Above the floating clouds, the dazzling sunlight twinkled in his eyes.
Hundreds of cherry blossom trees flashed past the train window, their pink hues delightful.
Uesugi Sakura, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, lowered his head to avoid the glaring light as the carriage sped forward.
He glanced at the address Hanamaru Hanabi had sent him on his phone, tapped the screen, and replied to her message.
[Are you moving today?]
In a cake shop with a creamy aroma, Hanamaru Hanabi picked up the glowing phone on the table.
Kitagawa Sakisa, who had been chatting with her, leaned over trying to peek at the screen:
"Hanabi-chan, who is it?"
"Is Uesugi coming over?" Kitagawa Sakisa retracted her gaze, lifting a strawberry from her cake with a fork, staring at the seeds, "But it’s just past noon, doesn’t he have classes this afternoon?"
Opposite the wooden table, Kyujuu Rika stirred her coffee with a spoon, responding: "I heard it’s quite relaxed for Tokyo University’s first and second years. They don’t have to attend classes."
"You don’t need to attend classes!? Is Tokyo University really that good?"
Kitagawa Sakisa, a bit envious, muttered, "If I’d known, I would have applied there instead... Here we have classes for so long, it’s so exhausting~"
Kyujuu Rika replied snarkily: "With your grades, it was only because we all helped you in the third year that you barely made it through. How could you possibly get into Tokyo University."
"Hmph!" Kitagawa Sakisa bit into the strawberry, crossed her arms and turned her head, "Don’t look down on people, Rika, I worked hard to get into Art College!"
"I’m not looking down, it’s just the truth."
Kitagawa Sakisa didn’t want to hear Kyujuu Rika’s lectures; it hasn’t changed from childhood!
She sneaked a peek at the phone screen in Hanamaru Hanabi’s hand, saw their chat log, and felt puzzled:
"Hanabi-chan, did that Uesugi guy make you angry?"
Hanamaru Hanabi quickly put away her phone: "Ah? No, no, it’s just that Sakura-kun wants me to move in together."
Kitagawa Sakisa found her reaction a bit odd and scrutinized her face: "Since the day before yesterday, Hanabi-chan has often spaced out, her face turns red suddenly, then she bites her lip, looking very nervous, especially with both hands clasped between her thighs."
"No, absolutely not." Hanamaru Hanabi frantically shook her head, her soft short hair swaying side to side.
Seeing her , coupled with the chat information just now, Kitagawa Sakisa became even more convinced there’s something being hidden.
As Hanabi’s friend, she didn’t want to pry too much.
But she was extremely curious!
Kitagawa Sakisa kept poking the cake with a fork, occasionally puffing her cheeks and glancing at Hanabi, internally repeating "curious," "curious."
Uesugi Sakura walked into a warm-lit cake shop filled with the scent of cream cheese.
A table, chairs on either side, and passersby could be seen through the transparent window with the shop’s logo.
Kyujuu Rika made some room, letting Uesugi Sakura sit right across from Hanabi.
"It’s just you three out today?" he asked.
Normally, they would come out for afternoon tea in a group of four.
Kitagawa Sakisa: "Rie-chan’s sketches aren’t up to standard, so she’s working hard in the art studio now!"
Uesugi Sakura’s impression of her drawing was still that of a strange Doraemon from Mars.
"Uesugi, did you make Hanabi-chan angry?" Kitagawa Sakisa asked curiously, resting her hand holding the fork on the table.
Beside her, Hanamaru Hanabi quickly raised her head and said: "No."
Uesugi Sakura: "I suppose you could say that."
Kitagawa Sakisa’s gaze flicked between the two of them and asked: "So did you or didn’t you?"
Kyujuu Rika quietly watched them for a moment, thinking to herself that it was suspicious how Hanabi hadn’t actively contacted Uesugi much these past couple of days.
In the past, Hanabi would message him morning, noon, and night, asking what he was up to, keeping an eye out for particularly delicious things while shopping to bring him some next time they met.
Everyone was aware of their relationship.
Kyujuu Rika thought that Uesugi Sakura must be here to apologize.
Faced with Kitagawa Sakisa’s curiosity, Uesugi Sakura didn’t want to say much more. He understood that Hanabi had been avoiding him these days out of shyness.
"Sorry to interrupt, please enjoy."
A waiter in the cake shop placed a tiramisu on the table in front of Uesugi Sakura, along with a cup of cappuccino before nodding and leaving.
Uesugi Sakura recalled he hadn’t ordered cake, "This weekend, Tokyo University is having a May Festival. Do you want to come and take a look?"
He said ’take a look,’ but it was really just for fun.
Kitagawa Sakisa was very interested in fun, happily saying: "Sure, sure, we’ll definitely go. Uesugi, are you participating in any events?"
"No," Uesugi Sakura replied.
"No? Then what will you do at the May Festival?"
"I wrote an article that likely won’t be published, and other than that, I’ll be with my classmates selling takoyaki."
Kitagawa Sakisa was puzzled: "Do you know how to make takoyaki?"
"Then how are you going to sell takoyaki?" she said as she ate a strawberry.
"I’m in charge of selling; some female classmates know how to make it."
Hanamaru Hanabi suddenly chimed in: "Sakura-kun can play the guitar, and I think Sakura-kun should perform a song."
Everyone looked at her due to her sudden nervous statement.
Kitagawa Sakisa chimed in: "Hmm... Uesugi’s playing is quite good."
Kyujuu Rika became interested upon hearing this and suggested: "Why don’t we perform a song together on stage during the May Festival? I remember Tokyo University has that program."