CHAPTER 445: CHAPTER 315: CAT’S ADVENTURES_2

It’s so, so, so noisy.

Chirping and chattering, endless words fill the air.

Uesugi Sakura tried to block out the elementary schoolers babbling about animations and typical middle school dialogues, crouching on little Aei’s lap, looking out at the sky through the window.

"Brother."

Uesugi Sakura heard Aei calling him and instinctively turned his head.

The little girl immediately laughed, "Hehe, I knew it, you’re my brother, right, Mr. Cat?"

Recognized me?

He didn’t think he would be recognized; apart from the pendant on his neck, only his eyes and expression were slightly similar.

Even Hanabi didn’t recognize him before; little Aei was even less likely.

Uesugi Sakura laid his head back down, lazily wagging his tail.

Just as he blocked out the strange conversations of the kids in the car, ready to sleep, his tail was suddenly grabbed.

And pulled quite forcefully.

"Haha, Aei, where did you pick up this lazy orange cat from?"

"It’s not picked up!" Aei angrily pushed away the boy sitting next to her, then hugged Uesugi Sakura to her chest.

Here it comes.

Inevitable elementary school conflicts arise when boys think it’s fun to casually mess with the girls’ things.

They anger others, make them cry, and only apologize in a panic when a teacher arrives.

At such a troublesome age, boys are far more annoying than girls.

Uesugi Sakura had seen Hanabi’s books hidden by other boy classmates more than once when he was in elementary school.

The teacher asked them to turn to page 30 for the new lesson while she frantically searched all over her desk, desperate throughout the whole class, even though it was clearly in her backpack, so anxious that tears welled up in her eyes.

The culprit feigned innocence, pretending it had nothing to do with them.

In the end, Uesugi Sakura gave her his own book, so she could follow the teacher’s teaching without crying.

Back then, her face was all red, small, with pitiful tears at the corners of her eyes.

Now it seems the little girl’s textbook has been replaced by a cat.

The boy sitting next to Aei clearly wanted to tease her.

Aei didn’t want to pay him any attention, but the boy was only more interested because of it.

It’s better to put a stop to it.

Uesugi Sakura revealed a fierce look just as the boy reached out to touch his head.

The boy immediately froze, thinking he was going to bite him, he quickly retracted his hand in fear.

The journey continued, with Uesugi Sakura following the little classmates from Shirooka Elementary School around his own campus, Tokyo University.

He was tired of the scenery here; without any stunning beauties, it was better to nap in Aei’s arms.

The classmates followed the elementary school teacher, stopping and going, first visiting the ginkgo trees, then seeing a student’s homemade railroad at the technology club, and finally looking at a lot of research that even Uesugi Sakura didn’t understand in a large exhibition room.

Throughout, senior students from Tokyo University provided explanations and led the tour.

There wasn’t much to see at Tokyo University; it was only nice during the gold autumn.

But the reputation here made people curious to see what was so magical about it.

Even many elementary schools came here to visit.

"Aei-chan, where’s your brother?"

"Kawata-sensei, don’t get any ideas about my brother."

"Haha~ (somewhat awkward), I just wanted to meet your brother."

"My brother is at home now; you won’t be able to meet him, teacher."

"Uh... alright then..."

The young female teacher bowed her head, sighing in disappointment.

After visiting Tokyo University for an hour and a half, they dined at the Central Cafeteria below Yasuda Lecture Hall.

Uesugi Sakura squatted on the bench, watching what Aei was eating.

Scrambled eggs with tomato.

The little girl sweetly fed all the eggs to him.

"Brother, eat more."

For a cat, encountering such a considerate owner isn’t bad, but it would be even better if they were a bit more reliable.

Leaving Tokyo University, they continued by bus to Meiji Shrine located in the Shibuya District’s Yoyogi.

The trees were towering, the paths spacious and wide.

Entering here immediately felt cooler than the Tokyo City area.

At least this cat felt quite comfortable staying here.

His paws stepped on the green stone, with a refreshing breeze embracing him, bringing an overall cool and brisk feeling.

The children came to the shrine just to play and get some fresh air.

The theme for today was fun.

Tomorrow they would write a diary about their experience.

Walking ahead, at the north-south intersection, there was a large torii.

Two years ago, he had come here with Hanamaru Hanabi and two madams to watch a shrine wedding.

Uesugi Sakura crouched under the torii, observing, finding that merely two years had given it no trace of time at all.

And little Hanabi... was almost about to marry him.

"Brother, why are you here."

Little Aei’s soft and cute voice called out affectionately, not like she was addressing a cat.

Uesugi Sakura even started to wonder if she had truly recognized him.

Although a cat wearing a Hook Jade pendant was indeed strange, it wasn’t out of reason.

Uesugi Sakura had no choice but to allow himself to be picked up by the little girl, her stroking his head along his fur.

Walking forward from the large torii, crossing over a bridge, lay the Imperial Garden of Meiji Shrine.

Surrounded by clear air and abundant greenery, it seemed as if the bustling noise of Tokyo vanished in this place.

There was an entrance fee for Meiji Shrine’s garden, but today it appeared to be free for the children, or the school had paid in advance.

Uesugi Sakura remembered that there was a tree planted by the Hanamaru family in the garden, including the cherry blossom belonging to Hanabi.

He wanted to go take a look.

"Meow."

"Eh, does brother want to go down?" Aei seemed to understand his intent as she held him; when he meowed, the little girl set him down.

"Be careful not to fall into the river."

Aei didn’t intend to keep him bound to her side.

If he wanted to follow her, Aei would hold him; if he wanted to leave, Aei could understand perfectly well.

Uesugi Sakura stood on the bridge, looking back at Aei, who was waving goodbye to him.

At this moment, the swaying tree shadows under the wind, the whispering green leaves, and the scattered leaves on the bridge brought him a dreamlike unreal feeling.

Just like a dream.

Am I a cat... or is the cat me...?

"Goodbye, brother."

After Aei happily waved goodbye to Uesugi Sakura, she caught up with her large group, as they continued their tour, playing games and picnicking into the afternoon.

Uesugi Sakura saw her disappear into the crowd of classmates and teachers, turned his head, and walked gracefully towards the front of the bridge.

The sound of the cicadas was clear, even though the air here was quite fresh, there was an unmistakable feeling of it being twisted by the high temperature.

Uesugi Sakura padded along the forest path, encountering many tourists taking pictures, but none cared about a lone cat.

Following his memories, he sought the footprints walked a few months ago.

Circling around a piece of tranquil woodland, he arrived at a Japanese-style residence signposted "Private Property."

Behind the large gate were many mature camphor and cedar trees, signifying all the experiences of the Hanamaru family.

He thought no one would come here on a leisurely day, but unexpectedly, Hanamaru Yasushin was standing at the gate.

Hanamaru Yasushin.

Hanabi’s grandfather and the father of the father-in-law.

With hands behind his back, clad in a chestnut kimono, bright white hair, his body stood straight.

Exactly as from that ’Green Day’ meeting before.

What was he doing here?

Uesugi Sakura truly didn’t understand much about the Hanamaru family’s situation, only that they were a family of police officers, and Hanamaru Hiroki as a father didn’t want his daughter involved in unnecessary matters.

Because of this, he always knew very little about the Hanamaru family.

Uesugi Sakura bypassed the path, climbed a branch extending towards the residence gate, walked on to its tip, and, amidst the breeze, crossed his front paws and lounged, observing the solitary Hanamaru Yasushin standing at the gate.

He seemed to be waiting for someone but didn’t speak.

At this distance, Uesugi Sakura couldn’t hear him even if he spoke.

The task required him to loiter in the shrine—was this so he would encounter the family head of the Hanamaru family?

Perhaps he knew the origin of the Hook Jade?

But the situation was strange; the task introduction mentioned it being related to the Uesugi family.

However, Uesugi Sakura had asked the two elders of the Uesugi family, and they both said the Hook Jade was just a Hook Jade.

Something gifted by the Uesugi elders to their juniors.

Uesugi Sakura waited for a long time, yawning several times like a cat, and the lazy sunlight, along with the cicada’s cries of summer, nearly lulled him to sleep.

Just as he was about to close his eyes for a nap, the door opened.

The creaking sound forced his eyes open, drawing his attention back to Hanamaru Yasushin.

His gaze was directed towards the door.

Not long after... Hanamaru Hanabi wearing a white shirt and his father-in-law walked out from within.