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

“My uncle’s phone was switched off. I asked Officer Ishibashi to tell me.”

Hanamaru Yuuki frowned: "How did you manage to get him to give you his work number?"

"I rely on..."

“Never mind,” Hanamaru Yuuki interrupted him, now fully awake. “Anyway, a lot of people have this number, so it’s not very confidential. If they know it, they know it. Let’s just tell you what you need me for.”

"Uncle, please wait a moment."

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone, followed by a weak voice:

"dad......"

"Fireworks?"

Hanamaru Yuuki abruptly put his legs off the table, sat up straight, and asked seriously, "What's wrong? You sound a little unwell. Are you sick? Do you need Dad to bring you some medicine back?"

"Hanabi... wants to go to Daddy's..."

"Come to my place?" Hanamaru Yuuki turned his head to look at the blue police badge flag on the wall, then looked at the clock on the desk.

11:00:12

He laughed and said into the phone, "It's almost lunchtime, so don't come to Dad's place, Hanabi. There's nothing interesting to see where Dad works."

There was a long silence on the other end of the phone.

"Fireworks... I want to go there..."

"..."

"Alright," Hanamaru Yuuki pleaded weakly, and he couldn't refuse. "If Hanabi really wants to come, let Kai bring you over. Give him the phone first."

"Um... thank you, Dad..."

Then a fainter, almost inaudible voice came from the other end of the phone, "Kai-kun..."

"Hello, uncle."

Hanamaru Yuuki spun his chair around, his gaze fixed on the blue skyscraper outside the window. His tone wasn't as friendly as before: "Why did Hanabi suddenly decide to come here? And why does she seem a little unhappy? What are you doing, kid?"

On the other end of the phone, Uesugi Kai met Hanabi's expectant gaze and said slowly, "It's nothing, Uncle, don't worry. It's just that Hanabi wants to see your work environment. She said she's never been there before and really wants to go and see it."

"..."

Something just doesn't feel right.

Hanamaru Yuuki: "Okay, call me when you get there. Don't just walk in through the front door."

beep--

A short, shrill sound of silence rang out.

Hanamaru Hiroki hung up the phone.

Kai Uesugi put his phone back in his pocket and said to Hanabi Hanamaru, who was carrying a delicate food box in both hands, "It's all settled, Uncle has agreed to let us go."

Hanabi Hanabi looked down at her small, delicate hands and said anxiously, "Daddy... will he forgive me? I'm so clumsy, I can't do anything right."

With a paper tube between his right fingers, Uesugi Kai smiled warmly at the girl in the little skirt in front of him: "If Hanabi is stupid, then there is no stupid person in this world."

Hanabi Hanabi looked up and pursed her lips: "But... Kai-kun always said Hanabi was an idiot..."

Do you really care that much about the word "idiot"?

“A fool wouldn’t prepare such a nice gift,” Uesugi Kai laughed, looking at her face. “Hanabi has done a much better job than my apology.”

"Fireworks... I always feel so useless..."

When Hanabi Hanabi lowered her head, she suddenly noticed a pair of hands reaching out onto the bow at her collar.

"Don't think like that. Hanabi is the cutest girl in the world. As long as Hanabi apologizes sincerely, there is nothing your uncle cannot forgive you for. Please don't feel inferior."

"All right."

Kai Uesugi picked up the paper tube that was beside his lap again, smiling as he looked up at the girl in front of him, a girl so adorable that she could make the world swoon:

"Hanabi, do your best!"

Hanabi Hanamaru seemed encouraged, nodding emphatically, her neat bow swaying slightly at her collar, and replied in a soft voice:

"Hanabi, I will do my best."

------

With Mrs. Hanamaru watching them leave with a smile, Uesugi Kai and Hanamaru Hanabi went out the door.

As midnight approached, the two passengers on the Marunouchi Line were almost at Nishi-Shinjuku Station.

Even though it wasn't working hours, the subway was still packed with people on the weekend.

"Thank you for your ride today. We are now at Nishi-Shinjuku."

The Marunouchi Line, with a daily passenger flow of over 300 million, works diligently every day.

Holding Hanabi's little hand, we bid farewell to the red Marunouchi 2000 and left the underground, separate Nishi-Shinjuku Station.

Kai Uesugi, who was passing by all sorts of passersby, suddenly stopped when he took his first step toward the Shinjuku Police Station.

[Beep...beep...]

[Urgent task detected]

"Kai-kun?" Hanabi Hanabi looked up at him, her swaying skirt as soft as a cloud.

Pedestrians passed by one after another on the road, their hurried steps not lingering on the two people who had stopped.

“It’s nothing,” Uesugi Kai looked at her puzzled face, still holding her hand tightly. “Let’s keep going.”

A gentle breeze rustled through the small trees lining the road, and the faint sunlight scattered around like dust.

As Uesugi Kai led Hanabi Hanabi by the hand, he checked the urgent mission that suddenly appeared in his mind.

[Urgent Mission: ??? (Hidden)]

[Task Difficulty: Level 2]

[Task details: ??? (hidden)]

[Task Duration: 12 hours]

[Task Restrictions: None]

[Task Rewards: 50 Attribute Points, 2 Random Advanced Skills, 2 Random Quality Cards]

[Note: This emergency mission carries a certain degree of danger. Please choose whether to accept or decline within 5 minutes. If you decline or do not make a choice, the mission will automatically disappear.]

Kai Uesugi stared at the line of mission rewards.

With such a generous reward, is there even a question?

Of course, the answer was a firm refusal.

Nothing is more important than watching fireworks right now, and besides, the labels "generous rewards" and "certain dangers" clearly indicate a scam.

He's already exhausted from working hard every day, and he doesn't want to give up his peaceful daily life just to join in on some kind of excitement for a reward.

"Kai-kun... what are you looking at...?"

Hanabi Hanamaru noticed his gaze fixed directly in front of her, but apart from pedestrians waiting at the traffic light, there was nothing unusual there.

Chapter 86 Apology

"What do you think Hanabi is looking at?" Uesugi Kai asked with a smile, looking into her eyes that sparkled in the sunlight.

Ahead, there was a thin little girl wearing round glasses standing at the back of the crowd.

Hanabi Hanamaru noticed her legs, tightly wrapped in white stockings, beneath her plaid skirt. Her small hands involuntarily clenched slightly as she turned back and asked, "Kai-kun...do you like that kind?"

Uesugi Kai had been focused on the emergency mission and hadn't noticed this highlight.

He glanced at it and felt his little hands clenching tightly.

Men sometimes need to be more straightforward.

“Yes, that’s right, I like it very much.” Uesugi Kai said to her with a smile.

Hanabi Hanabi stared blankly at him, who was smiling, and stammered, "Actually, the Hanabi family... also has these kinds of socks."

Uesugi Kai was lost in thought for two seconds, then suddenly felt a strong urge to pinch her cheeks, which were flushed red from the sun:

"Fireworks, are you trying to wear this for me?"

Hanabi Hanamaru lowered her head, holding the food box in one hand. "Right now... isn't an option..."

"I know."

Kai Uesugi led her across the newly lit green light and they walked together on the bustling Ome Street.

Soon, the Shinjuku Police Station building came into view.

Several Toyota Crown 14th generation police cars were parked in front, their reflective black and white paint job dazzling.

"Which floor does Dad work on?" Hanabi looked up curiously, surveying everything around her. The apology still left her somewhat unsettled.

"It's on the fifth floor, in the biggest office." Uesugi Kai took out his phone and dialed his uncle's number.

The call connected instantly.

Hanamaru Yuuki: We've arrived?

Kai Uesugi: Yeah, I just got to the street across from the gate.

Hanamaru Hiroki: Don't enter through the main entrance, come in from the back of the building.

Kai Uesugi: No problem.

beep--

Hanamaru Hiroki hung up the phone decisively.

Uesugi Kai didn't know why he couldn't enter directly through the front door, but since it was his father-in-law's request, he wouldn't ask too many questions.

"Will Daddy come out?" Hanabi asked.

“It will come out,” Uesugi Kai said, holding the paper tube between her fingers and squeezing her small, white hand tightly. “Let’s go to the back of the building.”