Laid-Back Life in Tokyo: I Really Didn't Want to Work Hard
Chapter 199 - 179: The Wind Brought by the Weekend

Chapter 199: Chapter 179: The Wind Brought by the Weekend

The greenery along the road exudes the vitality of a scorching summer.

The narrow path glistens under the blazing sun, wind whistling past the ears, creating light footsteps beneath the heated body.

"It’s not bad to run like this occasionally."

Uesugi Sakura breathes smoothly and steadily, gazing into the transparent, formless wind ahead, sensing the solid ground beneath his steps.

With nimble footsteps and dressed in sports shorts, he reveals his awake and graceful posture.

The system’s judgment is quite accurate; he indeed qualifies for an attraction level of 8 now.

Perhaps this is what they call growth.

"Hey! Stop right there!"

Uesugi Sakura stopped and looked at the person suddenly charging toward him from behind a utility pole on the roadside.

Let’s call her the girl in the black dress.

Her outfit certainly matched that description.

"What’s the matter?" Uesugi Sakura asked.

"Of course, there’s something! Would I be standing here if there wasn’t?" The girl in the black dress tried her best to hold her head up high and look at him, trying to give herself a sense of superiority.

Unfortunately, she was not tall enough.

Uesugi Sakura couldn’t see her face clearly because it was covered with patches.

This reminded him of himself not too long ago.

But her injuries seemed far worse.

The girl in the black dress stared at his face for a long time, then crossed her arms, closed her eyes, and said, "Okay, I need to tell you something you must take responsibility for... Hey! Hey!"

Uesugi Sakura ignored her words, bypassed her, and continued running down the narrow path.

The wind brought by his steps was cheerful.

"...?"

The girl’s face stiffened; she hadn’t expected him to not even let her finish her sentence.

She turned instinctively to chase his departing figure, shouting loudly, "Don’t... don’t run! Let me finish!"

But all that was left for her was a particularly noisy retreating figure.

"So annoying!"

The girl in the black dress stomped her feet angrily and squatted down again under the tall utility pole, muttering some resentful words.

Her stomach growled.

——————

At the roadside water station, Uesugi Sakura cupped his hands, splashed cool water on his face, washing away the heat and sweat.

"What was that person doing just now?"

After his morning run, Uesugi Sakura recalled the girl in the black dress.

Her bandaged face staring at him seemed strange and uncomfortable.

Maybe she was trying to scam him.

Uesugi Sakura turned off the tap, shaking the water off his hands as he stepped back onto the street.

Some diligent shop owners had already opened their stores, with signs hanging at the entrance reading "Open for Business."

Spotting a dessert store not far ahead, Uesugi Sakura pulled out his phone to ask Hanamaru Hanabi if she wanted dessert in the morning.

But by the time he reached the door, Hanabi hadn’t responded to the message.

She’s probably still asleep now.

Inside the dessert store, Uesugi Sakura picked up a small strawberry cake.

Today Hanamaru Hanabi had a running target; though she loved to sleep in, she’d at least need help with her socks and sneakers, or she wouldn’t wake up until noon.

That wouldn’t do.

Holding the little cake, Uesugi Sakura was determined to go to Hanabi’s house to wake her up.

Actually, the thoughtful education the day before was very successful, causing Hanabi to not be so obsessed with earning money.

Uesugi Sakura thought she must have been stimulated by something; otherwise, she wouldn’t have suddenly thought of taking work online for money.

This matter seemed a bit odd, and he decided to investigate slowly.

On his way back, the sun grew even hotter, making him sweat as much as he did when running.

At the same spot, Uesugi Sakura again saw the girl in the black dress crouched under the utility pole, seemingly waiting for something.

Is she... waiting for me?

This girl seemed very strange, claiming to need something from him with her injured face out of nowhere.

Taking another look, Uesugi Sakura quickened his pace.

He didn’t want to pick up any high school girls by the utility pole.

Seeing a shadow flash by, Kitagawa Sakisa quickly raised her head, managing to run in front of him, spreading her arms wide and shouting:

"Stop!"

Uesugi Sakura looked at the girl in the black dress several times, not recognizing her at all nor having seen her at school.

"Looking for me?" he confirmed again.

"Yes, it’s you!" Kitagawa Sakisa’s tone seemed very angry.

"What do you want with me?"

"I obviously came to you because there’s something going on! Why do you ask so many useless questions?" Kitagawa Sakisa puffed out her chest again, trying to appear confident in front of him.

"If there’s something, say it quickly. Don’t block the way; I’m in a hurry to get home."

Uesugi Sakura said impatiently, noticing her eyes frequently darting to the strawberry cake in his hand, swallowing now and then.

This girl must be a runaway high school student, right?

He lifted the bag, shaking it in front like baiting a fat cat, "Want to eat?"

"Who... who wants to eat your food!" Kitagawa Sakisa turned her head stubbornly, her stomach growling loudly.

What Uesugi Sakura understood was that this girl is probably a runaway, blocking him twice in the morning asking for food but too proud to admit it.

From his many years of experience living in Shinjuku, occasionally passing through Kabuki-cho, if there’s a girl by a utility pole, it’s best not to get involved if possible.

Uesugi Sakura took out the only 1000 yen in his pants pocket and placed it on the ground.

"You!"

Uesugi Sakura shook his head at her, said nothing, and continued on his way to Hanabi’s house.

Kitagawa Sakisa widened her eyes, looking at the crumpled 1000 yen at her feet.

On the 1000 yen bill, the messy-haired Noguchi Hideyo seemed to be looking at her as well, with a mouth puckered by the bill’s creases, as if it was pitying her growling stomach.

The wind was noisy, the sun was hot, and her skirt fluttered.

Was she... being seen as a beggar?

Clearly! Clearly, it was him who did the bad thing!

She almost got disfigured because of this!

Not only did he not apologize, but he also tried to get rid of her with that meager money!

Who would care!!

With a face full of bandages, Kitagawa Sakisa turned around furiously, looking angrily at the retreating figure.

Just as she was about to curse this annoying guy, her stomach betrayed her again, grumbling, making her body weak and powerless.

So... so hungry...

The swaying strawberry cake in Uesugi Sakura’s hand made her swallow three times.

She wanted to eat something badly.

She wanted to eat Ginza’s kaiseki, the golden grilled eel rice on Shinjuku Street, and the seafood feast at the Tokyo Tower restaurant.

But... she had no money...

The 500,000 yen she secretly brought out was all spent...

Now she couldn’t even afford a bottle of mineral water.

Kitagawa Sakisa held her stomach, lowering her head, suddenly remembering the ramen Hanpe brought her to eat the day before yesterday.

It tasted pretty good.

It was only about 660 yen...

Why was it so cheap?

She was too exhausted to think about this, her head filled with images of ramen.

But... she didn’t even have 1000 yen...

yen...

Kitagawa Sakisa lowered her head, staring at the Noguchi Hideyo at her feet, who pitied her.

She inexplicably recalled the image of that annoying guy just now.

She bit her lip: I will never submit!

A gust of wind gently blew by.

The pitiable Noguchi Hideyo began to roll toward the drain opening by the roadside like a tumbleweed.

And then, it fell through.

"My 1000 yen!!"

Kitagawa Sakisa crouched down on the dirty ground, staring blankly at the open, joke-like iron grid.

She was going to go hungry again this morning.