Laid-Back Life in Tokyo: I Really Didn't Want to Work Hard
Chapter 76 Sakura, caught in a crisis that shouldn’t exist

Chapter 76: Chapter 76 Sakura, caught in a crisis that shouldn’t exist

But today, he doesn’t have to eat those convenient but tiring instant bento boxes. For once, he can enjoy a meal made by Hanabi just for him, so he has to think about what to eat today.

"What dish does Sakura-kun want to eat?"

Hanamaru Hanabi asked the same thing.

As the daughter of Meiko Hanamaru, whose profession is a housewife, she plans the amount to purchase based on the dishes before grocery shopping, making it difficult to waste anything.

But Uesugi Sakura isn’t lacking in cooking skills either. When it comes to dishes, apart from having potato curry for a week, the taste of other foods faded significantly in his memory, leaving him at a loss for what to choose due to his indecisiveness.

So he simply let Hanamaru Hanabi decide:

"You choose, Hanabi. I’ll go with your choice tonight."

"Just not too spicy," he quickly added.

"Sakura-kun doesn’t want spicy food?" Hanamaru Hanabi’s timid voice carried regret, but she soon grew quiet, tilting her head in thought.

Uesugi Sakura was afraid of ending up in the hospital.

Having lived here for over ten years, the foods he ate most were sweet and soft, along with cup noodles and instant bento boxes.

He hardly touched anything with chili peppers.

Logically, it’s quite difficult to find chili peppers as spicy as those at the Hanamaru house in Japan.

"How about Sukiyaki...?" Hanamaru Hanabi said softly.

"Just the two of us?" Speaking of Sukiyaki, Uesugi Sakura recalled Mrs. Hanamaru’s enormous servings of Sukiyaki.

"Yes," Hanamaru Hanabi nodded slightly, "the portion is just right, and it’s completely not spicy, meeting Sakura-kun’s requirement."

"Okay."

Uesugi Sakura carried a small basket, following behind Hanamaru Hanabi as she picked out konnyaku noodles, grilled tofu, napa cabbage, leek, shiitake mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, carrots, and beef for Sukiyaki.

Under the watchful eyes of many housewives, the two, clearly high school students from the same school, walked out of the supermarket.

As for paying for the groceries... Hanabi paid for it...

Uesugi Sakura’s wallet was in his backpack, and he didn’t realize this when he brought Hanabi to the supermarket.

So he once again saw her little treasure chest—20,000 yen carried with her.

For Uesugi Sakura, who would even hold back on spending 500 yen at a park, it was indeed enviable.

And then thinking of Hanamaru Hiroki’s exposed high-ranking position.

Does this mean he’s being kept by a rich girl?

"The Childhood Friend I Grew Up With Turns Out to Be a Weak Rich Lady?"

He even had the core plot thought out: The protagonist continuously exploits the childhood friend’s wallet and heart through his relationship as childhood friends, ultimately dragging everything she has into the relentless pressure.

As tens of gigabytes of scenarios flashed through his mind, Uesugi Sakura returned to reality.

Because the fragrance of lilies once again filled his nostrils.

Bashful Hanamaru Hanabi walked beside him, the breeze by the Kanda River swaying her short hair, with her delicate face featuring an appealing nose and eyes.

She was admiring the night cherry blossoms along the riverside nearby.

Uesugi Sakura thought, these blooming cherry blossoms were all accentuating her pure beauty.

"Shall we hold hands?" he couldn’t help but ask.

Such an unreal girl, yet she showed such real expressions and actions.

She shyly nodded and hesitantly stretched out her right hand:

"Hmm..."

Uesugi Sakura looked at her blushing face, inhaling the sweet mixture of cherry and lily blossoms, and slowly reached out his left hand towards her.

Fingertips, hooked onto fingertips.

Gradually climbing upwards, five fingers slowly interlocked with hers, opening up her shyly clenched fingers.

The soft hand didn’t resist much, just held tightly together.

The waters of the Kanda River flowing through the center of Tokyo merged with the Sumida River under the cherry blossom-covered banks, flowing hand in hand into the boundless blue sea after a brief entanglement.

Disappearing without a trace.

Thus ending their romantic and fleeting life.

Uesugi Sakura suddenly understood this feeling called love.

"Hanabi."

"Hmm..."

"We’ll always be together, right?"

Hanamaru Hanabi looked up at him, her little face still holding that blush, and replied, "Forever."

Uesugi Sakura wasn’t good with words of love, so all he could do was tightly grasp that little hand, leading her to keep walking along the banks of the Kanda River, towards the road home.

The eternal Kanda River, filled with those drifting cherry blossom petals.

——————

The following morning,

Uesugi Sakura woke up groggily, the early morning light yet to touch his bedroom.

Still drowsy, he was about to turn over and pull up the blanket for a little more sleep, waiting for his mom to come wake him up.

Thinking about another day of efforts and fulfillment made him want to linger in laziness.

Reaching back to feel around, he couldn’t find the blanket, but the more he felt, the longer it took.

And felt around again.

"Hmm...!?"

The indescribable soft and tender feeling in his hand caused Uesugi Sakura’s pupils to constrict, instantly waking him up.

Without hesitation, he turned to the side.

What met his gaze was Hanamaru Hanabi’s peaceful sleeping face.

Exactly the same as when he saw her sleeping last weekend!

"What’s going on!?"

Uesugi Sakura tried to recall, but he could only remember parting with Hanabi after her math tutoring.

But now...

Hanamaru Hanabi’s rosy cheeks, her small nose, her soft pink lips, and the faint fragrance emanating from her made people feel as light as a feather.

His heart was stirred unexpectedly.

Because they were both under the same blanket, Uesugi Sakura could even see down her fair neck to her alluring, delicate collarbone, and her smooth, snowy shoulders were completely exposed.

Uesugi Sakura couldn’t help but swallow, his mind forming a certain guess.

Then he felt around inside the blanket.

Indeed!

"Where is that rascal!!!" Hanamaru Hiroki’s angry voice came from downstairs.

Uesugi Sakura paused his upward exploration, perking up his ears.

"Huh? Sakura should still be sleeping, right? Did something happen?" Uesugi Nobuko’s voice.

"Hanabi didn’t come home all night, I just got back and found out!"

"Is it... Sakura?"

"It’s that rascal!" Hanamaru Hiroki seemed to be shouting at Uesugi Sakura’s room, his voice growing louder, "Said something about tutoring, then ate with Hanabi in the evening, and now Hanabi didn’t come home all night!"

"That kid is upstairs, right?"

"Yes," Uesugi Nobuko’s voice suddenly became panicked, "Wait, wait! What is this!?"

Ka-chak...

The sound of something being cocked.

Then, rapid footsteps coming upstairs, getting louder.

"No, no way!?"

Uesugi Sakura looked at the peacefully breathing Hanamaru Hanabi in front of him, still unable to understand how this happened, only feeling his trigeminal nerve jumping wildly.

It must be a dream, it must be a dream!

He immediately sat up.

Pa!

A loud slap landed directly on his face.

Not waking up...

The pain was unusually real, just as real as the sensation he’d felt under the blanket.

"Why!?"

Uesugi Sakura was stunned, realizing that he wasn’t wearing any clothes, and Hanamaru Hanabi sleeping in front of him showed no signs of waking.

Her fair collarbone was even more visible.

How... to explain to Hanamaru Hiroki?

Sorry, we’re genuine, just a bit ahead of time.

That would definitely be the end!

And without any romantic memories, dying would seem not worth it.

Bang bang! Bang bang!

Rough knocks on the door.

"Rascal! Open the door for me!! You even locked it!"

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