Square desks stood silently in the back row of the classroom. The drawers were empty, no longer weighed down by books; just a gentle push would send them sliding a long way.
Students from the former Class B gathered near the back, by the window, staring fixedly at the vacant desk.
Moments later, a collective sigh escaped them, all their heads drooping in unison.
“Sighhh~”
Kanzaki Ryuji covered his face and murmured in a daze, “It’s kind of embarrassing to say, but… I actually kind of miss that guy.”
“This never happened the other times he took leave.”
Himeno Yuki turned her body and slumped powerlessly over Uesugi Gen’s desk, gazing out the window as she muttered, “You think Uesugi’s got some kind of inherited family curse or something? Maybe he hexed us. Otherwise, why else would we all be feeling so off?”
Shibata Sō looked utterly bewildered, waving his hands around and mumbling like he was in a dream.
“He used to sit there mumbling stuff like ‘voodoo’ and ‘illusions’ at the start of the semester… Maybe that’s actually how the Uesugi family made their fortune.”
The group fell silent. After a moment, they all exclaimed in unison:
“It’s not entirely impossible!!”
“……”
Himeno Yuki straightened up, propping herself with both hands on the desk, then leaned back in her chair and pressed the back of her hand to her forehead.
“Okay, fine, I admit it. It’s kind of weird not hearing that guy constantly making noise back there.”
“It’s not just us. I’m sure a lot of other classmates are feeling it too.”
Kanzaki Ryuji scanned the classroom. While no one openly showed it, it was undeniable—the usual laughter and chatter had noticeably faded, leaving the atmosphere feeling somewhat heavy.
But that wasn’t the main issue. The real concern was—Ichinose.
If Ichinose lost her spark like she had during the rumor incident last time, the whole class’s morale might take a fatal blow.
Kanzaki clenched his molars, a headache creeping in.
He’d always thought Ichinose was the class’s core—but now, it seemed Uesugi might actually be the true linchpin.
Click.
The classroom door gently slid open, and Ichinose walked in with light, springy steps.
“Yahallo~! Good morning, everyone!”
She beamed, her smile blooming like a spring flower, and waved cheerfully to the class.
“Why the long faces? That’s not how our class rolls. We’re supposed to be all smiles, remember?”
The class blinked—then broke into knowing smiles.
“Mhm!”
Shiranami Chihiro nodded vigorously, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Ichinose and muttered, “That damn Uesugi, always trying to steal Honnami from us—and now he’s trying to steal my spot as her number one worshipper.”
…Yikes.
You’re really the only one completely unfazed, huh.
Still, with things like this, it should be okay.
Kanzaki finally let out a breath of relief. As long as their emotional anchor was present, the class would bounce back quickly.
No matter what the situation, Ichinose always had the power to unite the class. That might be her greatest strength.
“Oh my~! What a touching scene of love and unity.”
A clear, melodious voice rang out from the hallway, accompanied by the rhythmic tapping of a cane. A girl stepped gracefully into the classroom—skin porcelain-white, silver hair tucked under a beret, and features so delicate she resembled a fairy.
“Good day, dear students of Class A.”
Sakayanagi Arisu walked up to the podium and stopped, lifting the hem of her skirt with elegance as she bowed to the class.
The class scrambled to adjust their posture, straightening up in a hurry and returning the bow: “Hello, Sakayanagi-san. Please take care of us!”
“What a truly adorable bunch of classmates.”
Sakayanagi smiled sweetly, eyes narrowing as she covered her mouth with her hand.
Kawaii…
A few girls in class had stars in their eyes.
Ichinose’s smile began to fade, her brows furrowing. By now, she had come to understand Sakayanagi Arisu’s nature well enough. She might appear delicate and doll-like on the outside, but she was, in truth, anything but. A manipulative type who enjoyed toying with others.
Deceiving classmates’ feelings—that was something Ichinose could never allow.
Ichinose stepped forward, stopping in front of Sakayanagi and holding out her hand.
“Hello, Sakayanagi-san. Let’s work well together these next few weeks. If anything comes up, feel free to talk to me anytime.”
Sakayanagi took her hand and smiled meaningfully. “Of course. For the next little while, I’ll be in your care as well.”
A few sharp-eyed students already sensed something was off, though they couldn’t quite put their finger on it.
Then, Sakayanagi cheerfully revealed her true intent, still smiling as she looked at Ichinose. “Now then, would you kindly tell me where his seat is?”
“That won’t be possible. No one is allowed to sit there.”
Ichinose refused with a smile, without a moment’s hesitation.
“Not even you?”
“Not even me.”
“Then… kindly point out my seat.”
Sakayanagi smoothly withdrew her hand, circled around Ichinose, and stepped down from the podium at her own pace.
She was quite satisfied with this result. If I can’t have it, no one else can either.
As expected… neither Ichinose nor Sakayanagi were behaving quite normally.
Even though they spoke in low, gentle voices, smiling throughout the exchange, keen observers like Kanzaki could sense something strange simmering between them.
“Your seat’s right over here, Sakayanagi-san.”
Ichinose didn’t show the slightest displeasure at Sakayanagi stepping down from the podium unprompted. She pointed with a cheerful smile toward a seat directly in front of hers.
Front row…
“This way, Sakayanagi-san will have a nice clear view of the blackboard.”
Ichinose laced her fingers together, palms pressed like a praying nun, her expression radiating a ‘how wonderful’ kind of joy.
“Tsk.”
Sakayanagi’s smile turned stiff. “I wonder… What kind of face would he make if he saw you like this?”
Ichinose tilted her head slightly, as if giving the question genuine thought. “Hmm… He’d probably be really happy.”
“Because he used to tell me I was too naive all the time!”
“You’re quite the joker. But wasn’t this version of you always there from the start? You just never felt threatened by others, or thought your appearance was enough to fool them—so you never had to show it.”
“Sakayanagi-san’s self-introduction really was spot-on—perfectly summed you up.”
…
“This time, I’ll let you have the win, Ichinose-san.”
Excitement flickered in Sakayanagi Arisu’s eyes as she decisively stepped back. “There are still two weeks left. Let’s take our time and enjoy the game.”
“Just what I was hoping for.”
The two volleyed back and forth, exchanging verbal jabs.
But as more and more classmates began looking puzzled, they both fell silent at the same time.
[Uesugi Gen’s Alliance Rule #3: Do NOT disclose your connection to Uesugi Gen to uninvolved parties. Violators will be punished—together.]
The two soon returned to their seats, each quietly preparing for the next round.
As the bell rang, the burly homeroom teacher of the former Class A—Mashima-sensei—entered the classroom with his teaching materials.
His first order of business was—rearranging seats!
During the break before the next class, under Ichinose’s stormy gaze, Sakayanagi Arisu set down her cane and gently sat in Uesugi Gen’s seat.
Ichinose, meanwhile, had been placed directly behind her…
—
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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