Am I being simulated by their love affair?

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"Just asking past questions isn't enough," the boy said, watching the girl in front of him circle and cross his answers. "You also need to summarize and understand them."

"So let me tell you."

"..." Mochizuki Haruka raised her head, her eyes shining brightly, "You're finally going to support me?"

“I didn’t object to you before,” Jun Matsue smiled.

The girl turned her head away and snorted, "Incomplete support is the same as complete lack of support."

"Is there such a twisted logic?" Tomatsu Tomoka walked between the two of them with the documents in her arms, and Matsueda Jun sat back down in his seat.

Mochizuki Haruka glanced at the two of them, and the corners of her lips that had just turned up turned into a thin line again.

"Could you tutor me with pine branches today?"

"Not today."

Before the girl could pout, Jun Matsueda added, "Imokawa wants to see us today."

"us?"

The boy nodded. "You, me, and Youhua."

So after the afternoon classes ended, Jun Matsueda and the girls left the school together and pushed open the door of Musashino Mori Cafe.

Imokawa Natsumi was already waiting inside. She stood up and waved to the three people who entered the store. The taut fabric on the girl's chest swayed, attracting a lot of attention.

The coffee shop was noisy. Jun Matsue walked to the square table she had reserved and sat down. Tomatsu Yuka, who was next to her, greeted her with a smile.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting, Imokawa-kun~"

“I didn’t wait long!” Natsumi Imokawa quickly shook her head.

After the three of them were seated, she returned to her own seat, took out several bound notebooks from her bag, and handed them to the three of them.

"Um, the script for the short film I want to shoot is roughly finished, so I'd like to show it to everyone today..."

Jun Matsue took the script, while Haruka Mochizuki and Yuka Tomatsu had already opened the cover and were quickly flipping through it.

Natsumi Imokawa lowered her head, her hands resting on her knees, the girl's expression somewhat nervous—this was the first time she had shown her thoughts to someone other than Matsueda, someone her own age.

A few minutes later, the two actresses looked up and asked in unison.

Why is there no winner in this script?

Chapter 511 The Girl Who Weaves Regret

At the corner table in the coffee shop, Jun Matsueda looked at the girl sitting opposite him.

"Imokawa wrote the script so quickly?"

"It wasn't that fast..." Natsumi Imokawa scratched her cheek. "It's just a short film, but it's been almost half a month since I wrote it."

"The main thing is that there are some scenes related to cherry blossoms, and we need to take them before the cherry blossoms in Tokyo have all fallen in the next few days."

"Hey, hey." Mochizuki Haruka tapped the table in annoyance, "No one has answered my question yet!"

Tomatsu Yuka, who was sitting opposite her, nodded as well. The four of them each occupied one side of the table.

"Why is there no winner in Imokawa-san's script? I just skimmed through it, and it doesn't seem like a particularly enjoyable story."

"Ah..." As soon as the boy asked the question, Natsumi Imokawa forgot about it. "The story I want to film this time is the kind of love story where there are no winners... a story about various regrets of youth."

The not-so-large square table fell silent for a moment, with only the chatter of other guests drifting from the surrounding seats.

"What's with those expressions?" Jun Matsueda glanced at the girls sitting on either side of him.

"This is just the plot of a short film. We're here to be actors. Have we already immersed ourselves in the role before we've even started acting?"

After the boy spoke, the atmosphere at the square table relaxed, and Tomatsu Yuka smiled first, "That's true."

The girl is fairly satisfied with her current life, and if the character she plays doesn't have a good ending, it's not something she needs to care about.

"Can't the plot be changed again?" Mochizuki Haruka still felt a little uneasy. "There's nothing wrong with having a good ending, is there?"

“No way.” Natsumi Imokawa shook her head firmly. “That would completely change the feel of the story.”

"The current script is only the first version, and it will indeed be revised later, but the overall tone will definitely not change."

Matsueda Jun glanced at her a couple more times. He hadn't expected Imokawa to have such a decisive side—just like when she touched a camera, once she entered her professional field, the girl seemed like a completely different person.

"Let's take a look at the script first, shall we?" the boy said to the girls on either side of him. "There are so many pages, you haven't read it carefully, have you?"

Tomatsu Yuka and Mochizuki Haruka nodded in unison, glancing at each other across the room before quickly looking away.

“Matsueda is right…” Natsumi Imokawa’s tone became somewhat hesitant again. “This time, I just wanted everyone to see the first draft of the script and give me some suggestions.”

"Of course, suggestions are given on the premise that the general direction of the plot is acceptable," she added.

“No problem!” Tomatsu Tomohana smiled at her. “Shall we all order a coffee and watch it together?”

Imokawa Natsumi nodded vigorously, "The coffee's on me."

After taking a sip of the oatmeal latte the barista brought him, Jun Matsueda opened the script in his hand and started reading again from the first page.

The story of this short film can be divided into three parts, which tell the protagonist's emotional experiences in high school, college and after entering society.

Tomatsu Yuka plays the protagonist's childhood sweetheart and first love, Mochizuki Haruka plays a classmate who falls in love with the protagonist at first sight in college, and the actress playing his fiancée after he enters the workforce has not yet been determined because her role is not very large.

"Is this plot targeting me?" Mochizuki Haruka put down her coffee cup and frowned her delicate eyebrows.

"That first love dumped the male lead, and his fiancée also initiated the breakup. Why am I the one who can't have the love he wants and gets rejected?"

“Because there needs to be a change in the plot structure.” Natsumi Imokawa explained to her earnestly, “The first relationship is mutual, and the male protagonist is also more proactive and brave. This relationship is also the longest, and even after the two separated, he still couldn’t forget her.”

"So when he faces the second intruder in his life, he becomes passive and avoids it because the shadow of his first love is still in his heart."

"His relationship with his fiancée is a contrast to his first love. The importance he once placed on her has turned into indifference. He used to pursue a unique relationship, but now he doesn't even care if his fiancée says she wants to break up with him."

"Isn't it interesting how these changes come about with age and experience?" the girl said enthusiastically.

Tomatsu Tomori nodded. "It certainly sounds very interesting."

Mochizuki Haruka picked up where she left off, saying, "But I just feel this character is so tragic, even more tragic than my character."

The three girls looked at Jun Matsueda, and the boy paused, his hand holding the coffee cup momentarily still.

"I have no objection," he said casually. "Isn't it all for the sake of the plot?"

"Mochizuki, you watched Titanic before, didn't the male lead freeze to death at sea? If it hadn't been so tragic, it might not have achieved its current status as a classic film."

“We watched it together.” Mochizuki Haruka corrected the boy’s words, and Tomatsu Yuka glanced at her again.

"So everyone's okay with their roles?" Natsumi Imokawa asked cautiously.

"I still feel like my character is a bit tragic." Mochizuki Haruka felt the coffee was a bit bitter, so she ordered an ice cream instead.

"The role isn't yours, please don't get it wrong." The girl opposite her reminded her with a smile, "If you're really not satisfied, I can switch with you."

“No, that won’t do.” Natsumi Imokawa interrupted their conversation, “I’ve chosen the roles based on your personalities and temperaments.”

"Tomatsu looks very approachable and is easy for the audience to like, making him the most suitable to portray a pure and beautiful first love."

"Mochizuki is quite unique and suitable for playing a girl who pursues love without hesitation, which is also the charm that makes her able to move the male lead."

The square table fell silent for a moment. Jun Matsueda, who was drinking coffee, looked up and sized up the two of them. Tomatsu Tomoka's smile seemed a little absent-minded, while Mochizuki Haruka's furrowed brows relaxed, and she seemed to be in a much better mood.

"So it's decided then?" the boy asked again on behalf of his director. "Is everyone confirmed to participate?"

The girls nodded, and Natsumi Imokawa leaned back in her chair, letting out a sigh of relief.

Thanks to Songzhi... otherwise she would have had to find the right person and explain things herself.

For a girl with limited social connections and poor communication skills, this task was far too difficult.

Mochizuki Haruka closed the notebook in her hand. "The script still needs to be revised, right? When will filming begin?"

"We can start filming tomorrow or the day after!" Natsumi Imokawa said excitedly, placing her hands on the table.

"While the cherry blossoms are still in bloom!"

As the four of them left the cafe, Jun Matsueda pushed open the glass door and looked at the girl who had finished paying and was walking towards him.

"By the way, why did Imokawa want to apply to the directing department instead of the cinematography department?"

Natsumi Imokawa smiled at him while holding her wallet.

"Because photography can only capture other people's stories, but I want to create my own!"

Later, the girl realized that the same principle applies to feelings.

But by the time she realized it, it seemed to be a little too late.

Chapter 512 The First Scene of the Four-Person Crew

On the afternoon of April 10th, under the bright sunshine, Jun Matsue sat on the tram, looking at the girls huddled together in the seats opposite him.

Natsumi Imokawa sat in the center, a large backpack on her lap. She spread out her notebook and placed it on top of the backpack, looking at the scene with Tomatsu Tomoka and Mochizuki Haruka who were close to her on either side.

"So this is all we're going to film today?" Mochizuki Haruka ran her finger across the page, glancing at the ample bosom blocking her view; it was getting in her way.

"Mmm! We need to visit more places today, and try to get as many shots of cherry blossoms as possible," said the owner of the chest.

"We probably won't be able to finish filming today, will we?" Tomatsu Yuka asked worriedly. "These are all daytime shots; we won't be able to film after sunset..."

"We can only film more in the next few days." Natsumi Imokawa looked at the girls sitting next to her, then at the boy sitting opposite her, and lowered her head deeply.

"Thank you all for your hard work!"

The afternoon sun streamed through the car window, falling on the girls' hair, and Jun Matsueda couldn't resist taking out his phone to take pictures.

The sound of the shutter made the three girls look up, and he captured the moment when they all looked at him at the same time.

The time on the phone screen was 3:15. The boys and girls had just finished class. Today was the first scheduled shoot for the four-person film crew.

The sound of a tram passing by came from behind. Jun Matsueda walked out of the station and picked off the pink petals that had fallen on his shoulder.

The street in front of me is lined with tall cherry blossom trees, and when the wind blows, the petals fall in abundance.

"Although the peak blooming season has passed, the cherry blossom blizzard is still very charming~" Tomatsu Yuka said, standing next to him.

Mochizuki Haruka walked past the two of them and said, "Don't just look at the scenery. Imokawa said he'll film your scenes first."

“It’s just ahead.” Natsumi Imokawa pointed to the end of the road. “There’s a high school there. We’ll film near the school.”

"Let me help you with your bag." Jun Matsue lifted the backpack off her shoulder, and the girl obediently loosened the strap. The boy weighed it in his hand and said, "It's quite heavy."

Natsumi Imokawa breathed a sigh of relief; she was indeed a little tired from carrying it all. "Both cameras and lenses of varying focal lengths are inside, along with a stabilizer, camera mount, microphone, laptop, and docking station..."

“Making a movie is much more complicated than I thought,” Tomatsu Yuka smiled.

"We can't really call this making a movie yet." The girl shook her head. "The finished film is probably only thirty to fifty minutes long. A real movie needs sets, lighting, and more..."

"I think there are some movies that don't have high requirements, right?" Mochizuki Haruka turned around. "Those movies have shaky visuals, which are quite interesting to watch."

"Ah, that's called handheld photography..."

Listening to the girls' discussion, Jun Matsue smiled, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and followed them toward the direction from which the cherry blossoms were blowing.

A few minutes later, the four of them stood by the school wall. A railing had been added to the outer side of the cherry blossom avenue, and beyond the railing was the gurgling water. The blurry shadows of the boys and girls were reflected on the shimmering surface of the river.

Mochizuki Haruka glanced at the school gate not far away. "Fujimori High School, the school environment is quite nice."

"I decided to film here because I saw their school's promotional video!" Natsumi Imokawa took back her bag and started taking out her equipment piece by piece.

"I checked the street view on a map app before I came, and I'm sure the photos will turn out pretty good."

"As expected of a director~" Jun Matsueda said with admiration.

The girl blushed slightly. "Matsueda and Tomatsu, please take another look at the script. We're about to start filming."

"Hmm...is there anything else I need to prepare?" Tomatsu Yuka smoothed her hair, a little nervous. "Like makeup and clothes?"

Natsumi Imokawa put down her camera and walked up to the girl. She first looked her up and down, then took two steps forward to observe her face at an extremely close distance.

"Um, does it have to be this close..." Tomatsu Yuka felt a little uncomfortable—Imokawa's chest was pressing against hers.

“No problem.” Natsumi Imokawa took two steps back and nodded. “Since it’s high school, wearing a school uniform is fine, and it’s better to keep your makeup simple. Anyway, you already have a very pretty face.”

"Thank you." The girl smiled.

"So I don't need to do anything now?" Mochizuki Haruka, standing next to the boy, yawned.

"Yes, it'll be your turn after they finish filming."