Am I being simulated by their love affair?

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“That requires someone to handle filming and editing. Do you have the time? None of us are good at that.”

Jun Matsue turned his head. He originally wanted to look at Natsumi Imokawa, but the girl's full breasts blocked his view, so he had to move his chair to create some distance.

"Hmm..." the girl thought for a moment, "I still have some free time now, but it's hard to say when I'm in my senior year of high school."

"I see. But if it's my senior year of high school, I definitely won't be in the band anymore."

"Huh?" Natsumi Imokawa was taken aback. "Is Matsueda withdrawing?"

"Well, I don't have as much enthusiasm as Aya-chan and Izumi-san. I'll focus on my studies from now on."

It's still too early to say what will happen to the Yami family. In order to gain the approval of the elders, it would be better for him to leave the band.

"But wasn't Matsueda all smiles during the previous performance?"

The girl bent down, snatched the mouse from the boy's hand, and clicked on the video on the page.

The stage lights flashed, and below was a crowd that rippled like a tide. The boy sitting behind the drum set moved with fluid grace, and the restless drumbeats resonated with the hearts of the audience.

"Look." The girl zoomed in on the image. The boy's expression was a little blurry, but you could still see the sparkle in his eyes and the upturned corners of his lips.

“That’s because you’re all in the audience, of course you’d be happy,” Jun Matsueda replied.

The girl clicked on another video, which was a scene in the practice room, showing only a boy playing the drums.

Jun Matsue looked at himself on the screen, completely absorbed and lost in the moment, as if he were in another world.

"Pine branches?" Natsumi Imokawa asked, her tone filled with doubt.

“…Alright.” Jun Matsueda turned to look at the girl. “Imokawa, just like you are working hard to get into film school, I am also working hard towards a goal right now.”

"So we have to put the band thing aside for now, and besides, a band isn't the only way to enjoy music."

In an instant, Jun Matsue suddenly remembered Yuka Tomatsu, the woman who gave up the brass band for him.

The weight of some things can only be truly understood after experiencing them firsthand.

"..." Natsumi Imokawa stared at the boy in front of her, "As long as Matsueda is happy."

"Songzhi didn't seem very happy the past few days, but thankfully you're happy again today."

"Thank you." The boy seemed relieved for some reason.

"As for what that goal is... I'll tell Imokawa if I have the chance."

"it is good."

The girl's approval seemed to tell him that he was right.

However, some people don't think so.

After school, Mochizuki Haruka hurriedly returned to the manor with her schoolbag and went into the woman's bedroom.

"Auntie." The girl's voice was filled with barely concealed anxiety.

"Matsueda went home with Yamami Maki yesterday!"

Chapter 405 The Third Bad News

"So, Songzhi went to meet the parents?"

Wang Yuehua's somewhat languid voice echoed in the bedroom. The afternoon sun was warm, and she couldn't help but take a short nap.

"Maybe we'll go home and do things that only couples do..."

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Mochizuki Haruka spoke in a low, melancholic tone; this kind of scene has appeared in many comics.

"How could that be?" The woman waved her hand dismissively. "If those two really slept together, why didn't they go to Songzhi's apartment? Going to Shanjian's house is just asking for trouble, isn't it?"

The girl rolled her eyes. She was just saying it casually, but she didn't expect her aunt to actually analyze it.

Wang Yuehua got out of bed, picked up the teacup that the maid had placed on the bedside table in advance, and used the cold-brewed Gyokuro tea to refresh herself.

A few minutes later, she stood in front of the dressing table and braided the hair of the sitting girl.

"Hmm, so that means Matsueda must have already met Yamami Kazuaki... He should be able to sense what the real family is like, right?"

The woman's fingers traced the girl's long, flowing hair, the smooth, black strands parting like waves with her slender fingers.

"Aren't we a family too?" Mochizuki Haruka asked, somewhat puzzled by her aunt's statement.

"Is Xiaoyao very close to our relatives?" The woman smiled. "We can only be considered a 'family,' while people like Yamami are the real 'clan.'"

“Matsue grew up in an orphanage and isn’t the sociable type, so how could she possibly adapt to the Yamami family’s lifestyle, where you could fill out several forms just for family relationships?”

"So for him, our little family is the most suitable~"

"Will the pine branch run into a wall with Yamami Maki's parents?" Mochizuki Haruka turned her head; this was the question she was most concerned about.

"Hmm...that's hard to say."

The aunt picked up the mirror placed on the table so that the girl could see her three-strand braided pigtails reflected in the mirror of the dressing table.

"Matsueda is very good at enduring things, isn't he? Back when Haruka was so willful, he was able to tolerate you for so long. If you want to win over Uncle and Aunt Yamami's family, it shouldn't be too difficult, right?"

Mochizuki Haruka fell silent, staring intently at the smiling woman in the mirror with a resentful look in her eyes.

"Actually, this is a good thing." Wang Yuehua smoothed the girl's braids one last time, admiring her masterpiece with satisfaction.

“The more patient Matsue is with the Yamami family, the better—he’s not a submissive person at heart, and the deeper his connection with the Yamami family, the more unhappy he will become.”

“We don’t need to do anything, just be good to him. Songzhi will definitely feel the difference in treatment.”

The woman sat down on a chair nearby, as if she had returned to her office in the corporate building, plotting to take down her target without bloodshed.

"Why go to the Yamami family to fawn over them when you can be free and at ease at Mochizuki's house?"

"If this kind of thinking continues to pull us along, the pine branches will naturally lean towards our side."

"If the relationship between Matsue and Maki continues to warm up, Haruka can tell Tomatsu Yuka that they have already met each other's parents and let her take the lead for you."

“…Aunt is too scheming.” Mochizuki Haruka turned her head to look at the woman sitting behind her.

"Isn't it because Xiaoyao is so useless?" The woman rolled her eyes at her. "How about this hairstyle? If you like it, use it to seduce Songzhi tomorrow."

The girl examined it for a while and then said in approval, "Matsugi should like it."

Wang Yuehua sighed, "That's how you win over a man; you always have to give him something new."

"Girls like Xiao Moji always seem perfect at first glance, but no one is perfect. Over time, even flaws that aren't really flaws will be magnified."

“You’ve already shown Songzhi your worst side, so every good thing you do from now on is a plus.”

The visionary strategist, Mochizuki Kaga, concluded with this summary.

"Offense is always easier than defense. As long as we can make the pine branches sway even once more, it's a victory for us!"

That evening, Jun Matsue received bad news, which was also the first attack from the Mochizuki family.

The cell phone on the sofa rang, and Yosuke Kurusu pressed the pause button on the TV. The two were watching the fourth episode of "Now That Things Have Come to This."

The boy picked up his phone, glanced at it, gestured to the girl not to worry about him, and then walked towards the balcony.

"Did your aunt want to see me about something?"

The woman cleared her throat, her voice melodious, "Matsue, Mr. Yamami Kazuaki called me today, didn't he?"

"Uncle Yamami?" Jun Matsueda frowned. "Is it something to do with me?"

"So he's calling me 'uncle' already?" Aunt's voice was somewhat sarcastic. "Do you know what he said to me?"

"You want our family to keep a good distance from Matsueda Jun, okay? Are you and Maki already that close?"

Could Mochizuki know about his relationship with his senior? This was Matsueda Jun's first thought.

"Don't worry, I'll keep it a secret for Xiaoyao," the woman said with a smile. "You young people can handle your own affairs."

As she said this, Mochizuki Haruka, who had just finished taking a shower, was listening nearby.

The boy subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief. "So he got rejected? Will this affect the relationship between your two families?"

"Of course I agreed!" Wang Yuehua laughed even more happily on the other end of the phone. "I still need to do business with them, so this is also a way of doing them a favor."

"But my agreement doesn't mean Xiaoyao agrees, and I can't control her anyway~"

"..." Jun Matsue imagined his aunt's cunning, fox-like smile on the other side.

"So I'm just making this call to let Songzhi know." The woman's voice sounded somewhat alluring.

"If you suffer any injustice at the Yamami family, you can come to me and Haruka to seek justice for you, okay?"

"After all, you're considered a benefactor of the Mochizuki family, so there's no need to be so polite~"

After watching the rest of the TV series with the girl and washing up, Jun Matsueda lay on the bed.

The partially closed curtains cast faint streaks of light on the ceiling and the blankets, and he began to recall yesterday's conversation and tonight's phone call.

The Yamami family has already begun taking action.

According to the Yamami family's plan, in another six months, he will completely leave the band, move out of the apartment, and study business management, financial investment, and social etiquette while ensuring his admission to the University of Tokyo. After that, he will delve into the Japanese political scene and the Yamami family's stance and position...

That night, Jun Matsue had a dream—a future without bands, without part-time jobs, without teenage girls' dreams of movies and idols, without fairy tales and tears.

The next morning, he met Yamami Maki at the school gate.

"Good morning, Pine Branch." The girl, who had just stepped off the bus, smiled with delight. "Why are you here so early today?"

"I had a dream last night, so I woke up a little earlier this morning."

"What kind of dream was it?" Yami Maki asked with a curious look.

Jun Matsue recalled, "I only remember being with my senior, and I can't remember anything after that."

In my dreams, flowers bloom in abundance, and oil is poured into a blazing fire.

The boy smiled brightly.

"Anyway, it was a good dream."

Chapter 406 Memories Soaked in Soup

It's been almost a month since Yuuki High School started classes, and once this week ends, it will be the latter half of September in the blink of an eye.

Jun Matsue looked out of the classroom window, where the cicadas had stopped chirping and only the rustling of the wind through the trees remained.

The hottest period has passed, and today is another cloudy day. The breeze blowing from the outdoors is enough to ward off the heat.

"What are you daydreaming about, Pine Branch? Aren't you going to have lunch?"

The boy turned around and saw Mochizuki Haruka standing by the door looking at him. The girl tilted her head slightly, her thick eyelashes fluttering, making her look even more delicate and cute than a doll.

"I don't have much of an appetite today." Jun Matsueda shook his head. "I'll just buy some bread before PE class this afternoon."

"...Shall I bring you back a pudding later? Do you want caramel or plain?"

"The original flavor, I guess."

As Mochizuki Haruka left the room, Tomatsu Yuka, who had been blocked by her, finally came into the boy's view. The girl took out a lunchbox from her schoolbag and placed it on the empty table.

Tomatsu Yuka often brings her own lunch, but she rarely stays in the classroom to eat lunch. Even if she can't sit with Matsueda Jun, she will choose to bring her own lunch and go to the cafeteria with the boys.

However, since Jun Matsue stayed in the classroom today, the girl did not leave her seat.

After glancing at the bustling corridor, Jun Matsueda looked away and quickly finished the homework his teacher had just assigned. It wasn't time to go out yet.

"Matsueda-kun isn't even putting his heart into lying anymore." A girl's voice came from behind, and Matsueda Jun looked up.

Tomatsu Yuka didn't open the bento box, but instead rested her chin on her right hand and looked in his direction, as if she had been watching for a long time.

Apart from the two of them, the students in the classroom were all eating, chatting and laughing in small groups, and those who were alone had already put on their headphones. No one noticed the girl's lighthearted words in the corner.

“Matsu-san takes eating so seriously, how could she not have an appetite?” Tomatsu Yuka continued.

“You can’t say that,” Jun Matsue said without putting down his pen. “Even I have times when I lose my appetite.”

“Matsueda-kun does sometimes lose her appetite,” the girl said with a slight smile, “but only after the fourth period of PE class in the morning.”

"Because people don't have much of an appetite after strenuous exercise, but even so, Matsueda will buy two breads, one sweet and one savory, and a glass of milk, and eat her lunch properly."

The boy was speechless. He put down his pen, turned his back to the girl, and looked out the window at the slowly advancing sea of ​​clouds.

He and Tomatsu Yuka have recently resumed their previous way of getting along, but Matsueda Jun is well aware that certain changes have indeed occurred.

For example, he would no longer ask the girl to pour him water when he was working part-time, the infrequent exchange of snacks between the two had disappeared, and their conversations focused more on their shared life rather than their individual details.