I have a life simulator.

However, if we follow this line of thinking backwards...

Is it possible that Yuecheng Changcheng originally prepared three pairs of rings?

After all, if he wanted to show his sincerity, choosing one out of two was not as good as choosing three, and Lingyin's earlier statement that he should personally deliver the ring seemed to correspond to that as well.

Of course, if you were to tell me that Hotaru quite readily gave the other party a condom, making Horikita Suzune excitedly run over to prepare for a game on the spot, then Kitagawa Ryo would have nothing to say, but the next day he would really have to leave Hotaru to Chabashira Sae to raise on her own.

And so, in a flash, Kitagawa Ryo, his mind racing with thoughts, made his choice, naturally revealing a somewhat apologetic expression:

"Because tomorrow is Lingyin's birthday, I want to save the most important steps and the biggest surprise for tomorrow, after all, I also want to know if it is really appropriate."

By continuing to offer such airtight answers, Kitagawa Ryo finally got the answer he wanted from Horikita Suzune this time.

"Actually, I tried it on myself briefly, and I think it might be because I've gained a little weight recently, or maybe I'm not wearing it correctly? Although the size is about right and I can get it in, it doesn't fit perfectly. Liang probably wanted to surprise me with her estimated size. She could have just told me next time."

After Kitagawa Ryo admitted it, Horikita Suzune also started talking again, taking the small gift box containing the ring out of her pocket. She looked a little troubled, after all, it was her first time wearing such jewelry, and she was quite unfamiliar with it in every way.

Just as Kitagawa Ryo breathed a sigh of relief and was about to continue the conversation, the sound of the lock being opened suddenly came from outside the dormitory door. Another person he never expected appeared there, also holding a beautifully packaged small gift box.

To be honest, until she opened that all-too-familiar door, Karuizawa Kei was still quite relaxed, thinking to herself that if Kitagawa Ryo was taking a shower right now, she would go into the bathroom and tease him.

But reality clearly didn't match her expectations.

So, the three of them stood there, looking at each other in bewilderment.

Chapter 481: Leading Role

Although the current scene resembled a classic "I've come at the wrong time" versus "No, you've come at the right time" moment, Karuizawa Kei herself, displaying exceptional emotional intelligence, chose to break the awkward silence by naturally greeting Horikita Suzune first:

"Rinne is here too. You really worked hard today. Many people must have seen how serious and responsible you were. Class B will definitely give you their full support in the student council president election."

"Huh? Oh... thank you."

Compared to Karuizawa Kei, who had been working in the entertainment industry for several years and had experienced countless big stages and spotlights, Horikita Suzune was momentarily stunned and even subconsciously thanked her.

"Isn't Megumi with Hiyori?"

This time, it was Kitagawa Ryo who spoke up. After all, he felt that if he didn't speak up, the atmosphere on the field would change from the original awkwardness to a strange sense of tension. In this one-on-one situation, Megumi, who had undergone a complete transformation, could easily put a lot of pressure on the other girls, no matter how you looked at it.

To put it simply, long before the Tokyo Advanced Educational High School's campus forum started using his romantic storyline as a hot topic and a source of countless posts, his relationship with Karuizawa Kei had already been written into Yahoo! and Google's encyclopedia entries and search suggestions.

If we're really going to talk about it, it's probably because Shiina Hiyori, who has regained her memories and is close to Karuizawa Kei, and Ichinose Honami, who has seen Karuizawa Kei's original appearance in her simulation, are able to be more at peace. However, it's precisely because the latter has seen Kei's past and witnessed Kei's changes that she couldn't help but feel depressed for a long time when comparing herself to the past.

"Yeah, it's the same as Ryo and Fanbo's situation. They just come back to the dorm after dinner to take a shower and tidy up."

Karuizawa Kei casually twirled the gift box in her hand. She had originally planned to give her Valentine's Day gift to Kitagawa Ryo that evening, but she felt that would be taking over Shiina Hiyori's time, so she decided to come to Kitagawa Ryo's room first.

Of course, there are other little ulterior motives as well.

After all, on this day, one would naturally want to have a private conversation with the other person face-to-face.

"Is Lingyin here to deliver a gift too?"

Having inadvertently caught a glimpse of the small box in Horikita Suzune's hand, Karuizawa Megumi continued to inquire with great interest:

"Is it chocolate? I'd really like to try Rin's handmade chocolate. Oh, by the way, I've already received the chocolate that Ryo sent from Hotaru. It's as good as always, I really like it. But you really came up with the idea of ​​having a cat deliver a gift, and it actually did."

As she spoke, Karuizawa Kei looked around the room again:

"Huh? Where's Ying? I can't see her."

"She shrunk under the sofa. The gift that Lingyin is holding isn't the one she gave me; it's the one I gave her."

Kitagawa Ryo gave a vague and ambiguous answer. Karuizawa Megumi, for a moment assuming that everyone had received the same set of chocolates and Valentine's Day letters, didn't ask any further questions. After all, the contents of the letters were somewhat private, and since she hadn't mentioned them in front of Horikita Suzune, she naturally wouldn't ask. So she simply nodded.

"That's it."

As their conversation progressed, Horikita Suzune on the other side also secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

To be honest, when Karuizawa Kei walked in with the gift, for a moment she really thought that the other person had also received a ring from Kitagawa Ryo, just like her. After hearing that the other person's gift was chocolate, she unconsciously tightened her grip on the one in her hand again.

"And then, this is my Valentine's Day gift for Ryo, I hope you like it."

Although she hesitated slightly at first, Karuizawa Kei really couldn't say to Horikita Suzune, "Why don't you go out first, and I'll deliver the gift and then come back in?" So in the end, she generously handed her Valentine's Day gift to Kitagawa Ryo.

"It's okay to open it now. Actually, I spent quite a while choosing it."

As Kitagawa Ryo reached out and accepted the gift, Karuizawa Kei smiled and put her hands in her pockets, striking a leisurely pose, as if she wanted to see him open the gift on the spot.

"Then I'll open it now."

Kitagawa Ryo was quite confident in Karuizawa Kei's personality and style of doing things. After all, over the years, through two simulations and real-life interactions, he and Karuizawa Kei had thoroughly investigated and addressed all of her potential triggers.

It's no exaggeration to say that if Kitagawa Ryo were to choose the person who could most accept his insatiable desire to give everyone a happy ending, it would be Karuizawa Kei. After all, she had already made that decision with equanimity when competing with Shiina Hiyori on the deserted island.

To be honest, all she wants is to be number one, whether in the past, present, or future.

Since Karuizawa Kei had hinted beforehand that her Valentine's Day gift wasn't the usual chocolate, Kitagawa Ryo was also quite excited. After quickly untying the ribbon on the gift box, he finally glimpsed the contents inside.

It was a bottle of perfume.

Kitagawa Ryo's memory suddenly became a little hazy. He had given Karuizawa Megumi a bottle of rose perfume during Ichinose Honami's second simulation, and then received another bottle from her during Karuizawa Megumi's second simulation.

He still clearly remembers what Karuizawa Megumi said at that time:

"Because every girl who loves perfume is looking for her own rose."

"White roses represent purity, red roses represent passionate love, and what happens after that is no longer the rose's concern."

While Kitagawa Ryo was still slightly stunned, Karuizawa Kei, seemingly out of nowhere, took out another already opened sample bottle from her pocket and, as if to introduce it to him, lightly sprayed a mist of perfume around him.

"Look, it tastes just like it did back then."

Kitagawa Ryo was certainly aware of what Karuizawa Kei was referring to at that time.

Or perhaps his nose had already recognized that familiar scent before he could: a top note of basil, wormwood, and mint, with a hint of citrus in the middle, lavender as the main note, mixed with wisps of rose, and a finish with the fragrance of incense.

"Although I don't think Liang needs to dress up much, you should still try different combinations of clothes, shoes, and accessories occasionally. In Dongyu, we always switch between uniforms and casual clothes. If you find shopping troublesome, just let me choose for you. I have a lot of confidence in my aesthetic sense."

"Yes, I really like Hui's gift."

Kitagawa Ryo sniffed the fresh scent in the air and unconsciously recalled the time when he first met Karuizawa Kei in real life. At that time, Kei, who had chosen to join the theater troupe with the sole desire to reunite with him, was basically learning everything from scratch. However, she was far superior to him in makeup skills, and it was Kei who taught him the seven-point perfume application method.

In this respect, the knowledge he taught Sakayanagi Arisu last year actually originated from Karuizawa Megumi.

"Okay, I've delivered the gift. Hiyori is waiting for me. I'm going back to the dorm to take a shower now. Hurry up and catch your shower, or you'll miss the start time. Bye-bye."

After doing all this, Karuizawa Megumi seemed satisfied. She first waved goodbye to Kitagawa Ryo, and then waved to Horikita Suzune.

"Rinne can come and play with me and Hiyori tonight too, um... we should be pretty conspicuous and easy to find then."

Before Horikita Suzune could answer, Karuizawa Kei turned and left Kitagawa Ryo's room with a nimble movement, even thoughtfully closing the door gently behind her.

But Kitagawa Ryo, deep in thought, realized something else.

It's common knowledge that men shower faster than women.

If he hadn't gone back to the club building to get something after returning to his dorm, and then spent a long time arguing with Horikita Suzune afterward, he would probably have already finished showering and changing clothes or be taking a shower by now.

From this perspective, the timing of Hui's arrival and the gifts she brought are undoubtedly somewhat intriguing.

"Phew...that's a bit of a shame."

As Karuizawa Megumi left Kitagawa Ryo's room and headed towards her own, she also let out a small sigh. She held the empty sample in her hand near her nose, gently inhaling the lingering fragrance.

really.

Even though she wanted to support Shiina Hiyori's relationship and understand Ichinose Honami's feelings, she still had a tiny bit of selfishness in her heart.

Even in the absence of her, she still hoped that he would carry some of her scent.

Perhaps this is also an additional result of preparing with Rihe during this period of time; those memories that I had been actively blurring and forgetting always become clear again.

It's a bit of a shame, though. I don't know how long Horikita Suzune and Ryo stayed in the room. The other party didn't act as she expected, and she didn't even have time to take a shower, so the scent of those perfumes probably wouldn't have lingered into the evening.

But then, Karuizawa smiled with relief.

After all, the memories she shared with him about perfume were not limited to that one missed encounter in the simulation. Just like the K&K symbol, it was also imbued with more memories and meanings in reality.

Karuizawa Kei suddenly recalled the scene of her teaching Kitagawa Ryo the seven-point perfume application method, as if it were yesterday.

"Don't move—from now on, follow my instructions."

Back then, as a primary school student, I took the lead for the first time and obediently pressed the leading actor of the entire troupe onto the bench, like a little adult reaching out and grabbing Kitagawa Ryo's wrists.

"The seven points in the so-called seven-point rubbing method actually refer to the veins on the left and right wrists—"

As she spoke of each place, she would confidently and logically extend her fingers to the corresponding spot and gently rub those areas.

"The back of both ears."

She parted the hair at his temples and covered his ears.

"Back of the neck."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned her head against him at the same time.

"Both sides of the waist."

She put her arms around his waist, a gesture that resembled an embrace.

Inner thigh.

"Hey, hey, stop touching here, okay? Just point to the location and that's enough."

"Tch, next up are the inside of the left and right knees."

She bent down and ran her fingertips along the area near her knee joint.

"Finally, the inside of the ankle."

"Why do your ankles feel thinner than me?"

"I'm already taking supplements and exercising; I'll be fine in a few years."

"Yeah, well, it's because the blood flow is faster and the temperature is higher in these areas, so it's easier for the perfume to release its scent and for it to last longer. Just remember these areas."

"...So what's the point of touching everything? Is there any place that's unconventional and hard to find?"

Karuizawa Kei remembers that at the time he just smiled and hugged Kitagawa Ryo, knocking him to the ground. Looking back now, he was just a kid whose mind was only focused on earning more money to treat his sister's illness.

"Because I like it, isn't that a valid reason?"

She originally thought Kitagawa Ryo would mutter a reply like "Whatever."

But the other person looked her in the eyes seriously and gave a brief reply:

"If it's Hui, then okay."

This is something that she can't help but smile no matter how many times she recalls it. Karuizawa Kei touched her chest, her expression still calm, but her unconsciously accelerating heartbeat betrayed her inner emotions.

What she experienced with Kitagawa Ryo was never just a few words in the encyclopedia entry. If Ichinose Honami and the others also occupied Kitagawa Ryo's past without her knowledge, then in this world line called reality, she was undoubtedly the first and the longest-lasting one.

Horikita Suzune arrived late in her second year of junior high school, Sakayanagi Arisu's attitude changed drastically before last summer vacation, and Ichinose Honami closed herself off in comparison until recently when she finally opened her heart again.

But what's missed is missed forever.

In those times before they arrived, she had already entered Kitagawa Ryo's life, witnessing all his struggles, confusion, and growth, and their destinies were deeply embedded in each other's bodies like barbs.

That's why Karuizawa Kei was willing to play a supporting role on Valentine's Day, and why she could quickly laugh it off after her little selfish wish was thwarted by a twist of fate.

This confidence and composure come from this.

After all.

On the stage of life, a drama of comings and goings, he and she are the only two leading actors.

Chapter 482: Birthday Arrangements

"……gone."

It wasn't until quite a while after Karuizawa Kei left that Horikita Suzune finally murmured a sigh of relief. Perhaps it was because their positions were quite unequal when they first met, and Karuizawa Kei's achievements to date were definitely outstanding among her peers. In this unexpected one-on-one situation, she felt even more pressure than Kisaka Yanagi Arisu.

"Well, now that Hui has left, we can continue talking about what happened between me and Suzune."

As Kitagawa Ryo spoke, he ruthlessly squatted down and pulled the culprit out from under the sofa by the scruff of her neck. After giving her a light flick on the head, he addressed Horikita Suzune:

"Since Lingyin thinks the ring is too small, I'll give you another one that will fit perfectly tomorrow."

"tomorrow?"

Horikita Suzune tilted her head in confusion, somewhat puzzled as to how Kitagawa Ryo could find another ring within twenty-four hours. Instinctively, she extended her right hand and awkwardly slipped the ring onto his finger.

"Actually, it's still okay to wear it. My ring finger is a little narrower than my middle finger, so it fits me quite well."

"Ahem, the left ring finger seems to signify being married. I feel like if Suzune wears it like this, she'll be able to get Majima-sensei to come to her office for a consultation tomorrow."

"...Is this so?"