I have a life simulator.

Just as the two were sighing and lamenting why a beautiful girl of this caliber wasn't interested in badminton and instead inquired about drama, about three or four girls walked over.

"Excuse me, are you Akira Kunimura or Kunimura-kun from the badminton club?"

Not long after, a voice approached. It was also a second-year girl. Judging from the badge on her right sleeve, she should be a member of the student council.

"I am, what's the matter?"

Kunimura, a member of the badminton club, seemed to have anticipated the other party's arrival and showed no surprise whatsoever.

"I am a member of the student union's inspection committee. I am here to check the recruitment process of each club according to regulations. The badminton club, as a club registered with the student union, is also within our inspection scope."

"Okay, please."

The student union's inspections are routine, mainly to monitor clubs that use any means necessary to recruit new members and to prevent them from coercing or bribing new students to join.

Just as the female student council members were flipping through the promotional slogans and recruitment posters on the table to make sure there was nothing unusual, the two male students also turned their attention to the student council members who had already dispersed to the recruitment offices of various clubs.

"Hey, I didn't expect Vice President Ichinose to be here too."

Upon catching a glimpse of a beautiful figure in gold and pink, Kunimura excitedly whispered to his friend.

The two of them looked at the student council vice president, who was quite popular throughout the school. Although they were some distance apart, the friendliness in his smile was not diminished at all. Even just looking at him from afar gave them a sense of satisfaction, like being bathed in a spring breeze.

"I heard that Vice President Ichinose might be promoted to student council president next semester."

"That's normal. After all, she has good grades, handles things well, and is kind to people. Many people joined the student council because of her."

"While it's true that Vice President Ichinose is very kind, she always seems too businesslike. There's a saying that gentle girls are the scariest, because you think she's gentle to you, but she's actually like that to everyone."

The two of them discussed back and forth until the student council's inspection was over, at which point they returned to the recruitment office and began enthusiastically promoting their services.

-------------------------------------

“Every club, regardless of its size, must set up a recruitment office to recruit new students, prepare relevant promotional materials and reception work, and must not violate school rules. They must also accept inspections from the student union.”

"Is that the rule?"

Honami Ichinose smiled at the boy in front of her, a sly glint in her azure eyes.

"So, Liang, where is the recruitment office for your drama department?"

"We've received a lot of feedback from new students saying they can't find a place in the drama club at all."

Kitagawa Ryo lay comfortably in the armchair, removed the book that had been covering his face, and muttered to himself while rubbing his sleepy eyes:

"Oh, it's Fanbo. For the sake of my two sisters, let me go."

"Aren't you the vice president of the student council?"

"Letting Liang go isn't out of the question. I remember you sent Ying abroad a few days ago for surgery and recuperation. What about this year's fireworks festival..."

Honami Ichinose casually picked up the book from Ryo Kitagawa's hand; it was Agatha Christie's *And Then There Were None*.

"Ahem, I've got everything arranged."

Upon hearing the words "fireworks festival," Kitagawa Ryo choked and quickly jumped up.

"Could you take me there to take a look? I need to finish my statistical work."

"alright."

After saying that, Kitagawa Ryo generously led Ichinose Honami and another student council member to a corner at the very edge of the square.

It was a very cramped space compared to other clubs, simply two tables put together, with a tripod with the words "Recruitment Office" written on it, which was provided by the school.

However, apart from this tripod, the entire table is empty, with no banners or posters. If a freshman were to pass by, he would probably just suspect that the student council had simply left some unwanted items here.

This is why the freshmen coming and going during this period couldn't find a place for the drama department to recruit new members.

"It seems there were no promotional materials or reception staff, so points are deducted."

The student council members on the side were diligently writing and drawing in their notebooks, while Ichinose Honami looked left and right, but after going around in circles, she couldn't even find the name of the club.

Horikita Suzune, who was lingering around, saw the student council members approaching and heard the words "Drama Club," so she followed them without making a sound.

As someone who has always closely followed in her brother Horikita Manabu's footsteps, she had learned the name "Kitagawa Ryo" from him a year ago. The subtle admiration in Horikita Manabu's tone at that time was something Horikita Suzune had never received in the past few years.

Through her subsequent inquiries, she gradually learned that this "Kitagawa Ryo" was a theatrical actor, and that her brother's acquaintance with him was also due to a play, namely Sophocles' famous tragedy "Oedipus Rex".

During that exchange, my brother also expressed his wish to see a performance of "Oedipus Rex" by the other party. However, at that time, I was completely dissatisfied with my brother's excessive praise of "Kitagawa Ryo". Although I verbally agreed, I never took any action.

It's as if going to see it means admitting defeat.

This obsessive thinking had troubled Horikita Suzune for two years until Horikita Manabu entered the completely closed Tokyo Advanced Educational Junior High School this year, at which point she finally chose to transfer to the school where Kitagawa Ryo was.

"Please wait a moment. The promotional materials and reception arrangements here have all been arranged in advance."

Kitagawa Ryo walked behind a desk with a smile. Horikita Suzune's first impression of him was not bad. Even with some preconceived dissatisfaction, she still had to admit that his appearance, both in terms of looks and voice, exuded a captivating charm.

The boy took a white creature out of the drawer.

Seemingly noticing the group's gaze, the object—actually a cat—elegantly raised its paw, its pupils a beautiful fluorescent color.

"This is the receptionist for the drama club... cough cough, receptionist cat."

"As for promotional materials."

Kitagawa Ryo took out another headband from under the table and, under the white cat's slightly disgusted gaze, tied it on the other's head:

Welcome to the Drama Club!

The headband had these words printed on it.

"Meow."

Firefly let out a lazy call.

"This is promotional material."

Kitagawa Ryo, holding Hotaru, snapped his fingers under the watchful eyes of Horikita Suzune and Ichinose Honami:

"Putting it all together means—"

"Welcome to the Drama Club, meow."

Horikita Suzune couldn't help but twitch the corners of her mouth.

She felt that all her assumptions from the past two years, as well as the unease and fear lurking beneath them, shattered in that instant.

The other party seems... not very bright.

Take a day off

I was watching an LPL match with a friend. He's a Top Esports fan and a die-hard Tian fan, and he's completely gone crazy. He's planning to drag me out for a late-night snack and get drunk.

The last time I saw my friend so distraught was during last year's World Championship, the day FPX was eliminated. He called me late at night, crying his eyes out. I guess watching the games with a relaxed attitude is good for your mental and physical health.

I'm very sorry, and I hope everyone can understand.

Chapter Nine: Everything is Fate

"Um, Vice President Ichinose, it seems that our school has a rule that pets are not allowed."

The student council member who was with Ichinose Honami was the first to react. He twirled his pen, looked at the cat lying on the table, and asked hesitantly.

"You mean this? I already submitted an application to the school before, and your student union should still be able to find the documents from that time."

Kitagawa Ryo explained, stroking the cat's soft fur.

"That's true. It seems like your drama department said they wanted to use it in a play, I think it was called 'Cats'."

Honami Ichinose tried hard to recall.

"Cats? Isn't that a musical?"

Horikita Suzune, standing nearby, couldn't help but speak up. Although she wasn't particularly familiar with this area despite her extensive reading, she knew that *Cats*, as the most popular musical of the late 20th century, swept the globe. Its box office record wasn't surpassed until 2006 by another famous musical, which also etched its name in history.

The Phantom of the Opera.

"Yes, that's why it's called an adaptation. Isn't the musical version of 'Cats' also adapted from T.S. Eliot's long poem?"

Kitagawa Ryo glanced at Horikita Suzune, somewhat surprised that she would appear in front of him at this moment.

He had no connection with Horikita Suzune, except that he had met Horikita Manabu two years ago during his second performance and had a brief exchange with her after the performance.

However, at this time, Horikita Suzune already showed some signs of paranoia, and her tone of voice and choice of words made people feel uncomfortable.

It's unclear whether Horikita Suzune's excessive pursuit of a solitary lifestyle led to her inherent shortcomings in interpersonal communication, or whether these shortcomings in interpersonal communication caused her to so drastically abandon all social interaction.

Horikita Suzune noticed the slight unease in Kitagawa Ryo's gaze when he had looked at her earlier, and she frowned as she retorted:

“The forms of drama and musicals are too different. Moreover, the musical version of ‘Cats’ is a masterpiece. Making such a pointless adaptation is a meaningless act.”

Even Ichinose Honami, who was standing to the side, was a little dissatisfied. As the vice president of the student council, she naturally knew that Horikita Suzune was a transfer student, but she did not expect that this girl who suddenly appeared would show hostility towards Kitagawa Ryo on the first day of school, even though the two of them should have met for the first time.

"Horikita-kun, I think these words are really too much no matter what."

"If we really had to pick someone in this school who was capable of making changes, it would have to be Liang."

Honami Ichinose stood in front of Ryo Kitagawa, subtly expressing her thoughts.

“I don’t think I said anything wrong. If the ‘cool’ you’re talking about is really that bad, then why did you choose to leave the theater industry?”

"Wouldn't it be better to let the whole city see his masterpiece?"

Fourteen-year-old Horikita Suzune was far from being 'mature'; in fact, due to the inexplicable dissatisfaction she had been harboring, her tone of voice was much harsher.

Horikita Suzune's thought process was very simple. She did not deny Kitagawa Ryo's talent, because it had been personally certified by Horikita Manabu. Her only annoyance was the news she heard today about Kitagawa Ryo retiring from the theater industry and no longer acting in plays.

It's like suddenly seeing someone else discard a treasure you've always pursued and longed for as if it were worthless.

Extreme self-confidence and inferiority complex coexisted within one person, ultimately shaping Horikita Suzune into who she is today.

Having roughly figured out Horikita Suzune's inexplicable hostility towards him, Kitagawa Ryo smiled helplessly.

It seems that leaving a deep impression on Horikita Manabu will make Horikita Suzune remember him better. If he could simulate it now, he would really like to use simulation to see what Horikita Suzune experienced in her childhood that led to her obsessive and almost twisted personality.

Thinking of this, Kitagawa Ryo lost even the interest in arguing with Horikita Suzune.

"Well, you're right."

He nodded decisively, then turned to speak to the student council members:

"How's it going? Have you finished the investigation?"

"If you think it can't pass, you can report it to the school and have me removed from my position as minister."

Kitagawa Ryo yawned lazily:

"Anyway, the school was the one that initially assigned me this position, but I've actually only been to the drama department a few times."

"So to be honest, I never intended to do any adaptations of 'Cats'. I just wanted to be able to keep cats at school openly."

After finishing speaking, Kitagawa Ryo picked up Hotaru, who was lying on the table, with both hands and prepared to leave, waving the cat's right front paw as a farewell.

"and many more!"

Horikita Suzune relentlessly caught up again, blocking Kitagawa Ryo's way and giving him another once more sizing-up look.

He even placed his right hand flat to compare their heights.

Hey, girls develop earlier than boys, okay?

Kitagawa Ryo was somewhat amused by Horikita Suzune's childish action and stood still, intending to listen to what she had to say.

"I want to see a performance of 'Oedipus Rex' starring you."

Horikita Suzune said this with a serious expression.

"You should be able to find videos of Liang's performance online."

Honami Ichinose finally realized that, in the end, she was still a fan of Ryo Kitagawa, and the reason she suddenly transferred schools was because...

Suddenly imagining a whole drama unfold, and considering Horikita Suzune's previous remarks, Ichinose Honami also stepped forward and spoke.

"I want to sit in the audience and watch a game in person."

Horikita Suzune shook her head, and as if to prove her sincerity, she added:

"I can pay for the ticket too."

"But seeing one of my plays and being invited to perform are completely different prices."

Kitagawa Ryo replied with a smile, then uttered a number that was completely unimaginable to Horikita Suzune at the moment, and then held Hotaru while watching Horikita Suzune's expression change.