"Is that so..."
Uesugi Sakura subconsciously raised his wrist and glanced at his digital watch.
9:39:39
Then he shifted his position from the center, trying to make the space next to him larger. He looked up again at the girl in front of him:
"Sit down, Hanabi."
"Mm."
Hanamaru Hanabi nodded gently, cautiously sitting down beside him.
Her wandering eyes secretly glanced at the book resting on his lap, and also noticed the sakura petals lying quietly on its leather cover.
After that glance, she quickly looked away, focusing on her small hands clasped on her lap, like a deer always on guard.
"Uesugi-kun... is reading a book again after all."
The sweet aura of the girl intertwined with the faint fragrance of sakura, refreshing the mind and body.
Hearing the girl's soft voice, Uesugi Sakura's gaze passed through the blue sky, looking towards the northeast not far away.
"Yes, I did say I wanted to get into Tokyo University."
"Uesugi-kun... why do you have this dream? Everyone... wants to get into this university."
Petals of sakura slowly fell onto the bench, and with a breeze, they floated away again.
Hanamaru Hanabi saw them, and her thoughts drifted toward the memories between the two.
"Hm...? I never mentioned it?"
"No..."
Watching the girl beside him shake her head, Uesugi Sakura's thoughts followed hers back to the past, distant memories bearing the marks of time like black-and-white photos.
Here, everyone aspires to enter this world-famous institution, but most people give up this idea early due to the gap with reality.
In the previous life, Uesugi Sakura did not like socializing and had few friends, only a few classmates in school.
But as time passed, they graduated and went their separate ways, leaving only profile pictures in his phone that never received messages.
In lonely times, only immersing himself in the world of books could warm his heart a little.
After coming to this world, he never tried to change anything, just appeared more mature than his peers, otherwise, he was but an ordinary person who looked a bit handsome.
"It's just a small goal I've set for myself in this life."
Hanamaru Hanabi's gentle and shimmering eyes stared at his handsome side profile against the space of falling sakura petals, and she said in a soft voice:
"Uesugi-kun... you're amazing..."
...
At this moment, a young couple walked shoulder to shoulder towards them, looking a bit embarrassed.
"Um... sumimasen..." the shy young man awkwardly asked.
Seeing the young man suddenly appear with a cellphone, speaking stilted Japanese, Uesugi Sakura shook his head and said:
"Do you need any help?"
The very standard Mandarin surprised the couple who had come here to enjoy the cherry blossoms as tourists.
They looked at Uesugi Sakura in confusion and asked, "Are you Chinese?"
Chinese...
These two words...
Uesugi Sakura paused for two seconds, then continued to look at them, nodding and also shaking his head.
He once was, indeed, but now his identity... it's not...
This left the couple even more puzzled as they looked at each other with doubt.
To prevent them from dwelling on this topic, Uesugi Sakura continued to say to them:
"Why don't you tell me what help you need?"
"Sorry, I just wanted to ask where the restroom is," the young man, not very articulate, said.
"Go straight, take a right at the second fork, walk along the lakeside, and you'll see it shortly."
"Ah."
The young man looked where Uesugi Sakura pointed, quickly turned back and gratefully said, "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
The young couple then left just like that.
Such little episodes happen from time to time, and Uesugi Sakura, who often comes here, is used to them.
That couple earlier probably are first-time visitors who weren't very prepared.
From Uesugi Sakura's past experiences, foreign tourists usually prepare a sentence or two for directions when visiting here. Although they sound a bit labored, they still manage to complete their sentences.
It's the tourist season now; usually, the Imperial Garden has fewer people, but every weekend when he has time, he brings a book over, finds a spot to sit under the lush trees, and stays quietly.
Although it costs a heart-wrenching 500 yen each time, the experience gained is truly worth it.
The sakura season painted with fragrances is exceptionally beautiful and is one of the few days like this in the year.
After tucking the yaezakura between the book covers, Uesugi Sakura stood up, and the girl's gaze followed his movement.
"Shall we take a walk?" Uesugi Sakura extended his hand with a smile.
Hanamaru Hanabi's bright eyes looked up at his clean and handsome face, her cheeks slightly red, she gently reached out her hand and cautiously placed it atop his.
Their hands met just like this.
Clearly, it was a very familiar touch.
Every time she shook hands with him, she felt an unusual sense of peace.
The shy girl dared not look at him for too long, subconsciously burying her head deeper.
Uesugi Sakura held her small hand, soft, warm, delicate, and smooth, tugging at the strings of a heart throbbing just below his throat.
It was very comforting, but he had long been accustomed to this feeling.
Since he met Hanabi, she had been this way, a bit shy, not speaking much, and almost never initiating conversations.
Even earlier, when small playmates greeted her, she mumbled for a long time without uttering a word.
He was her only playmate since she was a child.
She loved following behind him since she was young, which led to some teasing by classmates.
"Let's go."
"Mm..."
In a brief conversation, the two walked side by side, starting a stroll beneath the sakura trees, slowly pacing through the March of blossoms.
They passed through the lush, stone-paved paths adorned with green shrubs and crossed over the verdant young grass.
Approaching them was a pool of lush green lake water.
The branches of dense trees swayed with the wind, gently touching the shimmering lake surface, stirring ripples.
Following the path down leads to the famous old Imperial Pavilion within the garden.
Standing above and looking down at the lakeside, there was a vine-covered pergola, halfway submerged, old and simple.
Yet unexpectedly, it maintained popularity.
Because here is where Kohei and Yukari Mei reunited after months in The Garden of Words.
Many couples commemorating their love visit this sacred spot, lingering with nostalgia.
Time always passes imperceptibly.
Walking out of Shinjuku Imperial Garden, Uesugi Sakura checked his digital watch.
11:51:24
Over two hours had passed just like that, and they merely covered the entire garden.
"My treat; what do you want to eat?" Uesugi Sakura asked.
Although their homes weren't far from here, no one was at home now, and cooking for themselves would take over an hour.
Not only would it not taste good, but it was also way too troublesome, plus there were many restaurants near the garden, so choosing one directly was more convenient.
"Uesugi-kun..." Hanamaru Hanabi's timid voice was soft, looking up at Uesugi Sakura, she said, "Then ramen."
"Alright."
Uesugi Sakura looked at Hanabi's pure face, his tone helpless.
Every time he treated, it was the same. He knew she was saving money for him, but he couldn't resist and had to comply.
But even with ramen, they would choose a slightly more expensive place.
The two walked all the way to a place called "Ichiran Ramen."
"Want chashu?" In front of the vending machine, Uesugi Sakura asked Hanamaru Hanabi behind him.
"Mm."
Uesugi Sakura turned back, skillfully found the ramen button and frowned when seeing the big characters above it.
[Ramen — 890 yen]
The price went up?
When did it go up again, another 100 yen increase.
Another small frustration adding up +1
He quickly glanced at the chashu, which had also increased.
+2
After muttering a soft curse about the cruel capitalists, Uesugi Sakura obediently paid the money.
-2280
Taking the receipt from the machine, Uesugi Sakura looked at the available space, finding two adjacent seats.
"Let's go."
"Mm."
The Ichiran Ramen located in Tokyo Shinjuku had no extra menus, claiming to focus only on "Natural Tonkotsu Ramen," with renowned broth, enjoying high popularity, so most seats were often filled.
Upon sitting, one could hear a series of conversations, expressions of thanks, and laughter of varying sizes from the surroundings, exuding a marketplace vibe.
The entire shop featured counter-style seating, each separated by partitions, giving a sense of private space, suitable for dining alone.
Directly in front of the seat was a small window, with staff behind who handed over an order slip when seated, allowing selections for taste and broth.
According to Uesugi Sakura's long-standing ramen-eating experience, ramen must be with rich broth and firm noodles.