The light gradually seeped through her silhouette.
A faint ray just happened to pierce through the mist of hot water, falling on her delicate shoulders, reflecting light... so beautiful, her completely exposed skin still adorned with glistening beads of water.
Helping to wash her back, his hand moved gently across her smooth skin, often lost in a trance.
"Hana-chan’s biggest flaw is that she’s too beautiful."
Hanamaru Hanabi’s body noticeably shrank inward away from him; although he couldn’t see her face, her actions already indicated her shyness.
"But to me, that’s definitely not a flaw."
Hanamaru Hanabi didn’t answer, or perhaps she was too embarrassed to speak in the bathroom.
Uesugi Sakura chuckled, pinching the soft flesh at her waist.
"Chat with me, it’s quite boring to bathe you alone."
"No, don’t..." Hanamaru Hanabi immediately covered his pinching hand, "Sakura-kun... what do you want to talk about?"
"For example, soaking in the bathtub together later."
"No... let’s not..." Hanamaru Hanabi gazed at the wet floor with a somewhat flustered look.
But the more she acted , the cuter she seemed, her beautiful figure possessing an irresistible allure, much like the forbidden fruit in Eden Garden.
Steam swirled in the bathroom, tracing curves up her slender waist.
Uesugi Sakura almost couldn’t help but reach out with both hands, but he knew, as a man, he should restrain himself, at least until she agreed.
He picked up the shower head hanging nearby, turned on the hot water, and rinsed the suds off her ivory back.
"Did you know? Sleeping naked is actually good for your health. It allows your skin pores to remain open, ensuring that the substances secreted by the sebaceous and sweat glands can be smoothly discharged and regenerated. People who sleep naked generally have a good night’s sleep every night."
"Sakura-kun... why are you talking about this..."
"So would you like us to start sleeping naked?"
They occasionally slept together, and just imagining the scene made Hanamaru Hanabi feel bashful.
She was shy, but perhaps she refused something she actually liked because she was too shy?
Perhaps deep down she was secretly looking forward to what he just mentioned?
It’s hard to fathom a girl’s thoughts,
but when it comes to Hanabi, it’s best not to go against her wishes.
Time passed quickly, and Uesugi Sakura came out of the bathroom alone, glanced at the time upon returning to the bedroom; it was already eleven at night.
Sitting on the bed reading a book, waiting for Hanabi to finish today’s work, it was about time to sleep.
Recently, a lot had happened... so much that his heart wasn’t as composed as he appeared on the surface... He had thought about what would happen if Hanabi truly left him...
Uesugi Sakura put down the book in his hand, placing both hands behind his head against the pillow, and looked out of the window.
There was a moon outside, but no stars. In Tokyo’s night sky, the moon was always lonely, and even the moonlight it cast carried a cold atmosphere, like layers of silver dust, beautiful but constantly exuding chilliness.
Uesugi Sakura stared at the moon in a daze for a while before noticing Hanamaru Hanabi coming over in her pajamas.
She stood right beside the moon, the moonlight outlined the contours of her face, and the originally cold light was made beautiful and warm by her shy, adorable face.
"Sakura-kun?" Hanamaru Hanabi waved her hand in front of his dazed face, trying to snap him out of it.
"Hm," Uesugi Sakura returned from her delicate face, "Are you finished with work?"
"Finished for today."
"You won’t get too tired, right?" He said as he gave her a smile, "To be honest, ever since I collapsed suddenly in the hospital a few days ago, I’ve been really scared of you getting sick... A single heart is ultimately limited, and in every person’s heart, there is a forest occupied by someone... No matter how others try, it becomes difficult to reach it again... For me, Hanabi is that unforgettable forest... so, it’s better to avoid staying up late."
Hanamaru Hanabi looked at him, her profile lit up by the moonlight, and Uesugi Sakura saw his reflection in her shimmering purple eyes.
"Why aren’t you speaking again?" Uesugi Sakura said with a smile once more.
"Sakura-kun... Hanabi is even more afraid of Sakura-kun getting sick... When Sakura-kun was ill... Hanabi was really scared that Sakura-kun wouldn’t wake up again..."
Uesugi Sakura knew, whether from his mother’s words or from Doctor Nasu’s mouth, that she’d stay up late every night with his comatose self.
Girls are generally sentimental, and he wondered if she felt upset thinking about bad things happening to him at night.
"You really don’t need to worry about my illness."
"Hmm... Hanabi just likes Sakura-kun to be well."
"Let’s not talk about this, get on the bed first, and then sleep soon." Uesugi Sakura shifted his position.
Hanamaru Hanabi didn’t hesitate, but never expected that as soon as she sat on the edge of the bed, she would be gently pushed down onto the bed by him.
Uesugi Sakura tightly held her small hand that fell onto the bed, her body trembled slightly, and her breathing became hurried, following his gaze, hot... Now the person lit up by the moonlight had reversed positions, Hanamaru Hanabi gazed up at him from below, also tightly holding onto the hand holding hers.
During this moment, no words were needed, just locking eyes was enough to understand each other’s thoughts.
At this moment, Uesugi Sakura, looking at Hanamaru Hanabi’s side profile illuminated by the moonlight, also felt a bit nervous, but just by watching her, the feeling left him with no regrets.
As her heartbeat grew clearer, he tightened his hold on her small hand and then leaned forward to meet her lips.