Laid-Back Life in Tokyo: I Really Didn't Want to Work Hard
Chapter 356 - 267: Rainy Street_2

Chapter 356: Chapter 267: Rainy Street_2

Not seeing the image of the girl coming out with a cheerful smile to greet him, Uesugi Sakura felt a deep sense of loss in his heart.

Or perhaps it was emptiness.

Once upon a time, he had become accustomed to such a life, believing that as long as he could eat something every day to survive, that was enough.

Now looking back... his life could no longer lack that smile that bloomed for him.

Uesugi Sakura changed into the shoes she had tidied up early for him at the entrance, stood staring towards the inner rooms for a moment, and murmured inexplicably: "If she really isn’t here anymore, what would I... do?"

No, that won’t happen.

Uesugi Sakura shook off these chaotic thoughts, walked towards the kitchen, took sixteen minutes to make a slightly bitter black coffee, then walked into the bedroom, sitting at the head of the bed with the cup, looking towards the computer desk by the writing desk.

This was where Hanabi usually painted, and she took great care of it,

The computer would be covered with a cloth to prevent dust, and the stylus and drawing tablet would be left quietly in the drawer under the writing desk when not in use.

Most of her things were moved into the room, placed along with his belongings.

The self-portrait that Hanamaru Hanabi painted for him stood in the most conspicuous place.

In the painting, she was beaming with a bright smile, as if everything at the summer festival was frozen behind her, embellishing her beauty in the world.

They say beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, Uesugi Sakura sat in front of the computer desk, holding her portrait and scrutinized it repeatedly, still finding her irreplaceably adorable, to the point where the black coffee placed on the table went cold, the sun outside the window hid behind dark clouds, and he couldn’t bear to put it down.

Until the first fine droplet fell from the sky, and soon, heavy rain poured down, drenching the unresponsive Tokyo City.

"It’s raining?"

Feeling the coolness of raindrops splashing on his neck, Uesugi Sakura hurriedly put the painting down, got up from Hanabi’s computer desk, and went to close the window.

The rain was cool, and watching the appearance of things in the rain was also very picturesque.

But when Uesugi Sakura saw the rain and the rolling gray and dark clouds in the sky, he always thought of how she left him to go to England alone.

Suddenly he realized something and opened his phone for a look.

The weather forecast didn’t say it would rain today, so Hanamaru Hanabi likely didn’t bring an umbrella.

Thinking of this, Uesugi Sakura didn’t care about the untouched black coffee, hurriedly grabbed two umbrellas and rushed out.

The heavy rain was impatient, mixed with wind, sounding continuously like waves on the umbrella overhead.

Cars zoomed by the roadside, splashing water onto Uesugi Sakura’s running legs.

It wasn’t far from here to the train station, taking only a few minutes on foot.

Uesugi Sakura ran all the way, for no other reason than not wanting her to wait in the rain any longer.

He had sent a message to Hanabi on Line just now, but there was no response.

There were two possibilities: one, her phone was on silent and she couldn’t hear it; two, she got drenched by the rain on the way, panicked, took cover from the rain, and didn’t have time to look at her phone yet.

That rainy evening, the sky was dark and gloomy, street lamps lit up early, one after another, extending to the end of the street.

Businessmen in suits ran quickly under their briefcases, their expressions exaggerated, repeatedly exclaiming how troublesome the rain was.

High school girls, their hair wet, twisted their hair ends with fingers, happily chatting under the eaves on the roadside.

A child hid under their mother’s skirts, as the mother looked around the roadside seeking a place to shelter from the rain and protect her child.

An izakaya owner invited rain-sheltered passersby at the door to come inside, suggesting they dry off in his humble establishment and have a drink.

Uesugi Sakura ran through the rain, splashing water with his heels, passing by one person, one neon sign after another under the tall buildings.

His heart raced rapidly along with the movement, breathing quickly from his mouth.

He wanted to reach the train station quickly, to meet Hanamaru Hanabi, who might be waiting for the rain there.

The rain grew heavier, continually assaulting his senses by his ears.

His phone in his pocket vibrated at this moment, Uesugi Sakura gradually stopped running, as if sensing something, stood where he was, gazing at the opposite side of the street, the girl in front of the croquette shop completely drenched.

At the intersection, the flashing red light, cars passing through the street, the rain pounding loudly on umbrellas.

Hanamaru Hanabi stood on the opposite street, holding a phone in both hands, her hair wet, clothes soaked, her face glistening with droplets.

Seeing her face clearly, Uesugi Sakura couldn’t help but smile, taking out his phone to glance at the new message she had just sent him.

[Sakura-kun, Hanabi has an umbrella, you don’t have to pick him up.]

Uesugi Sakura replied to her message and took a peek at her reaction on the opposite side:

[Don’t need a pickup?]

Sure enough, Hanamaru Hanabi quickly returned a message, accompanied by a cute thank-you emoji:

[Yes, no need to pick me up.]

Uesugi Sakura decided to ask a couple more questions: [Are you afraid of bothering me?]

Hanamaru Hanabi: [No, Hanabi is now Sakura-kun’s fiancée, she won’t be afraid to bother him! (Cute shark)]

Uesugi Sakura smiled again at the phone screen, then looked up towards the opposite street at the drenched girl holding her phone, and sent another message back:

[Then let me remind you, if Hanabi tells a lie, there will be a punishment when you get home tonight.]

Sure enough, Hanamaru Hanabi stared at her phone screen in a daze for a long time.

After waiting for a while longer, Uesugi Sakura saw her reply:

[No, Sakura-kun will soon wait for Hanabi to come home, Sakura-kun can... help Hanabi make a glass of milk coffee first.]

[Make coffee? Isn’t that still troubling me?]

Hanamaru Hanabi evidently panicked, and even her messages on the phone carried a sense of urgency.

[No... Hanabi just... just...]

"You’re just making excuses."

Familiar words sounded by her ears, Hanamaru Hanabi suddenly saw an umbrella handed over, blocking her phone.

"Sakura... kun...?" The girl looked up, seeing him holding an umbrella, "Hanabi... Hanabi..."

He reached out to touch her wet strands: "You’re all soaked, didn’t tell me, what if you catch a cold?"

Facing the suddenly appearing Uesugi Sakura, Hanamaru Hanabi’s anxious words stuck in her throat, almost overflowing, but she couldn’t say anything, only stupidly muttering an apology.

"Apologizing for what?"

"Hanabi... lied...."

"Yeah, you lied about bringing an umbrella, after all."

Hanamaru Hanabi apologized again, then softly said in a timid voice: "Sakura-kun doesn’t like going out, Hanabi didn’t want to bother him."

"Two croquettes, please."

Uesugi Sakura said to the owner at the small window behind her, then continued to gently stroke her face full of water droplets.

Soft, he slightly pinched it with more force:

"Hanabi is such a fool."

Hanamaru Hanabi blushed from the pinching but was too shy to refuse, "Hanabi knows sometimes she should trouble Sakura-kun, but whenever she is about to ask for his help on the phone, she keeps stopping herself, thinking she shouldn’t send it...."

"Why? It feels like you’re a bit sensitive, isn’t it normal for couples to bring each other umbrellas?" Uesugi Sakura handed money to the owner, who promptly gave back change.

Hanamaru Hanabi’s small hands holding the phone hung down at her chest, her little head followed in lowering.

"Lately Hanabi’s been having strange dreams, many people have forgotten Hanabi, forgotten Hanabi, Rie, Rika, Sakisa, uncle and aunt, mom and dad, everyone goes farther and farther away, leaving far, far away... Hanabi doesn’t know what she did wrong, but can only watch everyone gradually leave, until in the end Sakura-kun also became distant, no one remembered Hanabi, no one knew Hanabi. Hanabi hid alone in a small room thinking... what Hanabi did wrong... why everyone forgot Hanabi..."

"When she woke up, Sakura-kun was still sleeping beside Hanabi, holding her, feeling so warm... that’s why... Hanabi thinks causing Sakura-kun a little less trouble would be nice."

"As long as you don’t forget Hanabi, Hanabi will always try her best."