Laid-Back Life in Tokyo: I Really Didn't Want to Work Hard Chapter 124: Days without routine are hard to endure

The night, it was the night after having barbecue.

Thanks to the excellent performance in the afternoon, Senior Sugita—who often says "Our family, we’re not short of money"—treated everyone to barbecue.

If there’s anything notable about this gathering, it would be that Chitose Mai actually dared to try the barbecue in Hanabi’s bowl.

As she picked up the slightly spicy, crispy, and tender barbecue with her chopsticks, Uesugi Sakura already anticipated the scene a minute later when she’d gulp down cola in a frenzy.

Those chili peppers were not from the shop.

——————

The gentle breeze blowing from the water brought the coolness of the night.

Dusk had faded, and the neon lights of Tokyo illuminated the dark green sakura trees on both sides of the Kanda River.

Nearby residents walking their dogs occasionally smiled and greeted the two of them, teasing these two childhood friends.

An evening stroll carries a sense of relaxation and leisure.

"Why won’t little Hanabi let rub her face anymore lately?" Uesugi Sakura said.

Hanamaru Hanabi looked up, her eyes sparkling violet even in the night, "It’ll make ugly..."

"It won’t," Uesugi Sakura said, tilting his head to look at her small face.

"It definitely will..."

The girl’s tender voice struck a chord, making it impossible to argue.

The sakura path along the Kanda River had white stone railings, and the branches of the lush sakura trees extended all the way over the river, with the illuminated surface occasionally revealing carp swimming leisurely.

Uesugi Sakura walked alongside her, secretly inching closer to the slender, warm little hand on her skirt.

"Sakura-kun..."

Hanamaru Hanabi’s right fingers were slowly pried open by him.

Intertwining their fingers, the smooth, delicate little hand was nestled in his.

At monts like this, Uesugi Sakura could always feel her heart beating rapidly, so he couldn’t help but ask:

"Hanabi, are you nervous?"

Hanamaru Hanabi also used her small hand to hold his close-fitting hand, lowered her head, and said, "Hanabi’s not nervous... Hanabi just really likes this feeling..."

"Sakura-kun used to never hold Hanabi’s hand like this, and eventually, Sakura-kun won’t hold it anymore either."

Although her voice was very normal, Uesugi Sakura could hear a strong sense of loss.

Moreover, his hand was unexpectedly tightly held by her.

A long ti ago, she would hide behind him, using this kind of strength, calling him her brother out of fear.

Brother, sister—for a long ti, their relationship was always ambiguous.

"When did little Hanabi start realizing she liked ?" Uesugi Sakura turned to her and asked.

In an instant, Hanamaru Hanabi recalled many mories, but she could only shake her head with a blush and say, "Hanabi doesn’t know...."

She didn’t know, and she couldn’t figure it out, so she simply stopped thinking about it.

"Did you have enough to eat earlier?" Uesugi Sakura changed the subject.

"Does Sakura-kun still want to eat?" Instead of herself, Hanamaru Hanabi was more concerned about his thoughts.

Uesugi Sakura glanced at the watch dial.

21:37:21

It’s been more than an hour since they finished the barbecue.

"Let’s buy so snacks, we’ll go sit there," Uesugi Sakura smiled at her.

Hanamaru Hanabi knew where he ant and quietly reminded, "But... it’s already closed now..."

"Didn’t we often go in at an even later ti before?" Uesugi Sakura said, pulling her to walk a bit faster.

"Are we really going?" Hanamaru Hanabi seed a bit worried.

"Why not?" Uesugi Sakura responded with a smile.

They walked through a stone path with greenery shading both sides and arrived at a Lawson convenience store.

After buying two bottles of milk, a few packs of cookies, and so chocolate, Uesugi Sakura led Hanabi by the hand along a moss-covered path.

As they walked down the path, faint moon shadows accompanied them, and they could see the kanji written on the wheat-colored wooden board—[Higo Hosokawa Garden]

"Are we really going in?" Hanamaru Hanabi looked at the tightly closed gate in front of her and worriedly said.

"Didn’t we co here often before?" Uesugi Sakura smiled and led her around the main entrance, into a hidden little grove on the side.

The shadows of the trees intermingled peacefully.

Uesugi Sakura continuously cleared away branches, stepping on the dry leaves with crackling sounds, until they reached a low banyan tree.

The banyan tree’s flexible branches stretched towards the inside of the wall, and the trunk was just the right height to stand on.

But this area was now quite a bit higher than before.

Uesugi Sakura looked at the delicate little face of the girl beside him under the night, "Should I lift you up, or pull you up?"

"Lift..."

Hanamaru Hanabi initially wanted him to lift her up, but after glancing at her small dress, she said, "Sakura-kun... better pull Hanabi up..."

The silent forest, illuminated by the moonlight spilling through the tree gaps, shimred on the girl’s upturned face.

Squatting on the trunk, Uesugi Sakura supported the tree with his left hand and grabbed Hanamaru Hanabi’s slender arm with his right.

As their eyes t, he pulled her up in one swift motion.

"Be careful."

Uesugi Sakura’s right hand supported the girl’s waist, helping her maintain her balance on the tree.

The entire weight of Hanamaru Hanabi’s body leaned into his embrace, with her head resting on his shoulder, she caught a whiff of his scent, causing her face to blush instantly.

"Thank you, Sakura-kun..."

Uesugi Sakura smiled, "You’re not as steady as you used to be."

Climbing a tree was easy, but getting down was hard. Uesugi Sakura could just jump down, but Hanamaru Hanabi, just like when she was little, beca hesitant.

It wasn’t actually that high, just a few head-lengths off the ground from his height.

"Jump, I can catch you," Uesugi Sakura called up.

Hanamaru Hanabi shook her head vigorously with her eyes closed, "Liar, Sakura-kun didn’t catch before."

"..."

Uesugi Sakura fell silent.

There was indeed a ti when little Hanabi’s head fell into the dirt, her head got scraped and she cried a lot.

Fortunately, she wasn’t completely hurt.

But ever since then, she never dared to enter this way with him again.

He did get a scolding from Hanamaru Hiroki.

"That was a mistake, slipped my hand, now I’m sure I can catch you," Uesugi Sakura continued to call up.

Hanamaru Hanabi, still scared, kept shaking her head, "No way..."

"Really, wasn’t I amazing in the competition this afternoon?"

"That’s different... Sakura-kun can’t catch Hanabi... Hanabi is heavy..." Hanamaru Hanabi held the thick tree branch with both hands.

"Not heavy."

"Very heavy..."

"Not heavy."

"Very heavy..." Hanamaru Hanabi’s soft voice persistently responded, then said, "Sakura-kun, let’s go ho, Hanabi will make you a vegetable salad..."

Under the moonlight, the cute girl standing on the branch still didn’t dare to take that step.

After waiting for a while with no solution, Uesugi Sakura had no choice but to use his trump card.

He put his hands to his mouth and shouted up at the girl’s skirt:

"Little Hanabi, your... is showing!"

Hanamaru Hanabi’s beautiful pupils suddenly shrank, looking down at Uesugi Sakura’s smiling face, and she beca at a loss for words:

"Ha-ha-Hanabi..."

Her cheeks flushed to embarrassnt, the girl tugged at her dress’s hem, closed her eyes, and softly shouted:

"Sakura, Sakura-kun can’t look..."

Uesugi Sakura moved directly below the girl and shouted up again, "I can still see it."

"Sakura, Sakura-kun turn around..." Hanamaru Hanabi’s face was red with sha, looking around in a panic on the branch.

"Co down, little Hanabi, or should Sakura-kun say what color it is?"

"N-No!" Hanamaru Hanabi raised her voice, her face so embarrassed it felt like it was burning.

"I’ll count to three."

"No!"

"Three"

"Two"

"One"

Uesugi Sakura took a deep breath.