I have a life simulator.

"Therefore, Suzune must be careful not to be used by the other party to borrow Horikita-senpai's and your name and power to do something bad by artificially creating information gaps."

After Kitagawa Ryo's analysis, Horikita Suzune nodded thoughtfully. She had indeed been focusing on various matters outside the student council during this period, and had somewhat forgotten the possibility that the enemy was within her own ranks.

After discussing these matters, Horikita Suzune also shared her plans for the next few days:

"After the clubs finish their rounds, it should be time for the classes to promote the event. But this is my first time doing a campaign speech, so it would be a lie to say I'm not nervous. I'll probably have to trouble Fanbo. She's much more popular than me, so if she goes with me, I shouldn't have to worry about being booed off the stage."

"Honan is indeed quite popular, but that's only within the first-year students. He doesn't know many familiar students in the upperclassmen. As for the second-year students, I'll have Asahina-senpai accompany you. As for the third-year students... I feel like Horikita-senpai coming out would just be a source of resentment, at least for the students outside of Class A."

Just as Kitagawa Ryo was hesitating, Amasawa Ichika, who had been focused on eating, suddenly suggested another candidate:

"There are actually some students who are familiar with us and whose popularity and connections are definitely not a problem in the third year."

She held a spoon in her mouth, tilted her head slightly, and said the name as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Isn't that Airi?"


Chapter 498: What is an idol?

"Airi?"

"Yeah, wasn't Airi a really famous and popular idol before? I remember when she first entered the school, she caused a sensation and discussion throughout the whole school. It wasn't just limited to the freshmen; many of the second and third-year students also came to watch, okay?"

Although Amasawa Ichika's words seemed to make a lot of sense, and even Horikita Suzune was somewhat tempted, Kitagawa Ryo quickly shook his head:

"Not very good."

"Airi stopped being an idol Shizuku a year ago; she's just Sakura Airi now."

Unlike most people who only know Sakura Airi as a former famous idol who suddenly graduated and enrolled in Dongyu University, Kitagawa Ryo knew exactly what she was thinking from the beginning.

Just like what he just said, Sakura Airi is now just Sakura Airi. She has abandoned the name and identity of idol Shizuku. Rather, it would be more accurate to say that she chose to attend Tokyo Advanced Educational High School for this very reason from the beginning.

That's why, during the "name tag ripping" challenge in the special exam on the deserted island, he took the initiative to ask for a name tag with her real name on it, and told her that compared to the merchandise she had given him in the past that had her name on it, he wanted something with the name Sakura Airi more.

Amazusa Ichika is right. Sakura Airi does enjoy unparalleled fame throughout the entire Dongyu School, but this is only for the idol Shizuku. It was never something Sakura Airi herself wanted from the beginning.

Frankly speaking, if she really wanted to inherit this identity, then the title of "King of Popularity" in Class A and even the entire grade that year would not have been given to Ichinose Honami and Kushida Kikyo. However, Sakura Airi chose to deliberately keep a low profile, which took a whole year to diminish the halo around her.

"Therefore, I cannot let Airi take back the identity she finally gave up."

At this point, Kitagawa Ryo himself was somewhat helpless.

It can only be said that although he and Karuizawa Kei are among the most popular figures in the drama field, actors are inherently inferior to idols, especially among teenagers.

"Oh, I see. No wonder I always felt that Airi looked a little uncomfortable when students wanted her autograph."

After listening to Kitagawa Ryo's explanation, Amazu Ichika nodded thoughtfully.

After all, she had no connection with Sakura Airi before enrolling in the university. Although they became much closer after forming a duo on a deserted island last year, she didn't actually know much about Airi's past.

"This is the first time I've heard of this either."

On the other side, Horikita Suzune was also a little surprised. After all, she and Sakura Airi didn't have much interaction, or rather, it seemed that besides Kitagawa Ryo, Karuizawa Megumi was the only one who got along particularly well with Sakura Airi.

"She was under a lot of pressure. To be honest, I never expected to become so popular. When I first met her, she was just a timid little girl. Although I was the one who brought Ai into the entertainment industry in the first place."

"If you were initially motivated by interest and a desire to achieve something, you would eventually find yourself struggling. In that respect, enrolling in Dongyu University was the most appropriate choice. After all, even fans can't stop their idols from wanting to go back to school to complete their studies. It's the perfect reason. Plus, Dongyu University has a fully enclosed management structure, which saves a lot of trouble."

As he spoke, Kitagawa Ryo's tone became unusually rambling:

"So sometimes I think that this simple daily life on campus is probably the best medicine for Airi. Although time is never the medicine, the best medicine is always contained in time."

"...I don't quite agree with Liang's idea."

As if suddenly remembering something, Horikita Suzune hesitated before asking Kitagawa Ryo:

“I saw a dispute involving Airi at the beginning of last year in the student council. At first, I thought it was Ryo’s doing, but I quickly dismissed it because Ryo would never do something like throwing out a close friend as bait. So, that incident was Airi’s plan all by herself, right?”

"Ah."

When Horikita Suzune suddenly brought up something that happened almost a year ago, Kitagawa Ryo was taken aback for a moment, but immediately nodded in affirmation and then understood what she meant.

"In the first month after enrolling, he quickly devised a plan by leveraging his own resources and exploiting a loophole in the rules. By pressuring the school, he obtained a huge amount of personal points that no student in the entire grade could imagine. I don't think this is something a student who wants a peaceful campus life would do."

At this point, Horikita Suzune herself was also somewhat emotional.

The fact that her first thought upon realizing she was being followed was how to exploit this unexpected event to gain the greatest benefit and ultimately succeed demonstrates a level of mental fortitude and competence far exceeding that of ordinary people.

“What Ryo said may indeed be true, but you subconsciously ignored other aspects because you believed in your own opinion too much. Or more likely, Airi also realized Ryo’s idea, so she chose to settle for this kind of life. She definitely wanted to do as much as she could at first, otherwise she would never have done something like threatening the entire Dongyu School with her own strength.”

As a member of the student council, Horikita Suzune had been amazed more than once by the composure and ability that Sakura Airi herself displayed in that incident. In the style of a mystery novel, it was the most perfect crime that only she could have committed; it wouldn't have been possible without any of the elements.

"Ryo might think that what Airi most wants to get rid of is her past identity as an idol, but if you ask me, there might be a deeper underlying logic beneath that, just like what that incident showed—"

"That is, when necessary, she can use her past identity and everything attached to it as a bargaining chip and a weapon without any psychological burden."

Horikita Suzune did not specify the so-called "necessary time" in her words, but simply stared intently at Kitagawa Ryo for a while.

Karuizawa Kei started working towards the 20 million yen transfer fee from the second semester, and Ichinose Honami's progress was almost in sync with hers. Shiina Hiyori was still saving personal points with Kitagawa Ryo at this time.

But long before all of them, someone had already pre-deposited a full ten million personal points for Kitagawa Ryo, and not a single point has been touched to this day.

It was almost as if it were expressing some incredibly strong thought to him:

Please feel free to use me...

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

"My idol..."

Back in his dorm room, Kitagawa Ryo murmured the word as he lay down on the bed, casually grabbing Hotaru next to him and lifting her high against his chest:

"Hotaru, what exactly do you think this is?"

The pure white kitten just meowed twice in annoyance, broke free from his hands, and jumped in front of the computer. Skillfully, it continued to type out what it wanted to say with one finger, indicating that Kitagawa Ryo should recall the automatic simulation experience that happened last year, which actually contained the relevant answers.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that the parallel world belonging to Kitagawa Ryo's universe revolves entirely around the professions of idol and actor, and even allows her to witness the precious settlement scene of her sister's victory, which she hasn't seen in a long time.

Kitagawa Ryo himself was clearly not very interested in the parallel world simulation that Hotaru had started without his permission. Perhaps it was because he had completed all four heroine chapters in this world, and he hadn't encountered anyone he knew in that other world.

That's why he basically doesn't look back at that life, since it's meaningless and would only affect his self-perception and daily life on that timeline.

However, since Hotaru said so, Kitagawa Ryo had no choice but to try to find the answer he wanted by following the points she had chosen.

Then, he actually found the answer that made him realize something.

The so-called idol is a job or profession that you can no longer genuinely love after you truly realize your feelings for someone. Because after that, every time you say or sing something like "I like you all" or "I love you" to your fans on stage, even though you know it's just a lie, you will still feel a clear and intense fear in your heart.

Just like the story of the boy who cried wolf, the more similar lies you tell, the more afraid you will become, even if you finally want to tell your true feelings to the person you love, whether those words are true or not, whether they are enough, and finally how to show your love and affection only to them.

"...Isn't that a bit too extreme?"

Having found the closest answer through another chapter of his life, Kitagawa Ryo felt his mood grow increasingly heavy.

"Meow--"

Ying simply licked her paw pads lazily, stretched her body against the floor, and let out two soft cries, as if to comfort him.

Anyway, we've encountered even more extreme cases before, so relax.

With a long sigh, Kitagawa Ryo sat up in bed again and rummaged through the drawer of his desk. He found a name tag with Sakura Airi's name on it, which he had neatly arranged on the inside. It was the one he had gotten back from his teacher during the special exam on the deserted island.

As a former idol, Sakura Airi's signature has become habitually designed with a touch of deliberate artistry, yet the strokes still reveal a girlish playfulness that left Kitagawa Ryo somewhat bewildered.

If it weren't for Horikita Suzune's reminder tonight and Hotaru's special lesson, he probably would have continued to be so self-righteous in thinking that this was the lifestyle that Sakura Airi wanted. But after his mindset suddenly changed, many things that he used to think were normal suddenly became very different.

The real reason the other party chose to graduate and enter Tokyo Advanced Educational High School at the height of their career; the reason behind their use of feigned retreat and personal bait to extort ten million personal points from the school in their first month of enrollment; and the reason why they haven't reacted at all before and after his class transfer...

Holding Sakura Airi's name tag, Kitagawa Ryo unconsciously drew back the curtains and opened the window, fully enjoying the cool evening breeze brushing against his face. Tonight was a clear night with a bright moon and few stars.

The full moon in the sky is shining brightly.

The girl's thoughts, like its mind, were mute.

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

Is it Horikita Suzune or Sakayanagi Arisu?

For the students in Class A of the first year, this is probably the question they have been thinking about the most for the past month or so, without exception.

With the conclusion of the special mixed training camp exam, the class's factions were finally clearly defined for the time being: the girls preferred Sakayanagi Arisu, while the boys supported Horikita Suzune.

However, this is not absolute. Just as there might be one or two boys who support Sakayanagi Arisu, there might also be girls who prefer Horikita Suzune.

However, after Kitagawa Ryo transferred schools and left, almost everyone had a new person to support. After all, his departure was a fait accompli. Therefore, even Sudo Ken, who most recognized and supported Kitagawa Ryo, chose Horikita Suzune to cheer him on.

But there are always exceptions, which is why it is said to be 'almost'.

Sakura Airi didn't care about any of that.

Rather, she simply hoped that the student council election would end as soon as possible, regardless of who the final winner was.

Because of this, Kitagawa Ryo, who was forced to take the blame for the student council by Acting Chairman Tsukishiro Tsuneshige, was able to return to the drama club, allowing the club, which had been stagnant for a long time, to resume its previous activity rhythm.

After all, this was the last opportunity for Kitagawa Ryo to spend time with and communicate with the other person after Kitagawa Ryo transferred classes.

Karuizawa Kei was his most compatible and dazzling partner on stage; Ichinose Honami was willing to start from scratch to earn 20 million points and transfer classes without hesitation for him; Sakayanagi Arisu took over his mornings; Horikita Suzune enjoyed his evenings all to herself; and the lunch break was the perfect opportunity for Shiina Hiyori from Class 1-D to routinely go to his class for lunch...

Just as Sakura Airi lowered her eyes again, preparing to pack her schoolbag and leave the classroom after school, a familiar voice stopped in front of her.

In fact, the boy who once told her he would use the sugar in desserts to glue her lips and teeth together so that his lines wouldn't escape her mouth was the one most capable of prying open her lips.

It only takes one sentence.

“Aili, sometimes now…”

"Have!"

Oh, so half a sentence is enough.

Chapter 499: Please Take Responsibility for This

After successfully arranging for Sakura Airi to leave the classroom, Kitagawa Ryo did not immediately strike up a conversation with her. Instead, looking at her face, he naturally thought of the OAA information he had reviewed before coming.

Since the OAA system was originally designed to assess students' performance using quantifiable data, and to allow students to track their progress and receive positive feedback, it also records various data points for each student upon enrollment. Without compromising personal privacy, it also includes comments from interviewers and subsequent feedback from class advisors over time.

This is what Sakura Airi's data was like when she first enrolled in school.

Academic ability: D+

Intelligence: C

Judgment: B

Athletic ability: B

Coordination: D

Interviewer's comments: This is a rather special student. She has been active as a professional idol, which has resulted in her grades being at the bottom and her academic level being relatively low. However, her years of performing on stage have made her physical fitness stand out among her peers. Nevertheless, there are concerns about whether she can get along well with her classmates. She has been temporarily assigned to Class D, and we look forward to her growth.

However, just six months later, when the OAA system was officially launched, the other party's data had already changed to this:

Academic ability: B (74)

Physical ability: B (75)

Flexible thinking ability: A (94)

Social contribution: A- (83)

Overall ability: A- (81)

Finally, as the third semester was drawing to a close, the other party's data on OAA was updated again:

Academic ability: B+ (79)

Physical ability: B+ (77)

Flexible thinking ability: A (90)

Social contribution: A (88)

Overall ability: A- (83)

Undoubtedly, judging from the data alone, Sakura Airi has made significant progress in all aspects compared to when she first entered the university. Her academic ability, which was originally considered a weakness, has been fully strengthened, her physical fitness is slowly but steadily improving, and her social contribution is steadily increasing due to the flourishing of the drama club. However, her flexible thinking ability has declined instead of improved.

According to the OAA system, flexible thinking ability is calculated and evaluated based on factors such as the number of friends, interpersonal status, communication skills, and the ability to use wit. This also explains a certain psychological change that occurred in Sakura Airi during the second and third semesters.

She became increasingly weary of sorting out and maintaining her interpersonal relationships, especially when Kitagawa Ryo transferred to another class and Class 1-A fell into chaos. Despite having the ability to make a difference and compete, she quietly chose to retreat, which is why the school deducted her score for flexible thinking.

Even so, a score of 90 is still among the top in the entire Tokyo Advanced Educational Junior High School. After all, as Amasawa Ichika said, Sakura Airi, or rather, idol Shizuku's influence has never been limited to one grade. She even has a large number of fans among the school's faculty and staff, which is why the stalking incident occurred.

Of course, it was precisely because of that embarrassing incident that the school could only keep their distance from Sakura Airi.

Kitagawa Ryo thought this was a good starting point, so he quickly started chatting with Sakura Airi in a friendly tone about the OAA ratings.