She Has Taken Hold of the Past and the Future

Following the other person's somewhat worried gaze, Kitagawa Ryo and Sakayanagi Arisu also turned their attention to the repair counter. After looking at it for a while, the latter asked with some doubt:

"... Why does this staff member seem so stressed? Is it because Airi's cameras are so expensive?"

"This is largely because of the painful lesson learned by a predecessor."

Looking at the female shop assistant whose forehead was still covered in sweat despite the air conditioning being on, Kitagawa Ryo gave only a vague reply.

After all, Sakura Airi had already used the camera repair incident to lure the school into a trap at the beginning of the semester. The result of that incident was that the school compensated her with ten million Private Points. As the culprit who made the school suffer a huge loss, Kitagawa Ryo didn't find out the final fate of that unfortunate sasaeng fan, but it probably wasn't much better.

Since then, the school has developed a psychological aversion to Sakura Airi's camera repair business. Not only are all the staff members assigned to her services designated to be women, but the repair process must also be absolutely flawless, with no room for the slightest mistake.

To reiterate, if Sakura Airi hadn't been a super popular idol in the entertainment industry at the time, and hadn't experienced a surge in attention due to her sudden graduation announcement, she simply wouldn't have been able to secure such an extravagant compensation and the subsequent treatment, even if the school was indeed in the wrong from the start.

Just like the names that Sakayanagi Arisu earlier, it's true that different people in this school can have vastly different impacts and consequences when they speak out about the same issue.

To use an imperfect analogy, if students like Sato Maya and Shinohara Satsuki in the same class were to threaten to drop out and then publish articles accusing Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School of mismanagement and failing to guarantee the physical and mental safety of its students, they would absolutely not achieve the same effect as Sakura Airi.

However, for Sakura Airi, although she did successfully use her popularity as an idol to manipulate the school and accumulate a huge amount of emergency spending points for Kitagawa Ryo at the beginning of the semester, she also encountered some troubles that other students could not understand.

For example, compared to her real name, many students are more accustomed to calling her by her idol stage name 'Shizuku'. There have even been subtle experiences where, when signing autographs for girls from other classes, they were specifically asked to sign with that name instead of her real name 'Sakura Airi'.

That's why she was particularly fond of Kitagawa Ryo's actions during the 'name tag ripping' challenge in the Uninhabited Island Special Exam. The feeling of being affirmed and recognized by the person she liked was truly unparalleled.

Kitagawa Ryo chatted with the cheerful Sakura Airi about their daily lives over the past few days for a while. While Sakayanagi Arisu seriously inquired about Kitagawa's three meals a day, eating habits, and exercise routine, Kitagawa Ryo took the opportunity to ask the shop assistant about sports watches. However, he was told that they didn't sell that type of equipment there and that he had to go to a sports equipment specialty store on the other side.

And so, after saying goodbye to Sakura Airi, who remained in the shop waiting for her camera to be repaired, Kitagawa Ryo pulled Sakayanagi Arisu, away from there and went straight into a nearby sports equipment store.

Sure enough, Kitagawa Ryo quickly found the sports watch he wanted with the help of the shop assistant. But just as he was about to turn around and ask Sakayanagi Arisu which color and style she liked, he found that Arisu had already attracted all her attention to another product on the next shelf.

"Are you two interested in this sports ring? It's our best-selling item lately. Not only does it have the same heart rate, continuous blood oxygen, and daily activity monitoring as the sports watch next to it, but it also features a 5ATM waterproof design, so you don't need to take it off during everyday activities like washing your hands, showering, or swimming. It monitors your health around the clock."

"Besides tracking your exercise, it can also record your sleep quality 24/7..."

A young salesman standing next to the two immediately launched into a long, enthusiastic sales pitch, describing the product in glowing terms. But before he could finish, another salesman, who looked more mature, gently nudged his shoulder, interrupting him. Looking at Kitagawa Ryo and Sakayanagi Arisu's arm-in-arm posture and expressions, he simply smiled and said:

"We have matching couple outfits available for you to try on."

Take a day off, will start catching up on updates tomorrow.

Finally, all the New Year's greetings are over. Every year at this time, I think we should just celebrate the New Year every two years; it's too much of a hassle.

My brain is completely fried right now. I haven't slept well at all these past few days, so I'll go to bed early tonight. I'll start catching up on updates tomorrow, and I'll make up for all the chapters I missed during the Spring Festival.

Speaking of which Asahina Nazuna- senpai in the third season of the anime was drawn really well; she was a breath of fresh air amidst all the terrible animation.

Here's another picture of me in my swimsuit this Ichika.


Ichika!. jpg

Chapter 261: She Grasped the Past and the Future (5k7)

It has to be said, a veteran salesperson is a veteran salesperson. The moment those simple words left his lips, Sakayanagi Arisu was already somewhat interested, nodded in the next second.

"Please take us there to take a look."

"Okay, this way."

Following the salesperson, Kitagawa Ryo and Sakayanagi Arisu arrived at another area of the store with a completely different atmosphere. Looking at the various promotional posters on the walls showing couples exercising together and advertising slogans such as "Exercise and run together with your loved one" and "Show your truest self to him/her, and become a better version of yourself for him/her," and then glancing at the badminton, ping-pong, and other equipment suitable for couples that were blatantly halved in price just because they were labeled as "couple's items" and had some decorations added, Kitagawa Ryo couldn't help but twitch the corners of his mouth.

Like the other meticulously designed gadgets targeting couples next to it, the sports watches that Sakayanagi Arisu interested in were impeccably presented. Unlike the ordinary models that had just been placed in the ring box, these rings were deliberately placed in pairs in the center of a pink heart-shaped ring pillow, about 20cm x 20cm in size. Under the specially adjusted lighting, they undoubtedly looked more dreamy and romantic, exuding sweetness while also better highlighting the two sparkling sports rings placed in the very center.

To be honest, if you told me this was for wedding rings, Kitagawa Ryo probably wouldn't find it strange at all.

After making this subtle, understated comment, Kitagawa Ryo and the intrigued Sakayanagi Arisu reached out and took one of the rings. Unlike ordinary rings, the sports rings were thicker in both size and design, and felt more like finger rings than regular rings.

Following the salesperson's advice, each of them tried on the size of their fingers. The experienced salesperson then instructed the younger salesperson to fetch the goods from the back warehouse while introducing the products to the two of them using the displayed samples.

Unlike common accessories like necklaces, bracelets, and hair clips, rings seem to be inherently imbued with many special meanings. The finger on which a ring is worn on either hand carries its own significance. However, experienced salespeople don't waste time with small talk; they immediately recommend the right ring finger, even offering a seemingly plausible reason:

"It is said that a blood vessel in the ring finger is directly connected to the atrium of the heart, hence it is also known as the place closest to the heart, making it perfect for monitoring physical condition."

Actually, given Kitagawa Ryo and Sakayanagi Arisu's current relationship, wearing the ring on the right ring finger, which represents being deeply in love, is quite appropriate. Sakayanagi Arisu was initially quite satisfied with the salesperson's suggestion. Hearing the salesperson's words, she felt her heart skip a beat, as if some vein there had been stirred by those words.

However, just when Kitagawa Ryo thought Sakayanagi Arisu agree, perhaps recalling some past memories, the silver-haired girl carefully played with the selected sample in her hand for a while, but ultimately chose to gently slip it onto the middle finger of her left hand.

In contrast to the right hand, which symbolizes love, the left hand usually symbolizes marriage.

Wearing it on the middle finger means that the wearer is taken and engaged.

As soon as Sakayanagi Arisu made this small gesture, Kitagawa Ryo knew that the other party was still thinking about the Marriage Contract they had in the simulation. Unfortunately, it was a one-time item that only worked in the simulation and did not actually materialize in reality. Therefore, it became a memory known only to him and Sakayanagi Arisu.

What, you mean two students from the White Room who also inherited memories?

If you were to ask Amasawa Ichika and Xue this question, they would probably both shake their heads without hesitation and say, "Marriage Contract? What Marriage Contract? I've never heard of it."

However, Kitagawa Ryo didn't mind going along with Arisu's little thoughts at this moment. He smiled and put his own ring on the middle finger of his left hand, which made the salesperson next to him a little dumbfounded. He quickly added another consideration and response plan to his mind: the customer might be his fiancé or fiancé, and he prepared to actively use it in his future sales career.

"Then, you two can download our dedicated app on your phones. This way, you can check each other's body data in real time through the app platform. Then, enter each other's invitation code here, select 'couple' in the two-person relationship, and you can share each other's body and exercise data in the future."

"Can this... locate the other party's position?"

No sooner had the salesperson finished speaking than Sakayanagi Arisu couldn't help but raise her hand and ask, recalling that the school's sports watches had a GPS-like positioning system used to monitor students in real time during the Uninhabited Island Special Exam.

"Well, for privacy reasons, our fitness rings don't have that feature... If you really want to, after you select the 'Activate Today's Exercise' option, you can generate a map of your workout trajectory and share it with the other person after you finish exercising."

As she spoke, the salesperson used Kitagawa Ryo's phone, which already had the software installed, to give a simple demonstration. Soon, Kitagawa Ryo generated a motion track chart showing only a few steps, accompanied by the text, "I just exercised for xx hours and xx seconds, covered a total distance of xx kilometers, burned xx calories, with an average pace and a maximum pace of xx. Let's work out together!" and sent it to Sakayanagi Arisu.

After the salesperson gave a clear and concise explanation of all the usage instructions, and she was also given a complimentary electronic manual, a charging cable, and a ring holder, along with a three-year unconditional repair guarantee, Sakayanagi Arisu was quite satisfied. She paid at the front desk with her prepaid card and left the store amidst the salesperson's polite greeting, "Welcome to visit us again."

Perhaps influenced by the various sports posters displayed in the shops, or perhaps because of the sports ring she was wearing on her left middle finger, Sakayanagi Arisu looked at the still bustling shopping street for a while, then suddenly turned to Kitagawa Ryo and said:

"Let's go for a walk on the outer deck."

"Good."

Kitagawa Ryo himself was also happy that Sakayanagi Arisu would go outside more and get some fresh air, and quickly nodded in agreement, but then immediately added with concern:

"The sun is quite strong outside today, Arisu should apply some sunscreen before going out."

Although Sakayanagi Arisu is also wearing a hat, this small, delicate hat, which matches her Lolita outfit, certainly can't block out the sun, so Kitagawa Ryo added the second half of the sentence:

"And then wear a sun hat or something."

"Okay, then let's go back to my room first, my things are all in there."

Girls are naturally very concerned about protecting their skin, Sakayanagi Arisu was no exception, immediately agreeing to Kitagawa Ryo's suggestion.

Unlike Karuizawa Kei, Sakayanagi Arisu didn't care at all about being seen by others. Without hesitation, she forcefully pulled Kitagawa Ryo's hand and walked with her to her room. However, there was indeed no one around, so Kitagawa Ryo went along with her. But just as the door was closing, he inadvertently caught a glimpse of Matsushita Chiaki's figure and realized that someone had cleared the room beforehand.

Excluding big spenders like Kitagawa Ryo who paid extra with Private Points, the rooms provided by the school to all students were the same in terms of size and furnishings. However, unlike the boys' washbasins, which were almost empty except for a toothbrush and a tooth cup, the girls' washbasins were mostly filled with all kinds of cosmetics and skincare products.

Sakayanagi Arisu didn't really care much about this before. After all, due to her congenital heart disease, she had very few opportunities to go out compared to other girls, so makeup and skincare seemed optional.

However, this situation was reversed during this period. The budding of a romance does make people pay more attention to their appearance. Just like the saying "women dress up for those they love," under the guidance of Matsushita Chiaki, Sakayanagi Arisu also began to dress herself up like an ordinary high school girl.

Although I've only been using it for a short time and still feel a bit clumsy, I originally planned to take this opportunity to go back to my room and touch up my makeup a little. However, I was a bit confused about whether to apply sunscreen or foundation first. After sitting in front of the mirror for a while, I Kitagawa Ryo:

"It's rare for Liang to be here today, so could you help me apply sunscreen and foundation?"

"They've arrived."

Although Kitagawa Ryo noticed Sakayanagi Arisu's slight embarrassment, he didn't point it out. Instead, he walked behind her and leaned down slightly, bringing their faces close together in the mirror.

As a theatrical Actor still active on stage, Kitagawa Ryo, despite not having acquired any particular talent, is still quite skilled in makeup and styling. He quickly and skillfully took the sunscreen from Sakayanagi Arisu and squeezed out an appropriate amount into his palm.

Despite having silently memorized the instructions to apply sunscreen before foundation, Kitagawa Ryo Sakayanagi Arisu lifted the girl's cheeks from behind while spreading sunscreen in his hand, and began to carefully apply it to her in front of the mirror.

Although we often see scenes in various anime and manga where the male protagonist helps the female protagonist apply sunscreen, the atmosphere between the two is much warmer than the more romantic scenes of applying sunscreen to the back, abdomen, and thighs that are common in those kinds of stories. Kitagawa Ryo even took the opportunity to pinch Sakayanagi Arisu's slightly chubby cheeks.

After applying the ointment to the entire area, including behind the ears and the neck, Kitagawa Ryo leaned close to Sakayanagi Arisu's ear and whispered:

"Wait five or six minutes, until the sunscreen sets and forms a film, then you can apply foundation to Arisu."

"Um."

Although the whole process was over, Sakayanagi Arisu showed no intention of opening her eyes. Instead, she leaned back against Kitagawa Ryo in a relaxed manner and hummed a soft reply.

For a long time, Sakayanagi Arisu didn't really like to close her eyes for too long outside of sleeping, because for her, who had more difficulty moving than the average person, her eyes were the most important way to perceive the world, instead of her legs.

As she grew older, she realized that this was also a manifestation of insecurity. Closing her eyes meant a lack of vision, and the inconvenience of movement was itself another negative influence of insecurity. When the two were combined, it was as if as soon as she closed her eyes, something would approach from all directions to spy on her or even plot against her.

But now, Sakayanagi Arisu no longer felt that vague fear and worry, because she felt an unprecedented sense of security on both a physiological and psychological level, which even made her a little sleepy.

Just as Sakayanagi Arisu was quietly drifting off to sleep, ten soft, warm fingers caressed both sides of her cheeks. Unlike Matsushita Chiaki, who used foundation brushes and sponges when teaching her makeup, Kitagawa Ryo still chose the most intimate method and technique.

When Sakayanagi Arisu finally couldn't help but open her eyes, she clearly saw Kitagawa Ryo standing behind her in the mirror. He was earnestly supporting her cheek from behind, his dark eyes filled with seriousness and tenderness.

"Why are your eyes open? You looked like you were about to fall asleep just now."

As Kitagawa Ryo spoke, he gently reached out and straightened Sakayanagi Arisu's cheek, which had unconsciously shifted due to her shyness. His left middle finger, adorned with a ring, lightly hooked her delicate nose.

"It's just a bit novel; after all, when Chiaki taught me, she didn't use her hands like Ryo does."

Sakayanagi Arisu replied with a smile, though her words sounded a bit reproachful. Her body, however, betrayed her true feelings as she began to enjoy Kitagawa Ryo's makeup service. She watched in the mirror as he skillfully mixed the foundation into light, medium, and dark shades, even more so than she had ever done. Then she let his fingers dance across her face, down her neck, and then behind her ears.

Although I had been amazed by Kitagawa Ryo Sakayanagi Arisu's hands when I watched him play the piano at the concert hall that morning, I still couldn't help but be a little lost in thought when those hands were actually caressing me so delicately.

If Kitagawa Ryo's palms were initially cool and quiet like pebbles at the bottom of a river, or like a stone step on an autumn morning, then after rubbing and touching them for a while, that comfortable coolness would turn into a warm and gentle warmth. As his fingertips intermittently brushed across her cheeks, they actually warmed her blood as well.

Compared to her somewhat thin figure, Sakayanagi Arisu's face was absolutely flawless, making her a stunningly beautiful girl. So much so that Kitagawa Ryo felt there was no need for her to wear makeup, and in the end, he only applied a light layer.

A mid-tone similar to her natural face color served as the base for her entire face, while a darker foundation was carefully applied to her cheeks and the sides of her nose. Kitagawa Ryo skillfully controlled the transitions, further emphasizing the pure and innocent feel. Finally, he lightly applied a lighter foundation to Arisu's forehead, bridge of her nose, and chin to brighten her features, and then clapped his hands to finish tidying up her hair and bangs.

"Arisu is so cute!"

After all the activities were over, Kitagawa Ryo didn't hold back his praise. His straightforward words made Sakayanagi Arisu a little shy. Sitting there, her legs, encased in white stockings, swayed slightly from side to side. Looking down, you could see her two round-toed leather shoes occasionally lifting up and falling down.

"The makeup's all done, let's head out now. Where's Arisu's sun hat...?"

"It's in that cabinet over there."

Following the direction pointed out by Sakayanagi Arisu, Kitagawa Ryo successfully obtained the large white sun hat, and said with a smile:

"I knew Arisu would bring this hat with her."

Looking at the gift that Chairman Sakayanagi had given to his daughter, Kitagawa Ryo felt a bit emotional. After all, in the end, the worldline shift caused by his last simulation had destroyed another gift from the other party, a cane, Arisu had given him. Now, this was truly all that was left.

After collecting all their belongings, they went outside and glanced at Matsushita Chiaki, who was most likely keeping watch. Kitagawa Ryo and Sakayanagi Arisu was wearing a sun hat, went straight to the deck outside.

It was almost noon, and just as he had said, the sun was exceptionally scorching today, blazing brightly and radiating astonishing heat.

Pressing down the wide brim of her hat to block the direct sunlight, Sakayanagi Arisu walked briskly to the railing of the deck, gazing intently at the horizon where the sea and the sky, though seemingly infinitely far apart, appeared to intersect in her field of vision.

Long ago, Sakayanagi Arisu stubbornly divided people in the world into two categories: mortals and geniuses. However, the appearance of Kitagawa Ryo broke her classification, because he was a third kind of being that could not be classified into either of these two categories.

Just as Kitagawa Ryo perceived her, Sakayanagi Arisu found it difficult to be interested in, let alone like, someone who was less talented than her.

But in reality, Sakayanagi Arisu wouldn't actually harbor feelings of affection for that one percent of beings in the world who might surpass her.

No matter how you look at it, it's probably driven by a strong competitive spirit and desire to win.

Therefore, Kitagawa Ryo was a unique third type of person to her, neither a genius she was determined to defeat, nor a mediocre person she looked down upon.

Their story is so bizarre that probably no one would believe it if told; it's like Alice dreamt of wandering through Wonderland.

In this present moment where memories and reality overlap, and with their identities and roles shifting several times, even Sakayanagi Arisu herself feels somewhat lost.

"It's really too hot here. Let's rest under this parasol for Arisu, Arisu."

Somewhat concerned about Sakayanagi Arisu's physical condition, Kitagawa Ryo stood on the deck for a while before preparing to lead her to a shady spot built nearby. He had lunch there with Karuizawa Kei the day before yesterday.

"Okay, coming right away."

When she saw Kitagawa Ryo's concerned smile and the ring on his left middle finger that was visible when he waved, Sakayanagi Arisu paused slightly.

At that moment, she suddenly realized that no matter what kind of feelings she and Kitagawa Ryo had invested in each other before, or what roles they had played or even projected onto each other that they lacked and longed for—whether it was an opponent they wanted to defeat or a family member they wanted to love—at that moment, all that remained between them was a kind of feeling that had been refined through experience.

A pure and complete love.

Whether she was a genius or an ordinary person, Kitagawa Ryo's definition in her heart had actually been reduced to only one.

I had already seen and longed for my mother in my father when I was a child, but I never thought it would take until now to admit it.

Kitagawa Ryo was her lover, Sakayanagi Arisu.

Having figured this out, Sakayanagi Arisu felt her thoughts suddenly become clear, and she even unconsciously quickened her pace as she walked towards him.

Perhaps it was due to this sudden, somewhat hurried action, or perhaps it was just a coincidence, but just as Sakayanagi Arisu was walking quickly toward Kitagawa Ryo, a gust of sea breeze suddenly blew in her face, almost swirling the sun hat on the girl's head into the sea near the ship's side.

But the next second, Sakayanagi Arisu turned around, took a couple of quick steps, and then accurately reached up with her right hand to grab it, holding the hat firmly in her hand.

Are you alright?

Seeing that Sakayanagi Arisu had caught the hat that had been blown away by the wind, Kitagawa Ryo, who was just about to start running and jumping, also stopped in his tracks.

"Fine."