True Education: I Have a Life Simulator

Karuizawa Kei gradually realized that every word she spoke, every detail of her actions, was being observed. Whether among the boys or the girls, she worked hard to construct a noble aura of elegance and distance. Yet perhaps she was never born with the so-called "queenly" disposition, and in daily school life, she tried her best to adopt a non-confrontational, agreeable demeanor.

"Kei, don't you think you're being too cautious around those boys? You don't even need to be. Guys are the kind who stick to you like chewing gum the moment you show them a little kindness."

One of the girls had once suggested this to Kei. It had all started a month after school began, when some boys finally gathered enough courage to overlook the rumor that Kei already had a boyfriend. That rumor had grown increasingly absurd—Kitagawa Ryo had evolved from "childhood friend" to "boyfriend," and at the current rate, he might soon become her betrothed fiancé.

The braver boys began to approach Kei more often, not necessarily because they wanted to confess to her, but simply to show off in front of the other girls. In the eyes of these just-enrolled middle schoolers, impressing Kei—the center of the girls' group—was equivalent to standing out among all the girls. Driven by that simplistic logic, they took action.

Kei found herself being approached more frequently. Whether for schoolwork or daily chitchat, she responded with growing fatigue. She honestly couldn't understand why anyone would ask her about study notes—if she were that capable, her own grades wouldn't be hovering around the middle tier.

"Ah... it really is a bit annoying."

She lay her head on the desk and muttered.

"Exactly! You should just be cold to them. None of them can compare to Kitagawa-kun anyway."

"That might be true."

Kei idly tapped her pale fingers against the desk.

"Yeah... let's go with that."

It was then that she realized the protective wall she'd built using the persona of "Kitagawa Ryo" also restricted her social options. The version of events she had spun around her relationship with Ryo essentially invalidated any opportunity for friendship or affection from other boys. After all, how could she entertain the interest of others when she'd already claimed such a deep connection with someone else?

From then on, Kei began adopting a colder tone toward the boys who tried to talk to her. Whether they were being kind or simply friendly, she returned their attempts with calculated indifference. She had even gotten better at managing her facial expressions: squinting slightly, raising an eyebrow, smacking her lips. Before long, the boys were spreading rumors that Karuizawa Kei had a nasty temper, was full of herself just because she had a boyfriend, and had her head stuck in the clouds.

With her popularity among the boys diminished, Kei had no choice but to protect her position among the girls even more carefully.

"Kei, a girl from the next class deliberately bumped into me in the cafeteria just now and didn't even apologize."

One lunch break, a girl rushed over breathlessly to Kei, her face full of righteous indignation.

"It was Wakada from the next class. She thinks she's all that because her boyfriend is a senior. I asked her to replace my spilled tray, and she acted like she didn't even hear me!"

Though there were often little disputes among the girls themselves, an external enemy quickly united them in camaraderie.

"I've heard Wakada has a terrible attitude. I don't get why her boyfriend even likes her."

"Right? And apparently, he just became vice captain of the basketball team. She walks around like she owns the school."

"If it weren't for her boyfriend, she would've been ostracized long ago."

Despite their vocal complaints, none of the girls made a move. Words were easy; action required a leader.

So they all turned to Karuizawa Kei.

Even the girl who had come to complain looked at her with watery eyes, silently begging for help.

"Why don't we all go to the cafeteria together and... ask Wakada about it?"

The pressure in their eyes eased once Kei spoke. She felt exhausted inside. But now that she had chosen to be the "tiger," she couldn't show weakness. Rabbits eat grass, not tigers.

Rallying around Kei, the girls marched off to confront Wakada. Coincidentally, they found her just leaving the cafeteria alone. She was headed toward a quiet garden for a stroll.

"Hey! You were the one who bumped into our classmate Yuko, weren't you?"

A dozen girls quickly surrounded Wakada.

"Yuko, it was her, right?"

Uehara Emika tugged at Wakada's hair and asked.

"Yeah... she didn't apologize."

"Wakada, do you think you can do whatever you want just because you have a boyfriend?"

Wakada snapped out of her confusion. Tall and athletic with short hair, a key member of the track team, she swatted Emika's hand away and calmly fixed her clothes.

"She bumped into me. Why should I apologize? I didn't do anything wrong. Now move. Class is about to start."

Her confident tone only added fuel to the fire. Yuko looked like she was about to cry. One girl stepped up and shoved Wakada hard.

"Cut the act and apologize!"

Kei recognized her as another member of the track team, likely someone who already disliked Wakada.

"Yeah, apologize to Yuko!"

"Where's your boyfriend now? Shouldn't you be calling him while you still can?"

"Dating an upperclassman a month after starting school? Tch."

Their hostility surged. The circle closed in. Wakada was surrounded by insults and threats, many of which had nothing to do with the cafeteria incident.

"Fine. I'll apologize. Happy?"

Wakada muttered dismissively and tried to leave.

"That counts as an apology?"

"Lose the attitude!"

"I should teach you a lesson."

Kei stood frozen, the chaos surrounding her like a blizzard of noise. When Wakada finally said the words "I'm sorry," Kei bizarrely thought of herself.

She wanted to scream at Wakada: Apologies don't work. They just make you look weak.

"Um... maybe we shouldn't—"

Kei tried to speak, but was interrupted.

"Kei, should we teach her a lesson?"

Uehara Emika looked at her with a glint in her eye.

Everyone turned to Kei.

"Kei?"

Sweat dotted her forehead.

"So you're Karuizawa Kei, huh? Heard you're some kind of legend."

Wakada sneered.

"So you're the one backing these girls. Hah. I expected better."

"You have no right to judge Kei!"

Before Wakada could say more, Emika grabbed her by the hair and slapped her across the face.

No one had expected it. The sound of the slap echoed.

"Heard that? Don't mess with our class. Especially not Kei."

She looked at Yuko.

"Want to try?"

"N-no thanks. Hitting seems a bit too much."

"It's fine. She owes you an apology. Besides, there's no one else around."

Emika kneed Wakada in the side and offered her collar to Yuko.

"If the person involved doesn't act, it makes us look bad as friends."

Yuko didn't refuse this time. She weakly slapped Wakada while closing her eyes.

"Harder."

Emika slapped again for demonstration.

Yuko followed.

Soon, two more girls stepped up, including another track team member.

It wasn't until the bell rang ten minutes later that the violence stopped.

"How was that, Kei?"

Emika patted her shoulder with satisfaction.

Kei remembered something terrifying.

If Emika had gone to the same elementary school as her, she might know what happened to her back in fifth grade...

"Don't worry. No marks left on her face. Even if she tells a teacher, it's useless."

"What if her boyfriend comes after us?"

Emika turned and grinned at Kei like a hunter spotting prey.

"Well... we have Kei, don't we?"