[Second Chapter Objective: Discover Karuizawa Kei's psychological weaknesses and correct them until she can independently survive in Advanced Nurturing High School]
Kitagawa Ryo always remembered his ultimate goal.
Similar to the situation with Ichinose Honami, both girls had certain degrees of personality distortion, deeply tied to their life environments from childhood. Both had a critical turning point in their lives—for the former, it was the act of stealing a hair clip for her sister, which led to her guilt-ridden mindset in high school; for the latter, it was a stabbing incident during junior high.
The Karuizawa Kei from the second simulation left a deep impression on him. She was the Kei born after enduring three years of bullying. She appeared mature and clever, but it was all built upon her dependence on others.
Karuizawa Kei had tremendous endurance—in other words, she was extremely resilient.
The horror of school bullying lies in the relentless piling on. As soon as the first person initiates it, the victim is branded with humiliation, much like how bees use scent to signal their hivemates. Others follow, inflicting secondary harm, thinking, "She's already being bullied, what's one more person?"
And because they're not the ones who started it, they can detach themselves emotionally. Group behavior brings comfort—"everyone else is doing it"—and people justify their actions with, "I didn't start it, I'm just following the crowd."
Thus, school bullying tends to escalate endlessly. More and more people get involved, and the abuse intensifies.
For Karuizawa Kei to endure it for a whole year already proved she wasn't fragile.
But that one stabbing broke through all her defenses and illusions.
School bullying is often disguised as "harmless pranks" or "just friends messing around." Both psychological and physical abuse are inflicted simultaneously. If an outsider happens to witness it, the bullies can casually sling an arm over the victim and claim they're just playing around.
To survive, the bullied often accept this twisted narrative—pretending they're actually friends, pretending it's all fun and games. It sounds absurd, but without such rationalization, there's no hope at all.
They wait passively for the bullying to end—either by graduation and separation or a sudden change of heart from the bullies. Since everything they do invites abuse, they might as well self-harm a little first to win some sympathy.
Kitagawa Ryo had seen many such cases.
Karuizawa Kei initially thought the same way.
Acceptance. Apology.
Believing things would change, that things would get better.
Then that nearly fatal stab shattered it all.
It made her realize that bullying wasn't just harmless fun—it could be deadly.
Even though that knife didn't take her life, and even though she never again encountered someone who stabbed her over the next two years, as long as the scar remained, she couldn't truly move on.
Like the Sword of Damocles, the wound constantly reminded her:
Don't resist. Endure quietly.
Or you might die.
All of this, Kitagawa had learned during the second simulation, directly from her.
So when he entered Karuizawa Kei's personal chapter, the first thing he thought of was avoiding that stab.
That's why, in the fourth simulation, he did everything he could to protect Karuizawa Kei, helping her escape the shadow of bullying.
Yet in the end, the story still didn't have a happy ending.
Due to the talent "Wholehearted Devotion," Kitagawa, who endlessly pampered her, became her perfect host.
From that moment, Kei's "independence" became an unreachable fantasy.
Looking back, the fourth simulation was a dead-end from the moment he drew that golden talent.
So Kitagawa chose not to keep "Wholehearted Devotion," even though it looked powerful.
It might work for Ichinose Honami, but not for Karuizawa Kei.
In this round, Kitagawa observed Kei's growth with indifference at first. He didn't intend to interfere at all.
But in the end, he still got involved in her life.
The reason was simple.
On one hand, Ryo told himself it was just a virtual world. The characters' experiences were scripted, puppets dancing on a stage. There was no need to get emotionally invested—just find the key to clear the scenario.
On the other hand, precisely because it was a fictional world, Ryo realized he had the power to change things.
Forced by survival, Ryo had crossed into adulthood far too early. He never truly experienced youth. His time was hastily wrapped up, pushing him into premature maturity.
Every life has key moments.
Time pushes everyone through them, willingly or not. Those who overcome them through effort fare better, while those who stumble through must still go on. Perhaps they can patch the damage later...
But the scars will always remain as proof of failure.
So this time, he took the knife from the girl's hand—and turned it on the attacker.
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"And then came the part you all know."
Ryuuen Kakeru put down his cup. It seemed he wasn't fond of coffee's bitter taste, and he smacked his lips as he continued:
"Kitagawa was detained for injuring others. The situation got so big that the school couldn't cover it up."
"Back then, one person was seriously injured, and more than a dozen others had minor injuries. But Kitagawa himself was also severely wounded. During the entire investigation and trial, he was in the hospital."
"But visits weren't allowed. I hung around outside for a long time and never found a chance to get in."
Ryuuen glanced at the white-haired girl sitting beside him, sipping her tea with elegance:
"What happened after that... Sakayanagi, you probably know more, don't you?"
"Yes."
"My family has some influence in the education sector, so I heard about the case from my father."
Sakayanagi Arisu set her teacup down, folding her hands neatly on her lap.
"I found it interesting, so I got involved."
"I really hate the way you phrase things."
Ryuuen scowled at her, his gaze fierce. But Sakayanagi Arisu didn't seem fazed in the slightest. She merely covered her mouth with a laugh.
"That's the difference between us. You could only protest to the school at the time. Because of your history of fighting, public opinion toward Ryo got even worse."
"Meanwhile, Ryo's lawyer, the negotiations with the victims' families, and Karuizawa Kei's post-incident care were all handled through my request to my father."
"Tch."
Ryuuen had no comeback. He gloomily downed the rest of his coffee, the bitterness lingering on his tongue.
"You didn't ask to meet me today just to talk about what we already know, did you?"
Sakayanagi Arisu looked at Ryuuen with a probing gaze.
If not for Ryuuen's connection to Kitagawa Ryo, she wouldn't have bothered to meet him at all.
"If Karuizawa Kei transfers to Class C..."
Ryuuen got straight to the point. As he spoke, his eyes remained fixed on Sakayanagi's face, observing every nuance of her reaction.
"Would you be okay with that?"
"Hm?"
Sakayanagi raised her brows, smiling as if she didn't understand.
"Using points to transfer classes is every student's right. If Karuizawa Kei chooses that, can we really stop her?"
"There are two options."
Ryuuen, suppressing his rising anger, narrowed his eyes like a venomous snake.
"One, you use your own points to force Karuizawa Kei to transfer back."
"The school only says it takes twenty million private points to transfer out, but it doesn't prohibit using points to force someone into a transfer."
"There's a loophole we can exploit."
Sakayanagi listened calmly to his proposal.
"But that would cost me a lot, and I gain nothing."
She suddenly clapped her hands with a bright smile.
"How about I use my points to transfer to your class instead?"
"...Do you think I'd believe that?"
"Well, you never know."
Ryuuen took a deep breath and shook his head.
"I know the first option isn't realistic. If you really wanted to stop Karuizawa Kei from transferring, you would've just eliminated her during the Werewolf game."
"So there's a second option."
"Class A supports us when the time comes."
The snake revealed its fangs:
"Help us get Karuizawa Kei expelled."
"Your hostility toward her is intense, huh."
Sakayanagi tapped her finger on the table, pondering. Unlike Ryuuen, she saw Kei as someone valuable.
She was a key to unlocking Kitagawa Ryo.
Still, Sakayanagi could agree for now. If Kei did transfer to Class C, and if she later decided to expel her, then that would inevitably lead to a clash with Kitagawa Ryo.
Which she looked forward to.
She had hoped the Werewolf game would give them an early clash, but they ended up on the same team, which had been a bit dull.
"I accept."
Sakayanagi nodded.
As Ryuuen got up to leave, she asked with amused curiosity:
"I heard Karuizawa Kei is dating Ryo now?"
Ryuuen scoffed, turning to leave the café with a sneer:
"Dating?"
"Sure, he's dating someone… but it's not Karuizawa Kei."
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After answering the question about how 'Hotaru' got its name, silence once again fell between Kitagawa Ryo and Karuizawa Kei.
Kiryuin Fuka, unaware of the nature of their relationship, naturally didn't bother to speak and instead focused intently on her dessert.
"I heard there's a very accurate fortune teller who recently came to our school. A lot of people are talking about it," Karuizawa suddenly brought up the topic, seemingly quite interested in fortune-telling.
Of course, it might also be because this school lacks entertainment options. While the basic facilities are well-equipped, things like amusement parks, zoos, and concerts don't exist here. Initially, the enclosed management style felt novel, but after one semester, everyone had explored the campus layout and exhausted the places to hang out. So it was only natural that students would gravitate toward fresh entertainment options like this.
"Fortune telling, huh?" Images of a cloaked witch muttering over a crystal ball appeared in Kitagawa's mind. He nodded. "Sounds interesting."
Most likely, it was someone using psychological tricks and vague statements to fool high schoolers.
Girls, compared to boys, tend to be more enthusiastic about such things. There were even some girls who chose romantic partners based on horoscope compatibility.
"Then, Ryo, let's go together," Karuizawa invited him, seeing he didn't have a negative attitude toward the idea.
"When?"
"Hmm... The fortune-telling shop opens at ten in the morning, but since it gets really crowded, we'd have to wait in a long line if we go at ten. How about going a little earlier?"
"Nine-thirty? Is it a one-on-one reading?" Kitagawa suddenly asked a slightly strange question.
Kiryuin, who had just finished her shaved ice and had been watching their conversation with mild interest, finally chimed in:
"I went this morning. I think it only allows groups of two, so there were a ton of couples."
"Is that so?" Kitagawa nodded thoughtfully, then turned toward Karuizawa under her gaze.
His face, undoubtedly flawless, had never been displaced from the top spot of the school's hottest guys list, even though the rankings changed three times in a single semester.
"That might be a problem. Sorry, Kei. I don't think I can go with you for fortune-telling."
"Mm... If it's inconvenient, it's totally okay," Karuizawa quickly waved her hands to show she didn't mind, fearing any hesitation would expose her true intentions.
"Kushida also asked me to go to karaoke tomorrow. Since I got over twenty million points, I need to treat some classmates to something fun, right? Haha."
"Today I'm planning to buy some new dresses and swimsuits for Matsushita and Sakura. The school pool is open to students lately."
Karuizawa rattled off a long list of plans, trying to make her life seem full and independent.
"When we get time, let's go together. Just ask me out, Ryo. I'm free all summer."
Completely unaware of the contradiction in her statements, Karuizawa said this cheerfully.
"This kind of one-on-two fortune telling—feels like it wouldn't work going with Kei."
Independence means surviving alone without relying on others—economic, lifestyle, and mental independence.
Karuizawa had already achieved the first two perfectly. Now all that was left was the final step.
A few days ago during a conversation with Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, he had mentioned an interesting perspective:
People with inner shadows are drawn to one another. The stronger party ends up encircling the weaker, forming a symbiotic bond.
But that wasn't the outcome Kitagawa Ryo sought.
He wanted Karuizawa Kei to separate from his shadow.
So, Kitagawa responded naturally, as if he were stating something mundane:
"My girlfriend wouldn't be happy about it."
"I forgot to tell you—well, it hasn't been made public yet, but still."
"I'm dating Shiina Hiyori."
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