"Hey, hey, you were the one who asked me to vote for you!"
Shibata Hayate said self-righteously.
The two immediately started tussling.
"By the way, Kanzaki was also a candidate for vice class representative, but he thought you were a better fit and withdrew on his own. So you should thank Kanzaki properly."
Shibata was already having his cheeks pulled from both sides by Uesugi Gen, but he kept right on talking.
"Then I guess I really should thank you."
Uesugi Gen was laughing in anger now, and he increased the force of his grip.
"Don't thank me. Ichinose suggested you become vice class representative, so if you want to thank someone, go thank Ichinose."
Kanzaki Ryuji kept talking, but by then Uesugi Gen and Shibata were grappling with each other, and he couldn't do much besides watch.
Some time later,
the otaku Uesugi Gen ultimately lost to the athletic, popular Shibata Hayate.
Uesugi Gen leaned against the corner of a nearby wall, staring blankly and muttering to himself.
"I'm such a fool. I really am. I knew Ichinose might seize the chance to gather a bunch of followers while I was away, but I didn't know she'd take the opportunity to hold a class officer election. I'm such a fool..."
Looking at Uesugi Gen, sprawled nearby like a dried-out salted fish, Shibata spoke up.
"Anyway, that's what happened. You're the vice class representative, so you should at least do some actual work. Ichinose and Kanzaki are doing all your work for you right now."
Hmph!
What do you know? I've been doing important work. I've been chatting up two girls for the sake of Class B's future.
One day, you'll all realize
that I, Uesugi Gen, am the one who'll open up a future for Class B.
Damn it, they'd stabbed me in the back while I was away.
Having been betrayed, Uesugi Gen urgently needed someone to confide in, to soothe his wounded, fragile heart.
As for who, naturally it had to be The Accomplice Lady, who was in the same boat as him.
That evening,
"Ugh, I can't stand those garbage boys in our class! They love staring at girls' chests during swimming lessons. Why don't pieces of trash like that just die?!"
The moment the call connected, Kushida Kikyo launched into a machine-gun barrage of verbal attacks against Uesugi Gen.
"Um..."
Uesugi Gen had just started to speak.
"And Karuizawa, that woman, is always showing off her new boyfriend in the group chat, acting like she's all that."
"Classmate Kushida..."
"And that bitch Horikita rejected my invitation during swimming class. I really wanted to slap her across the face right then!"
What followed was a vicious torrent of abuse.
After more than ten minutes of uninterrupted cursing,
a sweet, coquettish voice came through the phone.
"Uesugi, was there something you wanted to say earlier? No matter what you say, I'll listen."
"No, it's nothing!"
Uesugi Gen swallowed his words and hung up with a melancholy expression.
But I still have a new friend.
Uesugi: [Hey, hey, Classmate Kamuro, are you asleep? Can you listen to me for a bit?]
Read, no reply.
Uesugi: [Miss Thief, are you asleep? I'm in so much pain.]
Read, no reply again.
Uesugi: [Masumi, listen. I have a huge secret to tell you.]
Kamuro: [Get lost!!! I'm asleep!!!]
Uesugi Gen sighed and set down his phone sadly.
As I thought, this world isn't worth loving anymore. I'm going to be transported to another world, build a harem, and find my one true love.
Ding~
A new message arrived.
Uesugi Gen perked up.
I knew it, Classmate Kamuro. I knew you wouldn't give up on your good friend!
He lunged for his phone and opened it.
What appeared on the screen was—
Ichinose: [Uesugi, remember to go to bed early. I'll come get you for class tomorrow. Good night.]
Uesugi Gen blankly lowered his phone.
"Ah!!!"
Kōiku's Signature Classes—A Must-Try
For Uesugi Gen, who was naturally lazy and rarely exercised,
physical education was undoubtedly his most hated class of all, so he decided to skip it.
But first, he had to deal with one problem.
Ichinose!
He had to admit, she'd already figured out his personality. She was sure he'd find a way to ditch swimming class.
So, from the moment class ended, Ichinose never took her eyes off Uesugi Gen.
Under Ichinose's watchful gaze, Uesugi Gen walked ahead with a perfectly composed expression.
This was troublesome. It was break time, so even if he repeated what he'd done before and went to the infirmary to seek Hoshinomiya-sensei's protection,
Ichinose would probably drag him right back out. After all, class wasn't in session, so no teacher would be keeping an eye on her.
If he claimed to feel unwell during swimming class, then, judging by the PE teacher's habits, he'd be assigned to the observation group unless it was something serious. For Uesugi Gen, that outcome was no better than getting in the pool and paddling around a bit.
So the most important thing now was to shake off Ichinose, then make up some excuse to skip class.
As for when, he'd do it while the girls went in to change. She couldn't keep an eye on him forever.
Plan complete!
Uesugi Gen rubbed his chin and smiled with satisfaction, then swaggered into the changing room with his swimsuit in hand.
Seeing this, Ichinose smiled in relief and headed into the changing room too.
Once inside, Uesugi Gen didn't hurry to change. Instead, he held his clothes and silently counted.
Ten, twenty, thirty... sixty.
That should be enough. Ichinose was probably changing now. Time to make a break for it!
Uesugi Gen strode forward confidently and was just about to open the changing-room door
when two hands landed on his shoulders, one on each side.
"What are you two doing? Kanzaki, Shibata, let go of me!"
"Sorry, Uesugi. Ichinose just texted us and told us to keep an eye on you and make sure you didn't run off."
Shibata gave him an apologetic look.
Uesugi Gen looked at them and tried to shake their hands off, speaking with heartbroken indignation.
"What did Ichinose offer you to make you stab me in the back like this? I'll give you twice as much!"
"Give it up, Uesugi. Even if Ichinose hadn't asked us, we'd have done the same thing. You can't just play games all day. You need some exercise."
Feeling Uesugi Gen struggle, Kanzaki Ryuji tightened his grip and spoke coldly.
Seeing this, Shibata Hayate and Kanzaki Ryuji each took one of Uesugi Gen's arms and hauled him back into the changing room.
"You heartless men! You modern-day Lü Bu! You ungrateful traitors!"
Uesugi Gen struggled and cursed them both.
His agonized wails echoed through the changing room.
The students of Class B had long since gotten used to seeing this.
No, it was more accurate to say they were happy to see it.
"In short, he tried to run away, so we caught him and brought him back."
Kanzaki Ryuji glanced at Uesugi Gen, who was sitting in a chair looking dejected, and explained to Ichinose how he'd tried to escape.
"I knew he wouldn't give in easily. Thanks for your hard work."
With a smile that was barely noticeable, Ichinose waved to Kanzaki and the others in thanks.
After Uesugi Gen had openly slipped away during class last time, Ichinose had learned her lesson. This time, she'd blocked every possible escape route.
Ichinose had already changed into her swimsuit. Her fair skin, shapely, long legs, delicate features, and the fragrance of shampoo and body wash were intoxicating.
Ichinose walked up to Uesugi Gen, crouched down, and gazed at his face, looking delighted.
"Uesugi, I won this time, so you're not allowed to run away during class again, okay?"
Her delicate legs formed a graceful curve as she bent down, her pinkish-gold hair falling to the floor, and her breasts pressed against her knees, making them all the more pronounced.
But Uesugi Gen paid no attention to the lovely sight.
Coming back to his senses, he gritted his teeth and said,
"A bet's a bet!"
Last time, Ichinose hadn't forced Uesugi Gen to leave the infirmary and return to class after school. So this time, he couldn't just run off after getting caught.
At his words, Ichinose broke into a smile, stood up, and took Uesugi Gen's hand.
"Then let's go to class together."
The PE teacher was a muscular gorilla of a man who looked very fit at first glance.
Damn it, so much for hoping he'd be a frail, sickly teacher.
"Is there anyone here who can't swim?"
"Even if you can't, don't be afraid to raise your hand. I'll make sure you learn before summer!"
The PE teacher's voice brimmed with confidence.
Japanese students had all received at least some swimming instruction, so none of the students in Class B raised their hands.
The PE teacher looked around. When no one raised a hand, he nodded.
"I don't know how the other teachers run their classes, but I expect you to take mine seriously."
"Once you've learned to swim, it'll come in handy one day. It absolutely will."
The PE teacher declared with conviction.
Before you continue