Cotton and Skin

However, such doubts only flashed through their minds for a moment. After all, what was more important to them right now was to intercept Kitagawa Ryo. To be fair, the sisterhood they had cultivated over the past few years had fostered a considerable tacit understanding. They didn't even need to exchange words; they simply exchanged glances and tacitly raised their hands to block Yuki, speaking in unison:

"We need to talk to Ryo privately."

"Could you please return the coolness temporarily?"

It can only be said that when Kitagawa Ryo saw Karuizawa Kei and Shiina Hiyori appear together, his heart was already in his throat, and when he heard their two sentences, his heart finally settled completely.

Especially the last sentence Karuizawa Kei said was an obvious attempt to add fuel to the fire. Hey, Megumi, you weren't usually the type to say things like that, were you?

What do you mean by "temporarily returning him to me"? Isn't this blatantly stating that he belonged to them from the very beginning, and that his date with Xue today was merely a merciful act of lending him to them for a day?

As expected, Karuizawa Kei's undisguisedly aggressive remarks successfully provoked Yuki, who was already easily angered, and she glared at him fiercely with her purplish-red eyes:

"Karuizawa Kei, right?"

Although this was technically their first meeting, Xue had seen Kitagawa Ryo's face countless times since her rebirth six months prior. Nearly half of the posts on all of Kitagawa Ryo's known social media accounts were related to Karuizawa Kei. Even searching Kitagawa Ryo's name on various search engines yielded numerous related search terms such as "Are Kitagawa Ryo and Karuizawa Kei dating?", "What is the relationship between Kitagawa Ryo and Karuizawa Kei?", and "Kitagawa Ryo Karuizawa Kei's relationship is public."

"Yes, I'm Karuizawa Kei. Does this Yuki-san know me? For example, is she a fan of my and Ryo's drama?"

Most of the weakness and other negative emotions that had been suppressed until now had been released by Shiina Hiyori just now. Karuizawa Kei has returned to her old self, but not the gentle and reliable class president that the students of Class 1-B are familiar with. Instead, she Karuizawa Kei, who was a role model for reborn people, a terminator of school bullying, and a rising star in the theater world long before she entered school.

Yuki was clearly not good at dealing with girls who were in a "socially savvy" mode and exuded a dazzling aura. Her social circle was narrow, and she had only seen a small part of the world. She didn't see snow until she was ten years old. She was completely different from Karuizawa Kei, who had been active under the spotlight for several years.

At this point, Kitagawa Ryo also took the initiative to speak up and smooth things over:

"Alright, there's no need to be so aggressive on our first meeting. Xue really does enjoy watching plays; she has quite a few videos cached on her phone. She was just watching a performance and was expressing her regret that our play wasn't included in this year's Cultural Festival."

"As for what Hui and Hiyori wanted to tell me, I can probably guess. At that time, the whole responsibility was mine. Later, I was the one who told Hui not to tell Hiyori, because I felt that the way the three of us got along was good enough, and there was no need to create any more trouble."

In no time, the battle-hardened Kitagawa Ryo had salvaged the situation. He offered both sides a way out and took responsibility, while subtly reminding them of his earlier statement about leaving the theater after graduation by mentioning the Matoba they watched together.

But misfortunes never come singly. Just as the atmosphere between the three of them eased up a little, Sakayanagi Arisu and Amasawa Ichika, who had been arguing with each other in the venue, noticed that Kitagawa Ryo and Yuki had run away. They had just chased after them out of the Gymnasium and belatedly entered this dramatic scene of chaos.

Sakayanagi Arisu, who in every sense had become the ultimate Yin-Yang instigator, merely glanced around and found a new verbal bullet, then unhesitatingly continued firing at Yuki:

"Looks like Yuki's luck is pretty good. She was just saying she was going to the dorm, and now she's run into the best mentor! This Karuizawa is one of the earliest pioneers in this area, you two should have a lot in common."

If there was anyone who kept a close eye on Kitagawa Ryo's daily movements during the cruise vacation in the latter half of summer Amasawa Ichika, besides Amasawa Ichika, who followed Karuizawa Kei and Kitagawa Ryo almost the entire first day, then it would be Sakayanagi Arisu.

Given that Kitagawa Ryo's date on the first day was Karuizawa Kei, his date on the second day was Amasawa Ichika, and his date on the third day was Sakayanagi Arisu, who among these three people seemed the least fitting in?

For Sakayanagi Arisu, those few days on the cruise ship were hardly pleasant memories. Not only was Kitagawa Ryo politely declined her invitation to join her in taking advantage of the school during the Treasure Hunt Game on the second day, but the private date on the third day allowed Kitagawa Ryo to rest for a whole day and give her tired body and mind a break.

In truth, the person most affected by Karuizawa Kei's early lead that day was Sakayanagi Arisu, because another student, Amasawa, who was also greatly affected, successfully retaliated against the person involved the next day. Meanwhile, Ichinose Honami was single-mindedly waiting for the cruise vacation to end so she could meet with her mother and confront her. As for Horikita Suzune... it can only be said that Suzune was indeed unaware of the situation.

Sakayanagi Arisu is a rational person who is accustomed to analyzing her own inner thoughts, so she quickly figured out the source of her inexplicable irritability and depression: the time difference.

Unlike Ichinose Honami, Karuizawa Kei, and Horikita Suzune, who had similar experiences, Sakayanagi Arisu's troubles during this period stemmed from the fact that she was the last girl to finish the simulation. Kitagawa Ryo Sakayanagi Arisu's final chapter before the Uninhabited Island Special Exam during summer vacation, which resulted in only a few dozen days' difference between the simulation and reality.

Just a few dozen days ago, Sakayanagi Arisu the undisputed heroine of another timeline, possessing a plethora of positive buffs that seemed to guarantee her defeat: 'the Salvation who personally brought Kitagawa Ryo out of the White Room,' 'the sweetest childhood couple,' 'mutual Marriage Contract, ' and 'their wedding room is ready for them to move in anytime.' But as the world spun and time began to move forward again, everything except for this memory, which was remembered by only a handful of people, and her body, finally free from the torment of congenital heart disease, vanished like a bubble. It was as if she had gone from being the only one in the world to just one of many.

In fact, Sakayanagi Arisu had already been discouraged for a while during the Uninhabited Island Special Exam due to this psychological gap. However, Kitagawa Ryo managed to calm her down with two actions: a nighttime stargazing trip and handing over the final task command to her. But as the cruise vacation began, this feeling inevitably began to resurface, and those two sports rings were one of the most obvious pieces of evidence.

That's why she was so upset by Amasawa Ichika's taunts in the Gymnasium. In a sense, the truth is the sharpest knife that can hurt.

However, it is precisely because of this that Sakayanagi Arisu was able to so clearly recognize another point: that Yuki and her mindset were actually similar and convergent.

Sure enough, as soon as Sakayanagi Arisu uttered those words, the person who had been calmed down earlier suddenly felt that the problem was getting tricky. Thinking that Kitagawa Ryo wouldn't be able to work with this so-called 'go-to heroine' who had to maintain a CP relationship for work after graduation, she suddenly realized that this was no longer about how many good sisters you have. It was about to turn into a scene of 'Why are you so good at this?'

"Go to the dorm? What does Liang want to do with her in the dorm? Besides, aren't people not allowed to enter or leave the dorm now?"

Although she didn't immediately understand why Sakayanagi Arisu was acting so differently from her usual self, as if she had been shot and was spitting fire everywhere, Karuizawa Kei was still quite perceptive enough to pick up on the most crucial words in the other person's words. She immediately took two steps closer to Kitagawa Ryo, as if to say that she wouldn't be allowed to pass unless she explained things clearly, but if she did explain, she definitely wouldn't be allowed to pass.

"Right, during the Cultural Festival, you can't just go in and out of the dormitory area and the campus, right? But I remember that Amasawa took the day off and was resting in the dormitory today, so why is he here now?"

Compared to Karuizawa Kei, who rarely indulged her emotions, Shiina Hiyori, suddenly became inexplicably concerned about the somewhat strange detail of Amasawa Ichika, and subconsciously asked her this question.

Seeing this, Ying, who was still perched on the treetop, couldn't bear it any longer and covered her other pupil with her front paw.

As early as when the conflict broke out between Sakayanagi Arisu, Amasawa Ichika, and Yuki in the lounge, the students of Class 2-A had already noticed what was happening. Of course, they didn't know what kind of emotional drama was unfolding. When they saw Kitagawa Ryo also present, they subconsciously had the illusion that the other party was trying to sabotage them and ruin their Matoba. They immediately called the class president Miyabi Nagumo, hoping that she could come back quickly to take charge.

Miyabi Nagumo had just found no one at the dormitory building with President Amasawa, and was now helping him search around. Initially, he hadn't planned to get involved in this matter at all, since solving the problem for President Amasawa and Mr. Kamogawa was the top priority. However, after the students from Class 2-A pointed out that Amasawa Ichika was suspected to be among the crowd causing trouble at the scene, he immediately instructed them to remain calm and not to act rashly, and that he would be there soon.

This is also why, from the moment Kitagawa Ryo and his group began their confrontation inside Gymnasium to the moment they arrived outside, not a single student from Class 2-A has come to maintain order.

So, just as Shiina Hiyori asked the question, Miyabi Nagumo and President Amasawa, who had rushed over from the dormitory area, finally arrived at the scene.

Although Amasawa Ichika was still wearing a hood, it was no longer as completely concealed as before, and his signature hair color was now clearly visible. Coupled with the voice that came from behind, Miyabi Nagumo immediately pointed to the person opposite her and introduced him to President Amasawa beside her:

"That's your daughter, Amasawa Ichika."

The appearance of Miyabi Nagumo and President Amasawa undoubtedly broke the deadlock on the field once again. Amasawa Ichika, who originally planned to repeat the same line he used to fool Yuki in the Gymnasium, no longer cared about anything else. He gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and went straight to Kitagawa Ryo.

Then, without hesitation, she snatched the other's other arm in front of Xue, and in an instant, while standing on tiptoe, she changed her posture again, making no attempt to conceal herself as she loosely put her carefully tied-up shirt and jacket back into a state where it was obvious at a glance that they weren't her own clothes. The hood also fell back and hung down, and her long hair, which hadn't been tied up in her haste to leave, cascaded freely like a waterfall. The familiar scent of shampoo, along with Amasawa Ichika's deliberately shy words, reached Kitagawa Ryo:

"The reason someone is feeling unwell and needs to take the day off—that question should be directed at the chilly weather last night."

Chapter 349: Cloth and Skin

Although Kitagawa Ryo had learned of this from the text message Amasawa Ichika sent him while he was in the Gymnasium, he hadn't expected it to happen at what could be described as the worst possible time. Fortunately, the students of Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School were all busy with their respective classes and duties, and most of the guests watching the performance at the Gymnasium were middle-aged or elderly people who weren't too interested in the emotional entanglements of high school students. Otherwise, the sensation caused at this moment would have even surpassed the smooth combo of public Confessions and kissing that Ichinose Honami had demonstrated at the Sports Festival more than a month ago.

Even so, Kitagawa Ryo's pressure now is no less than it was back then, because the girls around him have clearly heard everything. Especially Xue, who is closest to him and has been tricked by Amasawa Ichika in a way that can almost be called a direct mockery, was completely surprised that Amasawa Ichika could go to such lengths. She felt both ashamed and angry, her face burning hot. She wanted to subconsciously accuse someone, but she could only stammer and stutter without being able to utter a single word.

Are these really the kind of students we can teach in our White Room?

Those who don't know might think the White Room is some strange facility where you can't get out once you go in.

In short, this is no ordinary White Room Faction traitor; we must strike hard!

Perhaps it was because Amasawa Ichika's remarks were indeed too impactful, or perhaps it was only then that she belatedly realized that the other person was wearing Kitagawa Ryo's clothes, Karuizawa Kei had just been firing on all cylinders, also paused for a moment as if she were stuck in a daze.

I initially thought that everyone having a spare key to room 408 was a relatively fair strategic deterrent, but it turns out that someone actually dared to be that bold?

Although Kitagawa Ryo wanted to clarify that he and Amasawa Ichika had not engaged in any behavior that violated school rules or public morals, at least the previous night, he had also noticed President Amasawa approaching from the corner of his eye. He could only play along with Amasawa Ichika's lead for now, giving a rather ambiguous and vague answer:

"There's no need to say this out loud. There's a rule in the school rules that prohibits romantic relationships that are inappropriate for high school students."

To Kitagawa Ryo's surprise, the moment he uttered those words, Yuki immediately chimed in, gritting her teeth as she replied:

"I'm not a student here, these school rules don't apply to me!"

After saying that, she reached out again to try to pry open the hand that was holding Amasawa Ichika Kitagawa Ryo's right arm, as if she was about to do something that was against school rules. However, the half-graduate of the White Room was no match for the level of an outstanding graduate. Amasawa Ichika quickly started playing guerrilla warfare with Yuki, and the two of them played a game of tag around Kitagawa Ryo on both sides. In the end, it was Sakayanagi Arisu to stop this drama that made her blood pressure rise.

Miyabi Nagumo, who was not far away, was also somewhat shocked. He had previously thought that this junior, who had caused a stir throughout the school in terms of his private life and relationships, was just exaggerating and could not compare to his flirtatious nature, which had almost charmed all the second-year students. However, after witnessing firsthand the gravitational black hole vortex that was entangled around the other person, even the experienced President Nagumo could not help but admire him.

Wait a minute, isn't this kid named Kitagawa also known for his messy private life and complicated romantic history? Why does Asahina Nazuna treat him with such favor?

"Is that Ichika?"

Before Miyabi Nagumo could think about the problem further, President Amasawa was already stroking his stubble thoughtfully, casting his gaze toward the accident scene with great interest.

"Yes, the boy next to her is Kitagawa Ryo, a classmate. The other girl looks unfamiliar; she doesn't seem to be a student from our school. She's probably a foreign guest attending this Cultural Festival."

Miyabi Nagumo continued to adopt a humble attitude, and cautiously gave him a brief introduction.

"... Interesting. Your name is Nagumo, right? You're the Student Council President of this school, um, Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School. So, did you know that those two are actually dating?"

"There were indeed such rumors. Kitagawa and Ichika were both in the Drama Club, and rumors of their relationship started during the summer vacation. It is said that many First Year students saw the two of them on a Matoba on a cruise ship."

Unconsciously, Miyabi Nagumo had already politely added a respectful title after Amasawa Ichika's name, and was even thinking about how to leverage this relationship after the Cultural Festival ended.

"I see."

After confirming that more than four months had passed in the past, President Amasawa nodded again, then turned away with a flourish, catching Miyabi Nagumo somewhat off guard.

"Hey? President Amasawa, aren't you going to go over and say hello to your daughter?"

There's no need for that.

Compared to his previous attitude, President Amasawa now displayed a completely indifferent demeanor, leaving Miyabi Nagumo somewhat bewildered. She could only follow closely behind, not daring to ask a single question. After a long while of forcing a smile, she cautiously spoke:

"So, are we going back to the Chairman's Office now?"

"I don't want to go there, just take me out of the school."

President Amasawa simply shook his head, put his hands in his pockets, and unconsciously revealed a rather relaxed and cheerful expression.

After all, for him, even if it was just because of what he had just seen and heard, his half-unintentional act of coming to Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School to participate in the Cultural Festival was already a kind of fulfillment on another level.

As it turns out, Amasawa Ichika, with her mischievous nature, is completely unstoppable when she starts causing trouble. Even though she had already seen Miyabi Nagumo and President Amasawa walk away and leave, she showed no sign of stopping. Without further ado, she dragged Sakayanagi Arisu had come to mediate, into the fray as well.

"If one isn't enough, should we use two? But even that doesn't seem like enough."

As she spoke, Amasawa Ichika raised an eyebrow at Sakayanagi Arisu and Yuki, and subtly leaned forward slightly, showing off a certain impressive asset that even the two of them combined couldn't quite match.

Although Yuki really wanted to argue halfway through that her size was clearly the normal, small size of a high school girl, and the shape was a perfect, beautiful teardrop shape, completely different from Sakayanagi Arisu flat-chested and whose breasts were so small that you couldn't tell the difference between front and back in the dark, and who probably wouldn't even be able to feed her children, her confidence was far too insignificant in front of Amasawa Ichika. She could only gurgle and mumble in her throat for a long time before reluctantly turning her gaze to Kitagawa Ryo.

"Ahem, I like them all."

Seeing Yuki glaring at him with her red eyes that looked like she was about to cry, while she forcefully pulled his arm into her embrace, as if she wanted him to feel the soft touch before answering seriously, Kitagawa Ryo decisively chose to follow his heart and once again made the classic scumbag statement I Want It All.

As she spoke, Kitagawa Ryo, feeling that if she let Amasawa Ichika continue Kitagawa Ryo would really be taken away on the spot by the school staff, gently patted her back from behind, indicating that she should stop.

Then, Kitagawa Ryo smiled and spoke to Sakayanagi Arisu, who had initially only intended to be a troublemaker but ended up breaking down herself:

"Arisu worked so hard at this Cultural Festival, as you always have."

After hesitating for a moment, Kitagawa Ryo leaned over and whispered in Sakayanagi Arisu's ear, adding another sentence:

"After all, Arisu has always been so reliable, I can't help but want to ask you for help."

As the person Hotaru considers the best at charming girls, Kitagawa Ryo truly understands these girls' little thoughts and knows exactly where each of them's vulnerabilities and tickles.

As expected, the moment he uttered those words, which sounded like a mix of trust, submission, and a hint of lingering affection, Sakayanagi Arisu felt a sudden, overwhelming sensation. Her cheeks, which were already quite fair, quickly flushed an unnatural red. The blood that had rushed to her head seemed to instantly flow back to her head, and she inexplicably calmed down.

Actually, after Amasawa Ichika brought up this topic, Karuizawa Kei and Shiina Hiyori quieted down. This was mainly because the former was having her horizons broadened and discovering new things through Amasawa Ichika's remarks, and was thinking about the feasibility of the idea that "if Kou can go, I can go too." The latter, on the other hand, wasn't particularly interested in this kind of thing, since literary girls always cared more about mutual recognition, communication, and fusion of spirit and soul.

It's fair to say that if it were Amasawa Ichika who was in charge, Kitagawa Ryo would definitely not have been able to return the item intact the next day, especially given that the Tempest night before the Uninhabited Island Special Exam.

Moreover, Shiina Hiyori is currently figuring out how to create a scene no less dramatic than the one she received back then to give the ring away again, because she herself is already eagerly waiting to wear the return gift she received from Kitagawa Ryo.

And so, as the fireflies on the treetops finally dared to slowly lower their forepaws and open their eyes, Kitagawa Ryo, who had been ravaged again and again by the girls' heavy emotions, was finally able to catch his breath a little:

"Okay, Ichika should go to the Student Council and submit a report now. After all, you asked for leave before, and to prevent being held accountable and disciplined after the Cultural Festival, procedures are necessary. Have Arisu go with you, since she is a member of the Student Council."

"As for Hui and Hiyori, it's the same as I said before. I can roughly guess why you came to see me this time, and I've said that everything was my fault. But from now on, I will definitely take full responsibility, okay?"

Having said all that, the girls, Kitagawa Ryo had already indulged themselves or rather, had been given a rare opportunity to experience firsthand some of their true thoughts, were quite satisfied. After all, today was the day Kitagawa Ryo had told them earlier that he would be going to the Cultural Festival alone with Yuki, so they accepted Kitagawa Ryo's words with either composure or pride and left one by one, leaving only Yuki behind.

Even after all those shady, philandering women had dispersed, Xue seemed completely unmoved by her original intentions, and without hesitation continued to encourage Kitagawa Ryo to break the rules with her:

"Come on, Liang, take me to the dormitory area."

"... So it wasn't a joke after all?"

"How could this be a joke!"

Yuki stared intently at Kitagawa Ryo with her beautiful, purplish-red eyes, and raised a finger to add:

"I can accept it if it's just Ichika, but at least you should beat Arisu."

She had never won against her opponent before her rebirth. If she didn't win after being reborn, wouldn't it be a waste of her rebirth?

"You can't refuse! If Ichika was able to get out of there, it means there must be a way to get in... Liang, you won't refuse, will you?"

Seeing Yuki transform from domineering to pitiful and submissive in just a few seconds, Kitagawa Ryo could only surrender. He truly couldn't resist a girl in such a state.

"Okay, I'll take Xue there."

Without hesitation, while Miyabi Nagumo was away with President Amasawa, Kitagawa Ryo quickly led Yuki back into the dormitory area from the campus. After entering the First Year dormitory building, they took the elevator and soon arrived at his room, number 408.

To be honest, this place has been filled with the sentiments of many girls. On the kitchen wall hang the three aprons he and Horikita Suzune Sakura Airi were researching desserts. In the cabinet below, there is tea that Shiina Hiyori gave him from the Tea Ceremony Club senior. On the shelf of the desk are souvenirs that Karuizawa Kei gave him during the summer vacation. And the sports ring that was paired with Sakayanagi Arisu is now charging on the bedside table.

Even the bedding on the bed was in disarray, a testament to the recent departure of Amasawa Ichika.

"So this is the kind of place Ryo lives in."

But after this half-day experience, Xue's mental fortitude has visibly improved. Her cerebral cortex and field of vision automatically filtered out those things that didn't need to be looked at closely or scrutinized. She skillfully took off the indoor shoes she had just put on, and the next second after saying those words, she lay down on Kitagawa Ryo's bed, unconsciously leaving him the perfect space in front of her.

In this respect, Yuki's deep psychology is actually quite similar to that of Sakayanagi Arisu, that is, in their eyes, Kitagawa Ryo is the vulnerable child who needs love and care, which is exactly the opposite of Amasawa Ichika's feelings, so it is normal for them to have conflicts.

However, compared to Sakayanagi Arisu, whom he had already corrected somewhat, Yuki, who had seen him less and spent less time with him, undoubtedly exhibited a more severe problem in this regard.

However, before the other party officially enrolls in school next April, Kitagawa Ryo has no immediate plans to eradicate Yuki's mysterious complex, which can be described as a psychological obstacle.

So he simply lay down next to the girl, letting this much smaller girl embrace him, just like they had done countless times in the White Room.

Memories are the most powerful catalyst for emotions. When the world entered the familiar environment for the two of them, that burning emotion quickly overflowed from the bottom of their hearts. All the thoughts in the White Room began to grow vigorously and unrestrainedly like never before.

I love him, I want to give him everything I have, I want to hold him like this forever, I want to watch him grow up healthy and strong...

She is his --.

But it doesn't want to be limited to so-called Cloth; it's about the skin inside.

Yuki had heard Sakayanagi Arisu say something like this: