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

The Kanda River flows through the center of Tokyo, merges with the Sumida River beneath cherry blossom-lined banks, and after a brief, tender entanglement, they flow hand in hand into the boundless blue sea.

disappeared without a trace.

And so their romantic, yet short, lives came to an end.

Kai Uesugi suddenly understood what this feeling called love was.

"Hanabi."

"Um......"

"We'll always be together, right?"

Hanabi Hanabi looked up at him, her face still flushed, and replied, "Forever."

Kai Uesugi wasn't good at saying sweet words; all he could do in response was to hold her small hand tightly and pull her along the banks of the Kanda River, heading home.

The ancient Kanda River is filled with fallen cherry blossom petals.

------

The next morning,

Kai Uesugi woke up in a daze, before the early morning light had even reached his bedroom.

Still sleepy, he turned over, wrapped himself in the blanket, and dozed off for a while longer, waiting for his mother to wake him up.

The thought of another day of hard work and fulfillment made him want to continue being lazy.

He reached behind him and groped for a while, but couldn't grab the blanket. Instead, he kept groping for it for longer.

I touched it again.

"Um...!?"

The indescribable softness and comfort in his hand caused Uesugi Kai's pupils to shrink sharply, instantly bringing him to his senses.

Without hesitation, he turned to the side.

What comes into view is Hanabi Hanabu's peaceful sleeping posture.

She looks exactly the same as when I saw her sleeping last weekend!

"What's going on!?"

Kai Uesugi tried hard to recall, but found that all he remembered was Hanabi saying goodbye and going home after finishing her math tutoring.

But now...

Hana Maru Hanabi's rosy cheeks, delicate nose, pink lips, and faint fragrance all made one feel as if they were flying.

His heart stirred inexplicably.

Since the blanket was shared by both of them, Uesugi Kai could still see her alluring, delicate collarbone along her fair neck, and her smooth, snow-white shoulders were completely exposed.

Uesugi Kai couldn't help but swallow hard, a certain guess forming in his mind.

Then he rummaged around inside the blanket.

really!

"Where is that brat?!" Hanamaru Yuuki's angry voice came from downstairs.

Kai Uesugi stopped his upward groping and perked up his ears.

"Huh? Kai should still be sleeping, right? What happened?" asked Noriko Uesugi.

"Hanabi didn't come home all night. I just got back and found out about this!!"

"Is it... Kai?"

"It's that brat!" Hanamaru Yuuki seemed to be roaring at Uesugi Kai's room, his voice much louder. "He said he was going to tutor her and have dinner with Hanabi, but he let her stay out all night!"

"That kid is upstairs, right?"

“Yes,” Noriko Uesugi’s voice suddenly turned panicked, “Wait, wait! What is this!?”

Click...

The sound of something being cocked.

Then, the hurried footsteps going upstairs grew louder and louder.

"No, no way!?"

Looking at Hanabi Hanabi, whose breathing remained steady, Uesugi Kai still couldn't understand how this had happened, and felt his trigeminal nerve throbbing wildly.

It's a dream, it must be a dream!

He immediately got up and sat up.

Snapped!

A loud slap landed directly on his face.

He's still asleep...

The pain felt incredibly real, just as real as the sensation of myself feeling around under the covers.

"Why!?"

Kai Uesugi was stunned. He was not wearing any clothes, and Hanabi Hanabi, who was sleeping in front of him, showed no signs of waking up.

Her fair collarbones were even more clearly visible.

How... should I explain this to Hanamaru Yuuki?

We're sorry, we meant it, it was just a little bit earlier than expected.

That's definitely the end!

Besides, she had no romantic memories at all, so dying wouldn't have been worth it.

Boom!Boom!

A loud knocking sound.

"You brat! Open the door!! You even locked yourself in!!!"

###Chapter Seventy-Seven: An Unforeseen Crisis is Becoming Reality###

"What should I do?"

Kai Uesugi looked around frantically, even noticing the scattered sailor uniform and...

At that moment, he inexplicably felt extremely wronged.

I didn't do anything wrong, so why do I have to face this situation where my uncle breaks my leg?

Boom!Boom!

The loud knocking grew shorter and more frequent, interspersed with Noriko Uesugi's attempts to dissuade them.

"You brat, still playing dead, huh?! I knew you were up to no good!! You just wait!!!"

"and many more!"

With a face full of anger, Hanamaru Yuuki ignored all advice, grabbed the "SIGP230" with one hand, aimed it directly at the door handle, and pulled the trigger instantly.

Ouch!

A startling sound rang out.

Hanabi Hanamaru, who was huddled tightly in the quilt, suddenly opened her bright purple eyes.

What came into view was my familiar room.

Quiet and cozy, just like any other day.

Her heart, just below her throat, was pounding violently.

My mind was a mess, but the images and the feeling of being touched felt incredibly real.

Besides, at that time, I knew I could only watch helplessly.

"棣...棣君..."

Hanabi Hanamaru clutched the blankets shyly, exhaling hot breath as she buried her head deep in the warm quilt. The girl's shy voice almost turned into a small animal's mournful cry.

Thump thump... thump thump...

A steady knock came from outside the door.

Hanamaru Mieko: "Wake up, Hanabi, don't oversleep again."

There was no response, so Mrs. Hanamaru knocked again and called softly:

"Fireworks, Fireworks, get up and have breakfast."

"..."

"Little Firework, Firework Sauce?"

There was still no response, so she pushed the door open and entered.

Seeing Hanabi Hanabi hiding tightly under the covers, not even peeking out, Mrs. Hanabi went over and sat down on the edge of her bed:

"Firework sauce?"

The blanket wrapped around her daughter stirred slightly, and Mrs. Hanamaru suddenly smiled: "Did you stay out too late last night? Did something happen that you can't tell me?"

"N-no!" Hanabi Hanamaru struggled to poke her head out from under the tightly wrapped blankets, and hurriedly explained in a weak, murmured voice.

Beneath her slightly messy short hair were evasive eyes and a feverish face.

"You still say no," Mrs. Hanamaru chuckled softly, pinching her cheek with her hand. "You always have this expression when you do something embarrassing, and your face gets so hot."

Hanamaru Mieko looked at her wrinkled pajamas and the girl's soft body with great curiosity.

"Can you tell Mom how things have progressed between you and Xiaozhao?"

The early morning light was just beginning to reach the bedroom.

Unfortunately, it was blocked by the drawn curtains, with only a few fluorescent lights visible from above.

"Hold hands..." Hanabi Hanamaru whispered.