Laid-Back Life in Tokyo: I Really Didn't Want to Work Hard
Chapter 223 - 191: Hanabi’s Little Secret_2

Chapter 223: Chapter 191: Hanabi’s Little Secret_2

This... the more I think about it, the stranger it seems.

Actually, after he got engaged to Hanabi, he still hasn’t met the Hanamaru elder.

But since his father-in-law didn’t bring it up, it wouldn’t be right for him to visit proactively.

Speaking of strictness, Hanabi’s grandfather is much stricter.

I wonder if when he meets me, he’ll insist on me joining the Hanamaru family police force.

A few days ago during a chat with my father-in-law, he mentioned that Hanabi’s grandfather is a retired Chief of Police.

The Chief of Police, meaning he was the head of the Police Headquarters.

When I saw him as a kid, he was already retired.

He seemed like a very serious elder, but surprisingly kind to his grandchildren.

"What’s with that look?" Hanamaru Yugetsu said.

"Yugetsu-uncle knows himself."

"Oh." Hanamaru Yugetsu responded simply.

"Is that the truth?" Uesugi Sakura asked.

"It’s the truth."

"Is there no problem?"

Hanamaru Yugetsu sighed: "Is there even a point in discussing whether there’s a problem now? It’s long over."

Uesugi Sakura: "So is Uncle going to Kabuki-cho every day to drink?"

"Pretty much." Hanamaru Yugetsu answered weakly, "But don’t spread that around, Dad’s really angry."

"I won’t."

Anyone would be angry about such things, let alone how the Hanamaru elder might react.

Who knows how the Hanamaru family views Uncle now.

Hanamaru Hanabi didn’t understand the content they were encrypting, her little head’s gaze bouncing between them.

————————

After a more relaxed-than-fishing sword competition, it’s lunchtime.

The spacious cafeteria with its clear glass skylights made everything feel fresh after yesterday’s rain stopped.

Usually a slow eater, Hanamaru Hanabi finished her meal faster than Uesugi Sakura this time.

She quickly packed up her lunch box in a corner.

"Kai-kun, I’ve finished eating."

"Hmm?"

Uesugi Sakura, eating the special chili-flavored ribs she made, looked up, "In such a hurry, where are you off to?"

Holding the empty lunch box, Hanamaru Hanabi hesitantly said:

"I can’t tell Kai-kun right now, you just eat a bit more... I’ll go first..."

Then, she hurriedly left.

Leaving Uesugi Sakura alone to guard the large cafeteria.

If you don’t count the other dining students.

Why is she hiding from me?

Little Hanabi... is she changing her mind?

This morning she brought me sweet iced tea she had prepared early.

No, it can’t be.

Little Hanabi has always liked only me.

The classmates around the cafeteria were still noisy, talking about today’s card pool making the wrong targeted draw, sounding quite furious.

Such things could easily be solved with money.

But what Hanabi is doing secretly hiding from me, how can money solve that?

Although I, Uesugi, don’t have money now, that’s only temporary.

Once I participate in this year’s national Kyudo competition, I, Uesugi, will become rich.

The urgent thing is to figure out what Hanabi is doing secretly.

Why is she hiding from me?

Uesugi Sakura quickly finished the sweet lunchbox Hanabi made for him and returned to the classroom.

The classroom labeled [Class 2-4], where Tsubokawa Takahiro was playing a game inside.

Just stepping in.

"Onii-chan, daisuki!"

This embarrassingly toe-curling voice must be from a highly two-dimensional game.

"Tsubokawa."

"Hey, damn it, 120 draws and still no drop!? Am I someone who lacks that bit of money? Let’s keep drawing!"

"Tsubokawa."

Tsubokawa Takahiro looked up, pushing his reflective glasses with his middle finger:

"What is it? Can’t you see I’m about to encounter my wife? If it’s not something important disturbing my date time, you’ll have to compensate me for emotional damage."

His phone was still exclaiming "Onii-chan, Onii-chan?"

"..."

"Don’t you find that playing such loud voices on speaker embarrassing?" Uesugi Sakura said.

"As long as I’m not embarrassed, it’s them who are embarrassed." Tsubokawa Takahiro said, "See, you’re just embarrassed for me."

"..."

Uesugi felt his skin was much thinner compared to him.

"Have you seen Hanabi?"

"Hanamaru-san?" Tsubokawa Takahiro continued drawing for his new wife, a white-haired little girl stepping on watermelon, "I saw her come in with a lunch box and then leave with it."

"Thanks."

Why take it back in empty and take it out again?

Uesugi Sakura hurried out of the classroom to look for her.

Just as one foot was out the door, the next moment Tsubokawa Takahiro’s wails came through:

"Why!! It missed again!!!"

Kamigoe was very large, the backyard alone was the size of a whole other school.

If you want to find Hanabi here, you can only ask people.

Playground, courtyard, large banyan tree.

He asked Kyujuu Rika, Kawase Nanami, and Ayaka Rie, none of them had seen her.

Dressed for the afternoon sprint, Ayaka Rie looked at him and asked:

"What’s happened?"

"Looking for Hanabi."

"Isn’t that something you could just call her for?"

"No, can’t use the phone." Uesugi Sakura said.

"Why?" Ayaka Rie sat on the class rest station’s bench and said.

"There’s no why."

Following her is something you can’t do over the phone.

"Want to try the backyard?" Ayaka Rie suggested.

"Do you have a clue?"

"No, but the girls’ favorite resting spots are either the banyan tree or the backyard, you could check there."

"Okay."

——————————

The backyard, covered in lush greenery soaring high, created an ambiance of tranquility and elegance.

People entering here couldn’t help but lower their voices, like in a library.

"Thank you..."

Kitagawa Sakisa in her black little dress was eating delicate meals from the lunch box, lowering her voice unconsciously in gratitude.

Hanamaru Hanabi sat beside her, the dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves overhead, occasionally swaying with the wind.

"Sakisa-chan, why did you run away from home?"

"I don’t really know how to put this feeling," Kitagawa Sakisa ate a bite, her frilled dress hem swaying under the bench, "I just always felt like my brother was hiding something from me."

The fragrant breeze carried the scent of plants and flowers.

"He never wants to tell me anything, every time I ask, he’s dismissive."

Kitagawa Sakisa stopped her chopsticks, head lowered, "Before, he even said I was annoying, a bother..."

"So I just took some money he’d given me and ran out."

She recalled Uesugi’s cold attitude towards her.

"Hanabi..."

"Hmm." Hanamaru Hanabi, who had been listening, nodded.

"Am I really annoying? I don’t think I did anything wrong, but a lot of people don’t seem to care much for me."

"No, it’s just that no one’s gotten to know Sakisa yet." Hanamaru Hanabi assured, "Actually, when I was a kid, I wasn’t liked by everyone either. I totally get how you feel, Sakisa-chan. Let me tell you a secret."

Kitagawa Sakisa leaned closer to her ear, beginning a lengthy session of girls’ secret talk.

Their expressions frequently switched between surprise and covering their mouths.

Kitagawa Sakisa, watching Hanamaru Hanabi smile, tentatively asked:

"Then... shall we be friends? Besides Rika, I don’t have any other friends."

"Of course." Hanamaru Hanabi gave an adorable girl smile, "Which school do you attend, Sakisa-chan?"

Kitagawa Sakisa glanced around at her peers in school uniforms:

"I’ve never attended school, teachers have always come to my home to teach."

"Then Sakisa’s family must be quite wealthy?"

"Not really," Kitagawa Sakisa regained a bit of confidence, "Hanabi, when you’re on break, come visit me. Previously, I lived around Chiyoda, now I’m in a small building near Shinjuku Kabuki-cho."

"But my dad won’t let me go near Kabuki-cho." Hanamaru Hanabi said.

"Hmm, everyone says it’s not a nice place, I don’t really know what it’s for there either."

Kitagawa Sakisa took a bite of broccoli, "But don’t worry, where I currently live is at a decent distance from Kabuki-cho."

"When Hanabi comes over, I’ll treat you to good food!" she promised confidently.

Hanamaru Hanabi looked puzzled, "But Sakisa-chan, aren’t you always saying you don’t have enough to eat every day."

"Huh? Seems, seems like it..." Kitagawa Sakisa’s confidence deflated instantly, "I guess I don’t really have anything good to treat you with."