Touching, Playing, and Exercising

"Let's look at the others—what do you think of this one, Liang?"

As she spoke, Karuizawa Kei spotted a teacup made from a polished monkey head clam on the shelf next to her. The shops here mostly sell utensils and souvenirs made from shells.

"Feels good, let's buy a few more."

"Yes, the demand is indeed quite high, after all, there are always a lot of people gathering in a cool room."

"... That's why sometimes I feel like my room isn't even my own anymore; it doesn't feel as private as Hotaru's little nest."

Kitagawa Ryo made this subtle comment while reaching for a large conch shell, thinking it would be nice to buy it for Hotaru as a claw sharpening toy.

"By the way, we've been away taking exams for so long, did Liang entrust Ying to someone's care? Hope nothing's happened to her?"

When Kitagawa Ryo mentioned Hotaru, Karuizawa Kei asked her with great concern, as she quite liked the kitten Hotaru secretly kept at school.

"Ah, yes, someone has taken care of her. Anyway, Megumi doesn't need to worry. Hotaru might be doing better than us two unlucky guys who have been struggling on Uninhabited Island for two weeks."

Because it was really difficult to explain to Karuizawa Kei the fact that the body of their pet cat actually housed a human, or rather, the soul of her own younger sister, Kitagawa Ryo could only vaguely gloss over the topic and reached out to take a seashell shaped like a lamp:

"How about using this as a replacement for the one we just had? We can put it on the table as a lamp, and if we look up at it, it should remind us of this summer vacation."

"Really."

Karuizawa Kei took the lamp from Kitagawa Ryo's hand, and suddenly, in a childlike manner, put her ear to its opening. After a while, she pouted and said dejectedly:

"I couldn't hear the sound of the ocean at all."

"It was given to me by Liang, so I'll accept it."

After buying a few more novel trinkets, the two paid at the counter and left the store.

"Wow, there's a photo booth up ahead! Liang, want to come with me?"

"OK."

She readily agreed to be dragged by Karuizawa Kei to the area for taking couple photos. After temporarily putting down her shopping bags and paying the required points, the two pressed their faces tightly together in front of the automatic camera.

Kitagawa Ryo initially intended to casually make a "V" sign, but seeing Karuizawa Kei raise her left arm and wrap it around her head to form the left half of a heart shape between them, he quickly realized what was happening and raised his right hand to complete the right half of the heart shape, which was slightly uneven.

Human thought and memory will eventually be overwhelmed by the torrent of time, which is why we need to solidify the most precious memories into reefs and then build castles. And this very moment is a landmark that belongs only to him and Karuizawa Kei.

In the automatically captured shot, the silhouettes of the two, thrown into the most radiant moment, were finally frozen in this instant, allowing Karuizawa Kei to reveal a natural, satisfied smile.

The girl's smile was like a rose that quietly bloomed, but not the delicate, fragile rose carefully tended by the lonely the Little Prince and growing in a glass dome, which was unwilling to admit it. Rather, it was a rose that grew out of the soil on its own, and although it was exposed to wind and rain, it still grew beautifully and vibrantly.

After shopping, it was around 8 p. m., which was also the time when Kitagawa Ryo could check into the deluxe suite he had booked.

"Put your things back first, then I'll wait for Hui over there."

When everything falls into place, any step will naturally follow.

However, it must be said that when Kitagawa Ryo actually stepped into the luxurious private room, which was much larger than the single room they had stayed in before, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

Then, he saw Karuizawa Kei sitting on the edge of the large bed that evoked images of comfort and softness, having just put the last rabbit ear headdress on her.

This time, no one covered his eyes.

Wearing a bunny girl outfit in predominantly orange and yellow Karuizawa Kei stood up gracefully, deftly slipped on a pair of high heels, and raised her right hand, waving it from side to side in the air in his direction:

"How about that? This was bought with 10,000 Private Points."

"I think this is the most cost-effective thing we spent today."

For the first time in reality, Kitagawa Ryo experienced the feeling of his rationality evaporating, and his voice became somewhat dry. When he came to his senses, Karuizawa Kei had already walked up to him with a soft 'tap tap tap' sound.

"I'm the first one, right?"

As she spoke, she reached out and stroked Kitagawa Ryo's face, from his eyebrows to the corners of his mouth.

Correspondingly, with Karuizawa Kei's movement, that indescribable part below her collarbone lifted slightly, revealing a bit more of her fair and smooth skin from under her armpits. Combined with the two beautiful V-lines on her sides, it showcased the girl's health and vitality to him.

"Um."

Kitagawa Ryo nodded instinctively, but he wasn't lying, because even with Amasawa Ichika, he hadn't truly taken that step with her.

Noticing Kitagawa Ryo's current state, Karuizawa Kei Megumi, who had silently taken control as if coaxing a child, instinctively rubbed her nose against his neck and chin, whispering sweet nothings in his ear.

Their heartbeats gradually blended into one as their skin touched, and the close intimacy erased all sorts of wild thoughts, leaving only a primal desire.

This is the perfect ending to the first day of the holiday.

Please take one day off.

I have an urgent matter to attend to and need to take one day off.

The animation team released character designs for Honami's mother and younger sister, and they're quite cute. I'll share a couple of pictures with you all. I'm about to get into Honami's storyline, which is the summer vacation arc after the cruise ship arc.

All I can say is that I once Attracted to Younger Women, but I didn't cherish it.



Chapter 247: Touching, Playing, and Movement (4k5)

On the second day of the rest day, it was noticeable that there were more students out and about. Kitagawa Ryo, who had once again booked breakfast for 7 a. m., looked at the much larger crowd than yesterday and continued to put the man's gas station into his mouth without changing his expression. His thoughts inadvertently drifted back to the various scenes from last night.

Despite never being lovers with Karuizawa Kei even once in the two simulations, in reality, they were the first to truly get together, leaving Kitagawa Ryo somewhat dazed.

They finally accepted each other gently, marking a new stage in his relationship with Karuizawa Kei. Their future interactions would likely change slightly as a result, just like the promise he made during their tender time together last night after their passionate encounter.

If Karuizawa Kei really manages to collect Twenty Million Personal Points in the following academic year, Kitagawa Ryo will not and cannot refuse her offer to transfer him to her class.

Just like the composition of Kitagawa Ryo's group in this Uninhabited Island Special Exam, the students in the same class will surely have closer interactions in their daily lives and in the still unknown Special Exam to come, and this is the kind of interaction that Karuizawa Kei hopes for.

Reaching out to grab a tissue from the table, he wiped the sauce from the corner of his mouth. After finishing breakfast, Kitagawa Ryo habitually tidied up the mess on the table and the used tableware before getting up to leave. Although he had heard sayings like "there are no lands that are ruined, only oxen that die from exhaustion," in his first experience last night, the oxen ultimately prevailed.

Unlike Karuizawa Kei, who had just finished a grueling trek that was even more exhausting than her previous fourteen-day trip to the Uninhabited Island Kitagawa Ryo was now soundly asleep in her luxurious and comfortable bed, Karuizawa Kei, despite being up late into the night, was still full of energy and had plenty of time to book and eat breakfast at seven o'clock. In this respect, his physical fitness was indeed heading in a superhuman direction.

In other words, this probably means that sometimes you don't know your body's limits until you push yourself.

As Kitagawa Ryo left the restaurant, he casually greeted a few classmates he encountered on the way, saying good morning. After being promoted to Class B, the students in his class had completely shaken off their previous gloom and their mental outlook was completely different. However, perhaps because they were used to their previous frugal lifestyle, or perhaps because they had learned from their mistakes and were preparing for the future, most of the students did not exhibit any extreme imbalance or retaliatory spending behavior, which put Kitagawa Ryo at ease.

To be honest, he was the one who spent the most money in the entire class, and even the entire grade, these past two days...

Thinking about this, Kitagawa Ryo almost missed the VIP Exam that the school had conducted on the cruise ship during this time of his First Year summer vacation. It was a perfect opportunity to grab a large number of Private Points from the school in one go. However, due to the changes in the timeline, this exam was also canceled after the Uninhabited Island Special Exam was drastically changed.

Just as Kitagawa Ryo was pondering this issue with some regret, a voice suddenly came from behind him, speaking to him:

"Good morning."

"Oh, good morning... It's you again."

He answered subconsciously, and when Kitagawa Ryo belatedly turned around, he realized that the person who greeted him was Ayanokoji Kiyotaka. If he remembered correctly, the two of them seemed to have had a similar encounter yesterday, but two days in a row, it didn't feel like a coincidence.

Are you following me?

Looking at the boy in front of her, who remained calm and seemingly undisturbed by anything, Kitagawa Ryo asked him a direct question, knowing he had been followed by him on the Uninhabited Island.

"No, am I observing you, or rather, reading you? Anyway, that's the gist of it."

In response to Kitagawa Ryo's question, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka simply shook his head with a very slight movement, his gaze remaining fixed on him.

"You're going to be with Amasawa today, right? I saw her waiting for someone on the first deck."

"Being so close to our students at this delicate time could easily arouse suspicion that I'm an undercover agent, right?"

"I have never approached either of you as a student in Class 1-D of Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School."

Although Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's words were rather vague, Kitagawa Ryo quickly understood what he meant. Just like their brief exchange on the night of the thirteenth day of the Uninhabited Island Special Exam, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was confirming something from White Room's perspective, or rather, searching for the answer to a certain question.

"Oh, and then? So what? Actually, I've always felt that if we disregard our shared background as classmates at Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, there's really nothing for us to talk about."

"Furthermore, if Ayanokoji, you truly remember your stance and the mission you were given when you first came to this school, shouldn't you be worrying about that now? You've fallen from Class A to Class D, and the two reinforcements sent to help you have all been wiped out. Perhaps at the start of next semester, Ayanokoji Atsuomi won't be able to resist taking action again?"

Faced with Kitagawa Ryo's words, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka also silently lowered his eyes. He couldn't deny that the other party's words had indeed pulled him back to reality from the almost real Phantom Dream of freedom on the Uninhabited Island.

However, he quickly regained his composure and replied calmly:

"There are still two and a half years left. As long as I am not voluntarily expelled, I can continue to stay here for a while longer."

"Hmm, and then what? After graduation, obediently return to the White Room and continue to follow that man's orders?"

Noticing the slight change in Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's personality and behavior compared to when school started, Kitagawa Ryo continued to probe with interest. However, this time, the other party did not give him a clear answer, but instead looked up and asked him a question in return:

"You... you must know Xue, right?"

As the Masterpiece of the White Room, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was used to learning and analyzing everything with the most rational and rigorous attitude. While Amasawa Ichika's change of heart was somewhat unexpected, in the two days following the Uninhabited Island Special Exam, he inevitably began to wonder if the other person was just an isolated case, and whether Kitagawa Ryo was truly the one who could end everything.

After all, even though he and Amasawa Ichika were both outstanding graduates of the White Room, they actually belonged to the fourth and Fifth Generation respectively. The difficulty of their studies and the types of courses they took were quite different, especially in the area of emotions and interpersonal communication, which were knowledge that Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had never encountered before.

Therefore, if he wanted to truly control the variables, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka would prefer to find a person among the White Room test subjects who were also in the Fourth Generation as a control group, and the most appropriate person was the name that Kitagawa Ryo had personally mentioned during the 'Freestyle Fighting' topic in the Uninhabited Island Special Exam Kitagawa Ryo.

To be honest, before Kitagawa Ryo brought up the name, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had almost forgotten about the person. After all, from the moment he was eliminated from the White Room, the person was essentially no different from the dead in his memory.

"It's not just a relationship of acquaintance."

Faced with Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's question, Kitagawa Ryo gave his answer quickly and decisively. Although he would not blame everything that happened to Yuki on Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, who was also a victim, his tone inevitably became more forceful and carried a bit of his own emotion.

After saying that, Kitagawa Ryo stopped talking to Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, bid a brief farewell, and left without waiting for a reply.

During his last trip outside of school, he and Xue made a promise to each other.

Around Cultural Festival this year, he will be visiting Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School as a family member of a sponsor, and he will take her to enjoy a whole day of the school's Cultural Festival.

Then, next April, she will officially enroll as First Year freshman and become his junior.

In fact, when the future is so clearly visible and so wonderful, the waiting time doesn't seem so long.

To Kitagawa Ryo, when he arrived at the place he had arranged with Amasawa Ichika, he saw another girl there, Kushida Kikyo from Class 1-D.

However, unlike the innocent Tian image she usually presents to the public, Kushida Kikyo now looks disheveled and on the verge of collapse. Although she is still trying her best to maintain a gentle smile that makes people feel warm and fuzzy, the occasional twitching of her lips and the faint throbbing of veins on her forehead indicate that she is in a very bad mood.

And indeed, as Kitagawa Ryo observed, due to Katsuragi Kohei's investigation into class spies and the students' failure in the Uninhabited Island Special Exam, most of the students in Class D were either seething with anger or had been holding back their rage all day. Under these circumstances, Kushida Kikyo, known as the class's best listener and social butterfly, also got up early with difficulty, preparing to boost her reputation and popularity in the class through a team-building activity, while also covering up the fact that she was one of the moles in the class.

But to Kushida Kikyo's surprise, when she had finally dressed herself up beautifully and arrived at the agreed location fifteen minutes early in a cheerful mood, she suddenly bumped into Amasawa Ichika.

What's worse, the other person also seemed to be bored and waiting for someone. As soon as they saw her, they immediately started clinging to her like glue, as if they had found some kind of fun to pass the time.

"Kushida, you're all dressed up so nicely today, are you going on a date with someone?"

Because other students kept passing by, in order to maintain her usual outward appearance, Kushida Kikyo could only force a normal smile:

"No, I just made plans to hang out with some friends from my class."

"Amasawa, you..."

Just as Kushida Kikyo was about to retort with a question, trying her best to regain control of the conversation, Amasawa Ichika interrupted her directly. At the same time, he moved closer to her in a seemingly intimate manner, extending his right hand and playfully poking Kushida Kikyo's cheek with his slender index finger.

"Huh? Really? Kushida -Kushida is beautiful, has a great figure, and is pretty smart too, right? It should be easy for her to date people, right?"

"... I just don't have that idea for the time being."

Even though she wanted to show resistance, Kushida Kikyo felt pressured to save face in front of others, so she ultimately chose to brush off the topic with a forced laugh.

Just kidding, a large part of why Kushida Kikyo stands at the top of her class and even grade's social circle is because of her single persona of not dating anyone. The Ichinose Honami and Sakura Airi have never been able to surpass her in popularity is simply because those two girls' one-sided romantic feelings are too obvious, right?

To be honest, Kushida Kikyo doesn't really care whether she's in Class A or Class D. Social skills are deeply ingrained in her, etched into her very being.

This approach isn't necessarily wrong, because if students want to improve in high school and even university, the most basic paths are simply learning knowledge, developing skills (related to clubs), and building connections. Being able to maintain good relationships with anyone is a rare talent in itself.

Even if she doesn't graduate from Class A in the end, if a large portion of the students who do graduate from Class A are her close friends, then her three years at Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School won't have been wasted.

However, it is clear that Amasawa Ichika is not within the scope of Kushida Kikyo's ability to deal with; rather, she can be classified as a natural enemy, even more troublesome than Horikita Suzune, whom she encountered in junior high school.

"Ah, I can't chat with Kushida anymore, the person I'm waiting for has arrived, bye-bye."

Just as Kushida Kikyo was struggling to cope, Amasawa Ichika seemed to suddenly lose interest in her. In an instant, he left her side, skipping and hopping to another spot. He then naturally grabbed Kitagawa Ryo's arm, firmly pinning her to his breasts, which seemed incongruous with his age.

Because it was summer, the soft, warm touch was transmitted to Kitagawa Ryo's mind almost instantly through his nerves, even through only a thin layer of fabric.

Immediately afterwards, seemingly feeling that the posture was not intimate enough, while holding Kitagawa Ryo's arm with her right hand, Amasawa Ichika stubbornly stuffed her left hand into his palm, slowly separating his fingers, and then interlocking her fingers, hanging half of her body on Kitagawa Ryo like a koala.

The rhesus monkey experiments conducted in the White Room, which were simulated, may still subconsciously influence the participants to this day, especially for Amasawa Ichika and Yuki, whose minds were far less developed than his at the time.

However, precisely because of this, their behavior patterns are simpler and clearer. Just like the three needs for love proposed by Harlow, the founder of the experiment, as long as the three variables of 'touch, play and movement' can be provided, their desire to be loved can be satisfied.

Now it's touch.

Kitagawa Ryo also habitually reached out to pat Amasawa Ichika's head, a gesture he most often used to encourage and show affection to the Fifth Generation of students during simulations.

Then it was a whole day of playing.

Just like his date with Karuizawa Kei yesterday, he and Amasawa Ichika will also spend the whole day having a great time on this Luxury Cruise Ship, enjoying all the facilities.

Final words...