Laid-Back Life in Tokyo: I Really Didn't Want to Work Hard

Chapter 607 - 387: Time That Will Not Stay_2

Uesugi Sakura remembered, when they used to go to Matsukawa Cuisine, Todaka brought his girlfriend, a very innocent-looking girl with glasses. Todaka had secretly told him privately that he was dating with the intention of getting married."Yes..." Todaka Keichiro replied, instinctively poking at the white rice on his plate with his chopsticks, "We broke up... She even... broke up with me with just a text message."

"Senpai!"

Seisa Takeshun called out.

Todaka Keichiro looked up, thinking he was going to be comforted.

But he only said, "Condolences."

"Is that supposed to be comforting!?"

"Kind of." Seisa Takeshun said.

"That’s practically a blow." Umezu Nana said with a laugh, then turned to Uesugi Sakura, "Can I keep this invitation as a keepsake? I really love the colors on it!"

"Feel free." Uesugi Sakura replied with a smile.

"Oh well."

Todaka Keichiro no longer dwelled on his ex-girlfriend’s matter, shook his head, and glanced at the invitation by his hand.

Ah, Uesugi is really blessed...

Uesugi Sakura: "The address is written inside the invitation. It’s at the Meiji Shrine, everyone, please make sure to come."

Todaka Keichiro immediately smiled and said, "Of course."

"Of course!"

"No problem, Senpai."

——————

Elsewhere.

The art classroom at Tokyo Art University.

Each student had a drawing board placed at an angle in front of them.

"Hanabi-chan, you’re getting married, won’t you be staying home with the kids afterward?" Kitagawa Sakisa leaned in and asked Hanamaru Hanabi.

Hanamaru Hanabi glanced at her, her cheeks a bit flushed, and whispered, "How could I...?"

Kitagawa Sakisa lowered her voice and asked, "Have you guys planned on having kids yet?"

Hanamaru Hanabi hid her face under the half-painted landscape painting, "We haven’t decided yet..."

Kyujuu Rika, overhearing the whispers of the two girls from the other side, put her paintbrush in the water bucket and leaned over to say, "Hanabi-chan will only be turning eighteen in a few days, it’s a bit too early to be thinking about having kids at that age."

Kitagawa Sakisa thought seriously for a moment, also agreeing with Kyujuu Rika’s view.

"Yeah, yeah, getting married at eighteen is already considered early, let alone thinking about kids at eighteen!" The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the ????????????????????•????????????????•????????????

"Let’s not talk about that, Hanabi-chan, what do you want as a gift? I promise I’ll give you the best, most special one!" Kitagawa Sakisa continued.

"No gifts needed, just having Sakisa-chan at the wedding will be enough, there aren’t going to be many people attending..."

"Where is it?" Kitagawa Sakisa asked.

Kyujuu Rika told her, "Wasn’t it written on the invitation I gave you this morning? Meiji Shrine, there’s also a small folded card in the invitation explaining how to get to Meiji Shrine, but for you... with a dedicated car, you don’t need to worry about it."

"Oh, oh!"

Kitagawa Sakisa quickly nodded, then said to Hanamaru Hanabi, "Hanabi-chan, don’t worry, I’ll definitely be there!"

...

The Uesugi Family and Hanamaru Family, the remaining dozens of invitations were all distributed.

The 6th, the 7th, the 8th, the 9th.

In the blink of an eye, only one day was left before the wedding.

That night, Hanamaru Hiroki invited Uesugi Sakura to dinner at the Hanamaru house.

Though they said it was dinner, they hadn’t even started eating when his father-in-law pulled him out to the small courtyard.

Hanamaru Hiroki took two bamboo swords and said it had been a long time since they sparred.

With that, he tossed one of the bamboo swords over.

Before Uesugi Sakura could get ready to catch it, Hanamaru Hiroki already rushed in with an attack, instantly appearing in front of Uesugi Sakura.

With a loud smack.

A powerful vertical slash.

Uesugi Sakura almost couldn’t hold onto the bamboo sword in defense.

"Get serious, is this the standard of the Sword Dao champion?"

After that, Hanamaru Hiroki kept slashing towards Uesugi Sakura’s face.

"Face!"

"Face!"

"Face!"

...

Uesugi Sakura could easily block his father-in-law’s moves by now, though he could block them, he dared not counterattack.

This sparring continued until both of them were drenched in sweat.

"I used to train you like this before, remember? When you used to visit my house, Hanabi would sit on that wooden bench over there watching you, I hope you never forget the way she looked at you!"

After saying this, Hanamaru Hiroki seemed to grip the bamboo sword tighter and shouted at Uesugi Sakura:

"Come on! Let’s go again!"

...

After dinner, Mrs. Hanamaru pulled Uesugi Sakura and Hanamaru Hanabi aside to talk to them about some things.

It was nothing but a mother’s care and expectations.

Uesugi Sakura agreed to everything they said.

The last night before the wedding had to be spent apart.

Hanamaru Hanabi had to sleep at her own home.

Hanamaru Hanabi stood outside the entranceway, her purple eyes gazing at Uesugi Sakura standing at the door.

Her eyes were filled with the moonlight, crystal clear and bright.

She seemed to have many things she wanted to say to him, but after thinking carefully, she put those thoughts aside and simply smiled, saying:

"Sakura-kun, see you tomorrow."

Uesugi Sakura looked at her face and nodded: "Yeah, see you tomorrow."

With the light from inside the house reflected, standing at the family gate, Hanamaru Hanabi watched his silhouette disappear at the corner of her sight.

The moonlight was sparse.

The narrow streets were only illuminated by the faint light from the electric poles, casting long shadows of his silhouette.

Uesugi Sakura gazed at this familiar road, looking at the wall next to him with the words "Hanamaru" on it.

On this night approaching the wedding day, it seemed as if he saw memories of the past on this road.

In the past, after school in the afternoon, Hanamaru Hanabi would wear a black sailor suit, trotting in black loafers, carrying a shoulder bag in both hands, laughing in the sunset and saying to him:

"Uesugi-kun, see you tomorrow!"

He would also reply at that moment, "Yeah, see you tomorrow."

He would turn and enter his own house, while Hanamaru Hanabi would wait until his figure completely disappeared before turning back home.

All of it, everything, now thinking back, it all feels so nostalgic.

Returning his thoughts to the present, standing on this familiar street, Uesugi Sakura touched the silver watch on his wrist, glanced at the spot where Hanabi often stood, then turned to go home.

Uesugi Nobuko opened the door, saw Uesugi Sakura returning in the foyer, and after he entered the living room, smiled and asked: "So? Didn’t your uncle give you a hard time, did he?"

"No." Uesugi Sakura said.

Uesugi Kenichi, sitting on the sofa, said with a laugh, "He has no choice but to acknowledge you now, if it was before, he’d have surely given you a hard time!"

"A-Sakura is quite impressive now." Uesugi Shio said, sitting on the other side of the sofa.

"Yeah, he’s a champion after all." Uesugi Nobuko looked at her son with a very pleased expression.

"Alright, alright, the hot water is ready, A-Sakura, go take a bath, wedding’s tomorrow, go to bed early, if you sleep late and make Hanabi-chan wait alone at the wedding, that would be embarrassing!"

Bath, sleep, everything was in order.

Uesugi Sakura lay on the bed he often slept in, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Couldn’t sleep.

Couldn’t sleep.

He turned his head to look at the faint moonlight blocked by the curtains, decided to get some fresh air, and got out of bed.

He put on his slippers and walked to the window, opening the curtains only to find Hanamaru Hanabi leaning against the window opposite the door.

Hanamaru Hanabi’s room window was slightly higher than Uesugi Sakura’s.

She noticed Uesugi Sakura, smiled at him, then put her hands around her mouth and quietly called to him:

"Sakura-kun... you can’t sleep either...?"

Her voice was like a girl’s whisper beside him, gentle, secret, with a touch of dreaminess.

Uesugi Sakura looked at her, imitating her, placing his hands around his mouth, and whispered:

"Can’t sleep."

"Then... Sakura-kun, do you want to come over to Hanabi’s side...?" She called out softly, word by word.

"It’s not appropriate to go over..." he replied softly as well.

"Sakura-kun, you’ve secretly come over before."

"Going to a girl’s room, it’s not right."

Hanamaru Hanabi knew he was joking, whispered: "It’s okay... Sakura-kun is special!"

"How am I special?" Uesugi Sakura also laughed, eager to hear her reply.

"Sakura-kun... is Hanabi’s beloved and cherished person... so coming over to Hanabi’s is not a problem."

"Say it again." Uesugi Sakura put his hands around his mouth, continuing to call out.

"Sakura-kun... is Hanabi’s beloved and cherished person! So coming over to Hanabi’s is not a problem!"

Uesugi Sakura smiled warmly up at the girl again, a smile full of warmth and happiness.

The moon wedged between the two houses seemed to reflect the image of the two of them leaning on their respective windows, smiling at each other.

...