You Will Regret This Ichinose! [172]

After school, once he had seen Shiina Hiyori off, Uesugi Gen silently estimated the time.

That stubborn girl should be arriving any moment now.

To prepare, he decided to make himself look at least a little miserable. Otherwise, after having been played like a fool, Horikita Suzune might just use him as a punching bag.

Ding-dong! Ding-dong! Ding-dong!

A rapid succession of doorbell chimes echoed from the entrance.

It wasn’t hard to tell just how furious the person outside was.

Uesugi Gen swallowed nervously and slowly made his way to the door. Stopping just before opening it, he carefully asked through the door:

“Stubborn girl?”

“Open the door.”

The response was short, firm, and carried an unmistakable killing intent.

“Uh… Can we agree on no physical violence?”

Uesugi Gen made a humble request.

“What do you think?”

He figured it was worth one last attempt.

“How about a deal? I open the door, and you don’t hit me.”

“This is your last chance. Are you opening it or not?”

Horikita Suzune’s patience seemed to have run out. She delivered an ultimatum:

“If you don’t open it, don’t bother coming to my room ever again.”

Bam!

In an instant, Uesugi Gen flung the door open.

“Stubborn girl, I’m suffering—”

Before he could even put on the pitiful expression he had spent time preparing, a fair, delicate hand shoved his face back into the room.

Bang!

The door slammed shut again.

“Uh…”

Uesugi Gen took two steps back and forced a smile.

“I can explain.”

Horikita Suzune stepped forward, her fists clenched, her expression cold and taut.

“I don’t want to hear an explanation right now. Let me hit you first.”

“Wait, listen to me, stubborn girl—”

“No need. I can’t argue with your nonsense. Every time you start talking, I stop wanting to hit you.”

Seeing his familiar smirking face, Horikita Suzune grew more irritated.

The more she thought about it, the more unfair it felt.

She had swallowed her pride to ask her brother for help because this guy wouldn’t even respond to her texts—yet here he was, perfectly fine, even enjoying a cup of tea at his table.

Thud!

Uesugi Gen dropped to his knees and, in one swift motion, wrapped his arms around Horikita Suzune’s legs. His cheek pressed against the smooth fabric of her stockings as he dramatically surrendered.

“I was wrong!”

“You bastard, why do you always pull this move?!”

Feeling the strange sensation from her thigh, Horikita Suzune’s face turned red. She twisted his ear sharply.

“Let go, now!”

“No way! I’m already getting flamed online, and now you want to hit me too? How is that fair?!”

Uesugi Gen put on a miserable expression, milking his situation for all it was worth.

“You have no idea how vicious the forum comments are. They’re blaming me for everything bad that’s ever happened at Advanced Nurturing High—pure slander!”

“And they even accused me of being a host! How heartless can they be? Do I look like a host? I’m way too handsome for that!”

“And another thing—”

Still clinging to her leg, Uesugi Gen launched into a long-winded rant about his grievances.

Horikita Suzune’s stern expression gradually softened. With a sigh, she released his ear.

“Fine. I won’t hit you. Just explain everything clearly. You promised not to keep secrets from me anymore.”

“Really?”

Uesugi Gen’s eyes brightened. He needed confirmation.

“You’re really not going to use me as a punching bag?”

“For real.”

Horikita Suzune found his reaction amusing. As if I’d actually do that.

Seizing the opportunity, Uesugi Gen tightened his grip and pulled her down into his arms.

Both of them tumbled onto the floor.

“What the hell are you doing?!”

Horikita Suzune was irritated. She had just decided to forgive him, and now he was acting up again.

“Let go—”

“Thank you, stubborn girl.”

Holding her close, Uesugi Gen could feel the steady rhythm of her heartbeat. He murmured his gratitude.

“Making that choice must’ve been difficult, huh?”

“You knew, and you still made me choose.”

Leaning against his chest, Horikita Suzune gave his waist a sharp pinch and muttered.

“I wanted to give you this chance, so you wouldn’t have regrets.”

Uesugi Gen twirled one of her braids between his fingers as he explained.

Horikita Suzune’s body stiffened slightly. She understood.

In just one more semester, her brother, Horikita Manabu, would graduate. If she didn’t resolve their strained relationship now, who knew how long it would take for them to reconcile?

“…And besides.”

Uesugi Gen suddenly revealed a smug, insufferable grin.

“I was jealous.”

“My stubborn girl should only be thinking about me. Not any other man—even if it’s your brother.”

A resigned sigh came from his arms.

“Seriously… What kind of person gets jealous over that? If we have kids in the future, are you going to be jealous of them too?”

Uesugi Gen’s head snapped down in surprise.

“You’re saying we’re having kids?”

“That’s NOT what I meant!”

Horikita Suzune was utterly exasperated.

“Suzune.”

Uesugi Gen suddenly called her name.

“…What?”

She looked up, only to find him staring at her intently.

“Can I kiss you?”

Horikita Suzune panicked.

“W-wait, I’m not planning on dating in high schoo—mmph!”

Before she could finish rejecting him, Uesugi Gen leaned down and captured her soft lips.

He greedily drank in her warmth, her scent, her breath.

At first, she instinctively resisted, her small fists pounding weakly against his chest. But as the kiss deepened, her struggles faded. Her hands, once defiant, rested quietly against him…

…

A long time passed. As Horikita Suzune’s breath grew uneven, Uesugi Gen finally pulled away.

“You bastard… I already told you, I’m not dating in high school…”

“Mm-hmm. I know.”

Uesugi Gen nodded solemnly.

“That’s why this is just a friendly gesture between close friends.”

He wholeheartedly supported his dear friend Horikita Suzune’s goal of focusing on academics instead of romance.

“…Do you think I’m an idiot? How is that a ‘friendly’ gesture?”

Horikita Suzune wiped the corner of her lips, glaring at him.

“How is it not?”

Uesugi Gen replied confidently.

“You’ve never had friends before, right? Then how can you be sure this isn’t normal between friends?”

“You—”

Horikita Suzune opened her mouth to argue but then deflated like a defeated pufferfish.

“Forget it. I can’t win against your nonsense. But remember this—I, Horikita Suzune, am not dating anyone in high school.”

“I know, I know. And you don’t plan on getting married either.”

Uesugi Gen responded with a knowing smile.

“Exactly.”

Satisfied, Horikita Suzune nodded while still resting in his embrace.

Then, out of nowhere, Uesugi Gen casually asked:

“So, how many kids do you think you’ll have in the future?”

“Probably one boy and one gir—”

She stopped mid-sentence.

Their eyes met.

A heavy silence filled the room.

“UESUGI GEN!!!”

Horikita Suzune’s outraged, flustered yell echoed through the dormitory.

—

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!