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

(Not finished typing, more to come...)

"Hanabi, what do you think? Should I dress more formally before going?"

Hanabi Hanamaru, who was sitting on the edge of the bed swinging her legs up and down, smiled as she looked at Kai Uesugi, who was changing clothes in front of the mirror. "Kai-kun said he didn't care, but he's been changing clothes in front of the mirror for half an hour now."

Kai Uesugi put on a white shirt and looked at himself buttoning it in the mirror. "This is a sign of respect. After all, the other person is an editor at Kadokawa Bunko."

He looked at himself in the mirror with satisfaction, then turned to Hanabi Hanamoto, who was sitting by the bed, and said:

"Hana-chan, do you want to come with me?"

"What does Hanabi do at Kai-kun's job?"

“Mainly because you’ll be bored waiting at home, we can go out for a walk together, and most importantly…” Uesugi Kai paused here, deliberately keeping her in suspense, “we can go out alone and have a date.”

"A date! No... um—" Hanabi Hanabi subconsciously sat up straight, then realized something, quickly covered her mouth, turned her face away and said, "We can't go on a date, Kai-kun's affection level isn't high enough yet."

Logically speaking, once a person's favorability rating reaches zero, then one will feel a complete lack of desire to get close to that person.

My current favorability rating is -5.

Although her affection level is -5, she doesn't act like someone with a -5 affection level at all. She's happy to hear that she can go on a date, and she probably really looks forward to being with me.

Honestly... after going on so many dates, why are you still thinking about going on another one...?

Kai Uesugi silently watched her turn her face away, then walked over and squatted down in front of her.

"No matter how much Kai says... Hanabi won't agree."

Kai Uesugi didn't say anything, but instead took her left hand, which was wearing a wedding ring, and placed it in his own palm.

Her hands were a little cold, and also very small and slender, as if the bones were soft...

"Does Hanabi really enjoy dating?" Uesugi Kai looked up at her.

Perhaps sensing a strange emotion in his eyes, Hanamaru Hanabi didn't turn her face away again, but nodded in front of him.

"How about we go on a date again once our affection level rises again? This time, let's go to a different place, a place Hanabi has never been before."

What place is it?

Uesugi Kai lowered his head and remained silent for a long time. He held her small hand and gently massaged her slender fingers. "Deep in my heart, something I've never told anyone else, not even my mother, not even my father... This is something I only want to share with you..."

"Then... Kai-kun, remember what you said to Hanabi." Hanabi extended her other hand and made a pinky promise in front of him.

Kai Uesugi smiled as he watched her make a pinky promise, extending his right pinky finger to make a pinky promise with her, their thumbs touching. "I remember, I will remember every promise I made to Hanabi-chan. To me, there is no girl cuter than her."

......

Kai Uesugi didn't start writing light novels to create emotions out of thin air, nor was it for money; she genuinely wanted to write about her longing and love for Hanabi.

Her cuteness, her smile, her joy, her happiness...

The scenes etched in his heart, the unforgettable moments, he wanted to write them down.

Therefore, the title of this light novel is very simple: "Fireworks Love," and the name of the female protagonist, Hanabi Chiwa, is also the same.

It tells the story of a disillusioned young man in Tokyo and the innocent girl he encounters.

At first, Hanabi-chan didn't really approve of the name, saying it sounded strange.

But if you calm down and take a closer look...

Fireworks Love

Isn't this fine?

Kai Uesugi didn't tell Hanabi that this book was a belated love letter he had written for her.

After all, once he confessed to her, she completely gave herself to him, and he didn't even have time to pursue her in the form of love letters or other methods.

Using a light book as a love letter, haha, thinking about it carefully, it's actually quite romantic.

Before leaving, Hanabi ran from the bedroom to the entryway with a scarf, wrapped it around his neck, and said in a soft voice, "Kai-kun, it's a bit cold outside, wear this before you go out."

Watching her carefully wrap the scarf around his neck, Uesugi Kai was so lost in thought that he forgot to even say thank you.

Actually... no matter how many times I say thank you, it can't compare to her genuine feelings for me...

......

With these thoughts in mind, Uesugi Kai boarded the tram. As the tram slowly moved along the tracks, she listened to the clanging sounds outside the window and looked out, a variety of thoughts swirling in her mind.

Hopefully, this light novel, intended as a love letter to Hanabi, will lead to a successful contract signing.

......

"You must be Mr. Uesugi Kai?"

"Ah."

In a coffee shop near Kadokawa Bunko, Uesugi Kai met the editor named Morisaki Taichi.

He wore a business suit, had short hair, wore glasses, and was of medium to thin build. He had a mole under his right eye, which made him easy to remember.

Moreover, they are very young.

Upon seeing Uesugi Kai, the other person sat down opposite him, put down his briefcase, stood up, smiled, and extended his hand, saying, "Hello, Mr. Uesugi, my name is Morisaki Taichi, and I am an editor in the light novel division of Kadokawa Publishing."

"Hello," Uesugi Kai replied.

"Mr. Uesugi looks very young. May I ask what you do for a living?"

"College student."

"Excuse me for asking... where does Mr. Uesugi study? Ah, I'm sorry, it's not that I'm being intrusive, I just wanted to know so that it would be easier to contact you in the future."

It's probably to make it easier to chase up deadlines...

Kai Uesugi didn't reply immediately, but thought for a moment and said, "University of Tokyo."

He originally wanted to say that he was enrolled at the University of Tokyo but was studying at the Tokyo University of the Arts, but that would have made it harder to explain, so he simply said he was from the University of Tokyo.

“I see,” Morisaki Taichi turned around, took out a stack of documents from his briefcase, and pushed them out, saying, “I reviewed Mr. Uesugi’s document yesterday. This is a note I made last night that could be modified or added. Mr. Uesugi can take a look.”

Morisaki Taichi handed the manuscript to Uesugi Kai, who waited patiently.

Uesugi Kai read it carefully. He didn't make many corrections, but he thoughtfully provided explanations, respecting his original intentions while optimizing the plot conflicts and character portrayals to a certain extent.

After a long while, Uesugi Kai put down the manuscript in his hand.

"What does Mr. Uesugi think?"

"I think it's very good; there are many things I hadn't noticed before." After reading the annotated version, Uesugi Kai couldn't help but admire the editor's skill.

This is something that people without professional experience would never notice.

The plot is connected by a series of hooks, making the reading experience smooth and enjoyable.

"Now that Mr. Uesugi has finished reading about the advantages, I will now talk about the current disadvantages of this book."

Seeing Morisaki's serious face, Uesugi Kai listened attentively.

"First of all, your opening is very good. From the protagonist's despair, to the childhood sweetheart's rescue and accidental revelation of her dream, to the protagonist's renewed hope for life, just when everything is developing for the better, he hears the bad news that his childhood sweetheart and mother have suddenly passed away one after another... Such dramatic ups and downs in the plot will greatly immerse the readers in it, and the readers also want to see how the protagonist will help his childhood sweetheart fulfill her last wish with her inheritance."

"The story is fine up to this point, no problem, totally okay... But you need to build some bonds for the male protagonist during his escape from Tokyo, such as meeting new friends and new characters. With these things, the male protagonist is no longer just living for his childhood friend's last wish; he is also caught in the struggle between friendship and reality... At the same time, you can also use the male protagonist's friends to bring up more things. These things may have a positive impact on the main characters, or a negative impact on the main characters, or they may affect the female protagonist, Hanabi Chiwa's, decision to stay or leave. These are all things that need to be built up in the early stages."

Kai Uesugi listened very attentively.

Morisaki Tai looked at him and said, "Secondly, I suggest adding a female lead."

"Add one?"

"Yes, let's add one more. This female lead's feelings don't have to be obvious. She can have a good relationship with the first female lead. Most importantly, she can continue to help the male lead in many ways in his career, and the male lead can also like her."

"What is this character's purpose?"

"The emotional entanglements, the dilemmas of choices, and the struggles of whether the female lead stays or leaves—these complex emotions, which can be used to develop a story, are what keep readers on the edge of their seats. It is these elements that make readers care more and not want to lose the character when they fall in love with her."

After listening to these words, Uesugi Kai remained silent for a long time. Is this the level of a professional editor?

Morisaki Taichi's expression was indifferent: "I know that the kind of lightness that Mr. Uesugi wants to write is not the ordinary kind... Although the number is small, works that focus on emotional choices and the male protagonist's struggle between reality and love, rather than just selling cuteness or setting, have appeared before, and there are many successful examples... You are a student at the University of Tokyo and have a high level of cultural literacy. I believe you can describe this kind of emotion. I also hope that you can seriously consider it."

......

Time seemed to stand still in the coffee shop as we waited.

Kai Uesugi let out a soft sigh, glanced subconsciously at the manuscript paper beside him, and said to the editor Morisaki in front of him, "Thank you, Morisaki-san. Your words have benefited me greatly, but the main reason I wrote this work is to depict the male protagonist's love for the female protagonist."

Morisaki Tai nodded: "I know, is it that you can't accept the setting I mentioned for the second female lead?"

"Yes."

Morisaki Taichi put away his serious expression as an editor and said with a smile, "Mr. Uesugi, there's no need to worry. The male protagonist's love for the female protagonist, Hanabi Chiwa, is unique, but for the second female protagonist, it's a different kind of emotion, isn't it?"

Another emotion... Uesugi Kai seemed to understand something and continued to listen attentively.

"Mr. Uesugi, love is an emotion, but it's also an emotion that can be misunderstood. For example, sympathy, respect, affection, and admiration can all be mistaken for love. You just need to be a little clever in handling these emotions, so that the male protagonist suddenly realizes who his true love is... Of course, we can slightly change this rather clichéd plot and add more twists. It doesn't necessarily have to be a misunderstanding, but rather a necessary and real choice... In short, as long as it revolves around deepening the male protagonist's love for the female protagonist, it's perfectly fine."

"How exactly do we implement this?" Uesugi Kai asked proactively.

Editor Morisaki, drawing on his years of experience, began to help Kai Uesugi deduce some plot points.

The meeting lasted for three hours before it finally came to an end.

There wasn't even time to drink the coffee; it was left aside to cool and no one paid any attention to it.

Editor Morisaki stood up and extended his hand: "Mr. Uesugi, although you are a newcomer, I understand that you have a very high talent in creative work."

Kai Uesugi also stood up and shook hands with him, saying, "I am the one who has benefited the most, and I am also grateful to Editor Morisaki for thinking so highly of a newcomer like me."

"Haha, that's all for today. Mr. Uesugi, please feel free to contact me whenever you've finished revising the manuscript. I'll review it several times, and if it's suitable, no further revisions are needed. I'll arrange for printing and publication immediately."

"Thank you, I appreciate your help today."

After exchanging pleasantries, the submission for today was successfully completed.

After leaving the coffee shop, Kai Uesugi boarded the train home.

Realizing she was out of food at home, Uesugi Kai went to the supermarket again and bought some ingredients for cooking fireworks, as well as the fast food bento she had for breakfast.

Sigh, ever since Hanabi stopped giving her breakfast, Uesugi Kai feels like something is missing from her life.

###Chapter 474 Embrace, Novel, Taking Care of You for Life###

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