You Will Regret This Ichinose! [209]

Splash, splash—

Waves crashed onto the shore of Advanced Nurturing High School, rolling in one after another, whispering a deep, rhythmic lullaby. The sound resonated in the hearts of those standing by the coast, as if it were an ancient song echoing through time.

The girls stared blankly at the distant shoreline, their expressions frozen in disbelief.

“Hey… are we really just going to ignore that? That was his father, you know.”

Kamuro Masumi was the first to break the silence. By now, she was absolutely certain that the ramen-making old man was, without a doubt, Uesugi Gen’s father.

Ten minutes ago, the old man had glanced at the time, casually dropped a “Make sure not to tell Gen I was here,” then effortlessly vaulted over the school’s fence and dove headfirst into the sea—vanishing into the freezing waters with remarkable speed.

It was December. The temperature had already dropped below freezing.

And that man, who looked to be at least sixty, had just executed a move identical to how Uesugi Gen had scaled the eleventh floor with his bare hands just days ago.

Sakayanagi Arisu, recalling the mysterious physical prowess Uesugi Gen seemed to possess, murmured thoughtfully, “I don’t think we need to worry.”

Horikita Suzune pressed her fingers to her forehead with a sigh of resignation.

“Considering who his father is, it makes sense that he’d be just as reckless.”

“Ehehe~”

Kushida Kikyo playfully stuck out her tongue.

“What an unpredictable old man.”

“He should be fine,” Ichinose Honami chimed in. “Didn’t he add us all as friends before leaving?”

“…”

A cold wind swept past them.

The once-friendly atmosphere instantly shifted.

Their bodies tensed.

Their expressions sharpened.

The truth was, their relationship wasn’t as harmonious as it might have seemed.

Because in the end—

Love is war.

Their eyes gleamed with an icy edge. Sparks flickered between them, invisible yet palpable.

The next moment—

“Let’s talk.”

All five of them spoke in unison.

“About him.”

—

(Simultaneously)

Originally, their plan had been to use this gathering as a chance to secure their claim over Uesugi Gen.

But now, none of them had the energy to focus on that.

The words spoken by the old master still echoed in their minds, casting a heavy shadow over their hearts.

If Uesugi Gen’s loneliness remained unresolved—

Even if one of them “won,” he would still return to the underworld.

And they only had three years.

If he graduated and the conditions weren’t met—

He would still go back.

“That bastard…”

Kushida Kikyo grumbled, her arms crossed in frustration.

“He’s definitely considered going back. He told me about it once.”

She clearly remembered that day—when Uesugi Gen had slumped beside her, sighing as he muttered:

“Maybe… probably… I might inherit it after all.”

He actually thought about inheriting that mafia empire?

A heavy silence fell over them.

Ding! (x5)

Their phones vibrated at the same time.

No need to check.

It was definitely from Uesugi Gen.

They pulled out their phones simultaneously—only to be met with the same message.

[Uesugi Gen has invited you to join the group chat “One Big Happy Family.”]

Who the hell is “family” with you?!

Uesugi Gen: 【I messed up. I deserve to die. I’m the worst. I shouldn’t have fallen for so many girls at once. Where are you guys? Please don’t fight!】

The next second, he sent a sticker of a figure bowing so fast it left behind afterimages.

“Pfft—!”

Ichinose covered her mouth, her eyes crinkling with amusement.

“No matter what happens, he’s still him, huh?”

“Oh my~”

Sakayanagi Arisu tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, her lips curling into a sly smile.

“This is a rare opportunity. Shall we give him a little lesson? Teach him a thing or two?”

Her voice carried an unmistakable hint of mischief.

“To stop him from recklessly charming more girls in the future.”

Horikita Suzune’s mind immediately flashed back to every single prank Uesugi Gen had pulled on her since the start of the school year.

A vein pulsed on her forehead.

“Agreed.”

Kamuro Masumi, who had also suffered from Uesugi Gen’s antics, narrowed her eyes at the phone screen.

“Couldn’t agree more.”

“Since everyone’s on board, I won’t argue.”

Kushida Kikyo smiled sweetly, feigning an air of reluctant cooperation.

“Sometimes, he does need a little discipline.”

Ichinose nodded.

“Can’t let him get too spoiled.”

Sakayanagi Arisu: 【Guess.】

Kamuro Masumi: 【Heh.jpg】

Ichinose Honami: 【Gen-kun, that’s a secret~】

Horikita Suzune: 【You’ve been abandoned.】

Kushida Kikyo: 【No clue.】

Uesugi Gen: 【YAMERO!!】

The next second, he sent another sticker—this time, of a cracked heart.

Ichinose pocketed her phone and turned to the others.

“Let’s go. We need to find a place to talk.”

“Confident, aren’t you? Already planning to establish your position?”

“We should hurry. He’ll start looking for us soon.”

“Can’t we all just get along…?”

—

At that moment—

Uesugi Gen sat alone in an empty activity room, staring at his phone.

He had turned to stone.

They… wouldn’t seriously ditch me and hold a secret meeting, would they?

No way. No no no.

That would be too cruel.

I was the one who met them first! I was the one who decided to open up to them!

And now what? My own “wings” are plotting to overthrow their master?

Yamerooooo!!!

Shaking his head violently, Uesugi Gen shot to his feet and bolted toward the door.

Uesugi-class Battleship, launching!

A meeting without me is not a meeting worth having!

I haven’t even shown them my newly mastered “Midair Triple Spin Ultimate Dogeza Apology” yet!

Based on the information he had, if they were truly meeting up without him, the most likely culprit behind it would be Ichinose.

And since this was probably a last-minute decision, there wouldn’t have been time to book a venue in advance.

Public places were also out of the question—after all, every single one of them was too well-known at school.

Which meant…

The dorms.

And if he had to bet—

Ichinose’s dorm room.

With that conclusion in mind, Uesugi Gen sprinted toward the dormitories—

Unfortunately.

He was wrong.

Because there was one crucial detail he was unaware of:

The message he had sent earlier had been altered.

Which meant—

Ichinose’s chosen location was…

The activity room.

“This place… it’s definitely his territory,” Kamuro Masumi muttered, eyeing the gaming equipment scattered around.

Sakayanagi Arisu swirled the tea in her cup, feeling an odd sense of familiarity.

“Alright.”

Ichinose placed the last cup of tea in front of her, then took a seat on the couch.

Her usual soft and adorable demeanor vanished—

Revealing instead, the confident, composed former Class B Leader, Ichinose Honami.

“Let’s get down to business.”

“Regarding Uesugi Gen’s ownership.”

—

T/N: OWNERSHIP?

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!