The White Season Has Come Again

"After all, there have been quite a few tabloid reporters camped out around the school gates of ANHS Advanced Educational High School these past two days. In about an hour, the news of Representative Ayanokoji's secret visit to Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School should be released."

Taken aback by Kitagawa Ryo's confident words, Ayanokoji Atsuomi quickly abandoned his initial disdain and changed his attitude, saying:

"Since Liang has chosen to promote White Room this way, we at White Room naturally can't hold back either; all our resources will definitely be invested in you."

Upon hearing this, Kitagawa Ryo understood Ayanokoji Atsuomi's intentions. The other party did indeed want to capitalize on this huge wave of prestige, but it was not advisable to expose the White Room completely. Therefore, he only wanted to take advantage of the situation and promote Kitagawa Ryo as the representative of the White Room.

Seeing Kitagawa Ryo's thoughtful expression, Ayanokoji Atsuomi seized the opportunity:

"Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School is just trying to flatter you to death, and incidentally tarnish the reputation of the White Room."

"Does Mr. Ayanokoji think I'm better off in White Room?"

Kitagawa Ryo inadvertently showed the needle marks on his left arm:

"Even if ANHS is indeed using me, it's something I'm willing to do."

"So, ANHS's offer to you is simply your freedom."

"Has Liang forgotten? This portion of freedom was a gift from me."

Ayanokoji Atsuomi felt he had guessed some things correctly, and after a laugh, he said:

"It's more accurate to say that the freedom of all the children in the White Room is in my hands."

It carries both a sense of coercion and a tone that is both enticing and tempting.

Just as Ayanokoji Atsuomi had anticipated before his arrival, Kitagawa Ryo must have harbored lingering feelings for certain people in the White Room; otherwise, he would never have been willing to bring it up again after escaping.

At this point, he began to believe in Kitagawa Ryo's abilities and Sakayanagi Narimori's words.

Judging from these dialogues, if Kitagawa Ryo is indeed a genius capable of defeating Sakayanagi Arisu, then he would be a more successful experiment than Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.

Because he was a genius with emotions, even emotions that were incredibly abundant.

Although Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was recognized for his Ayanokoji Atsuomi, he was also well aware of his shortcomings. It seemed that Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had always been quite indifferent since birth.

Thinking of this, Ayanokoji Atsuomi felt a surge of excitement within himself.

"ANHS hopes to flatter you to the point of ruin to increase their prestige, but the White Room also has the ability to cultivate you."

After a moment's hesitation, Ayanokoji Atsuomi added:

"While the White Room did indeed commit inhumane acts against you and other children of your generation in the past, it is undeniable that without the White Room, you abandoned children would not be alive today, let alone receive an education."

"In that case, I should thank you, thank the White Room."

"It's just a matter of each party getting what they need."

"Furthermore, don't think you can act all high and mighty and haggle with me like this now. Ultimately, it's because the White Room needs this role right now."

Ayanokoji Atsuomi's expression changed swiftly; just moments before, things were amicable, but now his face suddenly darkened, and his sharp, hawk-like gaze swept over Kitagawa Ryo.

However, to his dismay, this intimidation and coercion seemed to have no effect whatsoever; Kitagawa Ryo remained unmoved.

"Since it's a mutually beneficial arrangement, bargaining is the proper way to proceed."

"Many issues are not simply a matter of support or opposition; we must always discuss and reach a consensus that everyone can accept."

Kitagawa Ryo's words inexplicably reminded Ayanokoji Atsuomi of the teachings he had received from Naoe Jinnosuke years ago, but it felt quite strange to hear them coming from a child.

Perhaps from the moment he agreed to come here for secret negotiations, he had already lost the initiative in the conversation, because ultimately it was his inflated ambition that made him want to try to snatch chestnuts from the fire.

"Let's get straight to the point."

Ayanokoji Atsuomi spread his fingers:

"The White Room does indeed need your victory. Based on that, we can coordinate your actions. What you need to do is improve the White Room's public image, in a positive way, of course."

"If I could, I could return the freedom of those children you care about in the fourth and fifth generations, just as I did to you."

Kitagawa Ryo understood Ayanokoji Atsuomi's intention. In fact, the other party had never eagerly hoped for the true success of the White Room Project. Just like his Naoe Jinnosuke, he only hoped to make some visible achievements in education, the issue that the people cared about most, in order to accumulate more political prestige for himself.

Ayanokoji Atsuomi's intentions were clear: he had had enough of the past ten years of wasted time and hoped to quickly monetize the prestige of the White Room Project as a stepping stone for promotion.

As for what happens next? Ayanokoji Atsuomi doesn't care.

He was willing to abandon even his own son as a tool for political posturing, as long as he could achieve his goals.

The essence of this farce is nothing more than a larger political stunt.

No one wants to quit, and no one can quit.

After the name "White Room" was revealed, Ayanokoji Atsuomi's choices were reduced to only a few.

Therefore, Kitagawa Ryo was not surprised.

"Then, it's a pleasure to cooperate."

"Liang is gone again."

Sakayanagi Arisu leaned against the window railing, watching the departing car with a sigh.

"Don't worry about him, he can't be touched in the White Room right now."

Sakayanagi Narimori stretched:

"Anyway, you'll see each other again tomorrow, as rivals, of course."

"Yes, I know."

Sakayanagi Arisu nodded slightly. Although it was just an act, she still felt a little empty inside.

For the first time, I met someone who could be my rival; for the first time, I had someone I could love besides my father. These two pleasant things combined, yet they made me feel troubled.

I have a feeling that something important has been overlooked.

According to Kitagawa Ryo himself, his goal was simply to end the painful cycle of the White Room and liberate the children who shared his plight.

The car completely disappeared from sight. Sakayanagi Arisu returned to the sofa and sat down, picking up a book from the table and flipping through it absentmindedly.

That is a collection of Shakespeare's works:

[This violent pleasure will end violently— Romeo and Juliet, Act II, Scene VI]

Chapter 102: The White Season Has Arrived Again

Although I was only gone for less than a month, the White Room seemed to have become even whiter.

This wasn't some subjective feeling, but rather the objective reality presented to Kitagawa Ryo. The exterior of the White Room nestled deep in the Yamanaka seemed to have been deliberately renovated, and even the slight traces left by the passage of time on the walls had been repainted with clean, bright white paint, simply covering up the mottled marks underneath.

What made Kitagawa Ryo somewhat amused and exasperated was that there was actually a sign hanging on the door of the White Room: [WhiteRoom]. Four guards with their police dogs stood guard under the bright sign, as if they were facing a hidden camera.

"A reporter secretly followed us."

The assistant, sitting in the passenger seat, whispered in Ayanokoji Atsuomi's ear.

"Um."

Ayanokoji Atsuomi appeared quite calm, showing no surprise, because this was a pre-arranged "accident"; otherwise, the other party wouldn't even have been able to climb this mountain under normal circumstances.

After Kitagawa Ryo laid the groundwork for the White Room organization, Ayanokoji Atsuomi spared no effort in transforming White Room.

Since they are pursuing a yearning for the mysterious, they will try their best to create an air of mystery.

After undergoing a seemingly rigorous security check, Kitagawa Ryo and Ayanokoji Atsuomi entered the facility one after the other. Not far away, under a tree, a tabloid reporter who had been deliberately let in was overjoyed at his good fortune, his fingers trembling as he continuously took photos from a distance with his camera.

He promised the photos would be on the headlines tonight and tomorrow.

"The White Room... just like its name, everything is white."

The reporter murmured, "They keep taking photos from all angles."

"Looks like you used quite a bit of bleach."

Kitagawa Ryo entered the facility and discovered that the originally dull colors had turned bright, and even the clothing of the children receiving education in the rooms on both sides of the corridor had changed.

Instead of the pure white smock that resembled a prison uniform, all sorts of brightly colored children's clothes have been replaced. The previously blank walls have also been decorated, giving the overall space a more ordinary classroom feel.

"Isn't this what you wanted?"

Ayanokoji Atsuomi glanced at Kitagawa Ryo and gave a cold laugh:

"You know, the old White Room didn't even bother with these superficial formalities."

"It's not so much what I want, but rather what you want yourself."

Kitagawa Ryo shook his head. He looked at the children dressed in children's clothes; their only change was from plain dolls to colorful dolls.

For most of them, their clothes were no different from the pure white smocks they had worn before, just as the instructors had suddenly made them address them as "teacher."

That's why I feel like you don't seem like a child who grew up here.

Ayanokoji Atsuomi's gaze was cold. As the person in charge of the White Room project, he believed he knew this place better than anyone else, but he couldn't sense any aura of the White Room from Kitagawa Ryo, as if he were an absolute anomaly.

As someone who rose from the lowest rungs of the mortal realm to where he is today, a person without talent, Ayanokoji Atsuomi despises those so-called "born with knowledge." He believes that such people are merely products of their family background, and that the second generation relies on the legacy of their fathers to boast about themselves. Ayanokoji Atsuomi has seen enough of this over the years.

Even if it were Sakayanagi Arisu, in Ayanokoji Atsuomi's view, if the other party had the same background as him, she would never have the reputation of being a genius, but would only be a sickly person who dragged down the whole family.

Sensing the subtle hostility Ayanokoji Atsuomi displayed towards him, Kitagawa Ryo simply smiled, revealing his teeth:

"You should know best whether I grew up in the White Room or not."

If Kitagawa Ryo had only a vague impression of White Room in the past, then his experiences in the White Room during this simulation made him hate them to the extreme.

Kitagawa Ryo had never met Ayanokoji Atsuomi before, but now he somewhat understood why Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had always tried so hard to escape the White Room and enter Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School in the previous simulations.

Both appear to be Classroom of the Elite Studio competitive systems, and each dropout in ANHS seems to mean the end of their life. However, it's no exaggeration to say that every child who enters the White Room, including Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, the so-called success story, has already had their life ruined long ago.

Contrary to its name, the White Room was a den of iniquity under the leadership of Ayanokoji Atsuomi was so corrupt and unacceptable to the public that it was practically unacceptable in terms of both humanity and ethics. This is why Naoe Jinnosuke shifted all the blame to Ayanokoji Atsuomi from the very beginning.

These questions are meaningless.

In short, welcome back to the White Room.

Ayanokoji Atsuomi shrugged, seemingly realizing that continuing the previous topic would escalate into an argument, and proactively changed the subject, saying:

"Now that we have established a cooperative relationship, let me first express my sincerity."

"Honestly, you should be thankful, because in about two days we'll have to sadly announce your death to the Fifth Generation."

With his hands tucked into his sleeves, Ayanokoji Atsuomi slowly walked in front of Kitagawa Ryo, explaining the condition of the White Room during his absence—something Kitagawa Ryo was indeed concerned about.

"Because of your previous illness, we told a little white lie after you left, saying that you were sent outside for better treatment, and then casually mentioned that your condition might worsen. In the assistant's words, this was to give them time to accept it."

"Actually, I didn't intend to be this gentle at first, but before that, I had someone subtly hint at it, and it turns out that you are indeed more important than I thought."

"If it weren't for the fact that she still has some use among the Fourth Generation of trainees, she would have already been eliminated given her current situation."

Ayanokoji Atsuomi smiled knowingly, then looked down at Kitagawa Ryo and said:

"In a way, this is also a problem with the cold."

Although Ayanokoji Atsuomi never mentioned the name, Kitagawa Ryo easily guessed who he was referring to.

Compared to the more resilient Ichika, his departure was the biggest blow to Yuki.

From the other person's perspective, all the suffering he endured was attributed to her. This girl, whose personality was somewhat similar to Ichinose Honami's, had long since developed a morbid way of thinking under the constant brainwashing in the White Room.

Ichinose Honami initially locked herself in her room for nearly half a year simply because her mother knelt down to pay for her mistakes. What's more, she witnessed Kitagawa Ryo being tortured repeatedly in front of her before his silent disappearance.

She would never know where Kitagawa Ryo had gone, because for every child in the White Room, trapped in this cage, the only world they could look up at and step into each day was this small, confined space.

"I'm not a bad kid! I didn't do anything wrong! I will try my best to complete the tasks and goals, so please don't punish anyone!"

"If you're going to punish someone, punish me! Punish me! If it's my fault, I apologize! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."

To Kitagawa Ryo's surprise, the first place Ayanokoji Atsuomi took him to was the monitoring room, and the screen was showing Yuki huddled alone in a corner of the lower bunk bed in the room.

"This is how they reacted in the first few days after you left."

Ayanokoji Atsuomi introduced it casually:

"At that time, she hadn't yet been informed by us that you were no longer in the White Room."

"Next is our response after being informed."

His tone was as casual as if he were selecting goods at a market.

"What exactly did I do...?"

You can feel the sadness gradually intensifying, even across the screen and through the passage of time.

"It's all because... that they disappeared."