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

"Kai-kun, why don't you try the taste?"

As Hanabi Hanabi spoke, she scooped up a little bit of curry with the small spoon she had used earlier, held the spoon handle with one hand, and half-covered it with the other, then turned and offered it to Kai Uesugi's lips.

Kai Uesugi took a bite.

"How is it?" Hanabi Hanabi asked.

Uesugi Kai closed his eyes, savoring the moment for two seconds, then opened them and looked at the girl in front of him, saying:

"Is this considered an indirect kiss?"

Hanabi Hanamaru's cute face froze slightly.

Kai Uesugi smiled at her.

Hanabi lowered her head slightly, then silently turned around and stirred the curry beef in the large pot with the small spoon she had just used:

"Kai-kun... Kai-kun and Hanabi are already husband and wife... so what's wrong with them kissing directly...?"

"That's true, but Hanabi-chan, you still seem embarrassed."

"..."

I don't know why.

Hanamaru Hanabi suddenly fell silent for a long time.

Kai Uesugi noticed that the highlight in her eyes suddenly disappeared.

"Kai-kun...aren't you annoying? Hanabi's still the same after all this time...she hasn't grown up at all..."

"No, I think she's cute, and cute... who wouldn't like to have a cute wife?" Uesugi Kai gazed at her as she stood by the kitchen stove, wearing an apron and slippers.

Hanabi Hanamaru's violet eyes stared at the thick, frothy curry, their light shimmering.

She seemed to realize that something was wrong, lowered her head even further, and spoke softly in a weak voice:

"I'm sorry, Kai-kun... Hanabi asked that again..."

"sorry..."

Her voice grew weaker and weaker, filled with increasing self-blame.

Uesugi Kai was heartbroken to hear this. He walked behind her and reached out to hug her petite body from behind.

"It's okay, it's okay, there's no need to apologize, it's not Hanabi's fault."

With her back against his chest, Hanabi Hanamaru truly felt the care emanating from him. While feeling grateful to him, she also became more demanding and strict with herself.

As she stirred the curry with a ladle, she looked down and said:

"Kai-kun...fireworks are actually pretty useless, aren't they?"

"How could that be? Hanabi is so wonderful and hardworking. She's busy cooking, doing laundry, and going to school every day. I can truly appreciate how good you are to Hanabi-chan and how much you exist."

"Kai-kun..."

"Hanabi-chan, don't worry about whether you've grown up or not. Many girls don't even like to grow up. They stay eighteen forever. I really like Hanabi the way she is now. I like you, the you of the past, the you of the future, and the you of the present."

"Kai-kun..."

"Okay, okay, I still like you, right?"

"Mmm..." the girl replied weakly.

Kai Uesugi rested his chin on her shoulder and whispered in her ear, "Hanabi, as long as you remember that Kai-kun still loves you, you should have confidence. Think to yourself, someone still loves Hanabi, Kai-kun still loves Hanabi, Hanabi has already done very well, very well..."

His gentle and delicate words drifted quietly into my ears.

Hanabi Hanabi's heart was pounding, but she couldn't express her feelings of liking him the most. She could only repeat her feelings for him over and over again in her heart, remembering how good he had been to her.

In the end, her eyes even welled up with tears. She bent her arm, wiped them, and said with a sob:

"Kai-kun, Kai-kun...you still remember Hanabi...right?"

"Yes, I remember, I remember, I've always remembered."

"Th-thank you, Kai-kun...really...thank you..."

"It's okay, it's okay."

Now that life has progressed to this point, Uesugi Kai doesn't believe that Hanabi's affection for him is without basis.

She always said that she gave her a warm sense of security, a sense of security that she would never hate no matter what.

Feelings of gratitude, affection, and a desire to rely on him were all alleviated by him.

Fireworks is not perfect; it has flaws and a recurring sense of inferiority.

Kai Uesugi knew that he couldn't criticize her for being too fragile at this time; he could only use gentle words to reassure her.

Otherwise, she will only look down on herself even more, regarding her status as insignificant. In that case... this delicate flower will truly disappear before our eyes like a dandelion with the slightest breeze.

The gentleness, thoughtfulness, and radiant smile she displayed are nowhere to be found again.

Everyone has flaws. The fact that Uesugi Kai never said anything like "I hate you" to Hanabi when she was little is probably one of the reasons why she is so devoted to him now.

Even so, Uesugi Kai still believed that her contributions outweighed his own.

Kai Uesugi only said a few caring words to her when she was a child, and she devoted her whole life and her heart to him.

Now, she is married to him, and she cooks for him at home, warms his bed at night, and dresses him in the morning.

All of this is because Uesugi Kai never disliked her flaws, and she made mistakes unintentionally.

Love requires tolerance, care, and protection.

This is the foundation of marriage and the source of love.

After dinner, it was late at night.

Kai Uesugi pulled the blanket over Hanabi Hanabi's shoulders and looked at the little face lying next to him.

Perhaps, the appearance of Black Flower Fire... was also her way of dealing with her concerns about him.

Before getting married, Kai Uesugi also went through a period of anxiety and uncertainty.

I'm afraid the fireworks will disappear, afraid the fireworks are just a dream, afraid that this wonderful fireworks sauce is just my own fantasy.

He couldn't help but feel saddened whenever he thought about the possibility of these things happening.

And Hanabi... might be even more intense than his love for her.

If she were to experience this kind of anxiety and insecurity, her condition would likely become even more severe.

Because the emotions were too intense to accept, the personality trait that originated from her, Kurohanabi, was born.

......

He stroked her smooth little face with his right hand.

It was only when Uesugi Kai connected the dots that he suddenly realized he had been oblivious all along.

There is probably no such thing as a parallel world, and there is probably never a second Kai-kun.

Those things have always been the things that Little Fireworks fears most.

She was afraid that Kai-kun would abandon her, afraid that Kai-kun would forget her, so... she desperately wanted Kai-kun's love, wanted Kai-kun to pay attention to her, and wanted Kai-kun to understand how much she liked him.

Excessive kidnapping, intense dependence, and sudden departure.

And, on her way home this afternoon, she sat on the back of the bicycle, hugging her waist, and said that if she could have this feeling, she would be willing to wait ten thousand years.

Everything has a root cause; it all stems from her wanting Kai-kun to understand her existence and how much she needs his care...

As Uesugi Kai stared at the girl's even breathing beside him, he realized just how oblivious he had been.

It all stemmed from Hanabi-chan's affection for herself... and her aspirations for herself...

Uesugi Kai couldn't help but place the hand that had been stroking her face on her petite back, pulling the sleeping girl into his arms and letting her snuggle against his chest as she slept.

"Fireworks... I will always remember you..."

The girl was fast asleep. Uesugi Kai leaned out with his chin, gently tapped her beautiful forehead, and closed his eyes.

The moonlight gradually dimmed...

--------

"Kai-kun, Kai-kun... time for breakfast."

Kai Uesugi, whose arm was being gently pushed by the girl, suddenly opened her eyes. Startled, she flipped over and pinned Hanabi, who was wearing an apron, down on the bed.

"Kai, Kai-kun!?" Hanabi Hanamaru tried to move, only to find that her shoulders were being pressed down firmly by him.

"We didn't have any sex last night, how about we come this morning?"

"No, you can't," Hanabi Hanabi quickly pushed away Kai Uesugi with both hands, her face flushed, "You can't be so aroused."

Then Hanabi Hanamaru felt that it wouldn't be good to completely reject him, so she turned her face away and looked away, saying:

"Only...only kisses."

"Okay, come give me a kiss."

The next second, Uesugi Kai leaned down and silenced the girl's sweetly fragrant lips with a kiss.

He gently bit the girl's cherry-colored upper lip, then slowly probed inwards, letting her sweet breath linger in his mouth.

They didn't separate until a full five minutes later.

Hanabi Hanabi was panting heavily, her little face flushed.

Kai Uesugi smiled and said, "Honey, you don't need to hold your breath."

"Because...because..." Hanabi stammered for a long time, unable to utter a proper word.

"Because it felt so good, you just did it instinctively?" Uesugi Kai said, placing his hands on either side of her head and looking at her shy face as she lay on the bed.

"Hmm... I'm still very nervous..."

"You're still nervous? We've been married for almost a month already."

"It feels...it feels like today is very different..."

"is it?"

"Kai-kun, Kai-kun, you'd better eat breakfast quickly, it'll get cold soon..."