So… what am I supposed to do now?
Holding Ichinose in his arms, Uesugi Gen found himself trapped in deep contemption.
Didn’t she say she only slept after her mom came home?
So why did she knock out after just crying for a bit?
And another thing—
Uesugi leaned forward, reaching into Ichinose’s pocket to fish out her handkerchief.
Not even bothering to wipe her face… You really think you cry prettily, huh?
Shaking his head, he gently dabbed at her tear-streaked cheeks.
She’s really sleeping soundly… Not even waking up from this.
Should… I wake her up?
Uesugi gnced down at the peacefully sleeping Ichinose in his arms and sighed, slumping his head.
Forget it. Let her rest a little longer.
She ended up like this because I pushed her too hard.
With that thought, Uesugi adjusted his position, lying back against the stone while still holding Ichinose close.
Most of his goals for this special exam had been accomplished today.
The only issue left was…
How the hell am I supposed to go back to sleep?
Alright, time to analyze the situation—
First, waking Ichinose up isn’t an option.
Second, she’s tched onto me, meaning I can’t get out of her grip.
Third, I need to go back and sleep.
Alright, time to find a solution.
…LIKE HELL THERE IS ONE!
What am I supposed to do, teleport? Clone myself?
New approach—
I just won’t sleep tonight. Staying up all night is easy for someone as experienced as me.
The only issue is…
Ichinose has to wake up before the rest of the css.
Otherwise—
Entire css. Uesugi Gen. Ichinose. Everyone watching. Social death.
Congratutions! You’ve won a free three-room, one-hall shame package.
Might as well have the Uesugi family start researching interstelr travel so I can move to Mars.
The thought alone made Uesugi shiver. He had a bad feeling…
As if a ghostly figure of Shiranami Chihiro was floating somewhere above this uninhabited isnd…
Is this what they call karma? It really does come back around, huh?
BUT!
Since Uesugi was smart enough to consider this outcome—
He wasn’t going to let it happen.
Unlike others, Uesugi knew Ichinose’s habits well. She was the type to sleep te and wake up early.
5:30 AM—she would wake up.
And based on his extensive intelligence-gathering (aka observing his cssmates), no one in Css B was an early riser—especially not after such an exhausting day.
In conclusion, Ichinose would wake up before the css. She’d quietly slip out of his arms. And then he’d sneak back into his tent and get some sleep.
Fwless. Absolutely fwless.
Uesugi smirked.
Nothing in this world could possibly put him in an embarrassing situation.
The Uesugi Pn? is perfect!
With that, he took off his jacket and draped it over both himself and Ichinose.
It was currently 12:30 AM. Just five more hours until his victory.
And as for how he’d pass the time—
That’s easy.
Two rounds of mental Go against himself…
Two more rounds of chess…
A reread of Murder on the Orient Express…
Then Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Collection…
Followed by Detective Conan…
The Old Man and the Sea…
A Hundred Years of Solitude…
…
“Haah~”
Uesugi yawned, stretching his arms. Time should be about right now, huh?
He checked the school-issued watch on his wrist.
3:12 AM.
…
No way. The watch must be broken.
That was the only expnation.
Convinced, Uesugi gnced up at the moon’s position in the sky.
…
No way. The moon must be broken too.
WHAT THE HELL?!
At school or at home, time always flew by in the blink of an eye. But here, on this godforsaken uninhabited isnd—
I’ve already solved like ten murder cases in my books, and only two hours have passed?!
And on top of that—
“Haah~”
Uesugi shifted his position, adjusting his grip around Ichinose for a more comfortable hold.
I… I think… I’ve been cursed… by the Sleep Demon…
Wait… how did I not notice before… Ichinose is… so soft…
Holding her… is so comfortable… Feels like… sinking into a cloud…
And she… smells really nice… Let me just… take one sniff… just one…
Sniiiifffff—
PAH!
The camp fell silent again, save for the steady rhythm of two people breathing.
Uesugi’s instincts had been right—sleeping next to a waterfall was incredibly rexing.
...
"Uesugi-kun, Uesugi-kun. It's time to wake up."
A voice as soft as silk pulled him back from paradise.
"Mm… five more minutes…"
Uesugi grumbled, burrowing deeper into the warmth, nuzzling closer to Ichinose’s p to find an even comfier spot.
“…I mean, I could let you sleep longer.”
Her voice was still gentle—but now tinged with a hint of amusement.
“Then I’ll sleep a bit more…”
Uesugi mumbled without hesitation.
“…But, you know… everyone’s watching.”
“…Everyone’s watching…?”
“…Mm-hmm.”
“…Wait, what?”
In that instant—the Big Bang, the formation of stars, the rise of civilizations, and the evolution of mankind all fshed through Uesugi Gen’s mind.
And finally, his brain arrived at a single, undeniable truth—
Night.Ichinose.Uesugi Gen.Accidentally falling asleep.Overslept.Failure.
WHOOSH!
In a split second, Uesugi executed the most fwless emergency eject in Css B history, unching himself out of Ichinose’s p.
But instead of shocked gasps—
All he got were amused, knowing smirks.
Shiranami Chihiro stared at him with a look of pure envy, his teeth clenched so hard they might crack.
“…I KNEW IT! You totally had ulterior motives toward Ichinose!”
Kanzaki Ryūji, after gncing at Ichinose, sighed. Then, after looking back at Uesugi—sighed even deeper.
“Uesugi, I get that you couldn’t sleep, but acting like a little kid and making Ichinose lull you to sleep? She was already exhausted from yesterday.”
Himeno Yuki was looking at him like he was the most pathetic person alive.
“You should really thank Ichinose. She even kept us from waking you up by signaling from far away.”
…
Uesugi’s eye twitched as he stared at his cssmates, his fingers trembling as he pointed at them.
“You… I… No… It’s not what it looks like… You guys… You have to believe me…”
“Oh? And what exactly isn’t it, Uesugi-kun?”
The crowd raised their eyebrows, clearly entertained.
“…Nothing. Uesugi-kun just wanted to thank everyone for not waking him up.”
Before he could finish, Ichinose swooped in, cutting off his expnation entirely.
“Y-you…!”
Uesugi gawked at her in disbelief.
Who are you, Ichinose?! This isn’t the Ichinose I know!
Weren’t you the one who told me not to help people for no reason?!
Ichinose simply smiled at him, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
That’s what you get for lying to me!
Uesugi staggered back, utterly betrayed, before spinning on his heels—
And bolting straight for his tent.
“I REJECT MY HUMANITY!!!”
---
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