True Education: I Have a Life Simulator

[Day 9: Today is Ichinose Maki's birthday. Last night, she secretly sent you a message, saying that after having dinner and cake with her mom and sister, she planned to sneak out and hoped you would come find her. Because of her mother's prejudice against you, you've basically been banned from their home. Especially after you moved out of that apartment a year ago, you haven't even stepped inside that building again.]

[It was an enticing idea and seemed feasible, but you still refused Maki's request. You told her that birthdays are indeed a child's privilege to receive gifts—but also a reminder that it's the day their mother suffered. You've never disrespected her mother for her bias against you. After all, growing up there, you know her better than anyone—aside from Ichinose Honami.]

[You knew Honami wasn't the only one putting effort into this long-awaited birthday. Their mother, who usually had difficulty expressing herself, had taken on extra work this month. If your guess was right, it was so she could afford a gift for Maki.]

[And according to your investigation, the gift she bought was likely the same as Honami's—a hair clip that became trendy last year due to an idol's endorsement. They had long been aware of Maki's wish.]

["Doesn't that mean the gifts will overlap? ◐▽◑"]

[That's what Maki messaged you. Though usually mature, she really wanted this gift, and felt it'd be a pity if her mom and sister gave the same one.]

["Just like that story we learned in class last semester. '(°ー°〃)"]

["'The Gift of the Magi'?" Of course you'd read that famous O. Henry short story, where the wife sells her prized hair to buy a platinum chain for her husband's heirloom watch, not knowing he had sold his watch to buy her a set of combs—tragic and heartwarming all at once.]

["You could give the clip from Honami back to her as a birthday gift—hers is two days away, right? As for your mom's clip, maybe put it on her yourself and tell her, 'You've worked hard.'"]

["Sounds nice! (≧∇≦)ﾉ

But then I'd be left with no hair clip!〒▽〒"]

[Her delayed reaction made you chuckle. You could imagine her expression even through the screen. You replied with a smile:

"I'll give you one."]

["Will you put it on me yourself? ( /ω＼)"]

["Do it yourself. And go to sleep early."]

[Neither of you mentioned today's events again. After saying goodnight, you each logged off.]

[When you opened your eyes again, it was already 9 a.m. A rare morning where you didn't wake early. After stretching in bed, you picked up your now fully charged phone and found a message from Karuizawa Kei.]

["Good morning, senpai! Hi~ o(￣▽￣)ブ

Maki-chan invited me to her birthday party, but I don't know her address. Can you take me there? (つω｀)～

No reply and still unread—are you sleeping? (o≖◡≖)"]

[Though she was only a year younger, Kei's use of emoticons was overwhelming this early in the day. You remembered that Maki also went all-out with them, but Honami didn't. The latest message timestamped 8:30. As you were about to reply, another message popped up:

"Senpai, you're awake, right? It shows you read it now~ (o≖◡≖)"]

[You sighed, rubbing your forehead. Whether she stared at her phone 24/7 was unclear, but Kei definitely felt different from when you first met. After the mountain incident yesterday, your relationship had seemingly become… closer? You searched your mind for the right word, but couldn't find one.]

[You weren't sure whether this development was good or bad. You'd only known Kei for a few days, and had always followed the principle: 'Don't speak deeply with shallow ties.' But this rule had been broken so easily with her. Being trusted unconditionally by someone was something to be proud of, but it also meant...]

[You called her instead. Face-to-face—or at least voice-to-voice—interactions were more revealing. As the heir of the Kitagawa family, you'd been trained to assess people through their tone, expression, and gestures.]

[Maybe she really had her phone on her the whole time. Within two seconds, her cheerful, slightly nervous voice came through the receiver. You could hear the news playing on TV in the background—she was still at home. Without much small talk, you arranged to meet at the same café where you'd once met Maki. Kei had only been there once, but her memory was sharp.]

[You got ready quickly, had some bread, and headed out. Thanks to the family car, you arrived early. You ordered an iced Americano and sat by the window, casually watching the crowd move through the mall. Today, however, no one sat beside you to make up random stories together.]

[The morning air was still cool. After a couple sips of your Americano, you looked up and saw Kei walk into the café. You waved, and she smiled, taking the seat across from you. Not knowing her preferences, you hadn't ordered for her. After she sat down, you asked what she'd like.]

["Hot cocoa."]

[She chose warm cocoa. As the steaming cup arrived, she glanced at your iced drink:]

["Senpai, drinking something cold in the morning isn't good for your stomach, right?"

She pointed at her own untouched cocoa.

"I think mornings are for warm drinks."]

["Didn't drink much anyway." You shook your head, stirring the ice as you watched her take tiny sips of her cocoa, blowing gently between sips—an adorably cautious habit.]

["What are you giving Maki for her birthday?"]

[Kei shyly played with her hair, saying she didn't have much money or time for fancy gifts. So she stayed up late folding over a hundred paper stars. She pulled out a glass jar filled with colorful, uniformly sized stars. It made a soft rustling sound when shaken.]

[After that topic ended, the two of you fell into a lull. The quiet café echoed only with the sounds of stirring ice and clinking glass.]

["The fireworks festival's coming up. Are you going with Ichinose-san?"

Kei's attempt to keep the conversation going made you smile.]

["If you'd asked me a few days ago, I would've said yes without hesitation."

You took a big sip of the bitter-cold Americano.]

["If you can't find her that day, call me instead! I'm great at goldfish scooping, target shooting, and ring toss!"

Kei mumbled this with the straw still in her mouth, eyes fixated on her cocoa as if its surface held buried treasure. Maybe she was watching your reaction through its reflection.]

[Kei was someone who knew exactly where boundaries lay—and crossed them just slightly, like a little abandoned animal peeking up with big watery eyes. And if you rejected her, she wouldn't cry either. That pretend-bravery? A deadly charm at her age.]

[You stirred the ice again. A thought popped into your head: would mixing hot cocoa with iced Americano cause stomach problems? How big would the temperature difference be?]

["Senpai, you spaced out. Are you sick? Or was the AC on all night again?"]

["I'm fine." Kei leaned in and placed her cool hand on your forehead. You snapped out of it, grabbing her wrist and guiding her back to her seat. Her blue eyes filled with concern somehow irritated you.]

["Whoa, your hand is ice cold!"

Kei smiled as you returned to your usual self. Your hand had been holding the Americano, so it was chilly. She took your hand again:

"My hand's warm! That's the power of hot cocoa!"

Her soft, warm palm pressed to yours. The contrast made it feel more real. She looked up at you seriously:

"If you drink cold things in the morning, your tongue and hands get cold too. Then your stomach and blood will also be cold. Girls don't like cold boys, you know. So please drink hot milk or hot cocoa next time."]

["Okay." Once your hand warmed up, Kei let go and drank her cocoa with a satisfied look:

"Even though human skin temperature is always around 36–37°C, you can still feel the difference when holding hands. Isn't that fascinating, senpai?"]

[After discussing some plans, the hot cocoa reached its end—and so did your conversation. Unlike usual, you left about half your iced Americano untouched.]

[That day, aside from liking Maki's birthday photo on social media, you didn't contact Honami at all. You wanted to say how great the new hair clip looked on her, but in the end, you didn't send the message.]

[Day 10: When you woke up early the next morning, your head felt heavy. You had turned off the air conditioner the night before, but thinking back, it was probably the combination of sprinting through the forest and then blasting AC afterward that caused this. Maybe the iced Americano didn't help either. You rummaged for a thermometer and, half-asleep, checked your temperature. 37.9°C. Just a low-grade fever.]

[You lived alone in this spacious house. Though your parents weren't very hands-on, you always maintained respect and closeness. They worked overseas most of the year. You called them every three days and video-chatted once a week. At your request, the house had no staff other than the chauffeur—but you were used to caring for yourself.]

[There was cold medicine in the house. After splashing your face with warm water, you took the medicine per instructions. You could handle bitter coffee but oddly hated medicine. After finding a somewhat sweet powder form, you downed it in one go—without noticing the expiration date.]

[Then you crawled back into bed. Your throat began to hurt, and your strength faded. You had always considered yourself healthier than most people your age, but this sudden illness hit you like a truck. When you woke again from thirst, it was already 3 p.m.]

[You realized you had only eaten some bread in the morning. Staggering, you tried to call the housekeeper. You'd never felt this much resentment toward an iced Americano before. When you picked up your phone, you noticed messages from Ichinose Maki and Karuizawa Kei—but you didn't have the strength to read them. You barely managed to text the housekeeper that you were sick, then stumbled out of your room in search of food.]

[You clearly overestimated your willpower and your current condition. With a sudden misstep, you collapsed at your doorway. Your arm hit something, and a crisp sound echoed behind you.]

[A gentle breeze blew through the open window. In your daze, you saw colorful paper cranes fluttering through the air—falling onto your head, your back, even your eyes.]

[How beautiful.]

[That was your last thought before losing consciousness.]