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

The sky, it's snowing.

In the dark night, Hanamaru Hanabi blew warm air into her hands and carefully rubbed them together.

"Cold?"

"Mmm..."

Uesugi Sakura stood on a rock at the summit of Mount Fuji, gazing at the dark horizon in the distance.

He turned around and reached out to the girl below, saying, "This time, don't rush so much."

Hanamaru Hanabi's small hands were slightly reddened from the cold. She looked at Uesugi Sakura's extended hand above and placed her hand on it.

She felt it, his hand was warm.

"Sakura-kun..." she muttered to herself.

"What are you saying?"

"Nothing, nothing..." Hanamaru Hanabi looked up, her slightly flushed face gazing at Uesugi Sakura who was holding her hand.

He was wearing a helmet, with a headlamp for navigating the path.

The lamp illuminated a beam of light in the night, also casting fleeting glimmers on the snowflakes drifting down from his face.

"Come up."

"Okay..."

With his help, Hanamaru Hanabi stood on a rugged rock beside him.

Uesugi Sakura continued looking ahead, while Kitagawa Sakisa, Kyujuu Rika, and many climbers had already gone forward.

Hanamaru Hanabi's attention remained on his face. Holding his warm hand, after a moment of hesitation, she softly asked, "If... if Hanabi said that Sakura-kun is handsome... would Sakura-kun be happy...?"

Hearing her voice, Uesugi Sakura turned his head, smiled, and then lifted her small hand wrapped in his own, saying, "Hanabi should say 'I love Sakura-kun so much' while giving me a big kiss. That's the only way I'd be happy."

"Sakura-kun... Sakura-kun, every time it's like this..." Hanamaru Hanabi's face turned a deep shy red.

Uesugi Sakura smiled again, "As long as little Hanabi knows I enjoy it."

It was now 2:30 AM.

To see the sunrise, they had to reach the summit by 4:30 AM.

Although it was summer, the temperature had dropped below zero, and the snow falling on the mountain made the remaining climbing path treacherous and challenging.

In the complete darkness, all they could see was the jagged volcanic rock, with the thin air making them pant heavily after just two steps.

The happiest moments in climbing are when you support each other, overcome the arduous journey together, and reach the summit to enjoy a brief stunning view.

As they climbed, their limbs grew numb from the freezing wind,

The ascent of just 200 meters took nearly two hours for everyone.

"Finally! Finally! Finally! We made it!"

Kitagawa Sakisa raised her arms, closed her eyes, and shouted loudly towards the clouds outside the mountain, standing beside a stone lion.

Climbers smiled at the girl raising her arms and yelling.

4:12:01

Uesugi Sakura lowered his watch, holding Hanamaru Hanabi's hand, looking towards the faintly appearing light on the horizon ahead.

This was the perfect spot to watch the sunrise.

The two sat on a volcanic rock, where the view was excellent, on the edge of the summit.

They ate breakfast together, laughing and chatting about some little things that happened during last night's dinner.

4:44

Half an hour later, the sunrise would begin.

Uesugi Sakura stood up, gazing into the distance.

Before him, the clouds stretched on, covering the sky in impenetrable layers.

The clouds below rolled and surged like waves, yet with a completely different, soft, and buoyant complexion compared to the ocean.

The strong wind blew, instantly refreshing the senses, with a blanket of white clouds creating a dreamlike fairyland.

Beneath the feet were clouds, above them the sky.

Standing at the peak of Mount Fuji, with the 12-meter-per-second wind blowing head-on, even then, the scenery before them felt cool and pleasantly fitting.

There, the distant edge of the clouds was dyed orange by the first light of dawn.

The white clouds below, the orange glow in the middle, and the night sky above, layered upon each other.

The edges where they connected had soft gradients, together forming a spectacular color of hope.

Hanamaru Hanabi hugged her legs, gazing forward, her sparkling violet eyes reflecting the faint morning light on the horizon.

The sun rose from the east.

The morning light emerged from the clouds, its colors turning the surroundings red.

Bringing the beauty of the first rise, illuminating everything with a reddish glow.

In this marvelous scene of strong winds, snow, and the rising sun, people gasped in surprise, and Kitagawa Sakisa's excited voice broke out not far to the right.

The first rays of the sun spilled over Hanamaru Hanabi's small face, perfectly outlining her expression of slight amazement.

She said in a daze:

"So beautiful..."

Soon, the sun poked half its head over the horizon, its soft red glow heralding a new day.

At this moment, Uesugi Sakura began to feel the cool breeze on his face become much gentler. He held the small, tender hand beside him, witnessing together.

"This scene is our shared memory, unique and irreplaceable."

Hanamaru Hanabi looked back at his face outlined by the sunlight and gave a gentle smile, "Sakura-kun, you're so poetic."

Uesugi Sakura smiled back at her, "After all, I am from a humanities background, and aren't modern women attracted to men with a bit of knowledge and artistic flair?"

"Sakura-kun, you're not allowed to use that to charm other girls..."

"So, little Hanabi thinks she's got me all to herself?"

"Yes, Hanabi will have Sakura-kun forever... Sakura-kun must not dislike Hanabi in the future." Hanamaru Hanabi gazed towards the expanse of clouds.

"Not necessarily." Uesugi Sakura chuckled.

"No way!" Hanamaru Hanabi turned back, puffed her cheeks angrily, displaying the youthful and beautiful charm of a girl.

"Before you say 'no way', shouldn't little Hanabi first marry me?"