Laid-Back Life in Tokyo: I Really Didn't Want to Work Hard
Chapter 259 - 212: Hanabi Festival (Complete)_2

Chapter 259: Chapter 212: Hanabi Festival (Complete)_2

Silence for a second.

"...I told you, what you see online is a scam, it won’t hurt."

"Then... then... then... maybe it’s better to forget it..." Hanamaru Hanabi quickly said.

"Forget it? That’s not something you can back out of so easily."

Uesugi Sakura walked over and stood behind the girl.

The yukata was draped over the body, held tightly by a cloth belt about 30 centimeters wide tied around the waist.

Just pulling the large bow at the back would cause the whole garment to loosen and fall open.

"Sakura... Sakura-kun..." Hanamaru Hanabi hastily clenched her little fists, holding her yukata tight against her chest to prevent it from sliding off completely.

"Shy again?" Uesugi Sakura stood behind her, inhaling her fragrance lightly, embracing her soft, slender waist.

Even through the layer of the silken yukata, his palms could feel the softness and elasticity of her waist.

Moving smoothly upward, Uesugi Sakura grasped her tightly clenched little fists.

Then... slowly, he began to pull them apart.

Without the resistance, the bellflower-patterned yukata quickly slid down her fair, delicate shoulders, hanging loosely on her slender arms.

Uesugi Sakura’s gaze lingered on her back for quite a while.

"Sakura... Sakura-kun...?" Hanamaru Hanabi’s blushing cheeks burned as she shyly avoided looking back at him.

"Hmm... very much has a maiden’s feeling."

Uesugi Sakura once again held her hands from behind, leaning beside her ear, looking together towards the bathroom illuminated with orange-red light.

"Today... can you help?"

...

...

...

————————

August 8th, Tuesday, an afternoon without any special changes.

After spending a few enjoyable days on holiday in Matsuyama City, Uesugi Sakura and the others returned to the small town.

He had a general understanding of his grandfather’s situation.

Due to issues with the Farmers’ Association, it’s not possible to sell mandarins to regular distributors now.

So his grandfather had taken up direct purchasing and delivery services.

Because of his previously accumulated reputation, many high-end restaurants and confectionery stores are willing to purchase mandarins in large quantities.

Though the orders aren’t enough to handle the entire orchard for this year, it basically maintains a break-even level.

At the Black Cat Courier department in the small town.

The courier with a green hat and green uniform packed up Uesugi Sakura’s game console to be sent to Tokyo and wrote the invoice.

"Precision instrument box 356 yen, courier fee 756 yen, total 1112 yen."

"Can I pay by card?" Uesugi Sakura noticed the courier’s work gloves were covered in cat patterns.

"Yes, you can."

After sending off the PS5, Uesugi Sakura walked out of the glass door and glanced up at the words above the courier department [Black Cat Yamato Transport].

Next to the words was a logo of a black cat carrying a kitten.

Word has it that this courier service is very discreet. Even if you mailed a living person labeled as a "doll," no one would notice.

Walking down the street, Uesugi Sakura greeted some of the townspeople.

Many of them had watched him grow up, and because of his grandfather’s habit of bragging, he had carried the label of a "prodigy" since childhood.

—because he never cried and was always seen holding a book.

But no matter how much his grandfather bragged, it didn’t really matter, as Uesugi Sakura still went to school with his peers.

Compared to when he was young, the town had become much quieter.

As his grandmother would say, all the young people have gone to Tokyo, leaving only the middle-aged and elderly who enjoy farming and town life.

Continuing on his way home, Uesugi Sakura ran into Aunt Eguchi.

As usual, she talked about what her children had been up to recently and mentioned that she had encouraged them to take Uesugi Sakura as a role model, hoping they would work hard to get into Tokyo University.

Shaking his head, Uesugi Sakura didn’t expect that even someone like him, who felt he barely met expectations, had become the "model child" in others’ eyes.

The phone rang.

He fished it out from his loose shorts.

"Moshi moshi."

"Sakura-kun... Sakura-kun, come back quickly..." Hanamaru Hanabi’s flustered voice was very soft.

Uesugi Sakura: "What’s happened?"

Hanamaru Hanabi: "At home... a lot of people have come..."

A lot of people?

Uesugi Sakura frowned, having a rough idea, "I understand, I’ll be back as soon as possible. Have they done anything?"

Hanamaru Hanabi: "No, they haven’t... They’re just sitting in the house, and grandma is talking with them."

Uesugi Sakura: "Hmm... Stay safe, those people aren’t good news."

Hanamaru Hanabi: "Sakura, Sakura-kun, do you know what they’re here for?"

Uesugi Sakura: "I have some idea, it’s probably my uncle’s business."

"Beep—beep—beep"

After hanging up, Uesugi Sakura hurried back home.

—————————

At the Uesugi Family, in the living room.

Grandma Uesugi calmly set down her teacup, kneeling on the mat, her elegant, plain kimono sleeves folded together:

"Please state your business."

"We want money." A burly man in a suit with a fierce look replied, sitting cross-legged with his hands on his knees.

Behind him stood another dozen or so people, also in black suits and trousers.

With her hair gray, Grandma Uesugi closed her eyes and calmly asked:

"It seems, it’s Jiro again."

The fierce-looking middle-aged man rested his forehead on his hand, "The old lady of the Uesugi Family knows, so there’s no need for me to explain too much — 50 million yen, give it, and we’ll leave."

He stretched out his other hand.

"We are straightforward people, we say what we mean, and I believe you, old lady, know that too."

With the last sentence, the middle-aged man lowered his resonant voice, clenching his veined fist tightly.

Grandma Uesugi’s expression didn’t change, she simply said:

"The Uesugi Family doesn’t have that much money."

"Don’t have it?"

The middle-aged man chuckled lightly, "In this area, who doesn’t know the Uesugi Family’s mandarins sell well, a mandarin costs 625 yen, even I can’t afford such a rare fruit."

Grandma Uesugi looked up, facing the crowd of dark-suited people:

"That price is set by the Agricultural Association, it’s completely different from what they purchase from us for."

"No difference at all."

The middle-aged man stood up straight, his fierce eyes looming, "I won’t trouble you, old lady, with useless chatter. I’ll ask once again, do you have the 50 million or not!?"

"We don’t have that much money."

The middle-aged man gestured behind him, and a line of suits stepped forward, "Since you don’t have it, we’ll take whatever’s here in the Uesugi Family’s place, no problem, right? Old lady?"

"..."

"Let me ask once more, where does this 50 million come from."

The middle-aged man sneered and instructed his men to start taking everything: "This, hehe, don’t concern yourself with it, old lady, you can ask your good son, now take everything!"

————————————

Uesugi Sakura started to run, his footsteps crunching on the gravel path, the Uesugi family home not far ahead.

The many people Hanamaru Hanabi mentioned were surely those coming to ask his uncle for money.

But his uncle, who spent every day gambling, definitely didn’t have that kind of money.

Fifty million yen isn’t a small amount, after all.

They surely knew his uncle couldn’t come up with that much and would turn to his grandma.

Although Uesugi Sakura didn’t know exactly how much money his grandpa had saved over the years, if forced, they might have close to 50 million yen.

—if they could sell all the mandarins this year.

Just as he neared home, a swaggering man walked down the slope, a Shiba Inu with a wagging tail following behind him.

His eyes lit up at the sight of the running Uesugi Sakura, waving and calling out happily:

"My dear student!!!"

Uesugi Sakura gave him a glance, initially planning to ignore him, but noticing the man had two Wooden Swords strapped to his back, he stopped.

"Dear—"

"Master."

"?"

The cold, indifferent "Master" left Sakihara Yishin speechless.

"Why are you—"

"Lend me a Wooden Sword." Not giving him a chance to react, Uesugi Sakura grabbed one of the Wooden Swords from his back and rushed towards his home.

"Woof woof!"

The Shiba Inu excitedly followed along, leaving the man standing there alone.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Slam."

With a slap to the thigh, Sakihara Yishin finally understood; he had been used as a tool with that "Master" call.

Taking the Wooden Sword and running off, he couldn’t have been faster.

Thinking it through, Uncle Sakihara smiled once more at the receding figure, arms akimbo, saying proudly:

"As expected of my dear student, so decisive in action! Haha, when I take him to Tokyo, with this Sword Dao talent, let’s see if Hanamaru still dares to brag in front of me! Haha! Hahaha! Hahahaha!"

Soon, unable to contain himself, he burst out laughing, covering his face.