Chapter 558: Chapter 369: Feeding
Hanamaru Hanabi looked at Imamura questioningly next to Uesugi Sakura.
Is he someone Sakura-kun knows? Seems like he is, but also like he isn’t.
But today’s lunch has dumplings made by Sakura-kun himself, so they must be delicious!
——Hanamaru Hanabi’s lavender eyes lit up like stars as she looked at the dumplings, sparkling beautifully.
Uesugi Sakura indeed didn’t know the person in front of him, but he seemed to know Sakura.
And his expression gave off a sense of aloofness and superiority.
"Who are you?"
Imamura noticed Hanamaru Hanabi, with stars in her eyes.
She looked so cute, her eyes so beautiful... to win favor from this adorable girl, he had to show confidence and radiate an extraordinary aura.
So, he replied to Uesugi Sakura lightly:
"My name is Imamura Hideki, a disciple who came to Bushin Hall to study the day before yesterday... but none of that matters, Uesugi Sakura, you just need to know I’m a chosen one."
As soon as he finished speaking, Imamura’s lips couldn’t help but curl up.
A chosen one, a swordsmanship genius.
That’s more than enough to make you, this guy, feel fearful.
What the heck?
Uesugi Sakura estimated that this young disciple hadn’t outgrown his middle school phase.
He’s encountered similar situations and expressions before.
Back in elementary school, a chubby boy arrogantly told him during recess: "My dad’s an electric train driver!"
Though he didn’t understand what was so impressive about it.
But that chubby kid was the class kingpin, with a bunch of boys gathered around him, echoing everything he said.
That "my dad’s a driver" might have been where his minions gave the chubby kid his confidence.
At that time, Uesugi Sakura chose to ignore the chubby kid.
He always chooses to ignore people who lack self-awareness.
Not to mention that, Uesugi Sakura noticed Hanamaru Hanabi staring at the dumplings longingly, her eyes and mouth indicating how much she wanted to eat them.
Her cheeks were a rosy white, full of endless beauty and cuteness.
"Hungry?"
"Mm-hmm." Hanamaru Hanabi nodded her head.
Imamura was quite upset because Uesugi Sakura just ignored him; was his previous remark not shocking enough?
It seems he needed to do something more shocking.
He used to think that masters were low-key, but he suddenly realized that being low-key would make people ignore him, ignore the imposing him.
And the main character, himself, a man named Imamura Hideki, never needed to be low-key.
"I’ll tell you! Uesugi Sakura, no matter how much you ignore me now, one day I will make you regret your current actions!" Imamura clenched his fist and slammed it down on the table of a fellow disciple, who was having lunch, causing the dumplings to fly out of the plate.
One dumpling happened to land in Sakihara Matsue’s sake cup, the perfectly good sake splashed onto the Vice Master’s face.
"What’s the meaning of this!?"
Sakihara Matsue came over, full of anger.
He first glanced at the innocent brother, then looked at Uesugi Sakura.
Uesugi Sakura pointed at Imamura: "He did it."
Sakihara Matsue punched Imamura on his head, shouting: "Have you got nothing better to do!? This afternoon, I’ll supervise your training—five hundred practice swings!"
Five hundred practice swings!?
Imamura recalled that last time he was exhausted after just fifty swings.
What’s the point of this, it just involved swinging the sword up and down, so dull and useless; with his strong swordsmanship talent, why learn such meaningless moves?
"Did you hear me!!"
Imamura was about to speak, but was glared back down by Sakihara Matsue’s anger.
Why shout so loudly...
"Un... understood..."
Uesugi Sakura glanced at Imamura, who sat alone in the corner, wilting under the Vice Master’s reprimand, and led the puzzled Hanamaru Hanabi to sit at another small table.
"What do you want to eat? I’ll get some for you."
"Dumplings, um... and a soft-boiled egg."
Lunch was self-served, everyone could take a bowl or plate and serve themselves.
Miss Sakihara was busy with this.
Uesugi Sakura brought over two plates of dumplings, two side dishes, and a soft-boiled egg to the table.
Hanamaru Hanabi glanced at Imamura sitting with Sakihara Matsue and asked Uesugi Sakura, who was sitting down:
"Sakura-kun, who was that just now?"
"I don’t know." Uesugi Sakura picked up his chopsticks and tried one of the dumplings he made.
Hanamaru Hanabi, despite feeling puzzled, responded with an "oh," and didn’t mind it. Her attention was now completely on the dumplings Sakura-kun made.
The last time she ate something he made, it was that hard dark chocolate-esque creation.
Poor Imamura, completely forgotten before catching the attention of the cute girl.
Sakura-kun... seems besides making coffee, he can’t cook at all.
Sakura-kun’s dumplings.
Hanamaru Hanabi found these dumplings fascinating, grabbed her chopsticks, and quickly took a bite, instantly feeling a tremendous sense of happiness wash over her face.
"Is it that good?" Uesugi Sakura watched her delightful expression.
"It’s made by Sakura-kun."
"I only handled the filling, hmm? Do you want me to feed you?" Uesugi Sakura put a piece of dumpling into his mouth.
"Isn’t that a bit... inappropriate?" Hanamaru Hanabi hesitated, actually worried about people noticing their small actions.
"It’s fine, secretly." Uesugi Sakura picked up a dumpling and smiled at her.
Hanamaru Hanabi hesitated for a moment, looked around the room to make sure no one was paying them any attention, then turned back and nodded shyly and sweetly.
Watching Hanamaru Hanabi slowly open her soft little mouth, Uesugi Sakura took the opportunity to feed the dumpling in.
As she ate the dumpling he offered, Hanamaru Hanabi’s cheeks slightly blushed, and in this situation, there was a feeling that couldn’t quite be expressed.