Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School. Though still about ninety years away from being called a century-old prestigious institution, it has made quite a name for itself in recent years with its proclaimed 99.9% graduation and employment rate. With such performance, its reputation has risen not only within Tokyo but also nationwide.
Its mysterious allure is further heightened by its completely closed-off management system. Admitting only 160 students each year and investing enormous resources into each one, every move the school makes draws attention from the entire education sector.
While this wasn't anything new to Kitagawa Ryo, he still did his best to feign some curiosity as he listened to Sakayanagi Arisu animatedly introduce the school in front of him. Something like "Wow, that sounds amazing," complete with enthusiastic nodding.
By the way, Kitagawa Ryo had absolutely no intention of calling Sakayanagi Arisu "onee-chan" like she wanted. After all, the memories from the simulations were synchronized, and the last thing he wanted was to dig up old black history.
However, Sakayanagi Arisu simply assumed it was because Kitagawa Ryo had just escaped the White Room and was unable to accept kindness or express himself well. Instead of being discouraged, this only ignited her odd sense of competitiveness. She was determined to make Ryo obediently acknowledge her one way or another.
After enthusiastically introducing the highlights of the Advanced Nurturing High School, Sakayanagi finally revealed her true intention:
"So, Ryo, will you go to this year's school festival with me?"
She pulled out the last two tickets from a stack of seasonal passes and waved them before him.
The school festival, held around November, is the only event each year where the school opens to outsiders. Family members of school staff are allocated a limited number of guest passes, which could be considered a hidden perk.
As the new chairman of the Advanced Nurturing High School, Sakayanagi Narimori naturally had access to such passes. Arisu easily obtained two from her father.
The invitation sounded familiar to Ryo. Soon he recalled that both in Horikita Suzune's simulation and in reality, he'd received similar invitations from Arisu. But back then, his actions had all been driven by a desire to help Suzune work through her emotional blocks.
Sakayanagi Arisu had no idea what was going through Ryo's mind. She assumed his hesitation stemmed from discomfort around crowds. She scooted closer, leaning forward slightly with a serious expression and promised:
"I'll stay by your side the whole time. And there won't be any... um, bad people there."
"And if there are, I'll protect you."
Though her small arms and legs didn't exactly inspire confidence, Ryo looked down at his own frail and scrawny limbs—a result of long suffering—and managed a faint nod.
Out of concern that she might trigger painful memories, Sakayanagi wisely avoided any mention of the White Room. After confirming that Ryo would go to the school festival with her, she happily asked:
"Is there any game you want to play?"
"Game?"
"Yes, anything's fine. Whether it's a computer game or a traditional board game. We can even play cards if you like."
The doctors had told her that during this stage of psychological detoxification, it was best for the patient to immerse themselves in other activities and avoid solitude—as being alone could easily lead to dangerous overthinking and recollection of traumatic events.
Sakayanagi Arisu's obsession with chess in the real world stemmed largely from a scene she had seen in the White Room, where Ayanokouji Kiyotaka dominated in chess. Eager to surpass the White Room, she had taken chess seriously ever since.
However, the Arisu in this simulation had none of that madness. To her, chess was merely a skill. And since she was caring for Ryo, something so competitive might not be suitable.
Kitagawa Ryo easily saw through her intentions. Though he carried the golden achievement title of [GrandMaster] in chess, he decided to go along with her thinking and casually grabbed the deck of playing cards nearby.
"Let's play this."
"Sure!"
After agreeing on the rules, the two of them played a few rounds of cards.
Whether or not Arisu was deliberately holding back, Ryo easily won every match. Strangely enough, it was Arisu, despite losing, who seemed even more delighted.
"You're really good at this, Ryo. You're such a smart boy!"
Clap clap.
Kitagawa Ryo dropped the cards and fell into thought. He suddenly found Arisu's behavior oddly familiar.
Upon reflection, he realized she was playing the same role he had once performed in the White Room...
Play.
"What is it? Are you feeling unwell?"
Seeing the thoughtful look on Ryo's face, Arisu reached out and gently touched his forehead.
Physical contact.
"No, I'm fine. Just zoned out for a bit."
Ryo shook his head.
"That's good. After lunch, how about a nap? Then we can go to the amusement park this afternoon."
Arisu tilted her head and suggested, thinking Ryo might have recalled some unpleasant memories.
Movement.
[Love exists in three variables: touch, movement, and play. If you can provide these three, you can meet all the emotional needs of a primate.]
At that moment, Ryo finally understood what the children in the White Room must have felt. Even a cloth mother could make baby monkeys form lifelong attachments. How much more powerful, then, is a presence that's truly warm?
Everyone longs to be loved.
Back in the White Room, Kitagawa Ryo had once seriously considered aborting this simulation. But now, he was glad he hadn't ended it prematurely.
She was making plans for the afternoon using an amusement park guidebook. Having run off just now to retrieve their lunch, Arisu's cheeks were slightly flushed, and a thin layer of sweat glistened on her forehead. Her silvery hair swayed gently.
Neither in the past seven simulations nor in reality had Ryo ever seen this version of Sakayanagi Arisu.
Yet at this very moment, he suddenly believed that the healthy seven-year-old Arisu should be exactly like this—just like Alice from the fairy tales.
Not the Alice shrouded in fragility and illusion, as if from a fantastical land, but the one who, guided by childlike wonder and curiosity, chased after the rabbit into Wonderland.
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Class 3-B, Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School.
In preparation for the upcoming cultural festival, every student in the class was enthusiastically engaged in discussion. Although Class B had seen a total of six students drop out over the past two years, they had grown significantly since entering their third year. Thanks to a string of excellent performances in several special exams, their class points had steadily risen once again.
Now, with the second semester nearing its end, Class 3-B was close enough to see the shadow of Class A ahead of them. The gap between their class points had shrunk to a chaseable figure. More importantly, a series of victories had instilled the entire class with confidence and momentum.
At the center of this drive was Ryosuke Tomoda, the leader of Class 3-B. Not only was he highly capable in academics and sports, but he also excelled socially, serving as a natural mood maker. Thanks to his motivation and charisma, Class 3-B had made its impressive comeback.
"So, does anyone have a good idea?"
Standing at the podium, Tomoda wore his usual carefree smile. His laid-back attitude actually reassured his classmates. Soon, one of the boys raised his hand and proposed:
"How about a maid café?"
"You just want to see the girls in maid outfits, don't you?"
The playful jab drew a round of laughter from the class. Nonetheless, Tomoda turned and seriously wrote the suggestion on the blackboard:
[Maid Café]
Dusting off the chalk on his hands, he casually whistled and rubbed his chin.
"Well, our class does have quite the talent pool."
"Chabashira-san and Hoshinomiya-san would definitely be a hit. We might even boost our revenue."
Chabashira Sae merely glanced at him without a word, while Hoshinomiya Chie beamed and cheerfully responded that she was fine with wearing a maid outfit if it was for the sake of the class.
With the class riding a wave of success, every point mattered as the third year drew to a close. Even though the cultural festival didn't have a huge impact on class points, the students were determined to give it their all.
While other suggestions were brought up, the maid café idea remained the favorite. After a vote, it was officially decided. Tomoda immediately began organizing preparations, including venue setup, costumes, and food.
After the class meeting concluded, Tomoda had barely stepped out of the room when Hoshinomiya Chie caught up to him and tapped him on the shoulder.
"What is it now?"
Tomoda casually rubbed his shoulder. Chie was always like this, so he didn't think much of it.
"Hey, hey, Tomoda, do you know why Sae-chan agreed to the maid café idea today?"
"Because it had the highest chance of scoring well?"
"Well, that too."
Chie lightly bonked his head with a book in mock frustration and leaned in to whisper:
"It's because you liked the idea."
"What does that have to do with me?"
Seeing Tomoda's genuinely confused expression, Chie could only sigh and shake her head.
"Because Sae-chan has a thing for you."
"Chabashira-san?"
Chie nodded firmly and quickly lowered her voice:
"Just... pay more attention to a girl's feelings, will you?"
"A girl shouldn't have to confess first, you know."
With that, she darted away, leaving Tomoda standing there deep in thought.
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Though Kitagawa Ryo had already attended two cultural festivals, he was genuinely looking forward to this one. Aside from Arisu accompanying him, he had just realized that Chabashira Sae and Hoshinomiya Chie were likely among this year's third-year students.
While he knew from past simulations that Chie harbored a near-obsessive hatred for Sae and had even used that grudge to target Class A, he never quite understood the origin of their conflict.
If this simulation could help him uncover the truth, it would benefit his real-world self immensely.
"We're here."
Sakayanagi Narimori, acting as their temporary driver, stopped the car and got out first to open the door for the two children in the back seat.
It was early November, and the air carried a crisp chill. In front of the school, a long line of cars had already formed. Children pulled eagerly at their parents' sleeves, lining up under the staff's guidance to enter the grounds. The entire atmosphere buzzed with excitement.
Before Ryo could react, Arisu grabbed his hand and led him to the back of the line. She seemed eager to share some new information she had just heard from her father.
"The school festival at the Advanced Nurturing High School is a joint event with all twelve classes across the three grades. I heard each class has prepared something special."
Ryo quietly nodded and stood on tiptoe to peek inside. Compared to the school he would attend ten years later, nothing much had changed. Even the uniforms looked exactly the same.
"Ryo, do you want to attend school here someday?"
Noticing his interest, Arisu asked naturally.
"Yeah, it seems nice. If possible, I'd like that."
"You'll definitely get in. And I'll be here too, so remember to call me senpai when the time comes."
Since Ryo had refused to call her onee-chan, Arisu seemed determined to win him over one way or another.
"But even if you don't, it's fine. You'll have the Sakayanagi surname eventually anyway."
Ryo said nothing, but Arisu wasn't discouraged. She pulled out the two prepared tickets from her pocket and handed them to the approaching staff.
After verifying their authenticity, the staff took out two smartphones to register their information.
"Could the two of you please state your names?"
"Sakayanagi Arisu."
Before Ryo could respond, Arisu quickly added:
"This is Ryo, my little brother."
"Ah, so you're both Chairman Sakayanagi's children. Enjoy the festival."
Given their family name and identity as children of a school executive, the staff immediately understood who they were and responded with extra courtesy.
"Each of these devices has 5,000 points. One point is equivalent to one yen. You can use these to pay for everything during the festival."
Ryo accepted his device and saw the screen already displayed his information, showing the guest's name and remaining points:
[Sakayanagi Ryo, 5000]
He couldn't help but feel an odd sense of being... adopted into the family.
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