Laid-Back Life in Tokyo: I Really Didn't Want to Work Hard-Chapter 919 - 538: Christmas Eve Approaches (Part 6)_2

Chapter 919: Chapter 538: Christmas Eve Approaches (Part 6)_2

"Are you trying to say you didn’t protect me well?"

"Hmm..."

"Silly brother, does your sister need you to protect her?" Hanamaru Yuuki laughed and patted his head.

"But..."

"But what... I know you tried your best... and didn’t you knock down a guy for your sister?"

"But... with Sakura..."

"Why compare yourself to your brother-in-law, you’re not him, you’re my brother."

Hanamaru Shinetsu was silent for a long time, then asked, "Will you be going home today, sister? After this incident, mom must be worried about you."

"Go home? No, I don’t want to go home yet."

"But what about mom—"

"Just tell her I’m fine."

"Alright then..."

Officer Suzuki drove up, and Hanamaru Hanabi called over Uesugi Sakura from a distance.

The four of them got into the police car and stopped at the entrance of the Uesugi Family apartment.

"Is this the place?" Officer Suzuki pulled the police car to the base of the apartment building.

"Yes, right here." Uesugi Sakura, in the passenger seat, said.

The three of them got out of the car, Hanamaru Yuuki waved to Hanamaru Shinetsu in the back seat, watching the taillights of the police car disappear into the night.

Hanamaru Yuuki’s hair gently lifted as she gazed into the distance for a while, then turned back to apologize to Hanamaru Hanabi and Uesugi Sakura:

"Sorry... sister, brother-in-law... I’ve troubled you."

Hanamaru Yuuki’s tone wasn’t cheerful at all at this moment.

Compared to now, Uesugi Sakura still preferred the usual lively and cheerful sister-in-law.

Hanamaru Hanabi walked up to her and held her hand: "It’s okay, Yuuki... it’s not your fault..."

Uesugi Sakura also said, "The root cause of this matter actually lies with uncle, Yuuki, you were just forced to get involved."

"Hmm... Uncle Yugetsu... he’s also very kind to me."

Hanamaru Hanabi: "Let’s go home first, it’s a bit cold outside."

"Okay..."

The three of them entered the apartment and got on the elevator.

Uesugi Sakura noticed the atmosphere was a bit heavy and asked, "Yuuki, why did you suddenly go to see Uncle Yugetsu?"

"I... wanted to drink some alcohol."

"Do you drink usually?"

Hanamaru Yuuki shook her head, not yet recovered from what happened earlier.

"Suddenly wanting to drink must mean there’s something on your mind." Hanamaru Hanabi asked.

"There are some things..." Hanamaru Yuuki suddenly laughed, "It’s better to rest early today, after such an incident, resting early is the right thing to do."

Hanamaru Hanabi: "Alright, later I’ll run a bath for you, do you want to bathe together?"

"What about brother-in-law? Shouldn’t you stay with him?"

"Your brother-in-law can bathe alone, we have two bathrooms anyway."

Uesugi Sakura forced a smile at Hanabi-chan.

Back at home, after dinner and bathing, Uesugi Sakura watched the two sisters come out of the bathroom in pajamas.

"Yuuki, you won’t suddenly leave tonight, right?"

"I won’t... brother-in-law... it was just... my phone ran out of battery this afternoon, it wasn’t intentional..."

"It’s okay, it’s okay," Hanamaru Hanabi said beside them, "Come on, Yuuki, let’s go to sleep."

"Huh...? You’re not staying with brother-in-law?"

"He can sleep alone, we’re sleeping together tonight."

Uesugi Sakura didn’t mind and smiled, "Go ahead, don’t worry about me, I usually sleep on the couch anyway."

Hanamaru Yuuki: "Alright... okay..."

...

After the afternoon’s events, everyone was in a rather unhappy mood.

Uesugi Sakura made a cup of hot coffee and stood on the balcony, watching the snowy night sky over Tokyo, thinking that tonight was supposed to be a cheerful night, Hanabi had planned to teach Yuuki to cook.

Uesugi Sakura looked at his reflection in the floor-to-ceiling glass, thinking about the whole Yakuza business... sigh, he still preferred ordinary daily life.

He glanced at the half-drunk coffee in his hand.

Forget it, I’ll work on some writing before bed, tomorrow’s Christmas Eve, not far from the end of the year.

Another year passed.

Uesugi Sakura glanced at the distant, twinkling Tokyo Tower, shook his head, and returned to the brightly lit living room.

——————

Every day, time passes by.

Uesugi Sakura can clearly sense this, but nowadays, he doesn’t want to dwell on sorrow; living each day well is enough.

The next morning, Uesugi Sakura, who went to bed late, woke up fairly early, with the sky just beginning to lighten.

Tomorrow is Christmas, December 24th, no holiday.

His mother-in-law had already arranged for him and Hanabi to return to the family home in Shinjuku for a reunion dinner together.

Reunion dinner, this is something still present in Japan, and at the mention of it, Uesugi Sakura can’t help feeling a bit nostalgic.

The 25th is the last day of finals, after exams there’s the winter holiday, and another year has passed.

Really...if Uesugi Sakura could make a choice, he would choose to spend every day well with Hanabi-chan, again and again, in such a cycle.

Her calling him "Sakura-kun" over and over, the smile when she accepted his confession, the tears of joy at their wedding.

How could he forget.

So, when Uesugi Sakura saw Hanamaru Hanabi busy with breakfast in the kitchen, he hugged her waist from behind.

"Sakura-kun, don’t be naughty, Hanabi is making breakfast."

"Mm, I know." Uesugi Sakura rested his head on her small shoulder, his hands wrapped around her waist.

Hanamaru Hanabi tapped his head with a spoon and said, "Sakura-kun, why are you being so clingy first thing in the morning..."

"Isn’t a wife meant for being spoiled..." Uesugi Sakura closed his eyes, just wanting to feel the warmth from her body.

"Sakura-kun, you’re a grown man...not embarrassed at all..."

"Why should I be embarrassed about hugging my own wife...if possible, I want to hug her for a lifetime."

"Then what about the next life?"

"In the next life, Hanabi hugs me."

"Sakura-kun is so naughty...always sticking to Hanabi." Said Hanamaru Hanabi lightly, a gentle smile on her face.

"Hanabi-chan, have you forgiven me yet?"

"Forgiven...? Sakura-kun...actually should have known long ago, right."

"Mm..."

How could Uesugi Sakura not know, Hanabi-chan didn’t say she forgave him...but in her heart, she had long forgiven him.

Hanamaru Hanabi wore a tender smile, "But Hanabi can’t fully forgive Sakura-kun..."

"Why?"

"Because Sakura-kun is always striving towards the Hanabi who hasn’t forgiven him, he intentionally pursues, intentionally makes her happy, intentionally does good for her, even wrote a book for her..."

"You figured it out?"

"Idiot..."

Hanamaru Hanabi softly scolded, "How could Hanabi not figure it out...the words the female lead in the book says are all things Hanabi once said to Sakura-kun...and Sakura-kun, putting those embarrassing things Hanabi said in the book..."

"Haha, what’s wrong with that?"

"Why did Sakura-kun write the male lead so miserable? If the female lead is Hanabi, then the male lead should be Sakura-kun."

"Why so miserable? Actually...Hanabi-chan, even though I seem to have everything, inwardly I am extremely empty and lonely, so the male lead reflects not my actual person, but my inner self—always yearning for the day I’d meet the right person.

The male lead found that person, and I did too."

Uesugi Sakura let go of Hanamaru Hanabi’s waist, lifting her small hand with the wedding ring, gently fiddling with her fingers.

"What is the purpose of the third volume where the male and female leads return to high school?"

"To retrieve some things from the past, emotions, memories, and to make new friends and experience new things with the female lead."

"Sakura-kun."

"What’s up?"

"Hanabi chatted a lot with Yuuki last night."

"How did it go?"

"Hanabi found out...that Yuuki-chan, is actually lacking in love."

"Lacking in love?"

"Yeah...she even said she admired Sakura-kun—"

"Mm?"

Hanamaru Hanabi smiled, "She admired the way Sakura-kun loves Hanabi, she feels Sakura-kun treats Hanabi so well, but after seeing this, she thinks about herself, uncertain how to find such a person."

"In other words, she’s quite confused?"

"Yeah, a lost lamb."

"Yuuki’s conditions aren’t lacking either, she could easily find a boyfriend."

"But! Yuuki wishes to find someone with true love like Sakura-kun."

Uesugi Sakura thought for a while: "I understand...but indeed, in this world, finding real love can’t be easy..."

"Then what about Hanabi and Sakura-kun?"

"It’s fate."