Laid-Back Life in Tokyo: I Really Didn't Want to Work Hard-Chapter 851 - 502: Otaru City_2

Hanamaru Hanabi certainly noticed his gaze.

The air conditioner in the hotel was blowing hot air, and soon, the warmth in the room increased significantly.

Hanamaru Hanabi crossed her legs: "Not right now, Hanabi has to work. There’s a manuscript I need to submit this week, and today is already Saturday."

"But—" The girl suddenly changed her tone.

"But what?" Uesugi Sakura’s eyes rekindled with hope.

Hanamaru Hanabi uncrossed her legs and lifted her skirt hem: "But if Sakura-kun can find Hanabi in the Find the Cat game within three minutes, then Hanabi can work and play games with Sakura-kun at the same time."

"Re...ally?" Uesugi Sakura’s eyes remained fixed.

"Of course it’s true."

Hanamaru Hanabi saw his expression of "I’m completely ready," smiled at him, and then propped her hands on the bed behind her, watching him squat down and approach.

...

"Actually, since I was a child, I’ve thought about supporting Sakura-kun with my own efforts," Hanamaru Hanabi closed her beautiful eyes.

"Do you still want to now?"

"Yes, I still really want to," Hanamaru Hanabi’s cheeks began to flush, as she placed a hand on his head, "I want Sakura-kun to hold Hanabi every day, to coax her to sleep with sweet words, and when she’s tired, Sakura-kun would hold her and comfort her to rest quickly."

"Sakura-kun, Hanabi has always been a very lonely person since she was young, not liked by others, nor respected by them. Even when helping others, it was considered a given. The time in junior high when we were in different classes was the period Hanabi least liked, because even if she was bullied, she could see Sakura-kun’s back from behind. Just thinking that after school there would still be Sakura-kun accompanying her... made Hanabi’s heart grow warm."

Uesugi Sakura said nothing.

He was thinking about the childhood things Hanabi spoke of, she used to be an inconspicuous little girl.

Introverted personality, not fond of talking, nor knowing how to fit in.

Back then, in the promotion exam for eighth grade, Hanamaru Hanabi was placed in class B, while Uesugi Sakura was in class A.

Class B, though newly formed, still largely comprised of familiar faces.

Which meant that Hanamaru Hanabi and a few classmates were the newcomers to the class B circle.

Upon arrival, with good intentions, she helped a fairly popular boy in the class pick up a pencil.

And because of that pencil, received with gratitude from the boy, she was ostracized by the class B clique of rebellious girls.

Blackboard, sweeping, mopping, sports equipment...

Every time it was physical labor, they made her do it.

She diligently swept the floor for those classmates every day.

Uesugi Sakura wondered what kind of mood Hanamaru Hanabi must have had, when she stayed alone in the empty classroom after school, silently sweeping the floor holding a broom. What feelings did she have inside?

Her heart must have been fragile at that time, and she must have felt very uncomfortable.

"Hanabi."

"Hmm..." Hanamaru Hanabi’s cheeks turned red-hot.

"Earlier... I couldn’t give you much, but in the future if you want to cry, please feel free to come to me, and share anything that’s troubling your heart with me."

"Sakura-kun, are you feeling sorry for Hanabi?" Hanamaru Hanabi’s right hand pressed down on his lifted head.

"I feel sorry, very much so."

"So when Hanabi tells Sakura-kun she’ll disappear, you’ll feel heartache too?"

"Also very much heartache."

"Hanabi... can tell which words from Sakura-kun are true, and which are false... It’s because Sakura-kun never deceives Hanabi at crucial times, that Hanabi is willing to marry him." Hanamaru Hanabi paused with eyes closed for quite a while, taking a breath before finally saying the last sentence.

At that moment, redness had already spread to the girl’s earlobes.

"Only for Sakura-kun will it be like this."

"Do you still need it?"

"What do you think, Sakura-kun?"

Uesugi Sakura said nothing more, leaned forward, intertwined fingers with her small hand, and pressed his face against her smooth, clean back.

...

The white snow fell from the sky onto the windowsill, the sky not covered by the sun was transparent and clean.

...

The last stop of the Hokkaido journey was Otaru City.

It seems that because of the location in the northern part of Hokkaido, the snow here falls heavier. Even wearing a down jacket, stepping off the train makes one shiver involuntarily.

For some reason, ever since being on the train, Hanamaru Hanabi’s condition hasn’t been well.

She keeps squinting her eyes, looking sleepy but unable to fall asleep.

Worried she might catch a cold, Uesugi Sakura holds her in his arms, letting her lean against him for warmth.

The snowstorm is intense. Due to snow accumulating on the tracks, the train is delayed, and before reaching halfway to Otaru City, the sky has already turned pitch black.

Even the train’s headlights are splintered messily by the swirling snowflakes.

The road ahead is blocked by snow, and the train lacks enough fuel reserves to maintain heating in all carriages throughout the night.

All tourists on the train, guided by the train guards, begin attempting to walk towards the city.

This sudden change is something nobody on the train expected.

"Sakura! You carry Hanabi off the train! Take her to the hospital! It’s not far from Otaru City central! We’ll head to the hotel first! Not eating outside!"

"Alright!"

In the whistling snowstorm, Uesugi Sakura lowers his hat brim, trying his best to keep his balance.

He glances sideways at Hanamaru Hanabi, who is lying on his back, her head resting on his shoulder with her eyes closed, comforting her, "Hanabi, it’s okay, it’s okay, we’ll be back at the hotel soon..."

In Hanamaru Hanabi’s blurred vision, there’s only a faint slit of light as she leans on Uesugi Sakura’s back. She had already overheard the mothers discussing the full occupancy of nearby hotels while on the train.

In a weak tone, she asks, "Sakura, you won’t abandon Hanabi, right?"

"What nonsense are you saying! It’s just a snowstorm, our booked hotel isn’t far away." Uesugi Sakura steps through the thick snow, closing his eyes against the bite of the cold wind and snow in the darkness.

"Sakura, don’t lie to Hanabi... Hanabi knows when Sakura is being truthful... and when not..."

"Everything I say is true, it’s all true." Uesugi Sakura insists through clenched teeth, glancing back at all the tourists who were on the train, following closely behind.

"Hanabi should have listened to Sakura in the morning..." Hanamaru Hanabi’s voice becomes increasingly weak.

"Don’t talk anymore, it’s partly my fault too, Hanabi you just rest, make sure not to fall asleep, or it will get colder."

"Okay..."

The policemen ahead are shouting with searchlights above their heads, "Keep up! Don’t get lost! Watch your kids!"

Suddenly, a messy outcry emerges from behind them.

Someone had tripped and fallen over a rock in the snow.

The person beside them quickly helped them up, shouting against the howling wind, "Are you okay?!"

"I’m fine, I’m fine." The person quickly brushed away the snow on their face and continued moving forward with their suitcase.

It was only halfway through when they realized that the wind and snow in the darkness suddenly intensified significantly. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

The guard pressed down on his hat and reminded everyone, "Be careful! There’s still half the way to go!"

"Sakura..."

"I’m here, I’m here." Hearing the girl’s weak voice, Uesugi Sakura quickly responds to her.

"Where... is this place...?"

"Hanabi, are you running a fever?"

At 8:33 p.m., the whistling snowflakes scattered around, brushing against people’s faces, imparting a sense of cold desolation. The white snow ahead had long been swallowed by the darkness.

"Fever...? Hanabi... doesn’t know, Hanabi only knows she’s... so cold..."

Uesugi Sakura suddenly feels her clinging to him tighter, her face pressing closer to his neck.

That’s right, that’s right, now she can only rely on him, she can only hold on tighter.

"Hanabi...?"

"Mm... I’m not asleep, Sakura..."

"Hold on for a bit, I’ll take you to the hospital soon, drink this first." Uesugi Sakura somehow pulls out a small bottle.

"Can I drink this?" Hanamaru Hanabi can barely see the smooth small bottle in her hand, feeling a bit powerless.

"Drink it, at most you’ll just have a mild cold."

"Mm..."

Facing the blizzard encroaching by the darkness, Uesugi Sakura carries her on his back with both hands, his eyes squinting, closely following the group in front.

The night grows darker, and the mountainous contours of the county borders become indistinct. The outline of the city bows heavily under the howling snowflakes, the long train tracks illuminated by only a few dim beams of light, paving the way swallowed by darkness.