:

"Hanabi, have you changed your shower gel recently? It always smells like a faint lily."

"Hmm, it was just changed a few days ago. Doesn't Uesugi-kun like this smell?"

"No, it's not that. The light and refreshing fragrance is quite nice."

"That's good... If Uesugi-kun doesn't like it, I can change it back to the old one..."

"But is Hanabi's scent really that strong? Uesugi-kun can always tell what kind of scent she has."

"It's quite obvious. You girls don't seem to know this. You must be used to it. But besides the scent of shower gel, you also have the fragrance of real lilies on you."

Kai Uesugi turned to look at her.

Do you have a few lilies at home?

Upon hearing this, Hanabi Hanabi nodded and quietly replied:

“My mom bought two pots of flowers at the flower market a few months ago, and they just bloomed a few days ago. We put them in my and my mom’s bedroom. The flowers are beautiful and the fragrance is lovely.”

Upon hearing this, Uesugi Kai suddenly frowned and continued to ask:

Have you been staying up particularly late these past few days?

Hanabi Hanabi looked up at him, her expression one of surprise, and said:

"How did Uesugi-kun know...? It seems like Mom was like that too."

Kai Uesugi looked up at the overcast sky filled with drizzle and remembered that today was April 4th.

This happens to be the day when the first batch of lilies bloom.

"Hanabi, take the lilies from the bedroom outside."

"Uh, but..."

Hanabi Hanamaru looked puzzled and was about to say something, but she quickly understood what Kai Uesugi meant and tentatively asked, "Uesugi-kun, could it be... that you can't sleep at night because of that pot of lilies?"

Kai Uesugi looked at the hurried passersby with umbrellas in front of him and said calmly:

"Lilies have a simple and elegant appearance and a pleasant fragrance. Many people love to smell lilies and are obsessed with them. Although the fragrance of lilies is not poisonous, a trace amount of stimulant is secretly hidden behind their fresh and elegant scent."

"Smelling this fragrance for a long time will produce a subtle kind of 'flower intoxication,' which makes people overly excited, makes it difficult to fall asleep at night, and makes them feel slightly tired in the morning."

"That's probably why you stay up so late at night."

"Ah!? How...how could this be..."

Hanabi Hanamaru was extremely surprised after hearing what Kai Uesugi said. She never expected that such a terrible thing could be hidden in those simple and beautiful white flowers.

"Don't worry," Uesugi Kai turned to look at her slightly flustered face, "Smelling this flower fragrance for a long time won't cause too many side effects, it'll just make it a little hard to sleep at night. It's good to put it in the study, it'll help to refresh you."

"When you go back tonight, just give Aunt Mieko a little reminder."

Kai Uesugi's calm and soothing voice also calmed Hanabi Hanamaru down.

"Uesugi-kun...you're amazing...you know so much."

"It's nothing, I just learned a bit more about growing flowers on a regular basis."

Most people walking in the rain are alone, holding umbrellas. Office workers, white-collar workers, the elderly, and students all appear hurried and lonely.

People would occasionally pass by, glancing at the two going to school under the same umbrella with a hint of envy.

Kai Uesugi noticed this.

He then looked at Hana Maru Hanabi's two small hands holding a shoulder bag.

Her skin was fair and delicate, with distinct joints like white jade.

Beneath the gently swaying pleated skirt were a pair of slender, straight legs.

Black stockings, running from the ankle to the knee, accentuate the delicate curves of a young girl's legs, outlining the bare skin on her thighs and creating a perfectly voluptuous silhouette.

It made my hormones surge, and I couldn't help but swallow hard.

The adorable little girl next door has now grown into a graceful young woman.

This made Uesugi Kai reflect on the past while also wanting to cherish the present moment.

However, being a complete novice in love, he didn't know how to enhance the changing feelings between the two of them.

What should couples do?

As Hanabi Hanamaru stepped onto the skybridge, Kai Uesugi called out to her:

"Hanabi."

“Uesugi-kun…” Hanabi Hanamaru responded quickly, as if she had been expecting it.

He hadn't expected such a quick response, and paused for a moment:

"We...we're dating now...right?"

Hanabi Hanamaru blushed slightly and nodded cautiously.

"Ah."

"So we're... boyfriend and girlfriend now... right?"

"Mmm." Hanabi's weak voice grew softer and softer, and the blush on her cheeks deepened.

Uesugi Kai, too embarrassed to look at her blushing face any longer, gathered his thoughts, glanced at the damp steps in front of him, and continued:

"We've been childhood sweethearts, we've grown up together for over ten years, and we each have our own little secrets. Although I've always treated you like a younger sister, I still want to ask you something now."

What should lovers do together?

Hanabi Hanamaru had buried her head deep into the scarf around her neck, exhaling warm breath inside. Her cheeks were burning hot against the knitted fabric, gradually increasing in temperature, and her entire petite body began to feel hot.

But she didn't hear his follow-up question.

Her violet eyes trembled slightly, the gleam gradually fading, and after a long while, she spoke:

"So, Uesugi-kun... has always... regarded Hanabi... as a little sister...?"

"Hanabi...you don't know her...?" Uesugi Kai sensed a strange sense of disappointment and desolation in those words.

Hanabi Hanamaru kept her head buried in her scarf, then used one hand to pull the scarf up to cover her flushed and burning cheeks.

###Chapter Forty-Six: The Misunderstanding After the Platform###

The atmosphere changed slightly.

When asked by Kai Uesugi, Hanabi Hanabi nodded and then shook her head.

“Uesugi-kun... does look a lot like an older brother... Although Hanabi doesn’t have an older brother... Uesugi-kun always gives Hanabi a sense of security, like being protected by an older brother. In the past, when Hanabi was by Uesugi-kun’s side, she would feel inexplicably at ease.”