I have a life simulator.

The acupressure mat on the soles of her feet didn't put much pressure on Karuizawa Megumi because she was also hiding something from Shiina Hiyori.

When the two auditioned for the theater troupe that Kitagawa Ryo belonged to, Shiina Hiyori was chosen to play the Little Mermaid, while her role was that of a princess with a relatively minor part.

Although she tried to comfort herself that the little mermaid wouldn't end up with the prince, Karuizawa Kei had always been chasing after the role of the leading lady.

She was equally confident that she could portray the little mermaid's state of mind.

She also once stepped onto a pressure point mat alone when neither of them was around, trying to simulate and imagine the every smile, frown, and movement of this character who didn't belong to her.

In a sense, Karuizawa Kei was very grateful to Shiina Hiyori's parents for taking her abroad. Although she was unwilling to admit it and did not doubt the friendship between the two, a deep sense of secret joy still flickered in Karuizawa Kei's heart the moment she learned the news.

Thinking of this, Karuizawa Kei pursed her lips, a hint of guilt hidden in her deep blue pupils, and glanced at Shiina Hiyori to the right as if possessed.

But to her surprise, Hiyori Shiina also happened to glance in her direction for a moment.

Hiyori Shiina was well aware of the feelings that Kei Karuizawa had for Ryo Kitagawa. She even kept track of their performances while she was abroad and had read articles and edits featuring them as a couple.

She was genuinely happy that her friend Karuizawa Kei could rightfully stand beside Kitagawa Ryo with everyone's approval, but sometimes she couldn't help but fantasize that if she hadn't gone abroad and had stayed by Kitagawa Ryo's side, would that position have been hers?

In the very first play they co-starred in, she was the female lead, playing the little mermaid.

Hiyori Shiina kept replaying the night from a few days ago in her mind. Perhaps it was under the influence of this emotion that she confessed her feelings before Kei Karuizawa could, and then received a hug, a kiss, and a promise.

In a sense, this could definitely be considered a betrayal of the friend beside him.

With such mixed feelings, Hiyori Shiina unconsciously cast her gaze toward Megumi Karuizawa.

Their eyes met in mid-air.

Important Notice (Must Read by Readers)

As readers who follow my updates know, I am a senior about to graduate from university. The main reason for updating only once every two days since last month is that there are many things to do during graduation season. Just working on my graduation thesis alone has been exhausting. I apologize for the unstable updates.

Next, I want to say that compared to online literature, my family has always hoped that I could have a more stable job. In their eyes, unless you can earn a number that makes them gasp, even if you earn more than 10,000 yuan a month, it is not as good as a stable job with a monthly income of 3,000 yuan.

However, I actually really enjoy writing novels. I started reading online novels a long time ago. Although this book flopped for a long time, it has achieved results that I never dared to dream of before, thanks to everyone's support. I would like to thank everyone for their support again.

So I tried to negotiate with my family, and from today, which is the beginning of April, until graduation season in June, I have two months to try to pursue my dreams again.

In other words, for the past two months, I have probably become a temporary full-time author.

Therefore, this book will be updated daily again. Also, in order to stop my family from interfering, I need to have another book with better performance.

So after much deliberation, I decided to start a new book and write two books at the same time. The idea is a fanfiction of "The Child I Pushed," which I mentioned to everyone before, and the anime is about to start airing.

Readers who only follow the older books need not worry, the older books will still be updated daily, but if you can click on the new book, add it to your favorites, or cast a recommendation vote, the author will be extremely grateful!

From the first chapter to the latest, I always end each chapter with a thank you for reading and supporting me, and I will do the same today. I sincerely thank you for reading my novel.

Chapter 180: You're really getting off easy.

Karuizawa Kei and Shiina Hiyori both paused for a moment, then quickly looked away, but both couldn't help but wonder to themselves:

Why did Hui/Rihe give me that look just now?

It's as if she did something to wrong me?

Both of them were extremely thoughtful girls, and once the idea took root, it quickly sprouted and branched out into all sorts of speculations.

Karuizawa Kei naturally recalled the rumors about Shiina Hiyori and Kitagawa Ryo that had been circulating on the deserted island these past few days. Shiina Hiyori also frowned as she remembered Horikita Suzune mentioning that Karuizawa Kei had camped with their group on their first night on the island.

Shouldn't it?

The two women exchanged a quick, discreet glance, almost without making a sound. If they weren't still able to chase each other across the pressure point mat with such ease and without revealing any flaws, they might have suspected each other of having an affair.

Two hundred meters isn't actually that long, but since it's a race on acupressure mats, neither Karuizawa Kei nor Shiina Hiyori can be said to be particularly fast. As Tachibana Akane watched the two of them step on the mat barefoot, she felt a phantom pain in the soles of her feet every now and then.

She didn't know much about Shiina Hiyori and Karuizawa Megumi, but she knew that they were both close to Kitagawa Ryo. As Horikita Suzune's friend, Tachibana Akane naturally began to observe these two girls who might be Suzune's rivals.

In terms of physical fitness, there is no doubt that the girl named Karuizawa Kei is more outstanding. Compared to Shiina Hiyori, who seems to rarely exercise, her figure is more well-proportioned. Perhaps because of her background as an actress, her running posture is also very proper. Her sportswear clearly outlines the beautiful curves of her waist, back and chest as it swings, and her single ponytail tied behind her head is also quite dashing.

Hiyori Shiina's physique was weaker than Kei Karuizawa's. Unlike the former's well-trained and powerful thighs, Hiyori Shiina's leg muscles were noticeably plumper, as if they hadn't been exposed to the sun for a long time, and their color was whiter.

Akane nodded as she pondered, still thinking that Suzune's figure was more attractive.

Meanwhile, the only spectator standing next to Tachibana Akane, Ibuki Mio, watched Shiina Hiyori's every step with trepidation, seemingly prepared to rush over and catch her if she fell.

For a moment, apart from Hiyori Shiina and Megumi Karuizawa on the field, it seemed that no one else cared about the outcome of this match.

"...Tsk."

As she took a step forward, she accidentally touched the wound on her foot that she had sustained while hiking by the protruding "bamboo shoots" on the acupressure mat. Karuizawa Kei endured the stinging pain for a moment, but her steps slowed down a bit as a result.

Seizing this opportunity, Hiyori Shiina, who hadn't fallen far behind to begin with, surged forward again, returning to a position where she was neck and neck with Megumi Karuizawa.

It must be said that Hiyori Shiina's running experience is not as good as Kei Karuizawa's. Her hairstyle is still simple, with her hair loose, only tied at one side of the back of her head with a hairband in a single swallowtail. During the continuous running, her hair inevitably flew around, some strands sticking to her forehead, some blocking her eyes, and even occasionally falling into her mouth, which was quite a mess.

Karuizawa Kei hadn't seen Shiina Hiyori like this in a long time; the last time was a few years ago when they were doing basic physical training together with Kitagawa Ryo.

Maintaining her breathing rhythm, Karuizawa Kei gritted her teeth secretly.

After knowing each other for so many years, she had long since realized that Shiina Hiyori was not someone who had experienced the same thing as her, and that the other person did not have any extra memories in her mind.

But it is precisely this ignorance that allows Karuizawa Megumi to quickly move on from the past, forget the 'dirty' things that happened between the two of them, and better embrace the future.

From this perspective, she should thank Hiyori Shiina.

Thinking about this, Karuizawa suddenly realized that her burning competitive spirit had subsided. She quietly slowed down her pace and rhythm, choosing not to widen the gap any further.

If Karuizawa Megumi were to define her third life so far, she would say it's about being complete, filling in the void within herself, and becoming whole.

Since fate has given her another chance, Karuizawa Kei will certainly not give up. She cannot live on love alone, not only for herself but also for the person she loves.

So in this life, Karuizawa Kei has always wanted everything. To Kitagawa Ryo, she represents family and love. She has always expressed her feelings without reservation, but she will not give up everything else for him as she did before.

For her, theater was a career and a job. Even after Kitagawa Ryo retired from the stage, she stayed there, enhancing her own value amidst the applause and cheers of others, instead of simply being an ordinary girl with only the insignificant and worthless advantage of being 'cute'.

And then, there are friends.

From the very beginning, Karuizawa Megumi sincerely hoped to make friends, whether it was Shiina Hiyori and Sakura Airi, whom she met during her time in the theater troupe before entering Tokyo Advanced Educational High School, or the other people she met in Class B after entering the school. Karuizawa Megumi hoped to gain their sincere friendship.

The result is that I'm now facing the troublesome situation of falling in love with the same person as my friend.

There are ten meters left to the finish line.

Karuizawa Kei turned her head to look at Shiina Hiyori's profile. Sweat soaked her temples. At this moment, Shiina Hiyori no longer had the strength to pay attention to Karuizawa Kei beside her. She just stared straight ahead, focused on the finish line.

If Shiina Hiyori truly falls for Ryo, from what standpoint could Shiina Hiyori take? Would she, like in the dramas, pull Hiyori's hair, slap her, and call her a slut? Or would she, with a yandere mentality of "If I can't have her, neither can you" and kill Ryo?

Even after Kitagawa Ryo told her personally, "I am dating Shiina Hiyori," Karuizawa Megumi never did anything like that.

The finish line was almost in sight, but Karuizawa Megumi's mind was unusually chaotic, and she was almost just moving based on her body's instincts.

As if a familiar scene from the past were playing out again, in the last moment before crossing the finish line, Karuizawa Kei noticed something unusual about Shiina Hiyori beside her. Perhaps it was because she was overly competitive, or perhaps it was because she suddenly relaxed her tense nerves at the last moment. Shiina Hiyori's toes went weak, her center of gravity shifted, and she fell to the right, losing her balance.

Ibuki Mio, who had been closely watching Shiina Hiyori's situation, didn't even have time to run over, because Karuizawa Megumi, who was next to Shiina Hiyori, pulled her back first.

Karuizawa Kei put her arm around Shiina Hiyori's shoulder, and the two crossed the finish line almost simultaneously, completing the task with a difference of only milliseconds in time.

The two girls slumped together onto the mats behind the finish line. They looked at each other again, and then burst out laughing, much to the bewilderment of Ibuki Mio and Tachibana Akane.

We are different this year than we were last year, and so are the people we like.

It is a fortunate thing if we, who are constantly growing, can continue to love another person who has grown as well.

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

"The situation is now very clear. Ayanokouji has the same [discount] card as me, and just as I thought, he is also deliberately raising the level of his card."

After breakfast, Kitagawa Ryo shared the information he had obtained the previous day with the group members.

Horikita Suzune already knew that Kitagawa Ryo's source of information in Class A was Hirata Yosuke, and although the others did not know the specific names, they also knew that Kitagawa Ryo had planted a pawn in Class A, so they were not surprised that Kitagawa Ryo got the information from where.

"So now our goals also need to change."

Kitagawa Ryo stroked his chin and said:

"My current idea is that Honami, Arisu, and Suzune, the three of you should continue with our strategy from yesterday: find topics that don't limit the number of participants in a group, and try to earn as many points as possible and target Class A."

“Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was at the E5 camp last night, and we are at E7 now. We are not far apart, so there is a high probability that we are targeting the same topic that offers the same opportunity to upgrade a regular card.”

"In terms of physical strength alone, Ayanokouji's physical fitness is not much worse than mine. If I want to keep up with him, it is best to act alone."

After finishing his speech, Kitagawa Ryo nodded and looked at the other members of the group:

"How about it?"

"The team leader is already incompetent, so why would he need to ask for our opinions?"

Sakayanagi Arisu pouted. Although she was a little annoyed to hear that Kitagawa Ryo was going to act alone, she knew very well that her physical strength was definitely not enough to keep up with Kitagawa Ryo and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka. Yesterday, she had almost been reduced to the point where Kitagawa Ryo had to carry her bag.

"As long as we agree on a meeting point, it's not a big problem if we split up. We did go to the research projects separately the past two days, and we can keep in touch anytime now."

Honami Ichinose, however, showed no sign of dissatisfaction.

"really."

Horikita Suzune nodded in agreement.

Ever since watching Kitagawa Ryo wolf down her food that morning, Horikita Suzune suddenly felt that she had an immense advantage.

"Then it's decided."

Kitagawa Ryo reached out to sling his backpack over his shoulder, but just as he turned to leave, three voices spoke in unison behind him:

"No staying out all night!"

"Definitely not."

With a wry smile, Kitagawa Ryo walked straight into the forest, heading north, seemingly preparing to first investigate Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's whereabouts in the E5 area.

After trekking for thirty minutes, and confirming that no one was following him, Kitagawa Ryo whistled, shielded his eyes with his right hand, and said in a low voice:

"Come out!"

What's wrong with you?

Long Yuanxiang, who emerged from behind a nearby tree, rolled his eyes.

"I haven't even asked you about calling me out in the middle of the night last night to bring you clothes."

"What? Who did you kill last night? Do you need to deal with clothes stained with blood?"

"...Ahem, you don't need to worry about this."

Kitagawa Ryo quickly waved his hand to brush off the topic:

"Where's Ayanokouji?"

“He left Class A’s camp alone early in the morning, heading north.”

Long Yuanxiang yawned. He had been running back and forth all night. If the E5 and E7 areas weren't relatively close, he felt he would have been exhausted to death just from the journey.

"But I need to apply for a new watch first."

At this point, Ryuuen Sho also waved his empty right wrist at Kitagawa Ryo, grinning as he said:

“That guy Ayanokouji used communication to pinpoint my location last time, so this morning, to avoid being discovered, I deliberately smashed it down with a rock.”

"Then we'll go to the teacher and say that I accidentally bumped into it while going downhill."

"Okay, you don't need the points anyway."

Kitagawa Ryo nodded, and waved goodbye to Ryuen Sho:

"Then I'll head north first."

"Yes Yes……"

Long Yuanxiang looked really tired, yawning incessantly. He picked up his fishing rod, had a bucket tucked into his waistband, and a small bag on his back, and swayed as he left.

After walking for a while, we arrived at area E5. However, the A and B groups that had gathered there had already left, and the liveliness of yesterday was gone.

Kitagawa Ryo found an open space to rest for the time being. He turned on his watch and dialed Shiina Hiyori's number. He had originally planned to borrow Ryuen Sho's phone, but he didn't expect that the other party would take off his watch. Now he had no choice but to use his own.

"Hello, is this Hiyori?"

"cold?"

She sounded a little out of breath, as if she had just done strenuous exercise, but Shiina Hiyori's tone was still quite excited when she received Kitagawa Ryo's call.

"Where are you now?"

"G5, just finished a research project, what's wrong?"