Am I being simulated by their love affair?

Page 180

Or rather, it would be better if Yuka could suffer less injury...

"Yuka should enjoy everyone's performance too." Yami Maki smiled somewhat reluctantly, unable to directly respond to the boy's feelings, which made her feel a dull pain in her chest.

Jun Matsueda looked surprised. He hadn't expected his senior to bring up Tomatsu at this moment. Before he could say anything, the girls who were with him came down the stairs and walked towards the two of them.

"Sorry to keep you waiting~" Aya Miyamura waved to the two of them, "Let's go! To the yakiniku restaurant!"

The yakiniku restaurant was right next to the station, not far away. Miyamura Aya and Izumi Mizuki, who were walking ahead, were still talking about the performance and did not notice the two silent people behind them.

“Matsueda-san.” Yamami Maki spoke again, and Matsueda Jun looked into her eyes.

"I have a little over a semester left before graduation."

Academic issues? That's something to consider... For most guys, falling in love at the time of graduation is a risky decision.

"Hearing what Matsueda-kun said earlier, I really feel very happy." The girl stopped and looked up at him.

The girls, who had already walked some distance away, turned back in confusion. Jun Matsueda waved his hand, signaling them to go ahead.

"Just gazing into Matsueda's eyes for a long time in the crowd is enough to make me so happy." The white light shimmered in Yamami Maki's eyes, and the affection within was self-evident.

"If happiness is yeast, then I am the fluffiest loaf of bread right now," the girl laughed.

"If I could be by Matsueda's side every day, I'm afraid I'd be overwhelmed by the happiness."

“But I’m graduating soon.” She looked at Jun Matsueda with calm and sweet eyes. “I’m a little worried that I’m too happy to achieve my goals.”

Actually, this was just an excuse. The girl knew very well that the real reason was someone else.

“And there’s Yuka too.” Yami Maki looked to the side. “She’s a very lovely junior of mine… I know very well what it means for her if we’re together.”

She understood Tomatsu Yuka better than before. The young girl didn't have much, and seeing her senior, whom she relied on, walking together with the person she admired would be an unbearable blow.

“But there’s only a semester or so left before I say goodbye to everyone at school.” Yami Maki took a step forward, her head bowed, and she could already see the tips of the boys’ shoes.

"I only have one more semester or so before I can say goodbye to Youhua."

“Before that.” The girl looked up at Jun Matsueda with pleading in her eyes.

"No matter how good our relationship is, we can't be lovers, okay?"

The boy's silence made Yamami Maki feel a little panicked, and tears welled up in the girl's eyes.

"I'm sorry, it's clearly me who has wronged Matsue-san, yet you're asking for so much..."

"Is that all?" Jun Matsueda's voice rang in her ears, without the anger or disappointment the girl had imagined.

"You said so much all at once," the boy in front of her laughed. "I'm still trying to understand, why are you crying?"

He hadn't expected that just a tentative advance would lead to his senior revealing everything about herself, leaving him somewhat caught off guard.

Jun Matsueda wiped away the girl's tears with a tissue. "So, since we're still in Haneoka, it's impossible for us to be lovers in name only, right?"

"Isn't that going too far?" Yami Maki lowered her head in shame.

"It's alright." Jun Matsueda gently held the girl's wrist. The boy's hand was warm. Although it was the first time she had touched it, Maki Yami had already become hopelessly accustomed to the feeling.

"I've never confessed to you, so why are you suddenly saying all this?" He winked slyly with his left eye.

This is also why Jun Matsue didn't confess directly to Maki Yamami; he knew that his senior would definitely have some reservations.

"Then..." the girl hesitated, unable to finish her sentence.

"In front of everyone, we are just seniors and juniors at school, ordinary friends," the boy continued.

“It should be a little better than a normal friendship,” Jun Matsueda added.

"As for their relationship in private, they're definitely not lovers, right?"

"Um... could you please let go of my hand first?" Yami Maki said, her face flushed. "There are so many people around..."

Although it was a refusal, the girl spoke so softly and sweetly that it made it hard to let go.

"Let's shake hands a little longer," Jun Matsue blinked innocently. "Anyway, nobody on the street knows us."

"All right……"

The two who had been standing on the side of the street finally took a step. Their hands, which had been clasped together, were now clasped apart, but the distance between the boy and girl had become much closer.

They were so close that their fingertips could touch.

Chapter 315 Looking Forward to Early Spring in the Summer Night Breeze

When the two quickened their pace and saw the girls' backs ahead again, they finally separated their hands, which had been so close yet so distant.

"Isn't it right next to the station? Didn't you find the shop?" Jun Matsue walked over to the girls, giving Maki Yami space to compose herself.

"It's just that Aya suddenly changed her mind." Izumi Mizuki glanced at Miyamura Aya beside her; it was this girl who originally suggested eating yakiniku.

"It's not that I've changed my mind~" the girl protested, "I just suddenly want to eat everything!"

Matsueda Jun turned around and looked behind him. Yamami Maki was standing behind the three of them, smiling quietly at him.

The smile was exactly the same, but in Jun Matsuoka's eyes, it had a hint of something indescribable. He turned around and looked at the dazzling array of shops on both sides of the street.

"If this drags on any longer, my stomach will start to protest."

"Then let's have barbecue!" The girl made up her mind and walked towards the street ahead.

After walking past the Meidai-mae Station, passing the Matsuya and Yoshinoya restaurants on both sides, a "Hong Kong-tei" Chinese restaurant, a "Kasuga-tei" ramen shop, and a "Chaka-taku" coffee shop, the four of them stood in front of their destination.

"Meat Distribution Center" is the name of the yakiniku (grilled meat) restaurant. Next door there is another yakiniku restaurant called "Gyu-kaku" (beef horn) – the Japanese have their own unique tastes when it comes to naming things.

"You two go in and order first," Izumi Mizuki said to the two people on the other side, holding Miyamura Aya's hand.

“When Caijiang was changing my strings, a string broke and she got hurt. I took her to buy a Band-Aid.”

Jun Matsueda lifted the girl's hand and looked at it; Maki Yami stared at his movements.

The wound was thin and shallow, with some bloodstains.

Do you need a tetanus shot?

“The strings aren’t dirty, it’s not necessary~” Miyamura Aya shook her finger, “A band-aid will do.”

As the girls disappeared around the street corner, Jun Matsueda turned to look at Maki Yami.

"It's become just the two of us."

The senior student rolled her eyes at him helplessly, "They just went to the store, they'll be back soon."

The boy thought for a moment, "Can I tell Aya-chan? She definitely won't tell anyone else."

The girl lowered her head shyly, "What did you say? We're not a couple..."

The waitress at the door listened to their conversation and smiled kindly.

As Miyamura Aya and Izumi Mizuki entered the restaurant, they sat down at a wooden table with a rectangular grill pan, ordered beef tongue, beef ribs, pork tenderloin, and a huge bowl of cabbage to cut through the greasiness. The aroma of the marinated meat sizzling on the grill pan filled the air.

"We've ordered some basic meats first," Yami Maki beckoned to the two of them. "Is there anything else you'd like to eat?"

"I want to eat pork belly~" Caijiang sat down and eagerly flipped the grilled meat over.

"Let's eat first." Izumi Mizuki took a sip of lemonade. "I can have rice."

Matsueda Jun watched the girl take orders for everyone, "Senior, is there nothing you'd like to eat?"

“That’s right!” Aya chimed in, “Yamami-neechan is our sugar daddy, so you’ll get a share of dinner tonight!”

Yamami Maki glanced at Matsueda Jun; he would never have asked her such a question before. The girl's happiness began to swell silently again.

"Hmm..." She stared at the menu, thinking, "I'll order a takoyaki sausage."

The meat on the grill disappeared quickly, and as soon as it turned brown, it was snatched up by the hungry group. Jun Matsuzae then placed the next plate of soy sauce beef tongue on the grill and sprinkled it with chopped green onions.

To make room for the raw meat, he placed the sausage in front of him into Yamami Maki's bowl, a straightforward action that showed no sign of intimacy.

"The sausage my senior wanted."

"Thank you~" The girl's tone was even softer than usual.

"It's a pity that Sachi-chan won't be able to enjoy the taste of grilled meat." Miyamura Aya swallowed the grilled meat in her mouth, feeling sorry for Sachi-chan who couldn't taste it.

"She's going to meet her boyfriend." Izumi Mizuki, who was busy finishing her grilled meat and rice, looked up. "I'll just give her the money for dinner later."

"Is love really that attractive?" Cai Jiang picked up a perfectly cooked piece of beef tongue and exclaimed in a deliberately mature tone.

"What do you think, senior?" Jun Matsue asked with a smile, looking at the girl in front of him.

Yamami Maki, who was eating meat in small bites, looked up, her eyes filled with a hint of panic.

"Of course, the feeling of being in love must be wonderful, right?" The senior tried to prove her innocence with a guessing tone. "Barbecue is just a meal's satisfaction, but it can't compare to the happiness of seeing the person you love."

“Even though my senior has never been in a relationship…” Aya pouted.

“That’s exactly what I mean.” Jun Matsueda’s smile widened slightly. “Even though my senior has never been in a relationship.”

Yamami Maki glanced at the girl beside her who was focused on eating meat, gave him a resentful glare, and then looked down at her phone.

Jun Matsueda's phone, which was in his pocket, vibrated quickly. He took it out and saw a message from his senior.

"You're malicious!"

The barbecue was eaten quickly, and the four of them walked out of the restaurant. The empty plates on the table proved their success. Miyamura Aya and Izumi Mizuki planned to go shopping a bit more to digest their food, while Matsueda Jun saw Yamami Maki off to the station alone.

The summer night breeze had lost its daytime intensity and heat, leaving behind flowing shadows and gentle moonlight, lifting the girl's long hair and brushing it past Matsueda Jun's shoulders.

Neither of them spoke as they walked down the street. It wasn't awkward silence, but rather a quiet reflection on the promise they had made to each other. Yamami Maki looked at the boy's profile, the city lights forming a backdrop. In this open and bustling environment, she could more deeply sense the distance between them.

In just one day, one night, and one ten-minute performance, Yamami Maki found herself completely transformed, so suddenly, yet so naturally.

When she first met this boy, she never imagined that she would be walking with him like this. However, now that she is standing next to him, she can hardly imagine that the two of them are still strangers to each other.

Maki Yami longed to turn back and find the girl who had asked her questions at the dinner table, and tell her that this was the magic of love.

"Message me when you get home." Jun Matsue walked into the station and told the senior student next to him, "If you get bored on the train, chat with me."

Yamami Maki nodded like a parrot, completely lacking the dignity expected of a senior.

The girl waved to him from inside the carriage, but no matter how reluctant she looked, her figure disappeared into the roaring train.

Jun Matsue stood on the platform without leaving, savoring the bittersweet feeling in his heart.

Until his phone screen lit up.

"Matsueda-kun, I'm so happy today."

"I wish Matsueda could be as happy as I am!"

So no matter how well the subtle bitterness was hidden, it disappeared in an instant, and Jun Matsue walked out of the platform.

Before early spring next year, it will be the day that Yamami Maki graduates. The senior will no longer be a senior, and the senior will no longer be a senior.

He had already begun to look forward to it.

Chapter 316 Jun Matsue Doesn't Like to Lie

After taking the subway back with Aya Miyamura, they parted ways near the school, and Jun Matsueda returned to apartment 507 alone.

After changing his shoes and turning on the light, it seemed that Kurusu hadn't come home yet. Matsueda Jun sat on the sofa for a while before going to the bathroom to wash off the smell of barbecue.

After throwing the short-sleeved shirt he had taken off and the girl's outer clothes from the laundry basket into the washing machine, Jun Matsue returned to the living room and opened the balcony door amidst the clanging of the washing machine drum.

The moment the night breeze blew into the room, the sound of the door opening came from the entryway.

"I took so many photos, I'm so tired—" Yosuke Kurusu groaned as he walked into the living room and collapsed onto the sofa.

"Would you like a glass of milk?" Jun Matsue opened the refrigerator.

"Add ice!" the girl said boldly, as if she were drinking.

Jun Matsue poured two glasses of milk, and two transparent square ice cubes fell into the girl's glass and disappeared.

He placed the iced milk in front of the girl, and Jun Matsue sat on the far right of the sofa, drinking the milk and staring blankly at the night sky outside the balcony.

"Huh?" Yosei Kurusu, holding a glass of milk, squatted down next to the sofa.

The boy glanced at the girl who approached. "What's wrong?"

"Matsue seems to be in a good mood today?" Kurusu Yosei looked at the boy's profile. "Did you have something good for dinner?"

Jun Matsue nodded. "We're having barbecue tonight. It tastes pretty good."

The best lie is the truth, even though he felt that this didn't really count as lying to her.