CHAPTER 427: CHAPTER 306: ENCOUNTER, DINNER PARTY_2

"No."

"Was the idea of a fake boyfriend yours?"

"Of course not," Uesugi Sakura said, poking his chopsticks into the bowl, savoring the fresh taste of crab meat melting in his mouth, "I would never do such a thing. It was mostly to reciprocate a favor, that’s all."

Kitagawa Sakisa scrutinized his face, trying to find any clues.

"Stop looking, Miss Kitagawa, I’m perfectly normal."

"You are indeed normal," Kitagawa Sakisa sneakily moved to his back and whispered to him in a voice only for the two of them, "but Hanabi-chan is really upset."

In this private room, her sneaky actions were even more conspicuous, attracting everyone’s attention.

Hanamaru Hanabi was also curious about what her best friend said to her boyfriend.

"Ahem!" Kitagawa Sakisa straightened her small chest before walking back, "Everyone, don’t mind me, continue eating. Hanabi-chan too, rest assured, I’m not interested in your precious boyfriend."

Is Hanabi-chan upset?

Uesugi Sakura was uncertain if telling Hanabi about this in advance would make it easier for her to accept.

"How does Hanabi find the food?"

"Delicious."

Seeing no negative reaction on her face, Uesugi Sakura asked again, "Do you feel tired? If you want to sleep, I can take you home first."

Hanamaru Hanabi blinked, "No... Hanabi feels fine... The food is also very tasty..."

Alright, Uesugi could tell Kitagawa Sakisa was exaggerating.

Little Hanabi’s sadness is hard to hide; Uesugi Sakura had known her since she was little.

"Do you want to have coffee when we get home?"

"Sakura-kun, let’s eat first..." Hanamaru Hanabi knew he was concerned about her, "We can talk about these things later..."

Uesugi Sakura, understanding her, said no more, "Okay, let’s eat."

The delicacies and seafood, if you ask if this meal was enjoyed, it was undoubtedly delightful.

With every bite, one could experience a unique taste never before encountered.

Besides being a bit pricey, there were no drawbacks.

Chatting a few words with some classmates, leaving the shop, and parted ways at the intersection to head home.

"Aren’t you leaving?" Uesugi Sakura looked at Kitagawa Sakisa standing at the windy corner.

"I’m waiting for my brother to pick me up." Kitagawa Sakisa gazed at the street, her black skirt dancing in the wind. The sky was slightly dim, with streetlights extending to the end of the road.

"You’ll catch a cold."

"Yes, Sakisa-chan, standing in the cold wind like this, you’ll catch a cold."

This is the harbor area, and nameless winds often roam about.

"What should I do then?"

Don’t know what to do about this?

Uesugi Sakura had to say to her, "One, come down to avoid the wind while waiting for your brother. Two, catch the train home with us."

After weighing her options, Kitagawa Sakisa decided to join them on the train.

Of course, the main reason was having Hanabi with her.

The two were good friends, and during the time when Kitagawa Sakisa ran away from home, Hanabi often gave her food.

She often cried while telling Hanabi how delicious it was.

Originally a kind girl, she naturally got along well with others.

"Kitagawa, why did you run away from home before?"

The train carriage swayed, and Uesugi Sakura held onto a strap, watching the cityscape behind them.

"Feeling displeased."

"Just because of displeasure, you ran away from home?"

"What else could I do."

Kitagawa Sakisa found it more interesting to pull out her phone to talk about her art assignments with Hanamaru Hanabi than to answer Uesugi Sakura’s boring questions.

The train moved slowly, getting off at the station, walking at the fork, the three would soon part.

"Can you find your way?"

"Hmph! Don’t underestimate me." Kitagawa Sakisa tilted her head forty-five degrees.

Uesugi Sakura felt it necessary to remind this lady, "To Nezu, take the Chiyoda Line, get off at New Ochazuke; it’s a straight route to your house."

Actually, coming from the harbor area, she would go through Chiyoda District, but she would accompany Hanabi for a journey, so she would take the round trip.

If Kitagawa Sakisa were not female, being so clingy to Hanabi, Uesugi Sakura would have already sent her off.

Uesugi Sakura was just thinking about this when she pulled his arm again.

"What’s wrong? I’ll accuse you of harassment."

"Who wants to harass you!" Kitagawa Sakisa stomped her foot, angrily said, glanced at Hanabi next to her, then lowered her voice, "I’m telling you, Hanabi is really upset."

Uesugi Sakura glanced at her and deliberately asked, "Upset about what?"

"You’ve spent years with Hanabi-chan in vain; of course, it’s about you pretending to be someone else’s boyfriend."

"Really?"

"Really!"

"Really?"

"It’s true!"

"Hanabi wouldn’t be so petty."

"Is it petty? You are strange, Uesugi-san."

Uesugi Sakura was deliberately probing Sakisa, wanting to see if she was serious.

Being Hanabi’s best friend, she might indeed know something Hanabi had said, which he was unaware of.

"What did Hanabi say to you?"

"She said not to make things difficult for you. She said it felt weird, her own boyfriend letting someone else pretend. Is that petty? Can one be magnanimous?"

In Uesugi Sakura’s eyes, Kitagawa Sakisa had become more emotionally intelligent.

"Uesugi, think carefully again. Don’t say I didn’t remind you! It’s not for you, it’s for Hanabi-chan!"

Think carefully?

Hanabi looked pretty normal.

Try putting himself in her shoes?

Uesugi Sakura tried to imagine Hanamaru Hanabi pretending to be someone else’s girlfriend.

With a male classmate he didn’t know.

Maybe they held hands, and even met the boy’s parents together.

Across from him, a mother lovingly serves her food, grabbing Hanabi’s small hand, saying, good daughter-in-law.

Good daughter-in-law...

Miserable, very miserable, even if it was a mere thought, even if it was pretending.

Uesugi Sakura suddenly wanted to give himself a slap to clear his mind.

All the time, he was thinking as a male, assuming helping out a classmate by pretending as a boyfriend for a couple of hours was no big deal.

But he overlooked Hanabi’s feelings.

Even let her, out of understanding love, agree to such an absurd thing.

Allowing her childhood fiancé to become another girl’s boyfriend.

Little Hanabi omitted her feelings of unease, thinking solely about him, Uesugi.

In the end, she had to pretend everything was normal, trying hard to understand him.

Uesugi Sakura turned around to see her petite silhouette standing in the sunset waiting for him.

The fiery clouds, the elegant dress, the bustling street scene.

She had always been waiting, always been appreciative like this.

She had always been offering silent love, and he... what had he given her...?

"Thank you."

"Hmph, as long as you understand."

The whole evening, Uesugi Sakura was in thought.

Until waking up the next morning, he didn’t see the familiar girl beside his pillow nor smelled the familiar fragrance.

His heart felt empty.

Aei’s voice calling for breakfast came from the doorway, and Uesugi Sakura realized that she had gotten up early to make breakfast.

She usually loves to sleep in, partly because she enjoys sleeping, and partly due to staying up late to finish her drawings.

"Got it."

He threw off the covers, got up to change clothes, and followed Aei downstairs for breakfast.

Hanamaru Hanabi was busy in the kitchen, and a breakfast set made for him was already laid out on the table.

Fried eggs, miso soup, milk, toast, and knowing he recently liked vegetable salad, she had specially prepared a portion.

Seeing the neatly placed chopsticks on the bowl, he really didn’t know what to say to Hanabi.

"Ni-ni (big brother)~" Aei swung her little feet from the chair beside him, "Why do you look unhappy when Hanabi-neesan made such a delicious breakfast?"

"...I’m not unhappy with Hanabi-neesan’s breakfast; I’m displeased with myself." Uesugi Sakura picked up his chopsticks, finding them strangely heavy.

Whether Aei understood him, he couldn’t tell.

"Why?" Aei looked up and asked him.

Why?

Uesugi Sakura also looked at Aei, "Little Aei, do you think, does your brother love Hanabi-neesan?"