CHAPTER 343: CHAPTER 260: LEISURE TIME, VISITORS ARRIVE._2

Under Hanamaru Hanabi’s gaze, as he watched her with amusement, she dared not meet his eyes and could only obediently answer his question:

"No...early, you can’t eat... in the morning."

"Do you still remember the promise you made to Sakura?"

"Uh...I have to draw a picture."

"Good, as long as you remember. You’re quite the famous one online now, your works might be worth a lot someday."

"Hanabi just draws some illustrations online, it’s nothing major..."

"Haven’t many game companies hired you to draw their backgrounds? I saw your Twitter has attracted a lot of followers, though you barely post anything, so it didn’t gain much heat, most just praise you under the posts."

Uesugi Sakura let go of her face, "By the way, how much do you have in savings now, Hanabi?"

Normally in Japan, one wouldn’t ask such a question, as it lacks courtesy and invades privacy, easily arousing resentment.

Hanamaru Hanabi thought back a bit, she had been taking up commercial illustrations over the past years:

"I think... over four million yen...."

"That’s great," Uesugi Sakura smiled, "at least you can support me."

"You’re the one with a lot of money, Sakura."

"Not really, combined it’s only enough for the two of us to live for thirty years."

The living expenses for an ordinary couple in Japan, including food, transportation, tuition, utilities, medical, and other miscellaneous costs, total about 260,000 yen per month.

Annually, it’s 3.12 million yen, over thirty years that’s 93.6 million yen.

This isn’t even high-cost Tokyo, just a regular city.

93.6 million yen sounds like a lot, but it can be spent just as easily.

Property prices average 977,000 yen per square meter.

Currently, in their area in Bunkyo District, that would only buy a small standalone house with a fine decoration.

After buying, you still need to pay 3% property tax plus brokerage fees and consumption tax!

In Japan, buying property requires a broker to be involved.

Total taxation roughly amounts to 8% of the property price at purchase.

Thinking that his "national bow-taking" prize money isn’t enough to buy a decent apartment in Tokyo is truly frustrating.

"Sakura, Sakura."

After washing her face, Hanamaru Hanabi looked up at him, her forehead’s hair still wet, "What are you thinking about, Sakura? Why aren’t you speaking all of a sudden?"

Their toothbrush cups were placed together, she had specially chosen a shark design for him.

Uesugi Sakura smiled and said, "Nothing, just thinking about the house where we’ll live after getting married."

"Actually, renting isn’t bad either, Hanabi said.

Where they are currently living costs 630,000 yen a month in rent.

Uesugi Sakura thought it might be better to buy, at least it would be permanent property ownership.

"It’s more comfortable to manage your own house." He thought about the flowers and plants at his place and wondered if his mother had been taking good care of them recently.

The lilies were blooming last time he visited and the scent always made him think of the fragrance on Hanabi.

It was a Sunday, and the May Festival at Tokyo University hadn’t ended yet.

As part of it, he originally had to participate in a class stall activity.

However, for Uesugi Sakura, anything besides Hanabi was a chance to slack off if possible.

Since the professor was away on a business trip and no one else could supervise him.

Therefore, he and Hanabi were going back to their home in Shinjuku with the two ladies staying temporarily with them; his cousin and cheap master had just returned from Capital City.

After finishing their morning routines, the rain had lessened.

Uesugi Sakura, following behind Hanabi, wanted to watch her change clothes, but she shyly moved to stop him with her hands, urging him to go out quickly.

She also mentioned girls changing clothes must not be watched!

What can’t be seen?

Has there not been any place he hasn’t touched?

Uesugi Sakura was really reluctant to leave; who wouldn’t want to blatantly admire a beautiful girl changing?

But Hanamaru Hanabi kept pushing him, saying he couldn’t watch, and promised to wear those 38-denier white stockings today.

The kind where a hint of skin tone is visible.

Hanamaru Hanabi wore a little dress every day, and along with her nicely shaped legs, she had exceptionally rich curves.

Both black and white hosiery looked very appealing, and he couldn’t help but love it.

Uesugi Sakura thought, tonight he would let Hanabi sleep in them too, catching hold of her little feet and tickling them...she would probably clutch that life-size shark and laugh delightfully.

Hmm... he wondered if she would agree to wear them.

As they walked down the stairs, they ran into a little one crawling around the living room.

"Sister~"

Hanamaru Hanami grabbed his pants leg, slowly stood up, balanced for a moment, and then clung to his leg, lifting her head with bright, violet eyes looking at him.

What is it... that she wants?

Uesugi Sakura couldn’t grasp what her gaze meant, nor could anyone decipher her baby babbling.

He could only squat down, placing his hands under her small arms, then lifted her up.

She was quite heavy.

Sitting in his arms, she appeared very obedient.

Uesugi Sakura pinched her nose, causing her to smile gleefully, her little face shyly nestled on his shoulder, cheek pressed against the skin on his neck.

A child’s body temperature is always higher, and the warmth against his neck was a comforting feeling.

Hmm...both sisters are very cute.

He truly felt like adopting Hanami as his daughter.

In the living room, their mother was feeding his sister formula, and Mrs. Hanamaru was busy in the kitchen making breakfast.

Hanamaru Hanami probably took advantage of Mrs. Uesugi not noticing, slipped off the sofa, and began crawling around the living room, only to be caught by him coming down the stairs.

He hoped his sister wouldn’t learn such antics from little Hanami.

Suddenly, Uesugi Shin started crying, prompting Mrs. Uesugi, who was sitting on the sofa, to hurriedly put down the bottle and soothe her daughter, looking up to say to the just-arrived Uesugi Sakura:

"Ah, Kai, can you help your sister check the temperature of her milk while I change her diaper?"

"Sure."

Hanamaru Hanami couldn’t understand why the little one her size was crying, but watching her cry made her a bit frightened, so she snuggled tightly in Uesugi Sakura’s arms.

Mrs. Uesugi quickly picked up her daughter lovingly and carried her into the room.

When he was a kid, he was also held like this by his mother, though never coaxed?

Sitting on the sofa, Uesugi Sakura thought childhood memories seemed a little fuzzy.

He picked up his sister’s bottle, sucked on the nipple to test it.

It was sweet and pleasant, the temperature just right.

Without having had anything to drink that morning, he couldn’t help taking a few extra sips; the milky sweetness was a taste kids would love.

Hanamaru Hanami’s little eyes reflected the sight of Uesugi Sakura drinking from the bottle, and she immediately reached out her hands in his arms, wanting to drink the milk too:

"Sister~ Sister~"

"It’s Brother."

Without thinking much, Uesugi Sakura handed her the remaining half bottle to drink.

Hanamaru Hanami eagerly grasped the bottle’s handles with both hands, placed the nipple in her mouth, and began drinking slowly.

Wait!

Uesugi Sakura’s hand froze mid-air as he tried to grab the bottle, realizing he hadn’t wiped the nipple before handing it to her after drinking from it himself.

Kids... it should be... okay...

While helping his sister check her bottle’s temperature, he sometimes forgot too.

When Mrs. Uesugi returned with her freshly diapered daughter, she saw the empty bottle on the coffee table and looked at him with a puzzled expression, asking:

"Ah Kai, where’s Shin’s milk?"

Uesugi Sakura decisively pointed at the little one in his arms: "Hanami drank it."

Hanamaru Hanami cooed happily.

Mrs. Uesugi didn’t say much, just asked him to hold Shin while she prepared to make more milk.

As she handed over her daughter, she caught a whiff of the rich scent on him:

"You have a strong milky smell on you."

Most of the milk had been drunk by him, but Uesugi Sakura couldn’t admit that he accidentally drank his sister’s milk.

A 18-year-old competing with his under-one-year-old sister for milk; that would be embarrassing.

He could only raise Hanamaru Hanami’s small hand, using it to voice over:

"It’s from me."

Hanamaru Hanami thought Uesugi Sakura was teasing her again, so she giggled away.