Laid-Back Life in Tokyo: I Really Didn't Want to Work Hard-Chapter 763 - 457: Camping by the Lake_2

"Hmm... I’ll reluctantly forgive Sakura, but Hanabi still can’t accept that kind of storyline." 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

"I understand, Hanabi likes it when everything is peaceful."

With a smile on his face, Uesugi Sakura said to her, "Let’s go, wander around for a while longer, then head back to the campsite for a barbecue."

And naturally, she responded in agreement.

"Mm! Okay."

...

Their camping experience, though seemingly simple, wasn’t entirely so.

Upon returning to the campsite, they suddenly remembered they had no firewood.

"What should we do? Go back to the woods to pick some?"

"Hanabi will accompany Sakura!"

"Alright, let’s go together."

Uesugi Sakura took the small knife and returned to the woods.

In the bushes, on the grass, there were scattered twigs and dry leaves everywhere. Each step made crunching noises underfoot.

Uesugi Sakura took out a small machete prepared beforehand, cut away some obstructive weeds, found a patch of dried leaves, picked up some medium-sized firewood, chopped off some of the longer branches, and tossed them behind him for Hanamaru Hanabi to gather and pile up.

Hanamaru Hanabi wasn’t idle either; she spread two ropes on the ground to bind the firewood, arranging the pieces Uesugi Sakura tossed over neatly in a pile.

In the grove.

Uesugi Sakura held a flashlight in his right hand. Besides the crunching sound of twigs and leaves, there was also the buzzing of many insects in the forest.

After staying there for a while, it was easy to get bitten by insects if one wasn’t careful.

As more firewood was chopped out, Uesugi Sakura began to sweat. He picked up a stack of firewood and some tinder, got up, and exited, placing them on the trapezoidal woodpile that Hanamaru Hanabi had arranged.

By this time, twilight was gradually departing, and night was beginning to fall.

Hanamaru Hanabi was squatting on a small open area, using her phone’s flashlight to watch over a pile of firewood.

Uesugi Sakura smiled at her lonely little face:

"Does the firewood have to be stacked like a castle? And so neatly too?"

"Because Sakura didn’t let Hanabi accompany you to gather firewood, I had to pass the time like this."

Uesugi Sakura inserted the small knife into a leather pouch on his leg, raised his hand to check: "It’s not that I wouldn’t let you gather, but there are too many bushes here, and many scratchy plants; your skirt isn’t suitable for going in."

"Did Sakura get hurt?" Hanamaru Hanabi shone the phone’s flashlight on Uesugi Sakura’s hand, creating a bright area where tiny dust particles and moths occasionally passed through the beam.

"Ah," Uesugi Sakura glanced at the slightly burning scratch on his hand and responded casually, "It’s fine, probably just snagged by the cut shrubs when coming out just now."

"Is it really okay?"

"It’s fine."

Uesugi Sakura walked past Hanamaru Hanabi, hefting the large bundle of firewood she’d arranged, finding it quite heavy.

"Let’s go, back for a bonfire barbecue."

The sky darkened, and they had to light their way with a flashlight. Hanamaru Hanabi walked beside him, worriedly eyeing Uesugi Sakura’s right hand: "Let Hanabi help Sakura treat it when we get back."

Uesugi Sakura naturally didn’t refuse, telling her with a smile, "It’s nice to have a wife who cares."

The moonlight highlighted his cheeks, and suddenly, Hanamaru Hanabi felt embarrassed as she looked at his face, burying hers to one side with a shy voice:

"Mm... and having Sakura... is also nice."

Back at the campsite, Uesugi Sakura dismantled the firewood and arranged it in a circle on an open spot.

He took some tinder from the wood, placed it in the center of the bonfire, and lit it with a lighter, layering small twigs and then medium-sized firewood, letting Hanamaru Hanabi gently fan it with a small round fan nearby.

"Is this good?" she asked softly.

By now, apart from them, nearby campsites were also illuminated by bonfires, with excited children and adults gathered together, creating a lively atmosphere.

"Yes." Uesugi Sakura nodded and picked up a piece of firewood, spacing out the large logs in the bonfire pile slightly to allow air circulation for better flames.

The tinder lit the small twigs, the small twigs lit the medium firewood, and the medium firewood lit the large logs.

Quickly, the bonfire grew vibrant and hot.

The flames crackled as they burned the logs, occasionally emitting sparks from the ends.

The firelight illuminated their faces.

"Done!"

Uesugi Sakura clapped happily, successfully completing the task of starting the fire.

"Sakura, you’re amazing!" Hanamaru Hanabi clapped her hands joyfully, her eyes reflecting the bonfire.

"Hmm, not bad."

"Also, don’t forget about Sakura’s injury!"

Hanamaru Hanabi said, turning to crawl into the tent to retrieve water bottles and a medical kit.

She sat by Uesugi Sakura’s side with the items, taking his hand to wash it with spring water, then gently applying an alcohol swab to the wound.

The girl was careful with her movements.

She looked up and asked, "Does it hurt, Sakura?"

"A little sting, just a little sting." Uesugi Sakura watched her delicate movements as he answered.

"Then Hanabi will try to hurry."

The bonfire beside them was warm, and the girl tenderly treating his wound was warm too.

Amid the chilly October winds by the shimmering lake, Uesugi Sakura felt an incredible sense of warmth from the flickering bonfire.

"All done." The girl finished bandaging him and put away the unused medical tools.

Uesugi Sakura raised the hand wrapped in a bandage, observing it in the firelight.

He murmured, "Having someone who cares is really different from not having someone who cares."

"What are you saying, Sakura?"

"If I were alone, I would probably ignore a shallow wound like this, maybe just put on a band-aid at most."

Hanamaru Hanabi commented while tidying up, "Sakura’s hand is bleeding; a band-aid won’t work. Besides, if the wound from the branches gets infected, it might leave scars without early treatment."

"Well... I definitely wouldn’t think that far. If it gets hurt, it gets hurt. Without a band-aid, I’d just leave it."

"That’s why Sakura doesn’t know how to take care of himself!"

Hanamaru Hanabi put the medical box back in the tent and brought out skewers and barbecue ingredients, her face lit with joy, "Alright, now it’s time to eat!"

"Wait a minute, I’ll bring out the charcoal and grill."

"Okay."

Using the bonfire directly for grilling wouldn’t be ideal; it would lead to food being covered in ash.

Uesugi Sakura used tongs to put charcoal into the fire to turn red, then transferred the glowing charcoal into a prepared grill to use as barbecue fuel.

"What does Sakura want to eat?" Hanamaru Hanabi held a small box and asked.

"Steak, of course, steak first."

"That’s the hardest to grill right."

"Then we’ll grill it with the other barbecue, and I’ll watch the steak."

"No way!"

"Why not?" Uesugi Sakura wondered.

"Sakura would ruin the steak. Hanabi will handle it, Sakura should rest."

So saying, Hanamaru Hanabi took over the role of barbecue chef.

Her actions were quite meticulous, turning and seasoning the steak, ensuring the charcoal’s heat spread evenly across its texture.

"Hanabi even learned to grill steak?"

"Mom taught me."

Uesugi Sakura, supporting himself on the ground, gazed at the vast Starry Night: "Hmm, now that I think about it, I used to envy Hanabi a lot."

"Why’s that?" Hanamaru Hanabi glanced back at him.

"You know, my mom and dad used to work nights, leaving me to survive on instant noodles and bread. The best I had was cold convenience store bento."

"Sakura, that’s so wrong." Hanamaru Hanabi turned the steak.

"I’m wrong?"

"You never told Hanabi. We asked you to come over for dinner, but you never did. I thought you didn’t like my mom’s cooking."

"That’s not true at all."

"Then, Sakura is a fool, not realizing we’ve always cared about you."