Am I being simulated by their love affair?

Page 274

Half an hour later, the News Club's last meeting of the academic year came to a successful conclusion. The members sitting at the table chatted and laughed, while Jun Matsue looked at the girl next to him.

"The minister did a great job this time; the response was even more enthusiastic than before."

"That's good." Natsumi Imokawa breathed a sigh of relief; she had become nervous again halfway through her story.

The news department didn't have any gatherings or similar activities. After the meeting, everyone chatted for a while before leaving the department office, leaving only the minister and deputy minister behind.

"It's over..."

The girl sitting at the head of the conference table looked around the room with a somewhat blank expression—computers, cameras, projectors, various photos and newspapers on the walls, and the table where she was now sitting.

"Actually, there's nothing special about it." She stood up and walked around every corner of the room.

“Compared to your father’s studio, it’s certainly very ordinary.” Jun Matsueda’s gaze followed the girl’s figure. “But we’ve all spent two years here—friendships are built over time.”

“Hmm!” Natsumi Imokawa nodded seriously and sat down in front of the computer. “When I first used this computer, I complained that it was too slow, but now I’m used to it.”

“You used to watch action movies on this screen.” Jun Matsueda laughed as he stood up and walked to her side.

The girl's face immediately turned red, much more embarrassed than when she had accidentally exposed herself while bowing earlier. "That was Yumi's prank!"

The two chatted as they packed their belongings—Natsumi Imokawa's spare camera and batteries, film and USB drives, and some previously discarded printed manuscripts that she had left in the clubroom.

"Is that all?" Jun Matsue looked at the camera on the computer desk.

"Let me check if there are any files or videos that I didn't copy..." The girl held the mouse and clicked on each file.

"Ah, I still have the footage from the previous recruitment video."

Colorful images flashed on the computer screen. Jun Matsueda put down what he was holding and sat down next to the girl.

"This is a picture of everyone participating in the brass band competition when we were first graders!" Natsumi Imokawa turned her face and gestured to the boys.

“I’m watching.” He leaned closer, and the two quickly reviewed the footage.

From the freshman orientation ceremony, sports meet, and brass band competition to the cultural festival, winter cup, and school trip... two years passed like a slideshow under the girl's fast-forwarding.

After watching the materials, they naturally watched the recruitment promotional video again.

As the scene of graduates discussing among themselves in the auditorium gradually faded, Jun Matsueda and Natsumi Imokawa leaned back in their chairs in unison, letting out a satisfied sigh.

"Imokawa is really talented in this area. You can make seemingly unrelated materials so appealing when you edit them together."

"This is my most satisfying work so far, and Songzhi helped me a lot."

"I didn't do anything." The boy, leaning back in his chair, looked at the ceiling and waved at her.

"Just like Songzhi doesn't need me to do anything, just listen to you talk, I don't need Songzhi to do anything either, just accompany me to do these things, shoot and edit, that's already a help."

The girl stared at the large, frozen words on the screen: "What kind of life do you want to live?"

Natsumi Imokawa felt from the bottom of her heart that having Matsue watching over her as she worked towards her goal of making a film was the luckiest thing ever.

“Really? That’s good.” Jun Matsueda sat up. “I’ve always thought it would be interesting to be friends with Imagawa.”

The girl nodded vigorously, "Without the pine branches, neither I nor my artwork would be what we are today."

The boy smiled and said, "Let's go, this room will be reserved for next year's new members."

Natsumi Imokawa, carrying a camera and film, and Jun Matsueda, carrying manuscripts and documents, walked out of the room. The girl took a commemorative photo of themselves with the camera. The 4:30 sun hung lazily in the sky outside the first-floor corridor, seemingly about to set.

The road outside the school was quiet, with only a few figures passing by in an instant—it was the day of the leadership transition, and even the students in the sports clubs wouldn't be training today; everyone had gone out to party.

"Where did we leave off last time with Imokawa?" Jun Matsue asked the girl beside him as they passed a cherry blossom bud.

"After graduation, Matsu decided to date Tomatsu," Natsumi Imokawa answered without hesitation. "Now it's all over the school."

The two walked out of the school gate and found a nearby dessert shop to sit down. The girl ordered a caramel pudding. She didn't look down while eating because she wanted to concentrate on listening to the boy's story.

"...That's the situation right now." Jun Matsueda took a sip of the strawberry milkshake he had ordered.

"To be honest, my relationship with Tomatsu is more comfortable than I imagined."

Natsumi Imokawa nodded earnestly, "Tomatsu-kun has always been very devoted to Matsue."

The girl didn't use the word "gentle" or anything like that; her intuition told her that Tomatsu-san wasn't as gentle as Yamami-senpai.

"So you're going to continue acting with her?"

"Hmm." Jun Matsueda stirred the milkshake. "I guess you're past the trial period now."

“…” Looking at the boy sitting across from her, Natsumi Imokawa hesitated for a moment, “So, has Matsueda seen the upperclassman recently?”

"No, she left very early that day at the graduation ceremony and never showed up again."

He stared down at the milkshake. Sunlight streamed through the shop windows, seats, and aisles, illuminating only half of the table where the two of them were sitting.

"If I don't see her, will I still be angry with her?"

"Hmm." Jun Matsueda looked up and smiled. "Don't let my appearance fool you, I'm actually the kind of person who holds grudges quite a bit."

"Oh, oh..." The girl lowered her head in a fluster; the boy's answer was different from what she had expected.

"But if you ask me if I'm angry now, of course I'm not as angry as I was back then, it's just that I still remember the anger I felt then."

"And you have to see things through to the end, don't you?"

Even revenge is the same.

Jun Matsue took another sip of the strawberry milkshake. He used to always order matcha flavored desserts when he came to the dessert shop, but he doesn't have that habit anymore.

Perhaps this can be considered a kind of finishing what it started.

"Hmm..." Imokawa Natsumi used a spoon to cut the last small piece of pudding, "But I think it's better if Matsueda doesn't continue like this for long..."

"I understand." The boy looked at the empty cup, the sides of which were covered with cloudy red milkshake.

"After all, what I'm doing now doesn't benefit anyone."

After parting ways with Natsumi Imokawa, Jun Matsueda returned to his apartment alone. The sky was a little past five o'clock, the sunlight dim, the pure golden yellow turning into the red of dusk, carrying a power that stirred the soul.

The boy knocked on the door of room 506 next door, telling the girl to come home early, but there was no response.

He turned the handle; the door wasn't locked. He walked into the living room. The sofa was empty, except for a crooked cat paw pillow that seemed to be greeting him.

Jun Matsue pushed open the door to the girl's bedroom. The curtains were half-drawn, casting an orange-red hue in the room. The blankets on the bed showed a small undulation, and the soft sound of breathing could be heard.

He walked to the bedside, where Mochizuki Haruka was curled up asleep. The girl's brows were relaxed, and she looked a little sleepy. A note was pasted on the notebook on the bedside table: "Wake me up for meals."

The boy smiled quietly, slowed his pace as he walked out of the bedroom and back to the apartment next door; it was time to prepare dinner.

As Jun Matsueda chopped the carrots into small pieces, he was still thinking about his conversation with Natsumi Imokawa that afternoon.

How long will this fake relationship last?

He tried to calculate the time but didn't get an answer because his phone rang in his pocket.

It was Yosuke Kurusu calling. The boy wiped the water off his hands and answered the call.

"Pine branch!!" The girl's cheerful voice leaped out from the receiver, barging into his ears.

Guess why I called you today?

Jun Matsueda walked out of the kitchen, sat down at the dining table, and turned on speakerphone. "Was today's performance a success?"

"It was a great success; not a single ticket was left, but that's not the point!"

"Today is the last show of the tour, and I need to get ready to go back to Tokyo!"

The girl's declaration echoed in the living room. Jun Matsueda looked up at the curtains fluttering in the wind on the balcony, revealing the colors of the setting sun.

It seems that no matter how long this relationship lasts, it is destined to be anything but smooth sailing.

Chapter 483 First Bloom

Two seconds after the alarm on the bedside table rang, Jun Matsue, lying in bed, finally opened his eyes.

I picked up my phone, turned off the alarm, and glanced at the time on the screen—March 20th, 8 a.m., a little later than usual.

He rolled out of bed, got dressed, washed up, and looked at himself in the mirror with foam all over his mouth. The boy pondered why he had gotten up late today.

I'm probably a bit tired because I watched two movies with Mochizuki Haruka next door last night.

Perhaps it was the sudden drop in temperature that made him reluctant to leave the warmth of his bed.

It's also possible that he stayed up a little later than usual because he was thinking about someone coming back before going to sleep.

Today is the spring equinox, the first day of Haneoka Taka's spring vacation, and also the day his roommate Kurusu Yosei returns to Tokyo.

He walked out of the bathroom, took out bread, vegetables and eggs from the refrigerator, and while waiting for the oil in the pan to heat up, he went to the entrance hall and unlocked the door.

When Jun Matsue came out of the kitchen with a sandwich, Haruka Mochizuki was already yawning and sitting at the table.

"Why are you up so early today?" The boy was a little surprised, as she usually loved to sleep in even more than Kurusu.

"I slept for a long time yesterday afternoon..." The girl rubbed her eyes and reached for the sandwich placed in front of her.

"Have you washed up yet?" Jun Matsue sat down opposite her and took a big bite of his fried egg and ham sandwich.

"Mmm..." the girl mumbled incoherently as she chewed the food in her mouth.

Although the two now eat, play games, and watch movies together, there is still only one toothbrush in the bathroom of room 507, which is why Matsueda Jun can accept Mochizuki Haruka living next door for an extended period.

Compared to before, the girl has a better grasp of distance—perhaps she's better at handling Matsueda Jun.

Picking up the glass beside her, Mochizuki Haruka elegantly swallowed her milk, put down her sandwich, and looked at the boy.

"Is Lai Qiyang coming back?"

"I'll be back today." Jun Matsueda nodded. "You're so well-informed?"

"I just saw that her tour ended." The girl pursed her lips slightly. "You're not going to pick her up, are you?"

"No," the boy gave her a reassuring answer. "I have a part-time job today, and she definitely has a team to pick her up from the airport. It would be more troublesome for me to go."

"I feel sorry for Matsue," Mochizuki Haruka said with a hint of malice in her smile. "She can only wait for her to come back like a kitten or puppy."

"Being an idol isn't some kind of impressive status or position, yet it keeps people at a distance."

“That’s right.” Jun Matsue swallowed the last bite of his sandwich without changing his expression and stood up from the table.

"I'm going to the Literature Museum. If Miss Mochizuki is in a good mood, please wash the dishes."

The girl watched him go back to his bedroom, grab his handbag, and walk toward the door.

"Working with Tomatsu?"

"if not?"

"Remember, the Literature Museum isn't a place for you to date, and there are security cameras too!" Mochizuki Haruka shouted at the figure standing in the entrance hall.

The boy turned around and glanced at her before closing the door.

The girl picked up the remaining half of the sandwich on the plate and took a bite with even more ferocity.

When Jun Matsue entered the library, Yuka Tomatsu was facing away from him, admiring the view outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. She only turned around when the boy's footsteps approached.

"The cherry blossoms have finally bloomed this year," the girl said, smiling at him.

Jun Matsue looked out the window. The sky was a pale blue, and the sunlight wasn't particularly bright. However, once the cherry blossoms on the lawn bloomed, these imperfections became a perfect backdrop, drawing people's attention to the pink petals shimmering in the wind.

"It seems to open a little later than last year." The boy walked through the space the girl had given up and sat down in his seat behind the counter.

"It doesn't matter if it's early or late, as long as it blooms beautifully, that's enough, right?"

The girl's smile was as bright as cherry blossoms, and Jun Matsue couldn't help but nod.

There weren't many visitors to the library today. With the spring equinox holiday and the cherry blossoms just beginning to bloom, I imagine all the cherry blossom viewing spots in Tokyo are packed with people right now. The two of them finished their work quickly and had some free time around 10 a.m.

"Shall we take a picture?" Tomatsu Yuka suddenly suggested, looking at the cherry blossoms outside the window.

"Hmm?" Jun Matsue looked up as he flipped through the book.

"Isn't today a perfect day for couples to show off their love?" the girl said matter-of-factly. "Spring break has just started, so Tsun-kun and I should become even more 'affectionate' too."

Matsueda Jun thought for two seconds, "Is it for my senior to see?"

Tomatsu Tomori nodded. "Isn't a holiday a good time for couples to deepen their relationship?"

"All I need to do is take a few photos and perform a little, then I'll post them on my social media to show my senior."

Although the girl said this, the affection in her eyes was as undisguised as a blooming cherry blossom.

"Does she still check your social media?" the boy asked, somewhat surprised.

“You’ve been watching this, senior.” Tomatsu Yuka tapped the camera-like icon on her phone and showed him the content.