Classroom of the Elite, I Have a Life Simulator

[Currently, the player holds seven solidified talents: Childhood Sweetheart from Heaven (Gold), Unforgettable (Gold), Persistence (Gold), Grand Pooper Scooper (Purple), Martial Artist (Purple), Modest Assets (Blue), and Close Friend (Green).]

[Currently, the player holds two items: Blessing of Ichinose Honami, Self of Ichinose Honami.]

"Ahhhhh!"

Kitagawa Ryo watched the lines of text appearing on the screen, grabbed his pillow, and rolled around on his bed several times.

"Finally, I finally got a good ending."

It was supposed to be just a Life Restart Simulator, yet he had played it with the intensity of a galgame. With its wide variety of events, branching paths, and numerous endings, it seemed the development team had put quite a lot of effort into it.

Kitagawa Ryo lay on his bed with his eyes closed. Compared to his first two attempts, he had felt a bit more involved in this third simulation, though that was mostly because he had chosen to use the "Temporary Talent Card" item right before the final confrontation. However, the core gameplay of the Life Restart Simulator was to simulate life by combining talents; if he participated too much by carefully curating a perfect set of talents to reach the final ending, it would be no different from a standard visual novel.

Kitagawa Ryo pursed his lips. Yet, in the middle of the story—both in the second and third runs—he had truly felt the awkwardness of being an outsider. He was like a reader simply watching a story unfold, clearly realizing the tragedy that was about to occur, yet unable to do anything but watch it happen.

He held his phone up in front of his eyes. Instead of rushing to start the next simulation, he followed the clues from the game studio to find their official website. What he found strange was that even though the plot of this version of the Life Restart Simulator was quite refined, he hadn't seen any related reviews online. Even the official website for this studio, named Classroom of the Elite Studio, was dead silent, as if no one was running it at all.

He couldn't even open the download link he had accidentally stumbled upon back then.

Kitagawa Ryo tried sending them an email:

"After experiencing the Life Restart Simulator from your studio, I feel this is a simulator very much worth playing. Perhaps due to a lack of promotion, there doesn't seem to be any discussion about it yet, but I believe that gold will always shine. This is truly a great game!"

Kitagawa Ryo didn't hold much hope after sending the email. At the end of the day, he just wanted to encourage the game studio as an ordinary player. To his surprise, only about a minute later, he received a reply from Classroom of the Elite Studio.

"Thank you for your love for our game. This Life Restart Simulator is indeed in a very small-scale closed beta phase. Through your email, we have felt your passion for this game. Would you be willing to serve as a closed beta tester for this game?"

Kitagawa Ryo looked at the email with some surprise. He had heard of large-scale games conducting multiple closed and internal betas before release, but those were mostly the various virtual reality games that had become popular in recent years. Did a pure text-based game that still relied on mobile media... really need a closed beta tester?

"Please rest assured, this life simulator is currently only in the preliminary script-writing stage. The final product will also utilize the Unreal Engine for world-building. If you are willing to serve as a closed beta tester, you will have the opportunity to experience the game better through virtual reality."

Seeming to sense his hesitation, Classroom of the Elite Studio immediately sent this second email.

Kitagawa Ryo looked around his cramped basement room and replied with some regret:

"Sorry, I don't have any virtual reality gaming equipment."

He was already struggling to survive in this society. Just like in the life simulation, while some people could use the most advanced virtual reality equipment to play the newly released virtual reality masterpiece Sword Art Online, Kitagawa Ryo could only simulate life on his bed using his phone, relying on text and his imagination.

"We just learned from our backend data that you are currently the only player to have cleared the first chapter. This proves your destiny with this game. If the player is willing to serve as a closed beta tester, our studio will provide you with virtual reality equipment for free to experience the game."

"Our studio believes that cooperating with you is a win-win choice."

He had to admit, the other party's offer truly moved Kitagawa Ryo. Or rather, if not for this opportunity, he might never have had the means to access such things in his entire life.

"Okay, I agree."

He had to admit, Classroom of the Elite Studio was incredibly efficient. The day after Kitagawa Ryo filled out his personal information, a package larger than he was arrived at this basement, which was barely two meters deeper than the sewer. It took Kitagawa Ryo a full two hours to assemble the various parts according to the included manual, and he had to push his desk further in just to barely fit the giant machine into the room.

Although it was his first time playing a virtual reality game, Kitagawa Ryo was already well-versed in the process from his time online, so his movements weren't clumsy.

He put on the game watch, donned the helmet to connect to the virtual network, and selected the only available option in the game menu: Life Restart Simulator: Classroom of the Elite. Kitagawa Ryo didn't hesitate to enter the game.

In the chaos of his consciousness, lines of white text emerged:

[Identity verification... Passed]

[ID verification... Passed]

[Iris confirmation... Passed]

[Life Restart Simulator]

[Each time you perform a life simulation, five talents will be randomly drawn. Talent levels are divided into White, Green, Blue, Purple, and Gold. After each simulation ends, the player can choose one talent to solidify and retain for the next simulation.]

[Please note: You can perform at most five simulations per chapter. If you fail five times, the game is over.]

[After successfully clearing each chapter, the player can permanently obtain all talents held at the time of clearing and use them in the next chapter's simulation.]

[Clear all chapters to receive a mysterious prize.]

[We wish you a pleasant game.]

In the brilliant starry sky, lines of subtitles appeared.

According to Classroom of the Elite Studio, at the current stage of development, only the plot CGs were available for the player to personally immerse themselves in; daily simulation information was still presented in text format. However, for Kitagawa Ryo, this was already far better than staring at text on a phone and relying on his brain to fill in the gaps. He gently touched the unlocked second chapter, and the white-bordered UI shattered and reconstructed itself:

[Chapter: Karuizawa Kei's Autumn Lie]

[Please name the character]

[Player chooses to name him Kitagawa Ryo]

[Named]

[The first simulation of the first chapter will now begin.]

[Seven talents have been drawn for the player, as follows:]

[Single-minded (Gold): You are single-minded toward the heroine of this volume. When I open my eyes, the bright moon and clear breeze are you, the flowers and trees are you; the vast seas and mountains are also you; when I close my eyes, the stars in my dreams all turn into you. (Clear the game with this talent equipped, and the final score of this simulation will increase by ten points.)]

"Whoa, this is good. My character currently carries so many solidified talents; if I'm not a philanderer, I should be able to achieve the mission goals quite easily."

Kitagawa Ryo then thought of something and frowned:

"Wait, it seems the mission for the second chapter hasn't been released yet. The mission for the first chapter was to change the past of Ichinose Honami, so the second chapter should be to change the past of Karuizawa Kei, right?"

[Allure of the Masses (Purple): Significantly increases your personal charm (appeals to both men and women)]

"...I honestly don't know whether to rank this talent better or worse than the original 'Tokyo Handsome Guy'. It's a pity there are no talent refresh cards or similar items this time."

[Captain Tsubasa (Blue): Your soccer skills are extremely superb, making you a standout among your peers (Eat my bicycle kick!)]

"Another talent that's better than nothing, though I recall that the reason I met Karuizawa Kei in the first chapter was because of a soccer friendly."

[Scion of a Prestigious Family (Blue): Your family holds considerable prestige in the local area (Reborn: I Am a Spendthrift 2)]

"Suddenly, all sorts of unpleasant memories are coming back to me."

[Aloof (Green): You always maintain an aloof posture in front of strangers (Only handsome people are called aloof)]

"This thing looks like an upgraded version of 'Taciturn', and only by a tiny margin at that."

[Carnivorous Type (Green): You crave more physical contact and even further intimacy during a relationship (It's better to devour and be done with it in a relationship than to be devoured)]

"Aloof plus Carnivorous Type, what kind of repressed combination is this..."

Kitagawa Ryo had already covered his forehead. Especially since he lacked items like talent refreshes or upgrade cards in this simulation, the only thing he could rely on now was the item "Self of Ichinose Honami".

[Pseudo-Sister Complex (Green): You have a special obsession with the role of a younger sister (A biological sister, yet you feel nothing)]

"As long as a green talent doesn't cause trouble, it's a victory. Besides, Karuizawa Kei couldn't possibly have a younger sister like Ichinose Honami, right?"

[Talent selection complete. The effect of the item "Self of Ichinose Honami" is activated. Randomly selecting talents for upgrade.]

[Talent Close Friend (Green) has been upgraded to Kindred Spirits (Blue)]

[Kindred Spirits (Blue): You possess a close friend with whom you can talk about anything (same gender)]

[Talent Carnivorous Type (Green) has been upgraded to Carnivore (Blue)]

[Carnivore (Blue): You always crave more physical contact and further intimacy during a relationship (You are already accustomed to devouring and being done with it in relationships)]

[Talent Scion of a Prestigious Family (Blue) has been upgraded to Heir of a Noble Clan (Purple)]

[Heir of a Noble Clan (Purple): You are the sole heir to the Kitagawa Family, a noble clan with a century of heritage in the local area (Reborn: I Am an Urban Tycoon)]

[Player talent selection complete]

[Childhood Sweetheart from Heaven (Gold), Unforgettable (Gold), Persistence (Gold), Single-minded (Gold)]

[Grand Pooper Scooper (Purple), Heir of a Noble Clan (Purple), Allure of the Masses (Purple), Martial Artist (Purple)]

[Modest Assets (Blue), Carnivore (Blue), Kindred Spirits (Blue), Captain Tsubasa (Blue)]

[Aloof (Green), Pseudo-Sister Complex (Green)]

[Chapter 2 Clearance Goal: Find the character flaws of Karuizawa Kei and correct them until she can survive independently at Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School]

[Simulation starting]

Chapter 2: Plot Prologue: Return of an Old Friend (Part 1)

[Plot prologue CG triggered: Return of an Old Friend]

[Return of an Old Friend: To the young girl, the fantasy of love and a fake boyfriend who will never return is even more tiresome and hateful than the tragedy of reality.]

[Would you like to read this plot prologue CG? (This may be helpful for your subsequent game progress)]

Karuizawa Kei was very proud of having an "omnipotent" childhood sweetheart. Although she had heard that children in their early years often think their parents are capable of anything, to Karuizawa Kei, Kitagawa Ryo seemed even more impressive than her own parents.

For instance, Karuizawa Kei's parents would never impulsively get into a fight without hesitation against the boys who bullied her just for her sake. Even when she mentioned at the dinner table that she was disliked by her classmates... because at that time, Karuizawa Kei didn't even know how to write or understand the meaning of the word "bullying". She waved her chopsticks as if trying to express something, but in the end, she only received the reply, "Eat your dinner properly first."

After dinner was over, Karuizawa Kei was finally able to blurt out in one breath that her classmates were mocking her. They said she was an annoying show-off; the girls didn't want to talk to her, and the boys made faces and stuck out their tongues at her when they passed by. She could barely stand these things anymore.

"If it were only one or two people who disliked Kei, there would be no need to worry. It's impossible for Kei to be liked by everyone."

Her father said this while looking at the newspaper.

"But—it's not one or two people, it's many, many people."

Karuizawa Kei ran to his side and used her arms to gesture a large circle, stomping her feet in agitation as if to explain the severity of the situation:

"Even if I apologize to them, it's no use."

When children encounter problems they cannot solve themselves, they are told to go to their parents. Everyone is taught to grow up with this expectation, but when Karuizawa Kei finally gathered the courage to tell them about this, they dodged the issue like they were writing empty checks:

"Did they hit you?"

Her father asked this while stroking the stubble on his chin.

"Well, no, but they deliberately make a mess of my pencil case and desk. When I bend down to pick up a pen, they pretend to accidentally step on my hand. Even when a few of them were chatting happily, they would deliberately stop talking as soon as I walked over. When I couldn't answer the teacher's questions in class, they laughed louder than anyone else. When it was my turn for cleaning duty, they would assign me the most tasks and then go off to play by themselves..."

Karuizawa Kei counted her experiences on her fingers. Seeing that her daughter didn't look like she would finish talking anytime soon, her father nodded slightly before getting up to work:

"Alright, I understand."

Karuizawa Kei tilted her head and pouted. She didn't know what her father understood, especially since she hadn't finished speaking yet.

She didn't understand her father's meaning. Did she have to be physically struck in the face by others before he and her mother would be willing to stand up for her?

How strange, Karuizawa Kei thought to herself.

Karuizawa Kei had been a competitive and strong-willed girl since she was young. Before leaving her family and entering school, she felt that everything could go according to her wishes: everyone loved her, and she could do anything.

However, after entering elementary school and growing up, friction began to develop between these thoughts and reality during the process of maturation. Karuizawa Kei was not special in any way; whether it was academics or sports, she was merely average, and most of the time she just looked like a child who couldn't do anything.

"It's strange, I thought Mom and Dad would be... a bit angrier?"

Karuizawa Kei said this to Kitagawa Ryo while sitting in a sandbox at the park. She looked somewhat disinterestedly at Kitagawa Ryo, who was attempting to build a castle—or so he claimed—though in reality, it looked like nothing more than a three-tiered pile of sand consisting of a large rectangular prism topped with a smaller one and a cube.

"After all, they always talk about love, affection, and their 'precious daughter,' but they never want to listen to me finish a full sentence. Even if they do listen, they just bring up some completely unrelated topic. It's like when I tell them I like eating hamburger steak, and they just say I need to eat more vegetables."

Karuizawa Kei poked at the sand with a twig in her hand and asked, looking toward Kitagawa Ryo:

"Are Ryo's parents like that too?"

"Hm?"

Kitagawa Ryo was slightly taken aback by Karuizawa Kei's question:

"I don't know."

"Because I've never met them."

He scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed:

"My grandfather has raised me my whole life. I heard him say that Mom and Dad aren't able to come see me yet."

It was the first time Karuizawa Kei had heard of such a thing, and she nodded with a sense of naive confusion:

"Oh, I see."

And so, they continued to play in the sandbox until the sun went down, at which point the grandfather Kitagawa Ryo spoke of would come to take him home. He was a middle-aged man who wore his authority on his face; his gaze was like a blade, cold and glinting, and his presence was imposing.

Karuizawa Kei tossed the twig she was holding aside. An entire afternoon hadn't been enough for Kitagawa Ryo to finish the castle he had described. The winding sand walls—which he claimed were the fortifications for the castle—were trampled by a stray cat passing by shortly after the two of them left. But it didn't matter; they could just build it again tomorrow. Kitagawa Ryo never intended to actually build a real castle out of sand anyway; he didn't like such flimsy, fake things that would collapse with a single gust of wind.

Karuizawa Kei began to feel increasingly stifled day by day. She worked hard to change her personality, and she could now say "I'm sorry" to others quite fluently. Every time she said it, Karuizawa Kei would look hopefully into the other person's eyes, wishing that these words held some fairytale magic that could instantly wipe away the barriers between her and others.

But the magic of an apology eventually runs out, and it was then that Karuizawa Kei realized that apologies weren't actually very useful. It was just that, at first, the other party treated the act of her apologizing as a goal that had been achieved. Once that goal became easy to reach, they grew bored of it.

To them, only the act of making me feel humiliated mattered. As for the motives or the results, they didn't care at all, as long as they could look down on me and place me in a position lower than their own—allowing them to create the illusion that they were superior to me and thereby find peace of mind.