Laid-Back Life in Tokyo: I Really Didn't Want to Work Hard
Chapter 358 - 268 Love and Duty_2

Chapter 358: Chapter 268 Love and Duty_2

And how should I respond to her sincere feelings?

I don’t know, I really don’t know.

"Sakura...?"

The door opened, and Hanamaru Hanabi, already dressed, saw him leaning strangely against the wall.

Uesugi Sakura turned his head to look at her, suppressing his emotions, and said: "Let’s go, let’s go to the hospital first. There’s a bit of light rain, I’ll hold the umbrella for you."

"Sakura... what’s wrong?"

"What if I say I was moved to tears by Hanabi, would Hanabi believe it?"

In the moment he put down his phone, Hanamaru Hanabi saw the photo shining on his phone screen, and she couldn’t help but softly say to him:

"Sakura... Hanabi is still here..."

"I know, I know, it’s just that... I’ll miss this."

Uesugi Sakura held her warm little hand, "Let’s go, let’s go to the hospital to check your cold."

Hanamaru Hanabi looked up at him, nodded slightly, and held his hand: "Okay."

The two walked under the umbrella all the way to the hospital.

The doctor said it was just a minor cold and would be fine after taking some medicine and resting for a couple of days.

Back home, today Uesugi Sakura didn’t want to go to school either, just wanted to eat the meal she made and spend a day living together.

The painting she promised him was slowly taking shape.

————————————

"Sakura, didn’t you say you weren’t going to Bushin Hall?"

"I usually don’t go, but there’s something I must go and settle." Uesugi Sakura held the train strap while glancing at Hanamaru Hanabi sitting and gazing out the window.

The train moved along, and upon reaching Bushin Hall, Uesugi Sakura first found Ms. Sakihara to inquire about the situation.

From her, he learned it was a guy named Fujino Shozaburo, a Sword Dao Fourth Rank, higher than Tachibana Youko by one rank, but slightly less skilled than her.

"Sakura, I think you understand, Hanabi is too kind, she won’t pursue this matter."

Uesugi Sakura shook his head: "After all, she was doing it for me. If someone bullies her just because they think they’re strong, I absolutely cannot agree."

"Alright then," Sakihara Shion said, "but Fujino has a bad character, he might use some tricks during a match, so be careful."

"You can rest assured, Ms. Sakihara."

He let Hanabi rest with Sakihara Shion and walked alone towards the dojo inside Bushin Hall.

Inside, there were various people training.

Everyone fell silent when they saw him enter.

Tachibana Youko, who was sparring, turned to look at the entrance when the dojo suddenly quieted down, and seeing it’s Uesugi Sakura, she removed her helmet and jogged over, bowing to greet:

"Vice Master Uesugi."

"Hmm."

Uesugi Sakura responded, scanning the dojo, not finding the person Ms. Sakihara had mentioned, "Do you have any plans for today?"

Tachibana Youko was momentarily stunned, remembering that Uesugi Sakura had previously said he wouldn’t come?

"Not really, since Vice Master Komatsu injured his hand, we’ve mostly been practicing on our own. Since you came the day before yesterday, we’ve been reviewing the techniques you taught."

Uesugi Sakura pondered for a moment, "Hmm, could you gather everyone and say we’re starting intensive training."

"Train what?"

"Sparring."

....

"The move is too soft, lacks momentum, next one."

"Not decisive enough, next one."

"Footwork is unsteady, practice sending feet more, next one."

"Weak, not enough practice, next one."

"Next one."

"Next one."

"Next one."

Inside the dojo, everyone saw no one could withstand more than two moves against Uesugi Sakura, speculating about his strength.

"Senior Sister Tachibana, who do you think is stronger, Vice Master or Senior Sister Uesugi?"

Tachibana Youko and the trainees surrounded the center of the sparring dojo, the more they watched his skill and decisiveness, the more shocked they became, could this be the standard of an 18-year-old?

She even suspected that Uesugi Sakura had gone easy during their sparring match the day before yesterday.

After pondering for a moment, she said:

"I used to think it was Senior Sister Uesugi, but now... I think Vice Master is much stronger."

"Senior Sister Tachibana, how do you think Vice Master trains, so fierce and strong."

Tachibana Youko remained silent.

In the past, she thought that Sword Dao was all about physical strength, technique, and experience; that the peak age was around 30 to 40.

At that age, experience is there, not too old, combined with experience and technique, physical strength isn’t weak.

It is the peak age for Sword Dao.

Past Sword Dao championship winners being in their 30s to 40s, often police officers, can attest to this.

But now she was starting to doubt if natural talent does exist.

Otherwise, how could Uesugi, with so little actual combat, still manage to do so comprehensively, with exceptionally solid experience?

"Next one, practice the middle stance of Ittoryu more, it’s basic."

Uesugi Sakura gripped the bamboo sword with his right hand, waved the trainee who saluted in thanks to step down.

He was still waiting to see if that guy would appear.

He had a rough idea who it was, probably the guy who kept glaring at him the other day.

Ms. Sakihara’s description fit.

Hanabi said that day, she went to ask where he was, and was accidentally knocked over.

Could she really carelessly knock it over while holding the box carefully?

The more Uesugi Sakura thought, the angrier he got, sending another trainee down within two moves.

"Work more on reaction training, next one!"

Bin Yuehui watched, his heart pounding, worried he’d be next and be hammered down by two bamboo swords, the loud slapping sound made him feel pain even with gear on.

He couldn’t help but whisper to Tachibana Youko sitting in front:

"Senior Sister Tachibana, do you think Vice Master Uesugi is angry and venting on us?"

Tachibana Youko glanced at him: "Dissatisfied? I’m not satisfied either, but you can go up and see if you can last two moves. If you do, I’m sure everyone will applaud."

Bin Yuehui quickly shook his head: "I’d rather not, having self-awareness is why I’ve lived this long, I don’t want to go up as a venting tool."

Tachibana Youko smiled softly at him: "It’s not just about venting, didn’t you hear Vice Master adds a critique? I think he pointed out the issues you’ve often asked, even more concisely."

"Fujino Shozaburo!!"

Startled, Bin Yuehui was brought back to reality by Uesugi Sakura’s fierce shout, seeing Fujino Shozaburo who had just arrived at the dojo entrance.

Fujino Shozaburo seemed displeased at being called by full name, full of disdain, said word by word:

"What is it, Vice, Mas, ter, Sir."

Uesugi Sakura wasn’t fazed by his disdain, merely said: "You’re late."

Fujino Shozaburo put down his Kendo Bag, drew out his bamboo sword, and approached Uesugi Sakura steadily:

"I always arrive at this time, is Vice Master Uesugi and everyone training? Wonder if I could join?"

He stared intently at Uesugi Sakura, holding the bamboo sword in his right hand, his sturdy build looking very imposing.

"Last time, during the match with Senior Sister Tachibana and Vice Master, I was always puzzled, how could such a grown person not defeat a little kid?"

The surrounding trainees inside the circle instinctively turned to Tachibana Youko, this... was full of provocation.

However, Fujino was always like this, previously at odds with Senior Sister Tachibana too.

If it weren’t for Uesugi Shio’s presence, it was hard to keep him suppressed.

Tachibana Youko pretended not to hear, not wanting to argue with this guy.

Uesugi Sakura, however, smiled lightly and said: "Believe it or not, one move and this kid could knock you down."

Fujino Shozaburo snorted a few times, "Don’t know where this Vice Master Sir came from, beating Senior Sister Tachibana by luck, and now thinks he can ride on others?"

’Hey! Fujino, Fujino!’

Among the circle of trainees, one of his companions gestured frantically at him to stop talking.

Fujino Shozaburo ignored it, already unhappy with this younger kid, an underling, without any rank, daring to step up as Vice Master?

Standing in the center of the sparring ground, Uesugi Sakura said nonchalantly:

"Not daring to ride on others, but riding on you and stomping a few more times should be fine, maybe even finding out if your brain’s as thin as your hair."

Everyone understood, Vice Master was deliberately targeting Fujino Shozaburo!

Mocking his almost bald head as well.

When several people started laughing, Fujino Shozaburo gripped his bamboo sword tightly, glaring with fury like yesterday:

"Vice Master Sir, I suggest you take the 50,000 yen and leave here, lest one day, you break a leg and fall into the yard’s pond, unable to climb out."