True Education: I Have a Life Simulator

The shift from being the bullied to becoming the bully often takes just a single night.

Karuizawa Kei tossed and turned on her bed, unable to sleep. The moonlight tonight was beautiful. She opened her window and let it flood her room like water, gradually submerging herself in its silver glow.

It was already 1:30 a.m., but Kei's thoughts were sprouting like spores in the moonlight, running wild. Random, disordered fragments filled her mind. Eventually, she switched on her room light.

But soon after, she became concerned that her parents, if they got up in the night, might notice. So she turned off the harsh white ceiling light and turned on the warm orange glow of her desk lamp instead. Wrapping herself in her blanket, she twisted and turned beneath the moonlight like a fish swimming in a rippling lake.

Another thirty minutes passed. Kei, exhausted, forced her eyes shut. But as soon as darkness took over her vision, images from earlier that day invaded like a nightmare. The more she tried to forget, the clearer they became. Gasping for air, she surrendered and opened her tired eyes again.

Her gaze landed on the photo frame on her desk. Inside was a picture of her and Kitagawa Ryo taken during their graduation ceremony. In the unlit room, their black-and-white uniforms took on a ghostly appearance, but Kei didn't mind. She picked up the frame, ran her fingers gently over their figures in the photo.

Her fingertips glided over the printed fabric as if she could feel the texture beyond the photo's surface. Feeling a bit calmer, she placed the frame closer, on her nightstand, and finally managed to close her eyes.

From that day on, Kei began to dread each new morning. The arrival of school hours filled her with anxiety. Time itself felt like it had been enchanted to move slower after that day—each moment hollow, unfamiliar.

Even though she still sat surrounded by girls during break time, no amount of gossip, trend-talk, or love stories could fill the void inside her. She knew the incident still haunted her.

"Wakada-san hasn't caused you any more trouble since then, right?"

Five days after the bullying incident, Kei finally found the right moment to ask.

"Oh, Wakada? I heard she broke up with her boyfriend."

A girl who seemed to know the details answered nonchalantly.

"One of my upperclassman friends in the basketball club said Wakada and her boyfriend fought for days after that, and now they don't even talk. Yesterday, when someone asked him, he just said they were done."

"Wait, weren't they the couple everyone said had the strongest relationship?"

"Probably Wakada went to him hoping he'd stick up for her. But as soon as he heard Kei's name, I bet he chickened out."

Another girl added with a grin. Their natural tone made Kei feel a little disoriented. What she had agonized over for days was being treated like small talk—no different from discussing lunch.

"Don't worry so much, Kei. I heard that after the breakup, the girls in her class started bullying her too."

Uehara Emika leaned in and whispered into Kei's ear.

"Even worse than us, apparently."

She winked playfully.

"What? Kei, are you actually feeling sorry for Wakada?"

Kei quickly shook her head.

"Just asking, that's all. Yeah, just curious."

Ever since realizing Uehara Emika might have known about her past, Kei had begun to fear her a little. Unlike others who only heard vague rumors, Uehara might have seen it all firsthand—the humiliations she suffered before fifth grade.

Just the thought made Kei clench her jaw.

"Well, she did bully Yuko first."

"Exactly," Uehara nodded beside her, matching Kei's tone.

"So there's nothing to worry about, Kei. You were protecting your classmate. You did the right thing."

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London, West Yorkshire – The British Library.

One of the most prestigious libraries in the UK, with a history spanning nearly 300 years and over 150 million books in its collection. Visitors stepping into this architectural marvel for the first time often find themselves overwhelmed by the grandeur of its exterior and the refinement of its interior. Despite being a library, it feels more like a cultural heritage site. Simply sitting down and casually flipping through a book evokes a profound sense of history.

[Even if I read one book a day, it'd take me ten lifetimes to finish everything here.]

That was the thought that instinctively crossed Shiina Hiyori's mind when she first set foot here. Her father had relocated to the UK for work the year prior, and after settling in, Hiyori and her mother followed from Japan. For a girl who loved books, it was only natural that she fell in love with this place on her very first day in the city.

After persuading her father to get her a reader's card for the St. Pancras Reading Room, Hiyori spent nearly every holiday buried in books at the library. While the British Library sees more than 4,000 visitors a day, her habit of staying from opening to close soon made her a familiar face to the staff.

Of course, her distinctive appearance and temperament likely helped.

"Name: Shiina Hiyori, reader card verified."

The staff member doing the routine checks greeted her with a smile upon seeing the familiar name:

"Shakespeare's manuscripts will be on display in Exhibition Room 3 today."

"Ah, thank you for the heads-up."

The silver-haired, violet-eyed girl looked around thirteen or fourteen, with a soft and graceful aura. She bowed politely.

"Name: Kitagawa Ryo, reader card verified."

The boy behind her retrieved his returned card and, having overheard the exchange, stepped forward and asked:

"Is there anything worthwhile in Room 3 today? Hopefully it's not another batch of poor-quality manuscripts like last time."

The staff member, familiar with him as well, chuckled:

"Go see for yourself. But if a Sherlock Holmes fan hears you dissing those Conan Doyle drafts, you're liable to get punched."

"Tch."

Ryo clicked his tongue in irritation.

"You mean the ones where 90% of the exhibit was just foreign translation manuscripts, all flash and no substance? That display cost me two hours I'll never get back. I'd rather have spent that time finishing a Lawrence Block novel."

"Ahem. Just go take a look yourself."

Waving him on, the staff signaled for the line to keep moving.

Sighing in defeat, Kitagawa Ryo turned toward the third exhibit room. Even if he had been duped last time, the name 'Shakespeare' was still tempting enough to draw him in.

"Um, excuse me?"

Just as he was about to leave with the crowd, a girl's voice stopped him.

"Uh, hello."

Not quite sure what was happening, he politely responded.

"Is something the matter?"

"Well... if I recall correctly, your name is Kitagawa Ryo, right? It's pretty rare to see you here at the British Library."

Ryo quickly caught on—she probably meant that it was rare to run into someone from the same country in the vast expanse of Europe.

"Oh, I remember you come here fairly often too. Your name is..."

Though he had vague memories of seeing her reading, her name escaped him.

"I'm Shiina Hiyori."

She offered her name with a gentle smile, saving him the trouble.

"Are you here for the Shakespeare exhibit too?"

"Just curious about the manuscripts. Hopefully it won't be a waste like last time."

"From what I heard earlier, Kitagawa-kun likes detective fiction?"

"Even people who aren't into the genre have heard of Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes. It's a globally famous IP."

"But you also mentioned Lawrence Block—most casual fans wouldn't know him."

"Yeah, I like his hardboiled style. Like 'Eight Million Ways to Die.'"

"Really?"

Shiina Hiyori quickened her pace to walk beside him.

"I think Dorothy L. Sayers' work is excellent too. Not as famous as Christie, but her 'Lord Peter Wimsey' series is brilliant. And the British Library has her complete works."

"True."

It was the first time Ryo had met a fellow teenager who could talk so passionately about mystery novels—let alone a beautiful girl. But as they approached the exhibit, he held his tongue and stepped silently into the hall.

To him, this was just a random encounter.

Until—

"Kitagawa-kun, you haven't had lunch yet, right? Would you like to eat together?"

After spending two hours inside the exhibit, Ryo exited feeling satisfied—only to be greeted by Hiyori, who was waiting just outside.

"...Huh?"

He stared at her cheerful, squinting smile, unsure what to think.

Was this how things worked in the UK now? Meeting someone once and then going straight to lunch?

Wait, neither of them were even British.

"I just really wanted to talk about novels with you."

She smiled, holding up her hand like a friendly wave.

"Just as book lovers. That's all."

Her violet eyes were clear, unclouded. Noticing his lingering gaze, she widened her eyes slightly to catch his reflection in them.

"Alright."

He couldn't detect any romantic undertones. She really just wanted to talk books. So he saw no reason to refuse.

"Earlier you mentioned liking 'Eight Million Ways to Die,' right?"

At a nearby restaurant, Hiyori mimicked Ryo's order as it was her first time there.

"Yeah. Block tends to write about prostitutes. This one's no exception. His stories have a more human touch than typical mysteries."

Ryo loosened up, immersed in their conversation.

"You know what's in this goddamn city? This sewer of a metropolis? You know? Eight million ways to die."

"One of the most iconic lines in the whole book."

He chuckled.

"If it were Tokyo, it'd be 6.5 million ways to die."

"Eh? But Tokyo has over 13 million people, right?"

"Half of them would die the same way—suicide."

Ryo stirred his milk.

"Suicides from bullying, debt, pressure..."

"Speaking of bullying, have you read Higashino Keigo's latest novel?"

"'Malice'?"

Ryo nodded.

"Instead of focusing on the crime, it digs deep into the killer's motive. A guy who was once protected from bullying ends up bullying others, then kills the friend who forgave him—because of jealousy."

"A tragedy."

Hiyori echoed softly.

"Yes, a tragedy."

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A month later, Karuizawa Kei would hear Wakada's name again—for the last time.

Wakada had committed suicide.

[Prologue: As If an Old Friend Returned – Complete]