I have a life simulator.

There was no other way; after all, it was his sister's heartfelt gift, and considering that the first two might be useful in the future, Kitagawa Ryo ultimately chose to accept them all. He could only be thankful that he acquired these talents after meeting Ichinose Maki, otherwise, who knows what kind of accident might have occurred.

After reminding Hotaru not to turn on the automatic simulation without his permission, Kitagawa Ryo left the room to meet the students of Class A, whom he had arranged to meet in advance.

Looking at the students passing by, chatting and laughing, some from the same grade and some from higher grades, Kitagawa Ryo felt as if he had been tricked by Hotaru again.

Good news: He's still in first grade.

Bad news: In seven months, new first-year students will be starting school.

Chapter 279: The Outpost Before Class Transfer (5k)

Even though the leader of Class 1-A changed from Honami Ichinose to Megumi Karuizawa, the overall atmosphere of the class and the feeling it gave to Ryo Kitagawa were very similar. It was a harmonious class in every sense.

In this respect, they are the most suitable to stay in the middle to upper position of Class B, because whether they move up to Class A or fall back to Class C, it will inevitably cause subtle changes in the psychology of the students in the class, thereby destroying the sense of collective help and support that the whole class is most proud of.

That's the situation right now.

For those currently in Class A, the joy of being promoted to Class A probably faded on the cruise ship. Those who were a little slow to realize it would have been a little late in coming to their senses after the summer vacation. The relief and joy of finally being able to breathe a sigh of relief after achieving their goal would instantly turn back into anxiety and tension. But the forced energy and spirit they put on couldn't be used to tighten their relaxed nerves again in a short period of time.

At this crucial moment when class leaders need to step in and resolve things, class president Karuizawa Megumi clashed with homeroom teacher Hoshinomiya Chie. In fact, not only Megumi, but many students in Class A also found it difficult to understand their homeroom teacher's implication that they should abandon cooperation with their obvious powerful ally, Class D, in this sports festival. This inevitably led to disagreements and confusion.

As if things weren't bad enough, rumors circulated that Kitagawa Ryo from Class B might be contacting Class 3 of the first year to replicate the special exam on the deserted island and drag Class A down. Naturally, many students in Class A were somewhat panicked and even lost their composure.

After all, it's obvious to anyone with eyes that Class A became Class A because they had a high initial class score and got a good deal. If Class B hadn't started from zero, they would have surpassed them and become Class A long ago after the deserted island exam.

So it's not just the other three classes that feel the "A" in Class A is a bit of a stretch; even some of the students in Class A themselves feel that their class's current strength doesn't match that of Class A.

Hoshinomiya Chie made it sound easy, but if you really think about it, their Class A might not be as competitive as Class D in the sports festival. The boys' side had two leaders like Kito Hayabusa and Hirata Yosuke, and there were also many outstanding students like Hashimoto Masayoshi. Apart from the athletic star Shibata and the slightly less outstanding Kanzaki, their class really didn't have any outstanding athletes. The same was true for the girls.

It was under the influence of these factors that Ryuji Kanzaki and the others chose to invite him out. Although it was ostensibly for shopping and having fun, they probably wanted to sound out his opinion and his attitude towards the sports festival and Class A.

Standing at the entrance of the Beech Tree Shopping Center, Kitagawa Ryo briefly reviewed the various details related to Class A in his mind while observing the students coming and going.

Because it's the weekend, there were quite a few people at the Beech Tree Shopping Center. Come to think of it, many students are willing to exercise on the playground during class time because they are used to doing so with their classmates after school. But if you really ask them to get out of their dorms on the weekend and go to the playground specifically to exercise, it really tests their willpower.

Good morning, Kitagawa-kun.

After waiting a short while, a voice greeted him from behind. Kitagawa Ryo turned around and saw a trio of one boy and two girls from Class A.

The person who greeted him was Kanzaki Ryuji, the vice class president of Class A. The two girls next to him were Himeno Yuki, who had asked him to come out, and Amakura Asako, whom he had met on the deserted island. Kitagawa Ryo remembered that this girl was close to Megumi, probably because they both liked to wear high ponytails.

"Good morning, Kanzaki-kun, and also Amakura and Himeno."

After exchanging good morning greetings with the three students from Class A, Kitagawa Ryo heard Kanzaki Ryuji suggest somewhat eagerly:

"I have something very important to ask you, Kitagawa. How about going to karaoke?"

"Oh, no problem."

Before, when he was having a small meeting with the girls in the room, he thought that if there were too many people, they would have to go to a karaoke room. Unexpectedly, he was actually called over by someone after only a few days. Kitagawa Ryo nodded in agreement and then followed the A-class students who seemed to be regulars at the karaoke place and were therefore very skilled at the operation. Before long, they had booked a room and headed to their destination.

"...Although I don't know if Kitagawa expected things to turn out this way, I'm sorry."

Just as Kitagawa Ryo was leisurely looking around the karaoke room, which he was not very familiar with since he had hardly ever been there before, Himeno Yuki, who was walking in front of him, suddenly slowed down and quietly apologized to him.

After all, when she asked Kitagawa Ryo out, she didn't mention that Kanzaki and Amakura were also there, nor did she say that she wanted to meet him to discuss business. In Himeno Yuki's eyes, this was probably a kind of deception, which is why she said such a thing.

"It's alright, after all, Himeko helped me twice on the cruise ship."

Kitagawa Ryo was a little surprised that this aloof girl, who seemed out of place in Class A, would suddenly apologize to him. He was taken aback for a moment before replying with this sentence.

"Actually, it was just me and Kanzaki at first, but we ran into Amakura on the way. She heard that we were coming to see you, so she came along too."

After briefly explaining why Asako Ayakura was also there, Himeno Yuki quickened her pace and stepped forward, returning Kitagawa Ryo to their original distance, as if she had already used up all of her communication quota for the day.

After everyone had entered the private room, Ryuji Kanzaki didn't even glance at the microphone on the table and went straight to the point:

"First of all, I've already discussed the topics we're going to discuss with Himeno beforehand, so Netkura, can you guarantee that what you hear and say here today won't be leaked?"

"no problem."

NetWarehouse Mako readily agreed:

"And I also happen to have something I want to ask Kitagawa."

"Okay, before we get to the main topic, I have a question. This is a rumor that most of the class, including Amakura and the others, have heard: Kitagawa and Karuizawa have broken up. Is this rumor true?"

Although Ryuji Kanzaki maintained his calm and composed expression, the question he posed seemed strangely comical.

"Hui and I are still dating."

Kitagawa Ryo himself didn't know where the rumor started. It seemed that some people saw him exercising with Sakayanagi Arisu every morning without fail, while others caught a glimpse of him and Horikita Suzune kissing openly on the playground a few days ago. In any case, the sources were quite complicated, and eventually they came together to form this rumor.

“Hui and I have always met privately, for example, at the gym.”

To bolster his argument, Kitagawa Ryo added this statement, immediately sensing a softening in the gazes of Kanzaki Ryuji and Ayakura Asako. The latter, resting her chin on her hands, smiled and said:

"Right? I told you there was nothing to worry about."

Ryuji Kanzaki seemed to breathe a sigh of relief before sitting back down on the sofa, gathering his thoughts as he began to speak again:

"Since Karuizawa-kun hasn't been in a particularly good mental state lately, and it's not a problem on your side, Kitagawa, then it must be due to a conflict with Hoshinomiya-san."

"I've heard Hui mention this to me briefly, but I think you students in your class know more about the inside story and details, right? Tell me about it?"

Kitagawa Ryo nodded, unconsciously regaining control of the conversation.

"Well, I'm not good at expressing myself, could you please ask a warehouse for help?"

Aside from discussions about a certain couple, Ryuji Kanzaki doesn't seem to be very good at expressing his thoughts properly. After hesitating for a moment, he chose to ask Asako Amakura for help.

"Huh? Does Hoshinomiya-sensei have some kind of conflict with Megumi? I feel like Hoshinomiya-sensei is a really good homeroom teacher, almost like an older sister."

After Amakura Asako blurted out those words without thinking, Kanzaki Ryuji, with a forced smile, was too lazy to explain and could only look at Himeno Yuki, who was idly playing with the ends of her hair.

Although the other person reluctantly pursed their lips, they eventually mustered their spirits, but still seemed unwilling to make eye contact. So, while fiddling with their nails, they explained to Kitagawa Ryo:

"In my opinion, this trend should have started as early as after the special exam on the deserted island. Net Cang should still remember the celebration party we held immediately after the exam that day... Actually, many students were not in the mood for it at that time. They were too tired and sleepy. If the class monitor hadn't told us to disperse, we don't know how late it would have gone on."

"But Ms. Hoshinomiya just held that celebration party on a whim because she was happy. After all, we were promoted to Class A, and isn't that her usual personality?"

It was clear that Hoshinomiya Chie was very popular in Class B as their homeroom teacher. As soon as Himeno Yuki finished speaking, Amakura Asako almost instinctively retorted.

“You can’t just use things like being easygoing or approachable to get by. How many times last semester did she come to class drunk? If you think that’s because she’s easygoing, then that’s fine, but that’s not something a qualified homeroom teacher or a qualified instructor would do.”

At this point, Kitagawa Ryo noticed that Himeno Yuki's voice had become noticeably louder and her emotions were much more intense. It was clear that the psychological trauma Hoshinomiya Chie had left on the cruise ship was indeed quite significant.

"Moreover, I did a special investigation afterwards. Hoshinomiya's homeroom teacher and Chabashira's homeroom teacher from the original Class A were classmates who graduated from the same year here. I think there might be some personal grudges between them. After all, at that time, Hoshinomiya's homeroom teacher was not so much happy that we were promoted from Class B to Class A, but rather simply happy that Class A was dropped to Class D."

After calming her slightly agitated emotions, Hime Yuki spoke again in a composed manner:

"You can tell from what she said to us at this sports festival that she clearly has a conflict with the tea stalk homeroom teacher of Class D. Otherwise, she would never have hinted that we should keep an eye on Class D, which is also in the Red Group."

"And this is the root of the conflict between Karuizawa and Hoshinomiya. They are pursuing completely different things, but they have been cooperating without interfering with each other because they have the common goal of being in Class A."

"That's all I have to say."

Now that she felt like she had used up her year's quota, after saying all that, Himeno Yuki picked up the song request board on the table and browsed it haphazardly, giving me a look that said, "Don't bother me anymore."

"That's pretty much it."

Seemingly finding Himeno Yuki's explanation sufficiently detailed, Kanzaki Ryuji offered no further explanation and nodded to Kitagawa Ryo:

"As far as I know, among the four first-year classes, even the most violent and rule-ignoring Class C has not taken any initiative to oppose the homeroom teacher. This is the problem that is troubling everyone in the class."

"It is indeed a very troublesome matter."

Kitagawa Ryo also wore a thoughtful expression.

In this Tokyo Advanced Educational High School, close cooperation between the homeroom teacher and the students is the most crucial cornerstone for the class's advancement. Just as the entire Class B cannot erase Majima Tomoya's contributions to the class in the previous semester, even Kitagawa Ryo himself can feel how valuable a homeroom teacher who is willing to help and guide the class forward is. Otherwise, he would not have implemented the change of homeroom teacher before the start of the school year.

Theoretically, his plan was successful. Chabashira Sae, who was transferred to Class A, is now leading the team to charge down into Class D. But who knew that they would all go completely crazy together, including Hoshinomiya Chie from Class B, and fall into an emotional competition and attrition that is even more intense than in the past few years. They don't even want to act anymore.

Simply put, Hoshinomiya Chie's logic was to make Chabashira Sae repeatedly experience despair, destroying his dream of advancing to Class A to avenge the past.

When Chabashira Sae was leading Class A, this operational logic was indeed aligned with that of her Class B. Over the past semester and summer vacation, the other side had indeed spared no effort in cooperating with his and Karuizawa Megumi's plans.

But now that Chabashira Sae has been demoted to Class D, Hoshinomiya Chie's logic of action is somewhat inconsistent with the overall interests of the class.

Class A should be focused on consolidating their current position. Their biggest rival should be Class B, which is only 51 points behind them. However, Hoshinomiya Chie wants to target Class D instead. Judging from her willingness to violate the rules of the sports festival's red and white group competition, she is indeed a bit obsessed.

But as Ryuji Kanzaki said, there has never been a precedent of a student and homeroom teacher having a violent conflict since the establishment of Tokyo Advanced Educational High School. Moreover, Chie Hoshinomiya herself is not so unpopular in Class A as to be universally disliked. On the contrary, she is quite popular, as can be seen from Asako Amakura's reaction.

"There's definitely no good solution right now. As a temporary measure, let's try to distract her from this sports festival."

After thinking for a moment, Kitagawa Ryo took the initiative to speak to Kanzaki and the others:

"Just think of it as helping Hui relieve some stress. I will do it, you don't need to worry."

Seemingly quite satisfied with his answer, Ryuji Kanzaki showed no intention of asking him what his plans were, and simply nodded before moving on to the next topic.

"Since Kitagawa and Karuizawa's relationship is still like this, it means the rumor about the other Class 3 conspiring is also false, right?"

"This is a secret for now."

Kitagawa Ryo leaned back, burying himself in the soft sofa, and replied in a slightly unsteady tone:

“Being close to an individual does not mean being equally close to the group they belong to; the scope of ‘love me, love my dog’ is not that broad.”

Then, Kitagawa Ryo, showing great interest, took the initiative to ask:

"In your opinion, is the reason for supporting Hui and opposing Xingzhigong because you feel that the former is acting for the class, while the latter is only acting out of personal feelings and desires?"

Although they didn't know why Kitagawa Ryo suddenly asked such a question, the three of them exchanged glances and nodded together.

They had all witnessed how responsible Karuizawa Kei was as the class representative of Class A. The fact that she was willing to choose to work alone on a deserted island for the benefit of the class was the best proof of that.

Not surprised by the three people's reaction, Kitagawa Ryo smiled and continued to ask:

"So, if one day, Hui also wants to act for her own selfish desires, will you still come here to discuss similar topics with others?"

Before the three could react, Kitagawa Ryo shook his head again:

"Of course, you don't need to answer this question now, since it's not time yet, but it's good to think about it sooner rather than later. Besides, the answer to this question is easy to change, and maybe after this sports festival your thoughts will be completely different from when you first heard it."

After briefly laying the groundwork for something to come, Kitagawa Ryo leaned forward to grab the microphone that Kanzaki Ryuji had pushed to the corner of the table, and casually greeted him:

"Alright, alright, we should have finished discussing the important matters, and we've already paid for the individual points in the private room. Let's sing some songs instead; we might be able to use them again during the special exam on the deserted island next year."

His words eased the tense atmosphere in the karaoke room. However, since Ryuji Kanzaki and Yuki Himeno were not used to it, Asako Amakura generously sang two songs to kill time before the group left the karaoke room.

"It's only ten o'clock—"

Perhaps because he arrived too early, Kitagawa Ryo took out his phone after leaving the private room and saw that it was only 10 a.m.

"If it's not lunchtime yet, I'll go wander around the playground for a bit. Bye-bye."

"Oh, goodbye Kitagawa."

"Goodbye."

Watching Kitagawa Ryo hurry towards the playground, Kanzaki Ryuji stroked his chin and asked uncertainly:

"I remember Shibata mentioning that today is the soccer team's training day, right?"

"Ah."

Asako Amakura nodded, but she seemed a little absent-minded, as if she was still thinking about the question Kitagawa Ryo had asked earlier:

"Hey, Kanzaki, what's your answer to Kitagawa's question...?"

"I believe in Karuizawa."

Ryuji Kanzaki gave his answer quite frankly.

"I believe in Hui too, but what will we do if that day really comes?"

When confronted with Amakura Asako's persistent questioning, it was Himeno Yuki, who had been following behind without saying much, who answered her.

"Then let's put it that she's acting for the class."

Chapter 280: The Gambler's Mentality (5k)

Although it was past 10 a.m., the sun had gradually moved to its zenith, and the temperature had risen noticeably, there were more students on the playground than in the morning, creating a lively and bustling scene.

Kitagawa Ryo's gaze swept across the field and found the soccer club members who had already started training. There were quite a few students watching from the sidelines, including girls who simply wanted to come and see the handsome soccer boys, as well as students who wanted to take this opportunity to assess the soccer club members' footwork and speed in preparation for the sports festival predictions later.

"I haven't seen Nagumo... By the way, is he really coming here?"

Katsuragi Kohei stood beside him with his arms crossed, but he seemed a little anxious and couldn't help but ask Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, who had come with him.

"Let's wait and see. After all, Hirata specifically said that he comes here every weekend."

Kiyotaka Ayanokouji gave a brief reply while turning his gaze with interest to the center of the court. The group training had started three minutes ago, but Masaru Nagumo was nowhere to be seen, which explained Kohei Katsuragi's anxiety.

Seemingly somewhat dissatisfied with Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's attitude, Totsuka Yahiko, who was also following behind Katsuragi Kohei, clicked his tongue and almost couldn't help but say a few more words.

Unfortunately, ever since he was blamed for failing the special exam on the deserted island, Totsuka Yahiko had no choice but to keep his head down and had to restrain his temper considerably.