Laid-Back Life in Tokyo: I Really Didn't Want to Work Hard
Chapter 74 The Girl Who Loves Chili Peppers

Chapter 74: Chapter 74 The Girl Who Loves Chili Peppers

"Goto seems to be getting closer to that person." Tsubokawa Takahiro looked at the back of Murakoshi Kojiro walking towards the basketball court.

"I’m just superficially frivolous," Goto Iwao flatly rejected the evaluation, then nodded to himself, "Actually, I am very pure-hearted."

"Your line with hundreds of people really doesn’t connect with the words ’pure-hearted.’"

"What’s the causal relationship here? Absolutely none." Goto Iwao asked and answered himself.

"Give me a break."

At this point, Tsubokawa Takahiro glanced at Uesugi Sakura, who was watching Hanamaru Hanabi intently.

After hearing about the things between those two, his status in Tsubokawa’s mind instantly soared.

He’s practically a model for light novel protagonists.

Using his life to accompany and heal his childhood friend from her illness.

Even now, during gym class breaks, he watches over his childhood friend silently to prevent any accidents.

This pure-hearted affection is moving and tear-jerking just to listen to.

Although Hanamaru doesn’t seem to have any abnormalities.

However,

Tsubokawa Takahiro was truly moved by Uesugi Sakura and decided to go back and find a few light novels about childhood friends to experience that feeling of warm companionship.

Uesugi Sakura was completely unaware of what was on Tsubokawa’s mind and silently focused on Hanamaru Hanabi’s clumsy shooting posture.

He was thinking about how to make Hanabi feel less shy about her movements.

At that time, with her timid personality, wouldn’t it be...

For some reason, the scene of Hanamaru Hiroki holding a gun to his head suddenly flashed in his mind.

——————

After club activities ended, they took the train home.

The time had reached evening.

The sunset was fiery, casting a deep golden-red hue over the sun-baked ground.

Uesugi Sakura and Hanamaru Hanabi stepped onto the final stretch of their journey home, embraced by the warm halo illuminating all of Tokyo.

Their shadows, intimately close, reflected just behind them.

Today’s evening was extraordinarily relaxing due to their teacher Haneda’s personal reasons, taking a day off from the study session.

"Sakura-kun."

Hanamaru Hanabi walked in her shiny round-toed little shoes, her timid voice sweet and adorable.

"I’m here."

The familiar call was still familiar, but recently Uesugi Sakura especially enjoyed hearing her call his name.

From a girl to a young lady, no matter how many times she called, it never diminished the freshness of the current excitement.

Hanamaru Hanabi moved a little closer to Uesugi Sakura, wanting to make her barely audible voice more comfortable to listen to: "Sakura-kun, what do you think of the bento I made today?"

"Are you wanting me to share my thoughts?" Uesugi Sakura hadn’t expected her to approach him.

Under Uesugi Sakura’s gaze, Hanamaru Hanabi nodded slightly.

She seemed very worried that she hadn’t made it taste good.

Uesugi Sakura didn’t continue the previous topic but looked at her who was extremely close, and smiled: "Hanabi, please stretch out your hand."

Hanamaru Hanabi looked up at him in confusion, not understanding why she had to stretch out her hand.

Despite her confusion, she still let go of her single-shoulder bag and stretched out her small hand.

Her trust in him was unique.

Uesugi Sakura stopped in the narrow street filled with sunset and pedestrians, facing her lively eyes, and grasped her small outreached hand with his right hand.

At the moment of touching her soft skin, she instinctively shrank back, her small hand more timid than a cautious cat.

She was very soft and very shy.

Hanamaru Hanabi hadn’t yet gotten used to the feeling of being held by him on this street, nor to the strangers’ glances of curiosity, but the feeling of being held by him was surprisingly reassuring.

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

A weak voice still trembling with fear and expectation slowly flowed from her slightly trembling cherry lips.

"Relax."

Uesugi Sakura smiled and held the lovely her, then gently stretched out his left hand, lightly touching her palm with his fingertips, sliding up along her soft hand.

Through those four shy gaps, he slowly opened her tightly knit soft fingers.

Under Hanamaru Hanabi’s bashful expression, Uesugi Sakura tightly clasped the small, bewildered hand.

The soft sensation that softened into his heart was conveyed from her hand.

Palm to palm, fingers intertwined, tightly connected.

Heart connected through ten fingers, her pulsating heartbeat so clear and vivid.

The delicate tremble of being gripped and grasped tightly made Uesugi Sakura realize her real existence.

"Hanabi’s feelings, Sakura-kun has already felt them."

Hanamaru Hanabi dared not look up, fearing the gaze of surrounding strangers: "Sakura-kun... does he like it? Is what Hanabi made delicious?"

"What if I said it wasn’t delicious?"

"Then... then Hanabi would really apologize to Sakura-kun, and would try hard to continue learning from Mom how to make bentos, as long as Sakura-kun doesn’t mind Hanabi’s bentos..."

The warmth from palm to palm and finger to finger made Hanamaru Hanabi’s beautiful face blush.

Uesugi Sakura didn’t rub her nose as usual but took her small hand and started walking.

He silently watched the shy girl beside him, her fresh and sweet scent tickling his nose.

The black sailor uniform outlined her slender and graceful curves, the wide collar showcasing her charming clavicle, while also hiding the easily overlooked protection for girls.

The black pleated skirt, swaying below, highlighted her soft, fair thighs, a pinkish flush quietly blooming on her plump, just right soft flesh.

Black knee socks hugged her long slender legs, her tiny round-toed shoes displaying a unique girlish charm.

At this moment, Uesugi Sakura felt fortunate to have joined Kamigoe High School, allowing him to admire this side of Hanamaru Hanabi.

The tightly held hands allowed him to genuinely feel her presence and her softness.

He suddenly liked the feeling of holding hands.

"Hanabi."

"Hmm..."

"How about coming to my house later?"

"Okay..."

Hanamaru Hanabi agreed without much thought, "But Sakura-kun hasn’t told Hanabi if the bento from this morning... was delicious...?"

She was gradually getting used to the feeling of holding hands.

"Of course, it’s delicious," Uesugi Sakura said, regardless of the envious glances from people passing by, "You learned from your mom, right? Except for being a bit spicy, everything was perfect."

Hanamaru Hanabi still wasn’t used to the gaze of strangers, secretly glancing at the pedestrians who had passed them, and whispered, "Was it very spicy...? But Hanabi put very little."

"Even a little bit in your home makes it spicy." Uesugi Sakura laughed, "I always feel that when Hanabi talks about chili, she becomes silly."

"But it was really good... and comforting..."

Hanamaru Hanabi’s tone suddenly became firm.