You Will Regret This Ichinose! [18]

"So annoying! She thinks she can act all high and mighty just because she's cute!"

Bang! Bang!

"Annoying! So annoying!"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Why doesn't Horikita just drop dead?! That bitch!"

Whoa!

What a scene.

From the corner of the room, Uesugi Gen munched on his popcorn as he watched Kushida Kikyo vent her frustration.

"Let me get this straight… crunch, crunch… you're mad because that Class D classmate of yours, Horikita Suzune… crunch… refused to be friends with you, so you ran off to kick a railing?"

Uesugi sat comfortably, snacking on popcorn while listening to Kushida Kikyo rant about her grand plan to befriend the entire grade.

"That's right! It's all that bitch's fault!" Kushida snarled, her tone venomous.

She continued explaining her frustration. When she first came to Advanced Nurturing High School, she had already befriended most of the grade.

Her life's goal of becoming friends with everyone seemed just within reach.

But then, out of nowhere, Horikita Suzune appeared.

Not only did Horikita come from the same school as Kushida, but there was a chance she knew about Kushida's dark past.

And to make matters worse, Horikita always had that cold, deadpan expression and outright refused to be friends with her.

So, in her fury…

Kushida did the only logical thing:

She stormed off and started kicking a railing.

Crunch, crunch.

Uesugi popped another piece of popcorn into his mouth and said, "Kushida-san, that's so lame."

"Shut up! Of course you wouldn't understand!" Kushida growled, her face twisting in anger.

"Her actions… it's as if everything I've worked for—everything I've built—is meaningless in her eyes."

"Her existence feels like she's stomping on all my efforts."

"That's why… no matter what it takes, I'll make sure she gets expelled!"

Uesugi processed Kushida's words and summed it up in his head:

So, basically, you ended up with a classmate who's your complete opposite, someone you can't deal with at all. That's it, right?

Doesn't sound like that big of a deal…

Wait a second!

Uesugi frowned.

Why does this sound so familiar?

A classmate… who's the complete opposite of me… who I can't deal with…

Oh crap. It's just like Ichinose!

At that moment, Uesugi understood everything.

Not just in theory—he felt it in his soul.

Springing to his feet, Uesugi extended a hand toward Kushida in solidarity.

"I'm sorry, Kushida-san. I misunderstood you. I used to think you were just a petty and vicious woman."

"I didn't realize you were struggling so much."

"Exactly! You understand now, don't you? That Horikita Suzune is the worst!"

Seeing Uesugi's sincere expression, Kushida felt a wave of emotion.

Maybe someone here actually gets me, she thought.

"But I still think you're lame, Kushida-san. Instead of fighting back, you just kicked a railing? That's pathetic."

"…."

Kushida yanked her hand away and pounced on Uesugi, pounding her fists against him in frustration.

"You don't understand how insufferable she is!"

Kushida, already sweating from her earlier outburst, became even more flustered from the exertion.

Uesugi's nose twitched as he leaned away slightly.

"Kushida-san, you stink. Maybe you should take a shower first."

Kushida's face instantly turned bright red.

"Shut up! I smell amazing! I'm not showering!"

Despite her defiance, Kushida eventually stomped off to the bathroom to shower.

See? No matter how fierce they act, girls still care about stuff like this.

While waiting, Uesugi rummaged through his closet for some neutral, oversized clothes that Kushida could wear.

Though they were a bit big, they'd do just fine.

From the bathroom, Kushida called out, "Don't even think about peeking!"

"Sure, sure. Can you hurry up? I'm more interested in hearing about your brilliant revenge plan."

Bang!

The door slammed shut.

---

Freshly showered, Kushida returned and picked up where she left off, continuing her tirade against Horikita Suzune.

"So, your goal is to defeat Horikita Suzune, right? Crunch, crunch."

"Stop eating!"

Kushida snatched the popcorn away, stuffing some into her own mouth before glaring at him.

"I can't do it. I hate to admit it, but she's more talented than me."

Uesugi shrugged and offered some encouragement.

"Talent comes in many forms, Kushida-san. Nobody can beat you when it comes to social skills."

"That's true…"

Kushida puffed up her chest with pride, only to deflate moments later.

"…Except that's the only thing I'm good at."

Uesugi's curiosity was piqued. He really wanted to meet the Horikita Suzune who had pushed Kushida to her limit.

But more than that, he found it hard to accept that even his allies couldn't deal with their rivals.

This isn't right. It doesn't make sense.

And so, Uesugi made a decision.

"Kushida-san, let me help you beat her. We'll use your strengths."

"Huh? That's impossible. I can't win against her," Kushida muttered, lowering her head in defeat.

"Trust me. I'll guarantee that my plan will interest you. But first, you need to sign this."

Uesugi handed her a contract—a legally binding document certified by the school, ensuring confidentiality about the upcoming special exam.

While Kushida was in the shower earlier, Uesugi had already arranged for Hoshinomiya-sensei to act as the guarantor.

Judging by Hoshinomiya's enthusiastic response, she was thrilled with the idea. Over the phone, she'd even joked, "Gen-chan, you must save that guarantor spot for me. It's the dream of my life!"

Kushida glanced at the document skeptically.

"A contract? What are we, kids playing pretend?"

"Just sign it. No questions."

"…Fine."

Kushida obediently signed her name.

"Good. Now let me tell you something that will make you very happy. Listen closely…"

Uesugi leaned in and whispered into her ear.

"You're saying the school divided students into classes based on their abilities from the start, and that Class D is basically full of rejects?"

Kushida's expression darkened. Nobody likes being labeled a 'reject.'

But then her mood shifted.

"Wait… that means Horikita is a reject too!"

Her face lit up with delight.

"Exactly," Uesugi said with a smirk. "Now tell me—don't you want to see Horikita's expression when she realizes she's nothing more than a defect in the school's eyes?"

Uesugi's words were like a spark, igniting a fire within Kushida.

"And the best part is… it'll all be because of you."

That was the final blow.

Kushida's eyes sparkled with excitement. The thought of seeing Horikita's shocked face was irresistible.

"Tell me, Uesugi-kun. Whatever it takes, I'll do it!"

Kushida clenched her fists, her voice filled with determination.

"It's simple. Use your unmatched social skills to drag the rest of Class D down. If you do it right, Horikita won't earn a single point by the end of the month."

"When the 'perfect student' finds herself worthless, it'll be all thanks to you, my dear accomplice."

Uesugi's words carried a dangerous charm as he whispered in her ear.

"I'll do it. I'll use everything I have to drag her into the abyss."

Kushida stood up, her clenched fists trembling with anticipation.

"I can't wait to see if Horikita can keep that deadpan face of hers after this."

"Kushida-san, you really are a wicked woman," Uesugi teased, shaking his head in mock disapproval.

"Shut up. But wait… if Class D loses all its points, won't I also lose my points?"

For once, Kushida's emotions gave way to reason.

"Don't worry about that, Kushida-san. Just give me information, and I'll make sure you're compensated handsomely."

"Deal!"

And with that, two victims of circumstance forged an unlikely alliance.

---

T/N: guarantor is basically the person who make sures the debt gets paid or like manages the deal between two parties