【22:05】
Uesugi Gen stepped out of the dorm once again, glancing back at Kushida Kikyo’s room with lingering apprehension.
All he could say was—accomplice, your talent for seamless personality switches is truly something else.
One word: Legendary.
The situation had gone something like this:
“Get off me! Are you trying to kill me? Be gentler!”
…
“Faster, Gen-nii~”
…
“I told you to be gentle! Are you deaf?! Hah!”
…
“M-Master…”
…
More or less like that. Due to Kushida Kikyo’s wave-particle duality, Uesugi Gen had been caught in a Schrödinger’s paradox of fast and slow. On top of that, her sweet voice had a speed-boosting effect, creating a never-ending loop.
Once again, he had to marvel at her unpredictability.
The snowfall had lightened up, and it looked like it would stop completely soon.
By now, the number of students wandering campus had dwindled significantly. Occasionally, he’d pass by small groups chatting as they walked back to the dorms from Keyaki Mall.
The mall itself was probably no longer as lively.
With Arisu’s intelligence, she had likely already deduced why he had postponed their date.
As he strolled toward Keyaki Mall, he pondered.
Should I come clean and apologize?
Just as he was lost in thought, he suddenly looked up and stopped in his tracks.
Under the awning of a café, a silver-haired girl sat quietly, holding a freshly brewed cup of hot cocoa, watching the snowflakes drift from the sky.
A gray beret sat atop her small head, complementing her delicate, palm-sized face and adding an extra touch of cuteness. She wore a white overcoat over a black sweater, and a pair of adorable gloves rested on the table beside her. Her ever-present cane was placed within arm’s reach—ready to be grabbed at a moment’s notice.
A gust of wind blew past, sending snowflakes swirling around her, settling on her shoulders and in her hair, yet none dared to disturb the serene beauty of the moment.
Crunch—crunch—
The sound of footsteps on fresh snow.
The girl turned her head.
Their eyes met.
A moment later, the snowbound fairy smiled.
“Good evening, genius sir. How was your date?”
“How long have you been waiting?”
“Two hours and thirty-seven minutes.”
“…”
“I—”
Uesugi Gen had just opened his mouth when—
“I know,” she interrupted with a teasing smile. “I did it on purpose.”
Her tone was light and playful.
“This was part of my strategy—to make you feel even guiltier toward me. Well? Did it work?”
After a long silence, Uesugi Gen let out a helpless chuckle.
“You got me.”
“That’s wonderful to hear.”
She smiled, as if everything had gone exactly according to plan.
“Shall we go?”
She took the last sip of her cocoa, put on her gloves, picked up her cane, and without waiting for his response, stepped into the snow, leaving a trail of footprints behind her.
Uesugi Gen followed suit.
“Aren’t we going to Keyaki Mall?”
“Anywhere is the same, really. More than that, I’m curious—what does it feel like to walk freely in the wind and snow?”
Sakayanagi Arisu stood amidst the falling snow, tilting her head back to gaze at the sky. She extended a gloved hand, catching delicate snowflakes that shimmered under the glow of the streetlamps.
“As much as I dislike admitting it, my body used to be quite frail. Even staying under the sun for too long would give me heatstroke, let alone spending an extended time in the cold.”
“But now, you’re here to keep me company, and there’s hardly anyone around. Why don’t we take a stroll around Advanced Nurturing High together?”
Without waiting for his reply, Sakayanagi Arisu continued forward, tapping her cane lightly against the ground.
Seeing this, Uesugi Gen adjusted his pace and silently walked beside her.
The two of them strolled leisurely through the snow-covered campus.
Their shadows—one tall, one short—stretched across the snowy path, casting an inexplicable sense of harmony.
After a while, Uesugi Gen finally spoke.
“Um… Aren’t you going to ask why I postponed our date?”
“Bringing up another girl during a date is quite rude, you know.”
Sakayanagi Arisu seemed completely unconcerned about the reason, instead admiring the snowy scenery around them.
“I’ve always said that I’m a rather petty woman. But if the one at fault is you, Uesugi-kun… that’s a different story. I’ll forgive you without hesitation.”
“Well?”
She tilted her head slightly and smiled at him.
“Has your fondness for me grown a little more?”
Uesugi Gen froze, momentarily speechless.
Then, for the first time, Sakayanagi Arisu made a move.
She removed her other glove, revealing her pale, delicate hand, and extended it toward him.
“I don’t know what the other girls in your life think, but I do know that love isn’t logical. It isn’t rational. Unfortunately for you, I happen to like you.”
“So even though I was a little upset that you postponed our date, I still forgave you without a second thought.”
“Now then—Uesugi Gen, brimming with guilt—would you like to take my hand and make this a date worth remembering?”
Uesugi Gen stared at the tiny, snow-white hand before him.
Small. Soft.
He could easily hold it in one hand.
Then, suddenly—he laughed.
A heartfelt, genuine laugh.
That’s right.
I may not know how to handle these emotions.
But one thing is certain—I should face their feelings head-on. I should respond to them with action, instead of being paralyzed by uncertainty.
“Oh my, that smile… My affection for you just grew a little more.”
Uesugi Gen bent down and extended his hand.
“My dear princess, would you do me the honor of touring this school with me?”
Sakayanagi Arisu puffed out her cheeks and retracted her hand.
“Unacceptable. A princess should never be called ‘cute.’ I am a proper young lady of sixteen—you should address me as a ‘beautiful princess.’”
Uesugi Gen twitched slightly.
Because he had bent down, Sakayanagi Arisu’s completely flat chest—wrapped in her coat—was now directly in his line of sight.
Whack!
Her cane smacked him squarely on the head.
With a sweet but menacing smile, she asked,
“Where were you looking just now?”
“Ahem. My apologies. It’s just that you were so cute—wait, no! I meant beautiful! You were so beautiful that I couldn’t help but stare.”
“That’s more like it.”
Satisfied, she slipped her small hand into his.
“Let’s go, genius sir. A gentleman must never let go of a lady’s hand so easily.”
Before he could react, she was already leading the way.
“Arisu, if one of your classmates sees us like this, won’t your authority take a hit?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll just explain that Uesugi Gen tried to seduce me into betraying my class with his looks. Besides, shouldn’t you be more concerned? Your dear girlfriend is quite the social butterfly.”
“Ah… that’s…”
“If I add a little fuel to the fire and spread some rumors about you two-timing, your class’s ‘good students’ might just rip you to shreds for her.”
“Arisu, you’re so evil.”
“Oh my, would you like to surrender? I can even cover your class transfer fee.”
“Not a chance. If I transferred to your class, how would I play games? And why don’t you transfer to ours instead?”
…
—
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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