Am I being simulated by their love affair?

Page 475

"Such a beautiful melody, but without lyrics, there's no way to express the emotions!"

"Okay." The boy nodded. "Then you can put them back in from the beginning."

When the prelude ended again, he looked at the moon on the treetops and spoke softly.

The words of farewell stuck in my throat.

Instead, a light cough was used to say, "I understand."

Searching his pockets for the next words~

"In the end, I only found the me who liked you..."

The melody is short, lasting only a few minutes. Under the bright moonlight, the idol's excited expression gradually calmed down.

After Jun Matsueda finished singing the last line, Yosei Kurusu was silent for a while, then leaned against the boy and poked his arm.

"Is this song about me leaving the apartment?"

She understood after hearing the first few sentences—the last thing she said to the boy on his bed was "I understand."

The two never spoke again. The next morning, the girl hastily said goodbye with her suitcase and left the apartment.

"I guess so." Jun Matsueda nodded.

"This song tells the story of the protagonist who leaves lonely because he loves someone he cannot have."

“That was definitely how I felt back then…” Miss Idol said softly, then looked up and glared at him.

"But why call such a sad song 'happy end'?!"

The boy smiled and said, "Because the story in the song hasn't come true yet."

The girl blinked.

"This song... should be called IF Line—a story about what would happen if we were to completely separate."

"Isn't it precisely because we've seen such a future that a happy ending is so important?"

Jun Matsue looked at her in the moonlight.

"Sing this song, listen to this song, remember the feeling of that moment, and then go and create your own happy ending."

"What I really wanted to express was this idea."

Yosei Kurusu and he stared at each other for a long time without saying a word.

When the sound of bicycles passing by came from the tree-lined path downstairs, the girl clenched her fist and gently punched the boy's arm.

"You're being too cunning..."

The coolness of the night seeped into the city. After eating the moon-viewing dumplings, the two returned to the living room. Jun Matsueda closed the sliding door to the balcony and turned to look at the girl who had placed the gift box on the coffee table.

"Does Kurusu want to take a shower first?"

With his back to him, Kurusu Yosei absentmindedly nodded as he fiddled with the reeds he had taken out of the gift box.

"Um……"

"So, what does Kurusu think of this song?" The boy walked up behind her.

The girl's shoulders trembled, and she stopped what she was doing.

"...It feels the same as your song 'Instant.' If I can sing it well, it will definitely be a hit."

“I believe Kurusu will definitely sing well.” Jun Matsueda smiled.

"You don't need to tell me..." The girl didn't turn around. She stood up straight, and the boy behind her had to take a step back.

"I'll go get a change of clothes." Yosei Kurusu walked towards the bedroom.

She quickly grabbed her clothes and walked out of the bedroom, her slippers making a clattering sound.

Before entering the bathroom, Miss Idol finally turned around and looked at the boy in the living room.

"Don't think you can win me over with just a song, Pine Branch!"

“…Oh.” Jun Matsue nodded.

The girl's bright eyes then disappeared behind the wall, followed by the sound of the glass door being pulled shut and the rushing of water.

"Isn't this touching?" he muttered to himself, gazing down the corridor.

The boy returned to his room, put the draft notebook on his desk aside, took out his secondhand notebook, and typed the lyrics into the computer.

The rhythmic clatter of the keyboard filled the air as he hummed a melody he had recently perfected.

Jun Matsueda began to look forward to the day when the girl's new song would be released.

He hopes that the song "Happy End" will become popular as soon as possible.

The faster the better, the more popular the better.

—That way, the girls I care about can hear it.

Chapter 729 Prelude to the Entrance Selection

Two days later, on Wednesday, Jun Matsue followed the boys through the school building corridor. Sunlight fell on their sports uniforms, like clear, cool mountain streams.

This afternoon, Class 6 of Grade 3 doesn't have class. They'll be having a physical exam together with Class 5, which is a rare moment of leisure in the midst of their hectic exam preparation.

The fourth-floor corridor was a stark contrast to its previous quietness; people were coming and going at the door of each room. The boy's gaze swept over the notice board next to the stairwell and lingered for a moment.

"The student council has changed elections again..."

"This year's student council president seems to be a girl too." Kenya Sakamuro, walking beside him, glanced at her. "Do you know Matsueda?"

"Not familiar with him," Jun Matsue replied coldly.

Although he had told Imokawa that he would wait until university to control his social circle, the boy had already been doing so in the remaining months of his third year.

Whether it was the extra love letters and small gifts in the shoe cabinet, or the girl who intercepted him outside the classroom when Tomatsu wasn't there, all he got in the end were "thank you" and "no".

Although Jun Matsueda used to do the same thing, he no longer wears that businesslike smile, which makes many girls who have feelings for him hesitate to approach him.

Last Sunday, Tomatsu Yuka complained to him in bed, saying that as his girlfriend, she was too strict, which caused Matsu-san to smile less.

"Is it just that Matsueda isn't familiar with you?" Ken Sakamuro smiled at the boy.

"It feels like no matter which girl in school you talk to, they will all look at you with an 'I know you' expression."

Jun Matsue rolled his eyes, and the two went upstairs—the room for measuring eyesight was on the fifth floor.

After stepping out of the stairwell, Ken Sakamuro took a few steps to the left before realizing that his companion had not followed.

"Pine branch, what are you looking at!" He turned around.

"Boys don't get their physicals done there!"

Jun Matsue still had the back of his head facing him, but he waved his hand behind his back.

"Sakamuro, go get your medical check-up first. I'll come over later."

“...Really.” The tall, big boy sighed and turned to walk towards the examination room.

Even a fool could guess that Songzhi must have seen Tosho or Mochizuki.

As the footsteps behind him faded into the distance, Jun Matsue walked forward. He greeted several girls along the way, their expressions a mixture of surprise and delight, before stopping at the end of the corridor.

"What are you doing standing here, Mochizuki?"

The girl in sportswear crossed her arms and leaned against the closed balcony sliding door behind her. Mochizuki Haruka's fair face was cold; she had noticed the boy's approach long ago.

"There are too many people getting their vision checked, so I'm just waiting outside."

Jun Matsue glanced at her somewhat weak face, then turned and left.

Watching his departing figure, Mochizuki Haruka showed a look of surprise on her face.

The girl's eyelashes trembled, she slightly opened her mouth, and then pursed her lips.

"...Just like that, he left." She muttered softly.

The cramping pain in her lower abdomen made Mochizuki Haruka frown. She looked down at the ground, leaned against the door, and slowly squatted down, her bangs obscuring her eyes.

They even said they would continue to care for me and protect me as before... The girl complained inwardly, suppressing her pain.

It was all a lie, after all.

The sound of a door opening came from not far away. The girls who had finished their vision tests walked toward the stairwell chatting and laughing, not noticing the girl squatting at the other end of the corridor.

Mochizuki Haruka hugged her legs, remaining motionless as she waited for the pain to subside. She stared at the floor tiles in front of her until another lone footstep approached again.

The girl looked up and saw a pair of legs under a boy's tracksuit.

Jun Matsueda crouched down, bringing his line of sight to the girl's.

"Your period isn't over yet, is it?"

A gentle voice entered her ears, but Mochizuki Haruka didn't speak; she simply nodded, her chin resting on her knees.

He handed over the thermos he was holding, saying, "It's ginger tea I made in the infirmary."

The girl reached out and took it, holding it where the boy had let go. Her fingertips trembled slightly, and she could still feel the warmth through the cup.

"Drink it quickly." Jun Matsue took a few more pieces out of his pocket.

"This is a hand warmer, and this is a medication for menstrual cramps."

He placed what he was holding on the tip of the girl's shoe.

"It's getting colder now that the seasons are changing, so don't let yourself catch a cold. If you feel cold in your workout clothes, put on a jacket."

"Hmm..." Mochizuki Haruka held the thermos and took small sips, making indistinct sounds.

The boy didn't say anything more, but just kept squatting down and watching her. The girl swallowed a little faster and quickly put down her water glass.

"how do you feel?"

"I'm feeling a little better." Mochizuki Haruka licked the ginger tea off her lips.

"Then remember to put on the heat packs later." Jun Matsueda stood up. "If that doesn't work, take the medicine."

"This thermos belongs to the infirmary. Please remember to return it to the teacher later."

The boy turned to leave again, but the girl behind him called out to him.

"Pine branches."

Matsue Jun turned around and saw that Mochizuki Haruka was still squatting on the ground, but her face had regained some healthy color.

"..." The girl's thin pink lips opened and closed again, and she spoke somewhat reluctantly.

"What's the story behind the photos of you and the brass band?"

"Why is Yamami Maki there too?"

The boy recalled the brass band's performance last Saturday. Before leaving the hall, the three of them took a group photo with everyone—they were originally there as the national golden group from that year to bless the younger generation, so taking a group photo was an essential part of the event.

However, I didn't expect that Mochizuki would see that group photo... Jun Matsue smiled at the girl.

Are you very concerned about your senior's affairs?

Mochizuki blinked and looked away.

The girl certainly didn't care about Yamami Maki; she was just afraid that while she was having a cold war, some people might try to rekindle their old flames and take advantage of her vulnerability.

"It doesn't seem convenient for me to talk to Mochizuki right now," the boy said calmly.

The girl immediately turned her gaze back and looked at him with a somewhat fierce expression.

“After all, Mochizuki and I are in a cold war.” Jun Matsueda winked at her.

“If you come back and become my girlfriend, I should be able to tell you.”

“…Shameless.” Mochizuki Haruka muttered, glaring at him.

"You should leave now." She took her water glass and pills, and stood up, supporting herself against the door behind her.

"I'm leaving?"

The girl did not reply, so Jun Matsue turned around and left the corridor without looking back.

I initially thought Mochizuki's pale complexion was just due to her period, but it turns out there was another reason...

While texting Rion, Jun Matsueda finished his physical exam on the fifth floor. As he walked downstairs with the boys from Class 5, his phone vibrated in his pocket.