Brushing the snow off his coat, Uesugi Gen stepped toward the movie theater.
Even with her hat and mask on, he instantly recognized that vibrant and youthful figure.
Shoulder-length brown hair, bright and lively eyes, a well-proportioned figure—gentle and approachable in appearance, yet petty and straightforward at heart, with an almost comical contrast between her different personas.
Kushida Kikyo.
At the moment, she was quietly seated in a corner beside the theater, head lowered, fingers tapping rapidly on her phone.
Even on Christmas, it seemed the ever-social “accomplice” was still hard at work on her grand mission of befriending everyone.
From a distance, Uesugi Gen silently watched the girl who had rushed to befriend him on the very first day of school.
According to his original plan, he was supposed to get her to fall asleep during the movie, then sneak out to go shopping with Sakayanagi Arisu, and finally return to wake her up afterward.
Thinking about it now, that was a real jerk move. They’ve known each other for so long, yet he couldn’t even properly watch a movie with her?
As if sensing his gaze, Kushida Kikyo abruptly looked up from her phone and locked onto his position in an instant.
Upon recognizing him, her eyes curved into a smile, and she put away her phone, her cheerful expression so radiant that not even a mask could hide it. She strode over to him.
Grabbing Uesugi Gen’s hand, the ever-forgiving Kushida Kikyo suddenly switched faces in a heartbeat.
“Why are you so slow? Did you go on a date with that Horikita girl?” she asked coldly.
“Uh—”
Uesugi Gen was just about to explain.
“I’m kidding,” she suddenly giggled. “That buzzkill would probably just sit there analyzing all the plot holes before finding a quiet corner to read a book.”
And just like that, her tone shifted back to that of a sweet little angel.
Yep. This woman is ridiculously unpredictable.
“Well then… let’s go. The movie’s about to start.”
Still holding his hand, Kushida Kikyo pressed up against him as they entered the theater.
“Huh? Just the two of us?”
She muttered in surprise, looking at the empty theater.
The entire place was pitch-black, except for the screen in the center, where the familiar image of a torch-bearing woman appeared, accompanied by the opening theme.
“Yeah, I booked the whole place.”
After all, according to his original plan, he was going to slip away for a while. He couldn’t risk leaving a sleeping Kushida Kikyo alone in a theater full of strangers.
“You could’ve told me earlier!”
Kushida Kikyo shot him a glare and unceremoniously yanked off her mask.
“This thing is so damn uncomfortable.”
“Sorry.”
“Hmm?”
She narrowed her eyes, stepping closer and scrutinizing his face with suspicion.
“You? Apologizing to me for no reason?”
“Spill it!”
She grabbed him by the collar and shouted, “What did you do behind my back?!”
“Wait—don’t tell me…”
Her eyes widened, and her expression darkened as she covered her mouth in disbelief, lowering her voice to a whisper.
“You… cheated on me with that slut Horikita?”
“You bastard! Even I haven’t done it with you yet, and you let her get ahead of me?!”
She cursed at him before suddenly falling silent, her gaze losing focus as she muttered,
“Hey… Uesugi Gen, how do you want to die?”
Uesugi Gen broke into a cold sweat.
What the hell kind of thought process is this? Your imagination is way too wild, accomplice girl.
“I just had lunch with her, that’s all.”
He quickly grabbed her fist before it could land on him and hurriedly explained.
If he didn’t clear this up fast, Kushida Kikyo might actually beat him into the ground.
“Hah?”
She narrowed her eyes. “That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
He nodded.
“You swear?”
“I swear.”
“Then why are you acting weird today?”
Before Uesugi Gen could answer, Kushida Kikyo had already shaken off her mood and pulled him toward the best seats in the center.
“A date is supposed to be fun for both people. Where’s the usual cheerful you?”
Uesugi Gen opened his mouth but swallowed his words at the last second.
She was right. If it’s not fun, then what’s the point of calling it a date?
“I’m gonna go grab some popcorn and soda.”
He turned and ran toward the concession stand.
Kushida Kikyo silently watched his retreating figure, narrowing her eyes.
By the time Uesugi Gen returned, the movie had already started.
The film was The Girl in the Sun, an adaptation of a bestselling novel.
It told the story of the protagonist, Kunieda Kentarou, and the heroine, Tachibana Aki—how they met, separated, and reunited over time and space.
At first, they were just ordinary friends. As the years passed, their lives took different paths, yet they always held a place for each other in their hearts.
One day, Kentarou, now an adult, learned that Aki had a terminal illness. This revelation brought them together again, and he decided to stay by her side until the very end.
At this point in the film, Uesugi Gen felt a hand quietly slip into his.
The dim glow of the screen illuminated Kushida Kikyo’s delicate features.
This wasn’t her usual bright and friendly persona, nor her shadowy, scheming alter ego.
This was the real Kushida Kikyo.
At her core, she was just an ordinary girl.
No extraordinary talents, no special gifts. The only thing she excelled at—her social skills—was something she had forced herself to perfect under immense pressure.
She got jealous. She got petty. She threw tantrums.
And she held grudges. She’d note down every offense in her little mental notebook, waiting for the perfect moment to get revenge.
“Hey… Kikyo.”
“Hmm?”
She turned to look at him.
After a long silence, Uesugi Gen finally spoke.
“Thank you… for liking me so much all this time.”
“What the hell!?”
Kushida Kikyo’s expression changed in an instant.
Without hesitation, she grabbed his hand and pressed it against her chest, her voice turning ice-cold.
“Uesugi Gen, if you ever dare to abandon me—I’ll accuse you of rape.”
“I won’t abandon you.”
Uesugi Gen let out a helpless chuckle.
He got up, moved in front of her, bent down, and pulled her into a hug.
“Not in this lifetime. You’re my accomplice forever.”
Kushida Kikyo’s body stiffened, her large eyes instantly welling up with tears.
A second later, an outraged yell echoed through the empty theater.
“Then why the hell did you say that?! You scared the crap out of me!!!”
She burst into tears.
“I’m sorry.”
Uesugi Gen gently stroked the back of her hand and whispered,
“You like me so much, yet I never got rid of Suzune for you. I promised I would help you take her down… but I went back on my word.”
“That… kind of thing…”
Kushida Kikyo wiped her tears with her sleeve, her voice trembling.
“You… talked it through with me… no need… to apologize…”
“I only said it that way because I knew you’d probably choose to let her stay.”
“…Hah?”
Her crying stopped abruptly. She stared at him, dumbfounded.
“You… did it on purpose?”
“Yeah. On purpose.”
Uesugi Gen nodded.
“Even though you like me so much, I still used your feelings to manipulate you.”
“Heh…”
Kushida Kikyo curled her lips into a grin and spat out two words.
“Compensate me.”
“?”
“You owe me!”
Uesugi Gen nodded.
“I’ll make it up to you however you want.”
BAM!
Kushida Kikyo kicked him to the floor, grabbed her handbag, then yanked him up by the collar and started dragging him out.
“Wait, Kikyo! The movie! We haven’t finished watching it!”
“Don’t care.”
Her response was swift and firm.
“Where are we going?”
There was still an hour left in his original schedule.
“Dorms.”
Realization hit him, and he hurriedly protested.
“Kikyo, shouldn’t this kind of thing be done in a more special place—?”
“I don’t care! You owe me!!”
Her furious voice rang in his ears.
“I’m taking Suzune down! Tonight!”
At that moment, Uesugi Gen had to admit—he was jealous.
So… even now, taking down Suzune was more important to her than being with him?
—
T/N: hheuh
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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