Laid-Back Life in Tokyo: I Really Didn't Want to Work Hard
Chapter 163 - 153: The Quiet Little Life Has Some Ripples_2

Chapter 163: Chapter 153: The Quiet Little Life Has Some Ripples_2

"Sakura, it’s been so many years since we last met, and you’ve grown quite handsome."

"Just barely," Uesugi Sakura replied modestly.

"Have you attracted many girls?"

"What do you want to say, Shio?"

Uesugi Shio, lying on the table, tilted her head toward the kitchen and said, "If I remember correctly, Hanabi is only 15, yet she’s already become your fiancée, Sakura."

"You’re not sweet-talking and deceiving the feelings of an innocent girl, are you?"

"I’m sincere," Uesugi Sakura said, confident in his own sincerity.

Uesugi Shio let out a "Huh~" sound:

"But you used to always tell me that little Hanabi was your sister."

"Didn’t you say I like to lie, Shio? This is it." Uesugi Sakura took a sip of the hot tea brewed by Hanabi, the rising steam blurring his face.

"No, you weren’t lying back then."

With fair cheeks, a neat appearance, rarely-revealed tiny fangs, and light blue ear-length hair, Uesugi Shio’s perpetually listless eyes were unwavering, making her look like a stoic beauty.

— Her looks were more from her late mother.

"Well, but when you said ’sincere,’ it wasn’t a lie."

"When did you learn that skill, Shio?"

"What skill? I’ve been tricked by you enough times to tell if you’re lying just by looking into your eyes."

Hanamaru Hanabi had finished cooking and was walking over with a plate from the kitchen.

Uesugi Sakura couldn’t understand how she could tell if he was lying just by looking into his eyes.

"Can you tell me how you see through my lies, Shio?"

"Sure." Her tone was plain and friendly.

Catching Hanamaru Hanabi in her peripheral vision, Uesugi Shio shifted from her lying position to a sitting one and took the plate Hanabi offered.

After placing the plate on the table, she continued to speak to Uesugi Sakura:

"When you lie, your eyes show a look as if you’re seriously responding, but when you’re honest or falsely accused, your eyes become indifferent."

"Hmm..."

Uesugi Sakura began to ponder her words seriously, could it really be so?

After scooping three bowls of rice, Hanamaru Hanabi sat next to him, nodding and smiling at Uesugi Shio opposite her: "Sister Shio."

Uesugi Shio returned a rare smile, "Hanabi-chan has become even cuter, hardworking as always, unlike me who just lazes around here."

"Sister Shio is a guest, don’t say that, please."

Hanamaru Hanabi didn’t realize that her words had a household wife’s tone.

"..."

The look in Uesugi Shio’s eyes as she gazed at Uesugi Sakura shifted, her pupils grew deep and focused:

"Sakura~"

"Hmm?"

"Is it really, alright?"

Uesugi Sakura couldn’t grasp her meaning: "What’s alright?"

"You."

"Me? What about me?"

"You’re not bullying little Hanabi, are you?"

"..."

Uesugi Sakura initially wanted to say no, but after thinking, he altered his words slightly, "Generally speaking, no."

"Why would Sister Shio ask such a thing?" Hanamaru Hanabi placed a bowl of rice in front of her and asked.

"It’s nothing."

Uesugi Shio returned to her normal yet abnormal demeanor.

——————

Uesugi Shio is Uesugi Sakura’s cousin, the daughter of his second uncle, Uesugi Jiro.

During summer vacations, when Uesugi Sakura returned home, he often met with her.

Due to the close relationship between the Uesugi Family and the Hanamaru family’s mothers, the Hanamaru family would sometimes join trips to Ehime Prefecture.

Over time, the group became well-acquainted.

By mid-June, the rainy season persisted in Tokyo, and many things in the house needed to be aired out.

Little Hanabi had already made numerous teru teru bozu and hung them under the eaves of both families’ windows.

"Does little Hanabi want to be a sun girl?"

A morning room with clothes scattered around.

"I don’t want to."

"Isn’t it nice to have the ability to make the sky clear up?"

"If you’re talking about Hina-chan’s kind, then no."

After tidying up the room, the two sat on the edge of the bed, watching the gloomy rainy season that seemed to cover all of Tokyo from beyond the blinds.

Hanamaru Hanabi’s legs swung back and forth at the bed’s edge, her slim bare feet had the tender texture of a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl.

Lightly humming a tune, she held a stuffed shark toy that Uesugi had given her, utterly captivated by it.

She’s always been a very quiet girl, yet when happy, she exudes an ethereal aura.

At such moments, anyone would be drawn to approach this untainted girl.

"Do you like it?"

"Mm."

The affection was evident in her actions.

Uesugi Sakura couldn’t help but sigh, wondering just how deeply he had won the girl’s heart.

She brings it along with her all the time, even making sure it has a place between them when sleeping at night.

Knock, knock...

There was a knock on the door.

Holding a few pieces of clothing, Uesugi Shio opened the door.

"Sakura, I have no place to put my clothes."

"Isn’t there enough space in your wardrobe?" Uesugi Sakura asked.

"Not nearly enough, not nearly enough." Uesugi Shio said.

"Fold them and put them in a box."

"Good idea," Uesugi Shio praised, "but my boxes are also full."

"With how many clothes you brought over, how did you manage to carry them here?"

"In the last few days while you were in school, I bought a few more pieces."

Uesugi Shio glanced at the two sitting by the bed near the window, "I’ll put them in your wardrobe, Sakura, since you don’t have many clothes."

"Whatever."

Uesugi Sakura wasn’t bothered.

Hanamaru Hanabi’s little feet dangling at the bed’s edge never stopped moving.

"Sister Shio... aren’t you going to school?"

"Why wouldn’t I? Half of the reason I came here was to attend school."

She assumed that boys’ wardrobes would be messy, but to her surprise, it was exceptionally tidy.

Uesugi Shio neatly folded her clothes and placed them in the empty space in Uesugi Sakura’s wardrobe.

Uesugi Sakura had never known which high school this cousin was planning to attend, as entering Kanzaki Togoshi was unlikely, considering the high fees and the policy of no mid-year transfers.

"Sister Shio, which high school are you planning to attend?" Hanamaru Hanabi asked.

"Kanzaki Togoshi Private High School." Uesugi Shio said, closing the drawer, "That’s your school."

"..."

One second of silence.

Uesugi Sakura couldn’t help but ask: "Isn’t your family short of money, Shio? How come you’re attending Kanzaki Togoshi? Plus, they don’t accept transfer students."

"You’re completely right."

Uesugi Shio stood up, her light blue hair noticeable, and clapped her hands: "Our family does lack money, but Kanzaki Togoshi waived my tuition, so here I am."

Special arrangements, Uesugi Sakura knew that students at Kanzaki Togoshi with waived tuition were mostly special recruits in various sports clubs.

They were responsible for competing and raising the school’s reputation.

Uesugi Sakura had benefited greatly from the last Kyudo competition.

Those two reporters who appeared out of nowhere; it turned out their newspaper was dedicated to "High School Kyudo Magazine," very popular.

Lauding him to the skies, they called him a "genius among geniuses," "Unparalleled Meteor," with "unmatched talent."

So pretentious, it was too much.

He was embarrassed to the point where he wanted to dig a hole and hide in it, yet other high school students in the Kyudo World believed it wholeheartedly, making him quite irritated.

However, once fame was established, Kanzaki Togoshi, a shrewd private school, begins to demonstrate its money-making nature.

— Charitable reduction of tuition for the next semester.

Kanzaki Togoshi seemed to have aspirations to compete with Mizuki High School in terms of athletics.

"Are you a special recruit, Shio?"

"What’s so surprising?" Uesugi Shio lacked any elegance as she said, "I’m quite strong in Sword Dao."

She seemed to realize something, half-closed her listless eyes, placed one hand on her waist, and leaned slightly forward:

"You haven’t watched my competitions?"

"I don’t know anything about Sword Dao, so why would I watch it?" Uesugi Sakura referred to the past.

Uesugi Shio’s black long hair, like fine willow branches, gently fell, just with two clusters of light blue in the front.

"Is Sword Dao the point? The point is me, right? I’ve even specifically reminded you. You didn’t even follow your cousin Shio’s competitions? I took such good care of you when you were young."

"Yes, taking care of me by feeding me oranges." Uesugi Sakura said expressionlessly.

At the mention of eating oranges, Hanamaru Hanabi also remembered how Uesugi Shio used to treat them with oranges.

Unlike her current perpetual lazy tone, back then, she was extremely confident and energetic, exuding a big sister’s charisma.