You Will Regret This Ichinose! [58]

[I am Uesugi Grylls Gen.]
[I’m going to show you how to survive on the safest uninhabited island on Earth.]
[I must endure a week of challenges.]
[In a place like this, if you don’t have the proper skills to pass the time, you won’t even last a single day…]

I CAN’T LAST, DAMMIT!

Uesugi Gen’s bloodshot eyes snapped open, and he bolted upright from the ground.

He, Uesugi, was suffering from insomnia.

No lights. No air conditioning. No comfy bed. And worst of all, no computer, no phone, no game console—stranded on this deserted island, he had come to a cruel realization:

He couldn’t sleep.

And to make things worse—

It wasn’t even that late yet.

It wasn’t even 11 PM.

Normally, this was the prime time for him to be brimming with energy, gaming till dawn.

So now that he was lying here, completely awake—

What the hell am I supposed to do?

Uesugi fell into deep thought.

He turned his head, first glancing at Shibata Sō, who was sprawled out like a starfish, then at Kanzaki Ryūji, who remained perfectly composed even in sleep. Finally, he scanned the other boys around him.

If I wake them up now, they’re definitely gonna beat me to a pulp.

Suppressing his growing urge to mess around, Uesugi sighed in resignation.

Fine, they’ve had a long day. I’ll let them rest properly.

With that, he carefully stepped over his sleeping classmates and slipped out of the tent.

Since this island was entirely artificial, there was no need to worry about wild animals. Because of that, Class B hadn’t assigned anyone to keep watch at night.

The camp was completely silent, with only the distant sound of a waterfall and the chirping of crickets in the grass.

Man… this place feels totally different from home or Advanced Nurturing High School.

Uesugi found a random rock and plopped down with a sigh.

“I knew you wouldn’t be able to sleep.”

A sweet voice rang out from behind him.

“You’re awake too, huh? You spent the whole day setting up camp with your classmates—you should really get some rest.”

He didn’t even need to turn around to know who it was.

“Mm~ Not sleepy at all. Back home, I always waited for my mom to come home before sleeping, so I’m used to staying up late.”

Ichinose Honami sat down beside him, offering her explanation.

Uesugi didn’t reply. He simply continued watching the distant waterfall.

Ichinose also remained silent, sitting beside him without another word.

The night grew still.

“…Hey, Uesugi-kun. You skipped the class discussion and appointed Kanzaki-kun as the leader. That means there’s a reason it had to be him, right?”

After a long pause, Ichinose finally spoke, her voice soft.

Uesugi glanced at her fair face before answering calmly.

“Yes. This plan can only work with Kanzaki.”

“…Then, can you tell me? What exactly are you planning, Uesugi-kun?”

Uesugi was silent for a moment before firmly rejecting her request.

“No. This plan isn’t for you.”

Seeing his unwavering stance, Ichinose let out a bitter smile.

“I figured…”

If it was a straightforward and honorable plan, Uesugi wouldn’t have hidden it from her.

Which meant—

It was something that went against her ideals.

Should she beg him not to go through with it?

No.

She couldn’t.

She had already reached her limit last time when she asked him not to overwork himself.

She didn’t want to see him running around, burdened by class affairs. He should’ve been spending his school days happily. And all of this…

It was all because of her.

A shadow of pain flickered in Ichinose’s eyes.

At that moment, Uesugi placed both hands on her shoulders, gazing directly into her deep blue-violet eyes as he spoke seriously.

“Ichinose, listen. I’m not telling you to change your kind nature. Helping others, wanting to protect your classmates—that’s not wrong.”

“But we can’t afford to see the world through rose-colored glasses. Gaining something always means losing something else.”

“In chess, no one can win a game without sacrificing a single piece—not even a god. The only thing a player can do is minimize losses as much as possible and claim victory with a flawless strategy.”

Uesugi paused before continuing.

“From the start, they already accepted the possibility of sacrificing themselves for the leader. Class B chose you as their leader because they believed you could lead them to victory.”

“Ichinose, you’re smart. Use that intelligence here. Only those willing to give up everything can win everything.”

In this isolated moment, with no one else around, Uesugi forced Ichinose to confront the harsh reality she had always avoided.

“…I know. I know…”

Ichinose clenched his hands tightly, her eyes brimming with tears.

“But, Uesugi-kun… I can’t. I really can’t. Just thinking about having to sacrifice you one day to win—it hurts so much.”

Watching the girl before him sobbing uncontrollably, Uesugi’s eyes softened with a trace of guilt.

Did I push her too hard?

He sighed.

Forget it. I’ll leave this for another time.

Gently, he let go of her shoulders.

Then, he pulled Ichinose into his arms, rubbing her back in reassurance.

“Then don’t change just yet, Ichinose. If you can’t, then that’s fine. Just focus on looking after our classmates like always.”

“Leave the rest to me. I promise you—I’ll minimize Class B’s losses as much as possible. I won’t let anyone get expelled. Okay?”

The sobbing gradually quieted, reduced to faint sniffles.

Finally, a soft, slightly spoiled voice whispered in his ear.

“…Really, Uesugi-kun?”

“Of course. When have I ever lied to you?”

“…Liar. You always lie to me.”

“Huh? No way. Just once or twice, maybe.”

“Then why do you always say you’ve already eaten when I invite you for a meal? Kanzaki-kun told me you spend every evening playing games in the clubroom until seven or eight.”

…

What the—?! Kanzaki, you bastard!

I actually thought you were the only one in my group who wouldn’t stab me in the back! Even Shibata wouldn’t have sold me out like this, and yet you—!

You’re dead to me.

“Ahem. That was… an accident. Give me another example—I definitely never lied to you.”

“Nope. You always lie to me.”

“…Then what do you want me to do?”

“From now on… whenever I invite you to eat… you’re not allowed to say you’re busy…”

“What if I really already ate?”

“I… don’t care. Otherwise, you’re lying to me…”

“…Fine. But can we at least space it out? Every few days, maybe? Hey, Ichinose? Ichinose?”

…

Uesugi stared blankly at the peacefully sleeping Ichinose, resting against his chest.

You fell asleep… So what am I supposed to do now?!

—

T/N: UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

This is a fan translation of 人在实教，一之濑你会后悔的 by 作者：白良. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!