The former Class B was doing exceptionally well. Under Uesugi Gen’s strategic (read: underhanded) command, the team events were won with minimal effort. The individual matches also proceeded smoothly, with seeded players like Shibata and Kanzaki securing solid placements.
As for now…
“Heave—ho! Heave—ho! Pull!”
Uesugi stood firm, gripping the rope with one hand, his body rooted to the ground. He gazed up at the drifting white clouds in the sky while listening to Sudō’s desperate, guttural roars behind him.
Yes, he was currently participating in the tug-of-war.
And yes, he was deliberately draining Class B and Class C’s stamina.
Whenever the rope was pulled toward his side, he’d loosen his grip just slightly, letting the opposing team pull it back little by little. But just when they thought they had regained control, he’d tighten his hold again, halting their advance entirely.
As for whether there was any chance of him losing?
Heh. If they can move it even another centimeter, I’ll eat this rope on the spot.
After keeping the flag in a deadlock for a while, Uesugi decided the time was right. With one final exertion of force, the match was over.
So far, the first-year team competitions—including the pole-toppling match, the ball toss, and now the boys’ tug-of-war—had all ended in victory for the Red Team.
The score gap was now considerable.
Unless Class B and Class C secured a series of overwhelming wins in the later events, they had no hope of catching up.
Which meant… the only real threat left was Class D.
Uesugi stroked his chin thoughtfully.
A whistle pulled him back to reality.
The girls’ matches had just concluded, and the exhausted participants were returning to camp.
Ichinose walked straight over and plopped down beside him. Then, without hesitation, she leaned back, resting her head in his lap.
“That was a total disaster!”
It seemed the girls’ tug-of-war had gone the opposite way—their team had lost 0-2.
“They were just way too strong. Everything else was fine, but when it came to sheer strength, we had no chance.”
Ichinose sighed, her voice muffled as she buried her face into his lap.
Uesugi absentmindedly stroked her soft pink hair.
“Well, unlike the boys, their class isn’t plagued with infighting. Plus, they’ve got some real powerhouses on their side.”
Like a certain Phantom Thief Lady.
And another Phantom Thief Lady.
And yet another Phantom Thief Lady.
Uesugi mentally noted.
“Also…”
As he spoke, he gently took Ichinose’s delicate hands and turned her palms upward.
Several red marks streaked across her skin.
Without a word, Uesugi grabbed a bottle of water nearby and poured it over her hands, rinsing away the dirt and debris.
“If you’re at a disadvantage, don’t push yourself too hard. I’ll avenge you.”
“Hiss—ouch~”
Ichinose flinched slightly but didn’t move her hands away.
Instead, she murmured,
“I can’t do that. Since Mako-chan and the others are trying their hardest, as the class rep, I can’t afford to back down either.”
Uesugi smirked. “Then how about handing the class rep position over to me?”
“Yada!”
Ichinose buried her face even deeper into his lap, unwilling to even look at him.
“The moment I let you take over, you’d drag our entire class into all kinds of ridiculous messes. I can’t even imagine what would happen to Mako-chan and the others!”
At first, the boys of their class had been perfectly normal.
Then, something happened, and now they’d all been assimilated.
Whenever push came to shove, they’d suddenly flip the switch and go completely off the rails.
And there was only one person to blame.
Uesugi: “…”
Can’t exactly tell her I took them along to beat the hell out of Ryūen, huh.
“Ahem.”
Uesugi cleared his throat and swiftly changed the subject.
“Anyway, if we can’t win, then we just focus on minimizing losses. Let the girls know—Class B and Class C aren’t a threat anymore. The only ones we need to watch out for now are our fellow Red Team members, Class D.”
“Speaking of which, something seems off.”
Ichinose shifted her position, now looking up at him from his lap.
“Horikita from Class D has repeatedly gone up against the same strong opponent from Class C. Kanzaki also mentioned that Sudō keeps facing relatively weak opponents from Class C.”
“You’re saying Class D has a traitor leaking their matchups?”
Uesugi immediately grasped the implication.
“Most likely.”
Ichinose nodded, her expression serious.
“Interesting.”
Uesugi gently brushed his fingers against her cheek, a peculiar glint in his eyes.
He had deliberately refrained from having the Accomplice Lady spread any intel, thinking that Class D wouldn’t have any issues this time.
And yet, another spy had popped up out of nowhere.
A delinquent athlete, a hidden idol, a voyeur, a free-spirited heir, an artificial genius…
How the hell does a single class have so many weirdos?
Compared to them, my Uesugi faction is downright normal. Practically background characters.
“In that case…”
Uesugi quickly connected the dots.
If Class D was being sabotaged by Class C, they wouldn’t be able to place well.
Meanwhile, Class B and Class C were already exhausted from his stalling tactics.
“Doesn’t that mean we’re guaranteed first place? We’re just sitting back and reaping the rewards!”
Ichinose reached out and pinched his cheeks.
“Don’t get complacent.”
“Yes, yes, I understand, Honami.”
With an affectionate smirk, Uesugi lowered his head and placed a light kiss on her forehead.
“The boys’ obstacle course race is about to start. Rest up while I handle it.”
“Waaait~ Hold on, Gen-kun, I want to come cheer for you.”
Ichinose tried to sit up, but Uesugi firmly pressed her back down.
“Just stay here and rest.”
Ichinose pouted and turned her head away.
“Fine~”
…
The obstacle course race was exactly what it sounded like—a race where participants had to clear various obstacles such as balance beams, low hurdles, and climbing nets to reach the finish line.
But at the moment, the boys weren’t discussing that.
Instead, all eyes were on the anticipated showdown—
The former Class B’s fastest sprinter, Shibata Sō, vs. the infamous Class D athlete, Sudō Ken.
Uesugi draped an arm over Shibata’s shoulder, looking deadly serious.
“Shibata, this is your moment to prove you’re the strongest athlete. I believe in you. As the very first friend I made at this school, I have faith in our bond. You must win. Ah, Sō!”
Hearing such passionate words, Shibata was momentarily speechless.
“Uesugi… you bastard…”
“I bet 5,000 points on you winning.”
“…GO TO HELL!!!”
…
Reality was cruel.
The so-called fastest sprinter was thoroughly crushed by the ultimate delinquent athlete.
Uesugi was livid.
“That damn red-haired brute actually made me lose 5,000 points! Shibata, hold me back—I’m gonna eat him alive!”
—
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!
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