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

"Brother... why does it seem like you've grown so much?"

"Really...?"

"Yeah, like you've turned into a much younger uncle."

Uesugi Sakura reached out, ruffling her hair, and said, "An uncle is an uncle. What young uncle? Besides, I'm not that old, I'm only twenty this year."

Grown up?

Hearing this from little Aei, Uesugi Nobuko also began to scrutinize her son.

"It seems... you really have aged...? You don't look twenty... more like twenty-four or five."

Chiaei nodded her little head, "Yeah, brother has grown up."

"Haha, maybe it's just your imagination." Uesugi Sakura said with a smile.

Uesugi Nobuko didn't think much of it, just felt that he looked unwell from traveling and being exposed to the elements.

"Stay for dinner tonight and then take Aei and the others back."

"Alright."

Uesugi Sakura didn't refuse what his mother said.

The meal at home was warm, but for Uesugi Sakura, there was always something amiss in his heart.

Uesugi Nobuko could see it.

"Sakura... how about mom helps you find another..."

Uesugi Kenichi promptly nudged Uesugi Nobuko's chair with his foot, "What are you talking about, let's eat."

Uesugi Nobuko immediately realized she had crossed the line out of concern, and after Kenichi's reminder, she didn't speak again, just sighed silently in her heart.

Pull yourself together... son...

————————

This weekend, which is three days later, on October fifteenth.

Ootsu arrived at Uesugi Sakura's house as promised, as Uesugi Sakura had told him earlier that he could come to get the manuscript's document.

Although, in modern society, such things could be solved via the internet, the publishing house Ootsu worked for was more traditional, always obtaining materials directly from the author, avoiding online transfers due to fears of text theft.

He stood in front of Uesugi Sakura's door and, as before, rang the doorbell.

About two minutes later, Uesugi Sakura came down the stairs and opened the door.

"Mr. Uesugi, sorry for intruding." Ootsu greeted politely with a bow.

Standing at the entrance, Uesugi Sakura tossed a USB drive to him, "Here, the third volume."

Ootsu, surprised at how it was tossed, caught it hurriedly with both hands, "Mr. Uesugi, be careful!"

"Words aren't that delicate." Uesugi Sakura said.

"But it's a USB! An electronic device!"

"I have backups."

Looking at the USB in his hand, Ootsu tentatively asked, "Mr. Uesugi, how far have you written in the third volume...?"

"Marriage."

"So quickly!?"

"Yeah." Uesugi Sakura nodded calmly.

"But in the second volume, you hadn't even... uh... written about holding hands!"

"Characters need to move the audience; the emotion can't be repeated, so naturally, the section has to be shortened. A scene like holding hands, once written, no longer moves the reader much the second time."

Ootsu still believed it shouldn't be that way; extending it with more daily scenes wouldn't hurt.

Ootsu was a newcomer editor assigned to Uesugi Sakura, freshly graduated from university. As an editor and a reader, he still held enthusiasm for novels, unlike those older colleagues who merely focused on the author's manipulation of plot and conflict's rationality; he immersed himself into the story, experiencing it as the main character.

"Mr. Uesugi, does the title 'Dream Window Fang Temple' have any special meaning?"

"Literal meaning, the temple in a dream outside the window. Didn't I write at the beginning that the protagonist saw the temple through the window?"

"Really..?"

"Really."

"And the fourth volume...? Do you have any special plans, Mr. Uesugi?"

"In about a month, come by then."

"Okay, then I'll take my leave for now. Sorry to disturb you, Mr. Uesugi." Ootsu bowed slightly.

"Hmm."

Uesugi Sakura gave him a glance and went back to shut the door.

He went back upstairs, lay on his bed, and stared dazedly at the ceiling.

He picked up the mirror on the nightstand and looked at himself, finding a single white hair among the black tresses.

No way... he could only place his hope on this...

He wanted to see... see Hanabi smiling at him once more...

...

A month had passed.

After the release of the third volume, the author of Dream Window Fang Temple was harshly criticized.

Some even held banners, running to protest loudly below the publishing house.

The reason was the shortness; they felt they hadn't read enough, wondering how it suddenly led to marriage despite ample emotional groundwork and logical progression.

But while reading, they felt a sense of emptiness inside.

It was painful!

However, the main reason was that the plot hinted at an undesirable ending.

No one wanted to see that scene.

The chief editor of Yokogawa Publishing House, Utsunomiya, glanced at the bustling crowd left outside and addressed the newcomer who had just joined the company:

"Mr. Ootsu, this matter... You'll need to communicate with Mr. Uesugi again, asking him to write a bit more."

Ootsu felt helpless... there wasn't much he could do.

He could only agree and go back to discuss it face-to-face with Uesugi Sakura.

After two train transfers, Ootsu once again arrived at Uesugi Sakura's doorstep.

When he saw Uesugi Sakura again, he suddenly widened his eyes.

"Mr. Uesugi, you..."

The teacher truly turned into a teacher.

Originally a respectful term, but now... Uesugi Sakura's age looked older than his own... perhaps around 30, like an uncle....

How could this be?

Clearly, a month ago, he still appeared as a young university student in his twenties.

"How could this happen?"

Uesugi Sakura appeared calm, "When someone has a terminal illness, their body ages rapidly; it's the most normal thing."

In disbelief, Ootsu asked, "Mr. Uesugi, you... have a terminal illness?"

"No."

"..."

Ootsu was momentarily at a loss.

"Does your family know about this?"

"Yes, they even took me to the hospital for examination; they said it was some kind of progeria, likely a mentally-induced condition."

"Isn't that a terminal illness?"

"The doctor said it could be cured. But enough about me, what brings you here?"

"Ah..." Ootsu realized, "It's like this... the chief editor wants you to write a bit more..."

Uesugi Sakura directly tossed him a USB drive.

"What's this?" Ootsu nervously caught it, just like last time.

"The fourth volume, Dream Window Fang Temple ends here."

"End, ended!?"

Ootsu wanted to say more but noticed that Uesugi Sakura had already closed the door. He hurriedly stepped forward, knocking hard, calling repeatedly:

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

Inside, Uesugi Sakura paid him no mind, quietly heading to the second floor again.

Only when it was completely silent outside did he lie back on the bed, picking up a photo of Hanamaru Hanabi, and touched the captured smiling face with his right hand, muttering:

"Thirty-five years old... seven more times... seven times..."

...

Brother was diagnosed with progeria, the doctor said it could be cured... but it never seemed to improve.

Aei folded a paper crane, wearing slippers, and stepped up the stairs, stopping outside Uesugi Sakura's bedroom door. He usually didn't let her in, saying his appearance might scare her.

"Brother... Aunt is pregnant, and Hanami will have a little sister. Didn't brother often say Hanami looked a lot like sister Hanabi when she was little? Though sister Hanabi and the little baby aren't with us... brother should cheer up, sister Hanabi and brother's little baby would surely wish the same... I folded a paper crane for you... sister Hanabi told me she also gave you paper cranes when she was little... brother was very happy when he received them."

"Brother?"

Aei waited outside for a long time but received no response from inside. She gently pushed the bedroom door open, only to find Uesugi Sakura wasn't there.

She walked in and discovered a note left on the bed.

Aei put down the paper crane and picked up the paper, reading the words written by Uesugi Sakura.

[Aei, Chiaei, brother has gone traveling... don't worry too much about me, I'm fine... ever since Hanabi is gone, I often dream of her, remember her smiling at me, helping me organize my clothes when I went out, recalling her back bustling in the kitchen preparing breakfast, stroking her belly pregnant with life... dreaming of our life together, preparing clothing for the unborn little one...

I miss her so much, I think... I should go out for a while...

I'll find my future resting place amidst the sights on my trip...

During this time, brother wants to ask you all a favor... to make Uncle Hiroshi agree to name the unborn child Hanabi...

I know... even if you tell him, he will definitely refuse.

But please believe me... on the day the child is born on October 10th... he will remember and agree.

Please also reassure my mother and father... don't focus too much on me... the heart is still growing, they should care for her more...

Aei, Chiaei, fifteen years later, I will come back... I hope by then you will still remember me, remember that you have this brother....

—January 21, Left]