I have a life simulator.

"Rock-paper-scissors!"

"Rock-paper-scissors!"

The first game ended quickly, with Kitagawa Ryo choosing rock and Ichinose Honami choosing scissors.

"As expected, Honami still prefers to play scissors in the first round, just like when he was a child."

Kitagawa Ryo wore a smug expression. Even though it was just a simple game, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the process.

"Isn't Liang afraid that I'll change my habit of playing rock-paper-scissors?"

"I came here to collect stones with unwavering faith in Honami."

Kitagawa Ryo put his right hand back behind his back and smiled as he spoke to Ichinose Honami.

"I'll be throwing scissors again next round."

Honami Ichinose turned her gaze to the eager Kitagawa Ryo and announced this in a lighthearted tone.

"You just said you trusted me, right?"

Rock-paper-scissors is not just a game of luck; there is also room for speculation before the actual move is made. If someone declares what they will make before making their move, it turns into a game of suspicion and denial.

However, Honami Ichinose didn't seem to have considered all that; she simply spoke to Ryo Kitagawa:

"It doesn't matter where we go, as long as Liang makes the decision, let's finish this quickly."

After saying this, Honami Ichinose stared at Ryo Kitagawa's face, but the other party still chuckled as always.

"Well, I see."

What is he thinking?

Will he really believe me and do as I say?

"Rock-paper-scissors!"

"Rock-paper-scissors."

Kitagawa Ryo continued to throw punches without hesitation, but he was facing Ichinose Honami's cloth.

"Honan can lie now."

Kitagawa Ryo showed no surprise or anger.

Sure enough, even though he knew I was deceiving him, he still did as I said.

"Believe me" is a common trick used by scammers. If you hear those three words, you should be suspicious first.

Honami Ichinose pretended not to care and continued to put her hand behind her back:

"Please be careful of these liars who say they believe me in the future..."

Is Fanbo an actor?

"what?"

"Because Fanbo's performance was really good, his poker face was spot on. Anyone who can deceive others with a clear conscience must be either a conman or an actor."

Kitagawa Ryo winked mischievously at Ichinose Honami:

"Moreover, the better the actor's acting skills, the more deeply they deceive the audience, and the more praise they will receive."

I feel a dull ache in my heart, and my throat is a little dry.

"It's the last round."

Ichinose Honami interrupted Kitagawa Ryo as if deliberately avoiding the topic.

"But the audience won't be fooled twice by the same acting, you know. I'm very good at seeing through lies."

With brimming confidence, Kitagawa Ryo made the announcement, as if victory was already in his grasp.

"I was just scammed..."

Honami Ichinose sighed and prepared to start the third game.

Just before the two were about to throw their punches, Kitagawa Ryo suddenly spoke:

"Fan Bo."

"Ok?"

"This time, I'm still a stone."

There was no time to think; the next second came the punch.

In the final moments, even Ichinose Honami herself couldn't grasp the thought that flashed through her mind.

"Fonami won."

The scene that unfolded before the two was Ichinose Honami's cloth and Kitagawa Ryo's stone.

"Why do you look so surprised? It seems Fanbo trusts me a lot."

"Although Fanbo has learned to lie, he is also very naive and easily deceived."

Despite losing the game, Kitagawa Ryo showed no signs of discouragement. He stood up, patted his knees, and asked casually:

"Where to next?"

"Let's go to the temple."

Honami Ichinose didn't come back to her senses until she heard Ryo Kitagawa's question. Before that, she was just staring at her right hand, which had been unfolded into a cloth.

The plan was proceeding smoothly, but I felt no joy at all. It was like an empty and silent abyss, where no emotion could be heard.

"Is Fanbo also interested in temples? I heard you can draw fortune sticks there, and they're said to be quite accurate."

Biting her lip hard, desperately trying to suppress the discomfort rising in her stomach, Honami Ichinose answered calmly:

"It's alright, it's getting late, maybe we can still catch the vegetarian meal that's open to the public."

"Want to hold hands?"

Hearing Ichinose Honami's words, Kitagawa Ryo smiled happily, like a child who had gotten a perfect score at school and was confidently reaching out for candy from their parents:

"Of course."

Unlike their previous hand-holding at the park entrance, Kitagawa Ryo could feel that the other person's hand had become much colder:

"Fanbo's hands are a little cold."

"It's probably because I was holding an ice cream cone earlier."

"I hope I can go to the fireworks festival again this year, just like before."

Why bring this up all of a sudden?

"Because time is running out, and there are plenty of shops selling yukatas around here, aren't there?"

Kitagawa Ryo seemed to notice that the other person's hand was trembling slightly due to unease:

"I will definitely come back from abroad before the fireworks festival starts next year."

"Although it might be a little difficult, I'll try to come back before Honami's birthday if I can do it earlier. It's July 20th, right? I've already prepared a gift for Honami this year."

Kitagawa Ryo rarely makes promises, so this was one of the few times Ichinose Honami saw him planning and sketching out the future with such anticipation.

Perhaps realizing that the girl beside him hadn't responded, Kitagawa Ryo scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly.

"It seems we've gone too far ahead and gotten a little too excited."

As Kitagawa Ryo spoke, he cautiously glanced at Ichinose Honami, who was standing beside him with her head down, seemingly texting someone. Her long hair fell down, obscuring her face and making it impossible to see her expression.

"...It's okay, I'm looking forward to it too."

"I haven't received a birthday present from you in a long time."

Honami Ichinose put her phone away, reached out and smoothed her hair back, revealing her usual bright smile.

"However, I won't accept anything too valuable."

"I can't afford to give anything too expensive."

Kitagawa Ryo recalled that the gifts he had given the other person were mostly practical items like umbrellas, alarm clocks, and cups—not particularly expensive—and tentatively began to speak:

Are small accessories like hair clips considered valuable?

"I feel like my mom will nag me. She never wants me to receive something like this from you that's conspicuous and can be taken out in public."

Honami Ichinose let out a deep sigh. Through the gaps in the tree branches, they could already see the golden eaves of the buildings ahead.

"The tourist guide says that the vegetarian food here is open from 11:30 am to 1 pm, and there is a limit of 1,000 servings. It's already 12:30 pm now, and I don't know if I'll make it in time."

After estimating the remaining distance, Kitagawa Ryo spoke a little nervously. After all, the two of them had already booked lunch here in advance, and if they missed it, they would have to eat the sandwiches they brought to fill their stomachs.

"There's still time, hurry up and go."

Honami Ichinose cast her gaze toward the distant temple, as if she could hear the tolling of a great bell.

Struggling to suppress her emotions, and seeing the somewhat puzzled look in Kitagawa Ryo's eyes, Ichinose Honami smoothed her wind-blown hair, stopped, turned to face him, leaned forward slightly, and said, word by word:

"Believe me."

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

"Wow, the promotional pictures are so beautiful, but the taste is just so-so. It's a perfect match for the price of the freebies."

Having just emerged from the somewhat crowded tourist cafeteria and breathed in the fresh air of the grass and trees, Karuizawa Kei couldn't help but complain.

"The taste is indeed too bland."

While searching around for the cat that had temporarily stayed in the garden, Ichinose Maki casually chimed in.

"firefly!"

Spotting a lazy white creature perched on a tree, Ichinose Maki ran down to the tree and called out.

Hearing its owner's call, the white cat quickly leaped down and returned to Ichinose Maki's arms.

"Not only do they have the same name, they also look very similar."

Although I had heard Kitagawa Ryo talk about a white cat named "Hotaru" that he and Ichinose Honami had raised together a few days ago, and knew that the white cat that Ichinose Maki was holding now was a white cat that looked like Hotaru that they had bought later, Karuizawa Megumi still couldn't help but express such feelings.

She reached out and stroked the white cat's head, but after receiving a slightly disdainful look in return, she awkwardly lowered her hand.

"what time is it now?"

"Hurry up."

Upon hearing Maki Ichinose's question, Megumi Karuizawa took out her phone and glanced at it:

"Let's rest for a while and then go to the top of the mountain, otherwise I feel like we won't have enough time to get down."

"Okay, let's sit here and wait a bit longer."

After deciding on their itinerary, Ichinose Maki and Karuizawa Megumi found a stone bench under a tree and chatted casually while digesting their food. However, the conversation gradually veered towards Kitagawa Ryo.

"Did Kitagawa-senpai live across the street from your house since he was a child?"

"Well, so when we heard that my brother's family was a fairly wealthy family, my sister and I were quite surprised, because when my brother was little, he didn't look like a rich person at all. He often ran to play in various woods and sandy areas, and he only bought the cheapest kind of popsicles."

“My brother and sister have been together since elementary school. It wasn’t until they entered junior high school that my brother gradually became different from the other boys. Although my sister is also very outstanding, she always felt that she couldn’t hold her head up in front of my brother.”

Ichinose Maki commented on Kitagawa Ryo, counting on her fingers:

"He was already a year older than his sister, so he entered junior high school before her and became the student council president before her. He was a handsome guy and played soccer well. I heard that when he was about to graduate from junior high school, he received more than a dozen love letters every morning."

"Kitagawa-senpai is indeed a very outstanding person, and he has a great personality that gives people a sense of security."

Karuizawa Kei nodded in agreement. Although she and Kitagawa Ryo had only been in a fake relationship for a few days, it was enough for her to realize that having such a boyfriend was something to be proud of. Even today, she would often think of the scene when Kitagawa Ryo put his arm around her shoulder and accepted her confession in front of everyone.

"She has a good personality..."

Ichinose Maki stroked the white cat in her arms and hesitated before speaking:

"I don't deny that, but my brother sometimes does things that don't match his appearance."

"And it's all because of my sister."

Ichinose Maki suddenly retorted angrily:

"My sister is such an idiot!"

"Eh?"

Startled by the sudden volume of the small girl beside her, Karuizawa Megumi let out a soft "hmm" in confusion.