Am I being simulated by their love affair?

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As soon as she finished speaking, the girl immediately sat up straight and raised her hand, her posture like that of a primary school student eager to answer a teacher's question, "I want to go too!"

"Do you have time?" Jun Matsueda rolled his eyes at her. "I feel like idol stars and the like are busier during holidays, right?"

"Not really. Many programs that air on weekends are recorded on weekdays."

Yosei Kurusu lay back on the sofa, his long legs swinging in the air, his shorts hanging down, revealing his healthy and toned thighs.

"But I'm currently in my promotional period, and I do have several events to attend..." The girl looked unwilling.

“This is also an inevitable path to reaching the pinnacle of idol status.” Jun Matsueda bit the straw stuck in the milk carton.

"Damn it!!!" Kurusu Yosei's legs swung faster in the air, as if he was stomping on something to vent his anger.

On the last Saturday of April, a commendation certificate appeared on the bulletin board at the bottom of the Yuqiu High School teaching building, marking the successful conclusion of the first month of the new school year.

Tomatsu Yuka stood in front of the bulletin board, looking at the photo on the commendation certificate. Yamami Maki stood in the center of the group, smiling brightly. Matsueda Jun was separated from her by two people, and his expression was very gentle.

"Congratulations to Jun Matsue from Class 6, Grade 2, and Maki Yamami from Class 4, Grade 3, for winning gold medals at the 18th Japan Biology Olympiad and the 20th International Biology Olympiad Selection Competition. We hereby commend them."

Her commendation was also posted next to Songzhi's in the same way, but not on the same piece of paper, and they were further apart.

In contrast, the two people in the same photo, even though they are not standing together, appear to have great chemistry.

When the students gathered around the bulletin board began discussing the relationship between the two individuals mentioned in the commendation letter, Tomatsu Tomoka chose to turn away and leave.

The girl returned to the classroom carrying a stack of papers. Jun Matsueda, who was sitting in his seat, looked up and said, "Kominato-sensei, do you have a mission? You can call me."

Tomatsu Yuka shook her head. "This is a survey form sent out by the student council about adjusting the lunch break schedule. Matsu-san wasn't in the classroom at the time, so I went to get it for you."

"Thank you." The boy stood up. "I'll distribute them."

Back in his seat, Jun Matsueda picked up the survey form on the table and began to read it. The form detailed the opinions collected by the student council regarding the insufficient lunch break time, and suggested to the school that the arrival time be moved up by twenty minutes to increase the lunch break time. If it could get the support of half of the students, the new schedule could be implemented on a trial basis.

Tomatsu Yuka put down the form in her hand and looked at the boy next to her. "What do you think, Matsueda-kun?"

“I think it’s pretty good.” Jun Matsue had already checked the box for support. “Our school’s classes start quite late, so adjusting the schedule will allow us to sleep a little longer at noon.”

It also ensures that there is time to eat in the cafeteria.

"Then I'll support you too." The girl's face showed an expression of complete obedience. "Is Matsueda-san going to the Literature Museum this afternoon as well?"

"Hmm." Jun Matsue stretched. "I need to make up for the extra days off I took before, otherwise I won't have time during Golden Week."

"It's a pity I have to participate in the brass band practice," Tomatsu Yuka sighed. "Otherwise, we could have gone to the literature hall together to help Matsueda-san."

There's no need for that.

"Then I can only silently cheer for Matsueda-kun." The girl winked playfully. "Please do your best for the cherry blossoms during Golden Week, Matsueda-kun. I'll bring you some handmade sweets as a reward then~"

“That’s a good idea.” Jun Matsue nodded, and Yuka Tomatsu covered her mouth and chuckled softly.

The library was busier than usual on weekends. Jun Matsueda walked out of the library and rubbed his facial muscles, which had become a little stiff from keeping a smile.

"Ha... I'm off work."

Before heading home, he stopped by Showa University Toriyama Hospital, where the maid who had stopped Matsueda Jun outside his ward bowed respectfully to him.

As I pushed open the door to the ward, the light of dusk streamed in through the open window, filling a corner of the room.

Wang Yueyao stood by the window, placing the fresh flowers in her hand into a vase. The water droplets on the petals and the girl's fingernails were all shining.

"Why did you come here?" The girl turned around and looked at Jun Matsueda standing by the bed.

"While Auntie is still asleep, I'll come and see Sleeping Beauty again." Matsueda Jun gazed at the woman's face. Wang Yuehua had been lying in bed for more than half a year, and her brows had become more delicate.

"Do you think that once Auntie goes back to her mischievous self, we'll sometimes miss her quiet and gentle self?" the boy said jokingly, then noticed the woman on the hospital bed furrow her brow.

“Mochizuki! Her eyebrows twitched!” Jun Matsue looked at the approaching girl.

“This isn’t the first time.” Mochizuki sat on the edge of the bed, smoothing the woman’s furrowed brows. “Her consciousness is almost out of deep sleep, so it’s normal for her to react to the outside world.”

"So she's holding a grudge?" Jun Matsuoka sensed something was wrong.

"Perhaps," the girl smiled. "Would you like to stay for dinner?"

The boy shook his head. "I just happened to be passing by and wanted to give this souvenir to someone who hasn't been to school lately."

He took a small bag out of his pocket and handed it to Mochizuki Haruka. The girl opened it, looked at it, and showed a regretful expression. "Isn't it a pearl earring?"

"I can't afford it." Jun Matsue opened the door to the hospital room.

“I can give you the money to buy it,” Mochizuki Haruka replied without hesitation.

"I have no interest in being a personal shopper," the boy said before leaving the room.

"They really escaped quickly..."

The girl pouted in dissatisfaction, took out her phone from her pocket, and saw a new message in a group chat about travel plans for the Golden Week holiday.

Mochizuki Haruka narrowed her eyes slightly. She hadn't been to school recently, nor had she spoken in the group chat. Her presence seemed a bit weak.

The girl looked at the silver pearl in her hand.

Why not make it into a collar and put it around Jinzhi's neck?

Chapter 259 I've never felt happy going to work

April 29th, a Sunday, marks the start of a ten-day holiday for most office workers; however, Junichi Matsueda spends the entire day working at the literary museum.

After getting up at eight in the morning and washing up, Jun Matsue made egg pancakes in the kitchen. Although toast is cheap and convenient, you get tired of eating it every day.

Just as the aroma of scallions and ham bits wrapped in egg batter began to waft out, the door to Yosuke Kurusu's bedroom was pushed open.

"It smells so good~" The girl in her pajamas walked into the kitchen as if sleepwalking, following the aroma. She rubbed her eyes and asked, "What delicious food is Songzhi making?"

"Egg pancake, would you like some?" Jun Matsue, wearing a white shirt and an apron, turned around, looking like a husband who had been married for ten years.

"I want it!" Yosei Kurusu nodded vigorously. By the time Jun Matsueda carried two plates of egg pancakes out of the kitchen, the girl had already changed her clothes and was sitting at the dining table.

"Aren't you off today? Why are you up so early?" Jun Matsuoka picked up a piece of egg pancake, which tasted much better than toast.

"It's a break." Yosei Kurusu rolled a large piece of egg pancake into his mouth, stuffing it bulging out, which was more endearing than rude.

"But I made plans with my colleagues to do a street style shoot today. We're going to shoot all the outfits we'll be sharing on our account for the next week!"

"Even this kind of thing was filmed in advance?" Jun Matsueda was somewhat surprised.

"Sorry, being an idol is such a hypocritical profession~" the girl said with a grin.

The egg pancake wasn't big, and Jun Matsue ate it quickly. "So, you hypocritical idol lady, please enjoy your breakfast. I have to go to work."

Yosei Kurusu waved to the boy walking towards the entrance, "Hello, you fake idol, I sincerely wish you a pleasant day at work~"

Jun Matsue closed the security door and sighed. How could anyone feel happy at work?

During the holiday, the library only had one person on duty. Jun Matsue sat alone behind the counter, gazing at the sparrows on the branches outside the window.

The faint sounds outside the main gate were clearer than usual. The Setagaya Literature Museum regularly holds exhibitions, and the displays and decorations in the corridors and halls often change. In contrast, the library is like a stubborn Showa-era uncle, never changing.

If we're talking about changes, there have been some. Jun Matsue looked at the counter in front of her, which now had some colors unique to young girls.

Black anti-collision stickers have been added to the four protruding corners of the counter. They were put on by the girl on duty with him after the little girl who came to borrow books almost bumped into the corner of the table.

There was a small yellow note on the cabinet door on the left side, which read, "Please open it gently~".

Like the aging Showa-era uncle, this cabinet door, despite its ailments, stubbornly continues to function, always opening crookedly, as if it might fall down any day. The girl sitting to his left, at a loss for what to do, could only helplessly stick this note on it.

He picked up his water cup and took a sip. It was a ceramic cup given out by the library; Jun Matsue's was blue, and the girl's was yellow. He glanced at the brown sticker on his cup—a picture of a lop-eared rabbit with three words written on it: "Drink more water!!!"

He sometimes forgets to drink water when he's working, and he's even more reluctant to refill his cup if it's empty. This is a note he got after Tomatsu Yuka took his water cup to refill it one day when he was busy receiving visitors.

When a girl like Tomatsu Yuka revolves entirely around you, no matter how high the wall of books in front of you is, or how busy your daily schedule is, she will always find a way to leave her mark on you.

Jun Matsue recalled the girl who spun like a satellite during the club's recruitment not long ago.

"Excuse me, is the A1 lobby here?" A girl who was visiting the literature museum for the first time asked timidly, interrupting his thoughts by the sound of footsteps entering the library.

"Hello, this is the B section library. The A1 lobby you are looking for is to turn left in the corridor at the entrance." Jun Matsueda stood up, revealing a gentle smile, and then noticed that the camera on the visiting girl's chest looked somewhat familiar.

"How did Imogawa end up here?"

Natsumi Imokawa, who was staring at the ground, looked up and saw Jun Matsueda standing behind the counter. The girl's mouth opened in surprise, and she looked a little dazed.

"The Setagaya Literature Museum has some of my favorite films on display today, so I came here..." She subconsciously answered Matsueda Jun's question first, before continuing with her own question.

"Why are the pine branches here?"

Jun Matsueda tugged at his staff apron. "I'm an employee of the Literature Museum."

"Oh—" The girl looked around, seemingly wondering why he was the only one in such a large library.

Jun Matsueda glanced at the clock on the wall behind him. "Weren't you going to see the exhibition? The first part is the creators' presentation, right? It starts in five minutes."

The staff on duty in each area of ​​the literary museum should have a general understanding of the daily activities, regardless of whether they participate, so that they can answer questions from lost visitors.

Natsumi Imokawa frantically opened her phone, realized she had held it upside down, spun it halfway around, and then hurriedly ran past the "No Running" sign on the wall towards the door.

Jun Matsue ran out of the library behind her, "Turn left at the end of the corridor, the first exhibition hall is Hall A1!"

The girl with the camera nodded as she ran, her figure disappearing at the end of the corridor, leaving only a series of stumbling footsteps. Jun Matsueda shook his head and slowly walked back into the library.

Two hours later, Jun Matsue, sitting behind the counter, saw the girl holding the camera again. Natsumi Imokawa's expression was much more cheerful than before, and her face was flushed with excitement.

"Matsueda! I met my favorite director! She looks so young and beautiful, she doesn't seem to be much older than me!" The girl walked quickly behind the counter and sat down in the empty chair to his left, seemingly forgetting that Matsueda Jun was an employee.

“It seems this director is very talented.” Jun Matsueda leaned back slightly and looked at the small sticker on the back of the chair the girl was sitting on—“Tomoka Tomatsu’s Exclusive Seat.”

“Yes!” Natsumi Imokawa nodded vigorously, the camera on her chest swaying with her movements. “She said she’s still a film student at Tokyo University of the Arts!”

"I showed her some of my previous videos, and she praised me for being incredibly talented!!"

If the girl in front of him were a puppy, Jun Matsue might have seen her tail spinning rapidly like a helicopter wing.

“I also think Imokawa is very talented,” Jun Matsue said with a smile, looking at the girl’s slightly dry lips. “Let me get you a glass of water.”

He originally intended to use his own cup, but after seeing the brown rabbit sticker on it, he chose to gently open the malfunctioning cabinet and take out a disposable paper cup.

While getting water for the girl, Jun Matsueda's phone showed a message from Aya-chan: "Jun-nii, do you have any recommendations for cherry blossom viewing spots?"

He replied with "Just a moment," then took the water glass back to Natsumi Imokawa's side. After the girl gulped down the water, he asked her a question.

"Does Imokawa know where the cherry blossoms are most beautiful?"

Although the question came as a surprise, the girl thought about it seriously. "If we're talking about places that are close by, Meguro River and Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden would probably be better, right? If we want something less crowded and easier to take pictures, Nogawa Park would also be a good option..."

"That's enough." Jun Matsueda stopped the girl from thinking any further and sent the options she had provided to Aya Miyamura. "Let's continue talking about the exhibition we just discussed."

He didn't plan to invite Natsumi Imokawa to join the cherry blossom viewing group, since the girl was a socially awkward person.

Natsumi Imokawa glanced at Jun Matsueda with a puzzled look, seemingly confused by the sudden question, but she didn't mind continuing to share her happiness.

Where were we?

"The director is a film student at the Tokyo University of the Arts."

"Yes!" the girl exclaimed excitedly. "She even told me about the courses at Tokyo University of the Arts, they were so interesting! Last time, they waited all night in Kabukicho to film their assignment..."

The afternoon's work time was gradually worn away by Natsumi Imokawa's voice, and Jun Matsueda yawned.

Going to work is certainly not going to be enjoyable.

However, the sudden appearance of the girl did make Jun Matsueda's workday a little more pleasant.

Chapter 260 The Cherry Blossom Front

For students at Haneoka High School, the Showa Day holiday disappeared a little too quickly.

Shedding the tail end of April, they stepped into the classroom and into May, looking forward to the holiday that would begin on the 3rd.

Back at school, there was also good news for Jun Matsuoka: the results of the survey distributed by the student council had been released, and the reformists had won by a narrow margin. After Golden Week, his lunch break would be extended by twenty minutes, ensuring his lunch break.

On May 2nd, the last day before the holiday, Jun Matsuoka walked out of the principal's office. He had just finished being interviewed by a reporter about the biology competition. It was the same TV station that had interviewed him last time about the geography competition, but this time it was a different reporter.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Songzhi. I wish you the same success in future competitions!"

He closed the principal's office door and walked towards the teaching building. It was dismissal time, and the flow of people in the corridor was disappearing at a visible speed. The Golden Week holiday was about to begin, and no one wanted to stay at school for long. Many clubs had canceled their activities for the day.

Future competitions… Jun Matsue walked into the hallway, recalling the reporter’s words. He had initially chosen to participate in competitions to convert his time at school into money, but now he no longer had such an urgent need to make money.

I work about 26 hours a week part-time, earning around 130,000 yen a month. I've been working part-time for over a year since leaving the welfare home. After deducting competition prizes, scholarships for outstanding students, and school subsidies, and then deducting daily expenses, tuition fees, and rent, my savings figure last month seemed to have reached one million yen.

When he first started working, he considered sending some money to the welfare home, but the director called him and sternly forbade it. After the New Year, the new social security system promised by Mochizuki Haruka began to be implemented, and the need for him diminished.

If one doesn't need to strive to become the "King of Part-Time Jobs" for the time being, what should one do? Jun Matsueda walked against the flow of people towards the classroom, pondering this previously shelved question.