Chapter 549: Chapter 364: What is the Purpose?_2
"I suppose your family must respect you a lot, Mr. Ichikawa."
The car stopped at the traffic light, and Uncle Ichikawa smiled, "Actually, I’m single."
"You’re not married?"
"I was, but now I’m divorced. It’s been over a year..." Uncle Ichikawa continued driving and said, "I used to work in electrical sales, handling in-home promotions for the company’s massage devices. I had a salary, and there was a commission for each device sold...
"Because of the nature of the work, I couldn’t stay in one place for long when doing door-to-door sales. I needed to go to other cities to develop new clients. I was frequently traveling, out of town for more than ten to twenty days a month... I didn’t even come home once when my child was born until two weeks after. Maybe that’s why my wife chose to divorce me."
Uncle Ichikawa narrated these events casually, like he had come to terms with it.
"Didn’t your son stay with you?"
"The court awarded custody to his mother. The last time I saw him... ah, let me think, it was about three... four... um, four years ago. He’s very busy. Every time I call him, he’s doing homework."
Uncle chuckled.
"Now I just want to earn more money, provide more alimony, and give him a car when he gets into college.
"Now that my job is a bit more stable, I’ve considered approaching his mother for a reconciliation... but when I called, she said it was impossible."
As he spoke, Uncle Ichikawa shook his head.
"Mr. Uesugi, you should still be studying at your age, right?"
"Yes, I’m in college."
"In Tokyo?"
"Yes, Tokyo."
"Let me guess, hmm... Tokyo Ocean University?"
"No."
"Meiji?"
"Not that either."
Uncle Ichikawa pondered for a bit: "It can’t be Sophia or Keio, right? Those universities are tough to get into."
"The University of Tokyo."
"Tokyo Uni!? Amazing!" Uncle Ichikawa was immediately surprised.
"It’s alright, I’m not particularly smart. I spent half a semester preparing for the exam."
"That’s impressive enough. I could never understand those cryptic symbols."
Then, Uncle Ichikawa started talking about his son again, about how he was also working hard to prepare for exams. He hoped his son would pursue a career like a doctor or lawyer in the future.
Although Uncle spoke with enthusiasm, Uesugi Sakura could still sense the emotional distance his son felt toward him in his words.
Arriving at the destination, Uncle Ichikawa warmly opened the door for him himself.
Watching his car fade from view, Uesugi Sakura turned around, walked to the door, and pulled out the keys to open it.
"I’m back."
Hanamaru Hanabi stood in front of him, holding a machine.
The machine was square but had a long wire with a large blue pad at the end, which Hanabi now draped over the machine.
"What’s this?"
"Ta-da~ A massage machine~~"
"Massage machine?"
Uesugi Sakura remembered what Uncle Ichikawa had mentioned earlier about massage devices. Could it be that the company he used to work for had sold it to their home?
"Where did Hana-chan get it from?"
"There was a gentleman who came door-to-door selling it. Hanabi thought he introduced it well, so I bought it!"
"How much did it cost?"
"One hundred and fifty thousand yen!"
"..."
This silly girl still seemed so happy.
Earlier, in the taxi chat, the driver, Uncle Ichikawa, had mentioned the machines he used to sell.
The description of the massage device’s appearance was very similar to the machine Hanamaru Hanabi currently held.
There were slight differences, such as size and color, probably because it had been improved over the past few years.
The machines Uncle sold had a transaction price between forty thousand to fifty thousand yen.
Even if it had been improved over the years and increased in price, it shouldn’t have been sold for one hundred and fifty thousand yen.
Silly girl, truly a silly girl.
She was probably scammed again.
Uesugi Sakura was indeed a bit worried she’d get duped by someone.
Hanamaru Hanabi scrutinized the device from all angles: "Sakura-kun, give it a try first. It’s very comfortable."
"Alright... I guess..."
Uesugi Sakura looked at the machine she bought but didn’t say anything about it.
Silly is as silly does.
His silly wife, adorably silly.
Uesugi Sakura was led by her into the living room.
The television wasn’t on.
"Where are Aei and Chiaei?"
"They went out to play," Hanamaru Hanabi’s focus was entirely on the newly purchased massage device. She first went to the laundry room to fill the pad with water, then brought it out to lay flat on the sofa, connecting it to the machine’s wire.
"Alright, Sakura-kun, give it a try."
"How do I use it?" Uesugi Sakura asked, looking at the blue leather pad.
"Just lie on top of it."
Following her instructions, Uesugi Sakura lay down, and Hanamaru Hanabi smiled as she turned on the machine.
Then, Uesugi Sakura felt the pad on his back moving, and it was quite comfortable.
A water-based massage device, pretty innovative.
"Not bad."
"Hehe, isn’t it great? Hanabi has a good eye for things."
While lying on the massage mat, Uesugi Sakura looked at her, "Aren’t you curious about what I did when I went out?"
Hanamaru Hanabi said, "Sakura-kun... as long as you didn’t sneak out to meet another girl, it’s fine. Besides, didn’t you say you’d explain it to Hanabi when you got back? So, Sakura-kun, tell me."
Uesugi Sakura said, "I went to see a lawyer."
"A lawyer?"
"The lawyer advised me to give up pursuing custody of Aei and Chiaei. According to him, it was entrusted by their mother. If I don’t give up, he would sue me. If I do give up, I can receive a settlement of five million yen."
"It was at their mother’s request?" Hanamaru Hanabi was reluctant to let go of the two little girls who called her Sister Hanabi.
In these days of being together, they had already become sisters to this emerging little family.
"I don’t know... It’s very suspicious. A few days ago, some Yakuza people came looking for me, also about this matter."
"Yakuza?" Hanamaru Hanabi tilted her head, "How come Hanabi didn’t know...?"
"Didn’t want you to worry," Uesugi Sakura said casually, "Rest assured, on the day uncle visited you, the Yakuza left me alone after seeing him."
Looking at her, Uesugi Sakura asked, "Hanabi... if Aei and Chiaei’s mother wants them back, would you agree?"
"I don’t know..." Hanamaru Hanabi whispered, "We should ask Aei and Chiaei about it... After all, she is their mother, and they should make the decision themselves..."
Uesugi Sakura enjoyed the comfort of the massage pad and gazed at the ceiling: "That mother hasn’t visited them once in half a year, letting them live in that house. Aei often ventures out looking for her, while Chiaei is worried about her sister getting into trouble... They’re still just primary school students and can’t take care of themselves well. When I used to visit them... weren’t they eating spoiled food back then...
"Leaving them in the care of that irresponsible mother, I don’t think they’ll have a good life."
Having been together for so long, to not be attached would certainly be a lie.
Aei and Chiaei often called him brother.
If they suddenly disappeared, a lively home would suddenly lose two people, breakfast and dinner without the sisters’ banter...
Uesugi Sakura thought he’d struggle to adapt to that.
The time came to the evening.
Just as Uesugi Sakura was about to call and ask why the two little girls had not returned home yet, the doorbell rang.
Following a cheerful "I’m back!"
Aei rushed out of the entrance like a little train towards the living room, her little feet patting the floor quickly.
As soon as Uesugi Sakura turned around, a green flower crown landed on his head.
"It’s a gift for big brother! It’s made by sister!"
Looking at her smiling face, Uesugi Sakura took the flower crown off his head.
"Why is it green?"
"Big brother is so silly! What color should a flower crown be if not green?" Aei said, grabbing another flower crown and running upstairs to put it on Hanamaru Hanabi, who was drawing.
Uesugi Sakura heard Hanamaru Hanabi say upstairs, "Thank you, Aei-chan."
While Aei wasn’t downstairs, Uesugi Sakura called Chiaei over to sit beside him.
"Brother, what’s up?" Chiaei seemed to notice he had something to say.
Uesugi Sakura said, "Chiaei-chan, what do you think of Hanabi and me?"
"You’re a really great brother and sister..."
"Do you miss your mother?"
Chiaei first remained silent, then lowered her small face and nodded gently.
"The plan was to let you live with us, with Hanabi and I ensuring you’d stay in school until university and adulthood, with guardianship listed under Mrs. Uesugi or Mrs. Hanamaru... But now... your mother doesn’t agree with us doing so and wants to keep your guardianship."
Chiaei was mature, and Uesugi Sakura knew she roughly understood the meaning of guardianship.
"Chiaei-chan, if you could take Aei back to your mother’s side, would you be willing?"