True Education: I Have a Life Simulator

[You had no memory of the past, just like the room where the walls and ceiling were painted pure white—utterly void and blank.]

[But later, someone told you that you had a younger sister. Though not related by blood, she had grown up with you and was, in essence, your real family. That was when your memories stirred.]

[Yes, you remembered the girl who always followed behind you, calling you "Onii-chan."]

[Under the teacher's arrangement, you met her again. She was still as beautiful as ever.]

[Since then, you had stroked her head countless times. Each time your fingers brushed through her silk-like hair, your soul surrendered to the gentleness of that touch.]

[She lay quietly on the feather-soft bed, delicate and fragile like the finest porcelain.]

[Even the best apple, exposed too long to the air, will rot and lose its beauty—so you had to protect her. Keep her in this isolated white world, away from everything else.]

["Onii-chan."]

[Whenever that word escaped her lips, your heart swelled as if it had tasted the sweetest honey.]

["I heard you got first place on today's test, Onii-chan."]

[She had no talent—especially when compared to you, who was nurtured as a genius in that place. The difference was like heaven and earth.]

[Clumsy due to physical weakness, hopeless at studies, tone-deaf, with the lowest physical fitness. She couldn't understand the rules of games, couldn't draw, and had no social skills at all.]

[Alone, she couldn't survive in a world of harsh competition.]

["I worked hard for you." You always said this.]

[So you doubled—no, multiplied your efforts—for her sake. To become her protector. To ensure she could live.]

["Mm."]

[A whisper at a distance where your breaths intertwined.]

[You thought such days would last forever, until—]

[Black and white chess pieces clashed on the board.]

[Your fingers trembled, barely able to hold the piece.]

[You wanted to close your eyes and run, but the ticking clock urged you forward.]

[You wanted to stand and flee, but your body was nailed to the spot.]

[The white dreamlike house dissolved, like snow melting on a blazing furnace.]

[The opponent's deep violet eyes resembled an abyss—endless, or perhaps a gaping maw howling at you.]

["Geniuses cannot be created, just as mortals cannot match gods."]

[Her offense came like a storm.]

["Like Oedipus. Or Icarus."]

[Her silver hair swayed as she shook her head.]

["Fly too close to the sun, and false wings will burn. The fall will be—very high."]

[Her pale fingers pushed the white jade piece. Her final move against Kitagawa Ryo:]

["Only I am worthy to bury a false genius."]

["Check."]

[The sweet white sheen of your memories was torn open. Kitagawa Ryo lost the seventh match.]

[Zero to seven. Not a match—but a slaughter.]

[The ceiling light flickered like a star that dies too soon.]

[The chessboard boundaries blurred and wavered.]

[Everything looked like it was separated by film. Voices were muted.]

[Something welled from your chest. A lump in your throat stopped all words.]

["The game is over."]

[Absurdity sang. And truth, once it pierced the illusion, was crueler than anything.]

[Your sister looked down at you.]

["Failure."]

[You stumbled.]

[Like a dreamer kicking suddenly in sleep, you thought you heard glass shatter.]

[The vision disappeared—like a reel of film reaching its end. The screen flickered with dust and static.]

[You opened your eyes again.]

[The receiver lay on the ground. Silent, but still connected. As if the other side knew exactly what would happen and was patiently waiting.]

[You closed your eyes, trying to recall the snowy walls, the black pieces. To see that girl's face—but nothing came. Faint memories had evaporated completely, like ashes scattered by reality.]

["I remembered something." You picked up the receiver and said.

"Ara, isn't that a good thing?" came Sakayanagi Arisu's soft voice.

"What did you remember?"

"A white room... I was there... studying... sister... defeated."

Broken fragments, perhaps even you didn't know what you were saying.

"Her name?" Sakayanagi Arisu gently guided your thoughts. Her voice was distant, dreamlike.

"I don't remember." You wondered if it was Ichinose Honami. She had said you were childhood friends. But forcing that image on the girl in your dream only made things feel wrong.

"Then let's move to the next word." Sakayanagi Arisu laughed softly, like a child finding a new toy. Her voice whispered through the line:

"Matsuo Eiichirou."]

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["You're amazing."

You heard the voice of a boy your age sitting beside you. The blood-red sunset covering the hills brought your awareness back. You looked around, wondering where you were and how you got here.

"You're probably the first one to make it out of there."

The boy plucked a blade of grass and chewed on it as he lay back, speaking casually:

"My dad says it's the first case ever."

"Hey hey, tell me what it's like in there. I'm really curious. We're friends now, aren't we?"

When you stayed silent, he playfully threw an arm around your neck and tumbled you down beside him. He propped his head up with one arm and nudged you with a grin.

"If you don't want to talk, it's fine. I'll probably never have anything to do with that place anyway."

"But since we're friends, doesn't that mean you're bringing it into my life too?"

You heard yourself say this.

"Ah... you're right."

The boy dropped his hand and lay flat again, gazing at the sky:

"I don't know how long it'll take them to find you, but until then, stay hidden here."

"Yeah. Thanks."

He turned to look at you, smiling at your sincere expression:

"Man, I thought everyone from that place would be like robots."

"You've seen one?"

"Just from afar. I heard my dad planned to bring one out..."

He waved his hand dismissively:

"Never mind. That's none of your concern."

"But I still think you should go see Ichinose Honami."]

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["Seems like it worked well." You heard Sakayanagi Arisu say from the other end. From her tone, you could imagine her squinting and smirking.]

["Then—"]

["Wait." You cut her off. You realized you couldn't keep going along with a self-proclaimed 'psychologist' like her. Even if you had recalled quite a few things, it was all guided by her. That eerie sense of being controlled made you snap.]

[You swallowed and asked with effort:]

["Didn't you once say that three years ago, during my treatment, I was stopped by my girlfriend?"]

["Mm-hmm, at the time she looked like she was ready to kill someone—such a different impression from her cute appearance."]

["What did she look like? Was her name Ichinose Honami?"]

[The moment the words left your mouth, the air seemed to freeze.]

["No need to overthink it. Yes, your girlfriend at the time was Ichinose Honami."]

[After hearing that, a strange sense of relief surged within you. Like a tortured prisoner realizing they were still alive. A moment of complex emotions—relief, but also knowing the future would be filled with pain.]

["Do you have any other information about her?" you asked hoarsely. You didn't know why, but when Matsuo Eiichirou mentioned her name earlier, an unprecedented wave of pain had overwhelmed you—as if you were clawing through rubble and dust for traces of her existence.]

["I'm not sure. I haven't seen her since." Sakayanagi Arisu's tone turned more serious. Like a real doctor, she gently asked:]

["Do you want to rest for a bit? We still have a lot of time left today."]

["No need." You replied firmly.]

["If three years ago my treatment was stopped by my girlfriend, why did you say earlier that our last call was two years and 128 days ago? Even though we've only spoken briefly, I doubt someone like you would confuse something down to the day."]

["What did we talk about two years and 128 days ago?"]

["…Even with memory loss, Kitagawa-kun, your logic is still sharp." Sakayanagi Arisu seemed to shift her posture. You could hear the soft rustle of fabric.]

["Yes, you did call me then. Just like now."]

["What did I say?"]

[She hesitated, then answered:]

["Just one thing."]

[Her voice was as calm and intelligent as always, giving her next words a strange sense of credibility:]

["That day, Kitagawa-kun said—"]

["Whenever I call you again, no matter when, tell me—"]

["Climb over the windowsill and jump."]

["Eh?" Her words stunned you. They carried a sense of undeniable authority. Instinctively, you turned toward the window.]

[There were five or six flower vases neatly arranged on the sill, all different in size and height, basking in the sunlight. The ceramic glowed warmly. The flowers cast shimmering shadows, swaying with the breeze.]

[You put down the receiver and moved the vases aside. The window wasn't locked. You pushed it open easily. A gust of wind hit your face. Below was the road—cars like matchboxes, people like ants. You were at least on the seventh floor.]

[One, two, three, four, five, six, seven—you counted the floors from the ground up. You were indeed on the seventh floor. That meant the message you left yourself two years ago…]

[Jump, and you'll find the answer.]

[It's said people often imagine themselves falling when standing at a height. But when your body leaned out, a thought pierced your mind—like a red-hot iron.]

[Tch. You pursed your lips, placed both hands on the sill, and stepped one foot out.]

[As your other foot followed, your entire body crossing the threshold… you felt the windowsill soften—like a ribbon. And you jumped.]

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["Hey, Ryo! The police have sealed this building. What you're doing is illegal!"]

[You absentmindedly crossed the police line blocking civilian access. From the crowd, Matsuo Eiichirou shouted anxiously. He couldn't pull you back directly, so he just waved and called for you to return.]

[You walked toward the stairwell. As expected, two police officers were there. They didn't expect anyone to enter. One stepped forward, frowning, barking:]

["Which school are you from? Get out! This isn't a playground!"]

[The next second, you grabbed his shoulder and slammed him to the ground. Your sudden attack and strength shocked them. You shoved the second officer aside and stormed into the building.]

[Fourth floor, fourth floor, fourth floor!]

[You dashed up the stairs. Shouts and footsteps followed, but you reached the fourth floor first.]

[And then—you saw it.]

[Matsuo Eiichirou stomped his foot, watching his friend suddenly go mad. The surrounding chatter reached his ears.]

["I tell you, the Ichinose family definitely pissed someone off…"]

["Yeah, in just one month, the mom lost her job. Then the daughter got caught shoplifting. Small amount, but still had to apologize. Next day it went viral online. Her school expelled her—even though she was student council president."]

["Exactly. Because she was president, the scandal hit harder. A student council president who steals—tsk."]

["Then they wanted to move out since they had no income, but the landlord sued them for property damage."]

["Last I heard, the girl wanted to drop out and work, but no store would hire her. My cousin works at a convenience store—the manager said someone high up ordered a blacklist on her family."]

[The neighbors all had twisted expressions—half pity, half mockery. Their gazes were like spectators at a theater. Curious, greedy, cold.]

["…Hey, what happened to the Ichinose family?" Matsuo Eiichirou asked.]

["They couldn't go on. The mother drugged both daughters with sleeping pills and lit coal in the house." someone replied bluntly. The icy tone sent shivers down his spine.]