I have a life simulator.

Because she saw other students coming out of the restroom and about to pass by her, Ichinose Honami had no choice but to stop talking and signaled to Kitagawa Ryo to come find them again at dinner time.

"it is good."

There wasn't much time to talk during this short journey, so Kitagawa Ryo nodded in agreement and then pretended to turn into the men's restroom. As soon as he entered, he caught a glimpse of Ryuen Sho, who had just finished relieving himself.

Because there were other older students at the urinals next to him, Ryuen Sho only glanced at Kitagawa Ryo before bumping his shoulder and walking out of the restroom. The only difference between communicating with boys and girls was during lunch and dinner. Communicating with the same gender was actually more convenient. For example, the time before bedtime to wash up was a very suitable time for secret talks. After all, the school provided all students with a unified large bathhouse, and unlike the unified meal times, the bathing times for each grade were different, which saved a lot of trouble.

However, the thought of discussing the special exam with other boys, completely naked, in a steamy public bathhouse still gave Kitagawa Ryo goosebumps. He decided to bring a towel to wrap around himself when they went in.

Actually, this might be the best way.

After all, if he were really seen naked by the other boys in the first year, the ever-present question on the forum about how many girlfriends he actually has would have a whole new way of being answered...

Chapter 399: The First Round: Neither in Love Nor in Brains

The one-hour lunch break flew by. Kitagawa Ryo barely managed to finish talking with three groups of girls and didn't even get a chance to have a fourth bowl of rice. He could only leave the restaurant somewhat helplessly under the instructions of the school staff and return to his dormitory.

Since formal classes won't start until tomorrow, the students are free to do as they please this afternoon. However, since the activity areas for boys and girls are separate, and most areas of this forest school are not open to students for the time being, the bored boys wandered around the dormitory area for a while before returning to their rooms to chat and kill time without their phones or computers.

"Actually, if you think about it, we should have been in school today. Even though we didn't have phones or computers to play with, at least we had a day off, right?"

Ishizaki Daichi lay on the upper bunk, listlessly raising and lowering his legs, struggling to come up with this self-comforting explanation.

"I would much rather just stay at school and attend classes quietly."

Compared to the delinquent Ishizaki Daichi, the model student Yukimura Teruhiko was still leaning against his bed, flipping through the books he had brought. He seemed to be in a pretty good mood, since he had been assigned to the same group as his good friends Yamada Albert and Miyake Akito. His group also had a capable and prestigious leader like Kitagawa Ryo who could keep the group in check, so he didn't have to worry about interpersonal relationships or the group atmosphere. All he had to do was study hard and pass the exam.

"I am back."

Just then, Kitagawa Ryoichi, who had returned from his outing, pushed open the door to the dormitory of the third group, immediately attracting everyone's attention.

"I just took a walk around the school building. Although all the classroom doors were locked and we weren't allowed in, we could still see some things through the windows."

As he spoke, Kitagawa Ryo took a bottle of water from his bag, unscrewed the cap, and gulped down a couple of mouthfuls. He then casually sat down on the bed. That's the advantage of the lower bunk; it's very convenient to sit or lie down whenever you want without having to climb up or down.

"This special exam may include courses such as meditation or sitting meditation."

Without intending to keep anyone in suspense, Kitagawa Ryo quickly shared his discovery with the other students in his group.

“On the third floor of the school building, there is a very large area that looks like a dojo. You can see that it is covered with tatami mats, and there are scrolls with the word ‘Zen’ on the walls.”

"Hmm... The rulebook does mention that this course includes things like 'morality' and 'mental training,' and meditation and sitting meditation fit the bill quite well."

Watanabe Norihito, who slept in the lower bunk next to Kitagawa Ryo, nodded in agreement.

"But I've never had any experience with this before. Do any of you have?"

Does seeing it in the game count?

"What a joke! This isn't like in a game where you can sit cross-legged and time will pass to restore your stamina. Staying in this position without moving is actually quite difficult."

"Really? Let me try."

After a lively commotion, several boys on the beds spontaneously clasped their hands and assumed a cross-legged sitting posture. For a moment, the entire boys' dormitory seemed to have transformed into a sacred temple like the Great Thunder Temple, with the upper and lower bunks bathed in a radiant glow of Buddha.

However, this harmonious scene didn't last two minutes before Ishizaki Daichi cried out first:

"Ouch, ouch, ouch... Why does it hurt so much to just sit cross-legged?"

"For beginners who are not flexible enough, it is recommended to start by doing a half-lotus position on one leg. There is no other way, as incorrect posture will only make it more uncomfortable."

Although Kitagawa Ryo himself had no prior experience in this area, his exceptional physical abilities and familiarity with various positions made this meditation posture easy for him. So he got out of bed to check on the other students.

Kitagawa Ryo casually pointed at Ishizaki Daichi, who looked to be in great pain, and then heard a knocking sound coming from the dormitory door. All twelve members of their third group were now in their rooms, so the person knocking at this time must be an outsider. Therefore, most of the students peeked out from their beds and looked towards the door.

"Who?"

"Teacher?"

"Open the door and take a look."

Since his lower bunk was close to the dormitory door, Kitagawa Ryo casually walked over and opened the door. Standing there were four boys: Mizowaki and Tonokawa from Class 2-A, and Fujimaki and Ishikura from Class 3. The first two were Nagumo Masaru's confidants and held positions in the student council. Fujimaki was a student from Class 3-A, and Ishikura was the leader of Class 3-B.

Although Kitagawa Ryo hadn't exchanged more than a few words with any of the upperclassmen since enrolling, he had already memorized all the students' information in the OAA system, so he recognized everyone's face the moment they met.

"Excuse me, senior students, what brings you to our dorm?"

After the encounter with Horikita Suzune at noon, Kitagawa Ryo had a pretty good idea of ​​what these people were up to, but he still greeted them with a smile.

"Well, we are all members of the third group, so we wanted to check on the juniors and see if there was anything we could do to help."

It was Ishikura from Class 3-B who took the initiative to explain their purpose, since the third-year students were considered seniors compared to the second-year students.

"Huh? Did the upperclassmen go through this kind of training camp exam before?"

Seemingly thinking about the fact that answers could be bought for the midterm exam in the first semester after enrollment, Komiya Yogo from Class D asked a question out of curiosity.

"We have indeed experienced this type of exam before, but the specific rules are different each time, just like the special exam you experienced on the deserted island last summer. The school will definitely take you there again this year, but the exam rules and format will be different."

Upon hearing this, Ishikura shook his head, his gaze quickly and discreetly scanning the entire room before finally locating Ayanokouji Kiyotaka on the upper bunk next to the door. He then quickly looked away and continued explaining as if nothing had happened:

"Actually, every year, the first year is always the year with the most accidents in these cross-class camping or cooperative activities. After all, everyone hasn't known each other for very long. After experiencing these special exams a couple more times, you'll get used to it."

As he spoke, Shicang pulled two decks of cards from his pocket.

"Here, this is for you. It can help you pass the time when you're bored and also strengthen the bonds between team members."

Unlike electronic devices such as game consoles and mobile phones, or simple food and drinks, the school did not restrict students from bringing these kinds of entertainment gadgets this time. Yukimura Teruhiko's own books were not confiscated, and Kitagawa Ryo did bring a deck of cards to play on the bus, but it seems that he later gave it to Kanzaki Ryuji, so he was unable to bring it to the third group.

"Oh, thank you."

Kitagawa Ryo accepted the two brand-new decks of playing cards, still wrapped in their protective film, and thanked Ishikura. After all, these cards were quite good for passing the time, especially in an environment where there were no cell phones or computers.

"Then, besides this, there's something else I'd like to discuss with the juniors, which is the arrangement for breakfast for the next week."

After presenting the small gift, Ishikura immediately changed the subject and revealed his true purpose.

"That's exactly what I was thinking about. I was planning to talk to you guys about it, but I didn't expect you to come here."

Before Ishikura could continue, Kitagawa Ryo spoke first:

"If there are seven days left, we can allocate two days per grade, leaving the Sundays when there are no classes, and then each grade can decide how to handle it. This is the fairest way."

During this week-long special exam, there were no classes scheduled for Saturday afternoon and the entire day of Sunday, just like this afternoon, with rest and free time. Kitagawa Ryo's plan certainly conforms to the principle of equal distribution.

"That's true, but as you know, junior, getting up early to prepare breakfast for the whole group is really tiring. Our second-year and third-year groups are very competitive. If we can have a couple more hours of rest, it will definitely be beneficial to our group's overall score."

Upon hearing Ishikura's words, the first-year students, who had initially felt grateful for his gesture of giving them the playing cards, all frowned in unison. Ishizaki Daichi and Komiya Hago, whose tempers were already rather short, even started shouting:

"What do you mean? You guys think it's tiring, but we first graders don't, right?"

"Why use such fancy words? If you want to be lazy, just say so. Why bother with 'senior' and 'elder'?"

Compared to this kind of direct, on-the-spot cursing, Watanabe Norihito from Class B was a seasoned veteran of sarcastic remarks, immediately addressing the second-year students Mizowaki and Tonokawa:

"Is the competition really that strong? Can you beat Nagumo's group? No, I mean, do you dare to beat Nagumo's group?"

Seeing that all the first-year students looked excited and seemed reluctant to participate, Fujimaki, who had been sitting silently with her arms crossed since entering, also spoke up to stop them:

"I told you long ago, Ishikura, your suggestion is unreasonable. Wouldn't it be better to just distribute it equally as Kitagawa suggested? Or are you going to continue putting on airs as a senior?"

"No need to get so worked up. I just think this kind of equal distribution is meaningless. How about we just play a game of Jokers with this deck of cards and decide the winner? If luck is on your side, you first-year students might not even have to make breakfast twice."

Faced with the situation before him, Ishikura still wore that smiling expression, casually pointed to the two decks of cards in Kitagawa Ryo's hand, and offered another solution.

Upon hearing that there was a chance to skip breakfast and that the decision would be made through drawing Joker cards, a method clearly involving luck, Ishizaki Daichi was somewhat tempted. However, after being pulled by Hirata Yosuke on the next bed, and seeing him point at Kitagawa Ryo and then shake his head with a smile, he held back his intention to speak and waited for the temporary leader of their temporary group to reply.

"There's no need for that. After all, Senior Ishikura's reason was that he felt his group was very competitive in the grade and needed more rest, right? Let's just use the simplest and most direct method to have the competition. Starting from the second day, the cooking task will be assigned to the group with the lowest total score from the previous day among the three groups from the three grades. As for tomorrow, the first day... let's all share the burden."

Without any intention of agreeing, Kitagawa Ryo quite decisively threw the two decks of cards onto his bed and then proposed a new plan.

"What do you two upperclassmen think? This should be pretty much in line with the 'meritocracy' principle proposed by your student council president, right?"

Having been hit on the head by his own boomerang, Ishikura had no room for rebuttal for the moment. He glanced unconsciously at the deck of cards on Kitagawa's bed, exchanged glances with Mizowaki and Tonokawa, and finally could only reluctantly nod in agreement.

"Since Junior Kitagawa insists on deciding in this way, then let's do it this way for now. Tomorrow morning, the three of us will share the work, and after that, we'll each rely on our own abilities."

After saying this, Ishikura seemed to feel that he had no more excuse to stay, and quickly chose to say goodbye and leave. The other three seniors also got up together. Only Fujimaki glanced at Kitagawa Ryo before leaving and nodded slightly to him. As a student of Class 3-A, he was obviously aware of the relationship between Kitagawa Ryo and Horikita Manabu, or rather, the Horikita siblings.

Ishikura's operation failed because he didn't expect Kitagawa Ryo to successfully take control of the entire group in such a short time. Although he had seen many first-year students showing some interest when he suggested using playing cards to decide the winner, no one objected after Kitagawa Ryo refused, thus fundamentally cutting off the possibility of his next plan.

After seeing off the senior students, Kitagawa Ryo casually tossed the playing cards to Ishizaki Daichi and the others to pass the time. Although the two decks of cards looked brand new and unopened, once they realized that these were the very cards that Ishizaki had brought from Tokyo Advanced Educational High School and brought here, and that it would be too easy for him to tamper with them beforehand, there was absolutely no need to have any competition with them to draw jokers.

"Aren't you going to play, Ayanokouji?"

Seeing that his bunkmate, Kiyotaka Ayanokouji, showed no intention of getting out of bed, Ryo Kitagawa stretched out his foot and kicked the bed board.

"Maybe next time, I'm not really keen on playing poker right now."

Kiyotaka Ayanokouji rolled over on the upper bunk and replied in a flat tone.

Their first round of this special test came to an end.

If I had to say, it should be considered a minor defeat for the other side.

Kitagawa Ryo rested his head on his arms, closed his eyes, and began to take a nap.

……but.

Why do I always feel that this description has a strange sense of déjà vu, like something out of a romance comic?

Chapter 400: Can I come eat at your place?

As dinnertime approached, and he found himself once again in the bustling student cafeteria, much like at lunchtime, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was convinced once more that this was the domain of students with excellent communication skills and who were trusted by others. This was also an essential condition for gathering information and issuing instructions in such a place.

To succeed in the various special exams at Tokyo Advanced Educational High School, interpersonal and communication skills are indeed essential. Especially after the class vote special exam at the end of last semester, Kiyotaka Ayanokouji was also intentionally cultivating this ability. After all, his loss in the last class vote exam was not so much due to Ryo Kitagawa's strategy, but rather due to the opponent's intricate network of relationships among the first-year students.

Although when it comes to the most popular and successful students in the first year, most students would immediately think of Ichinose Honami and Kushida Kikyo, in Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's eyes, Kitagawa Ryo's influence on the entire grade is no less than that of these two. Before he transferred to Class B, the class president of Class B, Karuizawa Megumi, was already considered to be following his lead. He also planted several spies in Class C, including the class teacher, Chabashira Sae. At the same time, he also developed a friendly relationship with Ryuen Sho, the leader of Class D. As a result, he naturally had a huge advantage in the class vote and easily got what he wanted.

Judging solely from the result of the exam manipulation, Kitagawa Ryo's methods were almost equivalent to controlling almost the entire second-year student, Nagumo Makoto. However, their reputations within the school were vastly different, which was also one of the points that Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was particularly concerned about.

It is precisely because the first-year students have almost been transformed into the shape of Kitagawa Ryo that Ayanokouji Kiyotaka has chosen to extend his reach to the second and third-year students. Since Kitagawa Ryo has automatically become an ally of Horikita Gakuen because of Horikita Suzune, he can also use the competition between Horikita Gakuen and other third-year classes, as well as with Nagumo Masaru, to make these forces work for him.

Speaking of Nagumo Masaru, he had actually been in contact with him since the beginning of his school years. At that time, Nagumo was riding high and had not yet been beaten down by society. He even arrogantly asked him to eliminate Sakayanagi Arisu and Horikita Suzune, who had been recruited into the student council by Horikita Gakuen. Unexpectedly, in less than a year, the positions of the two sides have been completely reversed, and he has become the one in control.

Just as Kitagawa Ryo had predicted, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, who had already joined the student council, naturally noticed the various strange things that Nagumo Masa had done since the sports festival. Connecting this with the drastic change in her attitude towards Sakayanagi Arisu and Amasawa Ichika, as well as some scenes from the cultural festival, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka also deduced the truth behind this change to a great extent.

After that, things became quite simple. Ayanokouji Atsuomi was only temporarily working behind the scenes, not disappearing from the world. In addition, Nagumo Masa had seen Ayanokouji Atsuomi on the day of the cultural festival, so everything went quite smoothly. Although it wasn't to the point of bowing down and calling him "Brother Gongming" like in "Water Margin," Nagumo Masa herself changed her attitude towards Ayanokouji Kiyotaka and directly told him to ask for his help if he needed anything.

Of course, in addition to these external forces in the second and third years, Kiyotaka Ayanokouji is also actively cultivating his own power within Class C of the first year. However, unlike when he first entered the school, when he only wanted to find a tool to facilitate his behind-the-scenes operations, his current desire to communicate with people is probably more genuine.

The girl's target for infiltration, Kiyotaka Ayanokouji, has been chosen: Miki Yamamura, who has been relatively unknown since the start of the semester but whose abilities are all above average. The boy's target for now is Yosuke Hirata.

Kiyotaka Ayanokouji knew very well that although Kohei Katsuragi seemed to be able to hand over the leadership of the class to him at any time if he asked, this was actually based on the fact that Kohei did not know that he was the one who pushed Yahiko Totsuka to drop out of school. Their relationship was not actually secure.

The same goes for Masayoshi Hashimoto. Although he seems to be using it quite well now, if there were another exam where a class vote could result in someone being expelled, Kiyotaka Ayanokouji would definitely vote him out without hesitation.

Compared to these two, Hirata Yosuke is undoubtedly the most suitable candidate. He is capable, has a good personality, and, more importantly, is very popular among girls. If he is willing to help, he can also take care of most of the girls' affairs.

Although Kiyotaka Ayanokouji and Yosuke Hirata hadn't had much interaction before, they happened to be in the same group during the special exam for this mixed training camp, so he planned to take this opportunity to get to know each other better.

And so, just like at noon, Kiyotaka Ayanokouji sat at the same table eating with Kohei Katsuragi, Yosuke Hirata, and Masayoshi Hashimoto, while observing Ryo Kitagawa's movements. He watched as the other man continued to flit between the girls under the pretext of getting more rice, keeping him incredibly busy.

Soon, the one-hour dinner time flew by. Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, who had long since finished his meal, handed his plate back to the school staff at the last minute, folded his hands, and walked out of the restaurant.

In winter, darkness falls exceptionally early, and since they were still in the mountains and forests, even though it was only seven o'clock, the sky had already turned pitch black. There were few stars tonight, but the moon was bright and clear, making it feel like they could finally get a good night's sleep.

Perhaps feeling that the students hadn't sweated much today, or perhaps they weren't fully prepared, the school didn't open the large shower room to the students tonight. So after a quick wash, the students in the third group quickly returned to their dormitories, and even before the 10 p.m. lights-out time, they turned off their lights and went to sleep.

There was no other way; they had agreed with the third group of second and third graders to share the task of preparing breakfast for the group on the first day of the new semester. This meant they would have to get up an hour or two earlier, around four or five o'clock, so they had no choice but to go to bed earlier.

Kitagawa Ryo didn't plan to go out tonight, nor did he intend to keep an eye on whether anyone else was out, so he quickly drifted off to sleep.

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

Perhaps because he had developed his body to a very high level, Kitagawa Ryo's biological clock was quite punctual. After telling himself several times before going to sleep that he needed to get up early the next day, he opened his eyes precisely at around 4 a.m., ending a good night's sleep.

The room was still dark, and the sunrise light could not even be seen shining through the thin curtains. However, with the help of his talent, Kitagawa Ryo checked the time by looking at the clock hanging on the wall. He quietly put on his clothes and got out of bed. When he looked up, he saw Ayanokouji Kiyotaka climbing down from the upper bunk. He nodded and greeted him.

"Get up, everyone. Time to wash up and make breakfast."

Although he knew that waking people up was a task that would offend people (except for Sakayanagi Arisu), Kitagawa Ryoya was, after all, the temporary leader of this group, so he could only gently clap his hands and start waking up the remaining students who were still immersed in their dreams one by one.

"What's going on... It's only this early, it's not time for class yet."

Many students, still a bit groggy, grumbled after being woken up, seemingly not yet realizing they were in a forest school and taking a special exam. However, a few students slowly sat up in bed, some yawning, others putting on their glasses, and began to get dressed. The remaining students, too embarrassed to stay in bed any longer, could only crawl out of their blankets along with them.

After successfully waking up all the members of the third group, the twelve boys lined up in the wash area outside the dormitory to brush their teeth, wash their faces, and get ready. Other students could be seen scattered around, but they were the only ones who were so neat and orderly.

"The outdoor kitchen... I remember it was over here."

Soon, Kitagawa Ryo, along with his group members who had finished washing up and were feeling more refreshed, found the breakfast preparation area. School staff had already prepared the ingredients and cooking utensils there. Out of concern that the students might not be able to handle the job, they had even prepared a precise ratio table for each seasoning down to the spoonful and a detailed recipe.

Although it's not yet five o'clock in the morning, there are already quite a few students gathered here, and teachers can be seen supervising nearby. The sounds of crackling wood burning, bubbling pots, and chopping vegetables create a lively and bustling atmosphere.

"I didn't see any second or third grade students."

As soon as he arrived, Watanabe Norihito, who couldn't sit still, curiously looked around at the surroundings, only to find no trace of the senior students who had come yesterday or their group, which left him somewhat dumbfounded.