I have a life simulator.

"That makes sense. Maeda, what exactly did you call us here to talk about today?"

When Sudo Ken spoke up, Shinohara Satsuki and Sato Maya, who were sitting opposite him, belatedly realized what was going on. After exchanging glances, they also took the initiative to ask questions.

"Yes, there's a reason for that... I deliberately didn't mention today's gathering to Fanbo and the others because I felt that some things were better left to us to discuss, or rather, it would be better for us to discuss them."

It seemed that he had indeed thought things through carefully before coming, and when asked by several people, Maezo calmly began to explain the purpose of the gathering.

"To put it simply, it's about this special exam."

"First of all, what follows are my own opinions. I think that in this class vote, shouldn't we be more careful and have more options for our future?"

Perhaps finding the wording somewhat inexplicable, after saying this, Maezono quickly added:

"Of course, I'm not saying we shouldn't listen to Kitagawa, the class leader. It's just that I feel that this special exam is more likely to hurt students like us than the important figures in the class."

"You see, this class vote is basically just two common options: eliminating the bottom performers in our own class or attacking the leaders of other classes. Either way, we could end up in a lower ranking and be eliminated."

"Suppose Class D wants to vote out Beichuan this time, then we must use all our praise votes to protect him, and we must not vote for him with criticism votes. In this case, the opponent's votes may become more than forty praise votes and more than forty criticism votes, and the final score will be close to zero. However, each student in the class has a full three criticism votes. If we vote less for Beichuan, it means that one more person will have to bear the burden of those three extra criticism votes, but the praise votes that fall on him will be less. In the end, it is very likely that there will be a few praise votes and a dozen criticism votes, resulting in a final score of negative ten points."

Although some sophistry was used, the people present were not particularly quick-witted, and for a moment they couldn't find any obvious loopholes or errors. They unconsciously felt that what the other party said made a lot of sense.

"I believe Kitagawa can handle this kind of thing."

But Takeru Sudo quickly escaped this mental trap, mainly because he was too lazy to think about it in detail and simply said, "Believe first, then question."

"Our class was able to move up from Class D to Class A only because of Kitagawa's leadership, so I think this special exam will be the same. We should just follow his instructions."

"But what if their instructions are for us to vote out the student with the lowest OAA rating in the class?"

When Maezono spoke up, Miyamoto Kuraji, who was standing next to him, broke out in a cold sweat. After all, according to the latest OAA rating, he was the lowest in Class 1-A. Hasebe, Shinohara, and Sato, who were next to him, also looked rather grim, probably because their OAA ratings were also among the lowest.

"Kitagawa wouldn't do such a thing."

"Didn't he do something like this in the first semester? He expelled six students from the class during the midterm exams, just because the class points were already zero and there was no point in deducting any points. Isn't this special exam the same thing, expelling students without deducting any class points?"

Maezono quickly retorted to Sudo Ken. Her own OAA score was actually among the lowest, so she had a particularly strong memory of the midterm exams around May of this year. After all, the fact that six desks were vacated in a class of forty students was truly unforgettable.

"Weren't those people expelled because they failed their midterm exams? What does that have to do with Kitagawa?"

After two semesters of growth, Takeru Sudo's thinking ability had also improved, and he immediately refuted this with clear thinking.

"But it's a fact that Kitagawa couldn't save them back then, right? According to your logic, if Kitagawa expels someone again this time, can't we also say it's because his OAA score is the lowest?"

"...All of this you're talking about hasn't happened yet; such pointless loans are meaningless."

"But it is meaningful to plan ahead; this is just a means for us to protect ourselves."

Mae-en merely sneered at this, and then continued speaking:

"Moreover, even if Kitagawa really said he wouldn't expel the students from the class, no one can guarantee that it's just a smokescreen to buy time. After all, if he knew in advance that he was going to be the sacrificial lamb to be pushed out, he would definitely drag the whole class down with him."

“I know you and Kitagawa have a good relationship, Sudo, but we don’t. Besides, I’ve said from the beginning that I don’t intend to disobey his orders; I just want to protect myself within that framework.”

Having said that, before Sudo Ken could retort, Maezono proactively brought up a new topic:

"Speaking of which, don't you guys think Kitagawa's existence is strange in itself? Why would a student like him be assigned to Class D in the first place? Although OAA was only implemented after the sports festival this semester, he has been acting very strangely since he entered school. If the school's class assignment criteria are based on talent, he shouldn't have been assigned to Class D in the first place."

“I know you’re thinking that there are other outstanding students in the class, but they are actually different from Kitagawa. Honami obviously has some problems with her personality or her past. Rather, I never thought there was really a girl who could treat everyone kindly and had no flaws. Sakayanagi, needless to say, has obvious physical problems. Horikita is not good at socializing. Sakura just graduated from idol school and is a ‘problem student’ who has been out of school for a while.”

After giving a series of comments on the girls in the class, Maezono steered the conversation back to Kitagawa Ryo:

"Can you find any reason why Kitagawa was assigned to Class D?"

When asked about this by Maezono, the first to answer was Maya Sato, who had just worked at a confectionery shop at the cultural festival two days prior and witnessed Kitagawa Ryo eating intimately with a girl from out of town.

"Because his private life is very messy...for example, he once caused someone to have an abortion?"

"Please, Kitagawa was a very famous theater actor before he enrolled in school. If that were true, the media and reporters would have dug it up and reported it long ago."

"Well, now that you mention it, it's true."

"Really? Right?"

After successfully persuading the other party, Maezono himself could hardly hide the joy on his face.

"But in the end, isn't this a good thing? Just like Sudo said, if it weren't for Kitagawa, we'd probably still be Class D with zero points, right?"

This time, it was Hasebe Haruka who spoke up, having barely said a word since entering the class. Despite having the kind of figure that Sakayanagi Arisu disliked the most, she was actually no less beautiful than the most popular students in the class. However, her academic, physical, and thinking abilities were not outstanding, and could only be described as below average. In addition, she had always been on the fringes of interpersonal relationships, so she didn't have much of a presence in the class.

However, for her personally, Haruka Hasebe quite liked this kind of school mode where she could quietly improve her grades along with the class, and maybe even get the benefits of Class A after graduation, provided that she wasn't expelled.

"That's why I said it all along: I believe in Kitagawa just like you, but I really can't gamble my entire fate on a leader we don't really understand. From the beginning, my only goal was to protect myself, nothing more."

Qian Yuan looked on with a helpless headache, then turned to ask the others:

"And you? Do you think you know Kitagawa well enough to know that he would never abandon you in this special exam?"

"Xiaomei, I remember you were called by the wrong name before, right? It was already a whole semester into the semester, and as a class leader, you couldn't even remember the students' names..."

Being suddenly called on, Wang Meiyu was a little confused, but she still nodded and answered:

"That is true, but it was a long time ago. I think it's probably because you all call me Xiaomei that he thinks my full name is Wang Xiaomei."

Seeing that the situation was not developing as she had expected, Maezo gritted her teeth and once again dropped a bombshell she had received from someone:

"Actually, Kitagawa never intended to stay in our class forever. As far as I know, he will transfer to another class this school year, either Class B or Class C."

Her words caused an uproar in the private room. Everyone exchanged bewildered glances before the impatient Shinohara Satsuki broke the silence:

"Are you serious? Such baseless claims..."

"There's evidence! Karuizawa from Class B was in a relationship with Kitagawa before she even enrolled, and she also earned a lot of personal points at the sports festival. So did Chabashira, the homeroom teacher from Class C. Do you remember when they came to help our Class A earn revenue at the cultural festival a couple of days ago? They said they used a loophole in the rules to threaten us, but if they really threatened us, why didn't they threaten Hoshinomiya, the homeroom teacher from Class B, as well?"

After another round of statements, a mix of truth and falsehood, Qian Yuan, having delivered her full-blown speech, picked up a drink from the table to moisten her throat and reiterated her position once again:

"I'll say it again: I've always believed in Kitagawa and don't deny his contributions to the class, but I'm also genuinely afraid of ending up like Yamauchi and Ike."

Then, she turned to Ken Sudo and said:

"As for Sudo, I know you have a good relationship with Kitagawa, and your OAA rating has been rising. You're different from us. But the reason I invited you here today is because I think you were also a bottom-of-the-class student like us in the past, so you should be able to understand our current thoughts better. At the same time, I also hope that you can become a pillar of the class like you through your own efforts in the future."

"So, even if you don't agree with my opinion, I hope you won't tell anyone about what happened today, okay?"

Finding this moral blackmail tactic somewhat difficult to resist, Takeru Sudo could only nod helplessly.

"I understand. I won't tell anyone, but I won't get involved either... I'll be going now, sorry."

And so, he stood up from his seat and quickly left the private room.

"If no one else leaves, it means that everyone agrees with my idea."

Watching Maehara begin to talk incessantly about her plans, Hasebe Haruka simply propped up her somewhat plump cheek with her hand, looking slightly bored.

Perhaps it was because of her lone wolf nature that she considered herself to be from a relatively objective, bystander's perspective regarding the interpersonal relationships among the girls in her class.

Both Maezono, who initiated the discussion, and Shinohara, who sat there nodding repeatedly, were actually the kind of people who wanted to enjoy being the center of attention and be the focus of the girls' attention. However, their positions in the class were firmly occupied at the top from the beginning by a certain archangel and a certain former idol. The next few positions were occupied by Matsushita Chiaki and her small group of followers, Sakayanagi Arisu. And Horikita Suzune, who was at least a student council member, was definitely not as good as them. For girls with their personality, it was indeed a bit frustrating.

As she was thinking, Hasebe Haruka suddenly recalled a scene she had seen earlier.

The girl who was walking hand-in-hand with Maezono back then, I think it was Hashimoto from Class C.

Chapter 361: The Two Ladies' Battle from the Beginning to Now

It was lunchtime again, and the student cafeteria was bustling with activity during lunch break and mealtime. Students from all three grades lined up at their chosen windows. Ichinose Honami, who had already gotten her food, easily found Sakayanagi Arisu's seat in the crowd. After greeting the other girls who had come with her, she took her tray and sat down next to them.

This is a seat in the corner of the restaurant, a small space separated by a wall and pillars. Because it is relatively remote, very few students choose to eat here. The closest seat was reserved in advance by Chiaki Matsushita, who will act as a sentry if anyone approaches.

"So, that's pretty much the situation. Hasebe recorded the second half of the meeting on his phone, so there shouldn't be any problem with its credibility."

"Yes, I already heard it when you sent it to me last night."

Sakayanagi Arisu leisurely ate the school's nutritious meal. Unlike Horikita Suzune and Kitagawa Ryo, who brought their own lunches, she and Ichinose Honami were always cafeteria regulars. However, the former simply couldn't cook, while the latter did it for social reasons. After all, girls really liked this kind of interaction where they had to do everything together.

"Have Fanbo and Liang talked about it?"

"not yet."

Honami Ichinose put down her plate and sat down opposite Arisu Sakayanagi, gently shaking her head in response to her question:

"I don't think it's necessary; we can handle it ourselves."

"Indeed, but have you considered that even if you handle this matter on your own, what about next time or the time after that? Even without Maeen, other students would do the same thing."

Sakayanagi Arisu seemed to disagree with Ichinose Honami's idea, and stopped eating with her chopsticks, continuing to speak with a somewhat complicated expression:

"Actually, this was something that could have been predicted long ago. Liang's management style for this class has always been problematic, but it just hasn't really come to a head because the class has been winning all semester. No, it's more accurate to say that the class's success has been too smooth and too fast, which is why this problem has become increasingly serious."

As early as when the OAA system was launched after the sports festival, Sakayanagi Arisu had already keenly noticed this problem: in fact, most of the students in Class A of the first year, although they were nominally in Class A, generally maintained a C grade in various abilities and overall evaluation in the OAA. Compared with their abilities at the beginning of the school year, they had indeed made visible progress, but it was still difficult for them to match the name of Class A, which currently held an absolute advantage in the grade.

Simply put, the class is indeed an A-level class, but in terms of the students' overall quality, the quality is still quite questionable.

Putting everything else aside, among the eight people that Maezono easily gathered this time, apart from Sudo Ken and Wang Meiyu, who each secured their OAA overall ratings at the B level thanks to their outstanding athletic abilities and diligent studies, the remaining seven can be said to be at the bottom.

It's not just that they're at the bottom of Class A, but they're not even that good enough for the entire first year. If you only look at the data, you'd think they were a student from Class D.

As for why we don't mention Class C, it's because the students from the original Class A really do outperformed these so-called bottom-ranked Class A students in terms of average OAA scores. For example, Shinohara Satsuki, who was most enthusiastic about Maezono's proposal, cut her DCDC rating in all four dimensions of OAA, including academic ability and physical ability, and her overall score was undoubtedly D+.

It can only be said that as the class leader, Kitagawa Ryo only needs to think about how to get class points and lead the class to advance in rank. The bottom students in the class have to think about many more things on a daily basis, such as cramming before each major exam, how to increase their voice in the girls' circle, and how to have a youthful campus romance, etc.

Although using the metaphor "when people are well-fed and warm, they think of lustful desires" is not quite appropriate, at least when Class A was still Class D, the most difficult class with zero points, all the students, including them, were not likely to cause such trouble. But now that Class D has become Class A, many students' thoughts have naturally become more active.

In this respect, the introduction of the OAA system can be seen as adding fuel to the fire. After all, it was like tearing off the fig leaf for the bottom-ranked students in Class A in front of the whole grade. It was as if the words "Don't mistake the platform for ability, you're just being carried" were printed on their faces. They were the kind of students who couldn't even fight back when they were being mocked. Over time, some inexplicable little emotions would naturally arise.

How to properly deal with these emotions and prejudices has become the criterion for separating these students in Class A into different circles again.

Faced with Sakayanagi Arisu's accusations, Ichinose Honami also remained silent for a while, because she knew very well that the other party's point of view was actually not wrong.

The reason that exacerbated this conflict was not only that the class advanced too quickly and the students' overall abilities could not keep up, but also that Kitagawa Ryo himself, as the class leader, was indulgent.

In fact, Ichinose Honami did not completely agree with Sakayanagi Arisu's statement, because Kitagawa Ryo's attitude towards class affairs and students in the class had a fairly clear change process. In the first semester, he did highlight aloof persona of not communicating with people he was not familiar with, but since the special exam on the deserted island in the summer vacation, he has indeed increased his communication with class members.

However, compared to other classes, it seems insufficient.

Regardless of how Class B, Class C, and Class D change, the leadership positions of each class will remain unchanged. Karuizawa Megumi, Ryuen Sho, and Katsuragi Kohei are undoubtedly the core of their respective classes, and their strong personal characteristics are reflected in the way each class operates.

If we were to find a common thread among the three of them, it would be that each of them made a deep impression on the other students in the class on the first day of school and quickly established their leadership position in a short period of time.

However, Class A of the first year was different. Back then, Class D was in a precarious situation during the first two months of school. Putting aside external factors, the first to accumulate prestige within the class and even have a hint of leadership were Ichinose Honami and Sakura Airi. At the very least, Horikita Suzune and Sakayanagi Arisu quickly joined the student council.

Kitagawa Ryo officially established his position as the class leader only after the special exam on the deserted island during the summer vacation. On that occasion, Class D did indeed achieve an unprecedented victory, sweeping away the gloom of the class having zero points in the past.

and then?

Following closely behind were the sports festival and the cultural festival, where the class commanders became Sakayanagi Arisu and Ichinose Honami again. Class 1-A also won with unstoppable momentum, which actually created a subtle illusion that they could have won even if Kitagawa Ryo hadn't been the leader.

Of course, the above are just some of Maezono's rhetoric. Anyway, as they argue, everyone forgets Kitagawa Ryo's record-breaking undefeated championship at the Sports Festival and his brilliant performance at the Cultural Festival, where he brought in the tea stalk Sae to secure the victory.

This is the second fundamental reason why this happened: Kitagawa Ryo himself adopted a laissez-faire attitude towards the specific affairs and interpersonal relationships of Class A. His management style was more like asking Honami if something happened among the girls, and asking Sudo if something happened among the boys. He himself hardly participated in most of the interpersonal interactions within the class.

Although Kitagawa Ryo only wanted to say that dealing with so many messy girl emotional entanglements and past lives had already overwhelmed him, forcing him to become a time management master, some of the students in Class A didn't know or care about any of this. In their daily lives, Kitagawa Ryo was a so-called leader who would disappear without a trace immediately after school and who only interacted with a few fixed boys and girls in the class in a somewhat distant manner.

"Isn't this a good thing? Does Arisu want Ryo to continue radiating his influence like a central air conditioner? Or does she think it's necessary to add a few more answers to the question of 'how many girlfriends does Ryo have?'"

Honami Ichinose took a different approach and chose a different response, seemingly still wanting to argue that Ryo Kitagawa's class management style was not wrong.

"This kind of slippery slope thinking is not conducive to the continuation of normal dialogue, don't you think, Fanbo?"

"Is Arisu's next sentence going to be about 'If it were me'? Indeed, if it were you, you would definitely be able to control and integrate the current class more effectively."

After offering this lukewarm compliment to Sakayanagi Arisu, Ichinose Honami calmly added another reply:

"If that's your thinking, why not just talk to Liang and ask him to give you the position of class leader so you can control the whole class as you see fit?"

Perhaps provoked by Ichinose Honami's somewhat sarcastic reply, or perhaps because her mood hadn't been great these past few days, Sakayanagi Arisu retorted without backing down:

"At least I believe my approach will be better than Liang's. At least it will prevent a situation where students in my class are easily swayed by students from another class who have already used their charm once, and then form cliques to sabotage the special exam."

"...If Arisu says so, I'm even more certain now that Ryo will transfer to another class this school year. After all, when it comes to competition, it has to be as an opponent."

At this point, Honami Ichinose smiled brightly at Arisu Sakayanagi:

"Now I've changed my mind. I won't use the 20 million I have to stop Liang from transferring to another class. On the contrary, if he does transfer to another class one day, I will use these points to transfer to the same class as him."

"Then, let's become your rivals together."

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

Room 408, First-Year Dormitory Building.

"I have to say, your Class B's style of doing things is so obvious that you are openly competing with other classes, from the special exam on the deserted island to now."

When Kitagawa Ryo brought out two cups of brewed black tea from the kitchen on a tray, complaining as he walked out, Karuizawa Megumi, who had unlocked his door a few minutes earlier, was already lying on his bed sheets and blankets, which he had just washed and dried a couple of days ago, like a salted fish.

"I think this is what a normal high school student should be like. Liang, out of the four classes in the first year, isn't our class the one that feels the most like high school campus life?"

"I don't deny that."

"Hehe, so Ryo should hurry up and come over and experience it for himself. Everyone here is a very enthusiastic and friendly group."