I have a life simulator.

Although the result was inexplicably that more and more people needed his response.

In a sense, Tianze Yixia wasn't wrong to scold him. After all, in their eyes, they wished they could grow countless hands and feet to embrace one woman on each side, to soothe all the women who needed comforting, and to love all the women who needed loving.

Thinking of this, Kitagawa Ryo couldn't help but grab Hotaru, who looked completely innocent, and angrily patted her head.

But now, Kitagawa Ryo could only face their piercing gazes and speak his true thoughts, even though he himself felt it was pretentious.

But he still honestly confessed:

"I just hope that everyone can be happy."

Perhaps neither Sakayanagi Arisu nor Horikita Suzune expected Kitagawa Ryo to say such a thing. While they were still in shock, Kitagawa Ryo looked up again and, first looking at Horikita Suzune, said:

"Which version of herself do you think is better, the current version or the past version, and which version do you like more?"

"Of course, it's me right now."

Horikita Suzune gave Kitagawa Ryo a cold glare. She already knew what Kitagawa Ryo was about to say, but she couldn't lie at all.

In fact, Horikita Suzune herself would occasionally wonder what she would be like now if she didn't have that memory and Kitagawa Ryo's guidance.

He continues to live in his own world, placing the shrine of Horikita Manabu at the highest level, unable to communicate normally with others while hating his own powerlessness.

"Yes, that's good. This is what I wanted, and what Lingyin wanted too, isn't it?"

Horikita Suzune couldn't refute Kitagawa Ryo's words because she herself had finally realized the most crucial issue.

Kitagawa Ryo never harmed Horikita Suzune, who was standing there, from beginning to end.

On the contrary, just as Kitagawa Ryo said, he made himself a better version of himself.

On the contrary, her thoughts just now seemed more like a drama she directed and acted in herself.

"As for Arisu... I know you're a bit emotional after just receiving those two memories, but actually—you've already seen them, so let's both calm down for a couple of days, shall we?"

After comforting Horikita Suzune, Kitagawa Ryo spoke to Sakayanagi Arisu again.

Whether it's Honami Ichinose and Megumi Karuizawa, who have carried simulated memories since childhood, or Suzune Horikita, who has been receiving those memories for over two years, in reality, aside from these simulations, Ryo Kitagawa has already built other memories with them.

He co-starred in plays with Karuizawa Kei for several years, and his friendship with Ichinose Honami began with a cup of hot cocoa. He also participated in a cultural festival with Horikita Suzune and rehearsed a musical called "Cats".

But Sakayanagi Arisu is different.

The person standing in front of Kitagawa Ryo now is neither Sakayanagi Arisu, who huddled together with him in the hospital room during the first simulation, nor Sakayanagi Arisu, who had known him for ten years during the second simulation.

She inherited their memories and emotions, but at the same time, she retained her own worldview and values ​​from the past ten years. They are one person, but not the same person.

That's why Sakayanagi Arisu didn't act like herself today.

Kitagawa Ryo realized this, which is why he said those things just now.

"..."

Taking a deep breath, Sakayanagi Arisu seemed to understand Kitagawa Ryo's intention. She closed her eyes, opened them again, and finally nodded.

"I see."

"Well then, you two, I'm going back to sleep now."

Misaka Yanagi Arisu regained her composure, and Kitagawa Ryo unceremoniously pounced on the bed, waving his hand dismissively.

Horikita Suzune left quite nimbly, only reminding Kitagawa Ryo to get some rest.

Sakayanagi Arisu hesitated for a moment, then glanced down at Kitagawa Ryo's left arm before finally pursing her lips and whispering to him:

"...I'm sorry, please get some rest."

The door slammed shut.

The room finally quieted down.

Kitagawa Ryo rolled over on the bed, immersing his consciousness into the simulator in his mind.

[Congratulations to the player for achieving the ending: Indecisive]

Indecisiveness: He who chases two rabbits will catch neither.

Judging from the ending's name and rating, this was not a successful simulation; afterwards, it barely passed with a score of 61.

But Kitagawa Ryo didn't care about any of that. After completing all four chapters, there was no hidden fifth chapter or anything like that. He also got the [mystery prize] that had been piquing his curiosity since the first simulation.

That is the power to correct the world, but it is limited to important plot characters appearing in the simulator. Moreover, it needs to conform to basic logic. The greater the deviation from real-world logic, the more difficult it is to correct.

Kitagawa Ryo initially planned to directly make Sakayanagi Arisu's heart disease disappear, but later discovered that such a supernatural phenomenon was impossible to implement.

So he changed his approach and chose to base his research findings on the Kitagawa family's research results from more than ten years ago. Sure enough, as a result of the butterfly effect, Sakayanagi Arisu's congenital heart disease was also cured.

Because he didn't want anyone else's life to need any more corrections, Kitagawa Ryo used his last bit of energy on Yuki and Amasawa Ichika.

Once everything is set up, the simulator seems to lose all its functions, except for allowing users to view their talents and items.

But he was already content.

Kitagawa Ryo hugged Hotaru tightly beside him. Unlike last time, he had formed bonds with many more people.

I want everyone to be happy.

Because I learned about their misfortune.

I want everyone to be happy.

This certainly includes myself.

Chapter 124: The Sea Everyone Is Longing For

"Would you like to sit in my room for a while?"

Standing in front of Kitagawa Ryo's room, Horikita Suzune tried to invite Sakayanagi Arisu, who had stepped out after the door was closed.

"it is good."

Sakayanagi Arisu nodded without hesitation. She and Horikita Suzune were not the same kind of people, but they had experienced the same things. The worst thing for two people to talk about is not being able to find common topics, but this problem did not exist for the two of them.

The person in the room alone is enough for them to brew tea several times over.

The two of them didn't speak until they entered Horikita Suzune's room, because if they opened their mouths, they would definitely want to talk about that person, but these things couldn't be overheard by others. So they could only remain silent, looking at each other, and slowly enter Horikita Suzune's room.

"I don't have coffee here, how about green tea?"

As Horikita Suzune opened the kitchen cabinets, she asked, her room, like the impression others had of her, possessed a kind of austere cleanliness.

"can."

Sakayanagi Arisu was very sparing with her words, as if she had exhausted all her energy in Kitagawa Ryo's room, or as if she wanted to save all her energy for the conversation to come.

She glanced around at the room's decor and layout, then focused her gaze on Horikita Suzune, who was brewing tea in the kitchen. To Sakayanagi Arisu's surprise, Horikita Suzune's tea-brewing skills were not only as adept and graceful as the members of the school's tea ceremony club, but her every move also carried a gentle feeling that seemed out of place with the atmosphere of the room.

It's not that its edges have been forcibly smoothed out, but rather that it exudes a gentle, spring-like tenderness from the inside out.

The brewed tea was served quickly. Sakayanagi Arisu usually drinks more coffee, so she didn't immediately want to drink it and just sat there with her teacup.

Meanwhile, Horikita Suzune took a sip as if it didn't matter, swallowing softly, but in the quiet space it sounded like an echo falling into a well.

It was only then that Sakayanagi Arisu noticed a small fish tank on the coffee table in front of her, with only two red goldfish swimming inside.

Although Tokyo Advanced Educational High School does not allow students to keep pets, as Kitagawa Ryo said, as long as they are not discovered, it is fine. Even if they are discovered, it is just a matter of spending some personal points.

After all, the school had already told them that personal points could buy everything at the school.

But when Sakayanagi Arisu thought about Horikita Suzune being a member of the student council, she inexplicably felt like laughing. However, she quickly realized that she was also a nominal member of the student council, so if it really came down to embezzlement, none of them could escape it.

Noticing that Sakayanagi Arisu's gaze was fixed on the two goldfish on the coffee table, Horikita Suzune thought it was a decent opening topic and took the initiative to introduce them:

"I asked Ryo to bring this to me when the drama club went out last time."

"But isn't it said that you should raise an odd number of goldfish, not an even number?"

Sakayanagi Arisu looked very serious, as if she were genuinely discussing the goldfish.

"This idea originated from the belief of some scholars that keeping two fish of the same species in the same aquarium would cause them to fight over territory, food, or something else."

Horikita Suzune stood up, took out her own prepared fish food from a nearby cabinet, and calmly answered as she sprinkled it into the fish tank:

"But this situation is not absolute. At least the two fish here have never clashed."

"And isn't there a saying that keeping a fish will make it feel lonely?"

"maybe."

Sakayanagi Arisu wisely ended the topic. She had already anticipated that if it continued, those memories unique to the other person would soon flourish and grow into a giant baring its fangs and claws in front of her, using these two goldfish as a vessel.

"Can you tell me about that dream you had with Liang?"

Realizing this, Sakayanagi Arisu decided to take the lead in the discourse.

"It's just a story about a self-righteous younger sister being pulled back from a dead end by an unreliable older cousin."

"Brother and sister? How can that be..."

"I forgot to add that they are not related by blood. Besides, in that story, the one who is actually Ryo's biological sibling is Arisu-kun."

Horikita Suzune nodded earnestly, lowering her eyes as she continued to sip her tea slowly, and said:

“I am not the Horikita Suzune in the story, and my feelings for Ryo are not based solely on those things. They are just the beginning and background of my real relationship with Ryo.”

"To be honest, it's like watching a movie I starred in, or rather, it's just another possible future."

Horikita Suzune put down her teacup and looked into Sakayanagi Arisu's eyes, saying:

"What about you?"

Sakayanagi Arisu smiled inwardly. Horikita Suzune seemed to have said a lot, but they were all vague insights, and she didn't reveal any specific memories.

However, just as it is sad when only one person remembers a shared memory between two people, it is also a betrayal to easily talk about a shared memory as if it were just a topic of conversation.

Unless it is after a real victory.

The large screen at the wedding venue was there specifically for this purpose.

Therefore, Sakayanagi Arisu also summarized it briefly:

“I was cured of my heart disease by Liang, just like you can see.”

Horikita Suzune seemed to have anticipated Sakayanagi Arisu's response, and steered the conversation to another topic:

"So, does that mean you can participate in this special exam during the summer vacation?"

"Yes, the student council has withdrawn my application due to a work error."

At this point, even the usually calm and collected Arisu Sakayanagi couldn't help but raise her voice slightly, and a hint of anticipation appeared in her eyes.

Unlike the two simulations in which she recovered her health at the ages of thirteen and seven respectively, in reality, Arisu Sakayanagi has suffered from congenital heart disease for nearly seventeen years.

Sakayanagi Arisu recalled the time before school started when she secretly went for a walk on the beach alone and had her hat blown away by the wind. Because it was a precious gift from her father, Sakayanagi Arisu wanted to retrieve it, tried her best to retrieve it, and intended to retrieve it with all her might.

It's something that a six or seven-year-old child could easily do, but she just can't.

She could only watch helplessly as the hat disappeared from her sight, then, carried by the wind, inch by inch approached the sea, before being swallowed up by the deep blue waves and vanishing completely.

That was a profound sense of powerlessness.

Sakayanagi Arisu once read a story like this in a book:

Two people were struggling to survive in the desert when they suddenly found a half-full bottle of mineral water.

An optimist would say: Ah! How lucky, there's still half a bottle of water left.

A pessimist, on the other hand, would say: Oh no! What bad luck, there's only half a bottle of water left.

In the end, the optimist made it out of the desert with the half-full bottle of water, while the pessimist collapsed before the oasis.

At the end of the story, after the bolded word "Revelation," it says: In life, we must face everything with optimism and positivity.

If Sakayanagi Arisu accepts this story, she will surely be able to comfort herself:

How lucky! Congenital heart disease is not fatal!

How lucky! I can still get around with the help of a cane!

How lucky I am! My father is a loving and wonderful father!

But the truth is, this has never been a matter of optimists and pessimists dealing with a half-full bottle of water.

Although there was only half a bottle of water left in front of Sakayanagi Arisu, in all her field of vision, she always saw a full bottle of water.

Even though she might look down on Haruki Yamauchi, who had already dropped out of school, the truth is that if the two of them bumped into each other on the street, she would be the one who got knocked down.