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

Hanabi Hanamaru's expression shifted slightly as she watched him approach. Sensing his presence drawing near, her eyes flickered for a moment before returning to their normal gaze.

"Just...just for a little while..."

"Mmm, just for a little while," Uesugi Kai said, watching her close her eyes and tilt her little face up.

Her lips, even when she pursed them slightly, were full and glossy.

Kai Uesugi gazed at her like this, leaned closer, and gently touched her.

He then put his arm around her slender waist and pulled her body into his embrace.

......

When I closed my eyes, it felt like everything was quiet: in front of the houses, under the night sky, the trains whizzing through Tokyo... it was as if all I could see were white snowflakes drifting under the streetlights.

Kai Uesugi straightened her gaze, the taste of her lingering on her lips.

Seeing her wrapped in a scarf, breathing out warm air, her face flushed... Uesugi Kai couldn't help but laugh. The chill of December seemed to vanish in that instant.

"Kai-kun...you'd better come in quickly, everyone's waiting."

"Okay, let's go in together."

Kai Uesugi reached out his hand to her again, and looking at her, he suddenly saw her appearance more than ten years ago.

Hanabi Hanabi was also meeting his gaze.

The response they made was the same as it has been for the past ten years.

She raised her small hand and placed it on top of his palm.

Just like when she was a child, she took the hand that the boy offered to her.

Kai Uesugi smiled slightly again, led her to the door, took out the key, and opened the door.

Squeak...

With a sound, the door opened.

The entryway and the hallway leading to the living room were both pitch black.

The place was completely silent, making one wonder why the lights weren't on.

Kai Uesugi led Hanabi Hanamaru into the Hanamaru house, but before they could take two steps, the lights suddenly came on with a snap.

Boom boom boom boom!

Immediately afterwards, several small cannons fired, and countless dazzling decorative fireworks danced in the narrow entrance corridor.

"Happy birthday!"

Happy birthday, brother!

Happy birthday, brother!

Happy birthday, brother-in-law!

"Ee-ya ee-ya"

The whole family was crowded in the corridor, all with smiles on their faces, clapping and cheering continuously towards Uesugi Kai, who was standing in the entrance hall.

The atmosphere instantly became lively.

Warm lighting, a colorful banner above that reads "Happy 19th Birthday to Kai," and colorful balloons crowding the corridor.

Aiyi, Qian Aiyi, Youxi, Sister Xi, the two wives holding Huayu and Xin, and even her father-in-law and husband were standing behind her, looking at her.

Everyone squeezed together in this small corridor.

Kai Uesugi's feet froze on the spot. Looking at everyone in front of him, watching them wish him a happy birthday, the warm colors filled him with a thousand unspeakable words.

They were cared for, blessed, and specially welcomed at the door.

In this little house where the wind and snow couldn't get in, Uesugi Kai knew deeply that she was happy... truly happy...

Unconsciously, Uesugi Kai took Hanabi's hand. Her hand was soft and reassuring...

Ahead lies a warm light, a light that illuminates everything, the beautiful thing called "home".

Kai Uesugi laughed, her eyes glistening with tears, and holding Hanabi Hanabu's hand, she smiled and said:

Thank you everyone...

"Brother-in-law, you're turning nineteen today! Any thoughts?"

"Haha..." Uesugi Kai stretched out his other hand and gently wiped away the glistening tears from the corner of his eyes. "What feelings could I possibly have... It's just another happy year."

"Huh? Didn't my brother turn nineteen a long time ago?"

"Silly Aiyi, today is a belated birthday celebration for your brother."

"Oh, I see. Then I'll wish you a happy birthday again, brother!"

Uesugi Shio crossed her arms and said, "Nineteen years have passed, and Kai still seems the same as when we were kids."

Mrs. Hanamaru, holding Hanamaru Hanayu who wanted to climb down, smiled at the two people in front of her and said, "You two are back so late. How long were you on your date?"

Mrs. Uesugi, who was also holding a baby, joked, "Mieko, you know perfectly well that every time they go on a date, they go out for a long time. Haha, really, after going on so many dates, don't they get tired of each other?"

“You don’t understand, Noriko. This is called love.”

"Love?" Hanamaru Yuuki crossed his arms and put on a serious face. "If it were love, we wouldn't be the ones hosting the birthday party now, and he wouldn't have ignored Hanabi all night... I never really approved of them getting too close in the first place, and now look what's happened, they're practically glued together, inseparable."

"Honey, if you're going to give your blessings, just give them. Why are you deliberately saying the opposite?"

Uesugi's father laughed and said, "That's just how he is. His daughter is being bullied, and he can't find anyone to vent his anger on, so of course he can only do this."

"Kenichi, you're not my daughter, are you?"

After saying that, Hanamaru Hiroki sighed and looked at the two people he had watched grow up, especially Uesugi Kai:

"Since Hanabi has forgiven you, there's nothing more I can say. It was Hanabi who suggested that we all participate in this Christmas birthday party, and I turned down all my work for it."

"Thank you, father-in-law."

"You brat! You even know how to call me father-in-law. As a husband, you should be more mindful! Hanabi is entrusting her whole life to you! Don't underestimate my daughter!"

Faced with her father-in-law's sternness, Uesugi Kai clenched Hanamaru Hanabi's small hand even tighter, and nodded somewhat choked out, "Um... I know."

Mrs. Hanamaru couldn't help but tease her husband from the side:

"How dare you say that to Kai? On Hanabi's wedding day, weren't you the only one hiding from us, holding back your tears? That just goes to show how hard it is for a man to let go of his pride."

“As a father-in-law, you should act like one,” Hanamaru Hiroki said, raising his voice and looking at Uesugi again. “Anyway, happy birthday to you today. Hanabi has prepared so much for you without asking for anything in return. You could say that your shadow is in her entire life. If you forget her again, I will never forgive you!”

"I see."

Uesugi's father smoothed things over with a smile, saying, "Alright, alright, everyone stop blocking the doorway. Let's welcome them inside. They must have gotten cold standing outside."

"Keep drinking!"

"No drinking..." Hanabi Hanamaru suddenly interjected.

Hanamaru Hiroki paused for a moment, then smiled as he looked at his daughter's slightly flushed face. "Alright then, we won't drink today, just eat. Let's go back to the living room."

After everyone returned to the living room in twos and threes.

Only the two of them remained in the entryway.

The atmosphere quieted down again.

"Kai-kun".

"Yes, I'm here, I've always been here."

"Besides marrying Hanabi, Kai-kun is actually happy in other ways too, right?"

"Yes...but all of this happiness is because of fireworks...my life has truly been worthwhile."

"Hanabi...yeah...but in the days to come, Hanabi wants to hear Kai-kun's voice and see his mischievous face..."

"Hanabi-chan... Me too, always have been. I still want to hear Hanabi calling 'Kai-kun' in my ear in a weak and hesitant voice."

The two held hands and intertwined.

Their eyes met, and they smiled at each other.

"Kai-kun, come inside. Today is Kai-kun's birthday. You must be happy."

"Yes...it definitely will...because I not only have fireworks...but also everyone who cares about us."

Uesugi Kai and Hanabi smiled again, and finally, as if by unspoken agreement, they pressed their foreheads together, closed their eyes, and smiled warmly, feeling each other's presence...

###Chapter 551 Yuuki's Childhood Friend###

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

Early in the morning, Uesugi Kai woke up in Hanamaru Hanabi's room.

He held the back of his head with both hands, staring at the ceiling of her room, remembering the birthday celebration everyone had given him the night before.

He still remembers that heartwarming scene to this day.

Sigh, in his past life he always felt that being alone was enough, that living alone was enough.

But how can one person be enough for a human being?

Saying that loneliness is good is just an angry way of deceiving yourself.

But Kai Uesugi doesn't entirely blame himself for what he was like back then, because he really couldn't find the right person and his life had no future.

At the time, I thought I might as well find a dump truck and drive myself to ruin.

If I were reincarnated into another world, I might even become the protagonist or something.

Of course, that was in my past life.

After being reborn in this life, I never thought about any strange or unusual other worlds.

As for now, we have everything, and everything is fulfilling.

Why bother going to another world?

Kai Uesugi glanced at the bookshelf in Hanabi's bedroom, then turned around to look at the girl sleeping beside him.

Except for her body, half of her face was buried in the quilt, covered by two thick blankets, and her cheeks were covered with a rosy blush.