Chapter 250 - 208: Hanabi Festival (1)

Words : 974 Updated : Oct 12th, 2025

Chapter 250: Chapter 208: Hanabi Festival (1)August 5th, Saturday. The cool blue Inner Sea continues to crash against the wave-blocking structures linked outside the dike, as the seaside town welcomes another quiet and leisurely day. Eary in the morning, Uesugi Sakura felt a small hand gripping him tightly in his sleep. But upon waking, the girl in his arms was nowhere to be seen. Looking at the empty silk sheet beside him, Uesugi Sakura suddenly felt a bit uneasy inside. How to say it? It was like that feeling of waking up to find your wife missing from the pillow beside you. He sat up, gazing with blurry eyes at the gray sky outside the window. Then picked up the clock beside him to check the time. 6:12:23 It’s too early, usually at this time, Hanamaru Hanabi is still sleeping soundly, no matter how you touch her, she wouldn’t wake up. He lay back down, staring at the chandelier on the ceiling, pondering where little Hanabi went so early. It seemed like he heard her calling his name during the night. Thinking back now, it feels like a distant memory. Uesugi Sakura had often thought about what he would do if Hanabi were no longer by his side. Such a delicate girl, she would definitely be bullied. Back in middle school, he’d seen those little thugs bothering her more than once. Those guys liked to do whatever they wanted for no reason. The only way to deal with them was to take action. Of course, harassing little Hanabi was a very serious matter. If her dad found out, a trip to the police station would be a given. In Japan, harassment is a very serious crime that would mean at least a year’s imprisonment. Click... The sound of a wooden sliding door being pushed open. "Sakura-kun... are you awake?" Hanamaru Hanabi, with slightly messy hair, stood at the door she just opened, her face still a bit groggy. She cautiously asked: "Did Hanabi... disturb Sakura-kun’s rest?" "Not at all," Uesugi Sakura sat up, turning his head, "What did little Hanabi go to do?" "I-I went to the bathroom..." Hanamaru Hanabi said softly. "Didn’t ask me to go with you?" Uesugi Sakura smiled faintly, even in the gray-blue air at 6 am, his handsome face couldn’t be hidden. "Sakura-kun is a boy..." Hanamaru Hanabi said, slightly lowering her head. "Boys can’t go to the bathroom?" "No, it’s not that they can’t, it’s just they can’t go with Hanabi..." Seeing his unyielding smile, Hanamaru Hanabi suddenly understood something, immediately exited and quickly closed the door, then hurriedly ran away. Is she... afraid of me? Uesugi Sakura shook his head and lay back down, planning to catch some more sleep. To a lazy person, there is no end to going back to sleep, not paying attention might just mean sleeping until noon. By then, jolting awake to midday sunshine, you’d remember why you needed to get up. He dreamed of his past life, rushing project deadlines with instant coffee in hand every noon. The director sat at the desk next to him, making it difficult to slack off. Memories from the past life were vague and disjointed, he just remembered he was a 9-9-5 corporate drone. The dream was becoming more and more indistinct. Uesugi Sakura seemed to dream of Hanamaru Hanabi, barefoot on the beach, smiling at him. Aside from that smile, what stood out most were those tender little feet. "Sakura-kun, Sakura-kun, Sakura-kun..." Hanamaru Hanabi kept shaking Uesugi Sakura’s arm. "Sakura-kun, wake up." After a long morning grumble, Uesugi Sakura arduously propped himself up, rubbing his brow. "Is it time to leave?" "Still need to wait a bit, Mom and the others are picking out what to wear today." Hanamaru Hanabi pulled back her little hand, sitting obediently in front of him. "Speaking of which, we are wearing yukata today, right?" Uesugi Sakura, still adjusting to the light, turned his head to look at her. "Mm..." "Do you think Sakura-kun looks handsome?" Hanamaru Hanabi raised her violet eyes, sweetly saying, "Sakura-kun... very handsome..." Uesugi Sakura stood up, a confident smile on his face: "Then how about having the very handsome Sakura-kun help little Hanabi put on the yukata?" "No." The girl’s face blushed red as she flatly refused. Uesugi Sakura chatted "idly" with little Hanabi for a while before being pushed out of the room by the shy girl. Why be shy? Because wearing a "yukata" and not a "kimono." By rule, yukatas are not worn with underwear, this is common knowledge, isn’t it? But little Hanabi insists on wearing underwear. Uesugi Sakura stood at the door, gazing at the Japanese-style courtyard ahead. The Wealth Tree planted by grandma was thriving, with branches and leaves growing in spirals. It was quite large, the thick, robust brown trunk thicker than his waist, reaching over two meters tall. In principle, such a potted plant shouldn’t be this large. Or maybe elderly people just like growing things big? "Little Hanabi, have you finished dressing?" Uesugi Sakura shouted into the room. "Yes, yes, Sakura-kun, you can come in now...." Hanamaru Hanabi’s voice, muffled by a wooden door with a white crane ukiyo-e, sounded even softer. Actually, little Hanabi sings well, just hearing her voice brings a sense of a summer breeze’s comfort. But she’s not too confident, so only Uesugi Sakura has heard her songs. Sliding open the wooden door, Uesugi Sakura saw little Hanabi, decorating herself beautifully by the wardrobe. "Sakura, Sakura-kun..." "Hmm..." Uesugi Sakura propped his chin with his hand, appreciating the view. A silk yukata with a white base and purple flowers, the pastel purple bellflowers exquisitely refined on the soft white fabric. A thirty-centimeter-wide azure sash adorned her waist, while beside her shoulder-length gentle short hair, hung a wisteria flower hairpin.

Chapter 250 - 208: Hanabi Festival (1)

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