You Will Regret This Ichinose! [190]

Not long after the Paper Shuffle special exam, the long-awaited winter break finally arrived for Uesugi Gen.

“Alright, class~! After today, our second semester of first year is officially over!”

“Even during winter break, don’t forget about your dear teacher, Hoshinomiya-sensei! And of course, I’ll be thinking about all of you too~”

“But remember—don’t break any school rules, okay?”

At the podium, Hoshinomiya Chie, the ever youthful (and eternally eighteen-year-old) homeroom teacher of the former Class 1-B, stood with her hands on her hips, cheerfully reminding her students about the dos and don’ts of the break.

“Okaaay~!”

The entire class responded in unison.

Despite their excitement, they still obediently listened to the end of the homeroom session.

The moment Hoshinomiya left the classroom, the atmosphere erupted with energy. The students, finally free, gathered in groups, enthusiastically discussing their plans for the break.

And at the center of all the activity—Ichinose Ichinose, surrounded by a crowd of classmates, all beaming with excitement.

“Ichinose-chan, do you have time these next few days? Let’s go shopping together!”

“Yeah, yeah! Keyaki Shopping Mall just got a new clothing line—we should totally check it out!”

“Ichinose-chan! Weren’t you saying you wanted to get in shape? Let’s hit the gym together!”

Standing in the middle of the excited swarm, Ichinose subtly pouted, a little displeased.

Spending time with her classmates over break was nice and all…

But what she really wanted was to stick to Gen like glue.

Winter break had so many days!

She could be with Gen the entire time.

Day 1? Gen.

Day 2? Gen.

Day 3? Gen.

…

Ehehe…

Gen… Gen…

Just as Ichinose was getting lost in daydreams of endless Gen time, her phone vibrated in her pocket, pulling her back to reality.

She pulled it out—this was a special alert she had set.

Only one person’s messages would trigger this vibration.

Gen’s.

Uesugi Gen: “Vice-Class Rep, make sure you spend quality time with your classmates. Don’t disappoint them. I’ll be heading out first.”

Uuuuuuugh—how could he do this to me…?

She immediately turned her big, watery eyes in Gen’s direction.

By the classroom door, Gen was already slinging his bag over his shoulder, waving goodbye.

Seeing Ichinose gazing at him pitifully, surrounded by classmates, Gen couldn’t help but chuckle a little.

That bright, energetic girl from the start of the semester…

When did she get so soft and clingy?

Still, this wasn’t the time for sentimentality.

His eyes sharpened, and he quickly sprinted toward the entrance hallway, where the shoe lockers were.

Hmph.

I’ve been waiting for this moment.

You’ve finally let your guard down, Kanzaki.

Ever since summer break, when Gen found out Kanzaki Ryuji had a crush on someone in their class, he had been desperately trying to uncover her identity.

But after witnessing Gen’s insane class-wide stalking operation before, Kanzaki had been extra careful, guarding his secret tightly and never giving Gen an opening.

Until now.

After an entire semester of waiting—he finally slipped up.

December 25th.

Christmas.

Though originally a Western holiday, in Japan, it had evolved into its own thing.

That’s right—a couples’ holiday.

In Japan, Christmas was basically another Valentine’s Day.

Young couples would go out together, enjoy candlelit dinners, exchange gifts, and sometimes even propose.

And just moments ago—Shibata had casually asked Kanzaki what his plans were for Christmas.

And that stoic, cool, “permanently single” guy…

Hesitated.

His voice sounded off.

His gaze wavered.

And most importantly—

His expression actually changed.

No doubt about it.

Shibata may not have noticed, but Gen was 100% sure.

That guy—was thinking about a woman.

Pretending not to notice, Gen played along and let Kanzaki brush the topic aside.

Then, Kanzaki made an excuse and left the classroom alone.

An excuse?

Gen grinned.

Yeah, right.

Kanzaki wasn’t in any clubs.

He didn’t have any hobbies that required leaving campus.

His free time was either spent organizing class activities, reading books alone in his room, or hanging out with Gen and the others.

And now he suddenly had “something to take care of”?

Gen scoffed.

“You bold-faced liar. Even you, with your thick brows and honest face, have learned to deceive me?”

His conclusion was clear.

There was an 80% chance Kanzaki was meeting that mystery girl.

And as a responsible leader, it was Gen’s duty to ensure that his most reliable classmate wasn’t being blinded by love.

Yes.

This was a mission of utmost importance.

Gen had a duty to vet her properly.

…

And why wasn’t he just waiting for Christmas to catch them in the act?

Gen let out a dry laugh.

If he survived Christmas day without being torn apart by Ichinose and the others, he’d consider it a miracle.

Shoving aside those horrifying mental images, Gen peeked out from a shadowy corner.

At the entrance, Kanzaki had reached the shoe lockers and was bending down to swap his indoor slippers for his outdoor shoes.

Then—suddenly—

He froze.

And whipped his head toward Gen’s hiding spot.

Luckily, Gen had already withdrawn his head just in time.

Kanzaki scanned the area… then, seeing nothing, he turned away and hurried toward the exit.

He’s getting suspicious.

Gen thought to himself in the darkness.

Not surprising.

After his legendary Ichinose-stalking mission, anyone would be more careful.

Not to mention, Kanzaki was smart.

He might have realized that his reaction earlier gave him away.

But Kanzaki…

You’re on the second level of this game.

And I’m on the fifth—

Smack!

A hand suddenly landed heavily on Gen’s shoulder.

Gen turned his head, only to see…

Kamuro Masumi, arms crossed, glaring at him.

“What the hell are you up to—hmpf?!”

Gen instantly clamped a hand over her mouth, his other hand checking to make sure Kanzaki hadn’t noticed.

Lowering his voice, he whispered:

“Masumi, I’m gathering top-secret intel. Retreat immediately. And don’t be so loud.”

Masumi blinked in confusion.

Then, suddenly, her eyes lit up.

Top-secret intel…?

Wasn’t that just a fancy way of saying stalking?

“Mmph!”

Masumi patted his hand, signaling him to let go.

The moment he did, she cleared her throat and said, acting all high and mighty—

“Ahem. This kind of thing requires a professional.”

Gen slowly turned to look at her.

His lips curled into a mocking smirk.

heh.jpg

Professional?

If he hadn’t deliberately let her think she was stealthy before, she’d have been caught ten times over.

Even an old granny would laugh at her pathetic attempts at tailing people.

—

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!