Laid-Back Life in Tokyo: I Really Didn't Want to Work Hard-Chapter 888 - 523: Hanabi, Who Hasn’t Been Home for a Long Time (Part 2)

Chapter 888: Chapter 523: Hanabi, Who Hasn’t Been Home for a Long Time (Part 2)

"Hanabi-chan, it hurts..."

"Naughty Sakura, actually doing this kind of thing to his own sister."

"Haha... After all, she’s the little sister next door. As a teenage boy, not being curious would be abnormal. I should actually thank my mother-in-law for frequently letting me in during summer."

"Mom won’t know about you spying, right, Sakura?"

"Probably not, even if she knew, I guess she wouldn’t say anything."

Speaking of her mother, Hanamaru Hanabi shyly recalled the events from a few nights before, "That night... Mom didn’t hear it, right? I feel like, what she told me in the morning seemed like she knew."

"Well, Hanabi-chan, you held back your voice, but from downstairs, it’s actually still audible."

"How awful!" Hanamaru Hanabi clenched her small fists in shame and frustration, hitting his back.

"Hanabi-chan, don’t mind it too much, we’re married now, it’s nothing."

"But... Mom might have heard!"

"I don’t think it’s a big deal, if she heard, she heard."

"If it were mother-in-law, I bet she’d be at the door, sneaking a listen and chuckling."

"Mom is mischievous too!"

"True, your mom and my mom, both were famous gossip experts in college. Now they’re homemakers, of course, they get bored and peek into our lives."

Chatting all along the way, somehow, half an hour flew by.

Uesugi Sakura looked at the intersection not far from home, watching the flowing vehicles, and couldn’t help but say, "Time flies so fast."

"Sakura, aren’t you tired?"

"How could I be tired carrying you," Saying this, Uesugi Sakura hoisted the girl further onto his back, "Hanabi-chan is so light, even with many layers of clothes, I can feel her delicate small frame, and her skin is so soft and smooth as if it has no bones."

"You’re exaggerating..."

"Not exaggerating, how else to make you shy? Hanabi-chan, why not leave a mark on my neck?"

"What?"

"I just want you to leave a mark, symbolizing that I belong to you."

The green light turned on, and both continued walking home.

Street-side trees, street-side people, street-side cars, street-side vending machines.

Uesugi Sakura carried her, listening to her, as she leaned on his shoulder, chatting about one topic after another, as if he was carrying his whole life, both light and heavy, unwilling to let go.

Today, she agreed to cook for him back home. Strangely, though it’s the most ordinary thing, Uesugi Sakura was filled with anticipation.

"Hanabi-chan..."

"What’s up?" Hanamaru Hanabi, wearing a hood, lay on his shoulder.

"Could you not be so good to me? I fear that because you’re too good, once I’m used to it, I might forget you exist."

"Sakura... has fallen into love syndrome again," Hanamaru Hanabi leaned against his back, chuckled, "I feel like we are complementary; when Sakura becomes sentimental, Hanabi comforts him, when Hanabi gets sentimental, Sakura then comforts her."

"Indeed, Sakura and Hanabi are like the sun illuminating each other."

"Hanabi thinks, actually, the sweet words said to Sakura are already enough, what lifetime, always with Sakura, even willing to be with him in the afterlife, but... it still feels not enough, wanting to say more."

Hanamaru Hanabi paused a long while here before closing her eyes quietly, and with a face full of happiness, said:

"Hanabi likes Sakura the most."

Uesugi Sakura was deeply touched, almost choked with emotion, but he wanted to make the atmosphere happier, so he smiled and said to her:

"So, has Hanabi forgiven Sakura?"

"No."

"But Hanabi, you say you like me so much."

"Liking is one thing, it doesn’t mean Hanabi doesn’t love Sakura."

"Hanabi, this statement is quite conflicting."

"Not at all... It’s like some girls saying they don’t like their brothers but actually like them the most deep down."

"That’s generally known as tsundere."

"Is being tsundere bad?"

"Not saying it’s bad, it’s just..."

Their interdependent silhouettes at the city street side, gradually lengthened by the sunset on the horizon.

Despite repeating completely repetitive topics, they still say them tirelessly.

Answering the girl’s topics, Uesugi Sakura also thought about how what he really looked forward to was the one who could respond to him anytime, no matter how many times a topic gets repeated.

As long as she’s there by his side... she responds to him.

Everything, with the sunset illuminating the twilight, is filled with warmth.

"Sakura, put Hanabi down."

"Not talking anymore?" Uesugi Sakura’s voice held a hint of disappointment.

"We’re home." Hanamaru Hanabi looked at him with her purple eyes, murmuring softly.

Looking at the familiar road before the house, Uesugi Sakura rather put on a bitter smile and said, "Now I feel guilty coming home with you, always thinking of you making a cake alone, waiting for me at home."

"Sakura, it’s good that you understand that feeling." Hanamaru Hanabi didn’t blame him.

"Does that feeling have a name?"

"Yes, it’s had one for a long time, very simple too."

"What is it?"

"Abandonment."

"Hmm... Hanabi’s right." Uesugi Sakura felt more guilty, knowing that this word was the most painful thing to little Hanabi, yet he still let her feel it after marriage.

This isn’t a matter of being careless anymore.

Hanamaru Hanabi reached out her small hand, holding his, smiling brightly:

"But! Hanabi-chan knows Sakura didn’t mean it, so after being a little angry for a few days, she didn’t feel that way anymore."

"So, did Hanabi forgive Sakura?"

"No," Hanamaru Hanabi still replied this, "Even if Sakura didn’t mean it, he did it anyway, so he has to bear the corresponding consequences."

"Even so, Hanabi, are you still going home with me?"

"Can’t help it... Who told Sakura, such a big man, can’t even cook a meal for himself, only relying on Hanabi, this frail girl, to help out, even if I dislike, I don’t want to see him starve at home!"

Hanamaru Hanabi smiled again.

Her words sounded very relaxed, joking as she spoke to him.

Uesugi Sakura glanced at her hand holding his... Her hand is still a bit cold, small, softly tender.

She grew up, apart from mom and dad, probably has only taken his hand voluntarily.

Does this count as a signal of reliance?

Uesugi Sakura had never been as self-reproaching as during this recent period, though he seemed the same as usual on the surface, inwardly, he had already been occupied by the disappointed little Hanabi.

His whole mind kept thinking, how could you let her down, how could you let her down.

And now she even willingly comes back to cook for him.

The two took the elevator, and there was a brief silence.

"Hanabi-chan."

"Hmm?"

"Once we’ve truly reconciled, let’s definitely tease each other like before, alright?"

"Why can’t now?"

"Because all I think about now is apologizing to you, haha, I want to purposely tease you to see you shy, but I don’t have the courage now, haha."

"So, in the days between Christmas and the New Year’s performances, Sakura first has to adjust his mentality."

Hanamaru Hanabi deliberately kept him in suspense.

"As for Hanabi, always waiting for Sakura to return to normal someday, though he’s a bit naughty, Hanabi still likes him very much!"

Hanabi indeed changed, as her normal state became braver than before.

But when she’s shy, just like earlier, she still becomes adorably bashful, right?