Laid-Back Life in Tokyo: I Really Didn't Want to Work Hard-Chapter 911 - 535: Christmas Eve Approaches (Part 3)

Uesugi Sakura carried the bento back to the bedroom.

Hanamaru Hanabi was still sitting on the bed, quietly gazing out the window, her pupils reflecting the sky outside.

For a moment, Uesugi Sakura felt she resembled a caged bird...not that she was confined, but like a fragile white bird in a cage, so beautiful it aroused pity. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"The bento is heated." Uesugi Sakura took a small table from the wardrobe and sat down on the bed next to her.

Hanamaru Hanabi turned to look at him and suddenly leaned over to sniff gently at him.

"What’s wrong?" Uesugi Sakura asked, lowering his head.

"It’s fine."

Hanamaru Hanabi said to herself, propping up with her hands on the bed, her two white thighs resting on either side. She raised her head, and with sparkling purple eyes looked at Uesugi Sakura, "You took so long just now...thankfully, no scent of Yuuki-chan."

Uesugi Sakura smiled, teasingly saying, "Wife, do you distrust your husband so much?"

"Hanabi...wholeheartedly trusts you, even if you lied, Hanabi would believe it." Hanamaru Hanabi sat up straight in a duck position.

"Then why still...?"

"Hanabi may be able to trust you, but can’t be sure about Yuuki-chan. Hanabi knows how important love is to a girl." Hanamaru Hanabi’s cute eyes held a bit of grievance.

Uesugi Sakura opened the bento box, took out a spoon, and asked the duck-sitting girl, "Are you saying Yuuki...likes me?"

"Seems like...she likes you, but also...maybe doesn’t." Hanamaru Hanabi weakly said.

"What does that mean?" Uesugi Sakura fed a spoonful of rice to Hanamaru Hanabi’s soft lips.

"Hanabi doesn’t know, just has that feeling," Hanamaru Hanabi said, chewing on the rice. "But Yuuki-chan is also quite restrained, and many things she just says without acting."

"Is that so?" Uesugi Sakura asked, as he knew much less about Yuuki compared to Hanabi.

"Yes...she’s a bit mischievous but a good kid, a good sister too. Do you remember Shinetsu?"

"The polite cousin?"

"Yes, since childhood, Shinetsu has respected his sister...because when Yuuki-chan was little, whether it was fighting or studying, she was ahead and very impressive, she’s a very responsible girl."

Hanamaru Hanabi smiled as she recalled the past.

"Do you know why Shinetsu learned Sword Dao?"

"Because he comes from a family of police officers?"

"No, our cousin Shinetsu was actually very physically weak as a child and didn’t like Sword Dao, and was easily bullied...it was always his sister protecting him. The initial reason is quite funny, one time he fell chasing his sister and cried, then Yuuki helped him up...guess what he said?"

"Cried for his mom?"

"No, he kept saying, ’I’m sorry, sister, I’m sorry,’ crying so pitifully," Hanamaru Hanabi shook her head with a smile, "And Yuuki-chan, I remember she gently comforted her three-year-old brother, telling him not to cry, with such a gentle voice, saying she’d count on him to protect her in the future."

"After a while, Shinetsu indeed stopped crying..."

As Hanamaru Hanabi recalled the scene, she couldn’t help but smile.

"Hanabi thinks, that’s why Shinetsu eventually went from disliking Sword Dao to diligently learning it, recalling this childhood scene."

"How does Hanabi know this?" Uesugi Sakura looked curious. By logic, Shinetsu should greatly admire Yuuki, so why did Yuuki say those things to him before?

"Hanabi was there, my dad took me to visit at my aunt’s place, and we played together. I think back then we went to buy some food, and Yuuki-chan ran so fast, neither Shinetsu nor I could catch up."

"These childhood stories sound quite interesting." Uesugi Sakura fed Hanabi another spoonful of rice with braised pork.

"They do sound interesting in such a relationship."

"Indeed," Uesugi Sakura nodded in agreement, "Sometimes, I also wish I had siblings, preferably a younger sister. If she cried, I could comfort her, holding her in my arms and seeing how small she is."

"But now you have Hanami, right?" Hanamaru Hanabi smiled.

"Haha, they’re still too small, really too small. If they were two or three years old and could call me brother, caring for them would be really fun."

"What about Aei and Chiaei?"

"Aei and Chiaei, I would also love to take care of them...but Hanabi-chan knows they’re strong, don’t like crying, prefer to endure silently... The environment made them strong, and as they grow, being too close is not suitable, perhaps just offering a hug."

"That’s true...it seems you’re quite discreet, Uesugi." Hanamaru Hanabi smiled at him.

"Listen to you, haven’t I always been discreet since childhood?"

Hanamaru Hanabi pouted, "Then how come you’ve made Hanabi angry?"

"Hanabi-chan, being discreet doesn’t mean I won’t make mistakes...even I make mistakes, I love you, care about you, and the feelings you’ve given me are always there."