A Temporary Curtain Call

All the anger, helplessness, and hatred that had been suppressed in the past are now being released all at once.

People with rich emotions experience double the pain.

Every day in the White Room felt like having her teeth broken, something she could only swallow, but those broken teeth couldn't be digested at all; they were gnawing at her body inch by inch every day.

Even if you bite until your liver and intestines are torn apart, you can't make a sound.

Cold.

Even now, Xue is unwilling to add a surname before his name.

When exactly did I fall in love with you?

Even in the end, Xue was unable to let go of this issue.

"Beat him up? That's good."

As Yuki walked out of the room, Kitagawa Ryo glanced inside and saw a humanoid creature that looked even more miserable than before.

"I hope it won't cause Liang any trouble."

Xue forced a smile; only then did she understand some of what Suzukake Tanji had said about crying and laughing.

Ever since I learned to cry, it seems like I can also bring a touch of sadness to my laughter at will.

"It's not a problem at all. Even if you beat him harder, he'd probably thank you for giving him a break."

Kitagawa Ryo answered casually. The two bodyguards behind him had already gone in to untie Suzukake Tanji and prepare to send him for simple treatment before stuffing him back into the [Pit of Despair].

"How are you feeling? Any easier?"

"Perhaps, at least I won't be so resistant to bringing up topics related to the White Room anymore."

Xue tightened her fingers, but quickly loosened them again. She let out a long sigh and said this.

When she said these words, Yuki seemed much more carefree, which was exactly what Kitagawa Ryo wanted to see.

After all, the other party doesn't possess the same strong willpower gained from several simulations as him. If not handled properly, those days in the White Room could very well become a lifelong shadow for Xue.

This isn't about whether they're children or not; rather, it's precisely because they're children that it's worrying.

Some people use their childhood to heal their entire lives, while others spend their entire lives healing from their childhood—that's roughly the idea.

"Want to go swimming? I remember there's a big pool here."

So, Kitagawa Ryo made this suggestion.

The Kitagawa Family's villa is indeed quite large, and in the backyard, they have generously built an indoor swimming pool that covers a considerable area and has warm water that can be used for swimming all year round.

The reason they volunteered to go swimming was because, for the two of them who grew up in the White Room, if there was any slightly happy memory, it was the swimming lessons in the White Room.

The White Room contains classrooms for various courses.

Swimming is no exception, and it's a sport that's particularly suitable for children, offering effective exercise with minimal effort.

What left a deep impression on Kitagawa Ryo and Yuki was that the last thirty minutes of each swimming lesson were a rare free time.

For the White Room test subjects whose daily schedules are packed full, these thirty minutes of free time are truly precious.

Therefore, even though Yuki and Kitagawa Ryo were not in the same class and had never taken the same swimming lesson, they understood each other perfectly.

"OK."

Almost immediately, Yuki accepted Kitagawa Ryo's invitation, and then added:

"Back then, I was the fastest swimmer among the Fourth Generation."

Although Ayanokoji Kiyotaka then won the title for two consecutive years.

However, Kitagawa Ryo naturally wouldn't say something so discouraging; he simply smiled and said:

"I wasn't planning on swimming against you today; I was just trying to relax."

"This isn't White Room; you don't have to compare everything to others just because you're here."

"Then let's go with the cold one."

Xue agreed quite readily, and then followed the housekeeper to change into her swimsuit. Turning back, she waved to Kitagawa Ryo.

See you at the pool later.

"Um."

Kitagawa Ryo nodded, walked towards the men's changing room on the other side, and casually asked the bodyguard beside him:

"Arisu? I haven't seen her since earlier."

"Miss Arisu saw the pool when she came here thirty minutes ago. She said she wanted to learn to swim in advance so she could invite you to the beach in the summer. She should be in the pool by now."

The bodyguard beside him answered respectfully.

"... fine."

Kitagawa Ryo said in a low voice.

I never imagined I'd see Sakayanagi Arisu Matoba one day.

This is really a picture that makes you feel emotional when you think about it.

However, Kitagawa Ryo quickly realized that now was not the time to think about that.

After hurriedly changing into his swim trunks, Kitagawa Ryo quickly headed towards the pool.

After rounding a bend, a spacious swimming pool comes into view.

And what he feared indeed happened.

"Hehehehehe--"

Sakayanagi Arisu beside her, was skillfully changing various swimming styles, and soon left Sakayanagi Arisu with an increasingly distant silhouette and splashing water.

Kitagawa Ryo sighed helplessly by the pool.

It has to be said, this is the value of White Room (gym).

Chapter 119: A Temporary End

Perhaps because she had been restricted by the fact that she couldn't swim, and was therefore naturally forbidden from going to the beach, Sakayanagi Arisu had been planning to learn to swim ever since she recovered.

After all, in her view, so-called genius should not be limited to the intellectual level; physical skills are also quite important.

Many schools are reluctant to enroll children with congenital defects, mainly because they are worried about accidents that might happen to them at school. This was also the case for Sakayanagi Arisu before; she was never allowed to participate in courses such as physical education or outdoor activities.

But things are different now.

Sakayanagi Arisu happily imagined what it would be like after she learned to swim. Unlike the winter sea that she and Kitagawa Ryo had seen in the past, the thought of the summer sea always made her feel an irresistible urge to plunge directly into the azure waves.

They playfully splashed water at each other; I had read countless similar descriptions of the sea in summer in books.

After changing into a children's swimsuit prepared by the Kitagawa Family's housekeeper, Sakayanagi Arisu. She stretched out one foot and cautiously tested the temperature; it was just right and not too cold.

After warming up for a while, Sakayanagi Arisu sat back down on the edge of the pool and dipped her legs into the water, letting her body slowly adjust to the temperature. Sakayanagi Arisu rested her chin on her hand, looking somewhat dazed.

The words she had heard earlier kept flashing through her mind. "[Could you please arrange Marriage Contract between you and my daughter?]" Sakayanagi Arisu recalled her reaction when she heard those words. At that moment, she felt as if she had been nailed to the spot by those words. Her thoughts, which had been like a sponge soaked with water, were suddenly gripped by an unknown force and dried up instantly, like a seashell left on the beach after the tide had gone out.

The subconscious thoughts that surfaced back then scare Sakayanagi Arisu now. She inexplicably thought of Chabashira Sae, whom she had met at Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School. On that day, she had been laughing at Sae, saying that Sae had become an idiot after falling in love and that she couldn't understand her actions at all.

Feeling that further investigation would uncover a deeper level of desire, Sakayanagi Arisu stopped her wandering thoughts. She tried to recall the swimming lessons she had read about before, and slowly submerged her entire body in the water.

As a beginner, Sakayanagi Arisu's entry into the water was certainly not graceful; rather, it was stiff and more like being thrown into a pot. Although the water still covered her whole body, it was completely different from being in the bathroom. Sakayanagi Arisu began to gradually stretch her limbs.

Since this place was originally prepared for Kitagawa Ryo, the water level is very low, which is quite friendly to Sakayanagi Arisu, who is about the same age as Kitagawa Ryo.

To Sakayanagi Arisu, she seemed to have a real talent for swimming, or perhaps it was because she was more mature than other children her age and had better control over her body. After only a short while, she was able to slowly try to swim a lap.

Kitagawa Ryo and Yuki went to see Suzukake Tanji together, and she wisely didn't go with them.

This was their past grievance. Just as Kitagawa Ryo had said before, the past must eventually be turned over. Sakayanagi Arisu understood what he meant. She already knew about Kitagawa Ryo's past, so it was best to leave it at the level of knowing.

Just as Sakayanagi Arisu was focusing all her attention on the movements of her arms and legs, a sound suddenly came from the other side of the pool:

"As a beginner, your swimming form is pretty good, but your breathing rhythm is off. If you improve that, you should be able to swim even better."

Upon hearing this, Sakayanagi Arisu looked up and saw Yuki, wearing the same style of swimsuit as her, doing some simple warm-up exercises by the pool. Seeing Yuki looking in her direction, she simply smiled and said:

"I heard from Liang that you were previously prohibited from participating in strenuous exercise due to health reasons, right?"

"But it turned out to be much better than I expected."

After saying that, Yuki also went into the water. Unlike Sakayanagi Arisu, she was more skilled because of her background in the White Room. In the blink of an eye, she swam to Sakayanagi Arisu's side.

"It's been a long time since I've swum."

Reaching out to smooth her wet hair, Yuki initiated a conversation with Sakayanagi Arisu:

"And speaking of which, this is the first time I've ever worn this kind of swimsuit, it feels quite novel."

"The White Room only has standard school swimsuits (school swimsuits) being distributed there."

Sakayanagi Arisu Yuki's words, Sakayanagi Arisu also looked down and re-examined the style of her clothes. The swimsuits they were wearing were children's style with pink and white as the main colors. Unlike school swimsuits, the lower half was closer to a skirt style, and the overall color scheme was much cuter than the navy blue school swimsuits.

"You seem to be very good at swimming."

Sakayanagi Arisu couldn't help but speak up.

"Of course, I've been number one in the White Room for several weeks now."

"Could you teach me...?"

"Once you catch up with me, I'll teach you."

Before Sakayanagi Arisu finish speaking, Yuki reached out and pressed her finger to her lips, winked playfully, and then nimbly swam a long way away in one breath.

"Hehehehehe--"

This was exactly the scene Kitagawa Ryo saw when he arrived at the pool.

After marveling at the White Room's profound expertise in children's fitness, Kitagawa Ryo nimbly stepped into the pool. Compared to the girls' swimsuits, his was much lighter, consisting of only a simple pair of boxer trunks.

Compared to her slender figure when she first emerged from the White Room, Kitagawa Ryo now has a fairly normal build. Although she still looks somewhat thin, it's no wonder she has attracted a huge number of "mommy fans" in the past year.

Matsushita Chiaki should be very qualified to speak on this matter.

"Why did Arisu decide to come to this pool alone?"

Kitagawa Ryo soon swam to Sakayanagi Arisu, who was in the middle of the pool. He popped his head out of the water, ran his hand through his wet hair as usual, and asked with a smile.

"Let's practice... swimming."

Sakayanagi Arisu carefully considered her words, feeling inexplicably flustered. The thought of the two of them talking face-to-face in the water gave her a strange feeling that was almost shameful.

She was used to talking to people while sitting in a chair, while holding a cane, and while looking across the chessboard, but this was truly the first time she had ever talked to someone like this.

"The swimsuit suits you perfectly."

Kitagawa Ryo didn't share Sakayanagi Arisu's sentiments; he merely complimented Sakayanagi Arisu's attire. In reality, most of their bodies were submerged underwater, and only blurry outlines and pinkish-white patches could be seen through the surface.

But Sakayanagi Arisu seemed to care quite a bit about Kitagawa Ryo's evaluation, nodding with great reverence:

"That's good."

Sakayanagi Arisu did not ask Kitagawa Ryo to teach her to swim, and Kitagawa Ryo did not bring it up either; the two of them tacitly avoided the topic.

The three people in the pool didn't say another word after that. They each swam happily for half an hour before leaving the pool together and walking up the escalator to the ground.

Taking the towel that had been prepared in advance, Kitagawa Ryo dried himself off and finally found a chance to look at Sakayanagi Arisu and Yuki's swimsuits. Although he had praised them all over the pool earlier, it was only now that he saw their true faces.

She is indeed cute in the way I imagined, especially Sakayanagi Arisu's swimsuit look, which is the first time I've ever seen it.

However, she only glanced at it a couple of times. After all, she was just an eight or nine-year-old girl. Kitagawa Ryo, on the Ichinose Honami in her swimsuit at Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, so she was quite experienced.

It was indeed a long-awaited moment of relaxation. Kitagawa Ryo leaned back leisurely on a lounge chair by the pool. Although it wasn't exactly a beach or the sea, the atmosphere was pretty much the same. After his nerves relaxed, he even felt drowsy for a moment.

The White Room is a thing of the past, and the Fate of many people have changed.

Kitagawa Ryo had no intention of meeting Ayanokoji Kiyotaka. In fact, he had been curious before about whether the other's personality was innate or influenced by his upbringing, but after this simulation, even he himself was somewhat unable to judge.

Perhaps Suzukake Tanji's assessment of Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was correct. He was an individual who underwent a transformation in the unique educational environment of the White Room, someone who could not be replicated, and the person who came closest to the White Room's standard of success.

But none of this mattered to Kitagawa Ryo, and he didn't care about Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's final fate in this simulation. Tsukishiro initially planned to return him to his mother, but then remembered that their mother-son relationship had long been severed. This was a method left behind by Ayanokoji Atsuomi in advance, so he could only temporarily place him in the orphanage.

According to Tsukishiro, even in the orphanage, he still showed a high degree of curiosity and a desire to learn about everything outside, and continued to follow some of the routines in the White Room.

To paraphrase Tsukishiro's own joke, the other party was practically a spy sent by an alien, eager to chew up and swallow all the knowledge in the world.