Laid-Back Life in Tokyo: I Really Didn't Want to Work Hard
Chapter 107: Hanabi, Doesn’t Want to Talk.

Chapter 107: Chapter 107: Hanabi, Doesn’t Want to Talk.

In the afternoon, in the painting room.

The 30-year-old middle-aged teacher asked them to use watercolor to copy Monet’s "Impression, Sunrise".

Why learn watercolor?

Someone had asked this rather capable teacher about it, and the answer was to understand and grasp the blending and transition between colors.

Uesugi Sakura’s painting skills, not much better than his cooking skills, were on display at this moment.

After brushing a light layer of water on the cotton paper in front of him, he had no idea where to start.

He could only wait idly.

"Sakura-kun, you’re not painting?" Seeing his hesitant expression, Hanamaru Hanabi leaned over to ask, her delicate face tinged with a bit of blush.

"I can’t handle watercolor, but I’m okay with sketching."

Speaking of sketching, Uesugi Sakura glanced at Kawase Nanami, nicknamed "Loli" in the class, who was the model for the last figure drawing.

Turning back to face Hanamaru Hanabi’s cute little face, he gave an inexplicable smile: "Hanabi, do you still remember Kawase’s pose last time?"

"Pose?"

Hanamaru Hanabi’s bright, violet eyes blinked as she quietly said, "Sitting on the chair... hugging her legs?"

She still remembered Kawase Nanami’s fierce glare at the boys back then.

Though it only got more soft laughter in response.

"Right," Uesugi Sakura said.

"Sakura-kun... why are you asking about that?"

Uesugi Sakura smiled, leaned closer to her, and whispered softly by her ear: "I just think Hanabi curling up, hugging her legs, sitting on a stool would look very cute. Could you pose like that for me when we go home?"

The gentle words carried warm breath, making her flushed ear tips itch sweetly.

Hanamaru Hanabi withdrew her head, face red with shyness.

She noticed he had lately taken a liking to saying words like "cute," "like," "pretty."

Every time he spoke them, it took her a while to calm her racing heart.

Ayaka Rie, sitting beside her, couldn’t help but sigh, as she saw the little interactions between the two every day.

Their surroundings were filled with the scent of romance.

Oh well, better keep drawing.

Ayaka Rie gave up thinking and turned a deaf ear to their actions.

The watermarks on the cotton paper had faded when Uesugi Sakura interrupted Hanamaru Hanabi, who was readying herself to paint with renewed spirit.

"Hanabi."

Hanamaru Hanabi’s brush, which had just been adjusted with color, paused in mid-air, and she turned to look at him.

"Didn’t you say you haven’t seen me shoot an arrow yet? Want to come see this afternoon?"

"Can I?"

"If you’re free, you definitely can."

"But, won’t that disturb Sakura-kun’s training?" Hanamaru Hanabi worried a little.

Uesugi Sakura gave her a smile he reserved only for her: "I would actually love for Hanabi to come and ’disturb’ my training."

Hanamaru Hanabi slightly lowered her head, gently brushing aside her hair with her free hand, her pale pink cherry lips slightly parted: "As long as Sakura-kun agrees, Hanabi will definitely go."

"So, it’s settled then?"

"Mm..."

"Good."

Uesugi Sakura turned back, applied another layer of water on the cotton paper in front of him, and watched as his brows gradually furrowed.

"Hanabi."

Hanamaru Hanabi’s painting movement was interrupted again, but she wasn’t angry. Instead, she asked in her soft voice: "Sakura-kun?"

Uesugi Sakura pointed to the painting in front of him and asked: "Could you teach me how to paint with watercolors?"

"Sure," she agreed quickly.

——————

What’s the most common bird in Tokyo?

According to Uesugi Sakura’s childhood observations, it would probably be crows.

Just after class in the afternoon, a large group of crows flew from the direction of the teaching building and passed over the wide playing field of Kamigoe High School.

The sky wasn’t dark yet, and the sunlight spread across the azure sky was clear and transparent, swinging the shadows of the lush green leaves of the old banyan trees below.

Standing under the shade with a bow bag in hand, Uesugi Sakura was enjoying the cool breeze brushing against his face.

The gentle ruffling of his hair and his handsome face drew the gazes of many passing high school girls.

Recently, he often passed by on the field in the afternoons, so many girls had found out about him.

"Hey, hey, look, it’s Uesugi-senpai."

"Hey, stop pulling my clothes!"

"What is senpai always doing there? Waiting for someone? No way! Is he waiting for a girlfriend?!"

"Relax, relax~ Mai-chan said before that Uesugi-senpai has never had a girlfriend up until now."

"Really?"

"Yes, and don’t forget, Mai is also in the Kyudo Club."

"Then... who’s that standing in front of senpai now?"

She pointed at the girl who just walked out of the teaching building.

"..."

"I don’t know, probably just a regular classmate."

"I don’t think so, senpai seemed to have smiled at her just now."

"Smiled? We’ve watched senpai secretly so many times, have you ever seen him smile?"

"No." The answer was definite.

"Which means! It must be your imagination! Mai also said senpai would never smile."

"I don’t think it’s my imagination... "

"It must be!"

Uesugi Sakura couldn’t hear their distant conversation, and even if he did, he would let it slip by as a gentle breeze.

Standing by his side, Hanamaru Hanabi held the strap of her satchel over her dress and looked up at his profile: "Shall we go, Sakura-kun?"

Turning his head, Uesugi Sakura asked: "By the way, doesn’t the Painting Department have any club activities today?"

"We do."

"Are you sure it’s okay?" He knew she always set herself a painting task every day to encourage herself.

"It’s fine, Hanabi will work hard to meet today’s goal tonight."

"Could you draw a picture for me?"

Hanamaru Hanabi’s small face seemed filled with anticipation: "What kind of picture does Sakura-kun want?"

"You," Uesugi Sakura told her.

"Hanabi?"

Hanamaru Hanabi’s eyes, gazing into his, were filled with curiosity.

Walking alongside the girl wearing a black sailor uniform along the path beside the field, looking at the classmates walking ahead, Uesugi Sakura continued: "Hanabi has given me many paintings before, right?"

"Yes." Hanamaru Hanabi nodded.

"There have been landscapes, still lifes, paintings of flowers and birds, and even my portraits, but I’ve always wanted Hanabi to paint herself," Uesugi Sakura said.

"Hanabi paint Hanabi?"

"Yes."

Uesugi Sakura agreed with her, then continued: "Your smile is beautiful, very warm, so I want to see how it looks under your brush."

"Myself..."

Hanamaru Hanabi looked down, quietly gazing at the red scarf on her chest, "Hanabi... always felt useless... can only do trivial things..."

Ever since she was young, she had an inexplicable sense of inferiority.

"Don’t say that," Uesugi Sakura changed the direction of his bow bag, reached out, and held her small hand, "No matter how trivial the task, as long as Hanabi does it, I will remember even the tiniest details."

He lifted her small hand.

"If you ask why, it’s because I like you, like your presence, like the softness of your hands, like the radiant smile you’ve had since childhood."

Hanamaru Hanabi raised her head again, meeting his smile, quietly and softly articulating: "Sakura-kun... have you always liked Hanabi?"

"Are you asking about the little Hanabi who used to follow me around?"

"Yes."

"Although little Hanabi was indeed clumsy and cried a lot, disliking her was an insubstantial thought."

"Not just that," Hanamaru Hanabi shook her head, her soft short hair swaying gently, "Always."

"Always?" Uesugi Sakura didn’t hesitate, "Indeed, I’ve always liked her."

Receiving this answer, the girl beamed with a smile: "Thank you, Sakura-kun."

Uesugi Sakura recalled the words she told him in the geography classroom a dozen days ago: "Then, when did Hanabi begin saying she always liked Sakura-kun?"

Unexpectedly, Hanamaru Hanabi shook her head, refusing to answer his question.

"Hanabi... can’t tell Sakura-kun..."

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