Am I being simulated by their love affair?

Page 171

Looking at the room now, it suddenly seemed cozy. There were some Christmas decorations on the walls and windows, which she and Matsueda Jun had left behind last year. Whenever she was on the verge of collapse here, the boy would rush to her side. Even after she left the apartment, she was able to get through those unbearable days in the hospital by relying on her memories of him.

Although she can now recall these past events in such an ordinary way, Mochizuki Haruka will not feel any nostalgia because of them.

"Matsue, I will never go back to this hospital again," the girl sitting on the bed said.

"Then let's tidy it up properly," Jun Matsue smiled. "Make sure we don't leave anything behind."

"No, it won't." Mochizuki Haruka gently shook her head; those things most worth preserving had already been carefully placed in her heart.

There weren't many things worth taking from the ward; they were mostly clothes belonging to two women, one older and one younger. The aunt had fewer clothes, while Mochizuki Haruka had more.

Jun Matsue watched the girl sitting on the empty bed folding clothes. Her movements were clean and efficient, and the folded clothes were neatly arranged. He remembered the night before the Hokkaido school trip when he helped the useless kitten pack her luggage.

"You've become quite capable." He looked at Mochizuki Haruka smoothing out the cuffs of her clothes. "I packed all your luggage for your school trip back then."

“People always change.” The girl deliberately spoke in a mature tone. “Someone wants to see me gradually become a better human being, and I can’t let him down.”

A few nights ago, when her aunt was at home with nothing to do, the girl told her the story of Hokkaido: the earthquake, the blackout, and the night that made her make up her mind.

"Songzhi is truly a sinful fellow~" This was Aunt's exclamation after hearing the story.

When Mochizuki Haruka casually folded her underwear and bra in front of him, Matsueda Jun decided to walk around the room to check if she had left anything behind.

The scarf hanging on the coat rack, the mechanical pencil on the windowsill, the hair tie on the bedside table... He opened each drawer of the bedside table and found a somewhat familiar postcard at the bottom.

"What is this?" Out of politeness, the boy didn't look at it, but instead held it out to the girl.

Looking at the postcard, Mochizuki Haruka reached out and took it. "The postcard I sent to my aunt from the Otaru post office, the envelope should be with you. It's the one I left for you when I left Tokyo."

“I see.” Jun Matsue found the source of the familiarity. “Then we should keep it safe. Auntie will be very happy to see it.”

"No need." The girl put the last piece of clothing into her suitcase, then took the postcard and walked to the trash can.

The sound of paper tearing slowly rang out, and the shredded postcard drifted into the trash can. She clapped her hands and returned to the boy's side.

"I have already told her everything that was written on the postcard in person."

It seems that the snow in Hokkaido truly has a healing power.

The two finally stood at the hospital entrance. The suitcase containing the clothes had already been taken away, and Mochizuki Haruka was just holding her handbag, following Matsueda Jun.

"You haven't forgotten anything, have you?"

The girl shook her head and looked at the lush forest not far away. Stepping from indoors to outdoors, the incessant chirping of cicadas became even louder, becoming the most intense background sound of summer.

"Let's take one last look at the park before we leave," Jun Matsue suggested.

The two had already seen the public green park next to the hospital, covered with fallen leaves and snow; it would be a pity if it lacked the greenery of spring and summer.

As they walked past two vending machines, one white and one pink, on the sidewalk, their backpacks bumped together again. Jun Matsueda switched his bag to the other side and sighed.

"When I first met you, I had never seen you carrying a bag."

Mochizuki Haruka glanced at him, her beautiful brows furrowing. "I'm very satisfied that you remember so many details."

"But there's no need to marvel at every change, it feels a bit like you're a pervert stalking me."

Jun Matsue laughed again. "I just think it's fine this way."

"Then please be more attracted to me." The girl's accusation was soft and powerless.

Walking along the path into the green park, the neat, bright stone brick path turned into uneven, grass-colored, rustic long bricks, and the sound of cicadas became louder, surrounding the two people on the lawn from all directions.

“I used to hate parks with cicadas chirping,” the girl sitting next to him suddenly said.

"why?"

"Because the thought of countless insects crawling and chirping on the surrounding trees makes me feel disgusted."

Jun Matsue laughed loudly. The girl rolled her eyes at him and continued speaking.

"At the time, I firmly believed that this hatred would stay with me for the rest of my life, because every time I heard the sound of cicadas, these disgusting images would appear in my mind."

Even as she said this, Mochizuki Haruka smiled, twirling a fine blade of grass from the hem of her skirt. "But now it doesn't sound so hard to accept."

"I've really changed a lot."

Matsueda Jun looked at the girl's upturned face, which had a dreamlike quality under the sky, yet was undeniably present before him.

He was the one who watched her change, and the one who accompanied her through that change.

"Perhaps this is the price to pay for creating miracles with your own hands."

Chapter 297 Some are anxious, some are exerting their efforts

"Amidst the cicadas chirping throughout Tokyo, a girl named Haruka Mochizuki created her own miracle."

"Does this kind of summary sound a bit childish?"

Matsueda Jun looked at Mochizuki Haruka, who was sleeping on the table beside him. The girl raised her head and looked at him with sleepy eyes.

"If you keep bothering me, I'll sit in your lap and sleep."

Last night, the aunt, who had regained her freedom, immediately ignored her niece's rules and dragged her to play at home until late at night, causing Mochizuki Haruka to almost be late for school today, which is why she is so sleepy now.

Mochizuki Haruka slumped back onto her desk. Matsueda Jun sighed, squatted down beside the girl, and reached out and ran his hand through her long, black hair.

He found the world history textbook he needed for the second class in the drawer, opened it, and stood it on the table to block the girl who only wanted to sleep.

Although no teacher would bother Miss Mochizuki who was daydreaming during class, Jun Matsueda felt it was necessary to conceal it for the sake of the young lady's image.

Tomatsu Yuka didn't return to the classroom until the school bell rang. She sat down in her seat, glanced at the sleeping girl on the other side, and gave Matsueda Jun an apologetic smile.

"I came back a little late because of the election. Is everything alright in class?"

Jun Matsueda shook his head. "Are you asking for a recommendation autograph?"

The girl nodded, somewhat troubled. "A few classmates I know want me to sign the recommendation form, but it seems a bit troublesome, so I'm still hesitating."

“Then you need to think it through yourself.” Jun Matsue looked at her. “There is only one person in charge of making recommendations. Usually, it is the candidate’s team. You will go out with him to campaign and give speeches.”

"Then forget it." Tomatsu Yuka took out her textbook and looked at the podium. "I aspire to be the woman behind Matsueda-san, how can I stand behind someone else?"

Mochizuki Haruka, who had been sleeping with her head buried in her arms, glanced at the girl who was spouting nonsense, and then closed her eyes again before Matsueda Jun could look at her.

The world history teacher walked onto the podium. He was the same talkative man who had previously taught Japanese history to Class 2 of the first year. His incessant chatter was particularly soothing, and Mochizuki Haruka slept soundly. When she woke up, she overheard the girl chatting with Matsueda Jun.

"Is Caijiang's band practicing today? I don't have a part-time job today, so I can go and check it out."

Tomatsu Yuka looked at the girl who was stretching and showing off her beautiful figure. Last night, Mochizuki Haruka suddenly sent her several videos of Matsueda Jun playing a solo in the off-campus practice room. It looked like they were just filmed in the afternoon, which really made her furious.

It seems I've become the only one who hasn't been to the practice room yet. How could this be?

Mochizuki Haruka yawned and walked past the two of them, her reserved steps revealing a hint of smugness.

After leaving the hospital yesterday, the girl, who had nothing to do, didn't want to go home. Fortunately, it was less than a ten-minute subway ride from the hospital to Yamami Maki's studio, so Matsueda Jun took her there to take a look.

“I would really like to practice,” Jun Matsueda said, touching the drumsticks in the drawer. “But I’m working a part-time job today.”

"Then let's wait for another opportunity..." Tomatsu Yuka smiled helplessly.

Recently, due to Jun Matsueda's practice schedule, the two, who used to always work together, have started to have their part-time work hours gradually staggered. The time the girl spends alone with her crush has not only not increased, but has gradually decreased, which is why she has become a little anxious.

Is Yamami-senpai's studio still hiring...? The girl thought of her senior, whose smile was still bright when they talked before.

During the lunch break, the election management committee held its second meeting, which consisted of routine form collection work in preparation for the candidates' future information campaigns.

The meeting was boring, and I wasted some sleep time... Matsueda Jun thought to himself, until the meeting ended and Yami Maki, who was in charge of the liaison work, walked into the meeting room.

"Good afternoon~" The girl pushed open the meeting room door, bringing a touch of brightness to the dull space. She waved and sat down next to Hiromi Seshita and Jun Matsueda.

"You've worked hard~" Yamami Maki took out two candies from her pocket and placed them in front of them. They were matcha milk candies that had previously received high praise from Matsueda Jun.

"Thank you, senior." Jun Matsue handed her the forms on the conference table. "Could you please check the signatures of the recommenders on these application forms to see if there are any irregularities?"

The girl took the form from his hand and carefully flipped through it one by one. Yumi waited patiently for five minutes, changed her posture on the chair twice, and finally looked towards the door.

"If Yumi has something to do, you can leave now." Jun Matsueda looked at the girl sitting at the head of the table. "The inspection work doesn't really need this many people."

"Then I'll trouble you to wait here for a while, Matsushige~" Yumi nodded with a smile, patted his shoulder, and slipped out of the conference room.

So the meeting room naturally became a private space for the two of them. Yamami Maki, who deliberately slowed down, looked up and watched the boy next to her put the grass-green candy into his mouth.

"If you want some, you'll have to ask the girl for it yourself," Jun Matsue said, looking at the girl, who smiled and shook her head.

"I prefer watching Matsueda eat to eating myself now."

While her hands kept moving, Yamami Maki chatted with the boy, saying, "The student council president recently submitted an application to the school to install an ice cream vending machine."

"I didn't expect the president to be serious," Matsueda Jun said, somewhat surprised. "Everyone will definitely support him unanimously."

"It depends on whether the school is willing to pay for it." The girl looked around and leaned close to his ear as if she wanted to tell him a secret.

"But I feel like the school hasn't been short of money these past two years. Maybe in half a month we'll be able to eat ice cream in the hallways!"

The girl's breath seemed to be right next to his ear, and her thick hair fell over his shoulders, carrying a faint jasmine scent.

Yamami Maki quickly regained her posture, as if the sudden closeness between them was just an illusion.

As Jun Matsue watched her slender, white hands continue to flip through the documents, he imagined the sweet taste of a vanilla ice cream cone through the slowly shrinking candy in his mouth.

After the newly submitted application forms were checked, as the two were leaving the meeting room, the girl seemed to remember something and suddenly called out to Matsueda Jun.

"Did Matsueda tell Yuka about the favor I owe you?"

He nodded, his tone becoming a little guilty, "Can't I say this?"

Maki Yami sighed, "It's not that it's impossible, but it would be troublesome to explain to Yuuka."

"So, I still owe you a favor, but I won't tell anyone else, okay?"

The girl winked mischievously, and perhaps it was Jun Matsue's imagination, but her smile seemed somewhat ambiguous in the sunlight.

Let it remain our secret.

Chapter 298 Unpredictable and Terrifying

Two days later, although it seemed a little late, Tomatsu Tomohana finally realized her wish.

The school bell rang, and the girl looked at the boy next to her. The noise outside the window seemed to be urging her to move.

"Matsueda-kun, let's go~"

Today was the day she had arranged to watch the band practice, but Tomatsu Yuka went to Yamami Maki's place to subtly inquire, only to find out that her senior was unavailable today.

The girl glanced at the empty table piled with books and papers on the other side. Mochizuki wasn't here today either; she was incredibly lucky. Although she might encounter other people in the practice room, all her obstacles had vanished.

Tomatsu Yuka hesitated for a moment. She didn't want to include her senior in the group of obstacles, but since her senior was the owner of the studio, Matsueda would definitely have a chat with her...

The girl always cherished every opportunity she worked hard for, and if possible, she hoped to spend as much time with Matsueda as possible.

"Wait a minute." Jun Matsue put the bag of drumsticks into his schoolbag, tidied up the things on Haruka Mochizuki's seat, and stuffed the homework assignments due tomorrow into his schoolbag.

Mochizuki Haruka went back to her ancestral home with her aunt to pay respects to their ancestors. The Mochizuki family had finally weathered a difficult time, and her aunt felt it was necessary to go back and comfort their ancestors. A couple of days ago, when the girl was discussing this topic with Matsueda Jun, she hinted that she hoped he would come along.

Matsue Jun, of course, pretended not to notice and refused her. Although he could go to the hospital with Mochizuki Haruka to pick up his aunt, once he accepted the offer to go back to his hometown to pay respects to his ancestors, his identity would no longer be that of an ordinary outsider.

As Mochizuki Haruka's friend and the class representative of Class 2-6, all he could do was deliver today's homework to the girl through the maid.

Picking up my schoolbag, I walked out of the school building with Tomatsu Yuka. The mid-June sun was dazzling, but fortunately the temperature wasn't too high, and the students on the way were still in the mood to chat as they walked.

"Shall we ride there?" Jun Matsue asked the girl beside him. "If I give you a ride, we might get stopped by the traffic police on the way."

“It’s okay, I can just ride my bike there.” Tomatsu Yuka had been planning this for a long time. “I also rode my bike here today.”

After handing over Mochizuki Haruka's homework from the bag to the maid waiting at the school gate, the two bicycles headed towards the station.

Jun Matsue glanced at the girl riding a bicycle out of the corner of his eye. Although he had seen her riding a bicycle before, he still felt a little strange seeing her riding a bicycle several times.

The quiet and innocent girl didn't perform as poorly as she did during the physical fitness test when riding her bike. Her growing black hair flowed in the wind, and the swaying of her school uniform skirt was just right. If she changed into a longer white dress, it would be the perfect after-school photo album.

The journey was short, only a few words exchanged. They didn't talk much on the way, as they needed to be careful.

The two parked their bicycles in front of Kugayama Station. Although there were plenty of empty spaces, Tomatsu Yuka still parked her bicycle next to Matsueda Jun. They entered the station, and just then, a train on the Inokashira Line arrived. The girl hurriedly ran into the carriage, found two empty seats, and waved to the boy.

"Matsueda-kun, over here~"

As long as Jun Matsueda is around, Yuka Tomatsu will never cause him any trouble, whether it was going out to eat, working part-time at the library, or now when the two of them go out together. The girl has always been like this.

The train started moving as the voices were heard. "Will everyone start rehearsing as soon as we get to the practice room?"

"It's hard to say." Jun Matsue took out his phone and looked at it.

"Xiaoxing and Caijiang both have to work today, and Quan has to go to school. They shouldn't be here until the evening, so I need to practice by myself for a while first."