I have a life simulator.

"Let me say the second half of that sentence for you, Katsuragi. It's just about getting rid of those bottom students in the class, right? Totsuka isn't here today, so there's no need to pretend."

Having completely seen through Katsuragi Kohei's thoughts and inner conflict, Ryuen Sho chose not to hesitate to continue probing and applying pressure:

"Of course, if you really intended to protect Totsuka from the beginning, then I sincerely apologize to you, Katsuragi. As a friend, that's more than enough. But there's really no need to put on this fake compassion again."

As he spoke, Ryuen Sho held up a finger in Katsuragi Kohei's direction and suggested with a smile:

"Of course I know that most of the students in your class have decided to cast their criticism vote for Totsuka, but it's okay. Our Class D is your most reliable support. As long as you can afford the price, all thirty-nine praise votes in the class will belong to Totsuka. In the end, we might even be able to give him a positive score after adding and subtracting."

What price are you asking for?

Although Ayanokouji Kiyotaka had already rationally analyzed the situation beforehand, Katsuragi Kohei still couldn't help but ask Ryuen Sho for the price. As a student council member, he knew that this type of punishment, the expulsion exam, was very rare. If he could save Totsuka Yahiko in this special exam, then the other party would still have plenty of time to prove his worth to the other students in the class.

"One ticket can be exchanged for 100,000 personal points. How about that? Compared to the school's official rate, I'm offering a genuine 90% discount."

When Katsuragi Kohei asked for the price, Ryuen Sho smiled and revealed his white teeth. Although he spoke in a tone that suggested he was doing everything he could to help, the price he quoted still made Katsuragi Kohei look somewhat embarrassed.

As the most composed of the four classes, Katsuragi Kohei had always been receiving a fixed salary based on the class points he earned each month. He had also given almost all of his accumulated personal points to Kitagawa Ryo as compensation. Not to mention, he was now burdened with a loan from Nagumo Masaru. Even if he turned himself in completely, he couldn't scrape together nearly four million personal points.

It's not just him; it would be quite difficult for Class C to suddenly produce such a sum of individual points. After all, their class only has a little over 200 points, and they can only get a little over 20,000 individual points from the school each month. The whole class only gets a little over one million points per month.

Moreover, Katsuragi Kohei had no way to borrow or raise money from the other students in the class, since it was precisely them who wanted Totsuka Yahiko to drop out of school.

"...I'll think about it some more."

After thinking for a long time, Katsuragi Kohei finally sighed somewhat dejectedly and sat back down. Ryuen Sho didn't seem surprised at all, and even whistled at him with great interest:

"This is a hot commodity, so buy it while you can."

After the conversation between Katsuragi Kohei and Ryuen Sho about Totsuka Yahiko ended, Kanzaki Ryuji from Class 1-B also seized the opportunity to state his position or rather, his demands:

"Our B class's conditions for seeking cooperation are very simple: no one in B class can be expelled, that's all."

Upon hearing Ryuji Kanzaki's remarks, Ryuen Sho couldn't resist taking another jab at Kohei Katsuragi:

"Look, this is what a model class of loving and caring people looks like, this is what true friends look like."

"Indeed, compared to the leaders who are single-mindedly figuring out how to transfer all three of the students who dropped out to their own classes, Class B is quite loving and helpful."

Realizing that Class C would be removed from the negotiating table if they didn't step forward, Kiyotaka Ayanokouji, who had remained silent since entering, had no choice but to stand up and retort on behalf of Kohei Katsuragi. Ryuen Sho's reaction was quite ambiguous, as he raised his eyebrows at him provocatively.

Of the people present, only Ryuji Kanzaki was unaware that the actual planner of Class C was Kiyotaka Ayanokouji, who was manipulating Kohei Katsuragi. Therefore, he was somewhat surprised by the sudden sharp counterattack from Katsuragi's henchman and thoughtfully shifted his gaze back and forth between the two people from Class C.

"There's no other way. In order to achieve a happy ending for all classes, our Class D has no choice but to reluctantly take on this mess. Or do you all think this is not a good idea?"

After saying that, Ryuen Sho gestured with his chin towards Kanzaki Ryuji again:

"Didn't your Class B just want to make sure no students drop out? Now my Class D is willing to take on all three of these problems. What do you say?"

"Ryuen, there's no need to use such a tone as if you've suffered a great injustice. After all, these three spots for expulsion are indeed a huge pitfall for our Class B, but it seems to be a completely different story for your Class D, right? After all, you are the candidate for one of these pitfalls."

Completely unfazed by Ryuen Sho's explanation, Kanzaki Ryuji, who had also diligently collected information from each class for several days, bluntly exposed the other party's attempt to cover up the truth.

"That's why I said we should just lay our cards on the table and discuss our respective class's demands and bargaining chips in detail. This game of verbal probing can end here."

Finally, it was Kitagawa Ryo, the one who initiated the conversation, who smiled and calmed everyone down, preventing the less-than-pleasant chat from continuing:

"How about this, everyone go home first today, and after you've figured out what results your class can accept, what results you want to achieve, and what price you're willing to pay for this special exam, we'll come back here to discuss it again, okay?"

"For example, to be honest, compared to the punishment of being expelled for being in the bottom three, what I actually care about or want more is the protection points for being in first place."

Kitagawa Ryo spoke with a half-smile, then threw out the first smoke bomb, which seemed both real and fake.

Chapter 364: The Great Operation Against the Sister-in-Law

"That's pretty much what we talked about today, but I feel like something's not quite right, like something's not quite right."

After the boys' meeting ended, Ryuji Kanzaki from Class 1-B immediately called the class president, Kei Karuizawa, to report the details of the discussion. However, after roughly summarizing the entire conversation, he noticed a strange sense of unease.

"Actually, this whole thing was rather awkward from the start. If we really wanted to discuss this special exam with the other first-year classes, there was absolutely no need to make it so conspicuous. Many students in my class just texted me about it, and I think the other three classes did too. After all, it's too eye-catching for a bunch of boys from different classes to get together at a karaoke bar."

"Does the class monitor mean that this meeting was deliberately shown to others?"

"Hmm, wasn't Liang himself the one who initiated this meeting? He also chose the location, which means that Liang never intended to hide it from the beginning."

At this point, Karuizawa Megumi asked again:

"I remember you just said that after Ryuuen Sho and Katsuragi Kohei's initial negotiations failed, Ryo said something like, 'I hope each class can organize their demands and bargaining chips before discussing this'?"

"Yes, Kitagawa did say that. Is there a problem?"

After receiving Ryuji Kanzaki's reply, Megumi Karuizawa pondered for a moment, seemingly lost in thought:

"Anyway, I think that when Ryo said that in that context, it was more like he was indicating that he didn't believe in the seemingly failed deal between Ryuen and Katsuragi at all, and indirectly implying that he knew all along that neither side had actually put forward their true demands."

"What are the real demands?"

"Well, to be more precise, it should be the ultimate demand, because the demands and results that both sides want to achieve are only rough ideas at this stage, and they will likely change over time, which is what we call variables. In fact, Class C and Class D are fully aware of this, so they are just putting on an act, trying to take advantage of the current situation to make arrangements in advance or gain some advantage."

"To put it simply, today's meeting itself, including the content of the conversations you just mentioned, has in fact become new bargaining chips for them to advance this special exam and negotiate with others."

After hearing Karuizawa Megumi's opinion, Kanzaki Ryuji himself was somewhat taken aback and subconsciously asked:

"Others? Wasn't this special exam only for us first-year students?"

"But this never means that students from other grades cannot interfere with this special exam. On the contrary, it is precisely because it is unrelated to their own grade that they can more easily interfere. In addition to older students, the homeroom teachers of each class will also become invisible key figures."

"These new demands will affect, or even directly change, everyone's initial thoughts. The reason why the school set a month-long voting period is essentially to see this situation. If a surprise vote is added on the last day without giving people any room for thought, the process and the result will become boring."

Seemingly noticing that Ryuji Kanzaki on the other end of the phone was sweating profusely, Megumi Karuizawa reassured him in a relaxed tone:

"However, our class is less likely to suffer losses in this situation. The advantage of having simple demands is that we can relax and wait quietly for the situation to change."

"Well, I see."

Hearing Karuizawa Megumi's confident statement, Kanzaki Ryuji breathed a sigh of relief, and then asked another question that he was more concerned about:

"If Class C and Class D didn't actually raise their real demands during this discussion, then was Kitagawa's final statement—that he wanted to obtain the protection points for first place—true or false?"

Faced with Ryuji Kanzaki's question, Megumi Karuizawa's answer was once again quite straightforward, affirming without any hesitation:

"It's true, Liang really wants this protection point reward."

Although Kitagawa Ryo never said such words to her in person because they were in different factions and classes, Karuizawa Megumi was still able to make such a deduction based on her understanding of Kitagawa Ryo and some of his recent actions.

"If the class monitor is so sure, then you must know the reason, right? Of course, if it's inconvenient, it's okay not to say."

"This is just my personal speculation. If Ryo really gets the protection points this time, then I can talk to you about it."

Karuizawa Kei politely declined the question. Kanzaki Ryuji only lost his composure when it came to interactions between her and Kitagawa Ryo. Given her usual personality, he would never ask such a question.

"Okay, I understand. I'll hang up now."

After ending her call with Ryuji Kanzaki, Kei Karuizawa, who was in her dormitory room, casually lay down on the bed behind her and unconsciously reached for a photo of herself and Ryo Kitagawa from their time in the theater troupe, which was on the bedside table.

Ryuji Kanzaki is a fan of her and Ryo Kitagawa, and a fan of their pairing. This is something that Kei Karuizawa has known for a long time. In addition to being the editor of their encyclopedia entries for many years, she even has a missionary manual that is still being updated today. Many students in Class B have been enthusiastically shared with her by him.

Karuizawa Kei had certainly seen it too. Her content and news related to Kitagawa Ryo were arranged there in chronological order. The first item was her own explanation in an interview about "the reason for choosing to become a theatrical actress." Her answer at the time was simple: it was because of Kitagawa Ryo's existence.

Ordinary viewers could certainly interpret it as her watching the other person's performance, and even CP fans looking for sweet moments could feel like they'd found another one to ship. In any case, it's a universal answer that can be interpreted in any way, although no amount of fan fiction on the internet could fully explain the truth and emotions hidden behind this simple answer.

Karuizawa Kei obviously chose to enter this industry because of Kitagawa Ryo, but who was Kitagawa Ryo's reason for entering it?

And the answer to this question is precisely what she didn't say to Kanzaki Ryuji earlier: why she was so certain that Kitagawa Ryo really wanted to protect the points this time.

The function of protection points is—

To offset the punishment of being expelled from school.

In other words, with protection points.

They could then disregard the serious violations of Tokyo Advanced Educational High School's rules and freely complete a task.

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

"Therefore, our main goal this time is to make Liang the number one in this special exam."

Faced with Ichinose Honami's firm statement, Sakayanagi Arisu, sitting opposite her, merely curled her lip:

"Didn't you say last time that you and Ryo were going to transfer classes together and teach me a lesson? Why are you asking me to team up with you now?"

"After all, Ryo and I haven't switched classes yet."

As if she had completely forgotten the tense atmosphere between the two of them last time, Ichinose Honami smiled, picked up her hot drink, took a small sip, and then reminded him:

"Besides, Arisu still owes me a favor that he hasn't repaid."

Sakayanagi Arisu knew that the other person was referring to the price she paid during the last sports festival for asking Ichinose Honami a crucial question to satisfy her curiosity and uncover the truth of the matter. Therefore, she had no choice but to tone down her previous attitude and earnestly raised her beautiful eyebrows at Ichinose Honami:

"Alright, then I'll cooperate with you this once, although I personally feel that Ryo doesn't really need these protection points. There isn't a single student in the entire Tokyo Advanced Educational High School who could expel him."

Looking at Sakayanagi Arisu, who had no idea what Kitagawa Ryo was really thinking, Ichinose Honami gave a smile that was a mixture of pity and smugness, as if a pitiful, thick barrier had already separated them.

"What if Liang intends to use up these protection points on his own?"

"Actively use it? Does it mean like when Ryuen took the special exam on the deserted island, he actively filled the gaps for the class? If it really comes to that, then it feels like this class is pretty much doomed."

"...Fine, I'll just tell you the truth, Arisu, since you'll have to help me this time. By the way, did you know that Ryo has a younger sister?"

"Fanbo is talking about that child who isn't related to Ryo by blood, right? I remember he had a congenital disease and was receiving treatment abroad for a long time? I have seen a picture of him, and his name is also Hotaru, right?"

"Well, before Hotaru went abroad, about four or five years ago, before Ryo was taken back by the Kitagawa family, Hotaru and my sister were classmates and good friends."

Compared to later arrivals like Horikita Suzune and Sakayanagi Arisu, she and Karuizawa Megumi undoubtedly entered Kitagawa Ryo's life much earlier, and therefore had a better understanding of some things from the earlier period. This is why they were able to figure out Kitagawa Ryo's thoughts so quickly at this time.

"When Ryo went to work as an actress in the theater troupe, it was essentially to earn money for his and his sister's living expenses and medical expenses. Once he had raised enough money, he sent Hotaru abroad, and then the Kitagawa family came knocking on his door."

"But it is precisely because of this that the siblings have always had a very good relationship. Arisu should know that during the summer vacation, Ryo helped Katsuragi from Class C go out of school to deliver his sister's birthday present. Ryo did that because he was thinking of his own sister."

Honami Ichinose recounted this past event, which Sakayanagi Arisu didn't actually know much about, with a slightly nostalgic tone, and casually mentioned that the other party had liked her, his older sister, back then.

In a sense, that was the closest she ever came to the championship trophy, after all, she had even won over her only family member. It was just that she wasted such a great opportunity because of her personality. Now that I think about it, I feel like I have let down all the help that Hotaru gave her back then.

"The final exams and graduation ceremony for this semester are both on December 22nd. Then, Hotaru's birthday is on the 25th of the winter break, which is Christmas Day."

Upon hearing Ichinose Honami mention this, Sakayanagi Arisu nodded in agreement:

"So, what Fanbo means is that Liang wants to go out of school to celebrate his sister's birthday?"

"Pretty much. Regardless of whether Liang can apply to leave school under the pretext of participating in competitions like before, he will probably do it anyway. After all, even if he goes out, there will be supervising teachers watching him. Leaving the team privately will also result in punishment. It will be more convenient after having protection points."

After explaining all the reasons, Ichinose Honami spoke again to Sakayanagi Arisu to confirm:

"So, is Arisu willing to help me?"

"...Since you've said that, even if we don't owe Fanbo that favor, we can't just ignore it, can we?"

As she spoke, Sakayanagi Arisu rolled her eyes at Ichinose Honami, feeling somewhat speechless, as if she had been indirectly tethered to the other party's pirate ship.

"What about the others? Do they know about this?"

"If Liang doesn't say it himself, the only one who can accurately guess what he's thinking is Hui. However, she's the class monitor of Class B, so it's best not to expect her to openly side with outsiders. We'll just have to figure it out ourselves."

"Karuizawa Megumi? Right, if Ryo were to transfer classes, her first destination would probably be Class B, where she is."

"Correct."

"So, Fanbo, aren't you going to transfer over there too?"

At this point, Sakayanagi Arisu couldn't help but reveal amusement, the kind of smile typical of someone who loves a good show, and teased in a mischievous tone:

"If that day really comes, Honami's first opponent should be her. After all, she is the real class representative of Class B. Moreover, thanks to Kanzaki, most of the people in Class B are now K&K CP fans. Is Honami spending 20 million personal points just to watch this kind of show up close in a different place?"

"It's not as exaggerated as Arisu said. Actually, I'm quite familiar with the students in Class B."

"Looks like they're planning to turn the tables? That'll be a tough challenge."

"Before Arisu worries about me, he should worry about how he will take over the class leadership as soon as we transfer. Suzune is still in the class."

Upon hearing Ichinose Honami mention Horikita Suzune's name, Sakayanagi Arisu fell silent for a moment. After all, as the other party said, if Kitagawa Ryo and Ichinose Honami transferred to another class together, then Horikita Suzune would become her biggest rival for the class leader position.

Horikita Suzune herself may not care about this title, but considering that the two of them belong to the student council and are both planning to run for the next student council president, the other party is unlikely to give up this opportunity easily.

In a sense, this was the prelude to the two of them before that.

"Alright, let's leave it at that. I'll discuss the specific plans with Arisu later."

Misaka Yanagi finally quieted down, and Ichinose Honami also stood up from her seat in a relaxed tone, ready to leave.

"and many more."

"What's wrong?"

"About Liang's younger sister."

"Ah."

"...What kind of birthday gift does she like?"