Chapter 89: Who to Tell, Like?

Chapter 89: Chapter 89: Who to Tell, Like?The mellow yellow light made the atmosphere gentle. Compared to eating the golden-glazed eel rice, Uesugi Sakura preferred watching her eat. Hanamaru Hanabi nibbled with her cherry-red lips, taking bite after bite of rice, chewing slowly and quietly, without making a sound. Her lovely face, her obedient movements, every detail of the girl he wanted to see clearly. While she quietly enjoyed the feast for her taste buds, Uesugi Sakura quietly moved his chair closer to her. Being closer, as soon as he caught the scent of the girl’s fragrance, his hand instinctively wrapped around her soft waist again. Body close to body, his left hand followed her waistline, moving down to her abdomen, touching her skin through the thin clothes. The distance was neither too close nor too far, just holding her like this allowed him to fully appreciate the presence of a young girl. He pinched her soft belly. Her breath, her body temperature, her softness, all converged at this moment to his fingertips on her abdomen. Her presence was intoxicating to him, and this touch was unforgettable. "Sakura-kun..." Putting down her chopsticks, the shy girl attempted to push away the mischievous person beside her with both hands, "Don’t touch Hanabi... it tickles..." But on the contrary, her soft flesh was pinched again. Hanamaru Hanabi’s weak voice suddenly turned warm, "No... I still need... to eat..." It was unclear if it was because the eel rice was too hot, but her breath became shorter and shorter. As she gradually got into a mood, her voice grew more feverish. "Sakura... Sakura-kun... don’t... don’t tease Hanabi... Hanabi... it tickles so much..." Uesugi Sakura suddenly stopped his hand moving on her waist, because she looked genuinely ticklish with her rosy complexion. In front of her, there was still half of the eel rice, untouched. "Sakura... -kun... you can’t do this..." Hanamaru Hanabi murmured quietly, clamping the hand that had been pushing him between her thighs, her shy expression endearing. Uesugi Sakura felt no urge to repent, examining her bow at the collar, reassuring her, "It’s just the two of us here, nobody else can see, no need to worry, Hanabi." The small store had a bar-style seating, not a private room, but a curtain that could block the view of other diners, from the outside only two pairs of gradually approaching feet could be seen. Hanamaru Hanabi chose not to move her chopsticks, but instead, with red ears, turned her head to him pleading, "Sakura-kun... please don’t touch Hanabi anymore... okay...?" "Does Hanabi dislike me?" "No... it’s not that," Hanamaru Hanabi lowered her head and shook it gently, "Sakura-kun... if you keep touching Hanabi... Hanabi will become really... strange..." Uesugi Sakura chuckled, accentuating his words, "Really, strange?" "Really... strange..." Hanamaru Hanabi repeated softly. "Because you’re too cute." "Sakura-kun..." Hanamaru Hanabi knew he was talking about her. Like when a child is praised, they want to hear it again and perform better for more praise. This could potentially make the girl even cuter? But for now, it seemed that touching her further was not possible, it was indeed improper to be too forward in public. "Alright, I promise you," Uesugi Sakura turned to eat a bite of his own 4999-yen eel rice, then continued, "I was wrong earlier, disrupting your meal." "Hanabi... doesn’t mind Sakura-kun doing that..." —————— Escaping from the grilled eel, it was nearing 4 PM. Shinjuku Avenue remained bustling with people, as Uesugi Sakura and Hanamaru Hanabi strolled down the busy streets under the fading white sky. After walking through one commercial street after another hand in hand, they were ready to return home. However, before actually heading home, the two decided to have a cup of coffee. They boarded at the world’s busiest Shinjuku Station and got off at the slightly quieter Waseda Station. Uesugi Sakura found a Doutor Coffee shop not far from home. Compared to other branches, this Doutor had a fresh and youthful decor, and although it was not very spacious, it felt very comfortable. The area around Waseda was filled with many universities and high schools, so on weekends it became a popular dating spot for young couples. Today, Uesugi was one of them, too. "Sakura-kun..." "What’s up?" Stirring the coffee foam with a spoon listlessly, Uesugi Sakura took a sip of the rich espresso macchiato. Inside, the store was playing the current nationwide hit, "Running towards the Night," a song full of youthful vibes just like the store’s decor. "Today... it’s been Sakura-kun paying for everything..." Hanamaru Hanabi touched the bow hair clip on her head and looked at the string knotted around her wrist. "Not happy with that?" Uesugi Sakura asked with a smile. "Happy..." "Since you’re happy, then the money spent is completely worth it." Uesugi Sakura truly didn’t mind, though these two cups of coffee were a bit pricey. Hanamaru Hanabi placed her small hands on her lap, gripping her little dress, and opened her mouth slightly, "Hanabi also wants to give Sakura-kun a gift..." In front of her was a caramel latte, with heart-shaped latte art, a high milk content, and rather sweet. "Does Hanabi remember what I said in the park today?" Uesugi Sakura always thought her sitting posture was very prim. Hanamaru Hanabi’s cheeks immediately turned red as she nodded at him as if she was dozing off, and with newfound courage whispered, "Sakura-kun... wants to touch Hanabi’s chest..." "Exactly." Only Uesugi Sakura could hear her almost inaudible voice. "That’s incorrect!" Quickly putting down his espresso macchiato, he clarified his statement. "... doesn’t Sakura-kun... want to?" Hanamaru Hanabi kept her face down, her voice faintly audible. "If it’s possible...," Uesugi Sakura coughed and changed the subject, "what I wanted to say is, I owe you an apology." "Hmm..." Replying absentmindedly, Hanamaru Hanabi now focused intently below the bow at her neckline. It seemed like... he also touched her chest in his dreams. Sakura-kun really... likes that place so much... The feeling of him secretly touching her waist in the afternoon was still vivid in her mind, her little mind began to wander again. The song in the coffee shop changed to "Azure," the same singer, still the trendiest song of the moment. "Was Hanabi listening?" Uesugi Sakura realized after saying so much that she was lost in thought and waved his hand in front of her eyes. "Ah..." Hanamaru Hanabi returned to her senses, shook her head frantically in refusal, then finally responded to what Uesugi Sakura had said to her. Her face full of apology, "Sorry... Hanabi wasn’t listening just now..." "Where was Hanabi just now?" A smile climbed onto his handsome face; Uesugi Sakura was already used to her apologies. Acceptance was the best way to handle her apologies. "Hanabi... won’t tell Sakura-kun." "Hanabi doesn’t have to tell me, I already know." Uesugi Sakura said. "Sakura-kun... knows...?" Hanamaru Hanabi was tentatively probing. "Because of love." "Love..." Even though they had known each other for twelve years, the words "love" appeared between them for the first time. The song in the coffee shop coincidentally sang a line: "Tell the things you like, that you like them."