Am I being simulated by their love affair?

Page 169

"What are you doing this afternoon, senior?"

The boy tightened the bottle cap. Ever since the two had lunch together, the senior's posture in the practice room had become more unrestrained. Her two long legs, stretched out, were always right under his nose, and her fair calves, which her dress couldn't cover, swayed with the rhythm of the music.

The girl didn't stay in the practice room all afternoon, but she would come over to check on things every now and then, which didn't seem like she was still in class.

“I’m studying in the next room.” Yami Maki pointed to the wall behind the boy. “When I get tired of studying, I come over to listen to music and relax. It feels pretty good.”

"Senior is really hardworking," Matsueda Jun remarked, noting that the girl didn't seem to have much real rest time on weekends.

"I can't help it, I used to think I didn't have any strengths." The girl laughed, "But Matsueda made me realize that maybe hard work is my only strength."

"So we need to work even harder."

“No way,” Jun Matsue retorted. “I clearly said that humility is your greatest strength, so you should have at least two strengths.”

The girl couldn't help but chuckle softly. Jun Matsueda lowered his head to tidy up his things, trying to hide the smile on his lips. The two of them quickly noticed the unusual quiet in the room. They looked up and saw the girls' gazes.

Yamami Maki blushed. "Um, why is everyone looking at me like that..."

"It's just that I feel that you and Matsueda get along particularly well when you're together," Izumi Mizuki replied earnestly, noticing that her senior's face had turned even redder.

"Maybe it's because we've known each other for a long time," Jun Matsue said, helping the shy girl out of her predicament. "Chatting with my senior always makes me feel relaxed."

“I also enjoy chatting with Yamami-neechan~” The very tactful Miyamura Aya walked over and hugged the girl sitting on the chair. “Before I leave, I want to take a picture with my senior to commemorate our first off-campus practice!”

After packing up their gear, the girls took many photos in front of the room's mirror before leaving the practice room. Jun Matsueda discovered that as long as the girls had a mirror, they could come up with almost an endless number of poses.

Finally, there was a group photo. To include all the instruments in the picture, the girls surrounded the drum set, with the tallest, Jun Matsueda, sitting behind it, making the band's heights appear more even.

Before taking the photo, Aya Miyamura, holding her phone, waved to the girl standing to the side, "Yamami-neechan, come stand here too, let's take a picture together!"

"Huh?" Yamami Maki paused for a moment. "Isn't this a bit inappropriate? Wasn't this a group photo of the band?"

"Is it alright?" Aya looked at the girls around her. "Since Yamami-neechan provided the venue for free, she's practically our benefactor, right?"

The two people who were posing with their unplugged guitar and bass nodded, indicating that they had no objection.

Come on~

Yamami Maki hesitated for two seconds after noticing the boy's gaze coming from behind the drum set, but finally walked over.

"I'll just stand behind everyone."

Being behind everyone, which is also behind the drum set, not only avoids drawing attention but also allows them to get closer to Matsueda, making it a win-win situation for the girl.

Jun Matsue handed her the drumsticks, saying, "Everyone is holding musical instruments, so you can take the drumsticks, since I have a drum set anyway."

Maki Yami laughed, raised her drumsticks and crossed them in front of the mirror, imitating Jun Matsueda's previous pose.

The girl seemed to favor this positive and uplifting pose, just like when she held up her clarinet earlier.

Would the senior's parents like such an unladylike gesture? Jun Matsue pondered, gazing at the mirror.

Perhaps this is the true personality of Yamami Maki.

The shutter clicked, and the girls breathed a sigh of relief, putting down their microphones, bass guitars, and guitars, and bringing their hands together to their phones.

"Great shot!" Xiaoxing was very satisfied.

"Everyone just needs to keep their eyes open," Minister Quan said, his demands were modest.

"So, are you getting ready to leave?"

A rustling sound came from the room, followed by the sound of various backpacks being zipped up. The practice room door opened, and people wearing leather shoes, sneakers, and canvas shoes left the room one after another.

"We're off now~ Thanks for taking care of us, senior!"

Standing at the entrance of the studio, the petite girls, carrying large and heavy black violin cases, waved goodbye to Yamami Maki.

"How are you going to get home later, senior?" Jun Matsue stayed by her side. The five o'clock sun was no longer high in the sky, and the shadow of the building covered the two of them on the ground.

"I'm taking the subway home, does Songzhi want to come along?"

The girl made a joke: the two of them were going in opposite directions on the subway, so they couldn't possibly get on the same train.

"Then I'll see my senior off to her bus."

Maki Yami stepped onto the red and white Keio Line train. There were still seats available, but she chose to hold onto the handrail and turned around to meet Jun Matsueda's gaze as he stood on the platform.

"Remember to let us know you've arrived home safely."

The girl nodded obediently. The train doors closed, and a notification sound rang out. She waved to the boy outside the doors, and he waved back.

Jun Matsueda quickly disappeared outside the departing train, and Maki Yami found a seat, took out her phone.

In the chat group "Conquer Haneoka!", Aya Miyamura had uploaded photos from not long ago, including group photos with various band members and the final group photo.

Tomatsu Yuka quickly joined the group chat and started chatting with the girl. As they talked, the words "Yamami-senpai" naturally appeared in their conversations.

"Is Yamami-senpai here today?" This was Tomatsu Yuka's question.

“Yamami-neechan is our big benefactor! She even provides the practice venues.” Miyamura Aya was very tactful; she didn’t mention the “favor” that Yamami Maki had mentioned to Matsueda Jun.

"Really? That sounds interesting! I'd like to check it out next time!"

Yamami Maki clenched her fist slightly. This was what she had been worried about before appearing on camera—appearing next to Matsueda when Yuka wasn't there might arouse the suspicion of her junior.

But what could she do? The girl thought, she couldn't possibly keep playing the role of an ordinary classmate with Matsueda in front of Yuka for the rest of her life, could she?

She's about to graduate, while Yuka still has over a year left...

Yamami Maki typed a line on her phone and sent it to the group chat.

"Sure, Yuhua is welcome to come visit again next time!"

Chapter 293 Different Beds, Same Dreams

"So how's your practice going? Is the band having fun? You haven't been fooling around with other women, have you?"

As soon as Jun Matsugae returned home, he was met with a series of interrogations from Yosei Kurusu.

The handbag in his hand dangled onto the shoe cabinet. Matsueda Jun bent down to change his shoes and looked up at the girl standing guard in the entryway.

"Are they not even letting me go home?"

Upon hearing what the boy said, Kuriki Yosuke dropped his cute, feigned fierce expression, crossed his arms, and walked to the side.

"That's not what I meant!" the girl pouted. "It's all because you wouldn't let me go with you this morning! And you didn't reply to my messages!"

"I was starting to think you'd been recruited to some weird religion!"

After changing his shoes, Jun Matsue walked into the living room step by step. The girl faced him and backed away step by step, her eyes fixed on him.

"Confess! What did you do today?!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Kurusu Yosei felt herself bump into something. The girl, losing her balance, fell backward and landed on the sofa.

Matsue Jun glanced at the girl who had slumped onto the sofa. Luckily, she wasn't wearing a skirt today, or he would have seen her underwear.

"I didn't go anywhere. I just spent the whole day drumming in someone else's studio. My arms are sore." Jun Matsue sat down on the other side of the small sofa and massaged his arms and wrists.

"I didn't let you come with me because it's your first time, and we don't know what the situation is like at the practice venue."

"I replied to the message a little late because I was rehearsing and didn't check my phone much. The message notification sound was also covered by the music."

"As for the question you asked earlier."

Jun Matsue looked at the girl on the sofa, head down and feet up. She didn't seem to intend to change her position and just kept blinking as she looked at him and spoke.

"Practicing off-campus is definitely a great experience. The equipment and environment are more advanced, and playing the drums in the practice room even gives me a sense of exhilaration."

“Playing drums in a band is much more interesting than playing alone. Everyone can exchange ideas about music.” Although he is usually the one who listens in.

"As for the last thing, philandering," Jun Matsue rolled his eyes at her, "Don't ask such pointless questions in the future."

Yosuke Kurusu rolled over on the sofa, his supple lower body still entangled on the back, looking like a large feline. Seeing the boy answer her question so earnestly, the girl felt a sweet warmth in her heart.

"Are you sure you haven't been flirting with anyone?" She climbed a couple of steps onto the sofa and sat down next to the boy. "You smell like a girl!"

"My teammate is a girl, so there will definitely be some contact between us."

"He's definitely with a bunch of girls again, isn't he! Isn't that just womanizing?"

"..." Jun Matsue had no choice but to show her the group photo that Aya Miyamura had sent. "The lead singer is my sister, the bassist has a boyfriend, and the guitarist is a girl who is passionate about music. She even made it a rule that couples are not allowed to bring their lovers into the band."

"Then does that mean I can't watch you practice?" the girl asked in surprise.

The boy looked at her like she was an idiot. "Cats and dogs are indeed not allowed in the practice room."

"It sounds like we can relax for now..." The girl skipped off the sofa and hopped into the kitchen. "What do you want for dinner? I bought lots of groceries today!"

"You can burn whatever you want." Jun Matsue relaxed and lay down on the sofa. After drumming all day, all he wanted was to rest peacefully.

Tonight's dinner is fried pork cutlet, vegetable salad, and miso soup—a large portion to keep you full. After expending so much energy, taking a big bite of the crispy on the outside and tender on the inside golden pork cutlet is truly a rare treat, and Jun Matsueda decided to eat a few more bites tonight.

"By the way, Matsue, do you still remember that program I told you about before?" Kurusu Yosei picked up a few thin strands of cabbage with his chopsticks and put them in his mouth.

"That entertainment program that invited you? You've decided to participate?" Jun Matsue put down his chopsticks; this was now a serious topic.

"Hmm, the company has decided to let me do whatever I want, as long as I don't do anything too outrageous. They think that my free rein might be more effective than my carefully crafted persona."

"Is it okay?" Jun Matsueda asked, a little worried. "Some entertainment programs are pretty good at pranks, aren't they?"

“I won’t consider those kinds of shows that are too exaggerated~” The girl waved her hand. “This time it’s an interview and dialogue show, like the ‘Tokyo University Formula’ we watched before.”

Jun Matsueda picked up his chopsticks again. "I guess you're going to invite me to the event next."

“That’s right!” Kurusu Yosei nodded. “Weren’t you there when I went to participate in ‘Idol’s Birthday’ before?”

"We agreed that I would be on stage and you would be in the audience. This time it's a new stage, so you have to come and see!"

Perhaps because of the delicious tonkatsu tonight, Jun Matsue agreed without much thought, saying, "Just tell me the time in advance."

“It’s a promise~” The girl poked him with her chopsticks, “And for your band’s first performance, I’m definitely going to see the pine branches on stage.”

"It's too early. The band has only been formed for a little over a week. They need to practice for another week or two before we talk about it."

"Then can I come and watch you practice?" Yosei Kurusu still hadn't given up. "I'm a professional idol singer now, so I can definitely give Aya-chan some singing advice."

“Hmm…” Jun Matsue thought for a moment, “Then I should ask my senior first.”

After all, the senior student is the owner of the practice room, although she would probably agree.

"Which senior?" The girl bit into the fried pork cutlet fiercely. "What?! There's a senior here?!"

While Jun Matsueda was busy explaining the existence of his senior to Yosei Kurusu, Yuka Tomatsu was also chatting with her senior.

"So your family is in the music industry, senior?" Tomatsu Yuka was sitting on her bed in the bedroom sending a message to Yamami Maki while her mother was still working overtime in the study next door.

"It's just that my sister is more interested in music." Looking at the reply on her phone screen, the girl sighed, regretting that she couldn't seize this opportunity.

But if the senior student caught it, it's the same as me catching it, right?

Tomatsu Yuka continued to message, "When Matsueda and the others are practicing, can I go and watch? I'm quite curious."

The senior student replied quickly, as if she had already prepared her answer: "Of course, no problem, just let me know when the time comes~"

The girl sitting on the bed breathed a sigh of relief and lay back on the large bed. Her senior was still her senior, and her supportive attitude had not changed.

To be honest, when Tomatsu Yuka first saw Matsueda Jun and Yamami Maki standing together in the group photo, she found it quite jarring.

It felt like being betrayed... the girl thought to herself.

This idea makes no sense, Tomatsu Yuka told herself. Her senior and Matsueda had participated in competitions together and were now in contact during the student council election. They were both class presidents and occasionally held meetings, so it was normal for them to have contact.

But when you count them up like this, it seems like they had so many opportunities to interact...

On the other side, Yamami Maki was also sitting on her bed in her bedroom, looking at the window where no new messages were appearing. The girl sighed softly, having passed the first hurdle.

"If Yu-Hana wants to come, let her come," the girl thought, lying on the bed. Anyway, she could see the studio's surveillance cameras and could use the employee entrance. As long as she was careful, there was almost no chance of Yu-Hana discovering her.

At times like these, unnecessary worries prevent one from feeling happy. Am I doing something wrong? Yamami Maki asked herself this question.

The two girls, lying on their respective beds, sighed in unison and stared blankly at the ceiling.

Chapter 294 The Reason for the Choice

On Monday of the following day, Jun Matsue rode his bicycle into the last intersection before the school.

The gate of Haneoka High School was on the other side of the road, blocked by a black sedan driving towards him. Matsueda Jun paused for a moment and slowed down his bicycle.

Has Mochizuki arrived at school already? So early today?

Seemingly noticing his bicycle, the black sedan coming from the opposite direction slowed down and stopped at the side of the road. It seemed Matsueda Jun had something to say; he glanced at the road behind him and steered his bicycle across the street.