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

Kai Uesugi, having already picked up the bag, walked over to Hanabi Hanabi's side and looked at the carrot:

Which one should we choose?

"Huh? Hmm...anything is fine..." Hanabi Hanamaru said absentmindedly, her head half-buried.

Unaware of this, Uesugi Kai led her along the way to select the ingredients needed for today's Yu Xiang Rou Si (shredded pork with garlic sauce).

After everything was ready, I left Don Quixote with a plastic bag in my hand.

For two people, one simple dish is enough, and besides, we have eggs and two tomatoes at home.

These two ingredients are more than enough for stir-frying tomatoes and eggs, or making an egg drop soup.

Arriving at the parking lot, Uesugi Kai found his pink bicycle, put the vegetables he bought into the front basket, then squatted down to unlock it, pushed the bicycle out, and went to Hanabi Hanabi, who was waiting for him behind.

"Let's go home. I spent a long time soaking in the hot springs today, but it didn't feel like it went by quickly. Let's just leave it at that for today."

"Um..."

......

Along the way, vehicles and people flowed without stopping, and occasionally you could see some high school students in school uniforms walking back home.

In November, apart from girls wearing skirts and bare legs, many students wore towels around their necks.

It will probably snow by December.

I'm somewhat looking forward to that weather.

Kai Uesugi rode his bicycle, the cold wind blowing in his face.

Hanabi Hanabi sat sideways behind him, dressed in simple clothes and a plain scarf.

Uesugi Kai was caught off guard and suddenly felt the girl behind him hug him.

"Hanabi."

Just then, Uesugi Kai called out to the girl behind him, "How about we don't be so close anymore in the future?"

"Kai-kun..."

Upon hearing this, Hanabi Hanabi hugged his waist even tighter, her weak voice even carrying a pitiful sadness.

"No, Hanabi, don't misunderstand." Uesugi Kai heard the fragility in her voice and quickly explained, "This is a method I came up with to make our relationship better."

"Hanabi...Hanabi doesn't want to hear this..." Hanamaru Hanabi tightened her grip on his stomach, wanting only to hold him and not let go.

Kai Uesugi quickly stopped the car, and while holding onto the car, he got off the seat: "It's true."

"Hanabi..." Hanabi Hanamaru seemed to want to repeat what she had just said, but in the end she didn't say it.

She fell silent immediately.

"What's wrong?" Uesugi Kai noticed that something was wrong with her and asked with concern.

"N-nothing..."

"Hanabi," Uesugi Kai called her name gently, trying to remind her.

Hanabi Hanamaru then lowered her head and stammered, "Just now... just now Hanabi reached out to hold Kai-kun's hand... but Kai-kun didn't even look at Hanabi... and just walked ahead..."

"..."

Kai Uesugi was stunned for several seconds, then smiled at her with relief and said, "I thought something was making you unhappy, but it turns out it's this."

"This matter...this matter...is also very important!" Hanabi Hanamaru tried her best to make her weak voice sound serious, but even after mustering her courage, she could only bury her face and mutter, "If you reach out to someone you like, but are left hanging, seeing that ignored hand...makes you feel empty inside, like you have nothing left."

Kai Uesugi put his arm around her shoulder and said with a smile, "It's okay, it's alright. I was looking at my phone and didn't notice you reaching out to me. Sorry."

"Hmm...Hanabi knows that...but always...Kai-kun, isn't Hanabi being a little too sensitive?"

"What's wrong with being sensitive? It's precisely because you're sensitive that you take care of everything and show concern for everything." As she said this, Uesugi Kai recalled the girl from the past who blushed and wore white stockings the very next day because of something she said.

It is precisely because of her sensitivity that she is so meticulous and considerate.

"Alright, alright," Uesugi Kai patted her shoulder, and after a while, let go of her and turned to her, saying, "Hanabi, do you remember what I said this afternoon?"

"Hmm... Kai-kun mentioned... Operation to Find Your Love and Youth... What a strange name."

Hanabi Hanabi muttered a complaint under her breath, glancing at his face occasionally.

"This..." Looking back, it was indeed a bit embarrassing. "Let's put the name aside for now, but it's a necessary step to make our experience even better!"

"What's wonderful...?"

"Love."

"Kai-kun said..."

"First, we can no longer be so intimate, such as hugging, holding hands, kissing, etc. All of these are prohibited."

"These...these are all...these are the bad things that Kai-kun likes to do on his own initiative..."

"Secondly, we sleep in separate beds every night."

"..."

"Third, I only make breakfast for myself every morning."

"What about Kai-kun's breakfast...?"

"I will find a way, but in short, we need to adhere to these three points: while maintaining a certain distance, we can have a romance between husband and wife! A romance that starts with confession and then blossoms into love."

"I can't even make breakfast for Kai-kun anymore... how... how am I supposed to date him..."

"Don't worry about that. Love is definitely more than just making bento boxes, or simply about things. It's about something much more beautiful: the exchange of feelings. Occasional short periods of distance will only deepen our relationship."

The air remained silent for a long time.

Hanabi Hanabi seemed to accept his statement, raising her bright eyes: "What if either Kai-kun or Hanabi breaks the rules of the game?"

Kai Uesugi: "Punishment."

"Hmm." Hanabi Hanamaru nodded, waiting for him to continue.

“The punishment is that you can’t see each other at home for a whole day, and you can move to your parents’ place,” Uesugi Kai said. “How about that? Because you’re too dependent on each other, the affection you’ve developed has led to intimate contact, but you’re being forcibly pulled apart because you’ve violated the rules of the game.”

"So...that's how it is."

"So? Will you agree?"

"Yes, of course Hanabi agrees."

"Alright, starting tomorrow, this plan will be officially implemented!" Uesugi Kai was so happy that he wanted to hug the girl in front of him.

Unexpectedly, Hanabi Hanabi took several steps back and said to him:

"No, not tomorrow."

"Starting today?" Uesugi Kai asked in surprise, his hands reaching out to hug her but finding only air.

"Ah."

"Tomorrow...wouldn't it be better?" Uesugi Kai asked with a forced smile.

Hanabi Hanamaru was wearing semi-transparent black stockings today, which, combined with her perfect leg shape, made her quite attractive.

Uesugi Kai had been staring at Hanabi's slender legs all day, and to make matters worse, she hadn't let herself...

Uesugi Kai planned to go home today and have a good time with Hanabi-chan before starting this dating game.

But it seems that once the rules of the game are spoken, they begin to slip out of human control.

"No good." Hanabi Hanabi shook her head and said, "Since it's a game, we should start now."

At this moment, Uesugi Kai felt as if he had... shot himself in the foot?

Shouldn't I have said it to her now?

After opening his mouth for a long time, he could only sigh and say, "Alright then, come on up, I'll take you home."

"No, you can't either!" Hanabi Hanabi reminded him, glancing at the back seat of the car before turning to Kai Uesugi and saying, "Riding on a guy's bicycle is considered intimate behavior, which is absolutely forbidden in the early stages of a relationship because the relationship isn't that close yet."

"..."

Uesugi Kai stared at Hanabi's adorable little face for a long time, unable to utter a single word, before finally asking helplessly, "Hanabi, how are you planning to get home?"

"Take a taxi."

Just as Hanabi Hanabi finished speaking, a taxi appeared behind her. She happened to see it and reached out her hand.

The taxi stopped by the roadside.

Goodbye, Kai-kun.

She left behind only this one sentence, which echoed in the air, before disappearing along with the taxi that merged into the traffic.

Beech leaves rustled past her ears as Uesugi Kai watched longingly as her car disappeared completely at the end of the street.

Was I really that awkward when we first started dating?

Kai Uesugi shook his head and got back on his bicycle.

He began driving on the street, heading home.

Actually... this little game isn't quite perfect yet. Uesugi Kai has considered referencing the intimacy system in visual novels, such as dating, favorite choices, and thoughtful little gifts.

The higher the intimacy level, the more things you can unlock.

But all of this is unnecessary. Uesugi Kai believes that the two of them are too dependent on each other right now, always clinging to each other. If they don't intentionally separate, that dependence will just become a habit.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Close proximity can enhance feelings.

Kai Uesugi thought so, and he looked up.

The light in the sky reveals the beauty of the white clouds and colors.

beep... beep...

Kai Uesugi stopped his bicycle again, took out his phone from his pocket, glanced at the screen, and immediately answered the call, holding it to his ear:

"Hey."

"Uesugi." A clear, melodious female voice, just as it had been in the afternoon, said, "No problem, your matter has been taken care of."

"Thank you, I didn't expect it to be so fast."