Laid-Back Life in Tokyo: I Really Didn't Want to Work Hard-Chapter 945 - 551: Yuuki’s Childhood Friend (Part 2)

Chapter 945: Chapter 551: Yuuki’s Childhood Friend (Part 2)

"No, I haven’t."

"Don’t lie! And don’t spend the whole day thinking about things like that! There are so many meaningful things you haven’t done. Remember you promised to take Hanabi for a motorcycle ride?"

"Well... haha, you’ll have to wait until the end of this year at least. If Hanabi-chan isn’t satisfied, I can still take you horse riding."

"Then Sakura-kun, remember to make time to hang out with Hanabi... Hanabi has always been looking forward to it."

This sentence...

Yes, sweet and timid little Hanabi has always been looking forward to spending each day with me.

Always looking forward to going on dates with me.

Always looking forward to the next time we go shopping together.

Sitting together on a bench by the street, drinking milk tea, eating croquettes.

If she’s happy, I might hear her sing joyfully... filled with deep emotions...

Uesugi Sakura suddenly remembered reading "Six Records of a Floating Life" long ago, where the author Shen Fu’s wife passed away early, and he spent his latter years wandering in solitude, reminiscing about their past moments together.

In his memoir, he advised men and women not to become enemies, nor to be too attached.

This he could understand, but when passionate feelings arise... how can one heed warnings to not be overly attached?

He can only act mindfully, do what’s right in the present moment.

"How’s Sakura-kun’s book going?"

"’Hanabi’s Love’?’"

"Yes."

Uesugi Sakura: "Seems like... there’s been quite a bit of discussion about it, but there are also many criticizing me, saying they can’t accept the childhood friend dying at the beginning."

"Hanabi can’t accept it either."

Uesugi Sakura laughed: "Because you yourself are a childhood friend, right Hanabi-chan?"

"Yeah... where is there a story where the childhood friend dies in the second Chapter after marrying the childhood friend?" protested Hanamaru Hanabi.

"Come on, you’re the heroine of the book!"

"The prototype!"

After getting off the train in Ginza, the two followed Hanamaru Yuuki in search of a coffee shop called Micah.

The Ginza station was quite crowded, with several blond foreigners occasionally in sight.

Following the crowd, they barely managed to squeeze onto the elevator.

"Humming..."

Hearing Hanamaru Yuuki humming a tune ahead of them, Uesugi Sakura couldn’t help but ask: "Feeling that happy?"

"Pretty good." Hanamaru Yuuki didn’t turn back, yet responded with an unusually cheerful tone.

Seems like Yuuki is a bit too caught up, huh.

"Yuuki, if you meet him and he doesn’t meet your expectations, what will you think?"

"Huh... I don’t know!"

Uesugi Sakura glanced at Hanamaru Hanabi, and she said: "Sakura-kun, just let Yuuki go have a look."

That’s all they could do.

Leaving the train station.

The two followed Hanamaru Yuuki to the Micah coffee shop.

This place didn’t just serve coffee, it also sold milk tea, so it should really be called a coffee & milk tea shop.

Located beside the pedestrian street, it’s a prime location within a prime location, hence a cup of coffee here was several times more expensive.

For regular people, such a place was out of reach, but for the average middle-class family, the costs were quite within the normal range.

Looking at the coffee costing over a thousand yen per cup in front of him, Uesugi Sakura smiled at Hanamaru Hanabi sitting across from him:

"Actually, this also counts as a date."

"No, it doesn’t! It’s just about accompanying Yuuki to see her childhood friend."

Uesugi Sakura glanced at Hanamaru Yuuki sitting at the next table, then back at the silver-faced watch on his wrist.

There were still ten minutes until the agreed time of 10:30.

"Hanabi, what do you think of Yuuki’s childhood friend?"

"Hmm... Judging from the selfies on Twitter, he’s quite handsome. His name is Oogami Wataru, right?"

"Yes, that’s the name."

"Hanabi carefully checked his Twitter. He often shares his runs and the snacks he buys after, seems like he’s a very disciplined guy."

"So, sunny?"

"Yes, a sunny guy."

"Hanabi, do you like this type of guy?"

"If Hanabi says she likes him, will Sakura-kun be jealous?"

"Absolutely jealous."

Hanamaru Hanabi gave a gentle smile: "Then Hanabi won’t say."

"So... actually, you do like this type?"

"Sakura-kun kind of fits too, you like sports, very sunny."

"Am I sunny too?"

...

As Sakura continued sipping coffee with little Hanabi, drinking milk tea, they waited for around ten more minutes.

Hanamaru Yuuki’s childhood friend from elementary school arrived.

...

Oogami Wataru turned 17 this year.

Due to neglecting his studies during third year, he failed the college entrance exams.

Sigh... He never thought despite working so hard, he’d end up like this.

He was left with no choice but to select a profession he had slight interest in, attend a vocational school, and later find a job to get by.

But speaking of interest... He felt he had no real interests other than gaming.

In high school, he hated joining clubs and group activities the most.

Why should everything be so complicated? Staying home and enjoying each day wasn’t enough?

That’s how he felt.

As for romance... He thought about it, but lacked the courage... no, lacked the conditions to pursue it.

He remembered the last time he talked to a girl was in first year of high school, when he picked up a pencil for her. She thanked him, and he replied, "You’re welcome."

Hey, in every way, this is a tragic life!

Thus, after graduating high school, most of his time was spent online.

Watching anime, playing games, eating chips... Occasionally ranting online about the unfairness he faced, the fixed hierarchy in society, then continuing to eat chips, watching anime...

As for being a "sunny boy", a "sports enthusiast" on Twitter.

— was all a facade for his parents.

But yesterday, yesterday he suddenly received a message.

A message via Line.

The sender said her name was Hanamaru Yuuki.

Hanamaru Yuuki...

Hanamaru Yuuki...

He remembered her as the wealthy, slightly proud girl from elementary.

Her features were perfectly aligned, extremely beautiful, everyone liked her.

Even he wasn’t an exception...

Back then, he stood alone on the side, watching her being surrounded by everyone.

Her every move seemed so beautiful.

And then... he tried to join others in approaching her.

In the end... he stayed the same, and she remained her usual self.

Sigh.

Though he really liked her back then, as an elementary school student, he even confessed.

But since graduating junior high, they went to different schools.

He stopped thinking about it.

Even though he was so upset about not seeing Yuuki again, it took him a whole week to get over it.

Now...

Hanamaru Yuuki, an elementary schoolmate and pseudo-childhood friend, unexpectedly reached out after nearly 7 years.

It was the first time a girl sought him out for a chat, he was truly excited.

Truthfully, since entering high school, he had been keeping an eye on Yuuki’s life.

Through Twitter.

The more he followed, the colder he felt.

Flying to England, attending Royal Academy of Arts for advanced studies, gaining fame and achievements in renowned art contests.

Watching the girl grow prettier and more confident, climbing higher in life, while he remained stagnant.

Such immense disparity.

Made him even less motivated to try.

Yet today, she proactively reached out for a chat...

Oogami Wataru originally didn’t want to agree, feeling his life intersection was far from a girl like her.

But somehow, recalling his childhood admiration.

He, still came.

Beside the coffee shop on Ginza Pedestrian Street, having taken the time to dress up, Oogami Wataru caught sight of the dazzling girl sitting under the sunlight.

He began to feel nervous.