I have a life simulator.

As with the reputation of Tokyo Advanced Educational High School, the clubs here seem to be quite outstanding. Just by flipping through the brochures that were distributed to everyone at the entrance to introduce the clubs, Kitagawa Ryo spotted a whole bunch of awards, mostly at the national level.

Kitagawa Ryo himself wasn't interested in any clubs. He was only there because he learned that Class 1-D would be using this press conference as a cover to contact and negotiate with him privately. But since he was already there, he decided to join the other students and turn his attention to the stage, where a purple-haired girl with a bun was already standing, seemingly about to turn on the microphone and start speaking.

"Dear first-year students, I apologize for keeping you waiting. Next, the club representatives will begin the introductory meeting. I am Tachibana, the student council secretary, and I will be hosting this meeting. Please take care of me."

After the host, who called herself Orange, finished her greetings, the club representatives lined up on the stage in the gymnasium.

The representatives of the various clubs were all different, ranging from a strong-looking senior in a judo uniform to a senior in a beautiful kimono. The presentations were also quite simple, roughly following the same formula as the speeches given by the school board members at the opening ceremony: looking back on the past, boasting about the present, and looking forward to the future. Thinking of this, Kitagawa Ryo couldn't help but chuckle.

Because everyone around her except for Shiina Hiyori had scattered to either consult the club or gather information, only Shiina Hiyori noticed Kitagawa Ryo's laughter. She tilted her head, seemingly not understanding why Kitagawa Ryo had suddenly laughed, and this blank reaction made Kitagawa Ryo unable to help but laugh again.

"Seeing Hiyori makes me feel good."

Kitagawa Ryo gave Shiina Hiyori a brief explanation, ignoring Hiyori's inexplicable blush that caused her to start a new story in her mind because of that one sentence, and refocused his attention on the next man who came on stage.

Horikita Manabu.

The man who had effortlessly overwhelmed all the freshmen with his calm demeanor and extraordinary presence, bringing the gymnasium back to silence, finally spoke slowly:

"I am Horikita Manabu, the student council president."

"The student council will be recruiting candidates from first-year students this year, coinciding with the graduation of upperclassmen. No special qualifications are required for candidates, but if you are considering running for the student council, please avoid joining other clubs. Those who wish to participate in both the student council and other clubs will generally not be considered."

His tone was gentle, yet it created a tense atmosphere that seemed to pierce the skin, making people gradually feel that he had the entire atmosphere of the stadium under his control.

"Next—our student council does not want anyone running for office with naive ideas. Such a person would not only be elected, but would also likely leave a stain on the school. Our student council is highly anticipated precisely because it has been given the power and mission to change the rules by the school. We only welcome those who can understand this."

After delivering his speech smoothly, he stepped off the stage and walked out of the stadium.

"Thank you for your hard work. This concludes the briefing. We will now begin accepting applications for membership. Also, since applications will be accepted until the end of April, students who wish to apply afterward should bring their application forms directly to the club they wish to join."

Thanks to the composed host, the tense atmosphere gradually dissipated, and things returned to their initial lively state.

"Does Liang know this person?"

"We're acquainted, but we're also not acquainted."

Kitagawa Ryo gave Shiina Hiyori's question ambiguously. If he were to say he was familiar with Horikita Manabu, he would indeed be quite familiar with him. In the last simulation, the two were already close friends, otherwise Horikita Manabu would not have entrusted Horikita Suzune to him with such trust. However, in this simulation, they were complete strangers.

"There might be trouble within the student council."

"Eh?"

Kitagawa Ryo stroked his chin and replied:

"Based on my understanding of him, he's not someone who likes unnecessary chatter, but his speech just now used a lot of strange modifiers, almost as if he was deliberately emphasizing the importance of the student council, but it was different from the recruitment events of the other clubs..."

"I'll just go ask them later."

Kitagawa Ryo stretched and said casually that he still had a lot of feelings for Horikita Manabu, and if anything happened to him, he would like to do his best to help.

"Could you repeat what you just said?"

Just as Kitagawa Ryo was about to pull Shiina Hiyori along to chase after Horikita Manabu, an unexpected yet predictable girl blocked their way.

Behind Horikita Suzune followed Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, who was awkwardly smiling, completely "at a loss." She stared directly at Kitagawa Ryo:

"Do you know him well?"

I not only understand him, but I also understand you...

Kitagawa Ryo sighed, trying to avoid Horikita Suzune. According to his diagnosis, Horikita Suzune would most likely need several strong medications to be saved at this stage. In fact, it was quite rare to see someone as stubborn as her.

However, Horikita Suzune showed no intention of letting Kitagawa Ryo leave, grabbing his wrist directly. But Kitagawa Ryo reacted faster, pulling and twisting Horikita Suzune's arm behind her back. Perhaps this scene triggered a memory, Kitagawa Ryo instinctively uttered a reprimand:

"Rin, stop fooling around and be good."

The air suddenly became quiet.

…………

On the second day of the simulation, Kitagawa Ryo had already begun to seriously consider the possibility of reopening.

Chapter Seven: Seeds Planted Together

"you know me?"

Perhaps it was because Kitagawa Ryo's use of the name "Rin" sounded so natural that even Horikita Rin, who was still struggling, stopped moving and looked at Kitagawa Ryo suspiciously, as if she was wondering if there was such a person among the people she had met in the past.

"I only know your brother and have seen your picture."

Kitagawa Ryo quickly released Horikita Suzune's hand, took a step back, and spread his hands to explain.

Although their exchange was brief, it still attracted the attention of some of the surrounding freshmen. Kitagawa Ryo didn't want to cause any major trouble, so he waved to Horikita Suzune and said:

“Come with me, he has something he wants to tell you.”

Kitagawa Ryo reacted quickly, immediately drawing Horikita Suzune's attention to Horikita Manabu. He smiled apologetically at Shiina Hiyori, who was staring at her toes with a slightly sullen expression, and gestured for Horikita Suzune to go to a quieter corner to talk with him.

"Ring... Horikita-kun, have you noticed any of the rules at this school?"

"I think you applied to Tokyo Advanced Educational High School with the intention of following in your brother's footsteps."

Reveal the information you have first, then use questions to take control of the conversation, and try to keep Horikita Suzune in a position of answering and questioning.

At the start of the exchange, Kitagawa Ryo quickly devised a conversation plan based on his understanding of Horikita Suzune.

"Do you really know my brother?"

"He might know more about him than you do."

"evidence."

"The evidence is that you're still asking me for evidence."

Kitagawa Ryo sighed, and said with some disappointment:

"Isn't this a case of not understanding at all? If you knew your brother, you would naturally know whether he even knew someone like me, wouldn't you?"

"So you mean you're just a frivolous liar?"

That's why I told you long ago not to define someone so easily.

Kitagawa Ryo shook his head and denied it:

"That's why you're in Class D, while Horikita is in Class A."

"Oh, you still think that the class assignments for freshmen are randomized."

His words made Horikita Suzune frown slightly, seemingly not quite understanding:

"If it weren't for the random assignment, I wouldn't be in Class D, whether in terms of academic ability or physical education."

"In a normal high school, they would indeed only consider a student's academic ability and physical fitness."

"But this is not an ordinary high school."

Kitagawa Ryo chuckled softly. Horikita Suzune was still the same as before, not much different from her middle school days.

"Ten thousand points, and I can tell you some information, how about it?"

"Personal points?"

Horikita Suzune was taken aback. In her current understanding, personal points were just like a living allowance given by the school. It wasn't until Kitagawa Ryo's words made her realize that her homeroom teacher, Chabashira Sae, had slowly come to mind:

"Points can buy everything."

If this is corroborated by Kitagawa Ryo's words, it seems that the other party had already obtained this information before him and was already working hard to collect personal points.

"What you were thinking about just now was information meant for you."

Seeing Horikita Suzune's expression as if she had figured something out, Kitagawa Ryo nodded and said, "Suzune's intelligence is definitely sufficient, but she often lacks flexibility, is prone to extremes, and her weaknesses are too obvious. To sum it up—"

Very easy to cheat.

First, Suzune will make a plausible deduction based on the information she has gathered, and then proceed with bargaining.

"Ten thousand points is one-tenth of a month's living expenses. I don't think your answer is worth that much. I might consider one thousand points."

Horikita Suzune quickly made her own judgment.

"A thousand points is too few and not worth trading. My intelligence is absolutely worth the price."

Kitagawa Ryo refused.

Then, Rin will make appropriate concessions, leading to the naive idea that she has the upper hand.

"If you really think your intelligence is worth 10,000 points, then you can say so first, and I will make my own judgment. If I determine that the intelligence is indeed worth the corresponding value, I will pay as agreed."

Horikita Suzune confidently stepped forward and communicated.

If her complacent attitude is not changed, it will become a significant hidden danger. Horikita Suzune always applies her usual habits to all communication with others, without considering whether her words might make others uncomfortable.

Why should I trust you?

Kitagawa Ryo retorted normally.

Next, the topic of Horikita Manabu is brought up, and Suzune will feel shaken and will definitely try to prove her growth.

"You must be eager to know something about your brother, right? Like I said, didn't you come here to follow in his footsteps?"

Kitagawa Ryo's sudden question interrupted Horikita Suzune's rhythm:

"But right now you're only in Class D, far from Class C, let alone Class A."

"You've always hoped that your brother would take the initiative to see you, right? To put it bluntly, he might not be willing to acknowledge a sister from Class D."

"If I were really like what you say, then being assigned to Class D would be entirely the school's problem."

Horikita Suzune retorted forcefully as expected:

"I answered almost all the questions in the entrance exam, and there were no mistakes in the interview, so at least I wasn't assigned to the worst class, D."

Why must class placement be related to exam scores?

"This is common sense in society. The purpose of exams is to distinguish between good and bad students and rank them based on their scores."

"Compared to common sense, I would prefer that Horikita-kun observe the other students in the class more carefully. If admission and class assignment are determined by exam scores, there must be some unusual people in your class."

For example, students with excellent grades who are unlikely to return to Class D, and students with poor grades who cannot pass the entrance exam at all.

"Indeed, I find it hard to imagine that I would be assigned to the same class as some people."

Horikita Suzune's mind naturally conjured up images of Ike Kanji and Yamauchi Haruki, and of course, Sudo, who had allegedly injured someone on the first day of school.

Finally, using Rin's unwavering resolve, a seed was planted.

"But the result is that the school judged you to be 'defective' in the same category as them."

Hearing Kitagawa Ryo's words, Horikita Suzune pursed her lips but couldn't refute them.

"By this time next month, I think you'll understand what I'm saying today."

Kitagawa Ryosuke and Horikita Suzune smiled and added:

"Considering our past relationship, I won't charge you any personal points."

He took two steps, then turned back, staring intently into Horikita Suzune's eyes, and said:

"Don't confuse the concepts of aloofness and loneliness."

Kitagawa Ryo didn't wait for Horikita Suzune to ask a question, and continued speaking as if talking to himself:

"It's very difficult for a turtle to turn over by itself."

"Well, the first part is what Horikita learned to say, and the second part is something I gave to you myself."

"See you next time."

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

As Kitagawa Ryo walked back, he let out a barely perceptible sigh. In his original plan, he would never have made contact with Horikita Suzune so soon, but life's surprises are always unpredictable. Now he could only accept reality and see if Suzune would act in accordance with his wishes.

Although it's somewhat despicable, if Horikita Suzune is used properly, she could become a weapon to destroy the entire Class D.

Kitagawa Ryosuke was too lazy to correct Rin's distortions like he had done in the last simulation. Instead, as the leader of Class C, he was now calculating all available resources. Compared to Class A and Class B, crushing Class D, the soft target, was the best option. That was why he chose to target Sudo yesterday.

With a quick thought, Kitagawa Ryo had already come up with several plans to split Class D. As for which one to choose, he would have to see if any further changes would occur.

"I am back."

Looking up, Kitagawa Ryo saw Shiina Hiyori still standing there, seemingly still feeling a little disappointed, with her eyes downcast and head lowered. Kitagawa Ryo also put aside his thoughts and called out from afar.

Seemingly having heard Kitagawa Ryo's words, Shiina Hiyori looked up and met his gaze. She initially turned her head away reluctantly, pouting, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her clothes, unwilling to reply. But then she suddenly realized she had no reason to be angry, and her silver hair swayed as she turned her head back. However, unlike Kitagawa Ryo, Hiyori couldn't naturally call out to someone from a distance in such a public place. Her cherry-colored lips moved for a long time before she finally mouthed something to Kitagawa Ryo through the crowd:

"I see."