Laid-Back Life in Tokyo: I Really Didn't Want to Work Hard
Chapter 285 - 226: A Painting_2

Chapter 285: Chapter 226: A Painting_2

"Is the competition in Tokyo?"

"It’s at the second shooting ground in Meiji Shrine."

Uesugi Sakura stood up, holding the bow in her right hand, "Then I’ll ask the chairman to help with the registration."

"That’s a minor detail. Have you thought about taking the stage exam?"

"No, the rank is of no use to me."

...

Drawing the bow and nocking the arrow had become second nature to Uesugi Sakura, and her various postures and shooting techniques were nearly perfect.

Under the pristine, elongated Kyudo hakama, there was a posture full of aesthetic beauty.

Uesugi Sakura, with the bamboo bow raised over her shoulder, drew the bowstring, focusing her thoughts on the target beyond the grass.

Dream...

What is Hanabi’s dream...?

The kake on the drawn bowstring trembled slightly.

Uesugi Sakura had never heard her talk about her dreams. He only knew she loved drawing very much, skilled in watercolor and illustration, adept at matching landscape with figures.

But love... is that a dream?

What is her dream...

The right hand released; the vibrant sound of the bowstring echoed throughout the Kyudo Field as the spinning arrow swiftly flew towards the target.

The resonant hit on the target and the sound of the bowstring dissipated together under the drizzling sky.

"It’s raining again." Uesugi Sakura looked up and laid down the longbow in his hand.

"I thought your skills would decline after a month, but it seems I was overthinking." Sugita Shuhei released an arrow and it also hit the target.

"The etiquette actions are still a bit rusty, only the aim hasn’t diminished."

Sugita Shuhei did not argue, as modern Kyudo is entirely a performance match, and etiquette is an indispensable part of the entire Kyudo system competition.

"There will be many new members joining tomorrow, are you coming?"

"Depends, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be there."

Sakurai Fumiko brought out several cups of hot tea from the lounge, glanced at Uesugi Sakura as she stepped down from the shooting position, "I always feel Uesugi-san seems a bit out of it."

Chitose Mai came out from the lounge too, hearing her senpai’s words, blinked, and said:

"Isn’t senpai just like this? The hit rate is equally high."

"Hmm~ If you force me to say, I also don’t know how to describe it," Sakurai Fumiko propped her right hand under her chin, "but it’s just a feeling, you understand, don’t you, Mai?"

Chitose Mai distributed the hot tea to everyone coming down from the shooting position, "Feelings are the least reliable things, Fumiko-senpai, you shouldn’t use them to explain things."

Uesugi Sakura picked up a cup, gazing at the swirling steam in it, asked the group:

"Do you all think dreams are important?"

Sakurai Fumiko and Chitose Mai exchanged a glance.

"See, wasn’t my feeling correct?"

"Senpai is just asking a question, it doesn’t prove he’s out of it." Chitose Mai retorted, "But dreams... I don’t think they’re that important."

Sakurai Fumiko: "How can dreams not be important? Without dreams, you wouldn’t even know how to move forward."

"I don’t have dreams," Chitose Mai held her tea cup with her right hand, "if the path ahead is already predetermined, that’s the dullest choice. Besides, dreams change with environmental factors."

Hirata Masanobu smiled wryly, "I also agree with Chitose’s viewpoint."

The cold Ogata Asaka interjected from behind the group, "A target is a target, a dream is a dream, if a dream can be achieved, then it’s not a dream."

The manager Seisuke Yooya noticed a trace and asked Uesugi Sakura, "Is there something Uesugi-san has encountered?"

"Nothing." Uesugi Sakura shook his head, "Just contemplating the reason for doing something necessary."

Sugita Shuhei put down his tea cup and said calmly:

"I think, a so-called dream is just enjoying the process of pursuing progress. When the goal is achieved, the result is merely icing on the cake.

"During the process, it’s the people you meet and the emotional exchanges that are the most precious part of the journey towards the dream. Without people and events in between, the achieved dream is merely a fleeting emptiness."

Chitose Mai said with curiosity, "Senior Sugita’s words are so profound!"

Sugita Shuhei just shook his head, "Not profound at all, when a toy is in the showcase, that’s its most precious moment. It’s the process of obtaining it that needs to be seriously experienced."

Uesugi Sakura simply looked at the cup of tea in his hand, carefully pondering Senior Sugita’s words.

————————————

In the evening, Uesugi Sakura returned home with his cousin.

"There’s a very serious problem now." Uesugi Shio took off her shoes, her long legs peeking from the hem of her skirt were covered in black knee-high socks.

"What problem?"

Uesugi Sakura slung his backpack, put on slippers, and stepped onto the floor.

"With little Hanabi gone, there’s no one to cook dinner for us."

Uesugi Sakura hesitated for a moment, indeed it was a very serious problem.

"Doesn’t Shio know how to cook?"

Uesugi Shio crossed her arms, leaning against the wall, "I can assist, but when it comes to cooking meals, I’m not much better than you."

Uesugi Sakura was well aware of his level:

"Then let’s just buy bento from the convenience store."

"Who will go?"

...

Ten seconds later.

Uesugi Shio looked at her raised palm with her indolent azure eyes, "Why have I never won?"

"There’s a trick to this too."

"What trick?"

"If I told you, would it still be a trick?"

Uesugi Sakura headed towards the inner room, waving to the cousin still at the entrance, "I want a beef bento and a bottle of Calpis, anything else is fine."

Uesugi Shio picked up the keys, grabbed the umbrella, and after putting on her just removed shoes, left the house.

...

The first thing Uesugi Sakura did upon returning to his room—lie on the bed, picked up Hanabi’s big shark and lifted it up, asking:

"What is Hanabi’s dream?"

Big shark: "Dummy! Of course, it’s drawing!"

"But she never told me these things."

Big shark: "Just because she never said it doesn’t mean she doesn’t have it! You know, she insists on drawing every day."

"But I don’t think it’s just that. When we were kids, she gifted me a drawing. That drawing... I can’t remember it clearly..."

Big shark: "If you can’t remember, then don’t think about it! It’s just three years; they’ll pass quickly."

"Three years, is it fast?"

Talking to himself, Uesugi Sakura put down the shark, stared at the ceiling, and placed his arms over his closed eyes.

Continuously pondering over several questions echoing in his mind.

Drowsiness gradually enveloped his hazy brain.

...

The scene was hazy, but it seemed to be spring.

The cherry blossoms along the Kanda River bloomed particularly splendidly, leaving a deep impression.

"Brother Sakura... today there’s an art class, but Hanabi’s drawing is so poor, everyone gathers around and laughs at Hanabi."

"Do they draw well?"

"No, no... everyone draws much like Hanabi does..."

"Then why don’t you just not draw?"

"But... Brother Sakura... that’s a task from the teacher..."

"Hmm—how about this, you draw a picture every day, no matter what, always strive to draw, and when you one day feel you’ve drawn the most beautiful picture imaginable, show it to me, okay?"

"No, no problem... but Brother Sakura, you won’t hate Hanabi’s drawings, right?"

Uesugi Sakura looked at the little girl tugging at his coat helplessly, sighed, and said:

"Don’t worry, even if you’re not going to the same school as me now, I won’t dislike you."

"So... we have a deal...?"

"Mm." Uesugi Sakura replied casually.

The little girl remained silent for a long time, thinking of all the things that happened over these days, suddenly looked up at him:

"Hanabi... really wants to go to school with Brother Sakura..."

"There will be opportunities..."

"Then shall I have my dad bring Brother Sakura over?"

"We’ll talk about it later."

The little girl just clutched tightly at his coat with her chubby hands, head low.

...

For some reason, Uesugi Sakura suddenly recalled this nearly forgotten scene and suddenly opened his eyes.

"Drawing."

He quickly got up, walked out the door, and ran to the storage room to find an old dusty box.