You Will Regret This Ichinose! [24]
Just moments ago, that kind-hearted senior had shared an unwritten rule about Advanced Nurturing High School, sparking an interesting idea in Uesugi's mind.
However, he needed Hoshinomiya's cooperation, which was why he was here.
"Oh my, what a rare sight! Uesugi-chan, you actually came to see me on your own."
Seeing Uesugi arrive, Hoshinomiya Chie casually poured him a cup of tea, patting her ample chest with confidence as she assured him,
"Leave it to me! No matter what the problem is, I'll help you solve it."
I haven't even said anything yet, and you're already offering to help?
Watching Hoshinomiya's who-else-but-me attitude, Uesugi couldn't help but feel a little exasperated.
Just then—
A teacher in office attire walked in, accompanied by a gloomy-looking boy with a blank expression.
It seemed that this boy had been loitering outside for a while, unable to find his homeroom teacher and reluctant to enter the office, so he had simply waited outside.
The moment Hoshinomiya saw Chabashira Sae walk in, she suddenly perked up. She gestured to Uesugi to wait a moment before eagerly approaching with a bright smile.
"Little Sae~ What are you up to? This handsome young man here has been waiting at the door for you for a long time, you know?"
Chabashira Sae remained completely expressionless as she responded,
"It's none of your business. Don't you have a student to look after? Leaving him aside like that isn't very responsible—shouldn't you go back and entertain him?"
"Oh, it's fine, it's fine. Uesugi-chan won't mind such things. Besides, I think you need more help than he does, Sae~"
Hoshinomiya, in her ever-bold fashion, continued advancing without so much as a change in expression.
Seeing that Hoshinomiya had no intention of leaving, Chabashira simply ignored her and led her student directly to the counseling room.
Undeterred, Hoshinomiya casually followed along.
Meanwhile, Uesugi sipped his tea, seated in Hoshinomiya's chair, quietly watching the scene unfold.
There's something odd about their dynamic. On the surface, they seemed like close friends, but upon closer observation, their relationship appeared more complicated than that.
However, Uesugi had no intention of delving into personal matters. Relationship issues were best left for Hoshinomiya to handle on her own.
A short while later, Hoshinomiya returned, her head drooping in defeat—evidently, she had been no match for Chabashira's resistance and had been unceremoniously sent back.
Upon her return, she slumped into the seat beside Uesugi, appearing as though she had reverted to her usual tipsy state, weakly murmuring,
"Uesugi-chan, just wait a sec. I'll be back to normal soon."
Then she collapsed onto the desk, playing dead.
Uesugi paid her no mind. After a while, she would recover on her own.
At that moment, another student entered the office—a striking beauty with long, flowing black hair, exuding an air of don't talk to me with her sharp, piercing gaze.
Horikita Suzune scanned the room and, seeing only a handsome young man and a teacher lying face-down on a desk, spoke up,
"Excuse me, do you know where Chabashira-sensei is?"
"She's in the counseling room."
Without even looking up, Uesugi answered coolly.
"Got it. Thank you."
The girl responded politely before striding toward the counseling room, her long legs wrapped in black thigh-high stockings. The contrast between the stockings and the hem of her skirt formed the perfect absolute territory.
Well, that was fast.
Suddenly, snap!—Hoshinomiya shot upright, her eyes fixated on Horikita's retreating figure.
Judging by her reaction, she seemed particularly interested in Class D.
If she didn't get to the bottom of this, their upcoming conversation probably wouldn't go well.
Seeing Hoshinomiya so distracted, Uesugi sighed and reminded her,
"If you're that curious, why not go eavesdrop?"
Hoshinomiya jolted as if she had just been enlightened.
Her cute little head turned toward him, eyes shining.
"You're right! Uesugi-chan, let's go together!"
"…Hah?"
Before Uesugi could refuse, Hoshinomiya had already grabbed his hand with her soft, fair fingers and pulled him toward the counseling room.
The door was closed, but if they pressed their ears against it, they could still make out the conversation inside.
As Uesugi stood beside her, he found himself averting his gaze as Hoshinomiya's figure pressed tightly against the door, accentuating her curves.
"Uesugi-chan, don't just stand there. Come closer! I can't hear very well," she urged.
She then pulled him in even closer, securing him behind her without letting go.
Now, Uesugi was practically pressed against Hoshinomiya's soft body. Their heads were so close together that he was nearly embracing her.
With one leaning forward and the other leaning down, the two of them eavesdropped through the door.
"I'll get straight to the point—why was I assigned to Class D?"
A cold, prideful voice—it must be that cool beauty from earlier.
"Now that's what I call straight to the point."
This voice, on the other hand, had mature woman written all over it.
"The way you explained it earlier, excellent students are placed into Class A, while Class D serves as the last bastion for the lowest-ranked students."
Rather than investigating the system herself, she's choosing to question the teacher instead?
"What I said is the truth. It seems you think quite highly of yourself."
"I answered nearly all the entrance exam questions correctly. I also don't recall making any major mistakes during the interview. At the very least, I can't imagine why I would be placed in Class D."
Still hung up on this, huh? Looks like she hasn't figured out the real nature of this school yet.
"You nearly answered all the questions correctly…? Normally, entrance exam results aren't disclosed to individuals, but I'll make an exception for you. Conveniently, I happen to have your answer sheet right here."
"How convenient… Almost as if you knew I would come to protest."
---
Blah, blah, blah. Yada, yada.
Upon hearing this, Uesugi completely lost interest.
In short, this girl named Horikita Suzune was protesting why she had been assigned to Class D, while Chabashira Sae was using various methods to psychologically manipulate her.
How strange…
A teacher like that exists, and she's even good friends with Hoshinomiya? Maybe I should advise Hoshinomiya to stay away from her. If she ever gets the idea to start 'mentally conditioning' her own students, that would be a real disaster.
Speaking of which, so it's her, huh? The one responsible for making Miss Accomplice break down repeatedly, calling him every day to vent her frustrations.
So what exactly makes her so remarkable?
Why does Miss Accomplice think she's inferior to her? Uesugi honestly felt that the two of them weren't all that different.
Moreover, the name Horikita Suzune immediately reminded him of the current student council president, Horikita Manabu. And judging by the slight resemblance between their facial features, there was likely some blood relation.
Alright then, next time I see him, I'll use that name to mess with him and see his reaction.
And then there was that absolutely ridiculous Class D homeroom teacher…
As the scent of lavender mixed with the lingering traces of alcohol from Hoshinomiya's hair drifted into his nose, Uesugi leaned in and whispered in her ear,
"Sensei, don't you think your friend hasn't had a boyfriend for too long? Her hormones must be out of balance—just look at how she's treating her own students."
Hoshinomiya's face turned red for a moment before she let out a giggle, playfully patting Uesugi's arm.
"Uesugi-chan, you can't say things like that about little Sae! …Even though, well, she does lack a boyfriend. Hehe~"
Seeing the soft pink hue creeping up Hoshinomiya's neck, Uesugi's expression darkened.
You tell me not to say it, yet you're laughing? So, deep down, you think the same thing, don't you?
And she hadn't stopped laughing since he mentioned it…
"Uesugi-chan, don't move around. Keep listening."
So the two continued eavesdropping.
"I don't think this is an easy path. Class D is full of immature students—how exactly do you expect them to earn more points than Class A? No matter how I think about it, it seems impossible."
"That's not my problem. Whether you choose to pursue this reckless path is entirely up to you. Horikita, or rather—do you have some special reason why you absolutely must advance to Class A?"
"That's… I'll be taking my leave for today. But please remember, I do not accept this."
"Understood. I'll make a note of it."
"Oh, and by the way, I called someone else to the counseling room. Someone you're familiar with."
"Someone… familiar? You don't mean… Broth—"
Oh-ho…?
Now this is something interesting.
So they are blood-related. And siblings, no less.
Uesugi's curiosity was suddenly piqued.
The almighty student council president's sister was placed in Class D? Now that's a dramatic turn of events.
"Ayanokōji, come out."
"If you don't, I'll have you expelled."
Hearing this, the situation had become abundantly clear—Class D's homeroom teacher, Chabashira Sae, was so desperate to push her class up to Class A that she resorted to using coercion, threats of expulsion, and various psychological tactics.
This kind of teacher truly opened Uesugi's eyes. She was completely obsessed with getting to Class A, willing to do anything, use any method.
So if Class D is full of 'defective products,' does that mean their homeroom teacher is a defective product too?
Looking at it this way, those two students were likely the ones Chabashira had high hopes for—the ones she believed could carry the class to the top. And judging by Horikita Suzune's tone, that other student who had been silent all this time must also be hiding somewhere, quietly listening in.
Ayanokōji. A rather uncommon yet well-known surname. Why does that name sound so familiar?
Judging from his actions, he was someone who kept an extremely low profile.
Even in the intel provided by Miss Accomplice, there was only a passing mention of him as Horikita Suzune's follower.
But considering the way people are usually called out, the last name mentioned is always the most important. That meant… his homeroom teacher had actually deemed him more capable than Horikita Suzune.
So this school even has a hidden player like that?
Is he simply someone who wants to stay out of sight, or is he a venomous snake lurking in the shadows?
Suddenly, the sound of steady footsteps echoed from outside the office.
Shit. Someone's coming.
Uesugi immediately realized the situation was bad and whispered urgently to Hoshinomiya,
"Sensei, we need to go. If someone catches us here, it won't look good."
"…"
But Hoshinomiya didn't respond at all. She stood there, completely frozen.
Something's off.
Uesugi suddenly noticed that her usual playful smile had disappeared. In its place was an expression he had never seen before—her entire face shrouded in shadow.
Click…
Clack…
Clack…
The footsteps were getting closer, but Hoshinomiya still hadn't moved.
He could leave her behind and escape on his own… but in this school, where competition was everything, a teacher being caught eavesdropping on another class would cause a huge scandal.
More importantly, Hoshinomiya's current state was clearly not normal. Uesugi couldn't predict what she might do if he left her here.
No choice… I'll have to use brute force.
Gritting his teeth, Uesugi bent down, wrapped one arm around Hoshinomiya's legs, the other around her shoulders, and effortlessly lifted her into a princess carry.
Snapping out of her daze, Hoshinomiya let out a small gasp and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Uesugi-chan, what are you—"
Before she could finish, Uesugi dashed into the neighboring counseling room.
Bang!
The door slammed shut behind them.
---
The homeroom teacher of Class 1-A, Mashima-sensei, entered the now-empty office, flipping through his lesson plans with a sigh.
What a bunch of lazy coworkers…
---
Inside the counseling room—
Uesugi sat in a chair, catching his breath.
"Hah… Hah… Hah…"
Carrying someone like that… Not something a shut-in should be doing.
"Hoshinomiya-sensei, just how much do you weigh?"
"Shut up, Uesugi-chan! Don't you know a girl's height and weight are sacred secrets?"
Hoshinomiya, finally back to normal, blushed furiously and pounded her small fists against his chest.
Seeing her return to her usual self, Uesugi was silent for a moment before asking softly,
"…Hey, Sensei. You really hate Class D, don't you?"
"…"
Hoshinomiya clearly hadn't expected that question. Her fists froze in midair.
Then, after a long pause, she met his gaze and firmly declared,
"That's right. I despise Class D. I will never allow them to rise up. Crushing Class D beneath my feet is the only reason I remain at this school."
So this is Hoshinomiya-sensei's true self?
Now this… this is getting interesting.
A wild grin spread across Uesugi's face.
"In that case, Sensei, let me help you. That's why I came to see you today."
He added with a cold smile,
"Let's get rid of Class D—for good."
Hoshinomiya's eyes widened, and in the next second, she lunged at him, wrapping her arms around his head.
"Uesugi-chan~! You really are my favorite student!"
As he struggled under her suffocating embrace, Uesugi gasped,
"Let… go! I can't breathe!"
Slapping her back frantically, he finally managed to break free.
Looking at the overjoyed Hoshinomiya, Uesugi sighed and decided she needed to calm down.
"…Also, Sensei, could you get off me already? You're kinda heavy."
"Uesugi-chan!"
A furious shriek echoed through the counseling room.
---
T/N: FUCK AYANOKOUJI IS HERE SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT