CHAPTER 707: CHAPTER 431 ANOTHER HANABI’S SMILE_2

"How is that possible, at this level." Uesugi Sakura knew she was using a reverse psychology tactic on purpose, but it worked; he put in a little more effort.

"This line should be, hmm~ said by Hanabi, Sakura-kun, it’s not enough at this level."

Uesugi Sakura wasn’t having it.

"Sakura-kun... hmm... Sakura-kun, you’re so cute."

Uesugi Sakura: "Let’s have a competition."

"Hmm~" Hanamaru Hanabi’s beautiful eyes gently closed for a moment before opening again, "How does Sakura-kun want to compete?"

"What do you think, Hanabi-chan?"

"Alright." Hanamaru Hanabi understood what he meant.

"Agreed?"

"Hanabi, hmm... hmm... agrees."

A cold breeze blew in.

"Humph," Hanamaru Hanabi’s toes trembled slightly, "No way, no way, Sakura-kun is being naughty."

"Don’t you always say I’m a bad guy?"

"You are a bad guy, it’s completely unfair..."

"What’s unfair about it?"

"It’s just unfair!"

"So, how would it be fair?"

"It’s always Sakura-kun’s field, now, Sakura-kun is not allowed to move."

Uesugi Sakura: "Fine, I won’t move."

Hanamaru Hanabi’s eyes looked at the bustling city below, "I’ll count to thirty, okay? After thirty seconds, Sakura-kun can move."

Uesugi Sakura understood, taking turns playing hide and seek, right?

"One, two, three, four, five, six..."

Time passed slowly.

"Twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thir... ty!"

It was roughly one number per second.

Uesugi Sakura looked at her little hand gripping the railing and couldn’t help but say: "You’re calling me a bad guy, aren’t you one too?"

"Hmm~" Hanamaru Hanabi softly laughed with her pleasant voice, "One could say both Hanabi and Sakura-kun understand each other very well."

Uesugi Sakura glanced at the night sky, where a cloud had drifted overhead, blocking the stars.

"So next, it’s my thirty seconds, right?"

"Yeah."

"Hmm, this way it’s indeed fair."

The moonlight was hazy.

Uesugi Sakura took a deep breath and called out: "Thirty!"

Hanamaru Hanabi’s cheeks flushed as she adorably replied: "Sakura-kun is amazing, Hanabi was almost found by Sakura-kun."

"You’ve never beaten me in hide-and-seek before."

"Sakura-kun still remembers those childhood things."

"Of course."

"Sakura-kun, so confident, next it’ll be Hanabi’s turn, Hanabi is completely different from back then."

"Bring it on."

"But before starting, Hanabi needs to say, this time it’s for one minute."

"One minute!? Why?"

"Because, with just thirty seconds, it’s hard to determine a winner, right? After all, we’re too familiar with each other’s habits, once accepted, it’s hard to break through again."

Uesugi Sakura contemplated, one minute, isn’t that too long?

Hanamaru Hanabi started counting with a cute smile: "Hanabi starts counting now, one, two, three, four..."

"Wait a minute!"

"What is it?"

"Count a bit slower."

"No~pe, Sakura-kun counted so fast just now, Hanabi didn’t say anything."

Uesugi Sakura looked at the distant orange-glowing Tokyo Tower and understood in his heart, that Hanabi was much better than him.

She only counted to forty-five seconds.

Uesugi Sakura couldn’t hold on any longer and wanted to take a break:

"Is it okay now?"

"No~pe!" Hanamaru Hanabi gently covered her mouth, mocking him.

"..."

"Sakura-kun barely made it through the transition period."

"..."

"Alright, if Sakura-kun doesn’t want to, let Hanabi do it."

"..."

Uesugi Sakura shivered in the cold wind on the balcony, realizing for the first time how tiring hide-and-seek could be.

Returning to the bedroom, Uesugi Sakura collapsed onto the bed without a word, lying down and falling asleep.

Hanamaru Hanabi sat at the bedside, smiling at him: "Sakura-kun is really cute."

Then she reached out to cover him with a blanket, turned off the lights, and snuggled into the covers to sleep with him.

"Good night, Sakura-kun."

———————

The next morning, the sun shone on his face.

Hanamaru Hanabi used a gentle voice to wake him up: "Sakura-kun... breakfast is ready..."

Uesugi Sakura confirmed several times and found that she was indeed her usual little Hanabi, sighing with relief.

"Is breakfast ready?"

"Mm, it’s ready..."

Uesugi Sakura wanted to hold her hand, but Hanamaru Hanabi shyly dodged.

"No touching... randomly..."

As expected, as expected!

This version of Hanabi is even cuter.

At least she doesn’t make him feel exhausted all the time.

"Hasn’t Sakura-kun woken up yet? Should Hanabi put the food in the microwave to keep it warm and heat it up for you when you want to eat?"

"No need... I’ll get up now, I have to go to school later, and I also have work this afternoon." Uesugi Sakura looked up at her and asked, "Are you feeling unwell in any way?"

Hanamaru Hanabi shook her head.

Uesugi Sakura wasn’t convinced, wondering if girls were indeed stronger in this aspect.

"Sakura-kun... aren’t feeling well?"

"It’s nothing, nothing, nothing," Uesugi Sakura said three times, then sighed, "Just a bit tired."

Washing up, getting dressed, and heading to school.

Uesugi Sakura felt lethargic all day.

Reading philosophical books in class made him drowsy.

In a liberal arts class.

"What’s up with you today?" Todaka Keichiro asked with concern.

"Nothing, yawn~, just not fully awake." Uesugi Sakura yawned.

"Stayed up late studying yesterday?"

"Something like that." Uesugi Sakura didn’t want to get into it.

Darn Hanabi...

Uesugi Sakura thought about it now, still feeling not convinced.

He’s a tall enough guy, could he lose to her?

"Uesugi, Uesugi."

"What?"

"I’ve been working part-time, right?"

"Yeah." Uesugi Sakura remembered he had also found a part-time job at the same time, working as a cheap barista while he was a cashier at a convenience store diagonally across from their café, with slightly lower wages.

"Actually, I have a favor to ask of you."

"A favor from me?"

"Yeah, only you can do this."

"Let’s hear it." Uesugi Sakura didn’t immediately agree, unsure if it was something that might require him to sell himself.

He wouldn’t commit to that; serving two cute girl girlfriends was exhausting enough.

Todaka Keichiro hesitated a bit, scratching the back of his head, "Actually, I’ve recently fallen for a girl."

"?"

"Didn’t you say your ex-girlfriend was your lifelong love?"

"That was when I was dating her! Now that we’ve broken up, how can you mix those up?"

Uesugi Sakura gave him a disdainful look; men who don’t keep their word.

"Fine, fine, whatever you say."

Uesugi Sakura yawned again.

Todaka Keichiro looked at his face that girls envied, though at the moment, a bit worn out:

"I have a crush on a girl at your café."

"..."

"So?" Uesugi Sakura didn’t look at him but was reading some arguments written on the blackboard.

"So, I want your help!" Todaka Keichiro pushed his arm.

Uesugi Sakura turned his head, suddenly remembering, "Could it be, the sneakily dressed customer in a scarf at our place these days was you?"

"Cough, cough! I wouldn’t do something so sleazy."

Uesugi Sakura was sure it was him.

Todaka Keichiro, realizing he was exposed, wasn’t anxious and said, "I was just gathering intel, what if she suddenly dislikes me?"

"For no reason, how could she suddenly dislike you?"

Todaka Keichiro hesitated for a while, his face turning red, then looked at Uesugi Sakura sincerely:

"To be honest, I like my sister."

Uesugi Sakura almost didn’t keep his expression neutral, "You, are you joking?"

"I’m not joking."

"You said you like a maid at our café? There’s no one with the surname ’Todaka’ there."

"Let me finish," Todaka Keichiro interjected, "I do like a maid at your café, and that maid is my sister. We’re from a blended family, so she doesn’t share my surname, but she’s indeed my sister. Does that make sense now!?"

"Yeah." Uesugi Sakura nodded, "You explained it clearly, why circle around so much earlier?"

"Damn it, Uesugi, you were the one circling around!"

"Enough with the nonsense, who’s your sister?"

"Wait, let me show you a picture."

At this point, Uesugi Sakura noticed Todaka Keichiro became hesitant, even slowing his movement to take out his phone.

Could this be the dilemma of a young lad in love?

Honestly, liking your sister... even if she’s not a real sister, it’s kind of odd.

"Here, this is her." Todaka Keichiro glanced at the photo on his phone and showed it to him.

Uesugi Sakura looked at the girl in the school uniform wearing a beige scarf in the photo.

The face shape, the outline, it seemed familiar, and almost instinctively, pulling from memory, he murmured a name:

"Kobashi Rikai?"