Laid-Back Life in Tokyo: I Really Didn't Want to Work Hard
Chapter 38: Xiao Hanabi’s Past

Chapter 38: Chapter 38: Xiao Hanabi’s Past

Uesugi Sakura noticed that he had successfully diverted her thought process, so he stopped talking and continued reading his book, letting her imagine whatever she wanted.

Ayaka Rie knew Hanamaru Hanabi’s feelings for him and was afraid she might fall for him carelessly:

"Hanabi-chan, did that Uesugi guy do anything weird to you yesterday? If so, you must report it, or better yet, tell your father directly."

"Uesugi-kun is not that kind of person." Hanamaru Hanabi’s violet eyes blinked under the flickering light, clear and transparent.

"He is," Ayaka Rie said angrily, "Last semester, he liked to run around with that Goto guy."

"..."

Uesugi Sakura was grateful that Hanabi always thought well of him, but Ayaka Rie seemed to have some misunderstandings about him.

He knew she disliked Goto.

But why was he implicated?

He looked at the office worker dozing across from him, the white-collar woman looking at her phone, the high school student with glasses playing games on his phone, the middle-aged woman returning home from work, and the little boy with a lollipop in a yellow hat...

Compared to them, what was special about himself?

"Is there some misunderstanding during this time?" Uesugi Sakura asked.

"No misunderstanding,"

Ayaka Rie replied, whispering a few words quietly into Hanamaru Hanabi’s ear.

She told Hanabi that the more she liked Uesugi, the more careful she should be, as his reputation among the girls was recently not good.

Hanamaru Hanabi suddenly glanced at Uesugi Sakura, then turned back and shook her head, saying softly:

"No... It won’t be, Uesugi-kun wouldn’t do such a thing."

"Anyway, just be careful,"

Ayaka Rie turned around, folded her arms, and glanced at Uesugi Sakura.

She knew Hanabi liked Uesugi Sakura, but for safety’s sake, she had to be careful.

"I..."

Hanamaru Hanabi lowered her head and didn’t know how to explain for Uesugi Sakura, as everything Ayaka Rie said was true.

He had even confessed to her, and she had agreed.

Though she didn’t know what happened at that time.

That night, when she was lying on her bed at home, she remembered the scene where she had smiled and agreed to Uesugi Sakura’s request to date. Blushing, she covered her face tightly with the quilt and curled up into a ball, her heart pounding.

Red-faced and hot-eared.

It was during dinner when Mrs. Hanamaru noticed something unusual, only then did she take the opportunity to inquire.

"I... I..."

Hanamaru Hanabi hesitated, her slender fingers entwined, but after a brief pause, she still told Ayaka Rie:

"Hanabi believes what Rie-chan said, but Hanabi also believes Uesugi-kun isn’t like that..."

Ayaka Rie suddenly covered her forehead and shook her head repeatedly, looking extremely distressed:

"Hanabi, you’re already beyond saving."

At Waseda Station, after getting off the East-West Line, Uesugi Sakura and Hanamaru Hanabi set out on the final stretch of their journey home.

On the overpass, Uesugi Sakura looked at Hanabi under the streetlights and said:

"Thank you."

"Why is Uesugi-kun thanking Hanabi?" Hanamaru Hanabi looked over with curious violet eyes.

Uesugi Sakura smiled: "Thank you Hanabi-chan for trusting me so much."

Having not been called so intimately by Uesugi Sakura for a long time, Hanamaru Hanabi didn’t react immediately.

She turned her head and in a soft voice said:

"Hanabi has always trusted Uesugi-kun very much. Rie-chan only has a bit of hostility towards boys who approach girls because of some things in the past. Sometimes she becomes very sensitive, but this is Rie-chan’s secret, I cannot tell Uesugi-kun."

"Rie-chan seems to have many misunderstandings about Uesugi-kun, Hanabi will help Uesugi-kun explain them slowly."

"It’s okay."

Uesugi Sakura didn’t mind Ayaka Rie much, as he was already used to it.

"Did I bring up the dating thing too early?"

Hanamaru Hanabi curiously looked at Uesugi Sakura, saying softly: "Is Uesugi-kun still bothered by... this matter?"

At fifteen, Hanamaru Hanabi was already a proper high school girl, but her face still had a childlike outline.

"A little bit," he replied.

"Is it because of Hanabi’s age?"

"Mm."

Hanamaru Hanabi remained silent for a moment as the two walked down the familiar overpass, with the lights still shining brightly, illuminating the narrow street.

"Sometimes Hanabi really thinks Uesugi-kun is mature beyond his years. From childhood to now, Hanabi has never seen Uesugi-kun cry."

Never cried...

Her adorably naive thought made Uesugi Sakura chuckle and say:

"Hanabi, in your eyes, is being mature not crying in front of you?"

"Eh?!"

Hanamaru Hanabi looked at him curiously, her eyes filled with a glow of surprise, "Did Uesugi-kun secretly cry in a corner?"

"No."

"Eh..." The glow of surprise in her eyes gradually faded, slowly turning into an expression of disappointment, "I thought Uesugi-kun also secretly cried in the bathroom like everyone else..."

Uesugi Sakura could feel Hanabi’s emotions next to him. Was her eager gaze just now hoping to find childhood commonality in me?

"But I still remember you hiding behind me when you cried." Uesugi Sakura gave her a natural smile.

"I..."

Seeing the smile on Uesugi Sakura’s face, Hanamaru Hanabi suddenly remembered.

When playing in the park as a child, she was chased by a loose Shiba Inu that scared her into crying, and she quickly hid behind a smaller Uesugi Sakura, repeatedly calling him "brother, brother."

Although that Shiba Inu was eventually taken back by its owner, she didn’t dare visit the park for a month afterward as her mind was filled with the Shiba Inu’s bared-teeth image.

Now, looking at Uesugi Sakura, who was still a bit taller than her, she was too embarrassed to hide behind him again.

"..."

"Why does Uesugi-kun remember that?"

"Because it was cute," Uesugi Sakura laughed, "That day was our families’ picnic day; I’m sure Aunty also remembers the crying little girl hiding behind me like a kitten."

Hanamaru Hanabi pursed her soft lips, then buried her head again, too shy to say anything more to him.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.