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

The feeling of leaving suddenly and without saying goodbye was so absurd and suffocating.

......

When evening came, Uesugi Kai went home.

He gazed out from the balcony at the world, at the city's prosperity, at the bustling traffic that kept the city running.

"Kai-kun, are you in a bad mood?"

Hearing the sound, Uesugi Kai turned around and saw that a warm cloak was now draped over his shoulders.

He smiled at the timid girl in front of him.

"It's not that I'm in a bad mood, it's just that I thought about some things and felt uncomfortable."

"About Yuuki?"

"no..."

"Then Kai-kun should definitely talk to Hanabi. No matter what... Hanabi is married to Kai-kun... Although it hasn't been that long, Hanabi always helps Kai-kun with his troubles."

"Look at what you're saying... it just makes me feel even worse."

Why?

"Because I'm always taking from fireworks, using their warmth to fill the loneliness in my heart... But what I give is far less than what fireworks give me. This unequal exchange makes me appreciate fireworks even more, and therefore I'm even more reluctant to part with them..."

"The other day... Kai-kun made Hanabi angry."

"I apologize... I'm really sorry."

Hanabi Hanabi reached out and pressed her hand against his lips. "Hanabi said... she wouldn't completely forgive Kai-kun, but in her heart, she's already forgiven him 99.9%... The fundamental reason is that Hanabi can't forget how good Kai-kun was to her..."

Kai Uesugi laughed and said, "Sometimes, I actually feel more comfortable if Hanabi isn't so nice to me."

"Why? That's strange."

"Because the fireworks are so good, they're too heavy, making people feel like they can't bear the weight," Uesugi Kai said, pulling at the cloak on his shoulders, which seemed to warm him up a lot.

He turned around and looked at the night sky again.

The cold air at the end of the year brushed against my face, causing a stinging pain like ice shards cutting into my skin.

"Kai-kun... let's sleep together tonight." After a moment of silence, Hanabi Hanabi said to him, a newfound determination in her once-demanding face.

Upon seeing this, Uesugi Kai couldn't help but feel a sense of感慨 (gan3kai3, a complex emotion encompassing both emotion and reflection).

Fireworks...has grown up.

"You're not letting me sleep in the living room anymore?"

"After all, Kai-kun is in a bad mood... When Hanabi is in a bad mood, she also wants to talk to Kai-kun... Hanabi thinks that Kai-kun probably feels the same way..."

......

Yuki went back to her room to rest very early today.

Hanabi-chan went to the bathroom second to take a shower, and Uesugi Kai went third.

When he finished dressing, opened the bathroom door, and went to the bedroom...

Hanabi Hanamaru was already lying in bed.

That weak and feeble appearance, with gleaming eyes below the bedroom.

It's hard not to feel her cuteness...

Kai Uesugi walked over with a smile...

"Let's make this clear first, Kai-kun, you're not allowed to fuss for too long..."

Her voice was shy.

Yet it also carries a touch of girlish naiveté.

Fireworks, no matter what they look like, always evoke the feeling of the past...

Kai Uesugi thought back to when they first started dating, holding hands and their faces were full of happy smiles.

He threw back the covers and clutched the warm, fragrant bed that Hanabi Sauce had prepared long ago.

Two pillows, one for each person.

"Who said I asked you to sleep with me just for that kind of thing... cough cough... Although I'm usually a bit lewd, I still really, really like Hanabi-chan."

As Uesugi Kai spoke, he moved closer.

He came to the girl and buried his head in her arms.

"Kai-kun, you've turned into a child again..." Hanabi Hanamaru looked at him shyly as he leaned against her delicate, smooth shoulder.

"Fireworks, that's how men are... They need a harbor where they can stay, a harbor where there is no cold, no pain, only fragrance, softness, and warmth... a utopian dreamland."

Kai Uesugi said with his eyes closed.

"Although it's a bit selfish to say this... I still don't really want Hanabi to have a baby... Firstly, I'm afraid you'll suffer, afraid you won't be able to handle it; secondly, I'm afraid Hanabi's love will be shared, and I also need to stand up like a father... I'm afraid that even hiding in your arms and acting cute will become more hesitant."

"Kai-kun, do you like it this way?"

"I love it, I really love it... I hope the fireworks can get even closer to me..."

Hanabi Hanabira gently touched his cheek with her small hand, brushed aside his hair, and smiled: "Even though Kai-kun is a boy who's not afraid of anything..."

"To be precise, the part I fear is all about Hanabi... Hanabi is the only person in this world who truly understands me."

"Kai-kun too..."

The two exchanged a knowing glance and then smiled.

Kai Uesugi couldn't remember how many times such a heartwarming scene had occurred.

But every time I see fireworks... I feel so warm and comforted in her arms, and I can't help but reminisce about the past and savor the present.

I never get tired of it, no matter how many times I do it.

The light went out with a "click".

Kai Uesugi returned to Hanabi Hanabi's arms once again.

Her small hands caressed her cheeks, drawing one into a dreamlike state of bliss.

"See you tomorrow, Little Firework... I want to see you again."

"Okay, see you tomorrow, Kai-kun, go to sleep."

Night fell across the distant sky, its vastness chilling to the bone, while the two in the small bedroom embraced each other, warming one another with their bodies, as they continued toward tomorrow.

......

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