Laid-Back Life in Tokyo: I Really Didn't Want to Work Hard
Chapter 68: Revealing True Colors

Chapter 68: Chapter 68: Revealing True Colors

The next day, which was Thursday morning.

On their usual route to school, Uesugi Sakura and Hanamaru Hanabi were already walking down the road near Kamigoe High School, surrounded by groups of students wearing the same school uniform.

Some couples who happened to meet were already laughing and chatting, starting a new day of interaction.

"Hey, hey, do you think the photo I took last night looks good?"

The photo on the phone showed a section of the coast at Daiba Seaside Park, with a young girl facing the camera making the universally known peace sign.

The girl looked quite nice, but the photography skills and the person in the photo...

A boy wearing Kamigoe High School’s high-collared uniform glanced back and forth between the photo and the girl.

In the end, he couldn’t come to a conclusion and cautiously tested the waters, saying, "Looks... good...?"

Quickly.

"Looks good! Looks good! Really looks good!"

The boy was very honest, just like the more earnestly honest Uesugi Sakura.

With familiar steps and familiar rhythms, the figures of Uesugi Sakura and Hanamaru Hanabi passed by the cheeky couple flirting in the early morning.

Hanamaru Hanabi sneaked a glance at the two people behind them, then turned her head to look at Uesugi Sakura, who was much taller than her, and called softly:

"Sakura-kun."

"What’s up?" Uesugi Sakura looked back at her.

Hanamaru Hanabi said quietly, "Hanabi has something she wants to give to Sakura-kun today..."

What is it? —

Before Uesugi Sakura could ask this question, he saw Hanamaru Hanabi take out a square box from her shoulder bag.

She handed it over with both her hands:

"For you..."

The box was just right, it looked like it could only be one thing.

"A bento?"

Uesugi Sakura took the quite hefty bento from Hanamaru Hanabi’s hand and said instinctively, "Did Aunt Meiko make an extra one for me today?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Uesugi Sakura immediately felt he had insulted his recently upgraded IQ of 8.

"Did you make it, Hanabi?"

"Mm..."

Hanamaru Hanabi responded softly, lowering her head again, "Hanabi knows making a bento for Sakura-kun isn’t really new, everyone has done it, but Hanabi couldn’t think of anything better last night, Sakura... Sakura-kun, please don’t mind what Hanabi made..."

In her timid voice, Uesugi Sakura suddenly felt there was nothing in this world that couldn’t be forgiven.

Of course, this kind of thing didn’t need forgiveness anyway.

"No need for novelty, having the intention is enough," Uesugi Sakura said with a smile, and right now, he really wanted to pat the head of the Hanamaru Hanabi who was looking down, "Sakura-kun is really grateful for Hanabi’s kindness."

"Does Sakura-kun... like it?"

The two didn’t stop their steps, continuing to walk on.

Uesugi Sakura pondered for a moment before saying, "Rather than liking, I’d say I’m at a loss on how to respond to Hanabi’s gift."

"Sakura-kun, you don’t need to think too much,"

The girl’s eyes were lingering, and her small face, like painted with a brush, was bathed in the early morning’s gentle light, softly saying,

"As long as Sakura-kun likes it... that’s enough... Hanabi is very happy."

Uesugi Sakura was slightly startled, feeling the bento in his hand quite heavy due to her words.

Sometimes, he really didn’t know how to respond to Hanamaru Hanabi’s selfless offerings.

Does someone like her really exist?

At least, right now, she does.

This sincere affection flowed truly in his beating chest, warming and heating.

Uesugi Sakura gazed at the school gate where the Discipline Committee was conducting checks, not slowing his steps:

"Let’s keep going."

"Mm."

Even words as simple as "thank you" didn’t come out because he felt that anything he said would be empty words of gratitude without any real support.

After securely placing the bento Hanabi gave him into his bag, Uesugi Sakura led her into the campus.

...

Because the two were still in a secret relationship, their behavior in school remained quite normal.

Except for Ayaka Rie, who knew Hanamaru Hanabi too well and had noticed a hint, daily life proceeded smoothly.

At noon, after lunch.

Leaning back in his classroom chair, Uesugi Sakura picked up his unfinished "Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves" again.

"Gentle rumble of thunder, will the raindrops fall, and will you stay here?"

"Gentle rumble of thunder, even without rainfall, I will stay and wait for you."

These two lines also appeared in "The Garden of Words."

The general meaning is:

In the overcast sky with a gentle rumble of thunder, I hope for rain to keep you here.

In the overcast sky with a gentle rumble of thunder, even if the rain doesn’t come, I will still stay here.

The first line speaks of anticipation, the second of patience.

Between the lines lies a poetic atmosphere, but just looking at it without immersion, one can’t deeply comprehend the author’s feelings when writing the poem.

This is probably why many people have no interest in poetry.

Unable to relate, forced learning makes people anxious and estranged from it.

At this moment,

Tsubokawa Takahiro returned to his seat, giving Uesugi Sakura a mischievous smile.

Uesugi Sakura shot him a glance, noticing someone was missing, and asked:

"Did you not find him? That guy, Goto?"

"That guy Goto got caught!" Tsubokawa Takahiro said suddenly and excitedly.

"What?" Uesugi Sakura couldn’t understand.

Tsubokawa Takahiro immediately explained, "He got caught for dating two girlfriends at the same time!"

"Two?" Uesugi Sakura was astonished, "Didn’t he say he was just chatting on LINE? What’s he doing, trying to imitate Murakoshi?"

Now, Ayaka Rie’s dislike for him could only be aggravated to another level.

"Who knows him," Tsubokawa Takahiro seemed unusually enthusiastic about his buddy getting into trouble, "didn’t you notice he suddenly showed up to eat with us in the cafeteria today?"

"What’s so sudden," Uesugi Sakura closed his "Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves" with a calm tone, "it’s only been the first three days of the week he didn’t join us, and besides, he left as soon as he finished eating."

"No, no, no!"

Tsubokawa Takahiro wagged his extended index finger, "Because he didn’t come for three consecutive days, it made today the day I discovered something unusual."

Uesugi Sakura listened patiently as Tsubokawa continued, "Yesterday, Goto went to the back garden, the day before he went to the rooftop, Monday he went to the cafeteria. Today, guess where?"

"There’s nothing in the front yard, he doesn’t like going to the library, too many people in the central courtyard and club building. Goto’s not that foolish, the relatively quiet place would be near the Kyudo Club," Uesugi Sakura thought a bit, "did he go to the small grove behind the Kyudo Club?"

"Correct!" Tsubokawa Takahiro struck a pose, "As expected of Uesugi."

"Alright," Uesugi Sakura looked at him speechlessly, "stop doing these pointless gestures and quickly tell me what happened."