You Will Regret This Ichinose! [14]
In the blink of an eye, a week had already gone by since the start of the term at Advanced Nurturing High School.
---
"Hmm~~hmm"
Ichinose Honami hummed a cheerful tune as she skillfully flipped a meat patty in the frying pan with a spatula.
Although she had been eating out with her classmates since school started, her naturally frugal personality meant she still preferred making her own bento lunches.
After becoming more familiar with her classmates, Ichinose quickly settled into her usual routine.
"And… done!"
Wiping the fine beads of sweat off her forehead, Ichinose smiled as she admired the bento box on the table. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was nutritious and well-balanced. She placed the lid on top with satisfaction.
I'll share this with Chihiro-chan and Mako-chan during lunch.
After packing her bag and slipping on her polished leather shoes, Ichinose walked out of the girls' dormitory with a spring in her step.
"Good morning, Hoshinomiya-sensei!"
"Good morning."
"Morning, Ichinose."
"Morning!"
…
Ichinose greeted her classmates one by one as she made her way to Class 1-B's room. The sunlight shone down on her golden-pink hair, giving her an almost ethereal glow.
A new day had begun for the cheerful girl.
---
Meanwhile, in a certain room in the boys' dormitory…
The curtains were tightly drawn, blocking out all sunlight. The only light in the dim room came from the glowing computer monitor and the RGB lighting of a gaming PC, casting faint, multicolored flashes across a messy desk.
From this darkness came an indignant voice:
"Move! Move!"
"What is this jungler even doing? Sleepwalking?"
"Get ready for the dragon—wait, an ambush?! Two versus one? As if I'd be scared—HEY, ADC, where are you going?! I can carry—wait, three of them now?!"
Game over.
Final score: 20-7-2.
Uesugi Gen leaned back in his chair, his gaze empty.
Seven-game losing streak.
Is it me, or is it the game?
No, it's definitely the world's fault.
This world must be fake. Everything is just a web of fabricated data.
Yeah, that's it. It's all the world's fault!
Opening his computer, Uesugi's thoughts spiraled. Hack into the U.S. military. Launch a nuke. Reset this fake world.
"Hahaha…"
A strange, almost unhinged laugh echoed in his room.
Finally, Uesugi made a decision—
One more game. If I win, I'll go to class.
Twenty minutes later…
Eight-game losing streak.
Unacceptable. Completely unacceptable!
Grabbing a thermometer, Uesugi sprang into action. His brain cells kicked into overdrive, his body heating up as if responding to his determination.
38°C.
He snapped a photo and sent it to Hoshinomiya-sensei.
Request for absence: approved.
Then, he sent the same excuse to his classmates:
Uesugi: "Shibata, I'm sick today, can't come to class. Take notes for me, thanks!"Uesugi: "Kanzaki, you too!"
Uesugi: "Himeno, you get the idea."
With everything settled, Uesugi tossed his phone aside, his eyes burning with renewed vigor as he stared at his computer screen.
Time for battle!
---
"Sensei, you're saying Uesugi-kun is feeling unwell and didn't come to class today?"
The lively, cheerful voice was unmistakably Ichinose Honami's.
"Yes, that's what he told me. He said he has a fever—38 degrees Celsius."
In the faculty office, Hoshinomiya-sensei glanced at the photo Uesugi had sent and nodded.
"Would you mind checking on him during lunch, Ichinose-san?"
"Understood!" Ichinose replied, nodding firmly.
Back in the classroom, Ichinose approached Uesugi's empty seat.
"He seemed fine yesterday…" Kanzaki Ryuji muttered, staring at his phone.
"Let's check on him during lunch," Shibata suggested, a note of concern in his voice.
"Sure! I was going to go alone, but it'll be even better with all of us," Ichinose said brightly.
Kanzaki nodded, sealing the plan.
"Alright, it's decided."
Himeno Yuki, sitting nearby, rested her chin in her hand and watched silently.
To think that guy had the nerve to skip class…
Unlike the others, Himeno had immediately called Uesugi after receiving his message.
Naturally, she had seen through his excuse the moment he spoke.
Still… she had no intention of ratting him out.
---
The sun climbed higher in the sky, and soon it was lunchtime.
"This should be the place. The dorm manager said Room 404, right?"
Standing in front of the door, Ichinose pressed the doorbell.
Ding-dong! Ding-dong!
The sound of the doorbell rang repeatedly.
"Uesugi-kun, are you in there? We came to check on you!"
Ichinose's cheerful voice echoed through the hall.
Inside the room, chaotic footsteps shuffled toward the door, as if someone were stumbling around.
Shibata and Kanzaki exchanged uneasy glances.
Is this guy okay?
A moment later, the door creaked open.
The sunlight streaming in seemed to sting Uesugi's eyes. He instinctively raised a hand to shield his face. His hair was a disheveled mess, dark circles ringed his eyes, and he yawned lazily as he looked at the three visitors.
"Oh… it's Shibata and Kanzaki. And… oh, right, Ichinose's here too."
Ichinose's smile froze for a moment.
Kanzaki studied Uesugi's appearance, immediately sensing something was off.
This guy… didn't look sick at all.
"We came to see how you're doing," Kanzaki said.
Cough, cough. Uesugi suddenly let out two faint, exaggerated coughs.
"Thanks for coming. I'm feeling a bit better after resting this morning. You should all head back to class now," he said, his tone weak and feeble.
"If you're fine now, we'll leave you to rest. We'll check on you again tonight," Shibata said, concern in his voice.
"Take care and rest up, Uesugi-kun!" Ichinose said, visibly relieved.
The two of them turned to leave.
But just as Uesugi started closing the door, a foot wedged itself into the gap.
"Wait a second. Aren't you going to invite us in?"
Kanzaki's polite smile didn't quite reach his eyes.
"I would, but the room's a mess… And I don't want to risk getting you sick," Uesugi stammered.
The two locked eyes.
Damn it. He's onto me.
Kanzaki pulled out his phone and opened a website.
"I was suspicious from the start. You looked fine yesterday, and you're not the type to let yourself get sick."
Turning his screen toward the others, Kanzaki added, "Oh, and I remembered we're friends in that game you play. It shows login times. Pretty handy, huh?"
The display revealed Uesugi's last login: 10 minutes ago.
Traitor! Uesugi cursed internally.
Ichinose's cheerful smile faded as she stepped forward and placed her hand on Uesugi's forehead.
"W-wait! Playing games helps me relax! It's good for recovery!" Uesugi tried to explain.
She frowned. He's perfectly healthy. Probably even healthier than me.
Before Uesugi could stop her, Ichinose pushed the door open and walked into his room.
The sight that greeted them left the three speechless.
What had been a tidy dorm room a week ago had transformed into a gamer's cave.
The curtains were tightly drawn, the room was pitch dark except for the glow of his computer. The air was thick with the mixed scents of cola, potato chips, and instant noodles.
Kanzaki sighed, exasperated. "I had a feeling, but I didn't expect this."
Ichinose's sweet smile returned, though it felt more like the calm before the storm.
"Uesugi-kun, care to explain what's going on?"
Uesugi flinched, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
"I'm really sick! Look, I even sent this to Sensei—38°C!"
"And yet your complexion looks perfectly fine," Ichinose countered.
"That's because I rested this morning!"
"In that case, how about coming back to class with me this afternoon?"
"Uh… I'm not fully recovered yet…"
"No excuses. You're coming to class."
Ichinose's tone was firm, her usual cheerful demeanor gone. It was clear this was non-negotiable.
"…Yes, ma'am." Uesugi slumped in defeat.