Laid-Back Life in Tokyo: I Really Didn't Want to Work Hard-Chapter 867 - 511: The First Official Rehearsal

Chapter 511: The First Official Rehearsal

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Outside, just as Murata had said, it was very cold.

Even someone as resilient as Uesugi Sakura couldn’t help but shiver.

He looked worriedly towards the girls, and immediately spotted Hanamaru Hanabi in the crowd.

Standing among the girls, her extraordinary beauty and easily recognizable short hair made her stand out instantly.

She was wearing a hakama skirt prepared specially for the year-end celebration, and her face was as cute as ever.

Fortunately, she didn’t seem chilled by the wind.

Uesugi Sakura finally felt a bit relieved.

"Did you have a fight with your wife?" Murata asked, seeing his silent gaze.

"Sort of... I feel like I let her down." Uesugi Sakura muttered.

"What did you do? Couldn’t be—cheating, could it?" Murata feigned a shocked expression.

"No way, it’s just that she prepared a birthday party for me, and I forgot. That night I stayed in the school’s research room and didn’t go home."

Murata pieced together bits of the story: "So you left her at home alone for a night?"

"Yes..." Uesugi Sakura replied somewhat despondently.

"Ah, everyone makes mistakes at times, even the best couples argue; moreover, you haven’t really fought, it’s just about an apology, if you ask me." Murata wanted to pat Uesugi Sakura’s shoulder, but gave up when he realized he was too tall.

"I understand, so I’m trying to move towards her."

Murata blinked, seemingly suddenly realizing: "I knew it! You can’t be more diligent than me, I almost believed you genuinely liked the Night Dance."

Uesugi Sakura glanced at him: "Should’ve guessed, but I do quite like this dance."

"You’re not lying?"

"Why would I lie to you?"

Uesugi Sakura went down the stairs and walked towards the large group of girls.

"Look, look, it’s Uesugi-kun!"

"So handsome~"

Many girls chimed in and giggled secretly.

"But I heard he seems to have argued with Hanabi-chan."

"Eh? Really?"

"Yes, yes, apparently some kind of not returning home at night, having other women outside."

Someone covered their face and chuckled: "See, all handsome guys are the same."

"That expression—isn’t it just because you’re wondering why Uesugi-kun didn’t hit on you? Please~~ Look at yourself compared to Hanabi-chan."

"Haha, but even if Hanamaru is that pretty, the guy still went out at night, eh~~~ hahaha, you know."

"Exactly, exactly."

A girl suddenly nudged the other two: "Hey, hey, stop talking, stop talking."

"Sigh, afraid of what, Hanamaru is at the front, you worried she’ll hear—"

The speaking girl froze on the spot, realizing Uesugi Sakura just arrived and was staring at her.

Though he hadn’t spoken, nor was his gaze particularly intense.

She couldn’t help but shrink her neck, voluntarily shutting her mouth, silent.

"That’s just a rumor." Uesugi Sakura spoke.

The girl took a moment to recover, dazedly nodded repeatedly: "Sorry, so sorry!"

"We just heard it from other girls... please, Uesugi-san, don’t be mad..."

"Yeah, yeah."

The other two girls quickly chimed in, nodding repeatedly.

Uesugi Sakura withdrew his gaze, saying: "I wasn’t mad anyway, once things spread, there will be many rumors, it’s unavoidable... you can say whatever you want about me, but don’t let Hanabi hear, she’s very sensitive, can’t handle too much teasing."

He casually finished speaking and turned, pacing slowly towards the front of the line.

The three girls watched his figure gradually disappear into the crowd, then lowered their heads again, secretly gossiping:

"Really just a rumor?"

"Don’t know, I heard it from Asanuma."

"Uesugi-kun looks... doesn’t seem like the charming yet rogue person they said."

"It’s a rumor, right..."

"Maybe?"

They couldn’t be sure, nor could they deny it.

The breeze sweeping the treetops ruffled the girls’ skirts, bringing bursts of chilled air.

Many girls opted to cross their arms, stomping their feet incessantly on the ground.

Kyujuu Rika, leading today’s rehearsal, had a small speaker at her waist and a microphone spiraling up from her waist, organizing everyone into two lines.

Uesugi Sakura and Murata, as the only two male students, naturally stood at the front of the left line.

Even though Murata wore thermal underwear, he was freezing, moving his arms continually:

"If it weren’t for the dance studio being too small, and the basketball court under renovation, I wouldn’t have come to this place."

"Just bear with it, it won’t take long, a dance lasts only a few minutes."

"Only?! Uesugi-san, not everyone is like you, a superhuman. You’re the only one who runs ten kilometers every morning on the track... I don’t even want to run 500 meters!"

Uesugi Sakura sighed: "That’s why you don’t have a girlfriend, trust me, just start running every day, girls will naturally come asking for your contact info."

"Really?" Murata looked incredulous.