Laid-Back Life in Tokyo: I Really Didn't Want to Work Hard-Chapter 863 - 509: Night Dance

"Beep beep beep... beep beep beep..."

Uesugi Sakura reached out from beneath the sheets, picked up the phone on the table, and after taking a sleepy glance at the alarm clock showing 7:36, turned off the alarm.

He cradled his head in his hands, resting on the couch as he gazed at the ceiling.

The room was silent, and during the winter, even the crisp daily bird calls vanished without a trace.

Last night, he had a dream where he saw himself taking wedding photos with Hanabi.

She wore a white wedding dress, her cheeks were adorably tinged with cherry pink.

While he knelt on one knee before her, holding her petite, glowing hand in the center of his palm, he gazed into her violet eyes, promising her everlasting happiness.

Little Hanabi was a simple person... insecure, cute, gentle, patient, and meticulous...

When spending time with her... he just thought she was adorable, ordinary... but only when she really left his side, did Uesugi Sakura realize from the distance between them his urgent desire to find her.

Perhaps people just toss and turn within these repeated feelings.

It’s just like life.

Life is not only happiness and joy... pain is also part of life.

Pain is not entirely without purpose, it highlights the preciousness of happiness.

Uesugi Sakura threw off the blanket on the sofa, got up to brush his teeth and wash up, and then went to the bedroom to change his clothes.

He opened the wardrobe, inside were neatly arranged clothes hanging on hangers, giving off the scent of citrus.

He stared at it for quite a while.

Actually... it’s only when you quiet your heart that you notice the details of home...

Like these clothes of his, Hanamaru Hanabi had ironed every shirt, arranging them in order according to type.

Shirts, T-shirts, casual wear, autumn jackets, winter coats...

From this simple wardrobe, you can see her attentiveness.

While Uesugi Sakura, never took care of these things.

Uesugi Sakura turned back, glanced at the bed where she slept, the blankets were laid flat, pillows and shark plush placed neatly at the head of the bed.

Even if she was upset and went back to her parent’s home... does she need to tidy up so well?

He should praise her... a wife is indeed a wife, so meticulous.

Uesugi Sakura closed the wardrobe, changed his clothes, packed up the pajamas he took off last night, carried his computer, and walked out the foyer.

As he was closing the door, he glanced back at the living room with "Happy Birthday, Sakura!"

"Really miserable."

Uesugi Sakura turned his head, chuckled at himself mockingly, and closed the door with a click.

...

...

Today is December 3rd, Tuesday.

Struggling to cope with Professor Fujino, Uesugi Sakura left the studio, feeling drained, realizing humans have limitations.

As a double champion in Sword Dao and Kyudo, there were still things he couldn’t handle.

The system?

Uesugi Sakura felt he didn’t need to rely on it, he could regain his achievements on his own.

Thinking this way, the effort Hanabi must have put in to self-learn and reach this level was unimaginable.

But having barely passed Professor Fujino’s exam, at least he wouldn’t face pressure to forcibly learn for finals.

This meant he had a lot of free time.

At noon, eating lunch in the student cafeteria, listening to the gossip of a few girls at a neighboring table about their friend’s boyfriend cheating, Uesugi Sakura cleaned up his tray and returned it to the cafeteria window.

He turned around and headed to Tokyo Art University’s gymnasium, walked through the corridor, and made his way to the second floor.

Coincidentally, at the second flight of stairs, he bumped into a girl head-on.

"Ouch..."

"..."

"Are you okay, Hanabi?" Ayaka Rie supported Hanamaru Hanabi, who took a few steps back holding her head.

When they looked up again, they realized the person in front of them was Uesugi Sakura, also rubbing his chin, apparently hurt from the collision.

Uesugi Sakura paused for a moment, realizing he had bumped into Little Hanabi.

It was quite a coincidence.

If he remembered correctly, he had bumped into Hanabi before.

That time, he left her forehead red for an entire afternoon.

Ayaka Rie asked quizzically, "Uesugi, why are you here?"

Uesugi Sakura lowered his arm, pointed to the dance studio diagonally opposite, "I’m here to participate in this."

"You—" Ayaka Rie hesitated for a moment before suddenly understanding, "You want to join the year-end celebration, huh?"

"Isn’t it allowed?" As Uesugi Sakura posed this rhetorical question, he intentionally glanced at Hanamaru Hanabi, noticing she didn’t say a word.

Yet her eyes betrayed her feelings inside.

Uesugi Sakura couldn’t bear to look into her bright, beautiful eyes anymore.

"Well, it’s up to you, it’s your right anyway." Ayaka Rie folded her arms, her golden eyes focusing on him, "But your real purpose in participating is probably just to get close to Hanabi, right?"

"Not entirely," Uesugi Sakura glanced at Hanamaru Hanabi who stood quietly on one side, "At least I’ll try hard to learn the dance." 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"I hope that’s true, don’t keep thinking about getting close to Hanabi during practice this time!"

Ayaka Rie held Hanamaru Hanabi’s hand and directly went toward the dance studio.

Uesugi Sakura shook his head and followed closely behind.

The dance studio at Tokyo Art University was spacious, the floor covered in dark brown hardwood, with white chandeliers in the center, mirrors embedded on two walls, and handrails a meter high set up for support.