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

Break the cauliflower into small florets, cut the pork into small slices, and prepare one portion each of scallions, ginger, cooking wine, soy sauce, light soy sauce, star anise, and dried chili peppers.

Then, Uesugi Kai, who had prepared everything, watched as Hanamaru Hanabi heated the pan and oil.

Today's dish is stir-fried cauliflower with pork, a classic Chinese dish.

Once the oil starts to smoke, add the scallions and ginger to the oil and sauté until fragrant.

Then add dried chili peppers and star anise, and stir-fry until fragrant.

At this point, turn the gas stove to medium heat and stir-fry the pork belly until it turns white and curls slightly.

Then, she added a spoonful of soy sauce and a spoonful of cooking wine, and continued to stir-fry until the sauce boiled. Finally, she added the drained cauliflower, mixed the cauliflower and pork together, and stir-fried it evenly over high heat.

Add a spoonful of light soy sauce and a spoonful of sugar, then remove from heat and serve.

Kai Uesugi watched as she skillfully plated the stir-fried dishes with a wok in one hand and a spatula in the other, movements she had mastered.

They then quickly stir-fried two simple dishes, and the two of them carried the plates into the living room together.

Uesugi Kai picked up a slice of meat and cauliflower with his chopsticks and ate it with hot white rice.

Hanabi Hanabi asked expectantly, "How about it?"

"Well..."

Uesugi Kai savored it carefully. The aroma of the meat, the tenderness of the vegetables, and the smoky flavor from the stir-fry, combined with a slight sweetness, filled his mouth with a delightful fragrance.

“It’s so fragrant, so incredibly fragrant,” he said with a smile. “I feel like I can make Chinese stir-fries and Huahuo sauce so skillfully after just a few days of learning.

After saying that, Uesugi Kai picked up another piece of meat and ate it with white rice.

"As long as Kai-kun likes it." Hanabi Hanamaru smiled sweetly.

Sigh, only those with wives can enjoy this taste.

Kai Uesugi recalled the discounted supermarket bento he ate that morning—the cold food and rice, the icy, lifeless industrial-grade hamburger patty...

How can any of this taste as good as the dinner my wife makes for me?

This can be called food?

Uesugi Kai no longer felt that he was just filling his stomach, but was enjoying the happy days of having a wife.

Hanabi Hanabi saw him eating so quickly and said, "Kai-kun, eat slowly."

"No, we won't be able to eat it tomorrow morning. We can only eat it for a short while in the evening, so we need to eat more!"

......

After finishing their meal, Uesugi Kai intercepted Hanabi Hanabi's bowl that she was about to take to the kitchen.

"Let me wash it. Hanabi-chan has worked so hard, let me help her out."

"OK then."

Hanabi Hanabi smiled sweetly at him as he enthusiastically accepted the bowls and chopsticks she had prepared.

Then he turned around and took yesterday's clothes back from the clothesline.

谷烬

After finishing a series of household chores, it was almost 9 p.m.

"Didn't Kai-kun say he'd help with the character design?" Hanabi Hanamaru came to the balcony carrying a computer.

"Wait a minute!" Uesugi Kai said to her, blocking the computer screen.

"what happened?"

"Let me check it over first, then we'll talk."

Hanabi Hanabi: "Then... Hanabi, go back to the bedroom and wait a bit?"

"Okay, you rest for a while, I'll call you again in half an hour."

"Ah."

......

Writing and proofreading.

Half an hour later, Uesugi Kai finally finished revising the final plot of the first volume of the novel.

He scrolled to the top of the document on his laptop and looked at the words "Fireworks Love" written on it.

He propped his chin on one hand and stared intently at the words.

When Hanabi comes over later, will she be able to figure out what he means from the title of this book?

If I told her it was some kind of love letter I wrote to her, she'd probably be embarrassed if she found out.

Hmm, never mind, I'll just call her.

If you know, you know.

Kai Uesugi got up and went to the bedroom door, knocking on it. "Hanabi-chan, it's ready."

"Ok."

Hanabi Hanamaru agreed, and after a while, she came out carrying her computer and graphics tablet.

The two of them went to the living room balcony together.

The balcony windows were closed, but the transparent floor-to-ceiling windows leading to the living room were open.

There was no other way; it was too cold, and I couldn't stand it without the heater on.

—I don't work in the bedroom because the night view from the balcony is better.

Hanabi Hanamaru turned on her computer, opened her usual drawing software, and asked Kai Uesugi, "So, whose character design should we do first?"

“The male lead, I suppose, is Akizuki Katayama.” Uesugi Kai spelled out the male lead’s name in katakana.

Hanamaru Hanabi then created a document: "Hmm, we have a name, what's his personality like?"

“Effort,” Uesugi Kai thought for a moment, “is someone who works hard but gets beaten down by reality because of too many concerns. He’s not used to lying and is already 26 years old.”

Hanamaru Hanabi: "Size?"

Kai Uesugi: "I am of medium build, not too fat, not too thin either."

Hanabi Hanamaru: "Okay, Kai-kun, is there anything else you need?"

Kai Uesugi stroked his chin, looked out the window at Tokyo Tower and thought for a moment: "Looks...above average, but because things aren't going well, he looks rather haggard."

"Kai-kun, Hanabi should remind you that it's better if the male lead is handsome."

"Huh? Why?"

“In the past, Kawai, an editor at SG Bunko, told Hanabi that because readers identify with the protagonist, the protagonist should have a matching appearance with the female protagonist, and he must also be outstanding. The gentle male protagonist of the past is no longer acceptable.”

Uesugi Kai: "So, the character needs to be good-looking and ambitious? Otherwise, why would the female lead like him?"

"Ah."

"But...it doesn't really fit with my earlier story."

Hanabi Hanamaru: "It's alright. I've read Kai-kun's Story. As long as the male protagonist seems a bit melancholic at the beginning, it's fine. It's also okay if he performs well in other aspects."

"alright."

Since it's his wife who's doing the painting, Uesugi Kai should listen to her opinions more.

As he spoke, Hanamaru Hanabi placed the tablet upright, held the stylus in his hand, and sketched out a rough outline with just a few strokes.

Is this okay?

"Let me take a look."

Uesugi Kai took a look, and exclaimed, "Look at this outline, look at these lines!"

The male lead's character immediately comes to mind, but he doesn't seem like a颓废 (颓废 is a difficult word to translate directly, but it implies a state of being decadent, dispirited, or颓废) male lead; rather, he seems to be a male lead in his prime.

The way he grips his wrist and looks down, the slight curl in his hair—the sense of movement is palpable.

"I...do I feel like he's a little too handsome?"

Hanabi Hanamaru pondered for a while longer: "Hmm... Hanabi thinks it's great."

As she spoke, she added a few more details to the male lead's actions and expressions.

His eyes and posture weren't the kind of handsome that's typical of BL (Boys' Love) films, but rather a clean and sharp kind of handsome that even men would find appealing.

"..."

Okay, Kai Uesugi shut up completely.

He's handsome, no doubt about it. This male lead is so handsome that neither men nor women can say a word.

"That's the rough version. What do you think, Kai-kun?"

"can."

Hanabi Hanamaru clicked save, then created a new document. "Is the next character the heroine?"

Uesugi nodded: "Yes, Hanabi Chiwa."

"Hanabi Chiwa..." She always felt that the name sounded a little strange to her, so she couldn't resist asking him out of curiosity, "Kai-kun... what's the name of this novel?"

"Fireworks of Love"

"Kai-kun..."

“Don’t rush me,” Uesugi Kai explained, “Others will just think it’s fireworks or something, they won’t think it’s you.”

"But with this kind of naming... Kai-kun's light novel is not a light novel at all."

"Hey, Hana-chan, even my editor at Kadokawa said the name is alright. He said my light novel isn't the usual kind of light novel, it's like 'I Want to Eat Your Pancreas,' even with such a weird name, it still became popular, didn't it?"

It took Hanabi Hanabi a while to accept: "Okay... then... what is Hanabi Chiwa's character design like?"

"She's a coffee shop employee, short hair, purple eyes, only likes to wear skirts, and likes sharks... Ugh, why are you interrupting me?"

"Kai-kun..."

Kai Uesugi smiled nonchalantly: "I already said it's based on you."

Hanabi Hanabi pouted angrily: "But this is completely Hanabi herself now."