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

After finishing in Uesugi Sakura's bathroom, Ootsu headed toward the bedroom, bid farewell to Uesugi Sakura, and returned to the publishing house where he worked.

Just as Uesugi Sakura had said, the editor-in-chief did not make things difficult for him. On the contrary, because Uesugi Sakura said he was willing to start writing, he patted him on the shoulder with a smile, encouraging him by saying 'well done'.

...

Two days later, on October 10th.

Ootsu almost rang Uesugi Sakura's doorbell right on the dot.

It took only a few seconds for the door to open.

The other party seemed well-prepared.

Uesugi Sakura stood at the entrance, well-dressed, while he patted his wristwatch with a silver dial, clearly well-prepared to go out.

"Mr. Uesugi... did you not sleep all night?"

Ootsu noticed a hint of fatigue on his face, though he looked quite similar the last time, with a slightly decadent aura.

"Yeah." Uesugi Sakura responded casually, "Let's go, let's go out first and not disturb my two sisters who are still sleeping. They have to get up early for school."

It was still raining outside.

When it rains, the streets are crowded with the sound of rain, the noise of cars, and the clatter of footsteps mixed together, yet this chaos in the rain forms a harmonious scene.

Tokyo is inherently a city bustling with a hint of aloofness.

Everyone has their own direction, traversing through the lively city, but the people remain indifferent.

"Mr. Uesugi, where is the destination?" Ootsu asked on the train.

"Within Tokyo."

Ootsu followed Uesugi Sakura off the train and out of the platform.

He thought Uesugi Sakura had taken him to the destination, but surprisingly, they came to a flower market to buy flowers.

The flower market at six o'clock had been preparing to open.

Out of season flowers generally tend to be a bit pricey. Ootsu noted that Uesugi Sakura bought a very small bouquet of White Lily without bargaining and immediately took him back to the train to head towards the destination.

Throughout the journey, Ootsu kept observing him and speculating about the purpose of this trip.

Uesugi Sakura's attire was very proper, he wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, two pendants hanging from his chest, and his face was quite handsome, the kind of handsome that captivates girls, except this handsomeness wasn't very sunny.

How do those girls describe it again? Ah... right, melancholic.

As for those two pendants, one was a Hook Jade, and the other was a blue crystal, both tied with very plain black strings.

In Ootsu's impression, a talented university student like Uesugi Sakura would be very popular among girls, not for any other reason but because he's quite handsome and also has depth.

Speaking of the ornaments, not to mention the Hook Jade, that blue crystal is something girls would absolutely adore.

It looks expensive.

"Mr. Uesugi, are you planning to confess to a young girl?" Ootsu asked with a smile.

"I'm married." Uesugi Sakura looked at the cityscape outside the train window and just replied.

"Married? So early, huh? Are you going to visit your wife now? Why isn't your wife living with you?"

"..."

It wasn't until they got off the train and walked into the misty rain-soaked mountain forest that Ootsu came to understand why Uesugi Sakura wasn't living with his wife.

Before them was a cemetery filled with fresh flowers.

Seeing these things, Ootsu suddenly felt that the rain that fell around him grew much colder.

He guessed the reason and said no more.

During the whole time, Uesugi Sakura said nothing, taking him along the cold stone path within the cemetery.

Each tombstone they passed was marked with a name, a date, and their identity from when they were alive.

"She loved eating spicy food, although I couldn't... so normally the meals she cooked would be divided into two portions, a spicy one for herself, and a non-spicy one for me."

Uesugi Sakura squatted on the ground, placing the lilies he had been holding on the stone platform.

"I'm sorry..." Ootsu apologized for his joking remark on the train ride.

"It's okay."

Uesugi Sakura brushed away the dry leaves atop the stone platform.

"Writing Dream Window Temple was because of this too."

"Was it... Mr. Uesugi, do you want to memorialize your wife with a book...?"

Uesugi Sakura shook his head.

"They have no common points."

The quiet cemetery under the rain, in the moist fog, pervaded with an aura of solitude, pressed densely above, enveloping everything.

Ootsu silently watched Uesugi Sakura squatting beside, knowing he was in remembrance, and didn't go out of his way to disturb him.

Time passed by little by little amidst the sound of rain.

"Did you see it?"

"See what?" Ootsu looked around holding the black umbrella, not understanding what he was pointing out.

"The horizon." In Uesugi Sakura's eyes, there seemed to be a silvery glow.

"The horizon...?"

Ootsu looked around again, still unable to find anything unusual, only feeling that he had recalled certain memories from seeing things. He softened his voice, inquiring with concern:

"Mr. Uesugi... are you okay...?"

"I see, you can't see it." Uesugi Sakura uttered a line that seemed directed at himself.

The sound of the rain filled his ears again.

During the silent intervals, Ootsu asked about Hanamaru Hanabi, concerning the cause of death.

Uesugi Sakura could only extract some conclusive answers from an increasingly fading memory.

Mostly avoiding the topic.

"Let's go," Uesugi Sakura stood up, "it's time to head back."

Ootsu did not speak, only asked Uesugi Sakura after leaving the cemetery:

"Mr. Uesugi, did you just want me to walk this route today...? I don't quite understand the reason."

"Yes, it was just like that, you know, I needed to share some emotions with someone unaware, and I think Ootsu, you're quite good."

He paused quietly.

"Don't worry, I'll hand over the manuscript to you next week."

Uesugi Sakura took a glance at Tokyo Shinjuku in the rain before walking down the hill.

The train stop was brief, and the return journey was also short.

The train started moving.

The most vibrant and influential segment in Dream Window Temple is the interaction between the male and female leads within the train, where they shared the shyness of a first romance, expressing their affection through small gestures without words.

In the crowded train, everyone's faces were blurred with graffiti, while only the person in one's eyes was sharply defined...

In the book, that day was spring.

They were just like that, riding the same train.

In the spring, the window was filled with cherry blossom hues, a familiar face in dreams.

Uesugi Sakura recalled in the crowded morning rush of Zao High.

Remembered her shy expression from that day, remembered her shy request to view the cherry blossoms in the Imperial Garden with him.

Her hands were still warm, her face still flushed.

The only difference is that now only he is squeezed on the crowded train.

————————

In the afternoon, Uesugi Sakura took Aei and Chiaei to their parents' house.

"Mom, for the next two days, please take care of Aei and Chiaei."

Uesugi Nobuko was holding Uesugi Shin, her eyes were looking at her brother's face.

"Sakura, you... you're not having some thoughts, are you? Ever since that day, I feel like your mental state hasn't been great."

"No way, it's just that I need to write my manuscript for the next few days, I'm afraid I won't take care of them well."

Aei looked up at Uesugi Sakura: "Sister can take care of Aei."

Chiaei also nodded.

Uesugi Sakura smiled at them.

"Really okay?" Uesugi Nobuko looked at him worriedly.

"It's fine."

"It's Hanabi's birthday today... aren't you going to visit?"

"I've already visited..."

"Why not with us..."

"Haha, I'm afraid I'd say something awkward for you all to hear." Uesugi Sakura tried to laugh.

Uesugi Nobuko asked many more questions before taking Aei and Chiaei into the house, as Uesugi Sakura had said, they were going to stay at Uesugi Sakura's parents' house for the coming days.

As he left, Uesugi Sakura made sure to look at the neighboring Hanamaru family house.

As the evening came, Uesugi Sakura gathered the household necessities, left a note on the refrigerator "I'm going out on a trip, don't worry about me," took an umbrella, and stepped out into the rain.

...

In front of the pitch-black grave, a hand wearing a silver watch picked up the wet White Lily, covered with raindrops, looking quite desolate.

His eyes stared at the glaring silver light from the woods ahead.

His heart trembled faintly.

He held the umbrella and flower, gradually approaching the light.

His pupils slowly dilated, and he muttered:

"Hanabi..."

The next moment,

almost instantaneously, the silver light vanished.

The sparse rain fell once again in the dark forest.