Remember to Call Me Big Sister

What comes into view are countless needle marks and skin scars left after the injections, mottled and crisscrossing.

Because of her young age, Sakayanagi Arisu didn't immediately recognize what it was, only thinking it was a mark of abuse. However, Sakayanagi Narimori behind her suddenly focused his gaze and almost instinctively asked:

"Councilor Ayanokoji... what's going on?"

He even abandoned the honorific titles he had always used. In fact, judging from his background, Sakayanagi Narimori was much more well-connected than Ayanokoji Atsuomi, a politician who rose from humble beginnings. He had only maintained a respectful attitude out of admiration for Ayanokoji Atsuomi's will and efforts. But under these circumstances, he couldn't help but speak up, and his tone carried a hint of questioning.

Sakayanagi Narimori did not consider himself an absolutely good person, but when such real acts of persecution appeared before his eyes, his pent-up resentment towards the White Room, and even the guilt and remorse he felt when he learned that the Kitagawa Family's child had been eliminated, all erupted almost instantly.

Regardless of the circumstances, administering addictive drugs to a six- or seven-year-old child is extremely egregious.

Having his lie exposed, Ayanokoji Atsuomi was somewhat embarrassed. He turned to his assistant behind him and demanded:

"What happened? Wasn't it said that this child had a very serious acute illness?"

With things having progressed to this point, the assistant couldn't follow Ayanokoji Atsuomi and continue to shirk responsibility; he could only grit his teeth and stammer as he took the blame.

"The White Room has always been an institution for nurturing talent, and our mission has always been to cultivate every child into a genius through education. However, some shortcomings were inevitable in the early stages."

After gesticulatingly reprimanding his assistant, Ayanokoji Atsuomi regained his composure and explained to Sakayanagi Narimori.

If even the slightest rumor were to surface from the other party about the White Room's secret use of illegal drugs, not only would Ayanokoji Atsuomi's ten years of hard work be wasted, but his political career would essentially be over, and perhaps even his career in biology would come to an end.

However, Ayanokoji Atsuomi didn't really think Sakayanagi Narimori would actually reveal it. The White Room had involved too many people over the past ten years, and the Sakayanagi Family itself was entangled in the White Room project. It wouldn't be good for them either morally or logically.

"Hotaru seems to like him a lot."

Sakayanagi Arisu wasn't interested in the conversation between Ayanokoji Atsuomi and her father; instead, she was more curious about Hotaru, who had always ignored her, showing such closeness, even intimacy, to the boy on the bed.

If it weren't for the fact that the child in the White Room had never left since birth, Sakayanagi Arisu would almost have suspected that this was Hotaru's previous owner.

Hotaru gently patted Kitagawa Ryo's cheek with her paw, but this stimulation obviously did not wake Kitagawa Ryo from his unconscious state. Hotaru leaned forward and stuck out her tongue to lick his eyelids.

Watching Hotaru's movements, Sakayanagi Narimori also stepped forward to carefully observe the child's sleeping face. For some reason, he felt a strange sense of intimacy.

"I'm taking this child with me. I don't believe the White Room is qualified or capable of raising him."

Perhaps out of guilt for the Kitagawa Family child he had never met, or perhaps influenced by Kitagawa Ryo, Sakayanagi Narimori turned to Ayanokoji Atsuomi and spoke.

Ayanokoji Atsuomi's expression changed. He hadn't expected that Sakayanagi Narimori would still find Ryo by some twist of fate. If he had known this would happen, he would have revealed Ryo's identity a few hours earlier, and could have even gained a favor along the way.

"If Sakayanagi's your request, then I'll leave the child to you."

After all, they had been caught red-handed, and considering that they might be able to use this incident to accelerate the next phase of the Fifth Generation's plans, Ayanokoji Atsuomi thought for a moment and then agreed in a deep voice.

He is now suffering from severe bacterial endocarditis.

Before leaving the ward, Ayanokoji Atsuomi somewhat irritably offered a word of advice.

"There's no need to worry about that. The more troublesome thing for this child is probably the possibility of drug addiction and dependence."

Sakayanagi Narimori shook his head in response, saying that thanks to Sakayanagi Arisu, the Sakayanagi Family knew quite a few cardiology specialists, but bacterial endocarditis was not a big problem.

"... Hopefully, this kind of thing won't happen again in the White Room."

"If the child in your arms hadn't talked nonsense, this wouldn't have happened."

After noticing the change in Sakayanagi Narimori's attitude, Ayanokoji Atsuomi decided against further pleasantries and turned to leave, completely abandoning the enthusiasm he had shown when inviting him to dinner.

Sakayanagi Narimori didn't pay much attention. After making two phone calls on his own, he said to Sakayanagi Arisu, who was lying next to the hospital bed:

"It seems this is all we can do for today."

"It's alright, Dad."

Sakayanagi Arisu poked Kitagawa Ryo's cheek with her finger as she answered:

"Besides, I'm already very satisfied with today. As for Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, let's come again next time."

"Um."

After nodding, Sakayanagi Narimori gave a few instructions to the staff in the White Room next to him. These staff members, naturally unwilling to offend the Sakayanagi Family, also came over to help carry Kitagawa Ryo outside on a stretcher along with his IV drip.

Hotaru, who was lying on the stretcher, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. In any case, at least Ryo had been rescued from the White Room.

Hotaru didn't know what kind of mess Kitagawa Ryo's departure would leave behind in the White Room, but even if she did, Hotaru would still make this choice. After all, for Hotaru, whether it was the White Room or the Sakayanagi Family, the most important person from beginning to end was only Kitagawa Ryo.

The two timelines related to Sakayanagi Arisu were far too Malice for Kitagawa Ryo.

Ying moved closer to Liang and wrapped her tail around his right middle finger.

During the descent, Sakayanagi Arisu was clearly interested in Kitagawa Ryo, who was leaning against her. Considering that the other was the child in the White Room, she couldn't help but ask him about the White Room.

Those numerous wounds were quite noticeable, and hearing that the other person also had a heart condition made it hard not to Sakayanagi Arisu curious.

"Look, Dad, will he be living with us from now on?"

From the time Sakayanagi Arisu remember, it had always been just her and her father at home, so she leaned forward and asked.

Not necessarily.

Sakayanagi Narimori gripped the steering wheel with a grave expression. He had also guessed why Ayanokoji Atsuomi had released the child so readily. He had already checked and found that, in addition to the routine intravenous injection, the person in the White Room had also been brutally given an arterial injection of medication.

Judging from the number of needle marks, this boy named Liang had been injected with the drug for at least six months. For a six or seven-year-old child, quitting such a highly addictive drug... even many adults cannot do it.

But if he continues the injections, his body will only deteriorate further and eventually collapse.

"If he can pull through... Arisu might get another younger brother."

Trying to lighten the mood, Sakayanagi Narimori chuckled and joked:

"After all, this child is Fifth Generation, so in terms of age, she should be a bit younger than Arisu."

"Oh."

Sakayanagi Arisu nodded as if she understood, and couldn't help but lean over and pat Kitagawa Ryo's head.

"I hope he can pull through."

"Arisu seems to really like Ryo."

"I just feel that seeing him reminds me of how my father would feel seeing me."

"... Arisu sometimes still says things that don't sound like a child."

"After all, Liang is a patient."

As Sakayanagi Arisu spoke, she carefully rested her head against Kitagawa Ryo's chest, trying to hear his heartbeat.

However, before he could even hear his heartbeat, Kitagawa Ryo's body was disrupted by Sakayanagi Arisu's movement, causing his center of gravity to shift towards Sakayanagi Arisu.

Kitagawa Ryo's head rested on Sakayanagi Arisu's back. Sakayanagi Arisu let out a small gasp and sat up, and Kitagawa Ryo's head rested on her shoulder as well.

It was the first time she had used her own body to support someone else's weight, Sakayanagi Arisu a little strange. She held Kitagawa Ryo's shoulders and hands, trying to straighten him up again.

Sakayanagi Arisu's right hand grasped Kitagawa Ryo's left hand, which felt as cold as stone.

It felt as if my heart was trembling.

Stopping his movements because of the temperature difference, Sakayanagi Arisu suddenly realized that he, born in White Room, had never received love from his parents from the beginning, and the scars on his body proved what kind of journey his life had been so far.

So for the rest of the journey, Sakayanagi Arisu did not move, but quietly held Kitagawa Ryo's hand, letting him lean on her shoulder.

She slowly warmed Kitagawa Ryo's cold.

It was as if he were giving back to him the warmth he had received from his father.

"... here it is?"

The moment I opened my eyes, I was dazzled by the bright ceiling. Although the ceiling of the White Room was also white, it was a matte, dark white, unlike the bright white I was seeing now.

Just as Kitagawa Ryo was wondering if he had been passively brought back to reality by dying, the man next to him interrupted his thoughts.

The voice was very familiar; Kitagawa Ryo quickly recognized it as the voice of Chairman Sakayanagi.

"Liang... let's call you by the name of this White Room for now."

"The surgery has just ended. How are you feeling? Don't be afraid, you're safe now. Just tell me how you feel honestly."

A steady, calm voice easily gives people a sense of security.

"I feel great now, and there's nothing that bothers me."

Although I haven't been able to figure out the current situation yet, I do feel much better physically than before, and my heart is no longer screaming in pain.

"Thankfully... it didn't drag on for too long."

Sakayanagi Narimori also breathed a sigh of relief. The White Room showed no intention of performing surgery on Kitagawa Ryo; it was merely keeping him alive. Fortunately, Kitagawa Ryo's surgery was timely, and his condition did not worsen.

"Well then, let me introduce myself. You can call me Sakayanagi-sensei. As you can see, I brought you out of that white room."

"Um, thank you very much."

It seems that Sakayanagi Arisu did indeed arrive at the White Room, and even managed to pull herself out by some twist of fate. Is it because of that Marriage Contract?

Kitagawa Ryo answered while thinking.

Seeing that Kitagawa Ryo's thinking was still relatively clear and that he could speak without any obvious difficulty, Sakayanagi Narimori was also very pleased.

He stepped forward and put his hand on Kitagawa Ryo's shoulder, saying:

"However, I must tell you that you haven't truly escaped from there yet. You'll only truly escape when you can wean yourself off the drugs they're injecting you with."

"Drug?"

Appropriately displaying confusion befitting his age, Kitagawa Ryo looked up and asked with some puzzlement.

"Um."

With a sigh, Sakayanagi Narimori patiently explained what the White Room had done to him, then patted him on the shoulder and said:

I know this isn't your fault.

"However, if you want to return to a normal life, you have to quit it."

I believe you can do it.

"The day you achieve that, I will be your family."

Gently patting Kitagawa Ryo's head, Sakayanagi Narimori gave a few more instructions to the nurse beside him before returning to speak:

"Get some rest first."

Kitagawa Ryo nodded and obediently closed his eyes.

If your goal is to complete the game, then you are currently on the right track.

Once he successfully overcomes his drug addiction, he will be able to make contact with the protagonist of the chapter Sakayanagi Arisu.

But at this critical juncture when the situation was taking an unexpected turn, Kitagawa Ryo found it difficult to fall asleep.

Because it is clear to the naked eye that with his departure, the Fate of many people in the White Room will be led to another unpredictable future.

Chapter 93: Remember to call me sister

"It's best not to go in now."

Sakayanagi Narimori stood outside the ward, gently stopping his daughter from entering.

The day after bringing Kitagawa Ryo back, Sakayanagi Arisu took the initiative to visit the hospital. In the past, it was always others who came to visit her. Today was the first time she had gone to the hospital to visit someone. The familiar scenery felt novel after changing her perspective.

"What's wrong?"

Sakayanagi Arisu stood on tiptoe to peer inside. She was too short; even with her best efforts, she could only barely reach the bottom edge of the glass window with her scalp, and couldn't see anything inside.

"Liang has entered the physiological detoxification stage, which is also the most crucial stage."

Sakayanagi Narimori patiently explained:

"He needs to break his dependence on addictive drugs, so all of this is a necessary step."

The physiological detoxification stage is the first and most painful stage of drug rehabilitation. Although Sakayanagi Narimori has arranged for professional personnel and medical assistance at any time, it still tests Kitagawa Ryo's willpower.

"Withdrawal symptoms?"

Sakayanagi Arisu recalled a term she had once read in a book, Sakayanagi Narimori nodded in affirmation:

"Hmm, withdrawal symptoms."

Does it hurt a lot?

"It hurts a lot. Even many adults can't bear the withdrawal symptoms. If someone is willing to provide them with medication, there are plenty of people who would kneel down like dogs, crying and sniffling."