Am I being simulated by their love affair?

Page 165

"It shouldn't be a problem to spend over two hundred, right?"

"Wow, that's impressive, Matsue!" Kurusu Yosei stared at him with wide eyes. "He's no different from any of the professional musicians I've ever met."

"If it's just about reading sheet music and playing, there might not be much difference, but experience and the ability to improvise on stage are incomparable." Jun Matsueda remained very modest.

Starting from his 15th birthday, Jun Matsue played drums almost every day. At that time, he couldn't work, so he had to release his excess energy by practicing for at least three hours every day.

That was a gift from everyone at the orphanage, and he couldn't let them down.

"Huh?" The girl looked at him as if she had discovered a new continent. "Why does it feel like the longer I live in 507, the less I understand Songzhi?"

“An illusion, an illusion.” Jun Matsueda carried the empty plate into the kitchen. “I am completely exposed to you.”

Yosei Kurusu watched as the boy picked up his schoolbag and changed his shoes in the entryway. He had already put the drumsticks on the coffee table into his bag. Jun Matsueda opened the security door.

I'm going out.

"Hmph..." the girl said petulantly, taking a big gulp of milk. "You didn't tell me where this drumstick came from!"

Perhaps a little alcohol is indeed good for the body; Jun Matsuoka felt particularly refreshed riding on the road.

Today is the last Saturday of May, and the midterm exams will begin next Monday. There are more students in the classroom than usual, but Mochizuki Haruka's seat is still empty—except for the first few days after she returned to school, the girl has basically never come to school early.

Tomatsu Tomoka, a top student, wasn't studying. The girl was reading "Love in the Time of Cholera," a book she borrowed from the Setagaya Literature Museum. Once Matsueda Jun sat down, her focus shifted from "Love in the Time of Cholera" to romance during her school days, and she started talking to the boy.

"Has Matsueda joined Ayaka's band?"

Jun Matsue nodded and put the drumsticks from the soft cloth bag into the drawer. "She's already told you?"

The girl took out her phone. "She posted the video in the group chat. Songzhi looks really cool playing the drums."

"Thank you." Jun Matsueda recalled the video that Aya Miyamura had filmed yesterday. From her perspective, there was no one else present, so her senior was safe for the time being.

"How many people are in the band now?" the girl asked with a smile.

"If you don't count me, there are three: one bass and one guitar."

"Who are the bassist and guitarist?" she pressed. "They're probably friends I met in the light music club."

"The guitarist is their captain, the bassist is called Xiaoxing, I don't know her name."

Tomatsu Yuka quickly recalled in her mind that the president of the light music club was Izumi Mizuki, who had a rather aloof personality and she had never heard of any rumors about her being in a relationship. She should be someone who was completely devoted to music. As for Koyuki, she should be Wakamatsu Yuki from Class 3. Her lover seemed to be her childhood friend from the school next door. She heard that the two of them had liked each other since junior high school and had a very good relationship.

"They're all nice people."

Judging from this, there shouldn't be any danger. The girl breathed a sigh of relief. The brass band's practice room was very close to the light music club's, so it seemed she would have to go check it out before and after club activities in the future.

"So what's the band's name?" Tomatsu Yuka asked, relieved.

"..." Matsueda Jun hadn't really thought of that question. "I'll ask Aya-chan later."

"What's the band's style?"

"Look at them, I'm just a temporary worker."

Just as the girl was about to ask something else, Mochizuki Haruka walked straight past them. The girl was carrying a small black pillow shaped like a cat's head; her aunt had specifically asked her to bring it after hearing that the school had extended the lunch break.

"Good morning." Mochizuki Haruka's greeting was simple.

"Good morning." Matsueda Jun remembered where the girl had gone after school yesterday. "How were the results of the follow-up examination?"

"Not bad." The girl's face, which had been stiff from not having enough sleep, softened a little.

"I estimate that he will be able to announce his full recovery next week."

“Good news~” Tomatsu Yuka said with a smile. Mochizuki Haruka ignored her and simply stuffed the black cat pillow in her arms into the drawer.

"Matsue joined Ayaka's band?"

The girl was a little awkward when she called Aya-chan. She wasn't the type to call people by nicknames; she just didn't want Matsueda Jun to think that she and his sister didn't get along.

The question sounded familiar, and Jun Matsue nodded. Haruka Mochizuki then asked a few more questions, which were basically the same as those asked by the other girl. Yuka Tomatsu chuckled to herself.

"If you need practice space or equipment, you can contact me."

"Do you have any at home?" Jun Matsue asked Haruka Mochizuki, and Tomoka Tomatsu's smile vanished.

"No, but I can buy it." The wealthy young woman spoke earnestly.

"...Let's talk about that later." He didn't have the habit of spending other people's money.

“If you’re planning to go for a jazz style, you can come to me!” Tomatsu Tomohana retorted, “The saxophone is the most suitable instrument for jazz.”

"..." Mochizuki Haruka hesitated for a moment. She could play the piano, but she wasn't particularly interested in it. Although she could also play the keyboard, the cat-like girl didn't like to cooperate with others.

"Let's talk about that later." Jun Matsueda looked at Shoko Kominato as she walked into the classroom. "I think the midterm exams are more important."

The midterm exams ended quickly, and naturally, the girls, now with free time, started to focus on Aya-chan's band.

Chapter 284 The First Day of June Begins with Melody

June brings with it midterm exam results, the start of student council elections, and the first meeting of the Light Music Club's Room 2.

"Celebrating the successful formation of our band!"

Four soda cans collided in mid-air, and a little bit of the soda that had been shaken out splashed onto someone's hand.

"So what should the band be called?" Ayaka Miyamura asked excitedly.

The four looked at each other, and Matsueda Jun decided not to speak, handing over the naming rights to the other three.

During the brief silence, there was a knock on the door. After a "Come in," the wooden door was opened a crack, revealing Tomatsu Yuka's face. The girl only poked her head in, looking exceptionally cute.

"Did I disturb you?"

"No~" Aya and bassist Sachi both drew out the words, the two seeming to get along very well.

"I heard that Matsueda-san has joined the Light Music Club as a drummer, so I wanted to come and see. Congratulations on the formation of the band~" Tomatsu Yuka politely gestured to Izumi Mizuki. The brass band and the Light Music Club share the same instructor, and the two club presidents are quite familiar with each other.

"Thank you." Izumi Mizuki nodded, watching the girl bring over a chair and sit not far behind Matsueda Jun. "We're thinking about a band name. Tomatsu-san, do you have any suggestions?"

The girl tilted her head. "I don't have any ideas. What bands does everyone like? Maybe we can chat and get some inspiration."

"Great idea!" Caijiang nodded in agreement. "I prefer Mushroom Empire; the lead singer's voice is really nice."

Xiaoxing looked conflicted. She stared at the ceiling, her eyes darting around. "My favorite is AKG, the Asian Kung Fu Generation."

"Ah! I know this band!" Aya raised her hand. "The band anime that was so popular before, they were the inspiration for it, right?"

I vaguely remember the band that Ayaka mentioned, Jun Banmatsu. He and Maki Yami had seen their promotional posters when they were shopping in Shimokitazawa. It featured a group of girls with dazzlingly different hair colors.

"AKG is a really awesome rock band, you know? They performed at the Budokan a long time ago!" Xiaoxing was quite excited when talking about her favorite band.

"So, AKG was formed through the light music club, right?" As the club president, Izumi Mizuki knew a lot about it. "Should we imitate their name?"

"The Haneoka Kung Fu family?" Tomatsu Yuka, who had been listening in, couldn't help but ask. She moved her chair to the side so she could see Matsueda Jun's profile.

"Let's forget about it." Jun Matsueda shook his head. "It feels like Haneoka High School has turned into Crows Zero."

The girls in the room burst into laughter. They didn't hear the knocking again, and Mochizuki Haruka quietly walked in.

"Hey, what brings Mochizuki-san here?" Sachi looked at the girl who walked into the room. She and Mochizuki Haruka were in the same class in their first year of high school.

"I came to play with Matsueda." Mochizuki Haruka looked around the room. There was no room for her to get close to Matsueda Jun, so the girl could only sit next to Tomatsu Yuka.

"..." Looking at the two girls sitting behind Matsueda Jun, Koyuki and her club president exchanged a glance.

This guy seems to have a lot of female admirers. It's best to keep your distance from him outside of practice and performances...

"Um, is it too crowded? Should we go outside?" Tomatsu Yuka noticed the girls' gazes and asked with a smile.

She was only there to observe the other members of the band, and so far, the information she had was about the same as what she already knew, so she could rest assured for now.

Mochizuki Haruka frowned. She had only just sat down, and this guy was already trying to get rid of her?

"It's okay, it's okay~" Xiaoxing waved her hand. "There used to be more people in the room. Back then, the third-year seniors would come over after school to take a look. It was common for there to be more people playing than practicing."

"So, what kind of bands does Minister Izumi like?" Jun Matsue brought the conversation back on track.

"The Tokyo Incident," Izumi Mizuki said without hesitation.

"Wow—" the girls exclaimed in unison. This was a band formed by a national-level singer, and almost everyone had heard of it.

“It’s Matsueda-kun’s turn.” Izumi Mizuki looked at the boy, her curious gaze making the two girls sitting to the side a little wary.

"My favorite... should be Toe." Jun Matsueda rested his hands on the back of the chair, having already finished his soda.

Apart from Izumi Mizuki, the girls all looked a little confused. Tomatsu Yuka took out her phone to search, while Mochizuki Haruka had already put on her headphones and was secretly listening.

"Matsueda likes math rock music." The well-informed president of K-On! took on the task of popularizing science.

"Most rock music is in 4/4 time, but math rock uses irregular rhythms, such as 5/4 or 7/8 time, which makes it sound quite unique. Toe is considered the most famous math rock band in Japan."

Jun Matsueda nodded. "The main reason is that Toe's drummer is very talented."

"So what should the band be called?"

After chatting for a while, the four of them fell silent again. The names of the Japanese bands were all strange, or rather, most of the bands had strange names, making them really hard to find inspiration for.

"How about we call it Unit 2?" Aya Miyamura thought of the note stuck on the door. "That sounds pretty good, doesn't it?"

Unit 2 isn't exactly a lucky number... Jun Matsue thought of a blonde girl with twin tails who piloted a giant humanoid weapon.

“…It’s not impossible.” Izumi Mizuki nodded. “Anyway, there’s still time to make changes before the first performance.”

Half an hour later, only Jun Matsueda and the two visiting girls remained in the room. The three members of the Light Music Club went downstairs to their clubroom to announce the official formation of the band to the other members.

Jun Matsue took out a black drumstick with green patterns wrapped around it from his bag and sat down in front of the drum set by the window. He decided to see how well he and the new drumstick would mesh.

"Do you two have any songs you'd like to hear?" Jun Matsue asked, looking at the girls sitting in front of him, in the spot where his senior had stood yesterday.

"I'm fine with anything played by Matsueda Jun." Mochizuki Haruka stated her firm stance centered on Matsueda Jun.

"How about the songs by the band Toe?" Tomatsu Yuka's smile was gentle. "I'd like to hear some songs that Matsueda-kun likes."

"That's a bit difficult." Jun Matsue smiled. "I'll give it a try."

The staggered beats echoed in the room, chaotic and disorderly, yet surprisingly smooth and harmonious, like a train about to derail, gradually taking over the listeners' minds.

Today is the first day of June, a sunny Saturday. The faint sounds of school dismissal can be heard from outside the corridor. Sunlight shines through the glass, illuminating Jun Matsueda's profile, and the light and shadow shift with his movements.

The girls looked at the scene before them, feeling calm and content. Unfortunately, they could still see each other out of the corner of their eyes, and they both thought of the same thing.

"If only this guy weren't here..."

Back home, Yamami Maki lay on her soft bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, when her cell phone, which was lying beside her, suddenly vibrated.

She opened her phone, and in the chat window was a photo: a drumstick wrapped in green patterns was held by slender fingers, casting a gray shadow on the white drumhead.

"This is my first time using it, and it feels great. Thank you again for the gift, senior."

The girl unconsciously repeated the message, then clicked on the picture and looked at it for a few seconds before turning over in bed.

"Hmph hmph hmph~"

She smiled and hummed an unnamed melody, her raised legs swinging happily.

Even though there are definitely other people around Matsueda, he will still remember me.

Chapter 285 Stay in Tokyo, This City That Makes You Lost

"So Songzhi went to your sister's band?!"

A surprised voice came from the other end of the phone; Natsumi Imokawa was the last person to know the news.

"That's how it is right now. I'm currently the drummer for the No. 2 Machine band."

"Unit Two..." the girl couldn't help but laugh, "Isn't this name a bit inappropriate?"

"Anyway, it was them who came up with it."

Jun Matsue sat at his desk in his bedroom, massaging his arms and wrists. Drummers engage in very strenuous activities, and to avoid strain on their tendons and wrists, they need to rest and protect themselves regularly.

"Did you tell them about what I wanted to film?" Natsumi Imokawa asked cautiously, sitting on the sofa in her living room.

"I told you, everyone was really welcoming." Jun Matsue recalled the excited expressions of the girls in the practice room, feeling that this was the kind of treatment only celebrities would receive. That's what Izumi said.

"You can bring your camera anytime from now on."

"That's great..." The girl breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the curtains in the living room. The sunset crashed against the dark curtains and slid down the fabric onto the floor by the window. The remaining light still carried a lot of heat.

She put her phone in her pocket, took out her camera, and drew back the curtains. The glow of the sunset, which had painted half the city red, illuminated her face. Natsumi Imokawa pressed the shutter button on her camera, and the red dot on the screen indicating that recording was in progress began to flash.

"So what are Imokawa's thoughts on studying film now?"