True Education: I Have a Life Simulator

After finishing his call with Shiina Hiyori, Kitagawa Ryo noticed it was already around six in the morning. He had no intention of going back to sleep, so he stretched and got out of bed. With a bit of anticipation, he opened the fridge in the hotel kitchen. The ingredients were replenished randomly every day, one of the hotel's unique services.

Today's offerings were fairly standard. Ryo picked out four decent-looking potatoes, peeled and sliced them, and tossed them into boiling water. While they cooked, he brushed his teeth and washed his face. Once the potatoes were soft, he mashed them, cracked in three eggs, added a bit of lotus root starch from the cupboard, and seasoned the mixture with pepper and other spices. With practiced efficiency, he shaped the mixture into small round patties and began frying them in oil.

Back when he was in the UK, Hotaru would have been quietly sitting on the side table watching him. The cat had always been clingy, though kitchen access was strictly off-limits during cooking. Hotaru would settle for sniffing the aroma of the food, her gem-like eyes following Ryo's every movement.

Thinking of that, Ryo casually sent a message to Karuizawa Kei and then prepared a dipping sauce—chopping spring onions, garlic, ginger, and cilantro, mixing them with chili flakes, soy sauce, salt, and a bit of BBQ sauce found in the kitchen.

He preferred bold flavors, even in the morning. Since he was eating alone, there was no one to judge. Since arriving in Tokyo, he hadn't seen much of Izaki-san either, who seemed to be caught up in some unknown business.

Turning on the TV to a morning news channel, Ryo nibbled on a potato patty while the broadcast played:

"In response to the recent rise in school bullying cases, experts advise that middle school is a sensitive period for both physical and psychological development. Cooperation between schools and parents is crucial to address students' mental health."

"Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School is under scrutiny for allegedly occupying excessive public resources. The school held a press conference yesterday to respond to the controversy."

[Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School... That's the school Manabu is set to enter next year.]

Ryo poured himself a glass of hot milk while glancing at the screen. The school admitted only 160 students per year and had never disclosed its selection criteria. While entrance exams and interviews were required, rumors suggested they weren't the only determinants.

[If it's him, getting in shouldn't be an issue. But judging from my encounter with Horikita Suzune yesterday, she'll definitely follow him into that school too...]

Though Manabu had once mentioned his sister, Ryo hadn't expected the extent of Suzune's issues. Given Manabu's personality, Ryo was certain he hadn't planted any twisted notions in her head, so the problem likely lay with Suzune herself.

Just as he was contemplating this, a message from Kei arrived:

"Fed Hotaru."

Attached was a short video: "Meow."

Hotaru was busy munching on cat food, and being the camera-friendly feline she was, she immediately perked up at the sight of the lens, striking an adorable pose with her paws pressed together and dancing slightly.

After last night, Kei had become more reserved. She didn't ask Ryo to spend the day with her again. Perhaps she truly meant it when she said she could handle things alone—even without him by her side.

Their conversation naturally tapered off. Kei had no more reason to speak, and Ryo had something important to take care of today.

"I'm Horikita Suzune."

Right on cue, a cool voice came from the other side of the hotel room door.

As if expecting this, Ryo showed no surprise and calmly sipped his milk before replying: "The door's open."

With a soft creak, the doorknob turned and Suzune stepped in.

She seemed to have just finished a morning run. Dressed in athletic gear and still slightly out of breath, she stepped in and found a fresh pair of disposable slippers in the shoe cabinet by the door.

Clearly lacking social experience, she stood still, unsure of what to do next. Her eyes fixated on Ryo, who was in the kitchen doing dishes, seemingly waiting for him to initiate conversation.

"You're a bit late. If you'd come earlier, you could've tried some of my cooking."

Unaware of her stare, Ryo continued wiping a bowl, a touch of regret in his tone.

"You cook for yourself too?"

After yesterday, they were acquaintances now. Interestingly, Suzune had dropped the polite honorific and began calling him simply "Kitagawa."

"I'm alone most of the time, so I learned a bit."

It didn't take him long to finish. Drying his hands, he turned and caught Suzune standing stiffly.

"Is there something on my back?"

He tilted his head with a puzzled look.

"No."

She replied bluntly.

"Alright then."

He shrugged and walked to the living room sofa. Suzune followed closely and sat across from him.

In the morning light, her gaze landed on a photograph on the table—one of the pictures from Ryo's time in the UK, left there after he showed them to Kei. It featured him and Horikita Manabu on a bridge.

"Let me see that."

Her hand reached out before her words were even finished. By the time Ryo let out a faint "sure," the photo was already in her grasp. With a reverent expression, she studied it carefully and nodded, continuing to scrutinize the image.

"When was the last time you saw Manabu?"

Ryo asked, watching her thoughtfully.

"Over two years ago."

Suzune answered without hesitation.

"Until yesterday, I didn't even have his contact information."

"...You two really have a twisted sibling dynamic."

"My brother has always been my guiding light. He always encouraged me."

Her gaze remained fixed. Manabu's name clearly held immense significance for her.

Whenever she said his name, it was as though she drew strength from it—as if she were a plant facing the sun, photosynthesizing motivation, growing fiercely upward.

Ryo shook his head.

"You should shower. You're sweaty from your run. I need to step out and make a call."

"To my brother?"

"Yes."

That was all she needed to hear.

Motivated, she headed toward the bathroom, while Ryo slipped on his shoes and exited the room. At the end of the hallway, he dialed Manabu's number.

Though it was nearing midnight in London, Ryo didn't care. After all, he was currently dealing with Manabu's troublesome little sister. Letting Manabu sleep peacefully just wouldn't be fair.

With that in mind, he grumbled as he made the call.

-------------------------------------

Horikita Suzune had started growing out her hair the year her brother Manabu left. It seemed she was born to have long hair—in less than three years, it had grown into a beautiful black curtain reaching down to her waist. As she stepped into the bathroom, she unbraided the small plait on the left side of her head, placed the ribbon aside, and let her black hair cascade like a waterfall under the hot shower, soaking her shoulders and dampening her cheeks.

In the past six months, some boys had given her love letters, but she never showed any intention of even reading them. Unlike other girls, she wouldn't bother calling the boy out just to reject him politely. If a letter was handed to her directly, she would return it immediately. If she found it in her shoe locker, she would simply toss it in the trash. Over time, colorful envelopes piled up in the garbage.

Horikita Suzune never spared thoughts for unnecessary things, nor did she wish to engage in social interactions. So, when cliques naturally formed within a month of school starting, she was quietly and thoroughly isolated. Yet for Suzune, this sort of cold shoulder treatment was nothing to be fazed by. If things escalated to physical confrontation, she felt confident she could handle herself. Eventually, she became an outlier in the class, but that had no bearing on her.

Until Kitagawa Ryo appeared.

Especially after learning he was her brother's close friend, her attitude toward him subtly changed. Just yesterday, when Kitagawa invited her to come over in the morning, a faint flutter of joy flickered through her heart. It was sharp, like a blade, slicing straight through Horikita Suzune without mercy.

As the shower ran, she silently examined this unfamiliar emotion.

She imagined what Kitagawa Ryo and her brother Manabu might be talking about outside. In her mind, Kitagawa was reporting her progress, proving that in the years since her brother's departure, she had been steadfastly growing and chasing after him on her own.

-------------------------------------

"You'll have to pay extra."

Kitagawa Ryo leaned ungracefully against the window in the hallway, speaking while gazing down at the entire street below.

"It's too much trouble. Honestly, I'm more curious how your little sister ended up like this."

"No matter how vigorous the top half of her growth is, her roots are still anchored to your existence. Having a role model isn't a bad thing, but being shackled by that model—that's her problem. But at the end of the day, it's also your fault, Manabu."

He continued bluntly:

"See, if you weren't so outstanding and could've been surpassed easily, she wouldn't have treated you as the final destination."

"..."

"Silence won't help. Don't tell me you're still planning to avoid her? Hiding out until you disappear into that elite high school next year?"

"I used to think that after I left, Suzune would eventually figure things out on her own."

Manabu sighed on the other end of the call.

"But judging from what you've reported, it seems that didn't work."

"Ryo..."

"Still gotta pay extra."

Before Manabu could say anything more, Kitagawa Ryo cut in with his conditions:

"I'll do my best to help solve your sister's problem. But after that, you need to help cancel the engagement between me and her."

"If you can really resolve it, I'll speak up for you about the engagement."

Manabu nodded. After all, he was overseas now—even if he recognized Suzune's issues, it wasn't like he could fly back immediately.

"But Ryo, what's your plan? From what I know, you only have five days left in Tokyo."

"Five days? Not necessarily."

A smirk crept across Kitagawa Ryo's lips.

"I don't really feel like going back to London so soon."

"Is it because of Karuizawa Kei?"

"If I said it was because I genuinely want to help you fix things with your sister, would you believe me?"

"Not at all."

"Then why ask?"

Manabu chuckled bitterly on the other end.

"But are you really confident about staying longer in Tokyo?"

"Absolutely."

Kitagawa Ryo leaned on his hand and looked out the window at the bustling traffic and crowd below.

"That person will definitely make a move."

-------------------------------------

"Has Horikita ever read The Little Prince?"

When Kitagawa Ryo returned to the room after his phone call, Horikita Suzune had already finished her shower and was now sitting on the sofa reading The Little Prince, the book Ryo had brought back yesterday.

"I read it when I was very young, but I've forgotten most of it now."

Suzune sat properly with her legs together, flipping through the pages. Her hair was still a bit damp, a soft mist clinging to her skin.

"Do you agree with the fox in the story?"

Kitagawa suddenly asked. The fox was one of the beings the little prince met on Earth. The fox asked to be tamed, so that it would stand out from the countless other foxes in the world—to become the little prince's one and only. And in return, the little prince would become the fox's one and only little boy.

"'Only the tamed can be truly understood.' Taming is just another name for forming a bond."

Horikita turned the pages slowly. She had indeed read this classic, and as she flipped through the book, the story gradually returned to her memory.

"Becoming unique to each other is meaningless. That's why the fox was ultimately abandoned by the little prince."

"So the act of taming—of forming bonds itself—is meaningless."

Suzune still seemed to hold deep skepticism toward the idea of making friends. She stubbornly believed that living alone was perfectly fine.

"But clearly, you want to form a bond with your brother. Or rather, you've been trying to all this time."

Kitagawa couldn't understand Horikita Suzune, just as she couldn't comprehend why someone like Kitagawa Ryo would be friends with Horikita Manabu.

"So you're saying I'm a fox that can't catch up to him, can't even see his shadow?"

"Is it any different?"

"It is."

Suzune put the book down and pursed her lips, arguing:

"I think... it is different."

"You say you want to follow your brother's path, but even Manabu himself has rejected your ideas."

Kitagawa handed her the photo of the two of them on the table:

"Want to give it a try?"

"Try what?"

"Try forming a bond."

He then showed her a photo of Karuizawa Kei:

"How about trying to make a friend?"

Suzune avoided eye contact, unsure of how to respond. She didn't want to negate her long-held beliefs. It was like a child who knew they were wrong but stubbornly refused to apologize.

"...Fine."

"Then let's start with step one: how about you and I try to become friends?"

Ryo realized he might be moving too fast, so he put away his phone and rephrased his suggestion.

"Are you asking me to tame you?"

Suzune lifted her gaze sharply, her violet-red eyes flashing with challenge.

"Impossible."

Kitagawa shook his head:

"I've already been tamed... by a rose."