"Big brother is quiet... doesn’t like to talk... Hanabi sees the candy in her hand... feels that big brother probably doesn’t dislike Hanabi..."

"The gummy candy is sweet... it’s just an ordinary piece... but Hanabi always feels that this sweet candy, different from the ones mom usually buys, is sweeter somehow... because it’s from big brother..."

"Big brother is a good person... little Hanabi thought so back then... but she still didn’t know if big brother was willing to be friends with her... so she only dared to sit quietly by his side... occasionally stealing a glance at him."

"Since the day she ate the candy... Hanabi paid more attention to big brother... in the morning, she’d secretly lean on the windowsill to watch him get up, at night, she’d secretly peek at him reading and sleeping... occasionally, when he dressed in the morning, he’d glance her way... every time it scared Hanabi into quickly ducking her head down..."

"Hanabi doesn’t really like mornings... because it means going to school again... Hanabi doesn’t like school... every time at school, she can only hide in the corner alone during recess..."

"But today is different... when mom left, holding Hanabi’s hand, they came to big brother’s house door, and big brother stood behind auntie, Hanabi hid behind mom. After mom exchanged a few words with big brother and auntie, she turned back and smiled at Hanabi saying, ’From now on, Hanabi-chan can go to school with Sakura-kun.’ ’Together... go to school?’ Hanabi hid behind mom, sneaking a look at big brother... he... doesn’t seem to have a dislike for Hanabi..."

"From that day on, Hanabi went to school with big brother... mom asked big brother to take care of Hanabi... auntie said the same... but Hanabi wondered... if she could be friends with big brother... if they could play together..."

"Hanabi followed behind big brother... not daring to say a word... fearing her disliked voice would make big brother start to dislike Hanabi too..."

"One day, two days, three days, on the third day of going to school together, big brother suddenly asked Hanabi, ’You don’t like to talk?’ Hanabi shook her head, big brother asked again, ’What do you like to eat?’ Hanabi was worried her voice didn’t sound pleasant... but since big brother asked again... she had to quietly say, ’Spicy things.’

’Like chili? Well, that’s good, but why do you speak so softly?’

’No, it doesn’t sound pleasant...’

’Unpleasant? No, I think it sounds nice, just like a child’s voice, just a bit soft.’"

Hanamaru Hanabi spoke, and Uesugi Sakura also remembered how he was back then.

He held the current Hanamaru Hanabi and asked her:

"So, how did you come to like me?"

"It’s simple..." Hanamaru Hanabi answered, "Big brother would save the little snacks from the teacher for Hanabi every afternoon... and when we passed Grandpa Yoshitake’s convenience store after school, he’d buy spicy snacks for Hanabi... big brother treats Hanabi so well... no one really liked Hanabi, so she could only follow big brother."

Uesugi Sakura remembered, remembered the little tagalong Hanabi from before.

She followed quietly behind him, often looking eagerly at the candies inside as they passed the convenience store.

They would pass by there every day on their way to and from school.

The road still exists, it’s the one Aei and Chiaei must pass to get to elementary school, but sadly, the convenience store in front of the elementary school...

Because the grandpa is no longer there, the convenience store has no successor and is now closed...

Thinking back together, recalling all sorts of past encounters, makes one feel much happier.

Uesugi Sakura smiled at the girl: "Back then, I just saw you as a child to care for, watching you follow behind me all pitiful. You obviously had money but were too shy to buy things to eat."

Hanamaru Hanabi, a bit indignant, said: "Sakura-kun was a child before too... but... thinking back... Sakura-kun was more like a little grown-up."

"Was I like a big brother?"

"Yeah... very much like a big brother... so being by his side, Hanabi felt secure."

"But feeling secure and liking me are two different things," Uesugi Sakura said.

"Sakura-kun... didn’t you always say you saw Hanabi as a little sister? Now... you’re about to marry Hanabi."

This feeling is strange.

But it should be considered ’liking’ as it changes with age, right?

"And now? What does Hanabi think of big brother now?"

"Now you’re a big bad guy, teasing Hanabi every day..."

"This is called courting, not teasing," Uesugi Sakura said with a smile, "But you, my little tagalong, have followed me for fifteen years, always wanting snacks every day! And now, you’ve tossed yourself in."

"That’s not right," Hanamaru Hanabi smiled as she snuggled up to him, "Hanabi captured big brother, and now big brother belongs only to Hanabi."

"Hanabi’s little sister’s reversal?"

"Yes."

"No, Hanabi said captured me? How did you capture me, by acting cute? If anyone is capturing anyone, it’s definitely..."

Hanamaru Hanabi suddenly stretched out her white neck, lifted her chin, her soft rosy lips gently touched his face for a second, then she escaped his embrace, gazing at him with tender eyes and said:

"Just like that..."

In the moonlight outside the window, Uesugi Sakura saw.

Hanamaru Hanabi’s gem-like clear purple eyes under the moonlight, her private collarbone and neck were all clearly visible, and she was right beside him, on the other half of the pillow.

This cold beauty in the night filled his chest, filling his ceaselessly beating heart.

This kind of feeling made Uesugi Sakura not know how to respond to her with words, just silently watching the girl’s bright and clean visage, tracing the lines from her forehead to her nose bridge, watching her adorable eyes and brows, admiring her exquisite face.

Beautiful, intimate, endearing.

The lines on Hanamaru Hanabi’s collarbone were full of girlish charm, her skin as crystal clear as snow, and her shoulders still slender and petite.

Uesugi Sakura instinctively reached out his hand, touching her shoulder, sliding his palm down along the lines of her collarbone, then along the collarbone down, sliding to the upper half of her body concealed by pajamas.

"No..." Hanamaru Hanabi suddenly said, her cheeks turning rosy, "We aren’t married yet..."

"Ahem... actually, I wasn’t thinking about that..." Uesugi Sakura came to his senses, retracting his hand.

"Anyway... Sakura-kun is just pervy..."

"Really no, I was just seeing how beautiful you are, wanting to cuddle you."

"So... Sakura-kun really didn’t think of something pervy?"

"Just—a—bit..."

"Big pervert..." Hanamaru Hanabi said slightly upset.

"How can I be a big pervert... you see we’ve known each other for so many years... I’ve never eaten you up, this shows I’m extremely rational."

Hanamaru Hanabi blushed as she said: "Before... if Sakura-kun dared, it would have been a crime! Hanabi would have had her dad catch Sakura-kun!"

Uesugi Sakura: "Hanabi cares for me, surely couldn’t bear it."

"Sakura-kun committed a crime, the crime of being pervy, must be caught!"

"Ahem... seriously speaking, that I know... so isn’t it only after we started dating that I’d think about touching your tummy?"

"Sakura-kun... seems to really like rubbing Hanabi’s tummy..."

"You knew that a long time ago, actually..."

"Then... does Sakura-kun want to rub it now?"

Uesugi Sakura had a feeling that Hanamaru Hanabi seemed to be saying this to tempt him on purpose.

"Forget it... let’s just sleep..."

"It’s very comfy, you know."

"Hanabi-chan, don’t tempt me, I’m really bad."

"No, not even a little."

As soon as Hanamaru Hanabi finished speaking, Uesugi Sakura quickly flipped over on the bed, taking the blanket and wrapping both himself and the girl beside him fully inside it, her head and body entirely covered.

"Take this!"

"Haha~ haha~ hahaha~ no, Sakura-kun don’t tickle~ tummy... the tummy part... don’t... it’s so ticklish... hahaha~ Hanabi, Hanabi... was wrong, wrong! hahaha~"

From the constantly moving blanket came the girl’s lighthearted laughter from time to time.

...

When it was time to sleep, Uesugi Sakura tucked her in, lying on his side, supporting his head with his right hand watching her peaceful sleeping face for a while.

He thought, such a lovely her... if it were in a story, the author would definitely be reluctant to let her end, right...