Simulated Reality

"Sole Elite Disclosed"

The atmosphere in the gymnasium was thick with tension. Even though Tsukishiro's words had been hanging in the air for some time, it felt like the room hadn't even acknowledged them. Not a single shift, not even in the air around us. But Tsukishiro, in his usual calm demeanor, was quick to break the silence again.

"Now, now, is it truly that hard to believe?" he asked, his voice carrying a light amusement as if he was toying with us.

It was hard to believe. In fact, it was more absurd than the elevator incident I had experienced a year ago. Yet, before I could even begin to dissect Tsukishiro's question, another voice broke through the tension-a daring and relaxed voice, this one belonging to Miyabi Nagumo, the student council president. His confidence was almost palpable, as was expected from someone who had dominated his entire year and risen to the vice presidency as a first-year.

"It really is, Tsukishiro-sensei. This situation does seem far-fetched. Would you be kind enough to enlighten us as to what it truly entails?"

Instead of asking the obvious-why an AI is being tested on high school students-he chose to probe further, clearly deducing something deeper. He seemed sure of himself, confident enough to skip over the surface-level questions most students would ask.

Perhaps Nagumo had reached the same conclusion I had, or at least something similar. But whatever answer he arrived at, it was only scratching the surface. Others might think all of this was happening just to expel me, but I knew better. Tsukishiro had more than enough opportunities to do that when he first arrived here. No, this was part of a much larger game-a game orchestrated by that man. The reason? I'm still not certain, but even the answer I have may very well be wrong.

Speaking of Nagumo, another student with equally striking blonde hair was conspicuously absent. He must know the consequences of skipping such an event. So where exactly was he?

My thoughts were interrupted when I noticed someone staring at me-Hime, as Hashimoto often refers to her. Odd. There was something strange about the way she was looking at me.

Tsukishiro continued, pulling my attention back to him. "It's quite simple, really. Imagine you have two choices: to pick a flower or leave it undisturbed. If you pick it, you can smell it and discard it afterward. But if you choose not to, life moves on, and the flower remains."

A few students furrowed their brows, confused. Was Tsukishiro really using this as a metaphor?

"So, you're saying that every action has consequences," I mused internally. Sure, every decision we make creates a ripple. Imagine wanting ice cream, so you go buy one. You pay the vendor, money circulates, the economy grows. The vendor then uses that money to buy yogurt, and so on. Each of these little actions stems from a grand sequence of events that began with the birth of the universe.

But I still couldn't understand where Tsukishiro was leading us. And judging by the perplexed faces around me, neither could most of the students.

Sensing the confusion, Tsukishiro offered a clearer explanation. "We are going to explore a reality where some actions weren't taken. Where some things didn't happen-or perhaps where they did. This AI will simulate those alternate realities for us."

The room erupted into noise. Some students began frantically writing notes, others were recording, some were murmuring in disbelief, and a few sat there, frozen in confusion.

Sent from the government, huh?

The sheer number of emotions swirling around the gymnasium was staggering. Fear, excitement, disbelief. This was bound to be interesting.

Amid the rising chatter, Ichinose Honami, the ever-poised leader of Class B, stepped forward. Her usual confident demeanor seemed slightly diminished as she asked in a low but firm voice, "Why is the government conducting these tests on high school students using such advanced technology?"