I have a life simulator.

"Then it's not a big problem."

"Wow," Xue added again:

"Of course, I'm not saying that Arisu might disagree. On the contrary, I think Ayanokouji doesn't really want me to join the student council."

"That's normal, because the student council only recruits a limited number of people each year. If you come and take up a spot, then the freshmen in his camp will be squeezed out."

He casually pulled out a chair and sat down. After hesitating for a moment, Kitagawa Ryo finally decided to ask:

"How was it like meeting Arisu again?"

Why do you seem so nervous? Are you feeling guilty?

Instead of finding a seat like Kitagawa Ryo, Yuki walked up behind him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and rested her chin on his forehead. As she spoke, she deliberately applied a little pressure, as if she were putting pressure on him in sync.

"However, I don't think Ryo has any reason to feel guilty. In fact, I've always believed that it's because Ryo always tries to interfere in the things between me and Arisu that my various issues with her have dragged on until today without being truly resolved."

Kitagawa Ryo couldn't immediately discern the true meaning behind Yuki's words, but he still replied according to his own honest thoughts:

"But Xue also knew that this was impossible."

"Yeah, that's impossible."

Xue nodded in agreement.

"Actually, I knew it all along."

"But I still don't think this is Ryo's problem. It's Arisu and I who deliberately exploited this aspect of Ryo's personality."

Although she had just told Sakayanagi Arisu and Horikita Suzune a few minutes earlier that "things couldn't be better now," Yuki was not entirely unaware that there was still a huge flaw in her current personality. This was due to both self-awareness and the constant emphasis and reminders from her younger sister, Tsubaki Sakurako.

However, recognizing something is one thing, but actually finding a way to solve it is another.

Sakayanagi Arisu and Yuki have undoubtedly fallen into a protracted tug-of-war so long that they have almost forgotten their original intentions, and both are convinced that if they take a step back, the other will take two steps forward without hesitation.

It's like a prisoner's dilemma, where no one is willing to be the first to make a change.

“Arisu and I have similar personalities, so if you categorize me as abnormal, you shouldn’t treat her as normal.”

Kitagawa Ryo could hear her muttering to herself.

The initial shock from Honami Ichinose inevitably put Yuki in a state of imbalance. Even though the matter itself had nothing to do with Arisu Sakayanagi, her thought process could easily sway her to the other party's side.

"Actually, something similar happened to Arisu as well."

Whether it was to comfort him or for some other reason, Kitagawa Ryo began to recount the events related to Arisu that had occurred during the mixed training camp special exam at the beginning of this year. He did not express any subjective personal opinions, but simply recounted everything in a plain and unassuming manner.

"It's perfectly normal for her to do something like this."

As expected, as soon as Kitagawa Ryo finished speaking, Yuki simultaneously showed an expression of complete unsurprise and utter nonchalance:

“Extreme personality and psychological problems are not unique to the test subjects from the White Room. Moreover, I have never felt that Arisu is any different from me in this respect, as she was able to become like this even in an environment outside the White Room.”

"It's cold? What do you think?"

“I think the most important thing we should do now is to call Arisu over and have the three of us have a heart-to-heart talk.”

"I can't do that."

Yuki raised her chin, leaning forward slightly, casting her shadow from above onto Kitagawa Ryo, obscuring his entire field of vision, and retorted without hesitation:

"Have the three of us not talked enough before?"

"Just like I just said, it's precisely because Ryo is always there that the problem between Arisu and me can't be truly resolved."

"This is the clearest fact."

"Because neither Arisu nor I can express all our true feelings to Ryo, it's all in vain no matter how many times we come."

Although the meaning of the snow was quite clear, Kitagawa Ryo still firmly gave his answer:

"Because once some words are impulsively spoken, there is no possibility or room for reconciliation between us, whether it is between you or between you and me, so I do not want such a situation to occur."

"But that's just self-deception, because some thoughts are just real and undeniable, even if they are ugly and unreasonable. After all, what emotion becomes like this when it reaches its extreme?"

"Does Xue think that's how it is between us?"

After a series of questions exchanged, when Kitagawa Ryo uttered this question, Yuki finally froze for the first time, as if caught in some kind of paradox. Her beautiful face was contorted with emotion, and her words were fragmented and incoherent.

"No, it wasn't... me and Ryo."

Seeing that Yuki's face was contorted in a state of contradictory denial and embellishment, Kitagawa Ryosuke felt that things had gone a bit too far. He hadn't planned to confront her directly here anyway, so he ultimately decided to reach out and hug the girl tightly.

Their relationship was inherently a twisted one of mutual conjugation.

Now it's his turn to take on the role of the cotton-cloth mother.

There are always different troubles at different times.

Having the experience and wisdom of a 27-year-old at the age of 17 might easily solve the troubles of a 17-year-old, but at the same time, it will also bring the troubles of a 27-year-old with it.

Thought has no end; shortcomings are always in the past, and answers are always in the future.

The reality that is passing by second by second always feels unreal.

So, half the days are always spent reflecting and reminiscing, and the other half are always spent weaving hopes. Living is like merely sleepwalking through the past and the future.

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

The Tokyo Advanced Educational High School acted faster than expected. The final round of student council interviews hadn't even started yet; just over a week after the new students started school, the first special exam of the academic year was officially announced.

"As previously announced, this special exam will be a cooperative competition between second-year and first-year students."

Since being promoted to Class A, homeroom teacher Hoshinomiya Chie's enthusiasm has reached a new level, and she's full of energy when explaining the rules of this special exam:

"This special exam is actually a written test just like the midterm and final exams, but you will be paired up with first-year students to participate together."

"Simply put, this exam tests your academic ability as well as your interpersonal and communication skills."

"In the future, there will likely be competition with first- or third-grade students, but this time it will be entirely about establishing a cooperative relationship. Please remember this."

"The specific rules are also very simple. Second-year students need to go to the first-year students' area and form a 1+1 team with the freshmen to take the written test together. The test time is about two weeks later at the end of April. The time to confirm the partners is within this week. If a partner cannot be found within the specified time, the system will also randomly assign one."

"That being said, the school does not treat students who cannot find a partner on an equal footing with other students. Therefore, for pairs formed due to time running out, the school adopts a penalty of deducting five percent of their total score as punishment for both of them."

"On the day of the exam, five subjects will be taken together. Each subject is worth 100 points, for a total of 500 points. The final scores will be ranked in two ways: class and group, just like last year's special exam on the deserted island."

As she spoke, Hoshinomiya Chie pulled up the specific reward and punishment rules on the whiteboard behind her:

Class Groups:

The ranking is based on the average score calculated from the total score of the class and the scores of all partners.

Based on the average score from highest to lowest, reward class points are awarded in the following order: 100 points, 50 points, 30 points, and 0 points.

Individual Groups:

The team is ranked based on the combined score of themselves and their partner.

First place group: Each member receives one million personal points.

The second-place group: Each member receives 500,000 personal points.

The third-place group: each member receives 100,000 personal points.

The top 30% of groups will each receive 30,000 personal points.

The top 70% of groups will each receive 10,000 personal points.

Second-year students will be expelled if their total score is below 500. First-year students will not have their personal points added to their class points for the next three months, regardless of how many class points they maintain.

In addition, students who are found to have deliberately answered questions incorrectly and intentionally manipulated or lowered their scores will be expelled from school, regardless of their grade level.

If a third party is forced to take a low-scoring test, that student will also be expelled.

It must be said that it is immediately recognizable as the style of Shigemori Sakayanagi, who has returned to his position as chairman of the Tokyo University of Science and Technology.

Completely different from Yuecheng Changcheng.

The rewards are generous, the punishments are not harsh, and most groups receive encouraging personal points. There are even thoughtful clauses at the end to ensure fairness. If it were Yuecheng Changcheng, let alone these last few clauses, the investment and financial management class at the Beech Tree Shopping Center would probably be launching a new guessing game right away.

"Teacher Hoshinomiya, there should be fewer second-year students than first-year students, right? What will happen to the extra first-year students?"

Karuizawa Megumi raised her hand to ask a question.

After a year of life at Dongyu, quite a few students dropped out in the second year, which is indeed fewer than the first year, which was full when it first enrolled.

"Well, according to the school's supplementary rules, the test scores of first-year students who fail to form a group will be multiplied by two, and they can receive two rewards. However, if they fail to reach 500 points, they will have to bear the punishment of expulsion themselves."

After explaining this hidden rule, Hoshinomiya Chie added:

"I hope everyone can make good use of OAA, which should make it easier to get through this special exam."

Undoubtedly, this special exam puts more pressure on second-year students than on first-year students. After all, apart from those students who are forced to team up alone, the other first-year students would only lose three months' worth of personal points if they failed. At the moment, having just acquired 100,000 personal points, it is hardly a particularly severe punishment.

This is normal, after all, compared with the second-year students who have been working in this school for a year, the freshmen have only been here for about ten days, and they have not yet adapted to the rules and adjusted their mindset.

So in the end, the pressure will still fall on the second-year students.

As Kitagawa Ryo thoughtfully considered the rules of this newly released special exam, Hoshinomiya Chie continued to add more details:

"Partnerships are formed with the mutual consent of both parties, and logging into OAA will complete the team formation. Although you can form a team from this moment today, once you commit to a partnership, you cannot cancel the pairing for any reason. Please be sure to take this into consideration."

"At the same time, once the two partners are confirmed, the information displayed on the OAA will be updated simultaneously at 8:00 AM the following day, making it impossible to accept new applications, but the specific name of the partner will not be disclosed."

"Teacher Hoshinomiya, how difficult will this exam be?"

After thinking for a while, Kitagawa Ryo raised his hand and asked Hoshinomiya Chie about the part that was most important to the other students.

"To be honest, there are many very difficult questions. Judging by the difficulty alone, it should exceed any written test you have ever taken, but this is under the condition of aiming for a high score. The school has also prepared a lot of basic questions, although they are not completely accurate, but you can use them as a reference."

Hoshinomiya Chie took Kitagawa Ryo's question very seriously and quickly wrote the following on the blackboard:

Academic ability E: 150 to 200 points.

Academic ability D: 200 to 250 points.

Academic ability C: 250 to 300 points.

Academic ability B: around 350 points.

Academic Ability A: Around 400 points.

It does seem quite difficult. With a maximum score of 500, even the top student in the grade, Academic A, can only get around 400 points.

If judged according to this table, to pass this special exam, without a senior student to guide you, you would need to team up with students who have an academic level of C or above to pass.

"That concludes the summary of the special exams to be held in April. Good luck to everyone!"

As Hoshinomiya Chie finished speaking, all the rules for this special exam were explained.

Just as Kitagawa Ryo was about to lean over a little to say a few words to Ichinose Honami and Karuizawa Megumi beside him, his cell phone in his pocket suddenly started vibrating violently, as if it had been powered by some kind of electric motor and was about to jump out of his pocket.

Within just one or two minutes, he received over fifty team-up requests, forty friend requests, and anonymous text messages. Even after Kitagawa Ryo picked up his phone and woke up the screen, the verification and notification messages continued to scroll and refresh.

Kitagawa Ryo immediately put his phone into completely silent mode.

However, he wasn't surprised.

Because in the OAA client, if you sort by academic ability from highest to lowest, his photo is the first one you see.

That was 99 points, almost at the system's maximum, with a rating of A+.

It's safe to say that it's not just the female freshmen who are going crazy for him.

The younger students are coming too.

Chapter Thirteen: You want to do it too?

"Is Ryo planning to team up with Yuki for this special exam?"

Just as Kitagawa Ryo turned off all the notification sounds on his phone, he heard Ichinose Honami asking him a question. Unlike Karuizawa Megumi, who didn't care much about the situation of the first-year students, Ichinose Honami's attention to the first-year students and Yuki was even more than he had imagined. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he was on high alert.

"Yes, I'll be partnered with Xue."

Kitagawa Ryo nodded and readily admitted it.

Although the other person has been enrolled for some time, since they are not students in the same year, their classrooms and courses are all different. In addition, Xue herself is a student council member, not the drama club. Therefore, the two of them do not have much time to spend together, and opportunities to be alone together are even rarer.

Whether it was because Ichinose Honami's warning had really worked, or because Yuki herself was caught in some kind of mental struggle, apart from being taken down by a security chain on the first night of school, she never visited room 408 at night again. Their relationship fell into an even more strange silence after the start of the school year.

For this reason, the special exam that Kitagawa Ryo took with his first and second year partners was definitely a good opportunity.

"I see... I was originally thinking of having Liang make such a small sacrifice for the class."

Upon hearing this, Honami Ichinose also showed a somewhat regretful expression:

"If possible, Ryo should confirm his partnership with Yuki as late as possible. This will be beneficial for negotiations with the class and the first-year students."