Laid-Back Life in Tokyo: I Really Didn't Want to Work Hard-Chapter 762 - 457: Camping by the Lake

"Hanabi, did you really tell me?"

"Yes, of course. Didn’t Sakura-kun already answer on his own?"

Uesugi Sakura held the girl’s small hand, listening to their footsteps echo on the wooden corridor, as they admired the twilight beauty of the Red Leaves Forest together.

Being with her like this, just quietly walking for a while, my heart always finds peace at such times.

"Hanabi."

"Hmm."

Uesugi Sakura fell silent for a moment and didn’t continue speaking.

"Sakura-kun, did you just call for Hanabi?" Hanamaru Hanabi took his hand, stepped forward twice, and stood in front of him.

"Yes." Uesugi Sakura replied.

"Then why didn’t Sakura-kun continue talking?"

"Actually, I was experiencing a wonderful feeling." Uesugi Sakura gave a faint smile.

"A wonderful feeling?"

"Yes, it’s a feeling, a beautiful feeling, of calling out to a lovely girl named Hanabi and getting her response."

"Do you feel good just by getting Hanabi’s response?"

Hanamaru Hanabi smiled lightly and cheerfully, "What specific feelings does Sakura-kun have about this?"

Uesugi Sakura thought for a moment, cleared his throat, and spoke confidently, "Being able to sense her presence, smell her fragrance, deepen her image in my mind, getting her response makes me feel my existence has meaning, getting her response makes the world feel real, just simply being with her and walking for a while allows me to appreciate the beauty of a plain life."

"Sakura-kun talks about Hanabi as if she were a goddess."

"Even a goddess doesn’t compare to you."

"Sakura-kun is saying cheesy sweet nothings again." Hanamaru Hanabi let go of his hand, climbed a few wooden steps in her black little leather shoes, and stood above him.

Uesugi Sakura grabbed at the air below, shifted his gaze up to her, "Don’t like sweet talk?"

"Not that I don’t like it." Hanamaru Hanabi stood on tiptoes, picked two yellow leaves from a branch extending by the roadside, and tucked them like horns on either side of her little head, "Sakura-kun, do I look good?"

She had a scarf around her neck, with her tender red cheeks half-buried in it, her eyes bright, lively yet carrying the unique cuteness of a girl.

Uesugi Sakura smiled at her and said:

"You look good, my wife is the best-looking."

The girl descended from above, removed a leaf from her head, and placed it on Uesugi Sakura’s head.

Uesugi Sakura gazed at Hanamaru Hanabi’s little face, so close, "What is this?"

"A legend."

"A legend?"

"Yes," Hanamaru Hanabi paused in front of him, seriously looking at his face, "Red leaves represent a fiery life, if you give half of the red leaves on your head to the person you like, you’ll forever win their heart."

The air stayed silent for a long while, the red leaves rustled in the gentle breeze.

Her sincere words made Uesugi Sakura’s heart nervous all of a sudden.

Hanamaru Hanabi’s serious face suddenly burst into a smile:

"Hehe, Hanabi wins."

"Wins?" Uesugi Sakura didn’t catch on, not understanding the quick change in her expression.

"Yes, Hanabi’s confession clearly moved Sakura-kun, isn’t that Hanabi’s win?" Hanamaru Hanabi’s face bore a triumphant smile, she tilted her little head, cute and beautiful.

Uesugi Sakura looked at her blinking little eyes, thought for a few seconds, and finally understood what she meant by winning.

Her sweet words were far more sophisticated than his own.

"The legend?"

"The legend was just something Hanabi made up randomly, but," Hanamaru Hanabi stood beside him, looking at him, "giving up half my life is true, even giving up everything is true too, if Sakura-kun got sick, Hanabi would pray every day, asking the gods to exchange Hanabi’s everything for Sakura-kun’s health."

Uesugi Sakura suddenly remembered the time he was ill.

When he was unconscious, sick for days without waking, did Hanabi pray for him every day just as she said?

Yes, undoubtedly, she must have done what she just said.

Uesugi Sakura still remembered waking up to find her asleep by his bedside, waiting by his bed every day until she was so tired she fell asleep, her eyes red, little hands clutching the sheets, murmuring even in her sleep for Sakura-kun to stay by her side forever.

The sky was full of red leaves, beauty scattered across the fiery world.

The dazzling scenery made Uesugi Sakura feel the world was somewhat surreal, and there she stood in front of the vibrant red woods, her small and beautiful figure, her cute and delicate face so beautiful it felt like a dream.

I love you the same, willing to give everything to pursue and watch over you.

"Sakura-kun is actually quite mean."

"Mean how?"

"In the novel Sakura-kun wrote," Hanamaru Hanabi said, "clearly Yasukawa and Akisuki are such good friends, childhood friends even, yet Sakura-kun ruthlessly arranged for her to die in the second Chapter."

"It’s needed for the story."

"Can’t the story be perfect?"

"No, from a structural standpoint, Yasukawa’s death is necessary."

"That’s mean, really mean!"

"It’s not just the structure, but from Akisuki’s psychological journey, Yasukawa’s death serves as a great lesson for him, paving the way and foundation for his future."

"Does Sakura-kun have some grudge against childhood friends?"

"No, absolutely not." Uesugi Sakura knew she was connecting her identity to Yasukawa Harumi, "I love childhood friends the most."

"If that’s the case, how could Sakura-kun be so heartless."

"It’s because I know, I realize just how important a childhood friend is in someone’s heart, occupying an irreplaceable part of their early life, even more so when they’ve grown up together for so many years."