You Will Regret This Ichinose! [183]

To outsiders, she was the untouchable ice queen.

Horikita Suzune sat alone on a secluded bench, gazing at the distant scenery.

The bright moon hung high in the night sky. White clouds, carried by the northeast wind, surged toward her, bringing a crisp and biting chill.

For some reason, an unexplainable ache welled up inside her.

Even the fact that Class D had defeated Class C in the special exam failed to bring her any joy.

Horikita bit down on her thin lips.

Why?

Logically, she should be happy.

So why did it feel like something was clogging her chest?

She searched deep within herself for an answer.

Was it… because I lost to Kushida?

No. That wasn’t it.

Was it… because I lost him?

A bitter taste rose from the depths of her heart, lingering on her tongue.

Unconsciously, her pale fingers clenched at the fabric over her chest.

That guy…

He’s nothing more than an arrogant, insufferable bastard who barged into my life and turned everything upside down.

A liar. A scoundrel. A nuisance.

So why am I feeling this way? Why am I upset? Why does it hurt?

It was obvious—he had given Kushida the answers. Of course she would lose. That much was inevitable.

And yet… wasn’t that a good thing?

Now, she could finally kick that annoying troublemaker out of her life and focus on studying without distractions.

She kept telling herself this.

But if that were really true…

Then why am I crying?

Tears welled up, blurring her vision before dripping onto the pristine white fabric of her skirt.

She frantically wiped at them with her palm, but they wouldn’t stop—like a broken dam, the flood refused to be contained.

I even bought a recipe book… I was going to make him learn how to cook.

I even planned to join the Student Council… so we could work together.

Why?

Why did I have to lose him over a single exam?!

“Why are you crying again, my stubborn girl?”

A familiar voice murmured beside her.

Just like before—when she felt the most miserable—Uesugi Gen appeared at her side.

“I… I’m not crying,” she sniffled, her voice shaky. “There’s just… sand in my eyes.”

“And how is it,” she asked, rubbing at them, “that you always manage to find me? I even turned off my location tracking…”

Uesugi reached out, stroking her hair, his fingers weaving through the silky strands as he smiled.

“No matter where you go, I’ll always find you. So you’d better just stay by my side.”

“You’re such a liar,” Suzune huffed, wrinkling her nose.

“I told you, I won’t lie to you anymore.”

As if remembering something, Uesugi suddenly pulled out a bottle from behind him, as if performing a magic trick.

“Here, drink something. You’ll feel better.”

Suzune looked down at the drink in her hands and froze, her lips twisting in disdain.

“Again with the cola?”

Uesugi grinned smugly.

“Last time, you barely drank half before handing it back to me. That way, I got to taste your flavor.”

For a long moment, Suzune just stared at him, then finally spoke.

“You are disgusting.”

“Alright, alright, I’m done joking,” he chuckled, turning his gaze toward the moon as he reminisced.

“Maybe… it’s because when I was little, my older brother told me that sweet things make people feel happy.”

Suzune popped open the tab and took a small sip.

The fizzy carbonation burst against her tongue, the sugar dissolving and seeping into her chest.

“Well? Feeling happy yet?”

Uesugi watched her curiously.

“Like hell I am,” she shot back, glaring at him.

“This is just a physiological reaction—your blood sugar levels rise, dopamine gets released, and your brain experiences a fleeting sense of satisfaction. It has nothing to do with happiness.”

“Then let me try some,” he countered. “I need to verify it myself.”

“No way!”

Suzune immediately shielded the drink with her body, her expression wary.

“You’re disgusting.”

“Come on, don’t be so stingy,” Uesugi coaxed. “You seemed to enjoy it last time.”

“Shut up! That was an accident!”

“Then how about we try it again?”

“Not a chance!”

Just then, a cold, emotionless voice cut through the night, shattering their banter.

“Heh. You two seem to be having quite the fun conversation.”

Kushida Kikyo stepped out from the shadows, her once-bright eyes now clouded with darkness.

Suzune and Uesugi exchanged a glance.

How did she find us?

Uh… I forgot to turn off my location tracking.

Are you serious?

At that moment, Kushida let out a low, guttural sound—deeper than anything they had ever heard from her before.

Her expression twisted into something horrifying, something almost inhuman—like a demon that had clawed its way up from hell.

“Horikita Suzune,” she sneered, her lips curling into a malicious grin.

“Surely you haven’t forgotten our deal?”

Now that the time had come, she turned her predatory gaze toward Uesugi and seized his wrist, yanking him toward her.

“This guy… belongs to me.”

With the confidence of a victor, she declared her triumph to Horikita Suzune.

“No, Suzune! Don’t let them take me from you!”

Without missing a beat, Uesugi’s dramatic instincts kicked in. He gripped Suzune’s hand tightly, his voice trembling with sorrow, as if they were being torn apart by fate itself.

Suzune held onto him, biting her lip, her expression filled with frustration as his hand slowly slipped from hers.

“Don’t forget your promise, Horikita Suzune,” Kushida taunted.

“No, Suzune~!”

Uesugi continued his performance.

Suzune shut her eyes, unable to bear the sight any longer.

“Yes, yes!” Kushida cackled. “That jealous face—I wanted to see it so badly! This is exactly what I wanted! Ahaha!”

She basked in the twisted satisfaction of seeing Suzune suffer, finally feeling like all her years of resentment and frustration had been worth it.

“Nooo~!”

Uesugi let out another tragic wail.

…Wait.

Something wasn’t right.

Both Kushida and Suzune snapped back to reality.

Kushida suddenly grabbed Uesugi by the collar, shaking him violently.

“Hey! Wake the hell up! We’re supposed to be on the same side!”

“Oh, right!”

Realizing his mistake, Uesugi nodded vigorously.

Then, without hesitation, he switched sides again.

Breaking free from Kushida’s grip, he ran straight back to Suzune, grabbing her hand once more while reaching out toward Kushida.

“No! Kikyo! Don’t take her from me~!”

Suzune: “…”

Kushida: “…”

#@%!

At that moment, for the first time in their lives—

Suzune and Kushida found perfect, unspoken agreement.

They both really, REALLY wanted to kill him.

—

T/N: can i kill him too HOW IS HE GETTING AWAY WITH THIS

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!