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Mana Miyazawa couldn't help but let her imagination run wild, but Maki Miyazawa, who had already put on her boots, noticed her secret chat with Haruno Sawayama and immediately moved closer, forcefully inserting herself between the two.

"What? What are you talking about?"

Miyazawa Maki pretended to be bewildered and held onto Sawayama Haruno's arm tightly, as if afraid he would run away with his twin sister.

Honestly, how could something like this happen at a time like this? But maybe this guy did it on purpose, trying to act more affectionate towards Mana.

Sawayama Haruno had more or less guessed what the other person was thinking, so he simply put his arm around her and said with a smile, "We were talking about fireworks. According to the time, it should be almost time for people to go out and set off fireworks."

This is similar to the hometown of Sawayama Haruno in her previous life. People in the countryside of Osaka would take out fireworks to set off after dinner. After all, it was a holiday, and no one would hold them accountable for setting off large fireworks, as long as nothing was burned.

Before Sawayama Haruno could finish speaking, a ball of fire suddenly leaped into the sky. To Miyazawa Maki's astonishment, it pierced through the clouds with a whooshing sound and then exploded into brilliant colors.

"Really?!"

Miyazawa Maki became quite excited. It was her first time seeing such "wild fireworks." She usually only saw organized fireworks displays at fireworks festivals, and this was the first time she had ever seen one set off by an individual. She immediately felt a sense of novelty.

Individually set off fireworks can't compare to the spectacular displays of organized fireworks, firstly because they can't match the quantity or scale. However, their only advantage is that individually set off fireworks come in all shapes and sizes, including some with patterns.

The continuous fireworks quickly attracted the attention of the other girls. After hurriedly changing their shoes, they politely said goodbye to Ayako Sawayama and then rushed outside to enjoy the fireworks with Haruno Sawayama.

I don’t know if it was influenced by the first person’s “leading role”, but more and more private fireworks were lit and launched into the sky. Judging from the noise, they were mostly from two or three nearby towns, and the noise was quite loud.

Miyazawa Maki watched with a hint of envy, tugging at Sawayama Haruno's sleeve and whispering, "Isn't there anywhere else we can sit and watch?"

"Where can we sit?"

Hearing what she said, Sawayama Haruno was immediately at a loss.

This isn't some big event, so there's definitely no observation deck or similar place for people to enjoy the fireworks. These are just for people to enjoy themselves, and the most important thing is for them to enjoy them, so of course they won't consider anything else.

However, since Maki Miyazawa likes it so much, it's not like he can't get it.

"Wei, does your family have fireworks prepared?"

After thinking for a moment, Haruno Sawayama turned to look at Yui Ayano, who was still watching the commotion behind him, and casually asked, "I remember when I was little, your family used to prepare fireworks for the kids to play with during New Year's Eve, right? Do you still do that now?"

"Hey, I don't know if this kind of question even exists."

Ayano Yui blinked, looking a little confused, and said, "I don't think so. It was originally meant for the two of us to play with. We're all grown up now, how would we know how to play with these things? But if you want it, you can ask Dad later."

Their family used to prepare quite a few fireworks, mainly for Ayano Yui, who was still young at the time. They had not only the beautiful fireworks that could be launched into the sky, but also sparklers similar to those in Sawayama Haruno's previous life, the kind that you could hold and wave.

Since the two countries are so close to each other, it's natural that they would engage in this kind of import and export trade. Fireworks designs are also easy to imitate, and quite a few people in the island nation actually buy them for their own enjoyment. However, in recent years, due to environmental protection reasons, it has gradually become prohibited.

However, in the countryside, it's perfectly fine to bring it out for fun during festivals. People in the island nation only celebrate the New Year once a year, so it's okay to do something a little out of line on that day.

"Does Xiaowei's family still have this kind of thing?"

Miyazawa Maki's eyes lit up immediately. So, tonight's New Year's Eve, we can not only fire that cannon, but also this one?

This is just too awesome! No way, Haruno, hurry up and go to Wei's house and bring back lots of fireworks to play with!

Realizing this, Miyazawa Maki immediately urged Sawayama Haruno to walk and look around. The latter, who was completely unaware of this, was pushed a few times by her before calling the others to head towards the agreed location.

The minivan had naturally arrived early to pick up the girls and take them back to rest, but they hadn't gotten in yet.

Miyazawa Maki was eager to go, but the others were still a little uneasy. After all, the thought of tonight's events made them feel inexplicably guilty, especially since Sawayama Haruno was unaware of what was going on.

If Miyazawa Maki hadn't repeatedly emphasized that tonight's events were a special surprise, some of them probably would have already informed Sawayama Haruno beforehand. After all, there were five of them together, and it seemed necessary to tell them in advance.

Although Sawayama Haruno's stamina has always been so abundant in the past that they are speechless, and even when they are in pairs, it is difficult to satisfy each other, the number of people tonight has increased several times. Mine Shiori is even a little conflicted, is Sawayama Haruno really okay?

Suguha Ezaki was also thinking about this question, but her concerns were somewhat different from Shiori Mine's. She was simply curious about just how good Haruno Sawayama's stamina was.

Among the girls, she was the most physically strong. After all, she had been exercising for many years, and even when applying patches, she could last much longer than Maki Miyazawa or Shiori Mine.

However, Suguha Ezaki has yet to see Haruno Sawayama show any signs of fatigue, which makes her wonder if the other person's physical condition is even human.

Needless to say, Mana Miyazawa knew that Haruno Sawayama was very "powerful" before she started dating him, but after they got back together, she found that Haruno Sawayama seemed to have worked out and was even more "strong" than before. Now, she couldn't satisfy Haruno on her own.

However, considering the special circumstances tonight, she felt that things might be different. Anyway, what she was looking forward to was the interaction between Haruno and the other girls. Just witnessing that scene would probably make her "unable" to handle it.

"."

Mana Miyazawa bit her lip slightly, her face inexplicably flushing.

Fortunately, each of them was preoccupied with their own thoughts, and no one noticed the strange expressions on their faces. They continued walking while watching the fireworks until they reached the vicinity of the van, at which point Sawayama Haruno stopped.

"I'll leave you here for now. After that, I'll go to Wei's house with her for a while."

Sawayama Haruno turned around and smiled, "Are you all alright? Why do you all look so strange?"

"Ok?"

Mana Miyazawa suddenly snapped out of her daze and tried to appear calm, saying, "No, I was just a little distracted by the fireworks. One of the fireworks exploded and turned into a rabbit pattern, which was quite cute."

"Really? Then they're usually custom-made, right? I doubt we can get one of these anytime soon."

After hearing her explanation, Haruno Zeshan didn't think much of it and simply comforted her, "I'll ask Ayano Yui's father later to see where we can get some fireworks. We'll take them back and set them off in an open space near the hotel."

"Okay, it's settled then!"

Miyazawa Maki, who was standing nearby, quickly interrupted their conversation, worried that if they continued talking, her plans for the night would be exposed.

She had already discussed it with the driver. When picking up Sawayama Haruno and Ayano Yui, she would secretly take them directly to the villa. If she took them to the hotel, it would deviate from tonight's plan.

No, I can't let others expose this; I must control the pace myself.

Having figured this out, Miyazawa Maki urged the others to get in the car quickly, and told Sawayama Haruno to come back soon. She also gave Ayano Yui several winks, as if to remind her not to forget the "important business".

"Get in the car, we'll go back for some tea and be right back."

Noticing Miyazawa Maki's "little tricks," Ayano Yui was speechless, but still helped cover for her.

And so, the group was successfully divided into two teams. The team led by Miyazawa Maki went to the villa first to prepare to start plotting their plans for tonight, while Ayano Yui followed Sawayama Haruno back to her house, visiting her and seeing if they could get their hands on some fireworks.

Putting aside whether she can find it or not, even if she does, it's questionable whether she'll have the energy to play it tonight, Ayano Yui couldn't help but mutter to herself.

If things were to proceed according to Miyazawa Maki's plan, there would be no chance to set off fireworks tonight. Either Sawayama Haruno would finally collapse from exhaustion on his bed, and everyone would take care of him; or everyone would be completely subdued by Sawayama Haruno, and he would be taking care of five people all by himself.

In either case, there's basically no chance of fireworks being set off again, so Ayano Yui didn't take it to heart and planned to just ask casually and let it go if there wasn't any.

However, her idea was good, but it was not quite the same as what Sawayama Haruno thought. The naive Sawayama Haruno thought that his girlfriends were looking forward to him setting off fireworks, and he mistook their terrible expressions for "anticipation".

It was for this reason that Haruno Sawayama began to consider whether he should use his financial power to see if he could get some fireworks from elsewhere. These things shouldn't be difficult to obtain in Japan; as long as you have money, there will definitely be someone willing to take care of it for you.

Okay, I've decided. If Uncle Ayano doesn't have it, I'll ask the person in charge to see if they know anyone or have any connections in Osaka.

If all else fails, call Ayako Sawayama again and ask her to use the connections her family has built up over the years. They should be able to find out if any of them own fireworks.

Using the excuse that "my daughters-in-law want to see it," I believe Ayako Sawayama would be more than happy to help with this.

As if foreseeing the success of his fireworks plan, a smile gradually appeared on Haruno Sawayama's face. It wasn't until he realized that he was almost at Ayano Yui's house that he readjusted his demeanor.

The old house of the other family was still the same as when I came to stay more than a month ago. Although it was the New Year, the Ayano family did not seem to have made many decorations, which was different from the Sawayama family.

However, when Ayano's parents saw Sawayama Haruno appear, their enthusiasm remained unchanged. Ayano Mizuha even gave him an extremely warm hug, which made Ayano Yui wrinkle her nose involuntarily.

Finally, after other relatives came out to greet her, Ayano Mizuha let go of Sawayama Haruno and then pushed him home with a smile.

Most of the relatives entertained at the Ayano family's house could be considered relatives of the Sawayama family. Naturally, the other elders visiting the house would recognize Sawayama Haruno. Therefore, after entering the house, Sawayama Haruno was forced to chat with each of the elders.

Fortunately, Ayano Yui is the main character tonight. As she is about to go to university this year, and is also one of only two people from her hometown and relatives in Sennan City to be admitted to a prestigious university in Tokyo, she will receive just as much discussion from her relatives as Sawayama Haruno.

Chapter 396 A Special Plan for New Year's Eve!

Originally intending to stay at Ayano's house for a while before leaving, Haruno Sawayama was ultimately forced to chat for several more hours due to the enthusiasm of her relatives.

Even though Sawayama Haruno was mentally prepared for visiting relatives and friends, he still looked a little pale after tonight's "encounter." After all, he was surrounded by all sorts of questions from relatives, and even though he was married, he still couldn't handle it.

After all, the other party would ask about Maki, and would also plan when to visit the Sawayama family again to meet Haruno's current wife. Even setting aside family matters, Sawayama Haruno's work would also be worth discussing.

Even Sawayama Haruno, who had mentally prepared herself beforehand, seemed lingering fear after being interrogated by her relatives. As for Ayano Yui, the "protagonist," she was naturally even more shaken.

After seeing her relatives off, her face turned deathly pale, and her swaying figure seemed to tell just how exhausted the young girl was.

God knows what she just went through. She was immediately showered with praise by her relatives, who then kept asking her about her experience living in Tokyo, how hard it was to study art, and whether there were any future prospects for those who studied art.

It's not hard to see that those who ask this kind of question are probably relatives who envy Ayano Yui for being admitted to Tokyo University of the Arts in advance. They naturally hope that their own children can also get into Tokyo, so it's normal for them to ask a few more questions.

Poor Ayano Yui has been bothered by all sorts of relatives all night.

Having finally managed to see all her relatives off, she hurriedly tried to slip away with Sawayama Haruno according to "the original plan for tonight," but they were stopped by him.

"Won't you sit a little longer? Uncle hasn't come back yet."

Sawayama Haruno glanced at the living room with some concern. Ayano Mizuha was still tidying up the coffee table, while Ayano Yui's father had seen the other relatives off to hail taxis. It didn't seem right to leave now; he should at least wait until the other party's father arrived before saying goodbye.

Sawayama Haruno was thinking more deeply because he had already decided to take responsibility for Ayano Yui, but Ayano Yui didn't want to waste any more time. Seeing that he wanted to stay a little longer, she suddenly became a little anxious.

"Oh, what does it matter? I have to come back tomorrow, the first day of the new year anyway."

Ayano Yui urged impatiently, "Maki-nee is probably getting impatient. Aren't you going to take the fireworks back? I just managed to dig out some 'stock' from the warehouse. Wouldn't it be a waste if we didn't go back and put them away soon?"

"That's true."

Seeing that Ayano Yui had said so, Sawayama Haruno thought about it for a moment and finally agreed.

There's nothing I can do. Those fireworks in stock seem to have been prepared by Ayano Mizuha last year for other relatives' children to play with. It's really a bit of a challenge for Ayano Yui to find them now. I don't know if they've gotten damp or if they're still usable.

In any case, a lot of time had indeed been spent at the Ayano family's place tonight. Sawayama Haruno was actually thinking about going back to the other girls as soon as possible, so after Ayano Yui persuaded him again, he quickly agreed.

However, before leaving, he still went to say goodbye to Ayano Mizuha as usual, which made Ayano Yui anxious, afraid that her mother would stop her from leaving.

Fortunately, Ayano Mizuha was already used to her daughter's habit of not being home, and she thought that Ayano Yui was planning to spend the night at the Sawayama house.

So when she heard that Haruno Sawayama was leaving, she didn't ask any more questions. She just told Haruno to remember to tell her family that they would be having lunch at the Sawayama house the next day.

Relieved to receive a response, Haruno Sawayama promised to relay the message and then took Yui Ayano back to the hotel to rest.

The van was waiting for the two of them near Ayano's house early in the morning. This was a result that Ayano Yui had discussed with the driver in advance, since Sawayama Haruno was not yet aware that they were going to the villa.

However, it wasn't realistic to keep it a secret forever, so after getting into the car, Ayano Yui began to think about how to explain the villa.

Unaware of her thoughts, Sawayama Haruno sat in the back seat after getting into the car and began to close her eyes and pretend to doze off.

He had been busy in his own kitchen since the afternoon, and after finally finishing his work in the evening, he still had to come to the Ayano family's house to be tortured by his relatives. The worst part was that he would be tortured again the next day, since there was a custom in Japan of visiting relatives and friends on the first day of the lunar month.

In other words, the relatives I see tonight will most likely be seen again tomorrow, which is a real headache.

"It really isn't easy," thought Haruno Sawayama.

The van entered the highway and began to speed along. Thanks to its excellent shock absorption and the driver's skill, Sawayama Haruno, who had been dozing off, did not feel any significant undulations along the way.

After driving at high speed for more than half an hour at night, he and Ayano Yui returned safely to the vicinity of the wedding photo shoot location, which is the city center of Osaka Prefecture. However, starting from a certain section of the road, the surrounding scenery began to feel somewhat unfamiliar to Sawayama Haruno.

He glanced at the road outside the window, somewhat puzzled. It was completely different from what he had seen yesterday. After a moment's thought, he quickly guessed what was going on.

"Did you book a guesthouse outside the hotel?" Haruno Sawayama turned around and looked at Yui Ayano with some surprise.

If we still can't notice this after driving this far, then we're being a bit too slow.

Clearly, Ayano Yui had no intention of hiding it from him any longer. After sticking out her tongue in an attempt to fool him but failing, she reluctantly admitted, "I did order it, but it's all for tonight's New Year's Eve surprise."

"There's more surprise."

Zeshan Chunye's lips twitched.

Sure enough, he knew today wouldn't end so easily. After all, he had heard from Suguha that Maki and Ayano Yui were playing games upstairs with Mine Shiori while he was cooking in the afternoon.

Every time we get to this game segment, the final punishment will inevitably involve me, since they all have in common that they are my "lovers".

"Aren't you happy, brother? This was something we prepared carefully." Ayano Yui said innocently. "Of course, if you're really unhappy, don't blame me. It was Maki-nee's idea."

"You must have been constantly instigating this behind the scenes as well."

Sawayama Haruno said irritably, "So, who's with whom tonight?"

He could already guess the wicked intentions of these people who got together. If nothing unexpected happened, Mine Shiori should be there tonight too, but he didn't know who the other person would be.

Is Maki going to participate too? It seems like only the three of them are playing the game. Ayano Yui is with me now, which means there aren't many people left who can be "punished."

Sawayama Haruno's mind was racing with random thoughts, but Ayano Yui interrupted him by speaking first.

The somewhat mischievous pretty girl smiled and said something that made Sawayama Haruno's eyelids twitch: "It's all of you, including me, so you'll have to wait a bit when you get back to the guesthouse, bro."

"all??"

Zeshan Chunye was immediately shocked.

All of them, meaning all five of them, but are their relationships really that harmonious?

Ezaki Suguha and Miyazawa Mana's relationship isn't that close yet, and besides, Maki has always disliked doing this kind of thing with Mana, so why would she agree to it out of the blue?

Something's not right; nine out of ten things feel off.