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

"Mr. Uesugi!"

"Ah, it's you."

Uesugi Sakura stood at the entrance, looking at the man in a suit and glasses standing at the door, his face showing signs of fatigue.

"Please leave."

"Mr. Uesugi!"

The man held up an umbrella covered in water droplets, hurriedly reaching out to stop the door from closing, looking somewhat agitated.

"Mr. Uesugi, the deadline is approaching! Please make sure to finish the third volume of the novel by this week..."

The force pushing the door suddenly increased.

"...Please forgive me!"

The door was suddenly pulled open again by Uesugi Sakura, who looked up at the gray Tokyo sky with a tired face.

There were indistinguishable lines of rain drifting down, long and thin, gathering into puddles in the small courtyard in front of the house.

Uesugi Sakura's gaze returned to the man's face.

Under the umbrella, his hair was damp, and there were a few unabsorbed water droplets on the stiff shoulders of his suit.

"Mr. Uesugi!"

"Alright, Ootsu, come in." Uesugi Sakura said helplessly, seeing his excited expression.

"Sorry to bother you."

Ootsu Kenzou glanced inside following Uesugi Sakura's silhouette.

The lights were off, dim and murky. He guessed Uesugi Sakura might have been sleeping, since he wasn't fully dressed.

Uesugi Sakura pointed to the kettle on the table: "There's hot tea on the table. Pour yourself some if you're thirsty. There are unused towels in the bathroom. After washing up, dry your hair and head back."

Uesugi Sakura finished speaking, wearing slippers, and was about to leave the living room to head upstairs.

Ootsu quickly called out to him: "Mr. Uesugi!"

Uesugi Sakura stopped and turned: "What is it? Is there something else?"

"The manuscript..."

"Manuscript...? What manuscript?" Uesugi Sakura asked, looking genuinely puzzled.

"The third volume of 'Dream Window Temple.'" Ootsu reminded him while holding a cup of hot tea.

"Ah, the novel," Uesugi Sakura remembered, as if recalling an incident, "wasn't it due by the end of this month?"

Ootsu had to remind him again: "Mr. Uesugi, last month, I sent you over fifty messages, reminding you the third volume was due this weekend!"

Uesugi Sakura paused for a second:

"...Sorry, I haven't even started the beginning."

"Not started the beginning!?" Ootsu jumped off the sofa, nearly spilling the tea on his hand, feeling almost hopeless.

The higher-ups were urging him to pressure Uesugi Sakura for the third volume, and the deadline was fast approaching, yet the author hadn't even started the beginning.

What to do!

His first job in life, will it end in failure right here!?

He shoved his hands into his hair, opening his mouth instinctively due to the throbbing headache.

"Mr. Uesugi! Mr. Uesugi! You can't do this!" Ootsu rushed over and pulled Uesugi Sakura, who was about to go upstairs to sleep, back.

"Relax," Uesugi Sakura consoled his panic-stricken face, "which author doesn't procrastinate? Explain the situation to your editor, and just push it back a month."

Ootsu still held onto his arms tightly: "Mr. Uesugi! You said this in May! Now it's already October! If you don't submit soon, it's me who will suffer!"

"October? So it's October... " Uesugi Sakura glanced at the withered and vanished lilies beside the TV.

"Mr. Uesugi, Mr. Uesugi, Mr. Uesugi!"

Uesugi Sakura snapped out of it: "Enough, stop shouting, go take a shower, and wait for the rain to lighten before going home."

"But, the editor! The manuscript! The manuscript!"

Uesugi Sakura reassured him: "Worst case, my novel gets axed, if it gets axed, it gets axed... it doesn't matter, the story is done."

Ootsu didn't believe it: "How could that be! The story is only halfway!"

"If the author says it's done, it's done. The rest actually relies on the reader's imagination, that's how this book is."

"Haha... haha... Mr. Uesugi, you must be joking, just joking, right!"

"No."

"Dream Window Temple" was a novel Uesugi Sakura submitted earlier this year, starting preparations the second week after Hanabi's passing, completing the first two volumes within a month, and getting them published.

As time passed, the number of readers kept increasing.

However, contrary to the rising popularity, Uesugi Sakura hadn't begun writing the subsequent parts.

Uesugi Sakura shook his head; he didn't want to say more.

Ootsu blocked him again.

"Mr. Uesugi, your writing is so good, why can't you write a bit more? Everyone wants to read more!"

Uesugi Sakura calmly said:

"I'm writing for myself, not aiming for bestsellers. Whether the readership is high or low, it all leads to the same result. If many read it, I won't write more, if few read it, I won't write less."

"If it's for yourself, why did you publish it? Now that you've published the first two volumes, you have loyal fans."

"Reading is just leisure."

"What about writing?"

"Writing is a passion."

"And publishing?"

"Publishing is a commemoration."

Uesugi Sakura glanced at him, seeing his determined expression to make him continue writing, sighed and reluctantly agreed:

"In two days, at six in the morning, wear your black suit and carry your black umbrella, come find me, if you accompany me for a few hours, I'll agree to continue writing."

"Really!?"

"Yes." Uesugi Sakura nodded.

"Regarding the editor... when I go back today... what should I say...?"

"Don't worry, at most you'll get a scolding. Just remember to shower before going back, or you might catch a cold from the rain."

Uesugi Sakura waved his hand and turned to head upstairs.

Ootsu felt some relief; there was hope...

He relaxed, looking around, feeling the living room's arrangement always seemed to lack something, yet it seemed complete.