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

But the more he tried to ease the anxiety, the more anxious he became, because he was afraid of forgetting her.

Hanabi Hanabi often tells him, "Kai-kun, don't forget Hanabi..."

Whenever he thinks about the way she said those words, Uesugi Kai feels an urge to hug her.

......

"Brother..." Qian Aiyi called out, the small beauty mark under her left eye looking very gentle under the living room light.

"Have you thought it through?" Uesugi Kai asked.

"...Brother, you shouldn't let Ai-yi know that Mom is looking for us..."

"You don't want her to know?"

"Um......"

Seeing her lowered face, Uesugi Kai roughly understood what she meant.

When I first met them, I went to their house.

Qian Aiyi often tells Aiyi sadly that her mother will never come back, but Aiyi still believes that her mother will come back, and the two sisters often quarrel about this.

For half a year, Qian Aiyi, as the older sister, waited at home countless nights.

Each time I looked forward to it, the doorbell never rang.

Qian Aiyi roughly learned about her mother and how she abandoned them.

Now, my mother suddenly wants to take them back.

Hanabi-neechan and her brother are very kind...and very kind to Ai-yi too...Ai-yi is happy every day...

Is it really a good idea to go back to my mother's place and live the life I used to have, waiting for her to come home?

Qian Aiyi's mind was in turmoil. She wanted to go back and see her mother... but a vague feeling made her not want to go back.

This feeling made her somewhat resistant to her mother taking her back.

......

"Chii, don't worry about it," Uesugi Kai called out to the little girl in front of him, "I'll go check on your mother's condition tomorrow."

"Um..."

The two little girls were born out of wedlock.

The root of the problem lies with their mother.

Kai Uesugi wanted to see what their mother's motives were for suddenly wanting to retain custody of the two little girls.

--------

That night.

Planes taking off from Haneda Airport flashed their lights in the night sky outside the window.

Kai Uesugi was holding Hanabi Hanabu on the large bed in the bedroom, his hands supporting her back.

The girl's body was warm, and my hand was only a nightgown away from her skin.

"Isn't it hot to be hugged like that, Kai-kun...?"

No matter how many times I hold her, her words in my arms always become weak and soft.

"Who cares about being hot when you have a wife to hug?"

Hanabi Hanabi blushed slightly upon hearing this, and nestled her head on his arm, whispering, "Kai-kun doesn't have a wife yet..."

"Fiancée counts too."

"But it's not yet..."

Hanabi Hanamaru wore a pink strapless nightgown that night, which covered her chest but exposed her shoulders and collarbone.

Perhaps because he was used to secretly glancing at her collarbone, Uesugi Kai was surprised to find that she was wearing such beautiful clothes at night.

Her skin was fair and had a soft, rosy glow.

Hanabi Hanabi called him several times, but he didn't hear her; his attention was entirely focused on the lines above the girl's strapless top.

Hanabi Hanamaru covered her chest directly with both hands:

"Kai-kun wants to touch me again..."

"Would Hanabi-chan like to meet Uesugi Neko?"

"Kai-kun, are you going to turn into a cat?" Hanabi Hanamaru's face lit up with joy.

"Uesugi Neko can't just appear anywhere. It's a manifestation of Hanabi's love. Only if she loves me enough can Uesugi Neko appear."

As he spoke, Hanabi leaned closer to him with curious eyes, rested her head on his arm, and looked at his handsome face, asking, "What does it feel like to become a cat?"

"What does it feel like? Hmm... hard to say. My body feels very light, and it feels quite comfortable when my fur is stroked in the same direction."

When Uesugi Kai saw her move closer, he reached out and brushed her hair aside, then pressed his head against her forehead.

The girl's beauty seemed to emanate from the warmth of her forehead.

"Let's stick to Uesugi Neko today."

"Hmm... I'll listen to Kai-kun..."

Kai Uesugi closed his eyes, feeling her warmth and inhaling her fragrance.

"We're getting married soon, what are your thoughts, Hanabi?"

"Fireworks are so happy..."

"Hanabi-chan, do you think...we can still be this wonderful when we're old?"

"...Kai-kun...as long as you don't mind fireworks..."

"Fireworks, you're still too weak."

"Kai-kun, Kai-kun, don't you like it?"

"No... If I didn't like it, I would have said so much earlier."

"I like you, Hanabi-chan." Uesugi Kai softened his voice, trying to soothe her anxious little heart.

"Mmm..." Hanabi Hanabi replied, "Hanabi knows... Kai-kun also gave Hanabi a necklace and a shark-shaped bag..."

Uesugi Kai hummed in agreement. He was willing to believe her and would love her as deeply as he did today.

"On my way home this afternoon, I met a middle-aged man who drives a taxi. He was in his fifties, divorced, and had a son. He was very respectful to his passengers. He works fourteen hours a day, just to give his divorced wife and son more money. He wants to get back together with his wife and make up for the time he was too busy with work and neglected his family. His dream is to watch his son grow up and give him a car after he graduates."

"It's very ordinary, right? I like you, and I think life is just as simple and good as it is. A peaceful life is beautiful in itself—you are by my side, you will answer when I call your name, you will laugh when you encounter happy things, and you will seek comfort in my arms when you encounter sad things... Fireworks... I will always follow you... Even if you disappear, I will always look for you."

Hanabi Hanabi listened to what he said with his eyes closed.

She vaguely sensed that Uesugi Kai's emotions had been unstable lately, and wondered if it was because of his illness. She hugged him tightly with some concern.

"Kai-kun... go to sleep first... Hanabi will hold you while you sleep..."

"Um......"

Hanabi Hanabi pulled the thin blanket over his shoulders.

As the night grew quieter, Uesugi Kai rested his head against her warm embrace.

This feeling is wonderful, so wonderful... It gradually makes you forget all your troubles and sink into a dreamlike utopia...

------

It was not clear.

Winter is the perfect time to snuggle up in bed and keep warm.

I couldn't bear to get out of bed, nor could I bear to change my blankets into clothes to keep warm.

Even more reluctant to leave the warm little house and go outside to see the snow falling all around.

The fragrance filled her gently rhythmic breaths as Uesugi Kai, enjoying the warmth of the blankets, habitually touched Hanabi Hanabi's little belly beside her.

Her belly was always very soft, smooth and tender, and as you touched it, a warm and comfortable feeling would appear in your palm—and because of this, you would be reluctant to leave it.

But at this moment, Uesugi Kai, with her eyes closed, sensed something strange.

His outstretched hand touched not a soft belly, but a slightly firm, very flat lower abdomen.

Although he was not fully awake and his consciousness was still hazy, he vaguely knew that this feeling was very strange in terms of texture.

He frowned subconsciously, then continued to stroke his stomach, feeling increasingly strange.

Following this feeling, he skipped the belt and slid his hand down.

As he touched her, Uesugi Kai suddenly lost all sleepiness and sat up abruptly in bed.

"you!"

Just as he was about to speak, he realized that the face in front of him seemed somewhat familiar.

Perhaps because he hadn't fully woken up, his eyes were still a little blurry. He blinked several times in a row, and only after his eyes adjusted to the dim light could he be sure that the face in front of him was one he knew all too well.

Kai Uesugi was lying right next to her.

But wait.

He's Kai Uesugi, so... who am I...?

"I...?" He opened his mouth, a sound coming from his throat, a weak voice that was very familiar to him.

What's the sound of Little Fireworks?

Kai Uesugi realized something and stretched out his hands to look at them.

Her wrists were as white as jade, her skin was delicate, and her fingers were slender.

"Fireworks' hand?"

His voice was no longer his usual tone, but rather Hanamaru Hanabi's soft, gentle voice.

He turned his head to look at his shoulder again; it was petite and snow-white, with a pink camisole hanging on it.

My gaze shifted again, landing directly below.

There, beneath the pale pink pajamas, two small mounds rose.