Laid-Back Life in Tokyo: I Really Didn't Want to Work Hard
Chapter 61 Just Like That Marshmallow

Chapter 61: Chapter 61 Just Like That Marshmallow

The door was closed but not locked.

Uesugi Sakura knocked twice with a calm, collected mind.

Knock knock.....

After waiting for a moment, there was no response.

He pushed the door open and went in directly.

Hanabi’s room was quite large, with bookshelves and a desk lined up on the right side.

The bookshelf was against the wall, neatly arranged with dozens of books of various sizes.

Uesugi Sakura could still see some familiar books on it.

There was a book titled "Wind and Tree Song," a birthday gift he had given Hanabi when they were children.

Even now, she kept it well-preserved.

Next was the desk, which had a computer on it, and in front of it was a black digital drawing pad.

It was what she normally used for drawing; the LINE avatars and some chatting emojis were drawn by her herself.

The top right corner of the desk was a place for placing vases and figurines, facing the window with good lighting.

A few watercolor paintings adorned the walls, which were some of Hanabi’s best works.

This room could be said to hold the best spot in the Hanamaru family house; outside the floor-to-ceiling window facing the door, there was a balcony, and whenever the curtains were drawn open in the morning, the sunlight would stream in, allowing one to see the blinds of Uesugi Sakura’s room across the way.

In the past, Uesugi Sakura often saw Hanabi standing behind the transparent floor-to-ceiling window in the morning, smiling and saying good morning to him.

Lately, he hadn’t seen her open the curtains, unsure why.

But those things weren’t important now; what was important was the sleeping Hanamaru Hanabi by the bed.

They say that a girl’s true nature is revealed when she sleeps, and her sleeping posture represents her true character.

Uesugi Sakura didn’t know how this manifested in others, but for Hanamaru Hanabi, it was certainly a perfect truth.

She was very quiet, her breathing smooth, her petite body curled up under the quilt.

Her head was tilted towards the bed’s edge, her tender little hands overlapping, placed by her lips, moving imperceptibly with her even breaths.

Uesugi Sakura came to her bedside, crouched down.

Facing her sleeping face, Uesugi Sakura leaned on the bedhead, right hand propping his chin, quietly observing without a sound.

Forehead, eyes, nose, cheeks, her pale skin slightly flushed, Hanamaru Hanabi’s adorable face was like cherry blossom sake in spring, tender and intoxicating.

Uesugi Sakura really liked her sleeping appearance, really liked her peaceful, beautiful demeanor.

Just watching her now, his heart involuntarily calmed down, becoming crystal clear without the slightest ripple.

He couldn’t help but reach out, touching her, pinching her soft cheek.

As skin met fingertips, the lines of his fingers pressed into her chubby cheek, and when he let go, that milky smooth skin would rebound, following the action of the fingertips, bringing an even deeper sensation.

Soft, soft and cloying.

The spreading sensation delved into his heart; this fleshy, tender feeling, combined with the warmth on her cheek, made his calm heart melt like cotton candy in hot water.

This feeling was truly satisfying, but such a sensation wasn’t easy to experience daily, as Hanamaru Hanabi was the type of girl who would hide at the slightest touch.

Only at times like these could one fully indulge.

Uesugi Sakura smiled sincerely, once again pinching her cheek with his thumb and forefinger, enjoying this rare moment of relaxation.

Hanamaru Hanabi seemed to sense something, her little head shrinking further into the quilt, her little hands protecting herself, her body curling even tighter, her gentle lips softly murmuring, emitting an even fainter weak sound than usual.

Others might not understand what she was saying, but Uesugi Sakura heard clearly; she was saying her own name.

"Hanabi... Hanabi..." she mumbled.

Cute, so adorably cute.

Uesugi Sakura couldn’t control himself, switched hands, and pinched again.

Fingertip softness, fingertip warmth, all made Uesugi Sakura deeply feel the existence of this treasure girl.

Dreamlike yet realistic, she filled his heart with an indescribable sense of happiness.

Uesugi Sakura, full of smiles, continued to play with the unaware, ignorant girl in front of him.

Perhaps he teased her for too long, Hanamaru Hanabi furrowed her brows, her murmur growing slightly louder, and with quivering eyelids, she slowly opened her eyes.

Her sleepy eyes were drowsy, but the usual strong morning light seemed to be blocked by something, leaving only a slightly luminous dark silhouette.

Even waking up, Hanamaru Hanabi was very quiet; her first action upon waking was not to sit up and stretch but to wait quietly for herself to adapt to the morning light.

At this moment, Uesugi Sakura had already withdrawn his guilty hands, patiently waiting for her.

As her vision cleared, Hanamaru Hanabi dazedly looked at the familiar figure in front of her.

She blinked, her amethyst eyes full of curious glimmers, unsure if she was in reality or a dream, a blush rose on her cheeks for the first time in the morning, as she cautiously asked:

"Ue... Uesugi-kun?"

The weak voice still carried a trace of laziness.

But what answered her was not words, but Uesugi Sakura’s smiling index finger reaching out:

"Dummy, remember what you promised yesterday you’d call me?"

"Sak... Sakura-kun..."

"Don’t—don’t pinch Hanabi’s nose....."

Hanamaru Hanabi was very shy from being pinched, tucking her head into the quilt.

Uesugi Sakura stood up, sat at the head of the bed, patiently waiting for the shy Hanamaru Hanabi under the quilt.

She seemed to be considering something, and after a moment, Hanamaru Hanabi cautiously peeked out, only revealing her head, her curious eyes looking at Uesugi Sakura sitting by the bed:

"Sak... Sakura-kun, why did you come to Hanabi’s room?"

"Can’t I come?" Uesugi Sakura asked with a smile, "I used to come often."

"That was...that was when we were young, Hanabi and Sakura-kun hadn’t grown up yet..."

"So you don’t welcome the grown-up Sakura-kun?"

Hanamaru Hanabi shook her little head.

"You welcome?" Uesugi Sakura pressed on.

Hanamaru Hanabi shook her little head again.

"Then what does Hanabi mean, both welcoming and not welcoming?"

Hanamaru Hanabi sat up, the quilt wrapping her petite body, appearing a bit scared: "Dad said I shouldn’t let Sakura-kun into my room casually, especially at night."

Uesugi Sakura had his own reasoning and said with a smile, "But, this morning, Aunt Meiko, or rather, Auntie asked me to come to wake Hanabi, didn’t she?"

"Mom..."

Hanamaru Hanabi lowered her head, seeming to ponder something, then nodded, "Yes..."

"Does that mean Hanabi is okay with me entering your room?"

"As long... as long as Sakura-kun wants to..."

Hanamaru Hanabi obediently agreed to Uesugi Sakura, gripping the quilt tighter, her mind uneasy from the thought of being alone with him last night, unsure how to face Uesugi Sakura now.

She felt both familiar and novel with him, though they had been childhood friends for twelve years, she had never been this nervous before.

Her face, still bashfully blushing red.

"Hanabi, you’re truly adorable." Uesugi Sakura smiled knowingly.