Laid-Back Life in Tokyo: I Really Didn't Want to Work Hard-Chapter 843 - 498: Hanabi’s Flower Crown (Part 2)

"Actually... I’ve never thought before I would one day put a flower crown I made by myself on a girl’s head."

"Really?" Hanamaru Hanabi’s gaze shifted back to him.

"Of course, although we’re sitting here with peaceful minds right now, every time I speak you respond, seeing you by my side makes me feel... exceptionally happy and warm."

Listening to his words, Hanamaru Hanabi seemed unhappy, her small mouth pouted a bit: "If Sakura is so concerned about Hanabi, then why not take out your phone and have a look?"

"Phone?"

Uesugi Sakura, somewhat puzzled, took off a glove, and then fumbled his phone out of his pocket.

He slid open the screen, and the first thing he saw was a voicemail signed "Little Hanabi Wife."

Followed by more than a dozen missed calls.

Suddenly realizing, his phone today seemed to still be on silent mode.

Not answering her sixteen missed calls last night, and today... forgetting again...

By any means, this counts as negligence.

He swallowed nervously, a bit afraid to look at his wife, fearing to see her adorable smiling face; he reached out a finger to tap on that voicemail, and the phone screen immediately switched.

Once it reached the playback screen, Hanamaru Hanabi’s voice immediately rang out.

Sounding like she was puffing her cheeks, saying angry words like cursing a fool.

"Hanabi... actually—"

Hanamaru Hanabi looked at his slowly raising face: "Is Sakura trying to say that he didn’t do it on purpose?"

Uesugi Sakura: "..."

"Actually, whether it was intentional or not is no longer important, it’s as if abiding by a promise to date a girl, but standing her up! Leaving someone standing alone on the street, constantly looking around, waiting for the one who came to meet, but what she sees... are only passersby walking in front of her."

Hanamaru Hanabi paused, then continued:

"Does Sakura think Hanabi should be angry?"

"Should..."

"Should Sakura be called irresponsible, forgetting Hanabi’s words right away?"

"Yes, should..."

Hanamaru Hanabi’s expression suddenly became calm, she turned her head, her face exposed to the distant breeze, not only the white scarf around her neck but the beautiful flower crown on her head gently swayed in the cold wind:

"So all this time Sakura actually didn’t care about Hanabi... If she leaves, Sakura will probably only be sad for a day or two, then forget right away..."

The girl’s side profile is beautifully vibrant, her eyes flickering like a blue-violet butterfly fluttering through the snowy day.

Uesugi Sakura gazed for a long time at Hanamaru Hanabi, watching her increasingly chilled delicate face.

She suddenly turned her head, showing a beautiful yet extremely sorrowful smile:

"Sakura, Hanabi... is going to leave now."

"N-now...?" Uesugi Sakura thought he misheard, almost shouting in shock, but the tranquility in the girl’s voice was undeniable.

"Yes, now... Since Sakura doesn’t need Hanabi anymore... doesn’t care about Hanabi... then Hanabi actually doesn’t have any reason to exist, because... everything of Hanabi’s is given by Sakura, whether dreams or life."

In Hanamaru Hanabi’s eyes were reflections of the distant snow-covered city, the endless coastline, and the blue arc horizon.

Really... leaving?!

Seeing relief in her eyes, Uesugi Sakura’s heart burned with urgency, he hurriedly went forward to grasp her hand.

"Hanabi... Hanabi! Hanabi!" Uesugi Sakura shook her hand continuously, calling her name repeatedly.

Hanamaru Hanabi seemed not to hear, slowly closed her eyes, gently lifted her neck as if embracing the cold wind blowing through the woods.

And then, she—

Suddenly turned her head, opened her purple eyes and smiled joyfully at Uesugi Sakura:

"Ta-da!"

"What?!" Uesugi Sakura’s face was full of astonishment.

"What do you mean, what?" Hanamaru Hanabi giggled, her face broke into a cherry blossom-like smile, "Hanabi is still here, isn’t Sakura happy?"

"..."

"..."

Time ticked away little by little, Hanamaru Hanabi tilted her head from side to side waiting for quite a while before realizing he snapped back to reality.

"So, you didn’t leave?"

"Of course not, how could Hanabi disappear over such a small matter."

"But you just..."

"It seemed like it, right?" Hanamaru Hanabi smiled, "Though leaving was just an act, being angry was real, Sakura-kun still won’t answer Hanabi’s calls, still · won’t · answer!"

Uesugi Sakura was momentarily speechless, "My fault, my fault..."

"Repented yet?" Hanamaru Hanabi set the little sisters aside to play with toys,

"I’ve repented, truly repented this time."

"That’s good then."

Hanamaru Hanabi gave a light smile, then extended her arms to wrap them around his neck, exhaling warm breath, gazing at the snowy scene behind him, she softly said with her most genuine voice:

"How could Hanabi ever abandon Sakura-kun... She always remembers her promises with Sakura-kun, whether during dates, at the wedding, or in ordinary everyday life... Her only request for Sakura-kun in this lifetime is that as long as Sakura-kun remembers her in his heart, that’s enough, completely enough..."

The young girl gently whispered beside his ear, tightening the embrace around his neck a bit more...

Leaning on her small shoulder, Uesugi Sakura could intimately feel the reality of their physical connection, feeling the heartfelt words conveyed through her speech.

Hanamaru Hanabi released him, looking at him: "Sakura-kun might feel that the atmosphere wasn’t quite right, or that Hanabi’s words weren’t warm enough. Sakura-kun might have felt this way, but Hanabi’s words are true, genuinely true."

"I understand all of it." Uesugi Sakura nodded.

"Good that you understand!"

Hanamaru Hanabi chuckled, with hands adjusting the flower crown on her head, very happy, "Shall we go for lunch now? Or, would you like to take a few photos of Hanabi first?"

"How about I take some photos of you?" Uesugi Sakura also started smiling.

"Sure! But what about Hanami and Mo?"

"Don’t worry, let them play on the chairs for a while, we won’t take long, nor go far, the scenery is quite good here, with mountains, trees, and snow... Once Mom and the others find a restaurant, they’ll be here soon."

"Okay then!"

The young girl happily agreed again.

In the distant sky atop the mountain, where there are no clouds, it’s all a blanket of white.

The drifting, falling snowflakes enhance the girl’s adorable appearance before him, viewing through the lens, the outlines in the scene seem to lose their luster under her smiling face.

Nothing catches the eye anymore, the wooden benches, snow-covered pine woods, distant mountains... Fleecy snowflakes incessantly flitted past the front of the girl’s face as if they washed over in a vague blur. Upon close inspection, her smiling face suddenly becomes incredibly clear amidst the snowflakes.

He looked at her, his mind wandering, yet her expression remained so gentle.

Uesugi Sakura observed her within the photos, with her white scarf and bluebell crown, pressing the shutter key.

Click.

Soon, the young girl sprinted over, grabbing Uesugi Sakura’s hand eagerly saying: "Hanabi wants to see, let Hanabi see first."

Uesugi Sakura lowered his hand, allowing her little head to nuzzle beside him endlessly.

"Don’t worry, photos I take are never bad-looking."

"Who says?" Hanamaru Hanabi embraced his phone, flipping through the photos he had just shot for her.

"Aren’t these just lovely?"

Hanamaru Hanabi scanned left and right, seemingly unable to find fault with the photos on his phone, she turned her pretty little face to look at him.

"Hehe."

"What’s so funny?"

"Suddenly thought, Sakura-kun is quite handsome too."

"Hmm? Haven’t I always been handsome?"

"Not at all, you weren’t handsome before, not answering Hanabi’s calls was so not handsome."

"Why handsome now then?"

"Because Hanabi suddenly likes Sakura-kun a lot, for no other reason." Hanamaru Hanabi happily hugged his waist, laying her face sideways against his shoulder.

Seeing her sweetly snuggling up, Uesugi Sakura felt that everything of his melted into her.

"It’s almost lunchtime, what do you feel like eating?"

"Want to eat everything, want everything! Especially — want to eat Sakura-kun!"

Hanamaru Hanabi’s hands shrunk before his chest, raising her little face in his embrace, sweetly beaming upwards...

And the bluebell crown she had woven herself, at this moment, on her flaxen hair, revealed a unique beauty.