People Are Always Hypocritical (5.5k)

However, on the other hand, Kitagawa Ryo seems to have a history of easily getting involved with girls with quirky personalities.

Just as Karuizawa Kei was thoughtfully considering Kitagawa Ryo's situation, Hoshinomiya Chie appeared to be four or five parts drunk, staggered over to their side. Her cheeks, which were noticeably flushed more than half an hour ago, seemed even more radiant. This homeroom teacher, who was as famous as Chabashira Sae throughout Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, naturally had an outstanding appearance, the kind that would make any high school boy swoon. No wonder she could get away with her improper attitude and lack of professional teaching skills every day.

"Cheers--"

Ignoring Kitagawa Ryo's lack of even picking up his own glass, Hoshinomiya Chie excitedly touched his glass in the air, then tilted her head back and chugged down another can of alcoholic beverage in her hand. She then ruthlessly wiped her mouth with her hand, forcefully patted Kitagawa Ryo's shoulder twice, as if to say something like, "Good luck, I believe in you."

Actually, Kitagawa Ryo could understand Hoshinomiya Chie's mindset at this moment. After all, the original Class A had successfully moved up from Class D to Class C after the Cultural Festival, which meant that they were now direct competitors with Class B. Naturally, Hoshinomiya Chie had high expectations for him, as he had joined Class B at this critical juncture. Perhaps she was already imagining how she would crush Class C, including the Chabashira Sae, in the upcoming Special Exam.

However, perhaps due to her overly excited state of mind, Hoshinomiya Chie covered her mouth with a strange expression after only a few steps. Kitagawa Ryo and Himeno Yuki, who had already experienced close-range mental pollution on the cruise ship, instinctively took two steps back. But Karuizawa Kei, as the class representative of Class B, couldn't stand idly by and quickly called Amikura Mako over to help. The two of them went up to their homeroom teacher on either side and led her into the shop's restroom. Kitagawa Ryo run down his spine and once again realized the value of Mashima Tomoya's advice to him.

It has been proven that alcoholism is a rather terrible thing, whether it involves a man or a woman.

Although Kitagawa Ryo himself also has to take responsibility for this, Hoshinomiya Chie, while she used to enjoy drinking, never drank as much as she does now.

To be honest, in the years before he enrolled in Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, the relationship between Hoshinomiya Chie and Chabashira Sae was not as turbulent as it had been in the past six months since he enrolled. He single-handedly reignited the old illnesses of the two who had already stabilized, and even made them more ferocious.

Hoshinomiya Chie's high drinking today is ostensibly to celebrate his class transfer, but in reality, just like the celebration party after the Uninhabited Island Special Exam, it's essentially because she's happy to have outdone Chabashira Sae.

Just as Kitagawa Ryo was losing his appetite due to this unexpected situation, Himeno Yuki, sitting to his left, seemed to have noticed Karuizawa Kei's departure. She cautiously moved her chair back a little, looking somewhat hesitant, but finally made up her mind and reached out to poke his shoulder.

"Hello."

Although Kitagawa Ryo really wanted to reply with a joke like, "I'm not called 'Hey,' my name is Kitagawa Ryo," he and Himeno Yuki weren't that close yet, and besides, the other girl looked so serious. Therefore, he nodded quite cautiously as well.

"Is there something you need?"

"If you come here, will you lead us to Class A?"

"Or is it just about having a carefree, youthful romance with Karuizawa that doesn't require switching classes?"

Chapter 386: People are always hypocritical (5k5)

In his interactions with all sorts of people, Kitagawa Ryo had always adhered to the principle of "not speaking too deeply with casual acquaintances," but the girl in front of him at this moment seemed to have no such awareness at all, quite straightforwardly bringing up this somewhat delicate issue directly.

Seeing that Kitagawa Ryo was standing there in a daze and did not intend to answer, Himeno Yuki herself also showed a frustrated look of 'I messed up again'. She clicked her tongue uncomfortably and then unconsciously looked away, as if she was about to say something like 'Sorry, just pretend you didn't hear anything' in the next second.

However, just as she was about to curl up and retreat back to her comfort zone, Kitagawa Ryo, realizing what was happening, spoke up and stopped her:

"Himeno, from what standpoint are you asking me this question?"

Clearly, while Kitagawa Ryo was used to looking people in the eye when speaking, Himeno Yuki was still subconsciously avoiding such gazes and minimizing opportunities for eye contact.

"I don't have any particular stance. If I had to say, it would simply be that I'm asking this from my personal perspective."

"So, is this important?"

"It's still quite important to me right now, considering I was still struggling with this issue just a few hours ago."

Upon hearing this, Kitagawa Ryo rubbed his temples, feeling a bit of a headache.

"If you, Himeno, were asked by Kanzaki or someone else, I certainly can't give you a definite answer right now."

"... So, I'm the kind of person who has many friends and is easily begged by others to put their hands together in front of their chest and wave them around."

Himeno Yuki pouted, then looked around and waved her hand to explain:

"But you don't need to misunderstand. It's not that I hate this class and don't want to make friends with my classmates. Although I do not really like the Matoba everyone holding hands and getting along amicably, this is not a thought that came about after entering this school. I've been like this for a long time. I haven't really liked making friends since elementary school. I always feel that I am more free and comfortable on my own."

"Of course, I know that saying these things to others would cause more trouble, so I simply go with the flow and say nothing. Just like today's welcome party, if someone invites me, I'll just go silently."

At first glance, it seems quite similar to the original version of Suzune, but upon closer inspection, there are actually significant differences between the two. At least, Himeno Yuki herself is willing to go with the flow in her outward behavior, which is inconsistent with Suzune's personality, who expresses her thoughts and feelings about people directly on her face or speaks them out loud.

Rather, it would be more accurate to say that Himeno Yuki's thoughts are more in line with Kitagawa Ryo's perception of an ordinary high school student, whose thoughts about the past, present, and future are all quite chaotic, and who simply goes with the flow and lives each day of school life.

But the other party's next words immediately dispelled Kitagawa Ryo's idea.

"At first, I thought the so-called class competition was like that too. I figured if the whole class followed Karuizawa, it would be easy for me to just sit there and pretend to be someone else. But after the class went up to Class A and then fell back down, I couldn't help but have other thoughts. I thought maybe I could graduate from Class A too—after all, the class did stay in that position for a while."

At this point, Himeno Yuki sighed with a somewhat complicated expression:

"But as you can see, that experience in Class A is practically non-existent in our class. Even when it's mentioned occasionally, it's only because we got lucky in the Uninhabited Island Special Exam. Although I feel that if I hold this attitude, I'll never be able to move up a class again, everyone seems to think it's no big deal. So I can only continue to go with the flow and conform as before."

With so many words uttered in one breath, the girl's courage seemed to be gradually building up; at this point, she could even barely look Kitagawa Ryo in the eye when she spoke.

"So, I want to know your true thoughts right now."

"... This will determine whether I continue to drift along and accept graduating in Class B or below, or whether I will fight with all my might to strive for the opportunity to graduate in Class A."

After listening quietly to Himeno Yuki's entire statement, Kitagawa Ryo simply shook his head:

"One's own choices depend solely on one's own thoughts."

"But people always need a trigger, or an external force, at certain times; there will always be a moment when a person is unable to make a decision."

As if defeated by Himeno Yuki's decisive statement, Kitagawa Ryo shrugged helplessly.

"So, why me?"

"Because Kitagawa, you are an outsider, and you have this ability."

"All right."

In that instant, Kitagawa Ryo really wanted to have a good chat with the girl in front of him about the length of Horikita Suzune's hair, hoping to tell her the importance of making choices based on one's own heart. After all, when Suzune was at her weakest and most anxious, all she sought was "please give me courage." It's not that having the specific courage herself would prevent her from having regrets, but rather that it was only at that moment that she clearly realized that even if she regretted it, it would be useless, and there was no one left to blame.

That is why Kitagawa Ryo did not give Himeno Yuki a clear attitude or reason at the moment.

"This isn't a choice between two options. If Himeno really want to graduate from Class A, would you give up on that goal if I told you I transferred to Class B just to be closer to Megumi and make it easier for us to be intimate? If that's all you're thinking, how can you guarantee you'll contribute your share to the class if I then say I'm determined to lead Class B forward?"

"What I want to say is that people's thoughts are constantly changing and complex, even my own. But it is precisely because of this that those who can steadfastly pursue their initial aspirations are truly remarkable."

As he said this, Kitagawa Ryo couldn't help but think of Karuizawa Kei and the things she had said to him that morning.

"Himeno, didn't you just say that you felt it was more convenient to be alone a long time ago? If you had focused on yourself back then, the state of the class shouldn't have mattered, as long as you could have achieved personal growth. But you lacked the confidence to actively break away from the platform and pursue that process, so you craved the collective's achievements to bring glory and benefits to yourself. These are actually perfectly reasonable thoughts, but if everything remains just wishful thinking, you'll end up achieving nothing."

As someone who has experienced several simulated life scenarios, Kitagawa Ryo is well aware that such loners in the class can easily develop a subtle sense of pride and even superiority, as if they are the only ones who are truly enlightened. Matsushita Chiaki from Class A had this tendency, but she was later seen through and won over by Sakayanagi Arisu. Otherwise, she would probably still have to put on an act with Shinohara Satsuki, Sato Maya, Maezono Chiyo, and other girls, deliberately maintaining her exam scores at a mid-level in order to prevent the ship of friendship from capsizing.

Actually, Kitagawa Ryo had already noticed something when Kanzaki Ryuji brought her and Amikura Mako to discuss something before the Sports Festival. Although Himeno Yuki herself hid it very well, Kitagawa Ryo could still vaguely sense the subtle smugness in Himeno's eyes as the other party secretly participated in some big event behind the back of the whole class.

Perhaps she had touched a nerve, or perhaps she had seen Karuizawa Kei walking back from the bathroom, Himeno Yuki silently pulled her chair back to its original position and turned to the other side.

"Ugh--This is terrible! I can't smell that aroma, and I feel like I can't eat anything at all now."

After Karuizawa Kei returned, she finally let out a sigh of relief, slumped in her chair, and complained to Kitagawa Ryo:

"After you cool down, you absolutely must not have the bad habit of excessive drinking."

"Don't worry about Hui, I'm not interested in this kind of thing."

"Sigh, I really don't know who could fall for a woman like this. Aren't they afraid she'll spit them into their mouth during a kiss?"

"... Hui isn't planning on letting me eat anymore."

Hearing their discussion, Asako Amikura Mako, who had also returned with Karuizawa Kei, reluctantly offered a rebuttal on behalf of Hoshinomiya Chie:

"Actually, our class advisor is quite reliable and a very nice person when she doesn't drink. Although this habit is something she just can't seem to break. I feel like the pressure of the adult world is really high."

"The first semester could be attributed to pressure, but after summer vacation, every time she drinks like this, it's just like she's celebrating with champagne. Oh well, we're just her students anyway, so even if she gets drunk and causes trouble one day, it's none of our business."

It seemed she was genuinely affected; Karuizawa Kei, unusually, spoke a little more harshly, leaving Amikura Mako with only an awkward smile, seemingly unsure how to respond.

Seemingly wanting to avoid further discussion on this topic, Karuizawa Kei took a few deep breaths and calmed down, glancing somewhat expectantly at Kitagawa Ryo beside her.

"Give me a little treat this afternoon, I can't eat anything right now, I'll definitely be hungry then."

"Hmm, given the weather, how about I bake you some cookies?"

"That's good. Remember to add black tea as well. I recall there are quite a few tea leaves and tea bags in the cooling room."

"It's alright. After all, the consumption is so high, so we always need to keep a lot on hand. Besides, Hiyori often brings over a lot, saying it's from their Tea Ceremony Club."

"Oh, is that so? Then let's invite Hiyori along this afternoon. It'll be more lively with three people."

"Megumi just wants to show off, doesn't she...?"

It turns out that Kitagawa Ryo's room had indeed become a tacitly agreed-upon, clandestine gathering place for certain girls.

"I knew it would end up like this."

When Kitagawa Ryo, wearing thick gloves, took out today's afternoon tea desserts from the oven, the number of people in the living room had doubled from the originally planned duo of Shiina Hiyori and Karuizawa Kei. Some random people had also wandered in, including Ichinose Honami, who had amazed Zhang Yimou with her acting skills that morning, and Sakayanagi Arisu, who, without even needing to be guessed, had once again sent Matsushita Chiaki Sakayanagi Arisu accompany him.

"Luckily, I have enough raw materials here, otherwise I feel like we would have finished them off in no time."

After placing the tray of freshly baked bear-shaped cookies on the coffee table in the living room, Kitagawa Ryo, with the help of Shiina Hiyori, used the tea set that Karuizawa Kei had bought for him to brew a single serving of black tea for everyone. The Tea Ceremony Club activities over the past six months seemed to have yielded good results, and Hiyori's movements could be described as quite professional. This inadvertently reminded Kitagawa Ryo Horikita Suzune, who was also quite accomplished in this field and was taught by him.

Unfortunately, Suzune is probably still busy with Student Council work and can't come over right now. As for why Sakayanagi Arisu, who is also a member of the Student Council, can leisurely slack off here, Kitagawa Ryo can only say that the current Student Council President Chairman Sakayanagi to be reinstated as chairman.

It has to be said that gathering together to drink hot tea and eat snacks on such a cold winter day is indeed a very pleasant thing. Even Sakayanagi Arisu had maintained a calm smile since entering the house, now squinted her eyes like a child, fully enjoying the sweet taste that blossomed on her tongue.

After a few casual words about everyday things, Karuizawa Kei couldn't contain himself and transformed into a fishing buddy asking, "How did you know I caught such a big fish today?" He quickly pulled out the photo Kitagawa Ryo had given him that morning from his wallet and carefully showed it to everyone.

"Is this a photo of Hui and Liang? Hmm, it seems like it was taken some time ago. The background doesn't look like it was taken inside ANHS. Or was it taken when they were away competing?"

Seeing Karuizawa Kei's serious expression, Shiina Hiyori leaned forward slightly and asked with some curiosity.

"Yes, it wasn't taken inside ANHS, and it's definitely a long time ago, probably more than ten years ago."

"Is it really that exaggerated? More than ten years ago, Megumi and Ryo were just newborn babies, right...?"

Since all four girls present had experienced at least one simulation and retained relevant memories, when Karuizawa Kei spoke in such a lighthearted tone, the others quickly reacted. Apart from Shiina Hiyori, Ichinose Honami and Sakayanagi Arisu subconsciously stared at Kitagawa Ryo.

"Stop, stop, stop! Can you let me finish telling the story behind this photo?"

In response, Karuizawa Kei clapped her hands first, seemingly having already prepared her thoughts and emotions, and was eager to begin the emotional story-sharing session.

"If Megumi wants to share this, she should just call Kanzaki over. He'll definitely love to hear it. He'll not only listen carefully to every word, but he'll also write it all down in his little notebook."

Ichinose Honami was clearly uninterested in this; after all, who would want to listen to another girl's love story with the boy she liked? Her azure eyes quickly locked onto Kitagawa Ryo, and she even bluntly extended her hand.

"Give me."

"?"

"Ryo must have it with her, right? According to our agreement, it has to be on me so that Ryo can trigger the whole process of wanting it back, having to come see me again, and then not wanting to leave after seeing me."

"How can you remember something like this so clearly?"

"Wouldn't it be strange if someone forgot about something like this?"

"Fireworks, me, fireworks..."

"Don't remember these things so clearly, ahhh--"

Looking completely different from how they were this morning, Ichinose Honami was now lying on the coffee table, blushing and protesting. The other girls, however, couldn't understand what they were saying at all and could only purse their lips in unison. Shiina Hiyori touched the ring she always wore in her pocket, Karuizawa Kei continued to study the handwriting on the back of the photo: Sakayanagi Arisu... Sakayanagi Arisu looked left and right before picking up the unsuspecting cat that was playing with the little flag with 'Hotaru's House' written on it on its roof.

"Meow?"

Hotaru was puzzled.

However, its barking made Karuizawa Kei's eyes light up as she remembered what had happened here that morning. She immediately waved to Hotaru, as if trying to awaken the other's clever little brain and make it realize that she was its Chosen One number one Pooper Scooper, with whom it had a connection from past lives to the present.

Ying rolled her eyes, somewhat speechless, but still decided to give the other party face, after all, this person was indeed one of the top two most senior Pooper Scooper owners. As a result, just as she raised her front paw halfway, her whole body flew up as if riding the clouds, and then she was pressed into an incredibly wide, warm embrace that made it a little breathless.

"That's right! Could it be that Hotaru is the evidence of our memories that Ryo has preserved until now? She does look exactly like the kitten that Ryo found and gave to me back then."

Seeing Hotaru struggling in the warm, air-conditioned room, having already taken off her down jacket and gone, inside her sweater, Ichinose Honami Kitagawa Ryo n't help but chuckle. However, he still immediately reached out and pulled his sister out from between those two mountain peaks. The kitten immediately meowed and climbed onto his shoulder.

"Although Hotaru counts too, Honami and I actually think the same way. After all, if we really had to use something to represent our special memories, this is definitely the one."

It can only be said that after Karuizawa Kei caused such a scene in the morning, Kitagawa Ryo had already prepared a strategy for how to get what she had but I didn't. He quickly handed the popsicle stick, which can no longer be bought anywhere and is only sealed in the childhood memories of the two of them, and whose value is not even sixty yen, to Ichinose Honami.

"It's still there! I miss it so much..."

Ichinose Honami simply ran her fingers over the words "One more" engraved on it. There was nowhere left to successfully redeem the prize, but for her, the biggest and most special first prize had already been won.

It's a chance to "do it again," which is almost identical to the text in this article.

Seeing that Ichinose Honami had also obtained a mysterious gadget from Kitagawa Ryo that she didn't know what it was for, but that she had to have it too, Sakayanagi Arisu's eyes turned somewhat unfriendly. Hotaru, who was sitting on Kitagawa Ryo's shoulder, felt a bit like she had PTSD and curled up uncomfortably again.

"Arisu, then this is it."

"Inside are all the gifts that the Mad Hatter, who had stopped time, prepared for Alice during that crazy period."

Reaching out, Sakayanagi Arisu took the familiar-looking USB drive from Kitagawa Ryo on the coffee table. For once, she bit her lip in front of everyone else, revealing a complex expression mixed with sadness and resentment, as if she wanted to clench the USB drive into her palm.

"One more of this, please..."

"You're probably also wondering what's on this USB drive...?"

"Actually, the day I gave Liang the ring..."

A minute later, the three of them started talking in unison.

Karuizawa Kei managed a forced, strained smile.

Hey, hey, hey, aren't you guys starting one or two of you now too?