Laid-Back Life in Tokyo: I Really Didn't Want to Work Hard
Chapter 256 - 211: Hanabi Festival (4)_2

Chapter 256: Chapter 211: Hanabi Festival (4)_2

Uesugi Sakura: "Wasn’t it 49,998 yen?"

That’s what the stall owner said.

Tsubokawa Takahiro: "The official website price is just to look at, there’s no way you can buy it at that price now. But are you really giving me a console? Where did you get it from?"

Uesugi Sakura: "I got it as a prize at the shooting game during the Hanabi festival. Mainly because I don’t play games much, and given you kept mentioning it, I decided to give it to you."

Tsubokawa Takahiro chuckled on the other side of the phone: "That stall owner must have lost big time."

He continued: "I’m not being pretentious, but that thing is really quite expensive, are you sure you want to give it to me?"

Uesugi Sakura: "I’m giving it to you."

"Brother Uesugi!!"

A loud and deep voice of gratitude came through the phone, "From now on, Uesugi, you’re my brother, with whom I’ve shared a drink at Tsubokawa!"

"Cup" refers to that special large dish used for drinking in Japan, three times bigger than a face.

Uesugi Sakura: "Enough with the empty words, I’ll mail you the console in a few days. The main reason I’m calling is to ask you something."

Tsubokawa Takahiro: "Please go ahead!!"

Uesugi Sakura: "You know Yayoko, right?"

Tsubokawa Takahiro: "Yayoko? (Silent for a moment, enlightened) Oh~! The waifu I got after eight tries, I remember now."

If she’s your waifu, why did it take you so long to remember?

Uesugi Sakura thought to himself.

He’s different; he remembers clearly when his waifu sniffed his bed sheets in secret.

Even though little Hanabi still refuses to admit it.

Uesugi Sakura continued: "Isn’t Yayoko supposed to have a summer swimsuit coming out soon?"

Tsubokawa Takahiro exclaimed: "What!? It’s actually coming out with a swimsuit!? Looks like I need to return home for a bit! (Pauses for a second) Wait a sec, how does someone like you, Uesugi, who has a life, play those nerdy games? You even know my waifu’s limited swimsuit is coming out."

"Oh~ I get it, Uesugi, you must be an otaku too, right? You must have fully cleared the Galgamg games I introduced you to before."

Uesugi Sakura: "Never played it, it’s just that Yayoko’s illustration was done by Hanabi."

"It was actually drawn by Hanamaru-san!!"

Tsubokawa Takahiro: "Yayoko is amazing! If it wasn’t for the appealing illustration, who would play such a crappy game? But has Hanamaru-san switched to doing illustrations? I remember she used to do watercolor paintings."

"She’s been working on this recently." Uesugi Sakura glanced at Hanamaru Hanabi, who stood at the front of the line, then said, "I just wanted to ask you, how much would an illustration like Yayoko’s cost?"

"You’ve asked the right person, as a seasoned otaku, I’m qualified to answer this question."

Tsubokawa Takahiro started analyzing, "With the colors, composition, concept, and background of Yayoko’s illustration... Hm... at least it wouldn’t be less than a million yen."

"What the heck?" Uesugi Sakura thought he spoke too casually.

Tsubokawa Takahiro: "Don’t doubt it, this kind of illustration work is considered the top tier. Anyway, I haven’t seen many illustrations with such attractive feet."

Uesugi Sakura agreed with that point, "But not as exaggerated as a million yen, right?"

Tsubokawa Takahiro: "Brother Uesugi, this is a game illustration, not the kind you find in a toilet paper light novel, the completion level is much higher, it has to be colored, you just compare it to know how big the gap is!

Yayoko, this kind of character, can bring tens of billions of yen in revenue to a production company, the upcoming swimsuit is definitely a summer limited edition, players are sure to go crazy for it, it’s all just money flying in."

"..."

Tens of billions?

Uesugi Sakura fell silent, he remembered Hanabi told him she got paid 10,000 yen for that illustration.

"Alright, I’ll hang up for now."

Tsubokawa Takahiro: "Okay, but I’d really like to know more about what Hanamaru-san got paid for Yayoko’s illustration. I’m thinking of learning illustration myself, funds have been a bit tight lately."

"10,000 yen."

Hanging up the phone, clutching it in hand, Uesugi Sakura took a deep breath, looked up at the crescent moon in the night sky and the dimly twinkling stars.

A 10,000 yen reward, the illustration being worked on recently is for 20,000 yen.

This must be a scam by the production company!

Hanamaru Hanabi had already walked over from the stall, her small hand offering a steaming box, "Sakura-kun, here’s your order of Takoyaki, Hanabi specifically asked the stall owner to add extra mayonnaise."

"..."

"What’s wrong? Sakura-kun, don’t you want to eat?"

Hanamaru Hanabi noticed he was staring at her, "Or is there something on Hanabi’s face?"

Uesugi Sakura pinched her soft and bouncy cheek, "Silly girl."

Hanamaru Hanabi shrank her neck, looking up at him: "Did Hanabi do something wrong again?"

"Little Hanabi is just too silly." He accepted the Takoyaki she handed over.

"Hanabi... is not silly..."

The girl in a yukata pondered and then slightly lowered her head, "Not too silly..."

"Goofy." Uesugi Sakura speared a piece of Takoyaki, gently blew on it a few times, and offered it to her mouth.

"Does Sakura-kun not dislike it?" Hanamaru Hanabi looked up at him.

"For Hanabi, being silly is part of being cute." Uesugi Sakura watched her take a small bite of the Takoyaki he handed to her.

Seeing the rich sauce and the soft dough flow between her cherry lips was a sight to behold amidst the bustling night market.

"So... you don’t dislike it...?" Hanamaru Hanabi watched him eat the half-eaten Takoyaki she had bitten.

Uesugi Sakura chuckled: "Even a silly Hanabi makes it hard for someone to dislike."

As for being scammed, let’s talk about it later, after all, today’s the Hanabi festival.

To him, the Hanabi within the fireworks will be more dazzling than ever.

The crowd in the night market wasn’t as dense as when they first arrived. Uesugi Sakura glanced at his watch and quickly stopped little Hanabi from continuing to eat: