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

"..."

"But let's look at it one thing at a time. You did a good job today. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and I'll be going back home to give our family a reunion before the Lunar New Year."

Hanamaru Hiroki patted Uesugi Kai on the shoulder and then walked towards Hanamaru Hanabi.

Upon seeing Yu Shu, they all smiled and exchanged pleasantries.

It looks like things are going well.

—As for my uncle, he was put on a stretcher and is still unconscious.

"Suzuki." Hanamaru Hiroki waved to a police officer.

"Superintendent!"

"You drive them all home. I need to take those guys back to the police station. There are thirty of them here, and it'll be a bit of a hassle to deal with them."

Teppei Suzuki said with a bitter expression, "Chief Inspector, it's time to work overtime again."

"Otherwise? This is a mess left over from before. It's good to clean it up. You can drive them there. I've told them everything."

“Okay.” Suzuki Teppei nodded.

He walked up to Hanamaru Yuuki and the others, his head covered in snowflakes, and said, "The Superintendent asked me to see you off. If there's nothing else, you can go now. The statement has already been taken."

Hanamaru Yuuki nodded first: "Okay."

"Let's go then, I'll go get the police car."

After Officer Suzuki left, Hanamaru Nobuzuki looked a little embarrassed in front of Hanamaru Yuuki and said, "Sis... I'm sorry..."

Hanamaru Yuuki regained her confident smile and said with a laugh, "Why apologize?"

"I...I..." Hanamaru Nobuzuki looked at his hands, feeling weaker and weaker.

"Are you saying I wasn't protected?"

"Um......"

"Silly little brother, your sister doesn't need you to protect her." Hanamaru Yuuki smiled and patted his head.

"But......"

"But what... I know you tried your best... and you didn't just take down a guy for my sister's sake."

"But...with Kai-nii..."

"What are you comparing yourself to your brother-in-law for? You're not your brother-in-law, you're my brother."

Hanamaru Nobuzuki remained silent for a long time before asking, "Will you be going home today, sister? After this incident, Mom will definitely be worried about you."

"Going home? No, I don't want to go home right now."

"What about Mom's side—"

"Just tell her I'm fine."

"Oh well..."

Officer Suzuki arrived in his car, and Hanabi Hanabusa called out to Kai Uesugi, who was not far away.

The four of them got into the police car and stopped in front of the Uesugi family's apartment.

"Is this the place?" Officer Suzuki drove the police car to the bottom of the apartment building.

“Let’s do it right here,” said Kai Uesugi in the passenger seat.

The three of them got out of the car together. Hanamaru Yuuki waved to Hanamaru Nobuyuki in the back seat, watched the police car's taillights disappear into the night.

Hanamaru Yuuki's hair fluttered slightly. She looked into the distance for a moment, then turned back to apologize to Hanamaru Hanabi and Uesugi Kai:

"I'm sorry... sister, brother-in-law... I'm so sorry to have troubled you..."

Hanamaru Yuuki's tone at this moment was anything but happy.

Compared to her current self, Uesugi Kai still prefers her sister-in-law when she's happy and energetic.

Hanabi Hanabi walked to her side and took her hand: "It's alright, Yuuki... I don't blame you..."

Kaiya Uesugi also said, "The root cause of this matter actually lies with your uncle. You, Yuuki, were just forced into it."

"Hmm... Uncle Yuyue... is very good to me too."

Hanabi Hanamaru: "Let's go home first, it's a bit cold outside."

"it is good..."

The three of them entered the apartment and took the elevator.

Seeing the somewhat somber atmosphere, Uesugi Kai asked, "Yuuki, why did you suddenly go to see Uncle Yuuki?"

"I...want to have a drink."

"Do you drink it regularly?"

Hanamaru Yuuki shook her head, because she hadn't really recovered from what had just happened.

"You suddenly want to drink, it must be because you have something on your mind," Hanabi asked.

“There are some…” Hanamaru Yuuki suddenly laughed, “Let’s get some rest early today. With something like this happening so suddenly, we should rest early.”

Hanabi Hanamaru: "Okay, I'll run you a bath later. Do you want to bathe together?"

"What about your brother-in-law? Shouldn't you be with him, sister?"

“Your brother-in-law takes a shower by himself, since there are two bathrooms.”

Kai Uesugi gave Hanabi a forced smile.

Back home, after dinner and a shower, Uesugi Kai watched the two sisters emerge from the bathroom in their pajamas.

"Yuki, you're not suddenly leaving tonight, are you?"

"No...brother-in-law...this afternoon it was just...my phone was dead, I didn't do it on purpose..."

"It's alright, it's alright," Hanabi Hanabi said from the side. "Let's go, Yuuki, let's go to sleep."

"Huh...? Sister, aren't you going to stay with brother-in-law?"

“He can sleep by himself, we’ll sleep together tonight.”

Kai Uesugi smiled nonchalantly, "Go ahead, don't worry about me. I'm the kind of person who sleeps on the sofa anyway."

Hanamaru Yuuki: "Well... okay then..."

......

After what happened in the afternoon, everyone was in a bad mood.

Kai Uesugi made himself a cup of hot coffee, stood on the balcony, and looked at the snowy night sky over Tokyo. He thought to himself that tonight should have been a happy night. Hanabi was even planning to learn to cook with Yuuki.

Looking at her reflection in the floor-to-ceiling glass, Uesugi Kai thought to herself, "What yakuza... Sigh, I guess I still prefer everyday life."

He glanced at the half-finished coffee in his hand.

Okay, I'll write my novel for a bit before I go to sleep. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and the end of the year isn't far off.

Another year has passed.

Kai Uesugi glanced at the shimmering Tokyo Tower in the distance, shook his head, and walked back to the brightly lit living room.

------

Days are passing by.

Kai Uesugi could clearly sense this, but right now he didn't want to be sad about anything; he just wanted to live each day to the fullest.

The next morning, Uesugi Kai, who usually goes to bed late, got up relatively early, just as dawn was breaking.

Tomorrow is Christmas, December 24th, no holiday.

My mother-in-law had arranged in advance for me and Hanabi to go back to her home in Shinjuku that evening for a family reunion dinner.

Family reunion dinners are still a tradition in Japan, and Uesugi Kai always feels a bit nostalgic when it comes to them.

The 25th was the last day of the semester. After the exams, winter break would begin, and another year would have passed.

Really... if Uesugi Kai could have a choice, he would spend every day with Hanabi forever, over and over again.

Her repeated calls of "Kai-kun," the smile when she agreed to confess her love, and the tears of happiness she shed at their wedding.

How could I forget?

So, when Uesugi Kai saw Hanabi Hanabi busy making breakfast in the kitchen, he hugged her from behind around the waist.

"Kai-kun, don't be naughty, Hanabi is making breakfast."

"Yes, I know." Uesugi Kai rested his head on her small shoulder and wrapped his arms around her waist.

Hanabi Hanabi tapped his head with a spoon and said, "Why are you acting all cute as soon as you wake up, Kai-kun...?"

"Isn't a wife just someone to be pampered by..." Uesugi Kai closed his eyes, wanting only to experience the warmth of her body.

"Kai-kun is a grown man...aren't you ashamed...?"

"What's there to be ashamed of in hugging my own wife... If I could, I'd want to hug her for the rest of my life."

"What about the next life?"

"In the next life, let fireworks hold me."

"Kai-kun is so naughty... he keeps bothering Hanabi." Hanabi, wearing an apron, said casually, with a gentle smile on her face.

"Hanabi-chan, have you forgiven me yet?"

"Forgive...? Kai-kun... you should have known all along, right?"

"Um..."

Kai Uesugi knew perfectly well that Hanabi-chan might not have said she forgave him, but in her heart, she had already been thinking of him.

Hanabi Hanabi smiled gently, "But Hanabi can't forgive Kai-kun 100%..."

"why?"

"Because Kai-kun kept moving towards Hanabi, who hadn't forgiven him, he would intentionally pursue her, intentionally try to make her happy, intentionally do things for her good, and even wrote a book for her..."

You noticed?