CHAPTER 704: CHAPTER 430: SO... IS THIS THE WARMTH THAT RESISTS THE COLD...?

It rained today, and the whole sky was a gray haze.

The rain fell on the windowsill, covering the transparent glass with a layer of delicate, glistening water droplets. Uesugi Sakura glanced at the bustling pedestrians outside holding umbrellas, pulled the window to the right, cutting off the cold wind instantly, and the coffee shop’s heating gradually warmed the surrounding air.

He turned around and saw Hanamaru Hanabi, dressed in a cat-eared maid outfit, bringing over a small cake:

"Sakura-kun, you’ve worked hard. Would you like to try the cake Hanabi just made?"

"Thank you." Uesugi Sakura smiled at her, just about to reach for it, but she quickly moved the tray away.

"Wait a minute! Hanabi will feed it to Sakura-kun." Hanamaru Hanabi picked up a piece of cake with her little hand and brought it to Uesugi Sakura’s mouth, making him stare at the cake so close that his neck recoiled a bit, "Come on, open your mouth, ah~."

Uesugi Sakura instinctively avoided it at first but then ate it without any hesitation.

"Is this considered feeding?" Uesugi Sakura tasted it and realized it was Hanabi’s cake.

"How does it feel, Sakura-kun? Being fed by Hanabi."

"It feels not bad, quite pampered."

"So, Sakura-kun likes being pampered too?" Hanamaru Hanabi couldn’t help but cover her face and chuckle lightly.

"Everyone likes it; it’s just that some people won’t admit it, but I am very open about it." Uesugi Sakura savored the food she fed him.

Hanamaru Hanabi laughed again, raising her hand to him:

"Then let me feed Sakura-kun another one."

"Sure."

Rina Towa, who had just come out of the kitchen, shook her head continuously as she looked at the ambiguous pair by the window, muttering the words ’doomed couple’ under her breath.

The two of you will get caught sooner or later, huh...

"Are we being too affectionate inside the café? Luckily, no one noticed at this moment." Uesugi Sakura surveyed the area for a moment.

"What’s Sakura-kun worried about?" Hanamaru Hanabi held the tray against her chest, "Hanabi only sneaked out to give Sakura-kun some cake while everyone else was busy, even if it’s to hide our identities... Actually, there’s no need to be too cautious now because Hanabi noticed that around Sakura-kun, there’s only one person showing any interest."

"Is it Towa or Kyo?" Uesugi Sakura tried asking her because recently, Towa Rina talked to him the most, while Kyo was quietly learning to make coffee.

Hanamaru Hanabi smiled without saying a word, neither nodding nor shaking her head.

"Doesn’t Sakura-kun know?"

"I think they both seem normal."

"Sakura-kun, you’re really clueless. If you weren’t handsome, you’d never be able to chase after a girl."

"Am I clueless?"

"Hmm, sometimes quite clueless."

"..." Uesugi Sakura was told this by his wife for the first time. Wasn’t it usually him calling her a little dummy?

Indeed, Hanabi and Black Hanabi are different.

"Is Sakura-kun upset?"

"Why would I be upset about something like this."

"Hanabi works here just to be with Sakura-kun, catching little foxes or whatever, is just a side thing."

"Do you... really want to work with me?"

Hanamaru Hanabi gazed at him:

"Hanabi remembers what Sakura-kun once said to Hanabi: We will have a café, nestled in a quiet corner, not famous but with a loyal group of customers who come every afternoon. I make coffee for the guests, and you serve light meals. After a busy day, we wash dishes together in the kitchen, chat about funny things, and if we feel like it, we’ll gaze at the moon in the night sky, leaning against each other."

Uesugi Sakura remembered saying these words but didn’t expect her to recall them so vividly.

"Do you know, Sakura-kun? Hanabi has always liked the picture you painted, living day by day, welcoming the setting sun and the rising dawn, every day, every day, constantly like this, never ending."

"Every day, Sakura-kun still likes Hanabi’s smile, every day he still says gentle words to Hanabi, hugs, and pampers her."

"Because I like these too much, Hanabi found lots of time to come work at the same place with Sakura-kun."

"Sakura-kun, can you understand Hanabi’s feelings?"

"..."

"If it were another Sakura-kun, he would probably turn around and leave immediately after hearing Hanabi say these things."

Hanamaru Hanabi spoke calmly, unlike her usual gentle demeanor, nor like her controlling manner when she’s being a yandere.

Uesugi Sakura could only handle the usual gentle Hanabi, and for this other side of her, he really didn’t know what to say to comfort her.

Hanamaru Hanabi bowed her head, picked up a piece of cake with her small hand, and as she lifted her head to feed him, she suddenly laughed: "Hanabi knows Sakura-kun wouldn’t do that, so come have some cake."

...

"Uesugi-kun, great work today."

"Mm, you too."

By seven-thirty in the evening, after a busy day, Uesugi Sakura bid farewell to everyone, taking Hanamaru Hanabi with him.

Uesugi Sakura got on his bicycle downstairs, with Hanamaru Hanabi, who had a blue scarf around her neck, heading home.

The weather was getting colder, and the western sky was draped with a thin layer of twilight.

Today’s temperature dropped to ten degrees.

To keep the evening breeze from feeling so cold, Uesugi Sakura deliberately slowed down his cycling pace, breath forming steam as he huddled to ward off the chill.

A pair of white hands suddenly took a sea-blue scarf from behind and gently wrapped it around his neck.

These hands were very careful, winding the scarf around his neck several times, so he wouldn’t feel strangled and could feel warmth instead.