Am I being simulated by their love affair?

Page 149

The giant steel bird on the gray earth began to accelerate, and Maki Yamami felt the fuselage tremble.

Jun Matsue stared blankly at the seat in front of him, his peripheral vision catching a glimpse of the girl's gently waving hand.

"Is the senior a little uneasy?" He looked at the girl by the porthole. "A sip of water might make her feel better."

"It's alright." Yami Maki picked up her water glass and took a sip. "It just feels a bit novel."

"You must have flown more times than me, right?" Jun Matsue asked, somewhat puzzled. "Including Hokkaido, this is only my second time flying."

“I wasn’t talking about taking a plane.” Maki Yami looked out the window at the Tokyo Skytree. “This is the first time I’ve traveled far from home without my parents.”

"Wait a minute?" Jun Matsueda's good memory reminded him, "Didn't we just go to Hakone together recently?"

"There was a teacher with us in Hakone, right?" The girl looked away and took out two candies from her pocket. They were the same matcha milk flavor that Jun Matsueda had eaten last time.

"Back then, I was still a minister, and I was always thinking about taking care of everyone. I didn't really feel like I was going on a long trip."

“Unlike now, I’m just Yamami Maki.” She placed a candy on Matsueda Jun’s lap.

She was neither the well-educated daughter of the Yami family nor the minister who led everyone forward; she was simply Yami Maki.

The boy picked up the green candy, unwrapped it, and put it in his mouth, while the girl observed his expression.

"Last time, it seemed like Songzhi really liked this candy, so I brought a lot more this time."

Matsueda Jun clasped his hands together and bowed to the girl, meaning "thank you very much." Yami Maki smiled and squinted her eyes.

As the plane ascended, a sea of ​​low-hanging clouds could be seen through the window. The two people, who had been sucking on candy, quieted down. After a morning of experiments, they were feeling somewhat tired.

Jun Matsueda, who was resting with his eyes closed, felt the gentle touch of Maki Yami's fingers. He took off his blindfold and looked into the eyes of the girl who had approached him.

"Is there something you need, senior?"

"Ah, you're asleep?" The girl's face was slightly flushed.

"No, I was just resting with my eyes closed." He placed the eye mask on the table. "Are you bored, senior?"

"No, no," the girl patted his shoulder again, "Look out the window—"

Matsueda Jun looked out the porthole to his left. The bottom of the sky was a vast, magnificent sea of ​​white clouds, with some clouds rising high like smoke from a volcanic eruption.

However, what stands out abruptly from the sea of ​​clouds is the dome of Mount Fuji. Under the sunlight, only the black of the peak can be seen, creating a strange contrast between black and white.

"It's breathtakingly beautiful." Jun Matsueda felt as if his eyes had been purified.

“Right?” Yami Maki was also delighted. “Matsueda-kun said that the last time you took a plane was to Hokkaido. I think you probably haven’t seen Mount Fuji in the sky.”

“There really isn’t.” Jun Matsueda stared at the mountain peaks in the sea of ​​clouds. He took out his camera from his bag, and the equipment that Natsumi Imokawa had entrusted to him came in handy.

The shutter clicked, and Yamami Maki moved closer, looking at the image on the camera. "Professional equipment really makes a difference!"

I wonder how well it will turn out in portraits... The girl's tongue lingered on a hint of matcha milk candy sweetness.

It takes six and a half hours to travel from Tokyo to Kumamoto by Shinkansen, but fortunately the two of them took a plane. Even though they took a long detour on the Japanese sea, it only took two hours to land at Kumamoto Airport.

At 3:30 p.m., the two-person team consisting of Maki Yami and Jun Matsueda had left Tokyo and successfully arrived in Kumamoto, the "Land of Fire".

"Why is Kumamoto called the 'Land of Fire'?" Maki Yami asked as she stepped off the plane, looking at the boy beside her.

"Kumamoto Prefecture is home to Mount Aso, the world's largest superimposed volcano, which was formed by the successive eruptions of more than fifty volcanoes." This was something he had read in a geography book.

Matsueda Jun walked towards the terminal building, seemingly feeling the heat of the Land of Fire, while Yamami Maki took off her small shawl and draped it over her hand.

"There are two other theories. One is that flames appear in the Ariake Sea off Kumamoto on autumn nights, and it is said that Emperor Keiko saw them. The other is that when Emperor Sujin came to Kumamoto to subdue Tsuchigumo, flames suddenly rose in the night sky over Shirakake Mountain in Yatsushiro District and slowly fell to the top of the mountain and burned. Therefore, the emperor named this place the Land of Fire."

After Mr. Matsueda finished his explanation, the nearby passengers all moved closer to the two of them, probably thinking he was a tour guide or something similar. Yamami Maki secretly smiled.

After collecting their luggage, the two arrived at the arrival hall and quickly found the person holding a sign that read "Japan Biology Olympiad" in the crowd. They then got into a car heading to Kumamoto City.

"Is this your first time in Kumamoto?" The staff member in the driver's seat turned around at the red light, while the boy and girl in the back seat looked out the car window at the Kumamon statues that could be seen everywhere.

"Yes," Jun Matsue replied with the same smile he uses to greet customers at a convenience store. "Do you have any suggestions?"

Hearing his cheerful voice, Yamami Maki turned her head with curiosity to observe Matsueda Jun's business model.

"You two have come at just the right time." The bearded man chuckled. "The cherry blossoms are flying everywhere in the city, and the grass in Aso is lush and green. It's the best season to see them."

"I can already feel it." Jun Matsueda looked out the window. The cherry blossom trees on both sides of the road swayed in the spring breeze. Looking up, the sky at four o'clock in the afternoon looked like the Sea of ​​Japan seen from an airplane, dotted with pink petals that were swept into the air.

The car stopped in front of a building by the river, and the middle-aged man helped the two of them take their luggage out of the trunk.

"This is the hotel provided for the participants. It's a ten-minute walk west to the competition venue at Kumamoto University, and 700 meters east to the subway station. My contact number is on the business card I just gave you. I wish you both the best of luck in the competition and a great time."

Jun Matsue and Maki Yami pulled their suitcases into the hotel to check in. Their room was on the eighth floor. The elevator's exterior wall was made of transparent glass, offering a view of the winding Shirakawa River and the green spaces on both banks behind the hotel. As the elevator ascended, it seemed to lie prostrate at their feet.

"The scenery is quite nice~" Yamami Maki said, looking at the bright yellow sun in the distance.

"Let's pack our luggage first, and then have dinner?" Jun Matsuoka was a pragmatist; he had eaten a rather rushed lunch and was already feeling hungry.

"OK~" The girl winked playfully.

Jun Matsue's room was neither too big nor too small, and there was a separate balcony outside the window. The railings were gilded by the sunlight. After packing his luggage, Jun Matsue gently jumped up and lay down on the big bed.

Feeling pretty good, he let out a comfortable groan. His desire to go out suddenly vanished, and it was quite nice to just stay curled up in bed.

Unfortunately, the knocking on the door shattered his illusions. Jun Matsue opened the door to greet his neighbor of the past three days.

Yamami Maki changed into a sleeveless light green dress, revealing her long, smooth arms. The girl's smile was like the gentle spring breeze outside the window.

"Let's go, Matsueda-kun, let's explore Kumamoto together!"

Chapter 251 Their first night together was not smooth

"Let's go, Matsueda-kun, let's explore Kumamoto together!"

However, Jun Matsueda walked towards the terrace. Maki Yami tilted her head and stepped inside. She watched as the boy walked into the sunlight on the terrace, turning into a golden glow.

"Matsueda-kun, that's the way to Explore Paradise, not the road to Kumamoto~" The girl cupped her hands around her mouth, pretending to call out to him.

Arriving in a southern city, the girl relaxed considerably and revealed a strange sense of humor.

“I was just taking a picture.” Jun Matsue walked back inside and shook his phone. “Besides, jumping off the balcony doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll go to heaven; you’re more likely to go to hell.”

Stepping out of the hotel, Jun Matsueda took out his phone. "Could you please add me to Aya-chan's group chat, senior?"

“Hmm…” Yamami Maki hesitated for a few seconds, tapped a few times on her phone, and Matsueda Jun looked at the new name in the chat list—“Conquer Haneoka!”

It's obviously a name chosen by Aya-chan... Jun Matsueda posted photos he had just taken of the Shirakawa Riverbank and the Kumamon statue on a building in the distance to the group chat.

"We've arrived in Kumamoto."

He could send fewer messages by saying it once in the group chat, so he opened the chat box between Kurusu Yosei and Imokawa Natsumi and copied it again. He then sent the camera owner an extra photo of Mount Fuji taken from the plane.

Yosei Kurusu didn't reply; she went to Osaka yesterday and is probably still singing on stage. Natsumi Imokawa, on the other hand, quickly showed that she had read the message; she only sent two sentences.

"very good!"

"Take more pictures!"

Matsueda Jun chuckled and clicked back to the group chat he had just joined. Miyamura Aya quickly chimed in, "What's going on?! Didn't I tell you not to invite Jun-nii in?!"

As she walked along the road, Yamami Maki glanced at the boy beside her, sent an apology message in the group chat, and added a parrot-headed emoji.

Aya's words were of course useless. As long as Matsueda Jun spoke, all three girls she had brought into the group would bring him in. Yamami Maki, who hesitated, was already considered to have a strong will.

Tomatsu Tomohana sent a rabbit looking blankly at someone emoji, "What do you think of Kumamoto, Matsueda-kun?"

"Cherry blossoms fill the city, and the grass of Mount Aso stretches for miles; it's the perfect time of year."

"It's not like you can call it a haiku just because it's 575." Aya-chan chimed in again, trying to discredit him.

Is Yamami-senpai next to Matsueda-kun?

“We were just about to go have dinner~” Yami Maki said in the group chat. She had originally planned to remain invisible in front of Tomatsu Yuka, but the girl mentioned her.

"Is that so? Have fun!" Tomatsu Yuka sent a rabbit hopping away emoji at the end and didn't say anything more.

Mochizuki Haruka never appeared, leaving only Miyamura Aya chatting with Yamami Maki in the group chat. Matsueda Jun switched to a navigation app and asked, "What should we have for dinner?"

Yamami Maki put down her phone and thought for a moment. "It's very close to Hakata from here. If we don't have a chance to go this time, how about we try Hakata ramen tonight?"

"It feels good." Jun Matsueda looked at the retro buildings in the distance. "How about we go to Kumamoto Castle after dinner?"

"Mmm!" The girl nodded, brushing away the petals that had fallen onto her head. "I'm kind of looking forward to it."

At 5 p.m., Jun Matsueda and Maki Yami stood in front of the curtain of the ramen shop, both looking troubled.

“It stinks…” Jun Matsueda couldn’t help but say. The girl glanced at the person who walked out of the store and patted his shoulder lightly.

"Matsueda-kun, keep your voice down!" Even as she said this, Yamami Maki covered her nose. "Hakata ramen seems to have a really strong flavor..."

"Let's give up on Hakata ramen." He looked at the girl beside him. "It wouldn't be good if we ended up smelling like it all over ourselves."

“Mmm…” Yamami Maki nodded, her smile somewhat forced. “If only I had thought about it more carefully when deciding on dinner earlier.”

If Yuka were here, this situation definitely wouldn't have happened, right? She always manages to make Matsueda-san eat happily...

“You can’t say that.” Jun Matsueda shook his head. “This was a decision we made together. There’s no need for you to blame yourself. It’s still early. Let’s see what we should have for dinner.”

At 5:10, the two stood in front of a small shop called "Torpedo," which was recommended to Jun Matsuoka by an elderly woman walking her dog on the street.

"If I could only eat ramen once in Kumamoto, I'd choose 'torpedo'!" That's what the old man said.

Upon entering the store, there is an automatic ordering machine right by the door. Many restaurants in Japan still use this type of machine. First, insert coins, then press the button for the corresponding dish, and it will dispense a white meal ticket.

Jun Matsueda pressed the "Spicy Torpedo Ramen" button, took the meal ticket, and stepped aside to let the girl choose. Maki Yami hesitated in front of the machine for a while, then looked at the "Spicy Torpedo Ramen".

"Can you handle spicy food, senior? This one looks pretty spicy!"

The girl pressed the button, "A little spicy seems fine~"

"So spicy!" Yamami Maki swallowed the noodles soaked in the thick broth, then grabbed a glass of ice water and gulped down several mouthfuls. "It's really spicy!"

"Didn't I remind you..." Jun Matsueda looked at the girl who was sticking out her tongue from the spiciness, "How about we order something else?"

"It's okay!" she shook her head firmly. "Although it's spicy, it's also delicious. I'm going to finish it!"

"Torpedo" specializes in Japanese-style dipping noodles, with the soup and noodles separated. The dipping broth for the spicy Torpedo is based on bonito flakes, with a layer of oil on top of the bright red broth. The chili powder and scallions floating on the broth are then soaked into the hot soup. A huge piece of char siu is then scooped out, glistening with oil, translucent, and crackling at the slightest touch. It is tender and melts in your mouth, with an aroma and spiciness so intense that it brings tears to your eyes.

"It's really delicious!" Yamami Maki ate her noodles faster, dipping the chewy, thick noodles into the broth and then holding them in one hand to put them into her mouth.

"It's also very touching." Jun Matsueda handed a tissue to the girl, who was already crying and sniffling from the spiciness, her Yamato Nadeshiko image teetering on the verge of collapse.

"Thank you~" Yamami Maki took the tissue. "It's been a long time since I've had anything this spicy."

"Actually, it's alright. Are you the type who can't eat spicy food, senior?" Matsueda Jun's face was just a little red, and there was a bit of sweat on his forehead.

"I used to be able to eat pretty much spicy food when I was little!" the girl said defiantly. "But later my family told me to eat less spicy food because it might affect my image at the dinner table."

Are all wealthy families this strict with their upbringing...? Jun Matsue took a bite of the seaweed soaked in soup and silently grumbled to himself.

After finishing their noodles, the two sat at their seats for a while longer. The girl was still sipping ice water to help digest the lingering heat from the spiciness.

"Let me see how to get to Kumamoto Castle later~" Yami Maki's slight frustration caused by Hakata ramen was successfully repaired by torpedo tsukemen.

"Are you two going to Kumamoto Castle?" A passing waiter stopped.

"Yes." In front of strangers, the girl quickly resumed her usual Yamato Nadeshiko smile.

“But Kumamoto Castle is already closed.” The boy pointed to the clock on the wall. “It closes at 4:30 p.m.”

"..."

The waiter carried the dirty dishes to the kitchen. Yamami Maki put down her phone, looking lost and forlorn.

Jun Matsue took a big gulp of ice water, chewed hard on the ice cubes mixed in with his mouth, and looked at the distraught girl in front of him.

Quickly think of a way to cheer up Yamami-senpai.

He will protect his senior's smile!

Chapter 252 A beautiful exterior, why bother asking about the inner qualities?

Stepping out of the dilapidated gate of the "Torpedo" castle, Jun Matsue looked in the direction of Kumamoto Castle.

"Forget it, Matsueda-kun." Yami Maki shook her head. "Kumamoto Castle is closed now. Let's go another day."

"You must have a lot of places you want to go, right? Didn't you list a whole bunch of places on the plane before?" Matsueda Jun walked towards Kumamoto Castle.

"We can only stay for three days. We also need to participate in competitions and visit other places for learning. If we miss it today, will we really have another chance?"

Maki Yami couldn't refute him. She followed the boy's footsteps. At 5:40, the sun in Kumamoto City was about to set, casting long shadows behind them.

“So let’s go check out Kumamoto Castle first.” Jun Matsueda turned around. “The Kumamoto City Hall is very close to Kumamoto Castle, and the observation deck on the top floor offers a panoramic view of the entire castle.”