Laid-Back Life in Tokyo: I Really Didn't Want to Work Hard
Chapter 131: Taking Initiative, and the Elimination Round [First Update]

Chapter 131: Chapter 131: Taking Initiative, and the Elimination Round [First Update]

After delivering the meal, Hanabi didn’t rush to leave.

What was playing on TV wasn’t "School Days," but the Tokyo TV Station’s variety show "Can I Follow You Home?"

Little Hanabi was quite engrossed in the variety show, not noticing that Uesugi Sakura had moved closer to her after putting down the dishes.

"How about we watch a horror movie?"

Hanamaru Hanabi shook her head vigorously like a rattle drum.

"No."

"Are you that scared?"

"Hanabi... can’t watch those things... they’ll cause nightmares..."

Uesugi Sakura gazed at her beautiful profile, having not seen her for a week, he did indeed miss her a bit.

"Uncle isn’t home today?"

"Yeah, Dad’s busy with work today." Hanamaru Hanabi stared at the TV intently.

Uesugi Sakura slowly leaned close to her neck, the pleasant fragrance of a young girl’s scent wafting in, and whispered in her ear:

"Would you like to stay over and sleep here tonight?"

With his left hand, he slowly held her petite waist.

The tickling sensation on her ear and waist made Hanamaru Hanabi turn back, blushing, with her pale cherry lips shining faintly: "Sakura-kun... you want to do something naughty again..."

"So, are you agreeing?"

He gently embraced the petite girl, reassuring her to lean into his embrace.

Through the thin clothes, her smooth and tender skin felt very delicate.

She must have just taken a bath as well.

Little Hanabi shyly bowed her head, leaning against his chest, stretching her neck, "Sakura-oniisan... it tickles..."

"Does Little Hanabi like Sakura-oniisan more, or Sakura-kun more?" Uesugi Sakura asked the small head leaning against his chest.

Hanamaru Hanabi turned around, placing a small hand on his chest, and looked up: "Sakura-oniisan is always far from Hanabi."

"So you prefer Sakura-kun then?" Uesugi Sakura’s left hand, in the motion of her turning, touched her snowy waist.

"But Sakura-oniisan has always been good to Hanabi."

"Is Sakura-kun not good?" He chuckled, lifting the girl to let her sit on his lap.

"Sakura-kun is also good, but Sakura-kun is also naughty." Hanamaru Hanabi shyly pushed away his left hand that wanted to roam again.

The warmth of his hand lingered on her waistline.

Uesugi Sakura leaned close to her, whispering in her flushed ear:

"We’ve been together for so long, shouldn’t we take things a step further?"

Hanamaru Hanabi stared blankly sideways at him:

"A step... further...?"

"Sakura... um...."

Her white-socked thighs tightened inward.

——————

The next day, the sunlight was dazzlingly brilliant.

Uesugi Sakura woke up alone in bed, his eyes landing on his bookshelf piled with books.

"Alright, now I’ve become a complete scumbag."

Shaking his head, he sent a message to Little Hanabi on Line.

He waited for a long time, but there was no reply.

Like a stone sinking into the sea.

"Is she angry?"

Uesugi Sakura recalled her lying on the sofa, her amethyst eyes continuously flickering.

After much internal conflict, he sent a message to Mrs. Hanamaru.

He quickly received a reply.

"How would I know about young people’s matters? Isn’t that right, Little Sakura?"

Alright, he gave up.

Better to attend this weekend’s elimination match first.

After washing up, he put on his sportswear labeled "Kamigoe High School Kyudo Club," then donned the hakama and bow bag, and set off.

——————

The sky was azure blue, symbolizing the blazing sun of late May.

The only thing that made Uesugi Sakura feel pleasantly cool was the fresh scent from the dojo’s newly laid grass.

"Senpai, why are you looking at your phone all the time? It’s time for us to go on stage!"

"So soon?"

After glancing at the string of "are you alright" messages he had sent, Uesugi looked up at the staff continuously waving at them from the front.

"No problem, right?" Sugita Shuhei, from behind him, asked.

Everyone noticed that something was off with him today.

Uesugi Sakura held his bow and stood up, "No problem, the elimination match is a piece of cake."

As it turned out, when the referee called for them to stand, with steady and powerful strides from the five, Uesugi Sakura at the front released the first bowstring sound from his longbow.

His bowstring sound was, as always, calm and soothing, making people feel joyful.

Thud.

The arrows pierced the target, embedding into the mound behind.

Applause and cheers of "Good" came from the stands.

The opponent from Kurahashi High School, however, missed the target on their first shot.

Their second positioned archer had to aim carefully to make up for the missed first arrow.

While Kurahashi High School was still hesitating, Kamigoe High School had already fired three consecutive arrows, all hitting the target.

The series of bowstring sounds and arrow sounds left Kurahashi High School stunned, increasing their pressure, making them feel significantly behind.

The difference in speed and shooting style began to show.

The match ended without much suspense.

The announcement: "Now announcing the match results, First Shooting Range, Kamigoe High School.

First round, four, three, two, three, four, totaling 16 hits.

Second round, two, three, three, three, four, totaling 15 hits.

Total of 31 hits.

Second Shooting Range, Kurahashi High School.

First round, two, two, zero, one, three, totaling 8 hits.

Second round, zero, one, zero, one, two, totaling 4 hits.

Total of 12 hits.

A performance worse than the preliminary round!

The members of Kurahashi High School’s Kyudo Club were disheartened by the score, marking it as the worst score in the school’s competition history.

"How could senpai miss two arrows? Weren’t the previous ones fine?" Chitose Mai, handing out water and towels, asked.

Sugita Shuhei leaned the bamboo bow against the wall and also looked at him: "With Uesugi’s skill, it shouldn’t have happened."

"Uesugi, keep it up! Whether we can beat Mizuki relies entirely on you!" Hirata Masanobu, with a towel around his neck, encouraged with a clenched fist.

"Yeah." Kanai Hideyoshi nodded in agreement.

Actually, one arrow wasn’t really a miss, but it hit the second target’s bullseye instead.

The bizarre arrow left the audience astounded, unsure whether to applaud.

"I understand."

Uesugi Sakura replied, sitting on a bench in the rest area.

Meanwhile, Ogata Asaka and Sakurai Fumiko, who participated in the individual competition at the third and fourth shooting ranges, returned.

"How was the score?"

"Ten hits, Fumiko eight." Ogata Asaka’s tone was as cold as ever.

This individual competition did not separate genders, with two rounds and 12 arrows; there was no need to follow anyone else’s pace, only required to complete within the allotted time.

This score could have easily won the championship, if not for Mizuki High School’s competitors.

Typically, except for the occasional dark horse, the top spot in individual competitions is completely dominated by them.

"That guy named Fuya Nanori is amazing, it was like eating cake for him to get a perfect score!" Sakurai Fumiko said in amazement, with a black chest protector over her white kyudo uniform.

—This is a feminine-specific protective gear, to prevent the bowstring from hitting the chest.

"He had the same score last year." Ogata Asaka removed the white bandage kake from her right hand.

"He’s nothing to fear, I will surpass him sooner or later."

Ogata’s frosty tone sounded full of confidence.