The next day, the second Friday of July, on the train.
If there was any difference between today and yesterday, it would be that Hanamaru Yugetsu would be going to the Kendo Department.
Yesterday, seeing his state, Uesugi Sakura was very concerned as he gazed at the tired middle-aged man clinging to the strap with weary eyes.
But last night, when he asked Hanabi, he didn’t get anything substantial.
She seemed unaware of things regarding Hanamaru Yugetsu.
Hanamaru Hanabi sat beside him, her little head nodding down continually, also looking very sleepy.
"Didn’t sleep well last night?"
"Hmm..." Hanamaru Hanabi let out a tired, lingering nasal sound, "Yesterday... over there... had to submit the drawings..."
Uesugi Sakura sighed and said, "You’re already exhausted with long-distance running during the day, cheerleading training, and all the other activities; you don’t have to work so hard at night too."
Hanamaru Hanabi tried her best to keep her eyes open, mumbling something about "Hanabi... is useless, need to work harder" in her small voice of insecurity.
"There you go again."
Hearing her subtle, weak voice, seeing her drowsy, sleep-deprived state, Uesugi Sakura felt heartbroken.
It’s because she always liked to bury everything in her heart and not speak out, that her childhood insecurities are hard to shake off.
Even though she’s already excellent, she still doesn’t think she’s doing well enough.
She underestimates herself, placing herself in a very low position.
For some reason, she recently started taking original art outsourcing work online to earn money.
But being an original artist in Japan doesn’t pay, and after deductions by the outsourcing company, the monthly salary is less than eighty thousand yen.
Eats up just eight eel rice bowls.
Seeing Hanamaru Hanabi clutching her shoulder bag, her little head nodding down constantly, Uesugi Sakura wrapped his arm around her shoulder from behind and gently said:
"Lean on me and take a nap, I’ll wake you when we reach the station."
It took Hanamaru Hanabi a while to comprehend his words, then she leaned on his shoulder and agreed:
The train continued to wobble forward.
The listless middle-aged office workers clung to the straps with one hand, following the sway of the train, their eyes listlessly staring at the energy drink ads in the car.
The female voice of the station alert broadcasted over and over.
Little Hanabi leaned on him and slept deeply, her cute face occasionally turning rosy from sleep, murmurs in her dreams were so faint Uesugi Sakura couldn’t hear them.
Until the train stabilized after departing, reducing the shaking, could Uesugi Sakura finally hear what Hanabi-chan was saying.
She was saying, "Hanabi... still needs to earn money to support Kai-kun..."
Uesugi Sakura suddenly remembered that she never jokes around.
She seriously carries out every promise she makes to herself.
Now she prepares his bento every day.
Except when getting up late.
His hand, unintentionally, held her petite body a bit tighter.
A very ordinary, even somewhat old-fashioned, Japanese-style small house.
An adolescent girl in a black dress and black stockings sat cross-legged on a tatami mat cushion.
She picked up an ancient-style teacup and brought it elegantly to her lips.
With solemnity, respect, clarity, and tranquility, embodying the charm of tea drinking.
This is the character honed from the tea ceremony; the beauty of tea is interwoven through the girl’s every move.
Even though in the freshly cleaned, old wooden teacup, there was only steaming plain hot water.
The girl set down the tea cup, raised her head, and asked the man who had just entered the room:
"Hanpe-san, did you find what I wanted?"
Hanpe Suji neither nodded nor shook his head but spoke in a calm tone to the girl in the black dress:
"Miss... perhaps you should go back soon, the boss (group leader) and the chairman (Young Master) are very worried about you."
At the mention of these two people, the girl in the black dress turned her head away angrily.
Her face was still wrapped with bandages and gauze: "Why stay with those bad folks at home! No matter how well they repair it, it doesn’t feel right!"
Hanpe shook his head, handling little girls was not his forte.
Tackling a few Zhuji Association disciples was less troublesome.
"Miss, then what do you suggest we do, I’m out of money."
The girl in the black dress declared with a raised voice, then lowered her head, "I didn’t mean to steal Mr. Zhang’s dumplings either."
She freed one hand and held her stomach, speaking in a small voice: "Because, I was so hungry..."
Hanpe shook his head; that street belongs to the girl in the black dress’s family anyway.
If she revealed her identity, the restaurant owners would surely be delighted to host her.
Though she had never been to Kabuki-cho before.
"So miss, hurry back, the chairman will surely know about you getting caught stealing in the street."
"Who wants him to care!"
The girl in the black dress looked at his left hand with the half-cut pinky finger, "Wasn’t Hanpe-san’s finger cut off by that guy? Don’t you hate him?"
Hanpe shook his head; the reasoning was not something easily explained to such a young girl.
Even though her father was the group leader.
"Here it goes again! Always pretending to be an adult, then never telling me anything."
The girl in the black dress recalled something with frustration, pouting her face and saying, "I’m not a kid anymore!"
You are indeed a child, miss.
A girl like you, encountering some Yakuza members not on good terms with your family, who knows how you might be deceived.
Hanpe sighed internally, trying his best to portray himself as an ordinary person in front of her.
"Alright, alright, miss, you just rest here, I’m heading out."
"Where are you going?" The girl in the black dress tilted her head to see his back.
"To earn money!" Hanpe said, "Miss, with you drinking Starbucks every day, I can’t afford it."