Am I being simulated by their love affair?

Page 570

"...These so-called adults are really cunning."

Chapter 805 The Approaching Choice and the Imminent Date

On December 14th, at 4 PM, the bell rang to signal the end of the last information technology exam, echoing throughout the entire campus.

After two days of final exams, the second semester of Haneoka High School officially came to an end.

The proctors, carrying thick bags of exam papers, quickly walked out of the classroom, and the teaching building suddenly became lively.

The sudden lightness on their shoulders felt like an instant massage, and the students grabbed their stationery and flocked to their respective classrooms in groups.

“I’m free now—” Tomatsu Yuka walked beside the boy, letting out a soft moan.

"It's not over yet." Jun Matsue blocked the hurried flow of people in the corridor for her.

"There's still a big cleaning to do when we get back to the classroom. We'll only be truly free after that."

"Luckily, I cleaned it properly the other day..." The girl switched hands to hold the pencil case and gently took his arm.

"I'm feeling a bit tired from writing exam papers non-stop. I'll hand over the cleaning duties to Jun-kun later?"

“No problem.” The boy agreed without hesitation.

The two did not discuss the exam results—for them, who had applied to the University of Tokyo, it would be unacceptable if they were not even confident about their final exams.

Upon reaching the fourth floor, the corridor, which only housed two classes, was much less crowded. Jun Matsue quickly spotted the petite figure walking ahead of him.

"Looking at the moon," he called out.

The girl turned around, her gaze first falling on the boy's face, then pausing briefly at Tomatsu Yuka's arm linked with his before stopping in her tracks.

When the two got closer, Mochizuki Haruka continued forward—although they didn't hold hands, she and the boy were only shoulder to shoulder.

"How are you feeling, Mochizuki? Was the exam difficult?"

"Don't ask me that teacher-like tone," the young lady muttered in dissatisfaction.

"It's alright, I did everything I knew how to do."

"That's amazing." Jun Matsue didn't hold back his praise. "Even with my memory, I can only manage to avoid making mistakes on what I know."

The girl holding his arm smiled without saying a word, while Mochizuki Haruka pursed her upturned lips.

"It's just so-so, it can't compare to pine branches anyway."

She tugged at the boy's sleeve. "So, how did you answer the pine branch question about industrial structure in geography?"

"That industrial structure change chart?" Jun Matsueda recalled.

"A to E represent India, China, the Philippines, Poland, and the United States, respectively. As long as the country matches the chart, you shouldn't get it wrong."

"That's good." The girl secretly breathed a sigh of relief; this big question could get quite a few points.

The three of them quickly arrived at the classroom door. Mochizuki Haruka went through the back door first and turned to the boy.

"I don't want to get wet while cleaning later, so Matsue, remember to put me and Rion together."

“Okay,” Jun Matsue agreed again.

Not everyone had arrived in the classroom yet, so the boys and girls sat down to rest. Tomatsu Yuka took a sip of her canned sweet coffee and looked at the boy next to her who was looking at his phone.

"It's not easy for Chun-jun either; he has to accommodate this and that."

"..." Matsueda Jun looked up. "Are you talking about cleaning or something else?"

The girl answered him with a sly yet sweet smile.

A few minutes later, the seats were almost full, and the boy went up to the podium to give instructions on cleaning. The classroom was quiet for a short while, then filled with the noise of students and the sound of desks and chairs being moved.

After assigning tasks to the girls who needed them, Jun Matsue took the lead, and he and Ken Sakamuro each carried an empty bucket out of the classroom.

"So it's holiday already—" The tall, muscular boy shook the empty bucket in his hand, his steps swaying as if he were on a basketball court.

"It seems a bit difficult to find someone to play ball with during winter break."

"Can't you just not find someone to play ball with?" Jun Matsue stared straight at the floor tiles in front of him.

"You can't skip playing in winter, otherwise your touch will freeze up..."

Listening to Sakamuro's rambling all the way, the two arrived at the restroom to get water—there was an empty bucket next to the sink, probably left by someone from Class 5 next door.

Jun Matsue watched as the boy turned the tap on full blast, the violent splashing of water causing the bucket to shake violently.

"Instead of playing ball, you should worry about your exams first."

"The exams are over now."

“I said commonality.” He said, taking out his phone and looking at something.

“Common…” Ken Sakamuro picked up the heavy bucket and took the empty bucket handed to him from behind.

"I'm preparing seriously, but it's definitely not going to be that great. We'll have to see how the sports aspect is handled—"

Before the boy could finish speaking, someone came out of the women's restroom next to him—after seeing the girl's face, he immediately turned to look at his companion behind him.

"Oh, it's Imagawa." Jun Matsueda put down his phone. "You're here to get water too?"

“…Mmm!” Natsumi Imokawa blushed.

She quickly walked past the two people fetching water and headed towards a pool of water at a normal height—the trickling water was drowned out by the sound of buckets bobbing.

The three men in front of the restroom fell silent. By the time the girl turned off the tap, the boys' buckets were full.

"Shall we go now?"

"Wait a minute!" Natsumi Imokawa turned around hurriedly. "I need to talk to Matsueda!"

Before Jun Matsueda could speak, Ken Sakamuro picked up two buckets and turned back towards the stairwell without looking back.

"Wait," the boy called out to him, "Save one for me."

"..." The tall, athletic student turned around, making a comical face.

He originally thought that if he took both buckets, Matsue could help Imokawa carry water.

But Jun Matsuoka was thinking about something else—he had to keep a bucket so he could go back and explain to the girls.

The boy placed his full bucket on the ground, picked up the empty bucket next to him, and turned on the tap again.

"So, what does Imokawa want with me?"

"Thank you, Matsushige!" Natsumi Imokawa first leaned over to look at her trembling bucket, then took out a tissue to wipe her hands.

"It's still about the Christmas present!" She tucked a strand of her black hair that was hanging over her shoulder.

"Once I've finished making them, how will I give them the pine branches?"

"...Wouldn't it be most convenient to just send it to me?" Jun Matsue asked tentatively.

The girl immediately puffed out her cheeks and glared at him.

"It does seem a bit inappropriate." The boy blinked.

No matter what, this is a gift that Imokawa made with care and heart, and accepting it face-to-face is the most basic etiquette.

"Then let's do it in person. We'll see when Imokawa is free."

Imokawa Natsumi didn't answer, but instead reached out and turned the tap down—even though the bucket was still half empty.

"Um, the sound is a bit loud, so I'll turn it down a bit," she explained, turning around.

"..." Matsueda Jun was too lazy to expose her little scheme. "So when is Imokawa free?"

"On Christmas Day?" The girl blinked expectantly.

The boy shook his head. "I don't have time."

Imokawa Natsumi was not disappointed; she had already guessed that Matsueda would answer like that.

"And what about Christmas Eve?"

“Christmas Eve…” Jun Matsue looked at the bucket that was gradually filling up.

Even if you have free time on Christmas Eve, the night is not a "safe" option.

"How about the 24th during the day? Let's find a place near Nishi-Ogikubo."

“That’s fine.” The girl seemed satisfied. “But I won’t be staying at the Nishi-Ogikubo studio during my vacation. I’ll be going home to see my parents.”

"That's even better." The boy breathed a sigh of relief. "Just let me know in advance where we'll meet."

He quickly added cautiously—

"I mean places like coffee shops, bookstores, and dessert shops to meet, not hotels or anything like that."

Natsumi Imokawa tilted her head. "Why go to a hotel to deliver a gift?"

“…It’s alright now.” Jun Matsue reached out and turned off the faucet.

"Does I need help carrying this?"

"No need, no need!" The girl lifted the bucket with both hands. "I often carry cameras, I'm quite strong!"

She paused quickly, "Should I ask Songzhi to help me carry it?"

The boy smiled and ignored her sometimes normal and sometimes abnormal romantic rhythm.

"Then it's settled. See you then."

Natsumi Imokawa, carrying buckets in both hands, followed him with quick, short steps. "So, is this the last time Matsueda and I will see each other this semester?"

"Isn't this a bit hasty? Meeting in front of the restroom and stuff like that isn't what I expected..."

"What else does Yuchuan want? To be cornered and bullied by classmates after the final exams, and then I'll jump in to be the hero and save the day?"

"That sounds so cliché... According to the current TV drama formula, it should be that the pine branches are blocked, and then I come to rescue you!"

"Then Io Chuan should have come two years earlier."

"……what?"

The steady steps of the boys and the small, quick steps of the girls echoed in the corridor, bringing this eventful semester to a close.

Although it's Sunday, it's clear this night doesn't belong to Tomatsu—

After returning home with Mochizuki and enjoying a sumptuous dinner prepared by the idol, Jun Matsueda first went to the kitchen to wash the dishes, and then went into the bathroom to take a bath.

He doesn't have the daily bathing habit of the Japanese; usually, he just rinses off for the sake of efficiency. However, soaking in a warm tub of hot water on a cold winter's day is indeed very comforting.

But this did not soothe the thoughts swirling in the boy's mind—he reached out his left hand, which was hanging by the edge of the bathtub, and picked up his phone.

While he was washing dishes, his senior sent him a message asking about the Yuqiu High School entrance exam and holidays.

Jun Matsueda has not yet responded.

It was two days ago that I met Miss Yuxiang.

With the final exams as a buffer, the boy didn't spend too much time thinking about the multiple-choice questions the woman presented him.

But as soon as the exam ended, when he saw the message from his senior, their conversation after school that day quickly resurfaced in his mind.

"Matsueda-kun, does Maki really want to spend the New Year alone?"

"..."

A faint commotion came from outside the door. The idol was watching her music show in the living room, while in the quiet bathroom, water droplets dripped softly.

Jun Matsue replied by tapping the screen with his wet fingers. He made a few typos, deleted and corrected them, before finally sending the message.

—Of course, it's the same news as always.

The boy put down his phone, sank to the surface of the water, and looked up at the misty ceiling.

"So, the master is really cunning..." he sighed softly.

Perhaps Miss Yuka really does support her senior—after some thought, Matsueda Jun came to this conclusion.

Because she put the choice on her own.

He now faces two options: to speak or not to speak.

Although the boys always supported Yami Maki's escape from her family, if they didn't say anything, it would be making the decision for the girl.

Jun Matsuoka was a thoughtful and cautious person, and he was certainly aware of the weight that this decision represented.

Whether it's the lonely New Year just around the corner, or the future of being abandoned by her family, since you made the decision for her, you must take responsibility for choosing this path for her.