Classroom of the Elite, I Have a Life Simulator Chapter 48

Just as Kitagawa Ryo froze, failing to give an immediate answer, Karuizawa Kei retracted her own words even faster than he could:

"...Never mind, Ryo, you don't have to worry about it. I just have thoughts like that sometimes, but since your parents are abroad anyway, it's really fine."

Karuizawa Kei stood up and patted his shoulder, speaking with what seemed like great confidence:

"I'll be fine on my own, and I have Hotaru to keep me company."

What is this...

Kitagawa Ryo rubbed his forehead.

Isn't this exactly like The Little Prince?

"Hiyori, you're up later than usual today."

Having just woken up, her hair still sticking up in messy tufts, Shiina Hiyori walked out of her room and heard her mother's voice. She responded with a soft murmur.

"Your hair is a mess."

Shiina Hiyori stepped along in a pair of small pink slippers, dressed in simple, plain light-blue pajamas. She walked to the vanity. Because of some inexplicable insomnia over the last two days, faint traces of dark circles had already appeared under her eyes. She leaned toward the mirror, pressing a hot towel firmly against her slightly oily cheeks, and pouted in dissatisfaction.

"Were you chatting with a friend last night, Hiyori?"

"Mom heard some noise, you know."

"Ah... yes."

Shiina Hiyori answered her mother's inquiry while smoothing out her hair.

"Mom, where do you keep that face mask you usually use?"

Shiina Hiyori felt a bit depressed looking at the faint dark circles still visible in the mirror.

"This is the first time you've ever asked for something like that, isn't it, Hiyori?"

Her mother walked up behind her, looking quite surprised:

"Still, it's good for a girl to learn a few tricks about makeup and skincare."

Shiina Hiyori nodded.

Of course, this was a truth even The Little Prince knew.

Revising my History Competition essay, taking a day off.

When I started writing at 9:00 PM tonight as usual, my advisor suddenly sent back my History Competition essay, saying some paragraphs were too redundant and needed revision. By the time I finished, it was already this late. Now my brain is filled with messy concepts like "public domain," "alienation," and "social rumors." I really can't shift back into the right state for updating, so I'm taking a day off. I'll use the time to reorganize my outline. Sorry about that.

Attached a bonus image as an apology.

Chapter 17: Taming and Being Tamed

It was nearly six o'clock by the time Kitagawa Ryo finished his phone call with Shiina Hiyori. Having no intention of going back to sleep, he stretched and got out of bed. With a sense of anticipation, he opened the kitchen refrigerator; the ingredients here were restocked randomly every day, which was considered a signature service of this hotel.

However, today's ingredients were fairly common. Kitagawa Ryo thought for a moment, then took out four decent-looking potatoes, peeled and sliced them, and threw them into a pot of boiling water. While the potatoes boiled, he brushed his teeth and washed his face in one go. Afterward, he mashed the cooked potato slices, cracked in three eggs, added a bit of lotus root starch from the cupboard, and seasoned the mix with pepper and other spices. Kitagawa Ryo deftly stirred the mashed potatoes until smooth, used a rolling pin to press them into small, round patties, and then heated oil in a pan to fry them.

If he were still in the United Kingdom, 'Hotaru' would be sitting obediently on the table nearby. The cat was always very clingy toward Kitagawa Ryo, but it was strictly forbidden from entering the kitchen while he cooked. Consequently, it could only sniff the aroma of the food, its eyes, bright as gemstones, darting around.

Thinking of this, Kitagawa Ryo sent a casual greeting message to Karuizawa Kei, then began preparing a dipping sauce. He washed and chopped green onions, ginger, and garlic, poured cilantro, scallions, minced garlic, and chili seeds into a bowl, then added a bit of salt, soy sauce, and the barbecue sauce found in the kitchen, stirring it all together.

His palate was relatively strong; he didn't find it strange to eat such things early in the morning. Besides, it was a meal for one, and no one else was there to manage him. Since Mr. Izaki arrived in Tokyo, he didn't know what the man was busy with; unless Kitagawa Ryo reached out to him, he rarely saw him at all.

He turned on the TV to the news channel. With a potato patty in his mouth, Kitagawa Ryo began watching the morning news at a leisurely pace:

"Regarding the recent surge in school violence, experts point out that adolescence is a sensitive period for physical and mental development. Relevant educators and parents must coordinate home-school efforts to jointly address the psychological problems of teenagers."

"Tokyo Koudo Ikusei High School is being questioned for occupying too many public resources. The school held a press conference yesterday to respond."

Tokyo Koutou Ikusei Junior High School—that's the school Manabu is going to next year, right?

Kitagawa Ryo poured himself a glass of hot milk while watching the screen. He had heard that this school only admitted 160 students each year, and the school had yet to disclose their selection criteria. Although there were written tests and interviews before enrollment, rumors had circulated that some of the exam content had nothing to do with the actual selection.

If it's him, getting in shouldn't be a problem. But based on my interaction with Horikita Suzune yesterday, she will definitely follow him into that school...

He had heard some things about Horikita Manabu's younger sister, Horikita Suzune, from Manabu himself, but only after interacting with her personally did Kitagawa Ryo realize the problem was indeed more serious than he had imagined. However, given Horikita Manabu's personality, he certainly wouldn't intentionally instill such twisted notions into Horikita Suzune, so the root of the problem lay with Horikita Suzune herself.

As Kitagawa Ryo pondered the issue of Horikita Suzune, his phone chimed with a reply from Karuizawa Kei:

"Fed Hotaru some cat food."

Along with the message came a short video:

"Meow."

Hotaru was there, burying its head into the cat food with great effort. It was a pet cat with a fantastic sense for the camera, or perhaps because it was full, the moment it sensed someone was filming, it cooperated by acting cute, widening its round eyes and dancing its little paws together in front of its chest.

After what happened last night, Karuizawa Kei had restrained herself somewhat. She didn't even ask for Kitagawa Ryo to accompany her today, as if she really were, as she claimed, capable of handling everything on her own without needing Kitagawa Ryo by her side at all times.

And so, their conversation ended naturally. Karuizawa Kei had no reason to continue, and Kitagawa Ryo had an important matter to attend to today.

"I am Horikita Suzune."

Soon, a somewhat cold voice came from outside the hotel room door.

As if he had anticipated all of this, Kitagawa Ryo didn't show a hint of surprise. He simply sipped his milk unhurriedly and replied:

"The door is open."

As the doorknob turned with a creak, Horikita Suzune met Kitagawa Ryo once again.

She seemed to have just finished her morning run, dressed in light sportswear and breathing slightly heavily:

"The slippers are in the shoe cabinet next to you."

The slippers here were disposable ones replaced daily, so Horikita Suzune casually grabbed an unopened pair, tore it open, and stepped into the room.

Horikita Suzune truly seemed to lack experience in interpersonal interaction; after entering the room, she even appeared at a loss, standing straight and staring with her eyes fixed on Kitagawa Ryo, who was washing dishes, as if waiting for him to lead the conversation.

"You're a bit late, otherwise you could have tasted my cooking."

Kitagawa Ryo was not yet aware that Horikita Suzune was staring straight at his back; he said this with a hint of regret while picking up a towel to dry the dishes.

"Does Kitagawa cook for yourself as well?"

After their interaction yesterday, they could be considered acquaintances, but Horikita Suzune had omitted the "kun" from the "Kitagawa-kun" she used at the beginning, starting to address Kitagawa Ryo directly as "Kitagawa."

"Since I spend quite a lot of time at home alone, I learned a little."

There were only a few dishes to begin with, so Kitagawa Ryo washed them quickly and was already finished. He wiped his hands with a dry towel from the side, and when he turned around, he saw Horikita Suzune standing there blankly:

"Is there something on my back?"

Kitagawa Ryo tilted his head and asked with some confusion.

"No."

Horikita Suzune denied it quite bluntly.

"Alright then."

Kitagawa Ryo shook his head, walked out of the kitchen, and sat on the sofa in the main room. Horikita Suzune followed him step by step and sat on the opposite sofa.

In the morning light, Horikita Suzune looked up and saw a group photo on the table. It was one of the photos Kitagawa Ryo had brought from his time in the United Kingdom. He had shown some to Karuizawa Kei when he was free yesterday, and the rest had been left there. The one she happened to see was a photo of Kitagawa Ryo and Horikita Manabu at the end of a bridge.

"Let me see."

Her hands moved faster than her words. By the time Kitagawa Ryo subconsciously let out an "uh-huh," that photo was already in Horikita Suzune's hands. She looked at it with a religious solemnity, then nodded, continuing to examine the group photo.

"When was the last time you saw Manabu, Horikita?"

Kitagawa Ryo asked, looking at Horikita Suzune thoughtfully.

"More than two years ago."

Horikita Suzune answered without hesitation:

"And until yesterday, I didn't even have his contact information."

"...The relationship between you siblings is truly twisted."

"My brother has always been the direction I move toward, and he has always encouraged me."

Horikita Suzune's gaze did not waver; the influence of the name Horikita Manabu on her exceeded even Kitagawa Ryo's imagination.

It seemed that every time Horikita Suzune recited this name, she would gain a bit more fighting spirit and strength out of thin air, just like a plant performing photosynthesis facing the sun, feeding herself with this name and growing upward with all her might.

Kitagawa Ryo shook his head:

"You should go take a shower first. You're covered in sweat from your run. I'm going out to make a phone call."

"Is it to my brother?"

"Yes."

This answer seemed to be enough to become the driving force for Horikita Suzune's actions. Kitagawa Ryo put on his shoes and walked out of the room, coming to the end of the hallway to dial Horikita Manabu's number. Although it was eleven or twelve at night in London, he, Kitagawa Ryo, was currently dealing with a troublesome younger sister for Horikita Manabu's sake; how could Horikita Manabu himself just sleep peacefully?

Thinking this, Kitagawa Ryo made the call with a hint of resentment.

Horikita Suzune had started growing her hair long the year Horikita Manabu left. She seemed to be a natural at having long hair, and in less than three years, she possessed a beautiful mane that reached her waist. She walked into the bathroom and untied the small braid on her left side, setting the hair tie aside. Her black hair flowed down like water, cascading over her shoulders under the hot water and wetting her face.

In the past six months, there had been boys who gave her love letters at first, but she never had the slightest intention of looking at them. She wouldn't even call them out to reject them like other girls; when she received a love letter in person, she would return it directly to the other party. If it was placed in her shoe cabinet, she would throw them into the trash can, and those discarded letters would pile up there in colorful heaps.

Horikita Suzune wouldn't think about unnecessary things, nor was she willing to engage in interpersonal interactions. So, a month later, when the small cliques in the class formed, she was naturally isolated. Horikita Suzune found dealing with this cold violence extremely easy, and if it really came to a physical confrontation, she felt she was capable of self-defense. As time went on, Horikita Suzune became an anomaly in the class, but none of this had any impact on her.

Until the arrival of Kitagawa Ryo.

Especially after hearing that he was her brother's close friend, Horikita Suzune began to have a different attitude toward him. Even yesterday, upon hearing Kitagawa Ryo's invitation for her to come over this morning, a tiny trace of joy had flashed through her heart, cutting through Horikita Suzune mercilessly like a sharp knife.

Horikita Suzune scrutinized her own emotions while taking a shower.

She imagined the content of the conversation between Kitagawa Ryo and Horikita Manabu outside the door. In her view, Kitagawa Ryo must be telling her brother about her growth, to prove that in the years she had been separated from him, she was still independently chasing after him.

"It's going to cost extra."

Kitagawa Ryo leaned against the hallway window with no grace, speaking while overlooking the entire street from a high vantage point.

"It's too much trouble. If anything, I'm curious why your sister turned out like this."

"No matter how lush she grows on the top half, her roots are still clinging to your existence. Having a role model isn't a bad thing, but being shackled by one is her own problem. In the end, it's your problem too, Manabu."

Kitagawa Ryo said bluntly:

"Look, if you weren't so outstanding and easily surpassed by your sister, she wouldn't have treated you as her final destination."

"..."

"Silence is useless. You don't intend to keep hiding from her, do you? Are you planning to hide in that high school until next year?"

"I used to think that Suzune would eventually figure things out on her own after I left."

Horikita Manabu sighed on the other end of the line:

"But based on the reports you've given me, it doesn't seem to have worked."

"Ryo..."

"It's going to cost you extra."

Before the other party could even speak, Kitagawa Ryo stated his terms directly:

"I'll do my best to help you solve your sister's problem, but afterward, you have to help me cancel the engagement between her and me."

"If Ryo can truly solve it, I will put in a good word for you regarding the engagement."

Horikita Manabu nodded as well. After all, he was currently abroad, and even if he realized the issues with Horikita Suzune, it was impossible for him to return right now.

"But how does Ryo intend to do it? As far as I know, you should only be able to stay in Tokyo for another five days."

"Five days? Not necessarily."

Kitagawa Ryo curled the corners of his lips:

"I don't want to return to London that quickly."

"Is it because of the issue with Karuizawa Kei?"

"If I said it was because I wanted to help you thoroughly resolve your sister's problem, would you believe me?"