Chapter 550: Chapter 365: Must Go Out for a Trip
"Chiaei-chan, if you could take Aei back to your mother’s side, would you be willing?"
Chiaei heard his words and quietly asked, "Is it mom looking for us?"
"Sort of."
"So if we go back to mom’s place... can we still see brother and Hanabi sis every day like now?"
Uesugi Sakura replied, "I don’t know. If it’s in Tokyo, you can come over and play every day, but if your mother wants to take you away from the city, then it’ll be hard to meet."
In modern society, it’s possible to communicate through video chats.
But long distances will always cause feelings to fade.
Just like the protagonists in "5 Centimeters per Second"... separated for so many years, initially exchanging letters, and eventually, all that remained were the thin memories.
When Hanamaru Hanabi went abroad, Uesugi Sakura tried not to miss her.
But everywhere in life was filled with memories of her, and he began to find ways to ease his feelings.
Yet the more he tried to ease, the more anxious he became because he was afraid of forgetting her.
Hanamaru Hanabi often said to him in a soft voice, "Sakura-kun, don’t forget Hanabi..."
Whenever Uesugi Sakura thought about how she looked when she said this, he felt an impulse to hold her.
Uesugi Sakura knew he was someone who didn’t like losing.
It was the same with Hanabi.
And it was the same with Aei and Chiaei, whom he treated as his sisters.
...
"Brother..." Chiaei called out, with a small teardrop mole under her left eye looking quite delicate under the living room light.
"Have you thought it over?" Uesugi Sakura asked.
Chiaei hesitated for a moment before finally saying, "...About mom looking for us... it’s better if you don’t let Aei know..."
"You don’t want her to know?"
"Mm..."
Uesugi Sakura saw her lowered face and could roughly understand what she meant.
It’s likely that Chiaei preferred her current life...
When he first met Aei and Chiaei and went to their house.
Chiaei often told Aei that mom wouldn’t come back, but Aei still believed mom would return, and the two sisters often argued over it.
The elder sister knew the truth.
For half a year, Chiaei waited countless nights at home.
Time and again, hopes were met with a doorbell that never rang.
Chiaei probably realized that their mother had abandoned them.
Every day, looking at a home with only her sister, her heart always felt empty.
For her, Aei was the only person worth cherishing at that time.
Now their mother suddenly wanted to find them and bring them back.
Going back to mom’s place and living the life of waiting for her to come home drunk, was that really good?
Hanabi sis and brother were very nice... they treated Aei well... Aei was happy every day now...
Chiaei’s mind was in chaos. She wanted to go back and see her mother... but a vague feeling was also making her not want to return.
This feeling made her somewhat resist her mother taking her back.
...
"Chiaei," Uesugi Sakura called out to the little girl in front of him, "Tomorrow I’ll go check on your mother’s situation for you."
"Mm..."
The two girls were originally illegitimate children.
The root of the issue began with their mother.
Uesugi Sakura wanted to see what purpose their mother had in suddenly wanting to retain custody of the two little girls.
————————
It was night.
The plane departing from Haneda Airport shimmered with lights outside the night sky.
Uesugi Sakura embraced Hanamaru Hanabi on the large bed in the bedroom, holding her back with both hands.
The girl’s body was warm, and only a nightgown separated his hand from her skin.
"Holding like this isn’t hot, Sakura-kun..."
No matter how many times they embraced, her words would always become weak and gentle in his arms.
Uesugi Sakura returned his mind from the matters of Aei and Chiaei and smiled at Hanamaru Hanabi:
"Having a wife to hold, what’s the concern about heat?"
Hanamaru Hanabi blushed at his words, resting her head on his arm, and softly reminded, "Sakura-kun doesn’t have a wife yet..."
"A fiancée counts too."
"But it’s not the same..."
Hanamaru Hanabi was wearing a strapless nightgown, pink, hiding her chest, with her shoulders and collarbone exposed.
Perhaps he was used to secretly admiring her collarbone. Uesugi Sakura noticed how beautiful her outfit was tonight.
Her fair skin had a rosy sheen.
Hanamaru Hanabi called his name several times, but he didn’t hear. His attention was fully captured by the lines above the girl’s bodice.
Hanamaru Hanabi directly used her hands to cover her chest:
"Sakura-kun plans to sneak a touch again... You’re not allowed to do bad things when Hanabi’s asleep tonight... Hanabi will get mad!"
"Does Hanabi-chan want to see Uesugi Cat?"
"Sakura-kun wants to turn into a kitty?" Hanamaru Hanabi’s face showed a hint of joy.
"Uesugi Cat can’t appear easily. It’s a manifestation of Hanabi’s love. Only when you love me enough can Uesugi Cat come out."
Listening to him speak one sentence after another, Hanamaru Hanabi leaned in with curious eyes, resting her head on his arm, looking at his handsome face, and asked:
"What’s it like to turn into a kitty?"
"What’s it like? Hmm... hard to say. The body feels light, maybe, and it’s comfortable when being petted."
Uesugi Sakura saw her leaning closer and brushed her hair aside, resting his forehead against her little forehead.
The girl’s beauty seemed to transmit through the warmth of her forehead.
"Today, let’s not turn into Uesugi Cat."
"Mm... I’ll listen to Sakura-kun..."
Uesugi Sakura closed his eyes, savoring her warmth and inhaling her fragrance.
"We’re about to get married. Do you have any thoughts, Hanabi?"
"Hanabi feels very happy..."