Laid-Back Life in Tokyo: I Really Didn't Want to Work Hard-Chapter 325 - 249: Saturday, The First Three Days’ Time_2

"Hey, Hanabi, aren’t you working on illustrations lately? You have hundreds of thousands of followers online."

"Hanabi turned them all down, though there was a lot of work." Hanamaru Hanabi turned her head and said.

"How much is your pay for one drawing now?" Uesugi Sakura asked, remembering that Hanabi was once underpaid by a game company, where the value of her work should have been ten times higher.

"Hanabi only takes on commissions now. Initially, I wanted to keep it low, but Yuuki insisted on raising the price."

"How much for one?"

"Depends on the complexity and requirements... Yuuki said the minimum should start at 200,000 yen..."

200,000?

Little Hanabi is making her own way to becoming an heiress through hard work.

"Hanabi, why don’t you take care of me?" Uesugi Sakura smiled.

"Sure, but you have to listen to what Hanabi says."

"Oh? What do you want me to do?"

"You can be a model."

"Naked modeling?"

"Of, of course not!" Hanamaru Hanabi whispered, making sure Kyujuu Rika seated in front didn’t hear, "You’re really handsome... it would be great to draw you... and I’ve always wanted to draw a picture of you."

"Well, you can’t just draw me alone; you must be in the picture too." Uesugi Sakura said.

"Draw together?"

Seeing her hesitation, Uesugi Sakura suggested, "How about I hold you and kiss you in the drawing? With sakura petals flying all around."

"Why is it that Sakura holds Hanabi and kisses her..."

"Then what? Does Hanabi want to hold me and kiss me instead?"

...

The car headed towards Chiyoda District, passing by Sakuragi Shrine, Kitano Park, and the Martial Arts Hall lined with Sakura Trees at the entrance.

Competitions like Sword Dao, Judo, and other martial arts events are held at the Martial Arts Hall.

The Tokyo University entrance ceremony, which Uesugi Sakura attended, was also held here.

Everyone was dressed in suits and seated on the second floor of the venue, waiting for the entrance of the principal, deans, and guests.

He often felt sentimental back then, knowing he wouldn’t see Hanabi in her sailor uniform much anymore.

The vehicle drove off, soon arriving at the Kyujuu Family’s mansion.

The driver skillfully got out of the car, adjusting his white gloves on the newly opened car door.

Kyujuu Rika stepped out of the car, "Tsusei, I’ve told you, no need to be so formal."

"Miss, it is a necessity."

Kyujuu Rika sighed lightly, glancing at Uesugi Sakura, who was helping Hanabi out of the car.

"Are they all here?" he asked.

"Yes, everyone has arrived. You’re the closest to my house, and since Hanabi hurt her foot, I came with Tsusei to pick you both up."

The mansion is a twelve-minute drive from Tokyo University, and about a sixteen-minute drive to their newly moved-in apartment.

"I’ll help you with the guitar." Kyujuu Rika said, seeing Uesugi Sakura holding Hanabi and the guitar.

Uesugi Sakura didn’t refuse, "Mm, thanks."

The luxurious mansion near the Imperial Palace impressed with its grandeur from just a glance upward, boasting a Sky Garden and costing 3.6 billion yen.

Uesugi Sakura was intrigued by the roses inside, and of course, the swimming pool.

But today wasn’t for swimming, so the three went to the private bedroom upstairs in the Sky Garden.

This was where Kyujuu Rika had been practicing piano since she was a child, with delicate curtains fluttering in the wind, transparent floor-to-ceiling windows, and a Steinway piano in the center of the room.

Sitting at the piano, one could see the distant Skytree Tower, the nearby Imperial Palace, and the Sky Garden with a pool below.

The cityscape was thoroughly enchanting.

The bedroom itself radiated an air of ’money’.

Kitagawa Sakisa lazily leaned on the sofa watching TV like a resting cat, holding chips in her arms.

So absorbed in the TV, her hand stopped in midair with a chip near her mouth.

Ayaka Rie, on the other hand, attempted to drum on the set nearby, her movements somewhat rusty likely due to a long period without practice.

Uesugi Sakura was a bit doubtful if the five of them could actually work well together.

When they came in, everyone in the room greeted them.

"Uesugi, do you know how our band should practice?" Kitagawa Sakisa asked, after taking a bite of a chip.

Uesugi Sakura: "It’s not really a band, just a small team, and we’re only temporarily performing one song."

Kitagawa Sakisa shook her head, looking melancholic: "Ah, honestly, I don’t have much hope for this, deciding last minute to perform a song together."

Gathering a team temporarily to perform...

Uesugi Sakura also lacked confidence, given he didn’t know everyone’s level or if they could work well together.

Hanabi had only sung for herself.

With only three days until Saturday, they had to successfully cooperate by then, which seemed daunting.

"Let’s start by getting familiar with the piece," Kyujuu Rika pulled a few sheets of music out of her bookshelf drawer, distributing them to those present.

Costume Parade (Parade)?

Uesugi Sakura saw the title at the top of the sheet music, recognizing it as a transliterated word.

The English pronunciation wasn’t much different.

He got the guitar harmony sheet.

It seemed he would accompany the piece, adding to its melody.

Kitagawa Sakisa, Hanamaru Hanabi, and Ayaka Rie likely received the sheet music corresponding to their roles.

He could read guitar sheet music, but a quick glance at Kitagawa Sakisa’s violin sheet left him clueless.

Kyujuu Rika held the sheet, saying, "The violin part at the beginning is crucial for this song, you must practice it well."

"Sure, no problem!" Kitagawa Sakisa looked at the sheet and confidently agreed.

Kyujuu Rika, seeing her agree so simply, grew even more concerned, knowing her childhood friend could be unreliable at times.

The last time, she ran away from home and ended up with no food, unwilling to come over.

Probably afraid her brother would quickly track her down if she did.

Rika actually thought her brother was great—caring and protective. She didn’t know why Sakisa always called him overprotective.

Uesugi Sakura sat on the stool, placing the sheet music on a prepared stand, and began trying the piece.

His fingers plucked, rhythm gradually unfolding with light, delightful notes jumping from his fingertips.

He realized it was a fresh, pop-style piece.

"Not bad, Uesugi." Kitagawa Sakisa circled him curiously, as it was her first time seeing him play the guitar.

Similarly, Kyujuu Rika, having practiced piano since childhood, also appreciated his rhythm control.

The most important aspect of a piece is rhythm; a steady, uniform rhythm better captivates listeners.

And Uesugi Sakura’s performance was genuinely impressive, instinctively drawing one to follow his beat.

However, a guitar solo lacked perfection; he stopped midway.

"How do you feel?" Kyujuu Rika inquired.

Uesugi Sakura embraced his guitar, his companion for over a year, glanced at the sheet, and said, "From my part, the piece feels lively, which I quite like."

Kitagawa Sakisa, with curiosity, asked, "When did you learn such good guitar skills, Uesugi?"

"In the UK, a lady at a café taught me."

"So during those months you skipped classes to run off to London?" she intentionally glanced at Hanamaru Hanabi seated on the sofa.

"Let me clarify first, it wasn’t skipping classes; I took a legitimate leave through the proper channels."

Ayaka Rie added, "But when you and Hanabi returned, you didn’t get demoted despite missing classes for several months."

Uesugi Sakura explained, "I was fine, no grades fell behind, while Hanabi spent a lot of time catching up on schoolwork."

"Royal Academy of Arts," Kyujuu Rika mentioned, "I initially intended to attend... Uesugi, I forgot to tell you before, Hanabi choosing to leave and return with you shows how much she cares about you."

"Mm, I know." Uesugi Sakura sincerely nodded and turned to glance at Hanamaru Hanabi, who was looking at the sheet music on the sofa.

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