Am I being simulated by their love affair?

Page 537

The long street is bathed in the afterglow of the autumn sunset, with blurry vehicles and figures in the foreground of the photo. A couple wearing thick coats walk hand in hand under the golden eaves of a shop, dappled sunlight cascading over their shoulders—an ordinary moment, yet it evokes a sense of warmth in the heart.

In the community park as night fell, the white light of the streetlights barely illuminated the space around the bench. A woman in a trench coat sat at one end of the bench, holding a coffee in her hands on her lap, her lowered gaze seemingly fixed on something—a simple scene that immediately evoked a sense of loneliness.

The other photos are similar, everyday scenes filled with a strong sense of atmosphere—either the sweet happiness of couples or the loneliness of being alone, oscillating back and forth between two extremes.

"Hmm... I understand how Ms. Imokawa wants to film it." Director Shirakawa looked thoughtful.

“Your music video is like a stage, and the scenes you provide are the stage backdrop, while Yang Shisang sings in front of that backdrop, right?”

"Pretty much." Natsumi Imokawa nodded in agreement. "In the actual filming, these backgrounds will all be dynamic, and we need to try to match the lyrics sung by Yoshi-san as closely as possible."

"No problem." The director relaxed her shoulders and leaned back in her office chair.

"I think Ms. Imokawa's plan is quite good, and we can adopt it."

Natsumi Imokawa's face lit up with joy. "Thank you so much!"

Jun Matsue pursed his lips, and Imokawa's left hand touched his thigh and pinched it hard—only after the girl realized she had pinched the wrong thing did she carefully and slowly withdraw it.

A round of applause filled the meeting room. After everyone put down their hands, they began to discuss other issues.

"How many people do you estimate the filming crew will need?" the director began to consider how to finalize the details. "And what equipment do you need the company to provide?"

"Hmm..." The girl looked hesitant. "For filming, I might be able to manage on my own, but we might need two actors in the background to play a couple?"

"One person?" The director frowned slightly. "If it's just one person, not only will the workload be huge, but the results may not be ideal."

Before Natsumi Imagawa could lower her head and remain silent, Jun Matsueda spoke first.

"Let's not rush to discuss this issue today. Now that we've determined the concept and format of the music video, let Imokawa and Kurusu take some time to try shooting it on location. That will make it clear what the requirements are."

“That makes sense.” Ms. Shirakawa nodded obediently, glancing at the idol and her manager beside her.

"Shall we sign the contract first?"

"No problem." Yosei Kurusu yawned; she didn't really like meetings.

“Yes, that’s fine.” Miss Orange was still looking at the photos on the table.

"Mr. Shirakawa, do you think it would be okay to include a photo in our album?"

"Similar to the films directed by Ms. Imokawa, where the living world is the protagonist."

"That's a good suggestion," the art director agreed. "We can just shoot it while filming the music video."

The atmosphere in the meeting room relaxed. The director took out her phone and instructed her subordinate to bring the contract. Natsumi Imokawa breathed a sigh of relief and picked up the paper cup in front of her to take a big gulp of water.

Jun Matsue gently patted the shoulder of the person next to him.

"Then I'll head out first. Remember to show the contract to your father before you sign it, Yuchuan."

"Huh?" The girl turned around in surprise. "Isn't Songzhi going to help me sign the contract?"

The boy smiled and said, "It's not appropriate for me to be present in this kind of situation."

"Oh... okay." Natsumi Imokawa was a little disappointed.

Jun Matsue stood up. "I'll wait for you at the door."

Leaving the conference room, the corridor was lined with tightly closed doors, with only a glimpse of the city's nightscape visible at the far end. The young man leaned against the wall, gazing at the indistinct figures of office workers in their uniforms in the distance.

The conference room door next to him opened quickly, and as he turned his head, the first person to walk out was a girl carrying a schoolbag.

"Is the contract signed?"

"Hmm!" Natsumi Imokawa walked over and leaned against the wall next to him, imitating the way a boy would do.

“I video chatted with my dad, and he said there were no problems with the contract.”

"Congratulations!" Jun Matsueda clapped his hands sincerely. "Could this be considered the beginning of Imokawa's foray into the business world?"

"..." The girl shyly smoothed her hair. "Thanks to the pine branch."

"What does this have to do with me?"

“Of course we’re related!” She looked up. “Without pine branches, how would I know Yang Shisang?”

"And without pine branches, I wouldn't have had the inspiration for 'White Line Flow.' Without 'White Line Flow,' I wouldn't have had the chance to be seen by H&M!"

In Imokawa Natsumi's eyes, the boy's image was clearly reflected, and her cheeks were flushed with a youthful and romantic blush, like the glow of the sunset.

"In other words, the pine branch is my muse!"

Chapter 779 Mutual attraction, it must be destiny.

"The Muse..."

Looking at the girl in front of him with her small face tilted up and her cheeks flushed, Jun Matsue consciously took a half step back.

“A muse is a goddess, right?” He looked away. “That doesn’t really suit me.”

"That's not important!" Natsumi Imokawa caught up with the retreating steps.

“The key is that without pine branches, there would be no work like I have now…” She blinked.

In the arts and literature, the term "muse" is also frequently used in expressions of love.

Does Songzhi really not understand? The girl puffed out her cheeks in embarrassment and annoyance, staring at the boy in front of her.

If you were to state this meaning directly, it would be like having someone sitting next to you at the movies giving you a non-stop explanation—that would be incredibly boring!

Jun Matsue could only pretend to be unaware and smile gratefully.

“I’m happy that Imokawa said that. But I can’t be your actor for this music video.”

"Why?" The girl's attention was immediately diverted.

"Didn't we agree before that Songzhi wouldn't deliberately distance himself from me?"

"It's just that I don't have time." The boy waved his hand. "There are only two months left until the common exam."

Although there's no countdown to the college entrance exam written on the blackboard in the classroom, the atmosphere in the class is definitely getting more and more tense—even though Jun Matsueda has more flexible time after quitting his part-time job, he certainly doesn't want to spend it on acting at this time.

Moreover, if they were to actually act it out, his relationship with Kurusu would inevitably come into the public eye, something neither he nor the Mochizuki family wanted to see.

"I understand." Natsumi Imokawa nodded casually. "Anyway, I never intended to cast Matsueda as an actress."

Although her romantic feelings have awakened, she is not yet broad-minded enough to find a girlfriend for Songzhi in her own works.

Then why did you ask... The boy gave her a helpless look.

"Why haven't Kurusu and the others come out yet?"

"It seems they're still discussing the album." The girl adjusted the camera strap on her shoulder. "Yang Shi-sang said he'd treat us to dinner and told us to wait in the lounge next door."

Pushing open the door to the lounge, Jun Matsue first filled two cups with hot water from the water dispenser before sitting down on the low sofa by the coffee table. Natsumi Imokawa sat opposite him, placing her camera and bag on the table.

"Thank you, Pine Branch~" The girl picked up the paper cup and drank water, her expression relaxed and at ease.

"Did you keep the contract that Iokawa signed safe?"

"I put it in my schoolbag." She picked up her schoolbag from the table. "Do you want to see Songzhi?"

"No need for that." The boy waved his hand. "But I am indeed a little curious about how much Imokawa will earn as the music video director this time."

“Uh.” Natsumi Imokawa blinked. “I don’t know either, anyway, there are several zeros on the contract…”

"...Didn't you look carefully?" Jun Matsue felt his parental mindset returning.

"Because no matter how much money they offer, I will definitely take the film!"

The girl took out the script and photos used in the meeting from her bag. "It seems like it would be a really interesting thing to make a music video for Yang Shisang. I would still want to make it even if I didn't get paid."

"Shh—" The boy held up a finger and pretended to put it in front of her.

"Don't let the neighbors hear this, or they'll find a way to exploit you."

Natsumi Imokawa laughed, "That's why I had my dad look at the contract for me~"

Jun Matsueda picked up the photos that had fallen out of his bag and looked at them. "Why not just put them directly into the script?"

"Does 'pine branch' mean to stick it on?"

"No, it's printed out along with the script."

"No!" The girl shook her head rapidly, her fluffy, shoulder-length hair spreading out like a flower.

She bent down and opened her arms, like a mother hen protecting her chicks, and pulled the photos on the table into her arms.

"I used film photography. Regular printing would have issues with color difference, color accuracy, and sharpness, and it wouldn't look as good as it does now!"

"I see." The boy smiled. "That makes perfect sense."

"If Imokawa had printed the photo on the script, it might not have attracted Ms. Tachibana and Ms. Shirakawa and made them think of including a copy in the album bonus."

“Right!” The girl straightened up, proudly puffing out her chest.

"I've made a lot of preparations!"

Natsumi Imokawa wouldn't hastily print out her carefully taken photos. Just as she wouldn't explain the muse, nor would she chatter incessantly at Matsue while watching a movie—

This is the stubbornness of a young girl, and also her unique charm.

Just as the hot water in the paper cup was almost finished, the door to the lounge was pushed open, and Yosuke Kurusu walked in casually, looking at the two people sitting at the coffee table looking at photos.

"Sorry to keep you waiting! You two didn't secretly cultivate your relationship while I was away, did you?"

“Don’t talk nonsense.” Jun Matsueda picked up a paper cup. “We were just talking about your music video.”

Natsumi Imokawa looked up, one hand pressing on the button at her collar, and spoke softly with a hint of regret.

"That's exactly what I was thinking of doing..."

Miss Idol rolled her eyes at the two of them, "Hurry up and pack your things, I'll treat you to dinner!"

As he and the girl stuffed the photo into their schoolbags, Jun Matsueda glanced sideways at Kurusu's back.

"Miss Tachibana has already left?"

"Hmm, it's time to get off work now!" Kurusu Yosei walked over to him, picked up a paper cup, and took a sip of water.

"That's a pine branch," Natsumi Imokawa weakly reminded him.

"I know," Miss Idol mumbled, biting her paper cup.

The girl with the camera slung over her shoulder looked at the boy in front of her and asked, "Is this a privilege of being a roommate?"

"No," Lai Qiyang answered first, "It's just because our relationship is a bit ambiguous~"

Jun Matsuoka could only nod, indicating that she was right.

Natsumi Imokawa fastened her uniform bag, picked it up, and stood up, looking thoughtful.

"Does Songzhi start flirting with the next person every time she gets into a relationship with someone?" She looked at the boy with the seriousness of someone studying a camera angle.

"Once you and Yang Shisang are officially in a relationship, does that mean you can start flirting with me?"

Amidst the idol's soft laughter, Jun Matsueda wearily pushed open the door to the dressing room.

"Can you please stop figuring out how to win me over...?"

As the young man and woman walked out of the office, Natsumi Imokawa took out her camera and turned back to take a picture of the building, which was densely lit and resembled a honeycomb.

"I thought Yang Shisang would treat us to dinner in the cafeteria..."

"That's how it should be." Miss Idol turned around.

“But it’s definitely not convenient for me to go to the staff cafeteria, and it’s inconvenient to bring you guys along if I go to the artists’ dining area, so I’d rather just eat out.”

"H&M has quite a few artists now?" Jun Matsueda looked at the girl putting on her mask. "I feel like I see more staff members in the hallway than before."

“Yes.” Yosei Kurusu walked briskly and stopped at the intersection. “Because there are other celebrities here, I can’t take you to the celebrity dining area like before.”

So what's for dinner?

"Ask Imokawa?" The boy turned his head to the side. "Consider it a celebration for Imokawa."

"Huh?" Natsumi Imokawa, who had slipped up to his side, blinked.

If it were a celebration, she'd rather have it just the two of them, Matsue...

The dining area in Shinjuku 3-chome had more lights than the office building, and the three of them eventually went into an Italian restaurant that had been open for more than 20 years.

"Why did Imagawa choose this place?" Jun Matsueda closed the door to the private room. "Did you want to eat the spicy sausage fried rice that's posted at the door?"

"No, not at all." The girl waved her hand. "Didn't we say we were going to celebrate? I feel like eating pizza would create a more celebratory atmosphere."