Hair Stuck

As the simulation advanced to February of next year, Ichinose Honami's expression stiffened at the sudden turn of events.

Without warning, rumors began to spread throughout the school, malicious slanders flooding every corner claiming that "Ichinose Honami is a criminal, a thief."

It wasn't just Ichinose Honami in the simulation suffering under the weight of these rumors; even the Ichinose Honami watching from the mental space wore a look of shock and terror.

Th-this is?

Soon, the Ichinose Honami in the simulation began to wither away, skipping classes and locking herself in her bedroom, refusing to see anyone.

Even the Ichinose Honami watching the simulation subconsciously hugged her own body, trembling all over. The shameful and desperate memories of stealing a hair clip back in middle school surged back into her heart like a tidal wave.

However, after a few days had passed, the door to Ichinose Honami's dormitory suddenly emitted a loud bang, forced open by a brutal display of violence! The person who appeared there was none other than... Wu Qiao!

Wu Qiao strode into the room, completely ignoring Ichinose Honami's panicked reaction. He walked straight to the bed and grabbed her, pulling her up from under the covers.

Seeing the option [Enter Live Operation] suddenly appear before her, Ichinose Honami subconsciously chose [Yes].

The moment she entered the live simulation, Ichinose Honami felt her wrist being gripped tightly by Wu Qiao. He spoke in a earnest and unquestionable tone: "Kamuro Masumi of Class A stole beer from the supermarket the moment she enrolled; she's a repeat offender. There's no need to even mention the constant fighting in Class C. As for Class D, there's Hirata Yosuke; although he's recognized as a good person, he was once someone who used violence to beat the entire school into submission to stop bullying. Compared to them, what you did for your sister's hair clip is nothing."

Ichinose Honami looked at the aggressive boy in front of her and murmured, "But I..."

"There are no 'buts'!" Wu Qiao interrupted her coldly. "You entered Class B because you missed school in your third year of middle school; the school doesn't care about this at all. Go and confess to everyone! If they aren't willing to accept you, I'll drop out with you!"

Ichinose Honami stared blankly at the boy before her. His eyes, which usually carried a gentle smile, were now filled with an unquestionable firmness.

That sentence, "I'll drop out with you," was like a thunderbolt, fiercely splitting the gloom in her heart.

"But... what will everyone think of me? I'll become a stain on Class B, and everyone might lose their chance to reach Class A because of my past..." Ichinose's voice was hesitant, her body still trembling slightly.

"A stain?" Wu Qiao sneered. He reached out and ruffled her hair forcefully; though the action was rough, it carried a strange, soothing power. "Rising to a higher class has never been smooth sailing. Everyone is gathered together because they want to improve together, not because everyone is flawless. If you can't even withstand this shadow from the past, then Class B doesn't deserve to reach Class A!"

He paused, his tone softening slightly but remaining firm: "Ichinose, you are always thinking about protecting everyone, but you forget that you are also a part of 'everyone.' Do you think hiding it will solve the problem? It will only make you sink deeper. Go and confess. Tell them the whole story about stealing the hair clip for your sister. I believe in those guys in Class B; they are much stronger than you think."

Ichinose Honami looked at Wu Qiao. This boy, who was always mysterious and acted in unexpected ways, had given her unprecedented courage.

That's right, she thought. She had been running away—running away from the version of herself that had made a mistake, running away from those days when she was driven to a dead end by her sister's birthday wish.

"I... I understand." Ichinose Honami took a deep breath, wiped away her tears, and her gaze gradually became firm. "I will confess. Thank you, Wu Qiao."

Wu Qiao watched her regain her spirit, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth: "That's it. Go on, everyone in Class B is waiting for you."

As Ichinose Honami made her decision, the simulator's screen began to cycle rapidly. She saw herself confessing her past at a class meeting, and she saw her classmates move from shock to understanding, and finally, offering her their support and encouragement.

Class B did not fall apart because of this; instead, they became even more united because of the incident.

Watching this scene, a warm current surged through Ichinose Honami's heart. It turned out that true strength was not hiding one's weaknesses, but daring to face one's past and believing that those around you would accept the real you.

The plot continued to advance. When she learned that one of the masterminds behind the rumor incident was actually Nagumo Miyabi, acting through Sakayanagi Arisu, Ichinose Honami's face turned completely dark.

Recalling the previous two simulations, the first time was likely because Wu Qiao had drawn all the fire, and the second time was likely because she had successfully brought Nagumo Miyabi down.

But this time, she had thought Nagumo Miyabi's issues were merely about philosophy and stance, never expecting this senior to be so despicable as to use such tactics targeting personal privacy.

At this rate, not only in reality but even in future simulations, the first person who needed to be completely dealt with was this Nagumo Miyabi.

However, thinking about how it required a full 120 talent points to redeem the "Top-tier Detective" talent that could see through every conspiracy, Ichinose Honami felt she couldn't gather them anytime soon. She could only sigh helplessly and continue the simulation obediently.

The simulation continued, and this time, the subsequent events were exceptionally difficult. Fortunately, everyone worked together. Although Class B was teetering on the edge and far less stable than the last time, to be honest, everyone was having a hard time.

Nagumo Miyabi and Acting Director Tsukishiro seemed to want to expel Ayanokoji Kiyoha, but because Wu Qiao kept blocking them, they wanted to force Wu Qiao to drop out first.

However, because of the school rules, they tried all sorts of ways to target them. Groups of people from all three grades were targeting Class D, which was completely shameless.

The student council, which should have been a neutral arbitration body, had completely degenerated into a tool for suppressing dissent under Nagumo Miyabi's manipulation.

Various unscrupulous special exams followed one after another. Not only was Class D tormented to the point of misery, but Class B was also implicated due to the breakdown of the relationship between Ichinose and Nagumo Miyabi.

Watching the simulation screen, seeing Wu Qiao forced to frequently use those "extreme measures" he originally didn't want to use just to protect Ayanokoji Kiyoha, Ichinose Honami's heart tightened into a knot.

She realized that as long as Nagumo Miyabi sat in the student council president's chair, and as long as Tsukishiro continued to stir up trouble from behind the scenes, this endless targeting would never stop. Wu Qiao would be forced to reveal his trump cards time and time again until he was completely devoured by this school.

"No, it can't go on like this." Ichinose Honami muttered to herself in the gaps of the simulation. She had to find a way to break the deadlock. She had to use her own methods to tear apart the web of lies woven by Nagumo Miyabi and Tsukishiro.

And the first step, perhaps, was to unite all the forces oppressed by Nagumo Miyabi, including those in Class D whom she had once regarded as "problem children," to jointly challenge this distorted center of power.