Classroom of the Elite, I Have a Life Simulator

"Hey, Honami, didn't you laugh and say you'd marry me when you grew up back when you received my gift in the first grade?"

Kitagawa Ryo picked at his fingernails nonchalantly. He didn't notice anything amiss, continuing his conversation with Ichinose Honami just as he always did.

"How could something from back then possibly count?"

As expected, Ichinose Honami quickly picked up on Kitagawa Ryo's lead. She lazily rested her pretty chin on her right hand:

"My birthday is coming up soon, you know."

"Didn't you say a long time ago that you were already past the age of looking forward to birthday gifts?"

"What if I suddenly want one this year?"

"..."

Kitagawa Ryo let out a long sigh. He leaned over, secretly bringing his lips close to Ichinose Honami's ear, and whispered:

"Alright, alright, I'll have a gift ready for you."

Whether it was because of Kitagawa Ryo's words or the warm breath he exhaled against her earlobe, a rare look of panic and shyness appeared on Ichinose Honami's face. Her body trembled slightly, and she replied in a small voice:

"Fine, I'm not mad at you anymore."

Karuizawa Kei just stared at that photo. The boy in the picture was draped in the last light of the sunset from the window. Her social media, which usually had no activity, began to ping incessantly. Beneath that post, some were confused, some were offering congratulations, some were asking questions, and some were explaining.

She was almost sinking into this illusory beauty. That photo had become a world, a different realm—a nest that made her feel warm. It was as if she were truly as she appeared in the photo: having a real boyfriend she could throw herself into the arms of at any time. She was a tiny existence, no different from a parasite, and that "couple... cheese" caption had wrapped her up tight. In that instant, she suddenly felt that she should be innocent and fragile, someone to be pitied and pampered—a thought she hadn't had in a very long time.

Until Karuizawa Kei looked up and saw Kitagawa Ryo leaning in by Ichinose Honami's ear, and saw the joy and the blushing cheeks that came from the bottom of Ichinose Honami's heart.

Intense, infatuated emotion is not proof of love's existence; the only thing it can demonstrate is just how lonely and bored those men and women were to begin with.

[Story CG: Fake Love, read complete]

Chapter 8: Branching Paths

[Day 5: After a phone call with Ichinose Honami regarding the current situation with Karuizawa Kei, she gave you permission for your next move. Consequently, the fact that you and Karuizawa Kei are dating spread rapidly through your respective social circles. Although many of Karuizawa Kei's so-called 'friends' scoffed at the authenticity of this, as you continued to update your status with Karuizawa Kei, quite a few people did indeed believe that you and she were in the midst of a passionate romance. Those girls who still held doubts naturally saw public opinion turn against them, and they were labeled as being jealous of their friend's boyfriend.]

[That night, you received contact from Karuizawa Kei. She was both terrified and pleasantly surprised by the rapid shift in the situation. Although a woman's value in the modern age no longer needs to be attached to a man, for someone like Karuizawa Kei, who has been bullied for so long, a high-quality boyfriend is enough to become a thick wall. Yet, she knows this wall is fake and fragile. If the Little Match Girl could still hold onto that faint light in her own hands, the light warming Karuizawa Kei now is not in her control. As long as you, on this side, gently flip the switch, she will return to a world without light.]

[You were somewhat surprised by her line of thinking. Through tonight's conversation, you learned that Karuizawa Kei is a very clear-headed and adaptable girl. She might be briefly misled by illusions, but every step she takes is actually the result of careful thought, just like the plea she made tonight.]

[Entered story branch point, judgment will be made based on the player's held talents]

[Branch 1: Accept Karuizawa Kei's request. This branch leads to the ending—Phantom Dream. Can unlock story CGs "Her and His Cat," "The Actor," and "Fireworks Fade Cold."]

[Branch 2: Refuse Karuizawa Kei's request. This branch leads to the ending—Summer is Over. Can unlock story CGs "Sisters," "Fireworks," and "I Like You."]

[Detected that player's held talents include "Tokyo Hunk"]

[Detected that player's held talents include "Protector of Flowers"]

[Judgment result is Branch 1]

["Alright, I promise you."]

[You made the same promise as yesterday. You calmly accepted her parasitism.]

[Perhaps this is a wrong decision; perhaps this is a right decision.]

[Day 6: On the way to drop off Ichinose Honami at her part-time job, you noticed she was in a bad mood. She explained that her younger sister had been a bit unhappy these past two days. You remembered that Ichinose Honami had mentioned a couple of days ago that the cat Ichinose Maki was raising wasn't feeling well. You asked her if she had contacted the veterinary clinic you gave her. Ichinose Honami indicated that the cat had already been to the clinic and had gradually regained its vitality recently.]

[After ruling out the cat as the reason for Ichinose Maki's bad mood, you roughly guessed some of the causes. But just as you were deliberating whether or not to bring it up, Ichinose Honami took the initiative to ask about your whereabouts over the last two days. You casually replied that you were just out and about with Karuizawa Kei, taking some photos. Upon hearing this fact, Ichinose Honami was silent for a while, then randomly blurted out that her part-time job would be finished by tomorrow, that she had saved enough money to buy a hair clip for her sister, and that she hoped you could accompany her for the day the day after tomorrow. You readily agreed.]

[During your stroll with Karuizawa Kei today, you learned that yesterday, a netizen with the handle 'Ichinose Maki' had sent a friend request to Karuizawa Kei. Karuizawa Kei thought the person might be a relative of Ichinose Honami's, so she didn't refuse. As it turned out, after adding her yesterday, the person inexplicably sent her a long string of bizarre messages and even said she wanted to meet up. To be safe, Karuizawa Kei asked you to go to the meeting place with her.]

[After glancing at her phone twice, you confirmed through the profile picture and status updates that the person was indeed Ichinose Maki herself. Having not seen her in a long time and intending to find an opportunity to resolve the entanglements between you, you agreed to go to the meeting place with Karuizawa Kei. Before meeting, you specifically went to buy an orange juice.]

[The location Ichinose Maki gave was a cafe on the third floor of the department store. After walking into the shop, you spotted Ichinose Maki sitting by the window. She didn't seem surprised by the fact that Karuizawa Kei and you had arrived together. The excellent upbringing from her mother and sister had set a standard for her from a young age. In your past memories, Ichinose Maki had always been a child who was slightly silent in front of outsiders but vibrant in front of her family.]

[Choosing a cafe as a meeting spot was likely a plot point she saw in some TV show or novel. You glanced at the almost untouched coffee on the table and understood. How could a thirteen-year-old child like Ichinose Maki be used to drinking something like coffee? Placing the orange juice you brought in front of her, you nodded to signal Karuizawa Kei to sit down with you.]

[After ordering an iced Americano and an iced cocoa for yourself and Karuizawa Kei respectively, Ichinose Maki's words made your expression stiffen.]

["Big Brother, why aren't you dating Big Sister?"]

[This question, which might sound confusing or even ethically questionable to an outsider, was actually quite easy to understand in the context of you and the Ichinose family. Having been Ichinose Honami's playmate in the past, you had always viewed Ichinose Maki as your own little sister. As the person who had the most contact with you and Ichinose Honami, Ichinose Maki was almost the person who understood your relationship with Ichinose Honami best. It was precisely for this reason that she chose to suppress her own vague feelings for you.]

[It wasn't just her; the people around you, including friends like Hirata Yosuke, might all think that you and Ichinose Honami were a match made in heaven. There had even been rumors circulating for a long time that you were already dating in private. However, you knew clearly that your relationship with Ichinose Honami had indeed remained at the childhood friend stage up until now.]

["Answer me."]

[Just as you were lost in memory, Ichinose Maki across from you became somewhat irritable. She didn't even have the heart to take more than a couple of sips of her favorite orange juice, leaving it to the side. She leaned her small body forward toward you, and her face, so similar to Ichinose Honami's, made you feel a bit dazed.]

["That cat I gave you, are you still raising it?"]

["Hm? Yes, I am. And didn't Big Brother give me the number for a vet clinic when 'Hotaru' was sick a few days ago?"]

["She's already recovered now," Ichinose Maki said, perking up at the mention of the cat.]

["But does this have anything to do with why Big Brother and Big Sister aren't dating?"]

[You took a sip of the iced Americano, feeling the bitterness fill your mouth. You began to recall the first time you drank it.]

["Perhaps."]

[You answered this way.]

[Triggered story CG: Her and His Cat]

[Her and Her Cat: Today, I still wander like a satellite, circling the words I truly want to say while responding to his. I love the cat he gave me; I love cats; I love him.]

[Read this story CG? (This may be helpful for your upcoming game progress)]

Chapter 9: Her and Her Cat (Part 1)

Late spring, and rain drifted from the sky. The initial drizzle intensified within a single hour, turning into a storm of wind and rain. Pedestrians on the street quickened their pace; those without umbrellas could only grimace and stomp their feet while taking temporary shelter under storefronts or eaves, praying for the rain to let up.

School uniforms were whipped by the wind, clinging tightly to bodies. Groups of elementary students pouring out of a nearby school struggled through the gale with their umbrellas, their rubber boots splashing in puddles.

The dust on the road was dampened by the rain, and the scent of wet earth hung in the air.

Amidst the pouring rain, I lay quietly by the side of the road, curling my body as far into the wall as I could.

Passersby only glanced at me briefly before hurrying away.

Finally, I no longer had the strength to even lift my head, keeping only one eye open to gaze at the dark, heavy sky.

The surroundings were deathly quiet, save for the thunderous roar of a train in the distance.

The train traveled along the elevated tracks, its sound full of power and rhythm, like a robust and vibrant heartbeat.

I had always been filled with longing and yearning for that sound.

If the faint heartbeat within my own body could grant me life, then what a vast world such a massive sound must be able to shake.

This must be the sound of the world's own heartbeat—a powerful, strong, perfect world—yet I had never been a part of it.

The pattering raindrops fell through the eaves, quiet and steady. I could feel the rain easing, but along with the rain, my last bit of strength departed. I pressed my face firmly against the bottom of the cardboard box, sinking into the softened, icy mud that felt as if it were about to dissolve, fantasizing about ascending to the other side of the sky, to any place I wished to reach.

I figured it wouldn't be long before I would "click" and leave this world forever.

I no longer remembered why things had turned out this way, nor why I was lying in a cardboard box, left to the mercy of the wind and rain.

We cannot pack everything into our memories; we can only remember the things that truly matter, but for me, there was nothing particularly worth clinging to.

Raindrops fell gently upon me, but I could no longer feel the cold, perhaps because my body was now as icy as the rain itself.

I seemed to be nothing more than an empty shell, slowly, slowly rising toward the gray sky.

I simply closed my eyes, waiting for the moment of my eternal departure to arrive.

The sound of the train seemed louder than before. I opened my eyes and saw the face of a girl. She held a large plastic umbrella, watching me from directly above the box.

When had she started noticing me?

She crouched down, resting her chin on her knees, staring at me unblinkingly. Her long, gold-pink hair hung down from her forehead. In this dim dusk, on this gloomy, rainy day, she felt like a ray of sunlight piercing through.

She seemed to want to reach out and touch me, so the rain soaked her hair, but my whole body was soaked too, and it wouldn't be pleasant to touch.

I lifted my head with great effort, my eyes fixed on hers.

Her gaze wavered, and for a moment, she looked away.

"Meow."

I let out a soft cry. I knew this meant a plea; I liked her eyes, and I felt she would take me away from here.

But in the end, she didn't. She walked away with her umbrella.

The sound of the train faded along with her figure, and I lowered my head once more.

"Hey, little one."

I don't know how much time had passed when a boy crouched down in front of me. His slightly long bangs were plastered to his forehead by the rain, and the black eyes revealed beneath them were fixed intently on me.

Mother once said my eyes were beautiful, like glowing, jewel-like fireflies.

But I no longer had the strength to open them, so I couldn't show the other person my beautiful eyes or demonstrate my worth. For an abandoned cat on the verge of death, this was fatal.

Yet, he still picked me up. The Earth continued to rotate silently, and both his body temperature and mine were losing their warmth without us realizing it.

"Come home with me!"

His warm fingertips touched my body. Looking down from above, the cardboard box I had been lying in seemed so small. He wrapped me in his jacket, and I heard his heartbeat. It was very light, like a caress, yet very heavy—injected with all his intent, beating with force, one thud after another.

He used his left hand, which had been in his pocket and wasn't holding an umbrella, to stroke my cheek. In the midst of this storm, it felt as fragile as a candle lit in a snowy mountain, yet it possessed a clear, tangible warmth. The coarse, matted fur and the wet, slippery sensation didn't seem to bother him. The warmth radiating from his palm made every inch of my skin feel like parched earth welcoming the rainy season, wanting to greedily absorb it all.

He carried me away. I closed my eyes in his arms, and from that moment on, my entire world began to pulse once again.

That day, he brought me home.

On many nights that followed, I would think by the window of that gray, rainy night where the moon and stars were invisible, and of the eight-year-old boy's eyes—beautiful as the night sky and filled with tenderness—shining under the neon lights of the city.

However, I did not become his cat.

"I didn't expect you to get sick, too."

Looking at the puddle of white liquid-like substance lying motionless on the floor, Kitagawa Ryo felt a headache coming on.

"You're a stray cat I picked up, yet you have no congenital diseases, and after a month of raising you, this should be your first time getting sick, right, Hotaru?"

"Meow-woo."

Seeing Hotaru trying to reach its chubby paw toward its ear again, Kitagawa Ryo quickly swatted the cat's paw down.

"If Honami were here, she would definitely be heartbroken."

Staring into Hotaru's large, teary-looking eyes, Kitagawa Ryo patted its head once more.

"Alright, alright, I know you're uncomfortable, but you have to bear with it for now. I'll apply the medicine when it's time."

As if it understood Kitagawa Ryo's words, Hotaru flopped onto the floor with a very human-like gesture, exposing its white belly and looking utterly listless.

"I feel like you could be an internet-famous cat, the kind that gets turned into reaction memes."

Watching his cat's performance with a hint of amusement, Kitagawa Ryo turned and went to his room to retrieve the medicine bottle.

Since this morning, Hotaru had lost its usual calmness, appearing restless and bouncing around everywhere. Since he was the only one home, Kitagawa Ryo had called his father before taking Hotaru to the pet clinic for a check-up.

The final diagnosis was ear mites, a type of parasite that grows inside a cat's ears. While it wasn't a serious illness, it was quite troublesome; if not treated promptly, the cat would remain in constant discomfort and might even scratch its ears until they bled.

After getting the medicine from the vet and listening to the instructions, Kitagawa Ryo had carried Hotaru back home, waiting for the right time to apply the treatment.

"Ding-dong."

Hearing the doorbell, Kitagawa Ryo had no choice but to put down the medicine bottle and head to the door.

Peering through the peephole, he saw a figure that was somewhat unexpected.

"Ryo, it's me."

As he handed Ichinose Honami a pair of slippers, Kitagawa Ryo leaned out to peek outside, whispering into her ear:

"Your mom isn't home right now, is she?"

"Don't worry, she's not, and Maki is asleep too."

Ichinose Honami said with a hint of pride as she changed into the slippers.

For kids their age, sneaking out to hang out behind their parents' backs seemed to be an experience worth feeling proud of.

Ichinose Honami really liked the white cat that Kitagawa Ryo had picked up. After bringing her into the living room, Kitagawa Ryo quickly explained the situation regarding Hotaru's condition.