What They Call Redemption

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, as the class Leader, had no objections to these arrangements for Class 1-C. Firstly, these projects were indeed Class C's strength and Class D' s weakness. Secondly, he was currently busy with another matter.

Unlike Kitagawa Ryo, who was already acquainted with Sakayanagi Narimori, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka learned about the change in the position of Chairman a little later. Kitagawa Ryo himself only found out about it after spreading the news among the faculty and staff through Hoshinomiya Chie and Chabashira Sae in order to thwart Sakayanagi Arisu Kitagawa Ryo's trump card during the Student Council election.

Undoubtedly, just as Tsukishiro realized Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's value, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka also realized this through the latter's backstage alteration of his score during the Mixed Training Camp Special Exam.

In this respect, their journey can be considered a two-way street.

It was precisely because of this that, in the final days before Tsukishiro resigned and left Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka needed to meet with him alone.

After deciding to make a change, his vision shifted from simply wanting to spend three years at the school in an ordinary and peaceful way, to looking more deeply into the future.

However, she no longer held the fatalistic attitude of the past, believing that she would eventually return to that man and the White Room no matter what. Instead, she had a more resolute and determined idea.

He will seek the opportunity to deliver the fatal blow.

And they will spare no expense for this.

"So, these will be the initial ten projects for Class 1-A."

Similar to Class C, Class 1-A also made significant progress in their discussions under Sakayanagi Arisu. However, unlike Class C, whose choices were mostly academic, Class A's choices in this Special Exam were undoubtedly closer to sports and general categories. The only academic-related item was English, and the competition was a three-on-three format. The students expected to participate were Yukimura Teruhiko, Wang Meiyu, and Sakayanagi Arisu, with two other students with good academic abilities serving as substitutes.

Compared to Class D's almost book-burning and scholar-burying cultural achievements, Class A, although its foundation is too weak, has already gone through several rounds of screening since entering school. Students like Kanji Ike and Yamauchi Haruki, whose minds are not on studying, have already dropped out of school for almost a year. In addition, with a good role model like Ken Sudō leading the way, Class A's overall academic level is actually quite good. The top students are among the most capable in the grade.

After English, it was time for basketball, which Ken Sudō requested. According to him, he was second to none in one-on-one basketball, except for Kitagawa Ryo Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School. However, since the number of participants in each event could not be the same, the one-on-one slots were moved to the computer typing event that Sotomura Hideo was participating in later. Therefore, Class A decided on a five-on-five rule, with Ken Sudō leading the team.

Next up was a two-on-two Kyudo, with Miyake Akito as the ace up front.

In the swimming relay for a specific girls' group, Onodera Kayano was the last to perform.

In Judo, the rules were set up as a ring match, and Yamada Albert was the first to go on and fight the entire match.

For Class 1-A, although the class has the fewest students in the entire grade, there is no shortage of all kinds of cards. You can easily find several students who can make rules and create projects around him/her.

"However, compared to scoring points in your own events, the key to winning this Special Exam is actually to score points in your opponents' events. After all, going back and forth is equivalent to two points, and from the perspective of maximizing benefits, winning more small rounds will increase the Class Points many times over. If it really comes down to a hard-fought 4 to 3 victory, the Class Points difference will only be 250 points... which is not enough."

Similar to Kitagawa Ryo's actions, Sakayanagi Arisu also created a small group during the preparation phase for this Special Exam, and these words were spoken to Horikita Suzune.

"But this matter requires your approval as the official class Leader; otherwise, I can't command the students in the class."

"Is Arisu trying to gather information about Class B?"

"After all, information asymmetry is always a key factor that can determine victory in one fell swoop."

Sakayanagi Arisu continued typing:

"Suzune knows the personalities of the students in Class B. Just like how Hashimoto Masayoshi was able to easily extract the entire class's competition list from any random girl in Class B during last year's Sports Festival, most of the information about Class B is visible or even transparent to all the students in the class."

"Let alone the ten projects submitted initially, we might even be able to glean some clues about the five projects they ultimately decide to submit."

"That's not entirely unreasonable, but don't end up like Ayanokoji and let your classmates deceive you with their feelings. Don't do anything out of line."

While Horikita Suzune and Sakayanagi Arisu were discussing these things, Sakura Airi suddenly popped up in the small group chat:

Are you two working overtime at the Student Council right now?

"Yeah, the Student Council just had a leadership transition recently. Not to mention the new president, Suzune, even I, the vice president, am incredibly busy. Ayanokoji took leave as soon as he took office. He seems to be even more relaxed than I was before."

"Indeed... the Student Council's job is more demanding than I imagined."

"I think it's because there are too few members in the Student Council now. Ryo is gone, Kiriyama was expelled, and Ayanokoji is on leave. There are hardly any people left."

Seeing that the two seemed about to start complaining about Student Council affairs in the group chat again at the slightest disagreement, Sakura Airi simply continued typing, rather speechlessly:

"Actually, I don't think Arisu and Suzune need to be in such a hurry, because Class B's project is probably not finalized yet."

"How can Airi be so sure?"

"Because the students in Class B haven't made any moves at all, and just by checking the school forum on their phones, they can find out that the two Leader of Class B are on a date. Today is Hui's birthday."

"A birthday... that's wonderful."

"It's best if someone who just celebrated their birthday less than a month ago doesn't make such remarks."

"That's great... it's my birthday."

"Blocked."

"I don't want to explain to you anymore why I chose Class C as our opponent, because the truth is that even if I had chosen Class A or Class B, you would still have kept asking me similar questions."

Similar to Class B, whose projects were not yet finalized due to the class Leader's vacation, Class 1-D also failed to confirm their submitted projects. However, Ryuen Kakeru did not seem to be in a hurry about this, and instead, he was unusually communicating with the students of Class D. Although his tone was still rude, his attitude was relatively peaceful, and his hostility was visibly reduced.

"All of you need to remember now is one thing: under my guidance, unleash every tiny bit of potential within you, and treat this Special Exam as if it were your last."

As he spoke, Ryuen Kakeru also chuckled:

"Don't think Class C is such a strong opponent. If they were really that strong, they wouldn't have fallen all the way down from Class A and even been trailing behind us for a while. Their weaknesses have always been just as prominent as their strengths. Right now, just Hashimoto Masayoshi alone is enough to give them a headache."

Even after saying it once, Ryuen Kakeru could still see that most of the students in Class D were still not very enthusiastic. After all, what they really wanted was for Ryuen Kakeru to take charge of the entire Special Exam by himself. This kind of exam format, which forced everyone to participate and perform and risked expulsion, was really hard for them to adapt to.

If Ryuen Kakeru hadn't taken on this Commander position himself, and another student had been forcibly appointed instead, the situation would likely have been even more tense. But at least the sense of responsibility that Ryuen Kakeru has shown so far has made some students in Class D willing to follow his orders.

But it's still not enough.

Ryuen Kakeru thought to himself.

However, this was a situation he had anticipated.

Class D has lost too many times, and the students desperately need something to boost their morale and spirit.

This requires what is known as getting something for nothing.

"Listen to me, everyone."

"I've already made a pact with Kitagawa. If we can defeat Class C in this Special Exam..."

He'll be transferring to this class next semester.

Chapter 508: The So-Called Redemption

It has to be said that the moment Ryuen Kakeru said those words, the atmosphere in Class 1-D changed instantly. After all, even putting aside Kitagawa Ryo's abilities, his relationship with the students in Class 1-D was exceptionally good. Moreover, regardless of whether they were boys or girls, they all felt an immediate sense of warmth when they saw him. If he could really transfer to their class and become their classmate, that would definitely be a great thing.

But soon, a student raised a question:

"Didn't Beichuan just transfer to Class B? It hasn't even been a semester yet. I feel like this is a bit fake. Ryuen, have you been fooled by someone?"

"I personally communicated with Kitagawa, and this matter was finalized a long time ago. Otherwise, do you think I would have asked you to go and support him and Shiina on Valentine's Day last month? Do you remember what we were shouting back then? Those were the secret codes between Kitagawa and me, understand?"

Ryuen Kakeru made up the story without batting an eye, and his half-truth did sound somewhat convincing. Plus, Shiina Hiyori herself didn't deny it, so the students in Class D gradually came to believe it.

"Don't worry about the Private Points; I'll cover them all. All you need to do is show your best in this Special Exam and win this damn competition."

Taking advantage of the good morale, Ryuen Kakeru waved his hand generously to motivate his team. As the saying goes, if you aim high, you can achieve something in the middle; if you aim for the middle, you can achieve something in the bottom. According to the agreement between him and Shiina Hiyori, they didn't necessarily need to actually defeat Class C led by Ayanokoji Kiyotaka. They only needed to show the style of the Class D students.

Of course, Ryuen Kakeru never felt that there was truly no chance of winning.

Rather, the format of this End-of-Year Special Exam gave him a considerable chance. If the plan went smoothly, and with a little bit of luck, Class 1-D' s chances of winning could be pushed to over 50%.

In Ryuen Kakeru's view, from the perspective of winning probability alone, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had no need to play as the Commander. This actually limited the opponent's scoring ability. Apart from pure luck, Ryuen Kakeru couldn't think of any way to beat Ayanokoji Kiyotaka. The gap in strength was an objective fact that could not be changed in a short period of time.

There was no other way but for Ryuen Kakeru to take on this Commander. After all, the last bit of spirit and morale of the entire Class D rested on his shoulders. If he were to desert his Leader, the Class D would probably fall back into disarray.

As for specific projects...

"I have a feeling that some classes will definitely choose music-related projects."

As she passed by the music room at Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, Karuizawa Kei thoughtfully peered through the window at the setup inside.

"Actually, I feel that Ryo could also pull this off. I remember that Ryo got first place in this kind of subject during the Uninhabited Island Special Exam. In the entire ANHS, besides Ryo, Suzune is probably the only one who can do this? But she is the Commander of Class A this time, so she can't personally participate."

"Yes, we could definitely add a program like that. But Hui said something wrong. Actually, in the entire First Year of ANHS, besides me and Suzune, there are other people who can play the piano, and their skills are quite good."

Who is it?

"Ayanokoji."

As a test subject who had also spent several years in the White Room, Kitagawa Ryo was well aware of the differences between the courses for the Fourth Generation, including Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, and the Fifth Generation, including Amasawa Ichika. The former received far more skills training than the latter, including arts such as piano and calligraphy, although only superficially. However, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's learning ability, he had already surpassed the amateur level.

"Ryo seems to know Ayanokoji quite well."

"Knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory in every battle, and my relationship with him is more than just that of rivals."

Kitagawa Ryo smiled upon hearing this. After all, if Ayanokoji Kiyotaka could really stage a patricide like a character in Greece drama and take the opportunity to eliminate the White Room organization, he would be quite happy to see it happen. After all, he himself harbored a Malice towards Ayanokoji Atsuomi and the White Room. The old torments he suffered both physically and psychologically during Sakayanagi Arisu's last simulation were not something that could be forgotten so easily.

"Speaking of which, apart from musical instruments, if Class A were to let Airi choose a singing or dancing performance, our class doesn't seem to have anything particularly outstanding."

"Yes, Class A has a lot of capable students, but due to the rules, we can only apply for one one-on-one duel project. Otherwise, even if we just use all those professionals, we'd be overwhelmed."

After a brief chat about the Special Exam, Karuizawa Kei shifted the topic to Class D, or rather, Shiina Hiyori.

"Ryo's next stop should be Hiyori's place, right?"

"If nothing unexpected happens."

Just as he didn't hide his impending transfer from Ichinose Honami back then, Kitagawa Ryo wouldn't deliberately conceal it from Karuizawa Kei now, especially since Hiyori and Megumi are best friends.

"However, it will still take some time. Hiyori herself set up a checkpoint for the D office on my behalf, and Megumi should know that, right?"

"Yes, I've already heard Hiyori say that. She doesn't want Ryo's joining to just mean another Ryuen Kakeru for the students in Class D. After all, if you want to be Salvation, you have to show the belief and courage to save yourself first."

At this point, Karuizawa Kei's thoughts unconsciously drifted off, as if she were recalling some things from the past.

After that trip to London in her memory, she had actually been there again two years earlier, but this time she was invited as a theatrical Actor to perform in a joint production. The entire Theater Troupe boarded the plane, and Kitagawa Ryo sat next to her. The two of them looked out the window at the clouds together.

They performed together, met up with Shiina Hiyori, and then strolled along the Thames River together.

That night in London, fog rolled in. The gray haze blurred the constellations above and the river before them, making everything lose its history and names. The people were still the same people, and the river was still the same river, but the whole world became a hazy, gentle image in Karuizawa Kei's eyes, a memory she still holds to this day.

Compared to Ichinose Honami reborn individual, Karuizawa Kei is undoubtedly better at erasing those painful traces. However, it's not simply about forgetting; rather, it's about covering them up with a gentler yet more powerful reality. This applies to everything from the K&K symbol that she initially only fantasized about and cherished (see Karuizawa Kei's birthday special from last year, updated on March 8th), to actively changing her role when facing bullying in elementary school, and even to her revisit to London.

In a sense, Kitagawa Ryo used the same approach as Karuizawa Kei in resolving Ichinose Honami's psychological issues.

However, this does not mean that Karuizawa Kei is perfect, without any flaws, or that he does not need so-called 'after-sales' service.

Actually, Kitagawa Ryo had noticed similar clues a long time ago, but it wasn't until last night that he confirmed it when the other party sincerely said that he wanted to continue Actor.

The identity of a reborn person is both a legacy of her transformation and a constraint that has kept her trapped in a certain kind of shackle.

"Actually, I've reconsidered what Hui said to me last night again today."

"Hmm?"

Seemingly not expecting Kitagawa Ryo to bring up the matter again, Karuizawa Kei subconsciously showed a slightly puzzled expression.

"I believe that Hui will definitely achieve this goal and become the best Actor. This is not just simple encouragement, but I hope that Hui can believe in the fact that no long-term success is a given, and there is no need to belittle one's own efforts... At least from what I see, Hui is more qualified than me to become a professional stage Actor."

Undoubtedly, since joining the Theater Troupe and partnering with him, the K&K duo quickly achieved a turnaround in reputation within a few years. Karuizawa Kei, who was initially thought by the audience to be unworthy of his one-in-a-million theatrical genius, gradually gained more recognition, and the title of genius was naturally bestowed upon her as well.

This is undoubtedly a wonderful story about reborn individuals.

But for Karuizawa Kei, who has always maintained a high degree of self-awareness, this was also the beginning of another doubt, or rather, self-doubt.

After all, she wasn't someone who was often praised, otherwise she wouldn't have experienced school bullying several times in her life.

That's why, when faced with the overwhelming negative reviews and criticisms at the beginning, Karuizawa Kei was able to remain completely unburdened.

But when these criticisms quickly turned into positive ones, and when words she had never thought of before were used to describe her, she felt somewhat at a loss.

Everyone claims to be a rare genius who can stand shoulder to shoulder with Ryo, but is that really the case?

Perhaps for a long time, this was actually the idea that Karuizawa Kei had been holding in her heart.

After her rebirth, Karuizawa Kei takes a matter-of-fact attitude towards everything, believing that time should not be wasted. This allows her to maintain a high level of execution and outpace Ichinose Honami in completing everything, but it also causes her some confusion about her own self-awareness.

Was her courage, displayed beyond her years, during elementary school, and her performance in the Theater Troupe's preliminary rounds, surpassing Shiina Hiyori, truly based on her own abilities?

Or is the truth simply because she is a reborn person, and these are merely small initial advantages that come with being a reborn person?

The same thing, when done by a young child, is considered precocious, but when done by an adult, it becomes commonplace. Once this is realized, the choice is made.

In theory, it would be quite simple for Karuizawa Kei to abandon such misconceptions: she could announce her semi-retirement from the entertainment industry last year, gradually fading from public view, showcasing only the perfect, age-defying side of herself through the legacy of her rebirth, so that years later, viewers would only think, "If only she were still acting."

But Karuizawa Kei still chose to continue down this path.

This is theoretically a battle only between herself and herself, because before she is exposed, those around her will only look at her with admiration and crown her with the title of genius, but they will not know that she is just working harder to make herself worthy of this title and to become the one who truly deserves it.

"I've always felt that Hui has absolutely no need to feel fear or anxiety about this, because Hui is truly talented and works harder and is stronger than many others. When you choose this path, you are, in fact, choosing a path at the crossroads that is different from all your previous lives."

"For most of the time in this universe, we do not exist. At some times, you exist but I do not, and at other times, I exist but you do not. And in the times when you and I both exist, sometimes it is a tragedy."

"Wanting to be a bride and wanting to be the best theatrical Actor are naturally different, so the difficulties encountered will also be different. Being reborn is just an identity; it doesn't mean you can solve all problems without question, nor does it mean that solving all problems is a given."

"So, I hope that Hui can have more confidence and face up to all the efforts she has made along the way. This is not an experience that can be simply glossed over. Others have not had it, and Hui certainly cannot."