Classroom of the Elite, I Have a Life Simulator

After watching Karuizawa Kei return home, Kitagawa Ryo called Horikita Manabu. There was roughly an eight- or nine-hour time difference between London in the United Kingdom and Tokyo. Although it was already around ten at night in Tokyo, it should have been noon in London.

Only then did Kitagawa Ryo realize that, despite having traveled such a long distance today, he had not suffered from jet lag at all. The moment he became aware of it, exhaustion suddenly surged through his body, like a tightly wound string snapping loose. Even his tone began to grow lazy.

"Hello, this is Horikita Manabu."

"Ah, it's Kitagawa."

Kitagawa Ryo let out a heavy yawn. Somewhat absentmindedly chatting with his friend Horikita Manabu, he slowly made his way toward the hotel where he was staying. He had deliberately not asked Mr. Izaki to come over tonight. After all, Kitagawa had asked him to gather information all afternoon; he was probably exhausted and fast asleep in his hotel bed by now.

"It's Ryo. You should have returned to Tokyo by now, right?"

Horikita Manabu seemed to rise from his chair on the other end of the line, followed by a creaking sound.

"Yeah, I've been back for half a day already. I also finished the task you gave me."

Recalling the Horikita Suzune he had met during the day, Kitagawa Ryo replied, "Your younger sister didn't seem to have anything unusual going on. She was just eating and reading at the restaurant you told me about. The book she was reading was Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None."

"Hah, your younger sister is pretty brave. At least among girls that age I know, some have cried after being scared by the 'Ten Little Soldiers' nursery rhyme in that book."

Kitagawa Ryo could not help yawning again.

Horikita Manabu seemed to notice Kitagawa Ryo's state and asked with some concern, "You sound exhausted?"

"I really am. Kei's situation has left me a bit overwhelmed, and I haven't had a proper night's sleep yet."

"Is that so?"

Horikita Manabu recalled some of the things Kitagawa Ryo had previously told him about Karuizawa Kei. "Did you solve it?"

"I don't know. I think it's solved, but not completely."

Kitagawa Ryo thought about it in distress before finally giving that answer.

"Enough about me. You, the older brother who runs away from everything, should be the one explaining yourself to me properly."

"...I suddenly remembered—are you particularly interested in the role of a younger sister?"

"That's just an only child with no younger sister imagining what family relationships might be like."

Kitagawa Ryo admitted it readily. "Back then, I even hoped my parents might have secretly given me a younger sister or something."

"But once you really have a younger sister, you won't think that way anymore."

"Of course. Especially after getting to know you."

Kitagawa Ryo heard Horikita Manabu sigh on the other end of the line.

"To be honest, I really did have a hand in Suzune becoming like this."

"What's her hair like now?"

"Uh, what do you mean? Do you want me to say it's in good condition and showing no signs of balding?"

"I'm just asking whether it's long or short."

"Ah, it's long, of course. Very standard long, straight black hair."

Kitagawa Ryo thought of the girl in the restaurant who carried an air of cold dignity. "I think it suits her."

"Would you believe me if I said it was because I once casually mentioned that I liked long hair?"

"Sure. You were driven to the United Kingdom by your younger sister, and next you'll be driven into the closed-off Advanced Nurturing High School. If you hadn't had such a huge influence on her, why would you need to avoid her?"

"...I originally thought Suzune would get better after I left."

"Alright, I don't want to hear your siblings' story all over again. I only called to tell you that I'm done here."

Kitagawa Ryo's mind was still wrapped up in Karuizawa Kei's situation, so naturally, he had no desire to get involved with a girl who looked like such a hassle.

Though Karuizawa Kei herself was a troublesome child too.

"..."

Horikita Manabu was silent for quite a while, as though there was something he wanted to say.

"Ryo, do you know why your uncle and aunt allowed you to return to Tokyo this time?"

"Mr. Izaki did seem to mention there was some reason, but he didn't tell me what it was."

"Yes. Actually, one of the most important reasons was for you to go to Tokyo and meet Suzune."

A chill suddenly ran down Kitagawa Ryo's back as he remembered how close the Horikita Family seemed to be with the Kitagawa Family. He had met Horikita Manabu because the latter frequently came to visit his home.

"Hey, hey, don't tell me this is going where I think it is. This isn't some romance manga."

Horikita Manabu sighed helplessly as well. "Though it may be difficult to accept, Ryo does indeed have a Marriage Contract with Suzune."

Just as this explosive news battered Kitagawa Ryo's nerves, his phone received a message from Karuizawa Kei:

"I'm home already, Ryo. You have to keep me company tomorrow, too."

Right afterward, a second message from Shiina Hiyori came in.

"Today, I read Eight Million Ways to Die that Kitagawa-kun recommended. I feel like there's a lot I want to discuss with Kitagawa-kun."

"Ah, sorry, I forgot that Kitagawa-kun is in Tokyo right now. It should already be late at night there, shouldn't it? Please don't feel obligated to reply if I'm disturbing you."

Kitagawa Ryo snapped his phone shut.

Chapter 11: The Beginning and End of Everyday Life

Karuizawa Kei woke much earlier than she had imagined. By the clock, she had only actually slept for around four or five hours, but some compulsive force made her open her eyes before six in the morning. She was not sleepy in the slightest; if anything, she was faintly excited. If every morning over the past two months had been like a bottomless pit—long and devoid of light—then this was the first morning Karuizawa Kei had looked forward to a new day.

She seemed to have lost track of time entirely. Karuizawa Kei did not realize it was only a little after five. Like a flower awakened by the first ray of dawn, she drew back the curtains, opened the window, and hummed as she went to the bathroom to wash up.

Karuizawa Kei's heart had been beating eagerly ever since she woke up, like a child looking forward to a spring outing. Holding a hair tie between her teeth, she tied up her hair in front of the mirror, raised her brows and widened her eyes to check for dark circles. It was as though two little people were fighting inside her head: one urged her to hurry up and get herself ready so she could go to the hotel, while the other softly reassured her that she should spend more time dressing up at home. This divided feeling only barely faded after Karuizawa Kei had finished washing up.

The white dress she had worn yesterday had already been washed, so Karuizawa Kei casually picked out a simple outfit instead. She wore a white short-sleeved casual shirt with a turned-down collar, the tiny patterns along the buttons adding plenty of flair to its plain appearance. The back half of the shirt's hem was tucked into the waistband of her jeans, while the fluttering front was tied into a pointed little knot. It looked both fresh and bright, brimming with the feeling of summer.

After leaving a note for her parents, Karuizawa Kei clacked along in her little sandals toward the hotel where Kitagawa Ryo was staying. There were not many people on the streets at this hour, and the air was fresh. She took a deep breath, and even the familiar sights by the roadside suddenly seemed new again.

She suddenly realized that she seemed to have done something similar before.

Kitagawa Ryo's former home had not been far from Karuizawa Kei's original home, roughly the distance from one end of the street to the other. Back then, it only took Karuizawa Kei about five minutes to get to Kitagawa Ryo's house, and half that time was spent going up and down stairs. Around half a year ago, when they graduated from elementary school, Karuizawa Kei had suddenly heard Kitagawa Ryo say that his parents had returned. At the time, she had sensed that Kitagawa Ryo might leave one day.

Perhaps Kitagawa Ryo would even vanish suddenly one morning. She would go knock on his door as usual, only for no one to ever answer. That scene often appeared in Karuizawa Kei's dreams during that period.

So, in the days before Kitagawa Ryo left, Karuizawa Kei got up earlier than anyone else. The first thing she did every morning was secretly run out of the house to knock on Kitagawa Ryo's door. Only when she saw him get up blearily and come open the door for her could she relax enough to go back and wash up. Of course, more often than not, she would go back and sleep soundly for a little longer.

When she was with Kitagawa Ryo, she treasured every minute and every second even more. At that time, Karuizawa Kei would often stare at Kitagawa Ryo's face for a long while for no apparent reason, as though she wanted to carefully trace every inch of him into her heart, afraid she would forget what he looked like if he truly left. Sometimes, Karuizawa Kei would even unconsciously reach out and touch Kitagawa Ryo's face, until he furrowed his brows in confusion.

They were practically glued together all day. Even when Karuizawa Kei went home at night, she wished she could fold Kitagawa Ryo up like a paper craft, slip him into her pocket, and carry him with her. After Kitagawa Ryo formally told Karuizawa Kei when he would be leaving, she treated every day she spent with him even more like their last. Every separation felt like a rehearsal for their final farewell.

Even after Kitagawa Ryo truly left, Karuizawa Kei still went to knock on that door out of habit the next day. Pink cherry blossoms fluttered against the glass. For the first time, she noticed that the doorknob was made of metal, that if she gripped it for too long, the peculiar chill of metal seeped from her palm, flowing along her veins all the way into her heart.

It was as though the nightmare from one of her old dreams had suddenly stepped clearly out of the darkness. That phantom fear abruptly took shape before her eyes, growing into a terrifying new species that bared its fangs and claws at her.

Karuizawa Kei walked briskly along the morning path as she stumbled through her memories. She relived every moment she had spent with Kitagawa Ryo, warming those memories over and over until they gradually grew warm, then burned within her heart.

Her steps grew faster and faster, until she was nearly running. Karuizawa Kei was already impatient to see Kitagawa Ryo, yet what rose from her heart at this moment was a strange sort of repentance, like a devout believer stumbling toward the cross. Karuizawa Kei entered the hotel elevator, then arrived at Kitagawa Ryo's door.

Kitagawa Ryo could connect seamlessly with the past.

But Karuizawa Kei could not. For some reason, she did not dare knock on Kitagawa Ryo's door as she had in the past. Her fingers rested against the wooden door as she timidly pressed one ear to it, listening for movement inside.

Less than three minutes later, the door suddenly opened. With the barrier between them abruptly removed, Karuizawa Kei lost her balance in confusion and fell inward. Kitagawa Ryo, who had just gotten up and opened the door, did not react in time either. He merely caught Karuizawa Kei on instinct. The whole scene looked as though Karuizawa Kei had deliberately waited at the door to throw herself into Kitagawa Ryo's arms.

For a moment, neither of them understood what had happened. They raised their heads at the same time, each finding their own reflection in the other's pupils.

"Kei?"

Kitagawa Ryo spoke first. He was still wearing pajamas, having only just gotten up.

"Ah... it's nothing."

Karuizawa Kei was pulled back to her senses by Kitagawa Ryo's call. She hurriedly stood up on her own and awkwardly searched for something to say.

"Ryo got up really early."

"If we're talking about early, Kei got up even earlier than I did, didn't you?"

Kitagawa Ryo shuffled back into the room in his slippers and brought Karuizawa Kei a new pair of slippers.

"After all, I only just got up, while Kei has already washed up and come all the way here to find me."

Rubbing his chin, he guessed, "But if Kei came over now, you definitely haven't eaten breakfast yet. Want me to make you something?"

This luxurious large suite booked by Mr. Izaki came with its own kitchen, and the refrigerator held plenty of fresh ingredients. Kitagawa Ryo had confirmed all that yesterday, which was why he could confidently offer now.

"Mm."

Karuizawa Kei nodded. She seemed unable to find a place where she wanted to sit, and eventually simply sat on the bed Kitagawa Ryo had just slept in, hugging her knees as she waited for him to move.

"Want to watch TV?"

Before entering the kitchen, Kitagawa Ryo gestured with his chin toward the large television mounted on the wall.

Karuizawa Kei gave a quiet "Mm." After a while, Kitagawa Ryo guessed that she was looking for the remote.

"The remote is in the second drawer of the bedside table."

Blushing slightly, Karuizawa Kei tossed several delicate little packaged items back into the deepest corner of the top drawer. Then, using the remote she found in the second drawer, she successfully turned on the television. It was nearly seven now, and the earlier channels had begun broadcasting the morning news.

[The annual Fireworks Festival will open in five days. According to meteorological experts, weather conditions that day are expected to be favorable, with a low chance of precipitation. We hope all citizens can enjoy this rare and grand celebration.]

Today's headline was an advance report on the Fireworks Festival that would be held in a few days. The opening dates for the city's Fireworks Festival were always rather unpredictable, though they generally fell within the month from mid-July to mid-August. This year's festival was considered quite late.

"Ryo."

The news and Karuizawa Kei's voice reached his ears at the same time, and Kitagawa Ryo immediately stopped what he was doing.

A sudden unease rising in his heart, Kitagawa Ryo turned around. Karuizawa Kei did not look as though she was watching television at all. For a moment, Kitagawa Ryo could not tell whether she was dozing because she had gotten up too early. In any case, Karuizawa Kei was now staring blankly into empty space, her blue eyes seeming unable to find their focus. Only when Kitagawa Ryo turned around did they seem to focus.

Karuizawa Kei tilted her head. Staring at Kitagawa Ryo with some confusion, she asked:

"Is something wrong?"

"I thought I heard Kei calling for me just now."

"Really? I don't remember."

Karuizawa Kei curled up as if she felt cold, even pulling the blanket that had been tossed aside back around herself. Kitagawa Ryo guessed the guest room's air conditioning had been set too low, so he stepped out and adjusted the temperature with the remote.

Kitagawa Ryo kept feeling that Karuizawa Kei seemed somewhat different from how she had been in the past. As he fried eggs, he recalled the image of Karuizawa Kei he had once held in his mind.

What had Karuizawa Kei been like before? They had not been apart long enough for his memories to become vague, nor long enough for her appearance to have changed drastically, yet Kitagawa Ryo could not immediately recall the exact image of her "past self."

The Karuizawa Kei of the past had indeed been a competitive, strong-willed child. Come to think of it, during the first five-odd years of elementary school, Kitagawa Ryo had only spent time with her outside school during their free hours. Back then, he had not been much of a talker; Karuizawa Kei had generally led their conversations and made their plans. Several times, she had even plotted secret operations herself, like sneaking off with Kitagawa Ryo to a park dozens of kilometers away.

From that perspective, Karuizawa Kei had been a girl with a strong sense of initiative.

Compared to that, the current Karuizawa Kei felt a little off.

Kitagawa Ryo plated the fried eggs. At every moment, he could feel Karuizawa Kei's gaze boring into his back.

However—

Karuizawa Kei was an existence to Kitagawa Ryo... like something.

Kitagawa Ryo considered what adjective he ought to fill that blank with, but none could describe it precisely. For the time being, he decided to write in "special."

"Come eat. Though this is about the limit of my cooking skills."

Kitagawa Ryo and Karuizawa Kei sat across from each other at the table. Golden fried eggs and sliced bread rested on their plates, along with two steaming cups of white milk.

And so, an ordinary day for Kitagawa Ryo and Karuizawa Kei began.

For a girl's room, this one was remarkably plain. There were no unnecessary decorations anywhere; both the walls and ceiling were simple white, without even wallpaper. The overall layout was straightforward: a neat, spotless bookshelf, filled with a considerable number of books sorted by category, and furniture uniformly styled in minimalist designs, dominated by off-white and light blue. It was Horikita Suzune's room.

The moment the six o'clock alarm made its first sound, a slender, fair hand smacked it silent. Horikita Suzune rose without the slightest hesitation, swiftly changed into light sportswear, and after a simple yet thorough wash, left for her morning exercise.