Chapter 642: Chapter 403: Emergency Mission_2
"Just envious?"
"Sakura, we are a trio, avoiding the mundane and worldly! What’s with these shit couples? They are irrelevant to us. We are single nobles. Look at us, not sitting in the same car with them, you’d understand this point!"
Seisa Takeshun suddenly said from the back: "Todaka-kun, you should exclude our senior."
Todaka Keichiro remembered something, suddenly realized, and slapped the steering wheel, saying:
"That’s right! Sakura, you have a wife!"
"..."
Uesugi Sakura chose not to answer him.
"Sakura, why did you suddenly think about coming with us today? Be clear."
"I was thinking about how to surprise my wife."
"A surprise? Haha, now this gets me going. You want to show a man’s romance? Say no more, I’m a master in this area. Do you know what I was the president of back in high school?"
"What?" Sakura casually asked.
"President of the Idol Club!"
"...What does this have to do with a man’s romance?"
"It means I understand women, I know what they like, what they look down upon, and what they admire most!"
What nonsense.
Uesugi Sakura would rather believe he’s bluffing, "If so, what about your current girlfriend?"
"That’s because women evolve too fast now, and I can’t keep up with the updates."
Uesugi Sakura paused: "Then maybe you shouldn’t give suggestions."
"No, no, no, you’re underestimating me, "Todaka Keichiro said, "Sakura, you have an evergreen feature, and that’s being handsome. Women won’t refuse that. Just show yourself a little, and they’ll be all over you. On the contrary, if you’re a shut-in, whatever you do, they’ll think you’re gross and speak sharply about it."
"...Such girls are rare, right?"
Todaka Keichiro: "You could say it’s the norm, otherwise why are there so many marriage-phobic people online?"
Uesugi Sakura didn’t want to dwell on this too much: "So what do you think I should do?"
"Sakura, can’t you play the guitar? Stand on your wife’s path and play her a song, she’s out with friends. When they suddenly hear music, they’ll surely be curious and find you following the sound. Then, during the climax of your performance, turn around! Wow! A grand entrance! At that moment, your wife will surely be moved to tears."
"..."
Uesugi Sakura once again fell silent.
Seisa Takeshun commented from the back: "Why does this sound so cheesy?"
Todaka Keichiro immediately retorted: "Cheesy? Cheesy my foot! Seisa, you’re someone who’s never had a girlfriend, so you don’t understand. The trick isn’t about cheesiness, it’s about effectiveness and who uses it."
"And, don’t mind my poor description. Once the atmosphere is right, anything can be moving. Besides, even if it’s not touching, she’ll at least laugh when she sees you suddenly show up to play the guitar for her."
You could completely ignore the front parts, but Uesugi Sakura found Todaka Keichiro’s last few lines quite reasonable.
Uesugi Sakura thought for a bit: "But I didn’t bring a guitar this time."
"Then buy a new one! Buying an expensive guitar just to perform a song sounds even more romantic, doesn’t it?" Todaka Keichiro said excitedly while driving.
Uesugi Sakura nodded subconsciously: "It does feel like that..."
Seisa Takeshun: "Senior, you’re really going to listen to his bad idea?"
"At the moment... I don’t have any good ideas either."
Todaka Keichiro rebutted while driving: "What bad idea? This is called advanced dating techniques!"
...
...
And so, the three of them drove from the seaside town to the city of Kamakura.
Kamakura is a small city with a population of only 200,000. It’s quiet with ancient temples and a suitable place for tourism.
The most famous sightseeing spot here is the crossroad at Kamakura High School Station.
The most iconic scene in the opening of Slam Dunk, where Sakuragi Hanamichi and Haruko wave at a crossing, is set here.
The three of them first looked for a small shop selling guitars on their phones, and drove over to buy a 200,000 yen acoustic guitar there.
Sakura’s wallet only had: 108,631 yen left
After coming out of the guitar shop, Uesugi Sakura suddenly felt a bit regretful. It did seem like Todaka Keichiro’s idea was indeed a foolish one.
Todaka Keichiro looked at the bustling city street scene and patted the shoulder of Sakura next to him, saying:
"Don’t worry, now we’re going to the next step."
"What’s the next step?"
"Find out your wife’s schedule and set up an ambush."
"You’re making it sound like a sneak attack."
"More or less, more or less."
Uesugi Sakura glanced at him: "Since it’s a surprise, I can’t ask my wife, and I don’t think it’s appropriate to ask her classmates. Do you guys have any leads?"
Seisa Takeshun stepped in and said: "I have the president’s number. I can call him to ask where they are now and their next stop."
"That’s good, ask him quickly!" Todaka Keichiro immediately said.
Seisa Takeshun picked up the phone, and after three or four rings, the call was connected.
[Hello?]
[President, where are you guys?]
[Is this... Seisa from the first year? Didn’t you say you weren’t coming today because you were with Todaka?]
[We... planned to have a wander around ourselves... but realized we’re not familiar with Kamakura, so we wanted to ask about your itinerary for reference.]
[Oh... like that, no problem. We’re at Enoshima now, about to have lunch. Then we plan to go to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, Hase Temple, Hokoku Temple... and finally watch the sea at Kamakura High School Station to wrap up.]
[Great, thank you, president.]
[Haha, no problem. If there’s nothing else, I’ll hang up. Someone’s calling me.]
[Okay, no problem.]
Beep... beep...
The phone call ended.
Todaka Keichiro leaned in and asked: "How was it?"
Seisa Takeshun said: "Enoshima, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, Hase Temple, Hokoku Temple... Kamakura High School Station, those are the main places."
Uesugi Sakura asked Todaka Keichiro: "Which place is good?"
Todaka Keichiro rubbed his chin and pondered for a long while: "I don’t know."
Uesugi Sakura: "..."
Seisa Takeshun: "..."
Todaka Keichiro immediately laughed and said:
"Don’t rush! Let’s grab some lunch, and check online about these spots before making a move."
Uesugi Sakura raised his wrist and pointed at his watch: "It’s only 9 in the morning."
"There’s nothing we can do! They’re just arriving at Enoshima. They couldn’t possibly do too much... there, right?"
Uesugi Sakura: "The more I think about it, the more unreliable you seem."
Seisa Takeshun nodded repeatedly in agreement: "Yes, indeed."
————————
They casually found a noodle shop by the roadside.
The three of them started researching the ambush spots.
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, Shrine.
"How about this place?"
"No good."
"What does Sakura think?"
"I don’t think it’s good either. The shrine belongs to someone else, and there aren’t good places to hide. It lacks mystique as well."
Hase Temple.
"The temple is backed against the mountain and facing the sea. The temple features a variety of statues and is home to the eleven-faced Guanyin statue, approximately 9 meters high, the largest wooden Buddha statue in Japan... How about inside this temple?"
Uesugi Sakura still didn’t think it was suitable: "Isn’t it supposed to be on the main path? To create a mysterious and serene vibe, I think a forest is better. Inside the temple... still not quite right."
Hokoku Temple.
Todaka Keichiro looked at the travel guide on his phone and said:
"Hokoku Temple is located in Jomyo area 2, Kamakura. It belongs to the Rinzai sect Kencho-ji branch. The temple’s bamboo forest is renowned, and most visitors come to see the bamboo forest behind the main hall. Therefore, Hokoku Temple is also known as Bamboo Temple, and the entire temple is very quiet and sparse with tourists..."
"Bamboo forest...?"
"Let me see."
Uesugi Sakura took Todaka Keichiro’s phone and looked at the towering bamboo images inside.
"In the bamboo forest... perhaps..."
"Let’s settle on this." Uesugi Sakura said.
"Here?"
"Yes."
"Alright! It’s decided then!"
The ambush location was thus settled, and the ramen was quickly served by the shop owner.
As the three ate their noodles together, Uesugi Sakura was still thinking to himself... three grown men pulling off such a scheme... is this too childish?
But after thinking carefully, it seemed right to continue this.
Not for anything else, just to make his wife smile.
This could also be considered a form of a man’s romance!