Beneath the shade of a tree near the Advanced Nurturing High School sports field, a light breeze rustled through, lifting the strands of a girl’s long hair.
Uesugi Gen remained silent for a few seconds before speaking out of curiosity.
“Shiina-san, your class’s camp shouldn’t have been able to see me from its position. How did you figure out I was here?”
At the mere mention of deduction, Shiina Hiyori’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Hmm, because I noticed that Uesugi-kun didn’t return to his camp, and I couldn’t spot you anywhere within my visible range. That meant you must have left in the opposite direction, outside my field of view. Given the time since the race started, you couldn’t have gone too far. And since I know Uesugi-kun doesn’t like the heat… this was the most likely place to find you.”
As expected of a mystery novel enthusiast.
Her observational and deductive skills were impressive.
But more importantly…
She noticed that I never returned to camp.
In other words… she had been watching me?
Uesugi Gen shifted slightly before standing up.
“Alright, let’s go. Didn’t you say you needed me for the Borrowed Item Race? If we don’t hurry, you’ll run out of time.”
Shiina, however, remained unfazed, smiling softly.
“I’m not particularly good at athletic events. Even if I run, it wouldn’t make much of a difference. So… Uesugi-kun, let’s just walk together.”
Uesugi Gen paused for a moment.
“…Alright. I just hope no one beats you to it before we get there.”
Since she had already made her choice, as her friend, all he could do was support her.
As they walked side by side, the distance between them naturally closed.
“So, what made you decide to enter this event? I thought you’d be quietly reading under a tree somewhere.”
Shiina clasped her hands behind her back, her expression serene.
“Because Uesugi-kun is working hard, too. If this were the beginning of the school year, you would have just secured a decent ranking in a couple of events and then hidden away to play games.”
So, for the sake of your class, huh?
“…That’s true.”
Uesugi Gen gazed up at the sky, watching thick clouds drift across the clear October air.
“This school… changes people without them even realizing it.”
“But what did you draw?”
“Hmm… you’ll find out soon.”
Their pace remained unhurried as they continued their conversation toward the sports field.
—
Meanwhile, over at the Class C camp…
Ishizaki Daichi fumed as he watched the two walk together.
Shiina Hiyori was an extremely special existence in Class C.
Even though she never participated in their conflicts, her abilities were acknowledged by both Ryūen and the rest of Class C.
She was the one person no one ever dragged into their messes.
And yet, here she was, walking side by side with that damn ghostfire delinquent, clearly having been sweet-talked away from their class.
It was like they had painstakingly protected a precious little cabbage for years—only for the neighborhood thug to hop the fence overnight and steal it away without hesitation.
Unforgivable.
Ishizaki gritted his teeth and elbowed the bespectacled Kaneda Satoru.
“Kaneda, that bastard Uesugi is making moves on our class! We need to teach him a lesson he’ll never forget!”
At the mere mention of Uesugi Gen, Kaneda shuddered, adjusting his glasses.
“But Ishizaki… didn’t Ryūen just get sent to the infirmary because of him?”
“…”
“…Let’s wait for Ryūen-san to come back before dealing with him.”
Without skipping a beat, Ishizaki covered up his prior statement.
—
Halfway through their walk, another figure sprinted toward them.
With a sharp halt, Kamuro Masumi skidded to a stop beside Uesugi Gen, lifting her chin.
“You’re my borrowed item. Come with me.”
“You, too?”
“Too?”
Kamuro turned her gaze toward Shiina Hiyori.
Shiina smiled softly and nodded, confirming her suspicion.
“Hah… if both of you need me, I guess it’s first come, first served. That means Shiina gets to go first, right?”
Uesugi Gen turned to Kamuro, seeking confirmation.
“Fine.”
…
The same damn referee from earlier squinted at the boy being dragged in by two girls, his face twisting in confusion.
“You—”
“‘You’ what? Just read the damn slip.”
Uesugi Gen slammed his hand down on the table, thoroughly fed up with this referee’s existence.
Just you wait.
Once the Sakayanagi family accepts my Uesugi investments, I’ll have you fired on day one.
The referee glanced at the two slips in his hand, momentarily at a loss for words.
“Well? What’s the hold-up? Just read them out loud.”
Uesugi Gen urged impatiently.
He had no intention of giving a third person a chance to drag him off.
“Uh…”
The referee hesitated, glancing between Shiina Hiyori and Kamuro Masumi before finally speaking.
“One of you brought back… ‘A comfortable male friend to be around.’”
“And the other… ‘A discomforting male friend to be around.’”
“…”
Both girls blinked in confusion as their gazes met.
Why… had they both picked the same person?
For completely opposite reasons?
Uesugi Gen’s face twitched.
“WHO THE HELL CAME UP WITH THIS NONSENSE?! GIVE ME THEIR NAME—I’M GOING TO THE CHAIRMAN TO HAVE THEM FIRED!”
“Uh… well… it’s all part of the possible variations.”
The referee wiped the sweat from his forehead, eager to move on as quickly as possible.
He turned to Shiina first.
“Alright, can you explain why you chose Uesugi-kun as a ‘comfortable friend’?”
Shiina tilted her head slightly in thought.
“Hmm… I suppose it’s because the conversations I have with Uesugi-kun are always interesting. He never brings up class politics, and our discussions stay free of conflict.”
Kamuro Masumi visibly glitched.
“?”
Who the hell was she talking about?
Wasn’t this the same guy who constantly harassed her with calls and messages, not to mention sent Sakayanagi to summon her whenever he felt like it?!
“And you?”
The referee turned to Kamuro.
Kamuro scowled.
“This bastard literally messages me about why the cafeteria doesn’t serve fried dough sticks.”
Uesugi Gen coughed awkwardly.
Well, out of everyone I know, you’re the only one who keeps responding even when you’re annoyed. It kind of became a habit…
Accomplice Lady’s emotional punching bag: Uesugi Gen.
Uesugi Gen’s emotional punching bag: Phantom Thief Lady.
Shiina’s eyes lit up.
“That actually sounds fun! Uesugi-kun, can you include me in these conversations? I’d like to know more about your daily thoughts!”
“Uh, sure… but it’s mostly just stupid stuff.”
“It’s fine!”
From the sidelines, Kamuro’s temper flared as she stomped on Uesugi Gen’s foot.
“IF YOU KNOW IT’S STUPID, STOP SPAMMING ME!”
“Well, Kamuro-san, you’re always exhausted from being Sakayanagi’s workhorse. I’m just trying to help you de-stress~”
The referee sighed as he watched the three of them bicker.
“…Alright, pass.”
—
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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