Laid-Back Life in Tokyo: I Really Didn't Want to Work Hard-Chapter 787 - 469: Forbidden Love_2

"Obviously... it was Sakura himself who said it..." Hanamaru Hanabi mumbled.

"Actually... ever since I started university, I’ve always felt like something was missing."

Uesugi Sakura gazed out the art classroom window at the branches swaying in the wind, "I’ve been pondering what exactly I’m missing, what it is that makes me feel unmotivated even to study or read... Sometimes I look at the sky, and my heart gets carried away."

Hanamaru Hanabi listened quietly to his musings.

Uesugi Sakura continued, "Now, I’ve figured it out, what I miss the most is having someone I like by my side... For the things she doesn’t know, I can teach her, and for the things I don’t have, she would thoughtfully bring them to me. This kind of life, moving forward together, is something I couldn’t experience at Tokyo University all by myself."

"Sakura, are you saying this just to increase your likability...?"

Uesugi Sakura smiled and replied, "If I’m really saying this for likability, Hanabi, you should know deep down, just follow that thought."

"Then... when Sakisa asked you yesterday..."

"Such an important thing couldn’t possibly be told to her, I had to wait for you to ask before I could tell you."

"Sakura..." Hanamaru Hanabi looked at his face, her mouth opened for a while, wanting to say something, but she couldn’t.

"Haha, what’s the matter, do you think I’m especially romantic? Speaking of which, it’s true that no other man would purposely switch from one university to another just to go to school with someone he likes."

"Sakura, you’re being narcissistic again."

"No, I’m speaking the truth." Uesugi Sakura saw her smile, and he smiled along.

No matter when, her smile always stirred the deepest string in his heart.

Uesugi Sakura had always thought so.

"By the way, Hanabi, how do you draw the surface of this iron kettle? I just asked Kitagawa, but she wouldn’t tell me."

"Let Hanabi have a look."

...

In the afternoon, at the coffee shop.

Uesugi Sakura had just arrived at the door, and there were customers inside waiting for coffee, Kobashi Rikai was already too busy to handle it.

He put on an apron, greeted, and started working.

It wasn’t until three in the afternoon that he finally got a longer break.

Uesugi Sakura saw Hanamaru Hanabi napping on the balcony outside and manually prepared a cup of milk coffee, smiling as he went to find her.

"If you slack off here, be careful the manager sees you."

Hanamaru Hanabi, dressed in a maid outfit, propped her whole face with her hands, squishing the flesh on her cheeks upwards, and she laughed:

"Sakura really knew how to stir Hanabi up this morning, Hanabi’s heart kept galloping."

"Really?" Uesugi Sakura knew she was teasing him at the moment.

"Of course," Hanamaru Hanabi suddenly held up one of his hands and gazed affectionately into his eyes, "Sakura, you don’t know, when you said those words, Hanabi’s heart nearly melted."

Uesugi Sakura pushed the freshly made milk coffee to her.

Hanamaru Hanabi kept smiling at him and said, "If possible, Hanabi would love to marry Sakura again."

Uesugi Sakura nodded quickly, whatever the wife says goes.

"Drink it quickly, it won’t be good if it gets cold."

...

Inside the coffee shop.

Towa Rina saw the two sitting outside on the balcony, talking and laughing.

She grabbed Todaka Keichiro, who was cleaning dishes, and pointed to the pair outside, saying, "Don’t you think their relationship has gotten closer recently."

Todaka Keichiro glanced over and nodded, "It does seem like it."

"We shouldn’t really interfere with this; we didn’t bother before when we saw them... But recently... Oh, do you know why Sakura took leave yesterday?"

That Todaka Keichiro did know because Uesugi Sakura had given him a heads up yesterday.

He said it was to exchange and study painting art at Tokyo Art University for a while.

At the time, he was shocked, amazed that such an exchange was possible; after all, Uesugi was only a freshman who had just joined Tokyo University for half a year, yet he managed to switch to another university to study, how did he do it?

Of course, after saying that, Uesugi Sakura immediately turned and headed for Tokyo Art University.

He made all kinds of speculations afterward.

Todaka Keichiro: "Maybe... he went to apologize to his wife."

"What do you mean?" Towa Rina didn’t quite understand.

Todaka Keichiro leaned closer to her ear and explained that Uesugi’s wife was studying at Tokyo Art University and had recently transferred there.

Towa Rina listened, then blinked and asked:

"How old is Hanamaru Hanami again?"

"She’s the same age as her sister, twins."

Towa Rina: "Since they’re the same age... so do you think—there’s a possibility, Hanami is also studying at Tokyo Art University, and Uesugi transferred there specifically to find Hanami..."

Todaka Keichiro: "No way, right, after all, her sister is still there."

"Should we do something about this?"

"No, not good." Todaka Keichiro shook his head, "You’re deliberately sabotaging someone else’s family."

"But..." Towa Rina pulled Todaka Keichiro to the inner corner of the coffee shop and whispered to him, "Don’t you think what Uesugi is doing is being unfaithful to his wife? He’s destroying his own family... The later Hanabi finds out, the more it will hurt her."

"Last week, you also mentioned this to the Tashiro sisters, but didn’t you... take no action...?" Todaka Keichiro shrugged.

"That was... because I hadn’t decided whether to act; the Tashiro sisters wouldn’t care, and I can’t tell Kobashi because she seems to admire Uesugi."

Todaka Keichiro: "So... you’re saying you hadn’t found an ally before?"

"Exactly."

"The key thing is that even if you find me, it won’t help; Uesugi is my good brother, I can’t betray him."

"Not helping him escape his mistake is the real betrayal! Do you understand?"

Todaka Keichiro frowned, contemplating for a while.

Just as Towa Rina thought he had an idea, he muttered, "Sounds like something from a TV drama."

"... So, are you going to help or not?"

"Help," Todaka Keichiro nodded, "Just don’t overdo it, it’s only to bring Uesugi back to the right path."

"Of course! That’s exactly our main goal."

"So, what’s the specific plan?"

"First, we can’t let Hanabi know about Uesugi and Hanami’s matter. Second, I think we can pull Uesugi aside for a talk, but without making our purpose too obvious, let him feel ashamed... To meet these conditions, we could..."

Towa Rina whispered her plan into his ear.

Todaka Keichiro listened and found no problem, nodding:

"Alright."

...

Near the evening’s closing time, Uesugi Sakura began helping Hanamaru Hanabi clean up her baking machine in the kitchen.

She usually used this large machine to bake bread.

Manager Yanagi’s sanitary standards were very strict; all utensils had to be cleaned every day before leaving.

Because of this, Uesugi Sakura developed a habit of meticulously organizing the bar counter.

Todaka Keichiro suddenly approached him.

Uesugi Sakura stopped his work, "What’s up?"

Todaka Keichiro wore a smile, scratching his head self-consciously, "Tomorrow is Saturday, everyone’s on holiday, and I’d like... to ask you for a favor."

"Not going." Uesugi Sakura immediately turned away, continuing to wipe the baking machine.

"Uesugi! Uesugi! This time I really need you to help out."

After half a minute of him prattling, Uesugi Sakura reluctantly nodded, "Let’s hear it."

"I’m planning to take Rikai out for a walk and fun tomorrow."

Uesugi Sakura: "Did you get together with her?"

"No..." Todaka Keichiro deflated instantly, sighing, "You know... how things are between our families, although she’s willing to talk to me now, I still don’t dare to take that step... You understand? It’s like if I say those words, we wouldn’t even be family anymore."

Uesugi Sakura lifted his hand, wiping the surface of the baking machine, "So, what do you mean?"

"Tomorrow, you bring your wife, and let’s all go shopping on the business street."

"All of us?"

"Yeah."

"That’s strange, why have a date with four of us together?"

"Shh! Keep your voice down," Todaka Keichiro glanced back, then turned back with a smile, "Besides... it’s not really a date, just friends hanging out, going out for fun."

"Hmm..."

Uesugi Sakura let out a long hum from his throat.

"Is that a yes?"

"We’ll see tomorrow."

Uesugi Sakura put the cloth into a bucket of clean water beside him.

The day’s work was done.