CHAPTER 383: CHAPTER 283: LONELINESS IN WARMTH

The atmosphere was a bit stiff.

Uesugi Sakura stood in front of the two silent sisters, unsure if he should say something comforting.

It seemed like he wanted to speak but couldn’t find the words.

If little Hanabi were in front of him like this, he could pull her over into his embrace and say something to reassure her.

These two little girls...

He could only start with food.

"Would you like a cup of coffee?" Uesugi Sakura asked.

Chiaei and Aei both looked at him simultaneously.

Uesugi Sakura originally wanted to make them something tasty, but his skills... Aei probably wouldn’t want to eat it.

The only thing he could offer was the coffee he learned to make in England.

"Brother, coffee is very bitter," Aei said in a reminding tone, as if he didn’t know.

"Coffee is of course bitter, but the taste of food isn’t always sweet."

"But coffee is just bitter."

Alright, Uesugi Sakura gave up on saying something that sounded too artistic.

Bitter is just bitter, kids like sweet things.

Why complicate it by trying to imagine things from kids’ perspectives?

"Then how about we make you milk coffee instead? Hanabi also likes to drink that."

Chiaei: "Coffee with milk...?"

"Never had it before?" Uesugi Sakura asked.

Aei and Chiaei both shook their heads and said they hadn’t.

In fact, neither of them had ever tried coffee.

For many people, coffee can seem both near and far from their everyday life, with some never having tried it for years.

Though that might not be the case nowadays.

The sisters hadn’t tried it mainly because they heard it was bitter, and their mother never let them try things.

Aei looked up at him: "Nini (brother), how about drinking milk with me instead?"

"Are you scared?"

"Yes, I’m scared."

A very Aei style of candid acceptance.

She could go along with a provocation without hesitation.

It’s likely this little girl could have a man wrapped around her finger one day.

"I... I want to try it,"

"Huh, sister, are you sure?"

"Nothing wrong with it."

"But that’s coffee, coffee!" Aei gestured with her little arms in front of her sister, as if describing coffee as some kind of monster.

Maybe adding body language like that made coffee seem very scary.

"If we add milk, it won’t be bitter... I guess," Chiaei said uncertainly.

This kind of dialogue belongs in a child’s world, making Uesugi Sakura reminisce about that age. Back then, Hanabi would follow beside him, curious about everything.

Eager to ask about everything but afraid of making him unhappy, so she would just quietly act as his little follower.

"You’ll know once you try it."

...

Uesugi Sakura had coffee beans in his bag; they were meant for a professor but were unused since the professor was away on a business trip.

The little girls’ home had coffee-making tools, but no one had used them, so they needed a bit of cleaning.

These were probably kitchen and bathroom tools that came with the house when they bought it.

Judging by Chiaei’s descriptions, her mother was never someone who could look after others.

Uesugi Sakura intended to do it himself, but Chiaei stood by, saying she could help out.

Then she just took over the coffee equipment and went to the sink to clean them.

Seeing her sister busy, Aei didn’t help; instead, she wanted to eat snacks and quietly approached the fridge.

After being caught, she pouted and left the kitchen, took off her shoes, and flipped continuously on the living room sofa.

"Big brother."

"Mm, thank you."

Uesugi Sakura took the coffee equipment from Chiaei and began preparing.

They all liked sweet things, and since the coffee beans were of Italian origin, it would be better to make two cups of milk-heavy cappuccinos.

He started working, with Chiaei watching curiously from the side.

After several steps, he began making latte art on the milk foam.

"What design would you like?"

"...Huh?"

"The design pattern, name one you like."

"Pattern..." After a moment’s thought, Chiaei said, "Can you do Aihime’s Snapdragon?"

"Sure."

Uesugi Sakura recalled the pattern of Aihime’s Snapdragon in his mind, planned the initial position, and began working.

Aihime’s Snapdragon, with slender branches and leaves, had white corolla spiraling along the green stem.

To avoid a tower-like stiffness in the latte art, he intentionally composed it from the side, making the flowers appear as if blown by the wind.

"Amazing!" Chiaei didn’t expect that one could draw on the bubbles inside a cup.

"Aei, what do you like?" Uesugi Sakura began preparing another cup.

"Pheasant’s tail."

"Alright." Uesugi Sakura again started the latte art.

"Big brother seems to know everything..." Chiaei found it fascinating, as the patterns were vividly realistic.

"Just a little knowledge about flowers, and adding motion gives more depth to the design."

Once finished, Uesugi Sakura asked Chiaei to bring both cups to the living room.

Aei lay on the sofa watching TV, her hair hanging down to the ground.

"Ah, the coffee is here."

A half hour later, it proved that his milk coffee was quite good, and the sisters both liked it.

The milk foam covered their lips, and Aei had to lick it off with her tongue.

Uesugi Sakura glanced at his watch—it was nearly 7 PM.

"Alright, I should be going."

"Huh, brother, you’re leaving?"

"Pretty much, it’s time to head back."

What Aei just said seemed familiar to Uesugi Sakura.

At the entrance, the two little girls stood at the door to see him off.

Chiaei: "Will big brother come again?"

"You can also come over to my place," Uesugi Sakura told her.

"Thank, thank you for your care! Although it should be Aei and I hosting you," Chiaei bent her small waist, sincerely expressing her gratitude.