I have a life simulator.

"When I was cooking just now, I saw that the cold soy sauce was almost used up. Remember to buy a new bottle this afternoon."

"Ah."

Kitagawa Ryo nodded in agreement.

The words "daily" and "life" have different meanings for different people. Even for the same person, there might be a different lecture every day, but in the end, everyone will retreat into the mundane details of daily life, and only occasionally into the world of roses.

He and Horikita Suzune are trying to find a balance between them.

But before thinking about these issues, it's always good to take action first, just like today. After all, on the clock of time, there are only the two words "now". People's thoughts are changeable. With so many tongues, so many hands, so many unexpected events, there will be so much hesitation, so much delay, so much indecision.

Thinking of this, Horikita Suzune unconsciously placed her hand on her chest again, where she could clearly feel the throbbing that originated.

When something is about to take shape in one's heart, a feeling that is mixed with joy and unease always arises, perhaps closer to animalistic emotions than that of humans.

Just like a fox that smells a distant scent and gradually approaches the location of its prey, even before it has actually caught it, its heart is already firmly gripped and lifted into the air.

The more this happened, the more Horikita Suzune became afraid to look Kitagawa Ryo in the eye, even though it had been a perfectly normal sight in the past.

An idea that grew clearer over time began to form in her mind.

Even after many years, she will remember this day.

It's not because it's her birthday. The concept of a birthday is, in essence, a concept and meaning that parents give to this day.

Therefore, she personally bestowed its coronation upon it on this day of this year.

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"I didn't know there were so many different kinds of headdresses..."

"I thought Liang knew a lot about this..."

Having avoided the midday rush, and taking advantage of the afternoon when the students of Dongyu were in class, Kitagawa Ryo and Horikita Suzune returned to the Keyakizaki Shopping Center. The two of them were then dumbfounded in front of the dazzling array of goods on the shelves.

"I can only say that my memory is still that of the kind of paper crowns that we would wear on our heads when we were kids celebrating our birthdays."

As he spoke, Kitagawa Ryo glanced again at the exaggerated quantity and variety of goods in front of him:

"So now there are so many styles of birthday hats alone? And what's with these birthday sunglasses? Or are they a trendy fashion item?"

"Liang doesn't actually think I know a lot about this, does he?"

After staring at each other and lamenting the passing of time for a while, the two finally decided to call over a shop assistant to help them with the introduction.

"So, first, could you tell me which of the two of you is having a birthday? The boyfriend or the girlfriend?"

"Oh, it's my girlfriend, it's her birthday today."

"I see. Well then, happy birthday! We also have a small gift available for free. You can show your student ID at the front desk in a bit to receive our special gift and birthday card. As for these birthday props and birthday hats, I would recommend these few, as they are some of our best-selling products."

The store staff, while clearly explaining the event, pointed to several items on the shelf, recommending them to Kitagawa Ryo and Horikita Suzune one by one:

"First of all, there's this pink polka dot hat in the shape of an inverted cylinder. It looks so cute and round when you wear it."

"It looks a bit like they're cosplaying as a roadblock zombie..."

"If you don't like this kind, the colorful cake hats here are also very nice. A student just bought one yesterday."

"So the name 'cake hat' means that it looks like you're wearing a cake on your head..."

"Actually, some people like quirky styles too, such as these gift box or picture frame hats that only show the face, which are very interesting to take pictures with."

"What a subtle feeling of being a fake..."

After complaining one thing after another, Horikita Suzune, who seemed completely out of touch with the times, finally resorted to the unscrupulous client's approach of reverting to the first draft, and pointed to a certain spot on the shelf:

"I prefer the crown type."

"I see."

Seeing that Horikita Suzune had finally clearly expressed her direction, the staff also breathed a sigh of relief and immediately continued to enthusiastically recommend her product:

“We also have many sub-categories of this type of crown. For example, in terms of overall color, there are two main categories: gold and silver. As for the specific style and shape, you will have to choose for yourself. Let me show you all of them.”

So, after much fuss over the birthday hat, Horikita Suzune finally settled on a fairytale-like silver crown and matching headband that seemed to pay homage to the animated film "Frozen".

But the matter is clearly not over yet.

"Honey, since you've decided to buy a birthday hat and candles, we suggest you buy the whole gift set instead. It's even more affordable and includes a birthday projection decorative ambient light, a 32-inch white aluminum foil number birthday balloon, a birthday inflatable confetti gun, and many other great items."

"...How about we post a link?"

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After buying the necessary ingredients and decorations, Kitagawa Ryo and Horikita Suzune rushed back to their dorm. This time, however, they went to the latter's room, since his room was already so full that there was no room left to decorate. It was so big that even if Hotaru and her little nest were thrown out, it wouldn't be enough.

So, Horikita Suzune began decorating her room step by step outside the kitchen, following the instructions given by the shop assistant, while Kitagawa Ryo busied himself baking inside the kitchen.

Before long, the small room was filled with a sweet smell, as if it had been soaked in thick honey. Horikita Suzune felt as if the tip of her nose was coated with honey, and every sniff was filled with a sweet fragrance.

Besides her physical body, her mind seemed to have fallen into a honey pot once again, rolling around in it, so sticky that she couldn't think about anything else.

The dream she had wanted to realize during last year's cultural festival finally came true today. The beautiful memories and the reality of this moment blended seamlessly together. The rustling sounds of cutting fruit, stirring jam, whipping cream, melting butter, and opening and closing the oven all felt incredibly familiar and nostalgic to Horikita Suzune.

As if time had been accelerated, it felt like only a short moment had passed. Horikita Suzune tilted her head in confusion at the birthday cake that was already placed in front of her, seemingly still not quite understanding when this seemingly out-of-nothing creation had been completed.

Her preparations had only just begun, okay?

"Let's leave it there for now, I'll help Lingyin with it."

As she spoke, Kitagawa Ryo reached out and took the various props from Horikita Suzune's hands, and deftly arranged them one by one in the room. Then she reached out and inserted the bright red candles one by one, lit them, and got up to turn off the living room lights again.

At this time, Horikita Suzune was already wearing that silver-white crown, but it was not the childishness she had initially imagined. Instead, it had transcended cuteness and was full of the elegance and beauty of a young girl.

Looking at her delicate face, so clearly defined by the candlelight, Kitagawa Ryo instinctively reached out and gently touched the tip of her nose.

Happy birthday, Rin.

"It's too short."

Just like in their phone chat last night, Horikita Suzune once again expressed her dissatisfaction in a subtle way, as if she were pouting and wanting to hear more blessings from him.

"Okay, then I'll continue."

Kitagawa Ryo simply smiled at this, and then slowly revealed his true feelings:

"Do you remember when Lingyin and I first met, I told you that the extra memories we had of each other were real experiences from a parallel world?"

"In fact, in every parallel world related to us, we may be making completely different choices than we have so far. But as the parallel universe theory of quantum mechanics says, in the garden of forking paths, there will always be a path that allows people to make the right choice in every unforgettable decision and to find happiness at every juncture in their lives. So, in the vast number of universes, there is always a you who is happy for life."

“I don’t know if this is the present moment, but if possible, I hope this is the universe that Suzune and I are in right now, because we live here and we like each other.”

"Today is the dividing line between Lingyin's first and second birthdays. Tomorrow will not suddenly become anything because of today, nor will it suddenly become a bouquet of flowers or a star because of a blessing or a vow."

"But tomorrow will be the first day of the rest of Rin's life."

"This is another day for me to continue liking you."

"I sincerely hope that Lingyin can continue to work hard and continue to be happy."

As he spoke, Kitagawa Ryoya kept staring into Horikita Suzune's pupils, gradually reconciling with that once beautiful but now distorted past experience.

"Alright, Rin can make a wish now."

Horikita Suzune didn't realize at first that Kitagawa Ryo had finished giving his blessings. It wasn't until he reminded her that she closed her eyes in a daze, and even forgot to put her hands together in front of her chest, instead unconsciously twisting them together.

Her mind was still replaying Kitagawa Ryo's words, and then she slowly recalled the moment when she first fell for him.

When you fall in love with someone, it's not just because of what they look like, but sometimes it's also because of how you feel when you're with them. Just like wanting to be with someone isn't just because of what they've done for you, but also because of the changes you're willing to make for them.

Horikita Suzune is willing to believe that perhaps in a parallel universe she has Kitagawa Ryo all to herself, but she is also willing to believe that that version of herself can never compare to the best version of herself she has now.

If Kitagawa Ryo could know what the other person was thinking at that moment, he would definitely agree with Horikita Suzune's wish.

That's why he was finally willing to put a ring on her finger and spend the rest of his life with her.

A single love token is a necklace, while a pair of lovers is a coil tied by the God of Love for the two.

Chapter 496: A wedding is simply a matter between two people.

Student Council Office, Tokyo Advanced Educational Junior High School.

"Vice President Sakayanagi, this document..."

"Just leave it there for now."

"Okay, okay, thank you for your hard work today."

"Yes, it must have been really hard on me."

As she spoke, Sakayanagi Arisu put her pen down on the table, leaned back in her office chair as if all her strength had left her, and glanced around the student council office, which was much quieter than usual.

Unfortunately, with both acting president Kitagawa Ryo and vice president Horikita Suzune absent from today's student council work, she, as the only remaining vice president, had to take charge. Although the cleanup of these Valentine's Day celebrations wasn't particularly tedious or difficult for Sakayanagi Arisu, she was still visibly getting annoyed.

If it weren't for the fact that it's a crucial time for the student council election, she would have taken the opportunity to shirk her responsibilities and give up. However, compared to Horikita Suzune, her past reputation clearly doesn't support Sakayanagi Arisu doing this. After all, the other party has been diligent and hardworking since joining the student council, always attending without fail. It's understandable that she would take a day off. But with her long history of such behavior, it wouldn't look good if she did it again.

However, these tasks that suddenly piled up on her shoulders were not the real reason that made Sakayanagi Arisu upset. What made her mood take a sharp turn for the worse was another post that was exposed on the school forum after school this afternoon. It was a blurry photo of Horikita Suzune and Kitagawa Ryo, whom she thought were really sick and resting in their room, walking out of the Keyaki Shopping Center with bags of shopping bags.

It can only be said that this was something Sakayanagi Arisu hadn't considered. After all, based on her understanding of Horikita Suzune, the other person didn't seem like the type to do something like skipping class for a day to celebrate Kitagawa Ryo's birthday. If Horikita Suzune really had that kind of awareness and drive, Horikita Manabu wouldn't need to create opportunities all the time.

From the perspective of "The Governor's Election," this behavior could be considered as handing ammunition to her competitor. In the past, it would have been easy to produce several articles in the style of Weekly Bunshun, such as "Someone witnessed Horikita Suzune openly entering and leaving the room of Acting Student Council President Kitagawa Ryo during the day." However, Sakayanagi Arisu would never do such a thing.

She doesn't have any mysterious fetish for adding color to her hair.

Thinking of this, Sakayanagi Arisu couldn't help but sigh again. Her small body leaned on the desk, and she unconsciously looked at the ring again, which she had stared at countless times since yesterday.

The gemstones embedded on it refracted a dazzling brilliance under the light, just like the first-magnitude star that the other person had compared her to when they were on the deserted island.

"Vice President Sakayanagi, I'm a staff member from the coffee shop on the third floor of Keyaki Shopping Center. The bill for yesterday's celebration has been settled and is here with you..."

A young woman carrying several documents walked into the student council office, but before she could finish speaking, she suddenly felt a strong gaze from Sakayanagi Arisu and a rather exaggerated gesture of spreading her left hand out and then clenching it into a fist.

"The ring is quite pretty, isn't it?"

"Huh? Oh, right, good, it looks good."

"Right, actually, this happened last night..."

Well, it seems the student council's work efficiency is going to be greatly reduced today.

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"call--"

As Horikita Suzune blew her breath forcefully onto the candle in front of her, the flickering flames were quickly extinguished. With the last bit of light gone, the room was left with only an unsettling darkness.

But in the next instant, the colored lights that were originally hanging on the curtains, the foot of the bed and the wall lit up all at once. It was the first time that Kitagawa Ryo himself had used the birthday atmosphere projector he bought from the store. In fact, the principle was quite simple. It was just like a regular projector, which projected the pattern inside onto the white wall instead of a screen.

Then, after a while, castles appeared on the pure white ceiling and the surrounding walls, starlight lit up the sky, and candy and cake rained down. He and Horikita Suzune were so dizzy that they felt as if they had fallen into a fairy tale world.

"So lovely."

Since deciding to completely relax and become a little more childish, Horikita Suzune has gradually begun to accept this kind of set design that she used to dislike. She even subconsciously reached out to touch the pattern projected on the wall, but ended up blocking the light from the projector and projecting her own hand shadow onto it.

However, the next second, Kitagawa Ryo simultaneously reached out his hand and gently manipulated Horikita Suzune's fingers to make her make a big heart gesture on the wall in coordination with him.

"Want to take pictures?"

"Ah."

"Then I'll take the picture."

It's unclear when it started, but Kitagawa Ryo has increasingly enjoyed capturing his memories with girls through photography. Thanks to his innate talent as a photographer, his skills in this area are undeniably professional, avoiding any awkward situations caused by unflattering angles or filters.

After taking a dozen or twenty photos with their phones, using the various decorations and cake as a backdrop, Kitagawa Ryo and Horikita Suzune finally stopped, turned the lights back on, and sat down at the table to cut the cake.

Actually, as two of the three students in Dongyuli who are best at making desserts (the other being Sakura Airi), Kitagawa Ryo and Horikita Suzune don't eat much sweets in their daily lives. The former basically uses all the desserts she bakes to entertain the girls, while the latter is more strict with her physical training and always consciously controls her intake of sweets.

"But it's okay to relax a little today, after all, it only happens once a year."

After using the cake knife provided by the store to evenly cut the not-so-large cake into eight equal parts, Kitagawa Ryo took a piece, placed it on a plate, and handed it to Horikita Suzune, saying something along the way.

"Yes, it really won't matter if it happens only once in a while."

After consoling herself with this thought, Horikita Suzune quite decisively used her fork to pick up a small piece of cake and put it in her mouth:

"Sure enough, at times like this, I can clearly feel the difference between me and Liang. From now on, Liang should take charge of the desserts."

"Which part is Lingyin in charge of?"

"...Infant and toddler recipes."

"Hiss—so it's gotten this far? Calm down, we're still high school students, you know."

"It's always good to prepare early, I'm sure of it."

Feeling as if he had led Horikita Suzune down another irreversible path in her culinary journey, Kitagawa Ryo could only shrug with his fork in his mouth. But then he suddenly noticed that Suzune herself seemed to be eating very carefully, taking small bites like a hamster, with a very focused expression.