People gazed up at the night sky as the vibrant colors exploded, illuminating their faces.
Uesugi Sakura sat on the breezy riverbank with hands propped back, alongside Hanamaru Hanabi, Aei, and Chiaei, the three girls.
"Hanabi... do you believe in love?"
"It is very beautiful."
Uesugi Sakura asked, and Hanamaru Hanabi replied by her side.
Her voice had always been soft over the years, consistently responding to her own questions.
The fireworks blooming on the horizon touched the heart, and under the brilliant display, her sweet and endearing face was captivating. Uesugi Sakura watched her, and tenderness filled his heart, she who would call him Sakura-kun, becoming adorable in his presence.
Hanamaru Hanabi withdrew her gaze from the fireworks filling the sky and turned to look at Uesugi Sakura, who had his hands behind his back, hiding something.
"Is it a gift from Sakura-kun?"
"Yes," Uesugi Sakura smiled, "Before I give you the gift, tell me if you like Sakura-kun."
"Of course I like him."
"Liking is not enough; you need to say, love."
"Hanabi loves Sakura-kun so much!" ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ novel•fire.net
"No, no, still not enough," Uesugi Sakura said with a smile.
Hanamaru Hanabi jumped straight into his arms, her little head resting on his chest, hugging him as she said, "Hanabi super, super loves Sakura-kun, Hanabi wants the gift from Sakura-kun."
Her soft voice sounded sweet and lovely, and her petite body radiated warmth and softness in his embrace.
Uesugi Sakura was startled by her sudden embrace, not expecting her to be so proactive.
But he quickly calmed down, wrapping his arms around her, smiling sweetly:
"Such a childish act, better not let Aei and the others see, they would laugh at you."
Chiaei was completely focused on the fireworks in the sky, staring upwards in a daze.
Aei, on the other hand, occasionally glanced at her sister and brother as they interacted romantically.
Her eyes full of curiosity.
"It’s okay even if they see, because Hanabi loves Sakura-kun so much," Hanamaru Hanabi rubbed her head against his chest sweetly, smiling with happiness.
"Hanabi, you’re not just saying this for the gift, are you?"
"But the gift is important too, Hanabi has always been looking forward to it, anticipating everything that Sakura-kun gives!"
"I feel like Hanabi has become much more proactive today."
"That’s all Sakura-kun’s fault."
"Because I kissed you earlier?"
"Yes, exactly... Sakura-kun is also bad, stopped halfway through the kiss....."
"That just means I succeeded in making little Hanabi proactive."
"Sakura-kun is bad everywhere..."
"If I’m not a little bad, how can we have a romantic relationship?"
"We can love without being bad."
"No, not for us, it’s all Hanabi’s fault for being so shy, always saying no and forbidding. If I did everything according to your thoughts, wouldn’t you also miss tasting the delicious kiss?"
Hanamaru Hanabi, knowing she couldn’t out-argue him, mumbled softly, "Not delicious at all..."
"See, playing hard to get again, when we were kissing earlier, little Hanabi really seemed to enjoy it, hmm... I should say, little Hanabi has already become quite skilled at kissing."
"No... no... it’s... it’s all because Sakura-kun taught Hanabi the wrong things..." Hanamaru Hanabi shyly lowered her head, her little hands curled into fists, pounding on his chest.
"It’s okay, I like bad Hanabi too."
"...Hanabi doesn’t like it..." Hanamaru Hanabi said softly.
Uesugi Sakura said, "Hanabi only doesn’t like it on the surface."
"Hmph, I hate Sakura-kun!"
The fireworks in the night sky were dazzling, exploding over the Sumida River, their brilliance reflecting on the river’s surface, on everyone’s uplifted faces, and on Hanamaru Hanabi’s blissful profile.
They stirred the hearts of everyone participating in this fireworks festival, soaring into the night sky, transient and magnificent, just as beautiful as her name—"Hanabi."
She was so beautiful, like a dandelion that should have drifted away with the wind, now landing in his hands.
She was lively, a dreamlike hue not of this world.
Uesugi Sakura held the girl in his arms, tightening his embrace, words churning in his throat for a long time:
"Hanabi... I have many things I’ve always wanted to tell you, but at every critical moment, it seems unsaid is better, if our love were a story, it might have ended long ago..."
Uesugi Sakura paused a second, smiling with a choked voice:
"Hanabi... I’ve often thought about these things... I’m thinking if your story stopped, stopped progressing, your smile froze in the last part of the story, and your back was like the cherry blossoms last April frozen in an unchanging past... your smile forever paused... thinking of this... makes me sad."
"But... now you are here, still by my side, still calling me Sakura-kun, calling me so sweetly... I’m really thankful you’re by my side, thank you."
"Sakura-kun, don’t cry..." Hanamaru Hanabi extended her hand in his embrace to wipe the faint tears at his eyes, "Or else Aei-chan and Chiaei-chan will think Hanabi bullied Sakura-kun!"
The two little girls beside them were eating takoyaki and watching the fireworks, unaware of the situation here.
"Then bully me more," Uesugi Sakura smiled again through his tears, "I’ve only ever cried for you in my life—isn’t it just romantic to say it this way?"
"Yes! Very romantic! World’s most romantic!"
Hanamaru Hanabi laughed, brilliantly, her face warm with laughter, embracing his petite body tight, as if enveloping his entire being.