A Pinky Promise (Continued)

To be honest, apart from knowing that the man who was arranged to rest in the Chairman's Office was indeed a very important figure whom the Acting Chairman, Tsukishiro, respected and dared not neglect, Miyabi Nagumo really didn't know anything else about him. Even if she tried her best to recall who she had seen on TV or in newspapers, she couldn't find anyone who matched the appearance of the middle-aged man in front of her.

Kamogawa.

Ayanokoji Atsuomi casually gave the name of an assistant. The surname Ayanokoji is not very common in Japan, and since he was currently at Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, it would be easy for people to associate him with Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.

"Oh-- Mr. Kamogawa."

Miyabi Nagumo quickly memorized the surname. Although he was much taller than Ayanokoji Atsuomi was sitting there, he timidly walked to the desk with an upward gaze, as if he were looking up at some kind of god or Buddha statue. The man behind the desk, after introducing himself, still looked at his face expressionlessly, his gaze vacant and calm.

Behind him, two other men, disguised as guests but actually acting as bodyguards, stepped forward in unison, their menacing gazes fixed on Miyabi Nagumo as she approached, observing her every move.

"Actually, there's nothing special about it. I just noticed that you came here directly after you enrolled, Mr. Kamogawa. Right now, it's the annual Cultural Festival of Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School. If it's possible, I would be very happy to be your guide at this year's Cultural Festival."

Miyabi Nagumo was visibly nervous at first, but his mental fortitude was indeed quite strong. He quickly found his rhythm as he spoke. Just as he was about to introduce the grand performance that Class 2-A had prepared, he saw Ayanokoji Atsuomi wave his hand, forcing Nagumo to swallow the words that were on his throat again.

When Nagumo tried to speak again, the other party waved his hand, seemingly indicating that he was to see her out. Then he turned his head back to look at an open window next to him, and stopped moving and making no sound. He left Miyabi Nagumo standing there awkwardly, slowly getting cold, then freezing, and finally turning into a standing ice sculpture.

He tried to struggle again, but then there was a knock on the door behind him. Nagumo heard the other person say "Come in," before finally replacing the previous gesture with words:

"You can leave now."

"Please feel free to call me if anything comes up."

Even Miyabi Nagumo himself wasn't quite sure what he was feeling when he said those words, because at that moment he felt a deep sense of estrangement, as if his soul had flown into the air, floating there watching the body that was still there open and close its mouth so ethereally, bow, and then turn and leave.

The man who entered was a stranger, a boy who looked to be about his age. Before leaving the room and gently closing the door behind him, Nagumo heard the man call him 'Ishigami'.

Miyabi Nagumo stepped back a few paces and continued to wait by the office.

He comforted himself that this is just how the world is; it's only natural for someone with no power to be treated this way, since anyone with even a little power will use it to the fullest extent.

Take himself, for example.

"So, Xue, are you planning to sit here and rest for a while, or go watch the performance? It seems there's a symphony performance in about ten minutes."

After entering the Gymnasium, Kitagawa Ryo felt much more at ease. After all, it was unlikely that any non-second-year students besides him could get in, which greatly reduced the possibility of some awkward encounters.

"I want to sit for a while."

Despite appearing quite exhausted, Yuki lay lazily on Kitagawa Ryo's back. Although it was mid-November, late autumn, and both of them were dressed quite warmly, their chins and necks were still exposed. So, she found a spot to rub against those areas, just like a clingy cat.

Incidentally, since cats aren't allowed in indoor venues like this, Kitagawa Ryo had to leave Hotaru outside before entering the haunted house. It's unclear whether Hotaru has gone back to the cat cafe or is now wandering the streets alone.

As the saying goes, just as many girlfriends he has, there are just as many Pooper Scooper outside of his relationship. So, it doesn't seem like there's anything wrong with that.

Just as Kitagawa Ryo, or rather, dragged Yuki, to a nearby empty seat and sat down, he suddenly heard a greeting from behind: Tsubaki Sakurako, kneeling on a chair in the opposite direction, with her arms draped over the back of the chair and a lollipop in her mouth.

"Did you two have a good date?"

She had initially thought that her sudden outburst would startle the two of them, and she had even imagined her sister suddenly leaping off Kitagawa Ryo and stammering out why she was Matoba. However, Yuki herself showed no intention of moving an inch, and simply replied lazily:

"Oh, it's Sakurako. Are you happy? How about you?"

"So-so -- we haven't spent much of the Private Points so far."

Tsubaki Sakurako moved her legs forward, causing her upper body to lean closer to Kitagawa Ryo and Yuki. As if she felt it was a little inconvenient to talk with the lollipop in her mouth, she took the candy out and started licking it little by little with the tip of her tongue.

"After all, Sakurako always seems so unmotivated. I just can't imagine you actually doing ring toss and target Matoba at those stalls outside."

Despite the sudden appearance of Tsubaki Sakurako, Yuki remained quite calm. After all, if you only count the six months since her 'rebirth,' she has actually spent more time with Tsubaki Sakurako than with Kitagawa Ryo. As biological sisters who are close in age, their relationship is naturally quite intimate.

"The main reason is probably because the tickets here are so cheap they're practically free. A visit to the haunted house only costs 100 points, and watching a theatrical performance or a symphony concert is the same price. Although it looks like there are a lot of people coming, I always feel like the final revenue will be quite meager."

"By the way, I see you just came out of the haunted house. Was it fun inside?"

"I don't remember much. I just closed my eyes and let Ryo lead me around for the rest of the way."

Perhaps it was because she got up too early in the morning, or perhaps it was due to the ups and downs in her mood, but Xue yawned wearily.

Kitagawa Ryo had no intention of getting involved in the sisters' conversation for the time being. After all, he wasn't that close to Tsubaki Sakurako. Their connection was limited to the fact that she was his girlfriend's sister. He hadn't spent much time with Yuki yet, so he had only met her sister a few times.

If he really had to say, he was more interested in Tsubaki Sakurako's choice of allegiance after enrolling in school next year.

As it turns out, there's nothing wrong with their family's genes. Judging from the information Kitagawa Ryo himself gathered, Tsubaki Sakurako's talent is actually no less than her older sister's, who is also a top performer even among the Fourth Generation of the increasingly difficult White Room. It's just that, as Yuki said, she always seems unmotivated. She always appears quite lazy, and apart from being particularly curious about his and Yuki's past, it seems like nothing else can arouse her interest.

Of course, Kitagawa Ryo never expected that the other party would simply join his camp simply because of his relationship with Yuki. After all, for First Year student, joining either side is tantamount to being labeled as an enemy, which means that from the moment they enroll, they have an opposing group out of nowhere.

Everyone has their own ambitions. If Tsubaki Sakurako herself didn't want to get involved in the conflict between him and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, Kitagawa Ryo naturally wouldn't make a decision on his own.

Just as Kitagawa Ryo was pondering when he could find some time today to have a brief chat with Tsubaki Sakurako about this matter, Yuki's voice pulled him back to reality.

"Hmm... we've rested enough, let's go, it's getting chilly."

"Good."

Kitagawa Ryo nodded and stood up from his seat, his hand naturally being taken.

Xue still remembers the definition of love that was instilled in her in the White Room: a purely physical desire to get close and a psychological desire to depend on each other.

But if she were to define it herself now, she would only feel that so-called love is more like starting from a chance encounter in each other's Fate at a certain moment, and then trying to make it eternal.

So this time, Xue didn't forcefully interlock her fingers; she simply held his hand normally, gently hooking his little finger with a strength that was neither boastful nor fearful.

Once this one spot is secured, that's enough for her to face this ever-changing world.

Side Story: The Chaser of Two Rabbits

Important note before reading: This chapter is a supplementary chapter to Sakayanagi Arisu's second simulation, which is the final simulation in this book. For the best reading experience, please read all chapters of that simulation.

Similar to the previous side stories such as "Taming and Being Tamed" (related to Suzune) and "After He Dropped Out" (related to Megumi), this chapter serves to supplement some previously unmentioned details from a simulation that took place on another timeline, helping readers better understand the characters' inner journeys and actions in the current reality.

What made her feel distant was not the length of time, but two or three irreversible events.

One rose is rapidly becoming another.

You are the cloud, the sea, oblivion, and every version of yourself you have ever lost.

--Excerpt from "Clouds, Part One," by Jorge Luis Borge (Argentina)

Without a doubt, Yuki dislikes Sakayanagi Arisu.

Even as she grew older, she became increasingly aware that if the Sakayanagi Family hadn't taken Kitagawa Ryo out of the White Room, Ryo, who had been injected with large amounts of addictive drugs, would most likely not be alive today. But whenever she felt even a little bit of gratitude towards that girl because of it, it was always overshadowed by another inexplicable emotion that even Yuki herself found unbelievable.

Since Ayanokoji Atsuomi's suicide, the White Room was taken over by the Naoe Faction and successfully transformed into a legitimate educational institution on par with Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, taking advantage of the public opinion that had been stirred up. In a literal sense, it was once again whitewashed, and Yuki was finally able to leave there.

She was hospitalized for a period of time due to psychological problems. This was not a problem unique to her; most of the children who came out of the White Room showed related symptoms. Of course, all these 'trivial' problems were blamed on the deceased former head of the White Room, Ayanokoji Atsuomi.

It was during Xue's hospitalization that an idea that still sends chills down her spine lingered in her mind for a long time.

That was a conversation she overheard between her father and Kitagawa Ryo in the hospital room:

"Only when she's with you can she be considered a normal child."

"She only calms down when she hears about you, and we've already asked her about it."

"My daughter, Xue, has fallen in love with you."

"Whether it's intentional brainwashing or not, feelings of affection won't go wrong."

"So--"

"Could you please arrange Marriage Contract between my daughter and me?"

Looking back now, it was perhaps just a father's last struggle, a desperate plea tinged with obvious despair, but what he himself didn't realize was that these words also gave his daughter some vague and unrealistic fantasies.

However, perhaps sensing the strong will of the previous Karuizawa who was good at playing the victim and trying to use the other person's guilt to keep them by her side, Yuki ultimately did not adopt a similar approach to try to achieve any goal. In fact, half of her mental illness had already been heading towards the White Room Project's executor, the replicator of the Harlow's Monkey Experiment Suzukake Tanji, and was almost cured after throwing those angry punches.

After recovering well from her illness in the hospital, Xue was not taken home, both out of her own wish and because of the wishes of the White Room.

The White Room, having successfully transformed, needed another spokesperson besides Kitagawa Ryo. In fact, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was a better candidate, but his identity as the biological son of Ayanokoji Atsuomi was too sensitive, so in the end, she, the second-place candidate from the Fourth Generation, was chosen.

(Note: When I was writing the White Room storyline, the original volume 0 had not yet been released, so I removed Shiro, who was the second Fourth Generation in the original story, and Yuki took his place.)

So, for a long time afterward, Yuki continued to receive education from the White Room. Aside from the harsh and inhumane rules and some deeper inhumane aspects, the White Room, as a purely educational institution, undoubtedly had its own strengths. She continued to read, attend classes, and exercise, occasionally serving as a role model for top students in front of the public, living alone in the house her parents had prepared for her.

Compared to the White Room, standard dormitory room she shared with Kitagawa Ryo, this house was undoubtedly much more spacious. In fact, every room could fit her and Kitagawa Ryo's bunk beds or a simple double bed.

But the house might not actually be as big as Xue perceived it to be; what makes it seem large are shadows, symmetry, mirrors, the long years, her unfamiliarity, and the simplest form of solitude.

Kitagawa Ryo started spending more and more time with Sakayanagi Arisu, probably because their relationship wasn't like hers with Ryo, where their closest moment was limited to her father's pleading words. Instead, there was a genuine agreement spanning two generations and Marriage Contract left over from more than a decade of time.

Ironically, it was this very Marriage Contract, which still bothers Yuki to this day, that was also the starting point for Kitagawa Ryo's rescue and his escape from the White Room by the Sakayanagi Family.

Even so, Xue still refused to accept this fact.

Just as she had learned to smile effortlessly in White Room, she had now learned to be jealous with equal ease.

Amasawa Ichika agreed with her opinion.

As children who both came from the White Room, they quickly became acquainted after leaving the White Room thanks to their shared interests and the mediation provided by Kitagawa Ryo. Moreover, their current situations were quite similar, as they were both temporarily living away from home alone.

However, unlike her situation, Amasawa Ichika was simply because the current Amasawa Family would never accept her existence as a test-tube baby. At first President Amasawa himself had the clever idea to try to take advantage of the strange relationship between this adopted daughter and Kitagawa Ryo, but he quickly realized that things would not go as planned and gave up the idea.

In her attitude towards Sakayanagi Arisu, she and Yuki were in complete agreement.

At least that's how Xue sees it.

For these children of the White Room, walking step by step down that long corridor with their father that day, peering curiously at the rooms on both sides through the one-way glass, and enthusiastically discussing the living and moving creatures inside, Sakayanagi Arisu was like a child visiting a zoo for the first time—she seemed like some kind of alien.

On that day Amasawa Ichika had played a game of Chess with Sakayanagi Arisu, and to this day she can still clearly remember how intense the emotions surging in her chest were.

Back then, she didn't know the true name of this feeling, nor could she describe it in words. If Amasawa Ichika were to summarize it now, she'd probably use a line she saw on TV after leaving the White Room:

'Why is it that someone like you, who doesn't have to protect anything, can achieve final victory?'

For Sakayanagi Arisu, that day's game was truly a simple victory. It was a powerful counterattack by her, who always believed she had inherited her parents' excellent genes and was an absolute genius, against the false genius created by the White Room. However, what she did not know was that the defeat almost destroyed Amasawa Ichika's entire mentality.

Because at that time, she was in a state of simple and direct fighting for Kitagawa Ryo, which was the scene that the White Room wanted to see. Just like the name of that undisclosed plan, they were trying to 'cut the mother's umbilical cord'.

It's no exaggeration to say that after losing that match against Sakayanagi Arisu, Amasawa Ichika felt for the first time that she had personally killed Kitagawa Ryo.

In fact, things seemed to be spiraling out of control and heading straight into the worst possible situation.

Because on the day she lost, Kitagawa Ryo was also taken out of the White Room by the Sakayanagi Family.

For the children in the White Room, for these White Room that are their entire world and their experimental subjects, leaving the White Room is tantamount to death.

Kitagawa Ryo had some surveillance footage shown to him, half-threateningly, by Ayanokoji Atsuomi when he returned to the White Room. It was Yuki's reaction after he was taken away from the White Room.

You can feel the sadness gradually intensifying, even across the screen and through the passage of time.

"I'm not a bad kid! I didn't do anything wrong! I will try my best to complete the tasks and goals, so please don't punish anyone!"

"If you're going to punish someone, punish me! Punish me! If it's my fault, I apologize! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."

"What exactly did I do...?"

"It's all because... that they disappeared."

"Because of my fault... Liang disappeared... It's all my fault."

"It was I who killed Liang."

After that, Ayanokoji Atsuomi actually said something else:

"The same goes for the other person."

This so-called other person is actually Amasawa Ichika.

Then, Ayanokoji Atsuomi presented the terms of the deal to Kitagawa Ryo:

"I know why you went back to the White Room, and I know why you deliberately brought up those two names, so one of them has to stay here from the beginning."

Faced with this choice between two options, Kitagawa Ryo chose snow.

So, Amasawa Ichika was left there until some time later when it was confirmed that Kitagawa Ryo was alive and safe. Then came another long wait, until Ayanokoji Atsuomi committed suicide, and only then did she finally see him face to face.

The ending, where the one who chases two rabbits catches neither, also hides a rabbit that wasn't chased, but silently pursued Kitagawa Ryo, yet could never catch it.

Therefore, Amasawa Ichika was never the younger sister figure that Yuki thought she was, nor was she on the same side as Yuki, representing the White Room Faction to attack Sakayanagi Arisu, a reliable ally of the ANHS Faction.

Amasawa Ichika and Yuki have indeed deeply etched their childhood experiences in the White Room into the deepest recesses of their minds, but in reality—

One of them only remembers the daytime, and the other only remembers the nighttime.

They only remembered the time they spent with him, forgetting everything else.

In this respect, they are both enemies who stole half of each other's memories.

Amasawa Ichika, who was enjoying the time she spent with Kitagawa Ryo during the day, never wanted to think about the interaction between him and Yuki after class when he returned to the dormitory. Yuki, who couldn't sleep at night and kept her eyes wide open talking to Kitagawa Ryo about the meaning of their names, never wanted to think about how she would lose this unique tenderness once the sun rose again.

However, Amasawa Ichika obviously wouldn't tell Xue all of this; she simply observed this three-person movie from a perspective and position that was neither too close nor too far.

Several years later, she finally began to realize the crux of the problem: Kitagawa Ryo had not actually made another choice.