Save the Best Ending for the Present

At this point, Karuizawa Kei looked up at the night sky, now calm and peaceful after the fireworks display had ended, and continued chatting idly with Shiina Hiyori:

"Actually, before you two officially ended things, the only person I was worried about was Arisu. Hold on! Of course, I know Hiyori 'll tell me again that Arisu's personality is shaped by her experiences, but it's precisely because I know that I'm especially worried. I just saw someone on the forum say that they observed Arisu following Ryo and Honami all day long."

"But the result was that the other party did not show up."

Karuizawa Kei smiled upon hearing this, stretched out a big yawn in front of Shiina Hiyori, and then sat down directly on the stage pedestal, reaching out to brush the petals and feathers that served as decorations.

"If I'm not mistaken, it must be Liang who did something."

"Just as Hiyori doesn't want her ceremony to be disturbed, Ryo feels the same way."

"Of course, this doesn't mean that Ryo was forced to abandon Arisu's side for Hiyori's sake. There's no need to put such an unfounded burden and mental pressure on yourself. What I mean by 'what Ryo did' should be a more appropriate solution that everyone can be satisfied with."

"That's just his personality; he's incredibly greedy in every sense of the word, but if he can't even handle something like this, he doesn't even have the right to be greedy."

Karuizawa Kei was probably the only girl who could talk casually, even arrogantly, about Kitagawa Ryo without Shiina Hiyori being annoyed. This was not only because Shiina Kitagawa Ryo best, but also because of their close relationship.

"Thank you so much for today, no, for all these past few days."

Thinking of this, Shiina Hiyori naturally expressed her heartfelt gratitude to her friend beside her.

After all, whether in love or in life, there are so many things she can learn from and refer to in him, including his always composed and confident attitude.

"It's nothing. You can always come to me for help if you need anything in the Hiyori."

Karuizawa Kei accepted the gratitude with a bright smile and reiterated her promise to the other party.

"Um..."

Shiina Hiyori nodded slightly in agreement, but her mind was already elsewhere, and she was seriously considering her next move.

Although she personally still felt that today's ceremony was just a simple ring exchange, given the atmosphere and venue setup, and considering that the campus forum had already started to habitually refer to this event as a 'marriage proposal,' Shiina Hiyori had no choice but to accept this interpretation.

So, what's the next step after proposing?

Marriage?

What happens after marriage? What should you do?

First and foremost, it should be clear that although Shiina Hiyori appears to be the type of person who values psychological and spiritual communication and resonance more than physical matters, this does not mean that her knowledge in any particular area is completely blank.

Here, we might even have to thank Hayasaka Yab.

As one of the most eccentric mystery novelists in history, he single-handedly created "Sad Mystery" among numerous mystery novel genres such as "ordinary mystery," "social mystery," "idiot mystery," and "science fiction mystery."

Well, to put it simply, the most distinctive feature of Hayasaka Yab's works is their uniqueness.

It's fair to say that every time Kitagawa Ryo talks about Shiina Hiyori's work, the atmosphere inevitably veers off in a direction that can't be broadcast.

If we were to quote a few of their conversations about Hayasaka Yab, it would look something like this:

"This level of explicit content is more like an 18+ novel than a mystery novel. I think it's better to read Hiyori later."

"Huh? Is it that exaggerated?"

"Well, this is probably the only detective who, when speaking with the police, explicitly stated that the suspect's buttocks had also been searched."

Of course, Kitagawa Ryo's words only fueled Shiina Hiyori's curiosity. After all, they were the same age, so how could one of them read a mystery novel that the other couldn't?

Besides, there are plenty of famous mystery novels that touch on that topic. The core trick in the renowned * the Tokyo Zodiac Murders * involves using XX to trick someone into giving up X-liquid and then staging the crime scene. I'd like to see Hayasaka Yab...

As a result, after blushing and feeling her heart race as she read the first chapter of Hayasaka Yab's masterpiece, "Rainbow Toothbrush," Shiina Hiyori opened the door to a new world.

It can only be said that she overestimated the integrity of the mystery novelist who was able to create the genre of 'Serendipity Mystery'. After all, Shiina Hiyori had never seen a detective's reasoning and decryption process achieved through words—well, literally words—to accuse a suspect and reveal evidence.

And why did you have to write it in so much detail?

Along with those unbearable memories of the past flooding into Shiina Hiyori's mind, there was also a rumor about Kitagawa Ryo that came up during the Mixed Training Camp Special Exam last month.

Regardless, it all felt like it was a bit too much for Shiina.

And just like that, Karuizawa Kei suddenly felt the other person holding her hands with considerable sincerity, as if seeking reassurance and some answer from her, uttering fragmented, almost incoherent words in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz:

"Teach... accompany, that, together, it means, if..."

Kitagawa Ryo, who had already successfully reunited with Ichinose Honami, was unaware that a one-on-two match that would one day begin had already started today, since his main task tonight was a proper one-on-one duel.

Just as Ichinose Honami Kitagawa Ryo was pondering when to take off the ring, Ichinose Honami preemptively blocked his idea, speaking lightly:

"Just wear it until tomorrow morning. This is a precious gift from a girl."

Although I really wanted to complain that Honami humor was a bit too perverse, Kitagawa Ryo naturally couldn't say anything so righteous when he was in the wrong, so he just gave a perfunctory answer and changed the subject:

"Is there anywhere you'd like to go, Honami?"

Since the Fireworks Festival started at 6:30 p. m., even though it lasted for a full hour and a half, it was only a little past 8 p. m., which is still too early for high school students to go to sleep.

To Kitagawa Ryo, Ichinose Honami simply replied, "I want to go back."

Seemingly feeling that there was nothing worth visiting at Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School at this time, or perhaps for some other consideration, Ichinose Honami frankly repeated, or rather added, what she had just said:

"Let's go back to my room."

"Good."

Since Ichinose Honami had already extended such an invitation, Kitagawa Ryo naturally wouldn't say anything more. After all, all his arrangements were only until 8 PM, and he left all the remaining time to Ichinose Honami to make the arrangements.

It has to be said that quite a few students shared similar thoughts with Kitagawa Ryo and his friends. After all, they had played all day long, and with the fireworks display over, it was much more comfortable to return to their warm dormitories and play games with their loved ones or on their phones or computers on this chilly night than to continue to suffer outside in the cold wind.

After the customers gradually left, the school staff and the shopkeepers of the Keyaki Mall began to dismantle the decorations one by one, carrying out the work of cleaning up the garbage and moving the items in an orderly manner.

Since it was all their own private arrangement, Shiina Hiyori and Karuizawa Kei naturally didn't want to trouble the school staff. Fortunately, the Class D students that Ryuen Kakeru had gathered were still there, and dismantling things was indeed faster than assembling them. Faced with an overwhelming number of people, Shiina Hiyori the day finally came to a perfect end.

"Speaking of which, I haven't seen Horikita from Class 1-A."

"Why did you suddenly bring her up? What's up? Do you want to see her fight Shiina?"

"What are you thinking? I mean I didn't see her among the staff. Didn't you notice her when you entered this morning? She was the only student in the whole school volunteering to help maintain order. I thought she would come back in the evening."

"I guess it's just about cultivating a certain image and building goodwill, since the Student Council election is coming up soon."

Two students from other grades were chatting as they passed by Karuizawa Kei when they suddenly started talking about Horikita Suzune, causing the girl to subconsciously look up.

Indeed, what exactly is Suzune doing right now?

A cat who was about to habitually crawl into its familiar bed only to find a different person inside would probably have a lot to say about this.

Oh, so she was the one who started this whole thing.

That's alright then.

Chapter 489: Saving the Best Ending for the Present

This wasn't Kitagawa Ryo's first time visiting Ichinose Honami's room; in fact Honami, he stayed overnight there during last year's Cultural Festival.

I remember it was because of the snow, which was quite dangerous in every way, that she made a complete mess of the bedding and sheets in my room. Thinking about it carefully, maybe Sakayanagi Arisu has already seen everything I arranged for her performance in Tokyo tonight?

After all, the other party should be living in Tokyo now, and they should be able to see related reports if they just browse the news. Moreover, the event name he used at the beginning might be confusing to outsiders, but those in the know should know what it is when they see the word Arisu.

However, on the other hand, this is a situation that Kitagawa Ryo can accept. In any case, the relationship between Sakayanagi Arisu and Yuki is not something he should stir up trouble for. After all, it is a grudge that spanned more than ten years in the last simulation. Although he is definitely the absolute focus, their competition has long been a matter of many aspects.

As for how things will develop, we'll have to wait until the new students enroll in April. Anyway, based on Kitagawa Ryo's understanding of Yuki's personality, she definitely won't enroll in the school in a conventional way; there's a high probability that something 'unexpected' will happen first.

For example, deliberately lowering one's own evaluation so that one can be placed in Class C or even Class D during class assignment.

After all, if Tsukishiro could see the problems or potential risks, Kitagawa Ryo could certainly see them too. In fact, the list he submitted for the Cultural Festival only included three people: Yuki, Tsubaki Sakurako, and Nanase Tsubasa. Compared to the list of at least four or five people submitted by Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, it was undoubtedly rather meager. Moreover, on the surface, they were all considered to be of excellent character and academic standing, and their chances of being assigned to Class A or Class B were undoubtedly higher.

However, both Kitagawa Ryo and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka understood one thing: in a grade, the lower-ranked classes are often more useful than the higher-ranked classes. Whether it's simply because most students in the lower-ranked classes are less intelligent, or because they are tighter on money and need more Private Points, the students in the higher-ranked classes are more likely to have their own ideas or be less willing to go against the class's wishes. These students are undoubtedly easier to use to achieve their own goals.

Of course, there was another very important reason why Kitagawa Ryo was so certain that Yuki would do such a thing.

That is, students in the lower grades have much more freedom in their actions. For details, please refer to Shiina Hiyori Karuizawa Kei for a long time. Compared to the latter, who is the center of attention for everything she does and is remembered by other students in the class for a long time, Shiina Hiyori, who came from Class C, stands out for being unrestrained.

Since the other person didn't have the same goal of defeating someone as him when they enrolled, he naturally went in whatever way suited his wishes.

"Hmm... I'll wear these shoes if it's chilly."

After Ichinose Honami opened her bedroom door, she took a pair of indoor shoes that she had prepared beforehand from the shoe cabinet in the entryway and handed them to Kitagawa Ryo.

"Good."

Reminded by Ichinose Honami, Kitagawa Ryo also snapped out of his thoughts and refocused his attention on the present, immediately noticing some unusual things in the room.

It seemed to have been specially decorated, and the atmosphere and feeling of the whole room seemed much softer. It almost didn't look like a standard dormitory anymore, but instead gave people a warm feeling of home.

"Would you like something to drink, Liang?"

"Just plain boiled water is fine."

"Then I'll boil some water."

"I'll go, Honami, change your clothes first. This Yukata looks nice, but it's really inconvenient to move around in."

"Hmm... it's actually not too bad. I feel like I'm wearing too many layers underneath. Luckily, the room is quite warm, so I'll just take off a few of my inner layers. Anyway, it's best to wear Yukata alone."

Ichinose Honami nodded in agreement, then walked directly to the bedside and sat down, beginning to take off her clothes one by one.

Kitagawa Ryo first went into the kitchen and leisurely boiled a pot of water in the kettle before leisurely coming out and sitting down next to Ichinose Honami.

Although they haven't crossed that final line yet, they've already been completely open with each other. Given their personalities, there's no feigned shyness or avoidance; they're both quite open and generous.

It has to be said, winter clothes are ridiculously numerous. Watching Ichinose Honami, Kitagawa Ryo couldn't help but recall a certain meme he had seen before:

"He tore open my cotton-padded trousers, fleece trousers, wool trousers, and a layer of red thermal underwear, then tore open my cotton-padded coat, sweater, fleece sweater, thermal underwear, and acrylic wool trousers. The static electricity crackled in the darkness, illuminating his cold, stern profile..."

Yeah, they're actually pretty much the same.

Even as the kettle in the kitchen began its whirring alarm, signaling that the water had boiled, Ichinose Honami was still struggling with the last sweater.

Speaking of which, the sound of boiling water seems quite ominous on the set of a teen romance drama.

While silently complaining to himself, Kitagawa Ryo skillfully took two cups from the kitchen cabinet, poured boiling water into them, and then carried the cups out to place them on the coffee table to cool.

Having finally removed most of her inner clothing, Ichinose Honami put her Yukata back on. Compared to her previous winter attire of a thick cotton-padded coat and trousers with sheepskin underneath and cloth on the outside, the Yukata was definitely more suitable for wearing alone. Otherwise, the soul-searching question of "Is she wearing nothing under her Yukata?" wouldn't appear so often in many romantic comedy light novels or manga.

"Phew, I feel so much better."

Ichinose Honami herself also seemed to feel a great sense of relief, and she stood up from the bedside and stretched her limbs quite lightly.

"Wearing Yukata in winter is really uncomfortable. I had to buy a size too big when I bought it."

"That's easy to tell."

Seeing that Ichinose Honami was obviously a size too big because she was only wearing it, and that Yukata was loose and slippery on her shoulders from time to time, Kitagawa Ryo nodded in deep agreement.

It seemed that the light bulbs in the room had been specially changed. At this moment, the light in Ichinose Honami's room was not the standard incandescent bulbs found in ordinary dormitories. The light that fell was a softer, warmer tone. The pale yellow glow carried a faint ambiguity, casting the shadows of the two of them sitting in front of the coffee table, holding hot water cups and looking at each other on the floor.

After a day of hustle and bustle, returning to this quiet and peaceful atmosphere, Kitagawa Ryo also unconsciously relaxed his nerves that had been tense all day.

Although many people take it for granted that he can handle everything perfectly, matters of the heart are not something that can be perfectly predicted, especially for someone like him who is like dancing on several eggs at the same time, not to mention that today he was caught in the intrusion of Horikita Suzune.

"It must have been really tough for Liang to prepare so many surprises without telling me."

As she spoke, Ichinose Honami reached out and patiently unwrapped the bouquet of Iris she had retrieved from the locker when she left, one by one, seemingly intending to move them into a vase first before doing anything else.

"It's alright, after all, this is not only for Honami, but also for myself. I also derive genuine joy from doing these things."

Kitagawa Ryo, looking somewhat tired, slumped his upper body onto the coffee table. To be honest, if Tsukishiro hadn't suddenly decided to put him in the position of temporary Student Council, he really wouldn't have been able to bring a perfect end to Ichinose Honami's mock exam and that past today.

"I'm really happy today, the kind of happiness that will make me smile even long after I've thought about the time I spent with Honami."

While speaking these heartfelt words to Honami in a lazy and natural tone, Kitagawa Ryo also reached out to stroke the souvenirs that the two of them had brought back, such as the Polaroid photos that recorded their real-time moods. Even though it had only been a few hours since the photos were taken, he suddenly felt a strange sense of nostalgia.

So no matter how you look at it, this ring still seems quite off.

Because of the gesture of reaching out, Kitagawa Ryo's gaze inevitably fell once again on the ring that Shiina Hiyori, and he couldn't help but mutter the same thought to himself again.

Fun fact: Today at Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, three girls were wearing matching rings on the middle fingers of their left hands, but he was actually in another girl's room.

I have a feeling that posting this kind of title on a forum would attract a lot of traffic.

After his tense nerves relaxed, Kitagawa Ryo's thoughts began to wander more and more, and this lazy attitude seemed to be contagious to Ichinose Honami sitting opposite him.

Before they knew it, the two of them had moved in unison onto the coffee table, like children. One of them stood up and took two steps on the table, pretending to be a little animal, before gently climbing onto the other's hand, only to have it tucked back without any politeness.

Finally, they both smiled at each other's profiles, which were slightly squashed from lying on the table.

The atmosphere remained so quiet, almost devoid of human voices, that it felt as if this place had been forcibly ripped from the river of time and space, a small world that had been separated from the rest of the world.

You can think about anything, or you can think about nothing at all.

After savoring this tranquil moment that belonged only to the two of them for a short while, Ichinose Honami took the initiative to break the silence:

"It's time to take a shower."

At this point, Ichinose Honami visibly showed a hint of disappointment or regret.