You Will Regret This Ichinose! [144]

The moon hung high in the night sky, its pale glow intertwining with the artificial light overhead, illuminating the chessboard between them.

With a graceful motion, Sakayanagi Arisu captured Uesugi Gen’s knight, removing it from the board with ease. She then extended her delicate hand, palm up.

“Your move, Uesugi-kun.”

A flicker of emotion passed through Uesugi’s eyes.

Her strategy has shifted.

To checkmate her now, I’ll need…

In the span of a heartbeat, he recalculated.

46 moves.

Lifting his gaze, he found Sakayanagi’s face as serene as ever, her ever-composed smile still in place.

But her eyes—

Her eyes told a different story.

There was an intensity there that he had never seen before.

Not even her classmates in the former Class A—no, not even Kamuro Masumi—had ever seen this side of Sakayanagi Arisu.

Unlike the clinical, mechanical chess matches he had played against artificial intelligence in his childhood, this game was alive.

It carried the warmth of a girl’s relentless desire—to defeat him.

Lowering his lashes slightly, Uesugi calmly reached for his next piece and made his move.

His strategy remained unchanged.

The only difference—

He no longer looked out the window.

...

Click…

Click…

Click…

The world seemed to shrink, engulfed in darkness.

The only space that existed was the area illuminated by the overhead lamp.

The only sound was the rhythmic placement of chess pieces.

The only people in the world were the two locked in this silent battle.

Predictably, Sakayanagi’s movements began to slow.

What had once been a brief pause of mere seconds stretched to ten, then twenty, and now—nearly a full minute.

Outside, the night was breathtakingly beautiful.

The full moon glowed like a silver lantern, scattering its cold radiance upon the earth. Through the gaps in the swaying leaves, specks of moonlight dotted the edges of the library windows.

But Uesugi didn’t turn to admire it.

He didn’t pull out his phone to pass the time.

Because the girl in front of him was enough to occupy his entire night.

Resting his chin on his palm, he watched her.

Watched as her delicate brows furrowed ever so slightly.

Watched as her violet eyes remained fixated on the board, her fingers elegantly folded atop her lap, unmoving until, after a long pause, she finally lifted her slender hand and made her move.

Then, as if performing a ritual, she turned to him and smiled, her lips parting ever so slightly—

“Your turn, Uesugi-kun~”

And so, he would take his next planned move without hesitation, place his piece down, and return to watching her.

Over and over again.

Clouds drifted across the sky, momentarily obscuring the moon.

The rustling of leaves outside had gone still.

Yet Uesugi remained entranced by the sight before him.

Slowly, however, something felt… off.

Sakayanagi Arisu’s forehead was glistening with a fine sheen of sweat.

Her breathing had become uneven.

His gaze snapped to her chest.

—Her heart condition!

Even without physical exertion, prolonged periods of high mental strain could place an immense burden on the heart.

If this continued—

“The match is over.”

Uesugi immediately rose from his seat.

“You can’t keep playing, Sakayanagi.”

Her smile faltered, though she quickly forced it back onto her lips.

“That won’t do, Uesugi-kun. This is… our agreement.”

It no longer carried the same confidence as before.

“Then I forfeit.”

His voice was utterly composed.

“This match is yours. You win.”

Reaching for his phone, he prepared to call the school’s medical center.

But before he could—

A soft, ice-cold hand grasped his wrist.

Sakayanagi forced out a smile.

“You’re not… allowed to surrender. If you… end this match… I’ll dwell on it forever. You do know how dangerous… sudden emotional fluctuations can be… for my condition, don’t you?”

Uesugi’s eyes darkened with frustration.

“You insane woman.”

Trembling fingers picked up a chess piece.

With painstaking slowness, Sakayanagi moved her piece forward by one square.

Then, mustering all her remaining strength, she forced herself to look up at him and whisper—

“Your move… Uesugi-kun.”

For a moment, he simply stared at her.

This was a deliberate trap.

If they had been playing in a dormitory or a quiet room in Keyaki Mall, he could have subtly called for help while continuing the game.

But now—

They were completely alone.

Their phones sat idle on the table.

If he forcibly took it, the shock alone could worsen her condition.

And even if he managed to call for help, there was no telling how long an ambulance would take to arrive.

For the first time, Uesugi felt something rare—

Defeat.

“…Your move, Uesugi-kun.”

She whispered it again.

“…I got it.”

Letting out a slow breath, Uesugi turned toward the window.

With a firm motion, he pushed it open.

Cool night air swept in, carrying the crisp scent of autumn.

The gentle breeze ruffled their hair, easing the stifling tension in the room.

Then, without another word, he stepped in front of her and crouched down.

“If you want to keep playing, don’t move.”

His fingers reached up to loosen the ribbon at her collar.

Sakayanagi’s pale face was tinged with exhaustion, yet as her hand reached out to brush through Uesugi’s jet-black hair, her touch was surprisingly light.

A little rough. A little ticklish.

But… strangely soft.

“I knew you’d do this.”

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

“This is… revenge, Uesugi-kun.”

“…Revenge?”

“For all the times you’ve irritated me.”

He let out a soft chuckle.

“You really are a petty woman.”

His fingers tugged at her ribbon, letting it fall away to reveal the delicate curve of her collarbone.

“You’re exactly right.”

Her smile returned—weak, but undeniably victorious.

“I am petty. And from now on, Uesugi-kun, you’ll see many more instances of my pettiness.”

Once he was done, Uesugi pulled his chair next to hers and sat down.

He placed his next move on the board and turned to her.

“…Where to next?”

She blinked.

“…What?”

“Where do you want to move next? I’ll do it for you.”

“You…?”

“You could barely lift a piece earlier. Just focus on the game and think of your next move—I’ll handle the rest.”

“…Then… give me a moment.”

Sakayanagi leaned against him, her head resting lightly against his shoulder as she carefully contemplated the board.

“…F6.”

Without hesitation, Uesugi picked up her piece and moved it to F6.

Then, he paused.

Sakayanagi frowned slightly and gently pinched his fingers.

“…Your move, Uesugi-kun.”

“I know.”

Expression unreadable, Uesugi replied coolly,

“In standard chess tournaments, each player is given at least 90 minutes to make their first 40 moves.

…I’m simply using my allotted time.”

She let out a breathy chuckle.

“This is pity, isn’t it, Uesugi-kun?”

“No.”

His voice was steady.

“You exploited my concern for you to create this situation.”

“…That’s true.”

A soft smile crossed her lips.

...

A minute later, he made his move.

“…Where to next?”

“…Fxe6.”

...

“…Where?”

“…Ne7.”

...

“…Continue.”

...

---

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!