Laid-Back Life in Tokyo: I Really Didn't Want to Work Hard-Chapter 842 - 498: Hanabi’s Flower Crown

"Did Sakura tease you again?"

"Mm..."

Hanamaru Hanabi focused intently on playing with her sisters on the bench, responding softly.

As a mother, Mrs. Uesugi naturally noticed the gentleness and kindness on her daughter-in-law’s face. She and Hanabi’s mother had been best friends since high school.

Having watched their children grow up together, if she had any expectations for this daughter-in-law, it was that she had none.

Compared to her meek nature, her son undoubtedly dominated in the marriage.

And while marriage should be fair, occasional playful behavior between a couple is no issue, but repeatedly bullying the weaker party is truly problematic.

With this in mind, Mrs. Uesugi had to display her maternal authority in front of Uesugi Sakura.

"Hanabi, wait a moment."

"Huh?"

Thus, seeing Hanamaru Hanabi’s behavior, she stopped inquiring, turned around, and dragged Mrs. Hanamaru, who was photographing the snowy pine trees, to hunt down Sakura, who had disappeared.

"Come on, Meiko, let’s find Sakura together."

"Huh? What’s the matter? You seem angry."

"I am indeed angry."

...

Hanamaru Hanabi watched anxiously as the two mothers descended the stairs and gradually disappeared from view: "Sakura-kun won’t get scolded, will he?"

"Sister..."

"Goo goo ga ga."

She glanced at her two crawling sisters beside her, worried about that mischievous guy but unable to stray too far, deciding to give Sakura-kun a call to warn him.

Hanamaru Hanabi took out her phone, lit up the screen, paused for a second on the sweet couple photo on the wallpaper, smiled, and dialed the number saved as "Husband" in her contacts.

Beep...

Beep...

...

After waiting for a while, the standard female prompt voice came from the other end:

[This is Uesugi Sakura. I’m not available. Please press 2 to leave a message after the tone.]

Not picking up again!

Hanamaru Hanabi put down her phone, pouted, quickly pressed "2" on the screen with her slender fingers, then brought the phone close to her mouth and, following the "Please leave a message" prompt, muttered angrily:

"Baka!"

....

It was slightly before noon.

About ten minutes later, the visibly upset Hanamaru Hanabi saw Uesugi Sakura appear at the top of the stairs.

She initially didn’t want to acknowledge him, but when he approached with a floral wreath surrounded by bluebells, she raised her head to look at him.

Uesugi Sakura smiled at the girl in front of him and said, "I didn’t expect to find these flowers on the mountain. Bluebells like winter, but they’re originally from Europe, quite far from here. What I saw earlier was probably cultivated. Nobody seemed to be tending them, so they might wilt in a few days. I picked some and, with Aei Chiaei, made this wreath for you."

Hanamaru Hanabi hugged the wreath he handed her. It wasn’t exceptionally intricate, but thanks to the beautiful purple-blue bluebells and the purposely symmetrical design, it appeared quite lovely.

"So... Sakura-kun disappeared to gather materials for this wreath?"

"Yeah," Uesugi Sakura smiled, sitting down in the empty spot on the bench next to her, gazing at the snowy scenery where the sea met the city below, "What else would I be doing? On the way back, though, your mom and mine cornered me between two pine trees and scolded me, telling me not to roughhouse with you..."

Uesugi Sakura looked back at the girl beside him.

"Honestly, I’ve never been scolded like that by two moms in my life."

"Does Sakura-kun feel uncomfortable?" Hanamaru Hanabi asked, looking over the wreath in her hands.

"Not really, just found it a bit novel," Uesugi Sakura said, coughing lightly into his right fist as if declaring something formally, "So... If there’s anything you’re unhappy with, Hanabi, feel free to tell me. I can handle it."

Hanamaru Hanami, seeing the beautiful little item in her sister’s hands, threw her toy on the ground and climbed onto Hanamaru Hanabi’s lap, her little purple eyes reflecting the bluebell wreath, babbling:

"Flower~ Flower~~"

"I can’t give this to you, okay?"

Hanamaru Hanabi patted Hanamaru Hanami’s small head and then handed the wreath back to Uesugi Sakura.

"You... don’t like it?" Uesugi Sakura was surprised, seeing the wreath on his lap.

"Who said I didn’t like it?" Hanamaru Hanabi picked up Hanami, sitting her on her dress.

"Then, why...?"

"Goo goo ga ga." 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Uesugi Shin saw another little playmate was gone and crawled towards Hanamaru Hanabi across the wooden bench, whom she also picked up.

"I have to take care of these two little ones," she explained, holding both of them.

"What about the wreath?"

"Sakura-kun should help Hanabi wear it."

Uesugi Sakura smiled as he saw her smile.

"Alright, I’ll help you put it on."

...

The process of putting on the wreath was quite ordinary, lacking any ceremonial feeling.

She simply lowered her head a bit, and Uesugi Sakura gently placed the wreath on her head.

Though plain and simple, Uesugi Sakura looked at her sitting with her two sisters and felt a unique emotion stirring within.

In that fleeting moment, he saw a glimpse of his long-ago self.