I have a life simulator.

"When you witness school bullying, you've already lost your way."

"Because, from the victim's perspective, the position of the bystander, the so-called third party, is actually the same as that of the perpetrator—"

"Nothing different."

This is a conversation between Kitagawa Ryo and Ichinose Honami. The handling of school bullying incidents has always been one of the issues that the two of them, as student council presidents, directly concern themselves with. Unlike Ichinose Honami's more conciliatory approach, Kitagawa Ryo, who has sufficient control over his school, handles the situation more decisively.

In the incident where Hirata Yosuke's friend was bullied, if Kitagawa Ryo hadn't arrived at the scene just in time to save the bullied person who was about to jump off the building, regardless of whether the bullied person was seriously injured or died, it would have basically ruined the lives of both of them. This painful memory for both of them might be something that bystanders and perpetrators could honestly talk about at some gathering, at some dinner, or in some casual conversation someday, and use it as a topic of conversation.

They may forget the names of those involved, but Kitagawa Ryo hopes they will remember them as vividly as those involved remember them.

Through this incident, Kitagawa Ryo forcefully curbed the bullying incident at his school, and it was in this process that he truly understood the nature of school bullying.

It was probably because they had been in contact so much that Kitagawa Ryo noticed the other person during halftime.

Kitagawa Ryo lowered his eyes to look at the girl who was stunned by his answer. She had a cute and high-value appearance, a somewhat timid personality, and a strange aura that seemed to emanate from her entire body... making her feel like she was easily abused.

"Hey, no way."

"How could I agree to that..."

"He just wants to find a whore to have some fun with."

The girls behind her began to whisper among themselves. They could hardly believe that their impromptu prank had ended this way. Their words, filled with incomprehension, resentment, and even jealousy, reached the girl's ears, making her face turn even paler.

"What's your name?"

Having accepted the girl's confession without permission, Kitagawa Ryo grasped her slightly cold hand with a force that seemed to transfer warmth from his own body. His dark pupils seemed to burn with fire at that moment, or perhaps they were the reflection of the lingering sunset in the sky, mirrored in the girl's azure eyes.

"Light...light Izawa Megumi."

"Okay, then I'll call you Hui, and you can call me Liang."

Kitagawa Ryo casually put his arm around Karuizawa Megumi's shoulder, pulling her closer to him. He took two steps forward to shield her behind him, then smiled and addressed the group of girls:

"You must be Hui's friends. Since Hui and I don't go to the same school, I might need to ask you all to be understanding in the future."

Before the girl leading the group could even speak, another girl beside her rushed up to Kitagawa Ryo and stammered:

"Yes, I'm Kei's best friend. Well, we all take good care of Kei. Kitagawa-senpai, can we add each other on Instagram?"

Seeing that someone was taking the opportunity to chat and sneak away, the girls behind them ignored the bulging veins on their captain's forehead and his murderous glare, and swarmed around Kitagawa Ryo. One said she had been Karuizawa's deskmate for two years, another said she was Karuizawa's good friend in the club. Their lively chatter left Karuizawa Megumi behind them somewhat dumbfounded. She could only pinch the hem of her bright yellow skirt with her fingers, gritting her teeth as if she wanted to go forward but didn't have the courage.

"Kitagawa-senpai is really popular."

Standing to the side, Hirata Yosuke clicked his tongue and sighed. Although he was a rare handsome man, he seemed a little ordinary every time he was with Kitagawa Ryo.

"Is his name Kitagawa Ryo?"

Karuizawa Kei cautiously asked Hirata Yosuke, but her gaze couldn't help but sneak a glance at Kitagawa Ryo, who was still dealing with the girls.

"Ah."

Hirata Yosuke hesitated before speaking. He sized up Karuizawa Megumi for a moment, then quietly approached her and whispered:

"Were you bullied by them?"

"..."

Karuizawa Kei was startled by Hirata Yosuke's words. She first shook her head subconsciously, then nodded almost imperceptibly, and finally forced a smile as she explained:

"Well, not really."

She knew very well that even though the sweaty, sunny boy in front of her seemed kind and approachable, the two of them had no connection whatsoever and didn't even attend the same school. Even if he knew her current situation, he wouldn't be able to change it, so there was no need to say anything.

Moreover, over the past two years, she had gradually become accustomed to the fact that she was being bullied. The first time she might have resisted, but the resistance would not bring about an improvement in the situation, but rather a more severe blow. So she became numb, and it didn't matter if the reddest and freshest blood flowed out of her body, as if it wasn't her own.

Karuizawa Kei shifted her gaze back to the boy she was still dealing with. In her past life, she had compressed herself into an extremely small existence. At first, she would imagine herself as a dog that sniffed other people's scents, thinking that as long as she wagged her tail, stuck out her tongue, and acted cute, she wouldn't get beaten up. But others still disliked her. Even though she had learned to agree and smile foolishly, and to say apologies and sorrys all the time, the other party still said that she was baring her teeth and grinning.

So now she defines herself as something smaller and more insignificant, something she can't survive on her own—

寄生虫。

She saw Kitagawa Ryo waving at her, and Karuizawa Megumi walked straight towards him like a puppet. The gaze focused on her was as intense as a spotlight, until a hand brushed across her nose, and the index finger, which stirred a gentle breeze, brushed past Karuizawa Megumi's eyebrows. This touch between their skin made Karuizawa Megumi subconsciously close her eyes. It took her a while to realize that it was not a malicious slap.

Sometimes, physical contact between people doesn't bring a burning pain. Karuizawa Kei could feel her small hand being enveloped by a stronger hand. The surrounding noise was no longer audible; she could only see Kitagawa Ryo's lips moving as if he were saying something.

Deep down, she told herself that she was just being helped out by a kind senior from another school whom she didn't know. She was just playing a role on stage, and there would always be a time when she had to leave the stage and take off her makeup. But right now, she couldn't help but crave the warmth coming from the seam of his palm. Like the little match girl in the fairy tale, she lit match after match in the snow and ice, imagining a beautiful future in the dim light.

It wasn't until Kitagawa Ryo, still somewhat dazed, led her out of the stadium by the hand that Karuizawa Megumi snapped out of her daze, blushing and stammering as she pulled her hand away.

"that……"

For a moment, I was speechless, unsure of what to say. I looked up slightly, wanting to express my gratitude, and met the other person's smiling, dark eyes.

"Are you hungry? How about we grab something to eat nearby? There's a pretty good ramen shop on the next street."

"How was it, Karuizawa-kun?"

"Ah...oh oh."

The sudden change in how the other person addressed her left Karuizawa Megumi feeling a little disappointed, but she quickly composed herself and, with a mix of nervousness and anticipation, asked softly:

"Just the two of us?"

Perhaps because his voice was too soft, Kitagawa Ryo seemed not to hear him. He glanced around and called out to a girl on his right who appeared to be using her phone:

"Fanbo, over here!"

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

"Two servings of Set Meal A, with firm noodles, slightly spicy, vinegar, no cilantro, and a light broth."

"One of the cold drinks was replaced with miso soup, with kelp and tofu."

"Karuizawa-san, please order whatever you like."

Honami Ichinose smiled and folded the menu in her hand, handing it to Kei Karuizawa. Kei Karuizawa, who was a little stunned by Ichinose's skillful ordering, just randomly ordered a recommended set meal without even looking at the details.

"Um, Ichinose-san."

Hesitantly, Karuizawa Kei realized from their brief exchange that the girl sitting next to her, as radiant and vibrant as a rainbow, was none other than Kitagawa Ryo's childhood friend. Moreover, judging from their intimate conversation, Karuizawa Kei, who was adept at reading people's expressions, could guess that their relationship might be even closer.

"Don't be so formal, just call me Fanbo."

Taking a small sip of the cold drink that was served first, Honami Ichinose gave Megumi Karuizawa a bright, innocent smile.

"Hey, I want a cold drink too!"

On the other side of the seat, Kitagawa Ryo sighed somewhat grumblingly at the steaming miso soup in front of him.

"You shouldn't drink cold drinks right after strenuous exercise, what if you get an upset stomach?"

Honami Ichinose, her bright eyes like stars, reached out and pushed the bowl of soup forward.

Seeing the interaction between the two, Karuizawa Kei suddenly felt like an outsider. To avoid being noticed by Ichinose beside her, she quickly lowered her head and pretended to drink her beverage.

The chilled plum juice seemed to have lost its flavor, and Karuizawa Kei, without realizing it, drank more than half of the glass in one go.

"Does Hui really like plum juice? The plum juice at this shop is indeed quite delicious."

Honami Ichinose turned her head to look at the cup, which was now mostly empty, and asked in surprise.

"It's alright, it's actually quite delicious."

Karuizawa Megumi nodded awkwardly.

"I heard that Hui confessed to Liang after the competition?"

The next instant, the question posed by Ichinose made Karuizawa Megumi grip the cold glass tightly.

"Ha, yes, I think so."

Looking down, Karuizawa Kei observed Ichinose Honami's expression out of the corner of her eye. Despite having just drunk a beverage, Karuizawa Kei's throat was unusually dry, and even the few words she spoke seemed forced and strained.

"Liang is the type that girls like, he's handsome, good at studying, kind, and can play soccer, etc."

"It feels a bit strange coming from Fanbo."

"Please, I'm seriously praising you."

Karuizawa Kei knew very well that the other party was still carefully avoiding touching the most fundamental issue. Just as Ichinose Honami herself said, it was not uncommon for Kitagawa Ryo to be confessed to by someone, but the problem today was that Kitagawa Ryo had accepted her confession.

"Don't overthink it. Accepting your confession on the court was just the best thing to do under the circumstances. Karuizawa-kun doesn't need to feel any pressure or take on any responsibilities as a girlfriend."

Seemingly sensing Karuizawa Megumi's concerns, Kitagawa Ryo looked directly at her again, speaking with great sincerity.

"After things have calmed down in a couple of days, just announce that you've dumped me."

In general, in these kinds of interactions between middle school students, whoever dumps the other first will have a more advantageous position in public opinion. Kitagawa Ryo also noticed this point, which is why he added this.

"Won't this affect the senior's reputation?"

Karuizawa Kei timidly raised her head.

"I don't have much of a reputation, and I'm going abroad after this summer vacation, so I probably won't be back for about a year."

Kitagawa Ryo dismissed the other person's concerns without a second thought, and seeing Ichinose Honami's equally bewildered expression, quickly explained:

"My family wants me to go to a boarding school in the United States for a year, and I only received the news today."

"...Oh, I see, that's a good thing."

For reasons unknown, when Karuizawa Kei saw Ichinose Honami's somewhat disappointed expression, a strange sense of pleasure welled up inside her.

Just then, the ramen that the three of them had ordered was served, and Kitagawa Ryo lost interest in continuing the conversation. After all, he was exhausted from playing the whole game today, and after a few simple greetings, he quickly started eating.

After wolfing down a large bowl of ramen, Kitagawa Ryo finally put down his chopsticks, satisfied. He glanced at the progress of the two people sitting opposite him, and helplessly took out his phone from his pocket to pass the time.

"Is your senior with Karuizawa now?"

"Senior, you did it on purpose when you accepted the confession on the court, didn't you? I can tell."

"What's so great about someone like Karuizawa? Why don't you consider me, senpai?"

…………

Upon opening the social media app, Kitagawa Ryo was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of messages. However, not replying to read messages would be awkward. So, Kitagawa Ryo rubbed his chin and came up with a brilliant idea.

"Hui, look up."

Karuizawa Megumi, who was quietly eating her ramen in small bites, was taken aback. Because she hadn't looked at the menu, the ramen in this set meal was so spicy that she couldn't handle it. She had already finished her plum juice, but was too embarrassed to say anything, so she could only make do with it. As a result, her lips were a little red and her forehead was covered in fine sweat.

Hearing Kitagawa Ryo's voice, Karuizawa Kei had no idea what was going on. The moment she looked up, she saw Kitagawa Ryo push over a huge cup of fruit smoothie, a couple's drink big enough for two people. Karuizawa Kei's basis for this judgment was the two straws stuck on it, which were twisted into a heart shape.

"Ah, thanks."

The moment Karuizawa Kei subconsciously sucked on the shaved ice to relieve the burning sensation in her throat, her eyes widened.

On the other side of the line of sight, Kitagawa Ryo pressed his lips against the straw at the other end.

He held his phone out to the front, and under the bright flash, Karuizawa heard Kitagawa Ryo's soft whisper. It seemed to travel along the heart shape formed by the straw all the way to Karuizawa's lips, and then from her lips to her heart:

"Couple...cheese!"

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

"Eating ramen with my girlfriend."

Taking photos, editing text, and uploading to social media can all be done in one go.

After finishing all this, Kitagawa Ryo breathed a sigh of relief and put his phone away. He smiled somewhat apologetically at Karuizawa Megumi and pushed the fruit smoothie forward a little further.

"I'm sorry, but breaking up on the same day you started dating would be too abrupt, and your classmates would be a hassle. This way it should be much quieter."

Karuizawa Kei stared blankly at the incessant ringing of messages on her phone, then gulped down a mouthful of fruit, which choked her, making her whimper. Ichinose Honami, who was standing next to her, quickly went over to pat her back and help her catch her breath. It took her a while to recover.

"Well, I don't mind at all."

Rather than saying they were quite satisfied, they were quite pleased.

Karuizawa Megumi looked timidly at Ichinose Honami, who gently handed her a tissue:

"What Ichinose-san said..."

"I told you you can call me Fanbo."

Honami Ichinose waved her hand dismissively, then turned to Ryo Kitagawa and complained in an annoyed tone:

"Anyway, there must be a reason why Liang chose to do it this way, and it's just for show after all."

She lowered her head to wipe the corner of her mouth with a tissue, and when she looked up again, she had her usual bright smile on her face.

"Besides, I'm not Liang's girlfriend..."

Ichinose Honami visibly paused, then suddenly looked directly at Kitagawa Ryo, her expression half-teasing and half-serious:

"Right?"