I have a life simulator.

Like a pool in a math problem where water is both being released and pumped out, snow is both taking and giving.

She possesses qualities similar to those of Kitagawa Ryo—beautiful qualities that shouldn't exist in a white room.

"cold."

With her eyes glazed over, Yuki looked even more like a patient than Kitagawa Ryo on the hospital bed. She was probably still trapped in the fear of that time, simply calling out his name.

The girl, stripped of everything, had nothing to sustain her except for Kitagawa Ryo, who was forcibly shoved into her mind.

"I'm here."

Like adding a spine to the other person out of nowhere, Kitagawa Ryo's words revitalized Yuki.

As if deliberately trying to provoke her, the white room became increasingly excessive in its treatment of Kitagawa Ryo during this period, including the arterial injection that caused his current coma, and even insisting that Yuki see Kitagawa Ryo's miserable state.

Whether she wanted it or not, she forcefully made Yuki realize that it was her failure and inaction that hurt Kitagawa Ryo, overwhelming her heart with guilt and remorse.

"It was my fault... I will never do it again."

When the criteria for judgment are unilaterally held by the white room, the final outcome is predetermined.

Kitagawa Ryo knew very well that he and Yuki were just samples of the White Room. The purpose of the samples was to find balance, and to find balance, one had to understand the extreme positions.

So no matter how many times they examine themselves and think they will never make the same mistake again, the white room will never stop tormenting them, without even needing to make up a reason.

For Yuki, the situation of causing someone to suffer was accompanied by unimaginable pain.

Perhaps because of her young age and closed environment, her original kindness even surpasses that of Honami Ichinose.

The pain of others' wounds is more intense than that of one's own.

Because she held onto this belief, she was unable to escape the cycle of suffering until the very end.

"If he/she dies from the cold, it's my fault."

If Ichika is playing a classic adventure game with a clear goal and a promise of a happy ending through hard work, then for Yuki, reality is getting worse every day.

She firmly believed that if Kitagawa Ryo died, it would all be her fault.

The girl, who had been instilled with absolutely wrong feelings, exuded an aura that made Kitagawa Ryo feel dangerous.

"Liang shouldn't have to suffer these things; it's me who should be."

Her deep purple pupils were easily filled with tears. Kitagawa Ryo felt Yuki's tears slide from her face to her forehead. She had no doubt that she was protecting her, and then she resonated with this fact in the cycle of emotions in her heart.

However, having actually seen Kitagawa Ryo alive and felt his embrace, Yuki's mental state seemed to have returned to normal, and her assistant came in at the opportune moment to announce the end of the visit.

Just as Kitagawa Ryo was saying goodbye to Yuki and watching her departing figure, intending to lie down again, his assistant entered the ward and came to Kitagawa Ryo's bedside.

Kitagawa Ryo, who had been staying in the hospital room for the past few days, was unaware of Sakayanagi Arisu's arrival. He simply looked at her with some confusion as to what she would do next.

"..."

After a moment of silence, the assistant shook his head helplessly and said:

"Although I think you could be observed for another two years at this stage, sometimes it's not something I can decide."

After saying this seemingly random thing, the assistant left the room and returned to the classroom where the fifth-generation students were playing chess. The undisputed number one among the fifth-generation students was visibly losing ground.

Ayanokouji Atsuomi's expression wasn't very pleasant; his assistant, who had been with him for many years, knew his personality very well.

This is a special exam to test the limits of the fifth-generation students. The purpose of the White Room is to create artificial geniuses, and so far, apart from Kiyotaka Ayanokouji, the only other person who has come close to success in the experiments is Ichika, who is currently playing Go with Arisu Sakayanagi.

In a sense, this match is also related to the subsequent experimental progress of the fifth generation.

In other words, it concerns how long an individual who has caught a cold can survive.

Just as planned years ago, if it is determined that the fifth generation has reached its limit, then the plan already devised by Atsuomi Ayanokoji will be implemented:

[Cut the mother's umbilical cord.]

It's an absolutely perfect name.

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

"Um, Mr. Sakayanagi... if I may ask, is this your cat?"

Just as Sakayanagi Narimori and Ayanokoji Atsuomi were intently watching the game, a security guard hurriedly entered the classroom, carefully carrying a cat in both arms.

"Just now, this cat jumped out of your car window and ran straight inside."

"Oh...it's my cat. I'm so sorry for the trouble."

After receiving Hotaru from the guards, Sakayanagi Narimori was also a little puzzled. After all, Hotaru was usually lazy and always stayed quietly in the car when he and his daughter went to the beach or amusement park. Why did she suddenly run out today?

"It must be because you've been in here for too long and made this cat hungry."

Ayanokoji Atsuomi, standing to the side, didn't seem to notice, his eyes still fixed on the Go board.

"maybe."

Sakayanagi Shigemori quite liked the cat that had brought his daughter good luck, and nodded with a smile.

After confirming the situation, the guards left with peace of mind. The white room was highly confidential and they always kept a close watch on it. If it weren't for the fact that it was the Sakayanagi family's cat, they would have shot it dead as soon as they got close.

However, none of the people present paid any attention to this little incident. Sakayanagi Arisu and Ichika, who were playing Go, didn't even look up and remained focused on each move.

"Absolutely fantastic..."

Near the end of the game, Sakayanagi Arisu, who had been silent all along, finally uttered an approving sigh to his opponent.

From this point onward, the intervals between her steps increased significantly.

One minute, two minutes, then three minutes, he stared at the chessboard more and more frequently as he pondered.

“It was truly wonderful. To be honest, you, or rather this place, have fully met my expectations.”

With time running out, Sakayanagi Arisu once again praised his opponent.

But the more she praised him, the more Xia's heart sank to the bottom of the sea.

She had done her best, even using several tricks she had prepared specifically for Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, but he had managed to defuse them all with a smile.

"This is the first time I've ever experienced the feeling of breaking out in a cold sweat. You are indeed a formidable opponent."

"To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if I lost, after all, I've only been learning chess for half a year."

The one playing against oneself is not the one in the white room.

Ichika looked up at Sakayanagi Arisu. Without a doubt, she was enjoying the process of this "game" and didn't even care about the final outcome.

Such a person could not possibly exist in a white room.

For the children here, especially for Yixia, this game was not simply a matter of winning or losing.

There can only be one outcome from beginning to end.

It's like a high-difficulty game where you have to complete it with only one life.

Thinking of this, I couldn't help but cast a hateful glance at Sakayanagi Arisu.

She tried desperately to find a way out of the predicament, but the passing time did not give her that chance again.

"—That's it."

With Sakayanagi Arisu's slender fingers pushing the chess piece forward one step, the outcome of the game was declared.

"It was such a pleasant battle, it's a real shame to end it..."

Breathing freely, the joy of defeating a formidable foe made my heart race even faster.

This was the first time Hotaru had seen Sakayanagi Arisu so happy; perhaps for her, this was a gift she was giving back to her father.

The first-place winner of the fifth generation of the White Room team, this opponent is no pushover.

Sakayanagi Arisu looked back at the finished game with genuine joy, probably savoring every move she had just made. The nearly three-hour game was not only a test of mental strength but also a test of physical endurance for both sides.

A thin layer of sweat beaded on her forehead and the tip of her nose. Sakayanagi Arisu took several deep breaths, trying to calm her heartbeat.

"I won."

From the perspective of wanting to defeat the White Room, this victory was truly exhilarating for her.

As for Ichika on the other side, it wasn't until the moment she was "General" that she felt the frozen time begin to flow again.

My stomach felt like it was about to turn inside out. The heat from the sweat all over my body mixed with a chilling sensation, creating a slightly stinging feeling.

In an instant, I lost the strength to support my body, and my mind went blank.

My heart was screaming as if it were boiling, and I even had the urge to pounce on the other person.

Ignoring the defeated man's gaze, Sakayanagi Arisu stood up and returned to her father's side, speaking with a hint of boastfulness, like a child returning home with good grades expecting a reward:

"I won."

"Arisu has always been the best."

Sakayanagi Narimori, equally delighted by his daughter's victory, patted Sakayanagi Arisu's head with a cheerful smile. Arisu looked up and saw Hotaru in her father's arms, then went over and patted the cat's head with a beaming smile.

"I won."

It was clear that Sakayanagi Arisu was quite happy, and she even repeated it to the kitten again.

However, Hotaru still looked listless, giving Sakayanagi Arisu a lukewarm glance.

"Hotaru is probably hungry."

Sakayanagi Narimori thoughtfully explained, taking out his phone to check the time. It was already noon, after all, Sakayanagi Arisu's game had lasted for nearly three hours.

"Let's go to the restaurant together. I've already had lunch prepared in advance."

Although Ayanokouji Atsuomi was somewhat dissatisfied with Sakayanagi Arisu's victory, he still held Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, his absolute trump card, so he maintained a relatively good attitude and proactively extended his hand with a smile, inviting him to join in.

"Well, if possible, I'd like to meet that fourth-generation student this afternoon... Kiyotaka, is that his name?"

Sakayanagi Arisu took Hotaru from her father's arms and looked up at him curiously, asking him a question.

"Kiyotaka is the most outstanding child in our White Room, and his chess skills are even better than Ichika's."

Ayanokouji Atsuomi also realized that Sakayanagi Narimori was truly doting on his only daughter and was determined to bring the Sakayanagi family back into the White Room. He also tried his best to arouse Sakayanagi Arisu's interest in the White Room.

As expected, Sakayanagi Arisu also showed interest, and it seemed that she wanted to skip lunch and go straight to Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.

Just as the group was slowly moving toward the dining room inside the white room, Hotaru, who was in Sakayanagi Arisu's arms, suddenly broke free from her grasp and lightly jumped away, heading straight toward another corner of the corridor to Sakayanagi Arisu's astonishment.

"firefly?"

Startled by the sudden turn of events, Sakayanagi Arisu instinctively gave chase.

This is one of the reasons why she started to accept pet cats again. After all, if she were still the sickly person she used to be, she wouldn't have been able to retrieve her hat from the wind, let alone a cat.

As she jogged after Hotaru, who was running wildly, Sakayanagi Arisu suddenly had a strange hallucination.

Like Alice in the fairy tale chasing the rabbit into the underground world.

Hotaru stopped in front of a room. It was the first time that Sakayanagi Arisu had ever seen Hotaru, who was usually so aloof and was teased by her father as her master, meowing anxiously and pacing around the door.

Ayanokouji Atsuomi, who was following behind, instinctively wanted to speak up to stop him, but Sakayanagi Arisu grabbed the doorknob first.

Then, the door opened.

Chapter 92: Leaving the White Room

It was a rather cramped hospital room, especially compared to the one that Sakayanagi Arisu had once stayed in. The entire space was as small as a cage, with a deathly white background. A white mattress was laid on the white hospital bed, and under the white blanket lay a child wearing a white smock, whose face was also as pale as paper.

"This is……?"

Sakayanagi Narimori, who was following his daughter, also looked at Ayanokouji Atsuomi with some doubt. Although several guesses rushed into his mind in an instant, he still wanted to hear Ayanokouji Atsuomi's explanation in person.

Judging from their age and clothing, the other person was clearly a child from one of the different phases of the White Room program.

"This is one of the children from the fifth cohort. He has recently fallen ill and is currently receiving treatment from us."

Although Ayanokouji Atsuomi cursed inwardly at the cat that had inexplicably come out to cause trouble, he still calmly explained the current situation:

"Let's go to the restaurant so as not to disturb his rest."

He then tried to bring Sakayanagi Arisu's attention back:

"I'm really curious about the match between Ms. Sakayanagi and Kiyotaka."

But Sakayanagi Arisu seemed to notice something. Ignoring Ayanokouji Atsuomi's words, she took two more steps closer, following Hotaru's movements, and gently pulled up the sleeve of the unconscious Kitagawa Ryo's left hand.

"..."

Even the usually calm Arisu Sakayanagi couldn't help but subconsciously take a step back.