Am I being simulated by their love affair?

Page 162

After several months of operation, the counter has left many traces of her presence. Tomatsu Yuka comfortably picked up her water cup and took a sip of the sencha that Matsueda Jun had brought, a gift from the boy in return for the sakura mochi. The girl was very satisfied.

Of course, the most comforting thing is that Mochizuki Haruka is nowhere to be seen here. For a young girl, it is not an easy thing to keep an eye on her love rival at all times.

Savoring the delicate aroma of tea on her lips and teeth, Tomatsu Tomoka began to think. A new Chinese restaurant had opened nearby, and Matsueda seemed to really like Chinese food. She wondered if he would refuse if she invited him to go with her.

Footsteps sounded at the door. The young woman looked up and saw her supervisor. She put down her teacup, tidied her slightly messy bangs, and prepared to greet her boss with a vibrant smile.

However, the girl following behind the supervisor quickly shattered Tomatsu Yuka's good mood. Mochizuki Haruka walked into the library expressionlessly, followed closely by several people carrying briefcases whose faces screamed "elite," making the relaxed atmosphere in the hall a bit more serious.

The manager walked to the counter, greeted the two people, and then introduced the visitors behind her, "This is Ms. Mochizuki, who is planning to invest in the Literature Museum. She is quite interested in the library, so she has come to inspect it."

The woman turned around and gave the girl, who was less than half her age, a fawning smile. "Miss Mochizuki, you can ask me or these two staff members if you have any questions."

"Miss Mochizuki" nodded demurely. "You can go back now. I'll just look around by myself."

After bowing, the manager turned around and gestured to the two people behind the counter to take good care of the big spender before leaving with a smile.

The maid, disguised as an elite team member, stood behind Mochizuki Haruka, greeted Matsueda Jun with her eyes, and walked behind the stacks of bookshelves.

"So, what brings you here, Miss Mochizuki?" Jun Matsue asked, looking at the girl behind the counter.

“You don’t need to call me that.” Mochizuki Haruka waved her hand. “I was just a little bored on the weekend, so I came to visit the place where Matsue works.”

She looked at Tomatsu Yuka next to the boy and said, "My subordinates might have some questions. Could you please help them out, Miss?"

The girl in the teller's apron gritted her teeth. She knew very well what Mochizuki Haruka meant. If she didn't go over, this guy would definitely find some excuse to criticize her for not doing her job well, and the supervisor would certainly fire her without hesitation.

“…No problem at all.” Tomatsu Yuka said with a smile, then reluctantly left the counter and headed towards the bookshelf.

Mochizuki Haruka walked behind the counter and unceremoniously took her place, while Tomatsu Yuka could only hear the two of them chatting behind her.

Half an hour later, the girl hid behind the bookshelf in humiliation, watching Mochizuki Haruka get up from the chair with "Tomatsu Yuka's Exclusive Seat" on the back and walk towards her.

"How does it feel?" Mochizuki Haruka observed the girl's expression with great interest. "You forced me to do this, didn't you?"

“Even if you don’t come here under the pretense of investment, there’s nothing I can do.” Tomatsu Yuka tried to maintain her last shred of dignity. “This is a public place, and I have no reason to refuse you. You can come every day if you want.”

"But are you planning to come over like this every day and kick me out from behind the counter? Or are you going to become a shareholder and fire me directly? Would Matsueda like you doing that?"

Mochizuki Haruka's expression didn't change; she remained leisurely. "If you're going to come and disturb my tutoring every day, I'll just have to come and watch when you're working."

"My tutoring will end eventually, but when will your part-time job end?"

Tomatsu Yuka looked at the bookshelf beside her in silence for a while before finally speaking with difficulty, "I won't go to tutoring, and you shouldn't come here like you did today."

"Your senior isn't allowed to come over either, okay? You'll have to tell her yourself." Mochizuki Haruka knew she didn't have any other way to deal with Miki.

"……understood."

"You've bothered me for two days, so I'll come again tomorrow." The girl nodded in satisfaction.

"I'll be leaving soon. I'll have someone fix that broken cabinet next to your seat."

Tomatsu Yuka watched Mochizuki Haruka's departing figure. The cabinet that had been reported for repair many times but no one had paid attention was finally going to disappear, but she was not as happy as she had imagined.

The girls eventually reached a consensus: rather than a lose-lose situation, it was better to keep to themselves and avoid conflict.

Chapter 277 The Emerging Desire

"Matsueda, aren't you and Tomatsu together yet?"

During Friday's physical education class, Jun Matsueda suddenly received this question.

The question was raised by Sugisaki from Class 2-2, the guy whose basketball dream was shattered by Jun Matsue. After the Winter Cup last year, he chose to return to the basketball team, seemingly rekindled by the team's crushing defeat.

The physical education classes of Class 2-2 and Class 5-2 are sometimes scheduled together. Today, Jun Matsue accompanied Ken Sakamuro, who had a foot injury, to practice shooting.

"Sugisaki, I advise you to stop thinking about Tomatsu." Ken Sakamuro watched the basketball bounce twice on the rim before finally falling into the net.

"Tomatsu is already completely devoted to Matsueda. Even if you were a Kamen Rider, she wouldn't be interested in you."

"If Sugisaki were a Kamen Rider, I would probably be interested."

Jun Matsue stood under the basket and tossed the ball to Sugisaki. He didn't want to exercise today; his job was just to retrieve the ball.

"I don't have feelings for Tomatsu-san!" Sugisaki blushed. "I just think it would be a shame if her devoted love didn't end well."

"..." Sakamuro Ken was speechless. This guy really was just a hot-blooded idiot who only knew how to play basketball. Was this the kind of thing to say in this situation? Was it something he should say in relation to Matsueda?

“Being infatuated is not a good thing.” Jun Matsueda dribbled the ball left and right under the basket. “Much of the bloodshed, violence and hatred in this world comes from a heart full of infatuation.”

He made a hook shot, and the basketball flew through the air in a high arc before jumping into the basket.

"A person who is infatuated with one person can destroy himself; a person who is infatuated with one country can destroy the world."

The two boys standing outside the free throw line seemed a little dazed. One second they were discussing love, and the next second the world was facing the risk of destruction.

The bell rang, and Jun Matsueda tossed the basketball in his hand to Ken Sakamuro, saying, "I picked up the ball for the whole class, so I'm leaving the task of returning it to you guys."

What he didn't finish saying was that it was precisely because passionate love is dazzling, dangerous, intense, and reckless that the spark it emits is so captivating.

Back in the classroom, it seemed that the girls' physical education class today was volleyball. Everyone was rubbing their arms, Tomatsu Yuka and Mizushima Miya were fanning each other, and Mochizuki Haruka was drinking iced soda with two small blushes on her face.

Jun Matsue sat down. The atmosphere around him had become a little more harmonious recently, and he believed it wasn't just his imagination.

Yesterday was the last time he tutored Mochizuki Haruka. Since the beginning of this week, the library after school has been missing two girls from the brass band, and the Setagaya Literature Museum has not attracted a second investment from the eldest daughter of the Mochizuki family.

At Jun Matsue's time seemed to transform into a grassland, where the girls, with an unspoken understanding, began to divide up their territories, recuperate, and await the next battle.

After taking the last sip of his iced soda, Mochizuki Haruka looked at the girl waving and fanning herself, "The last ball before get out of class ended didn't go out of bounds, so we should win."

“But everyone saw that the ball went out of bounds~” Tomatsu Tomohana smiled gently. “Isn’t Miya here on leave? You can ask her if you don’t believe me.”

Mochizuki Haruka stubbornly shook her head, "She's close to you, so she'll definitely be on your side. She's not credible."

As Jun listened to the two girls arguing about who won that point, it seemed they had temporarily put the matter of winning or losing in other areas, which was a good thing.

If they don't expend their excess energy on each other, then he will be the one who suffers—Matsueda Jun simply can't handle the boundless enthusiasm of girls in love, let alone double it.

During lunch break, the classroom loudspeaker announced a meeting again. Jun Matsueda finished his yogurt in one gulp before leaving the classroom. There weren't many people in the hallway; it seemed the class monitors from other classes had already left.

However, as he turned the corner, he heard the voice of another squad leader behind him.

"Did you just set off, Matsueda-san?"

Jun Matsue turned around, and Maki Yamami, who had changed into summer clothes, walked quickly to his side. The two walked side by side toward the conference room.

Listening to the harmonious footsteps echoing in the hallway, he remarked that their pace seemed to be becoming increasingly synchronized lately.

"I was delayed for a while because a classmate asked me a question. I didn't expect to run into Songzhi. What a coincidence!" The senior's voice was pleasant, and she seemed to be in a good mood.

This was certainly no coincidence. Yamami Maki's classroom could see everyone on the third floor heading to the conference room. The girl deliberately waited until Matsueda Jun appeared before slowly leaving the classroom.

"I just didn't want to leave my half-finished yogurt on my seat."

The meeting room was quite crowded. The two of them randomly found an empty seat next to each other and sat down. The meeting was being held by the Dean of Academic Affairs, and the busy middle-aged man didn't have time to arrange seating.

"Hey, I called you all here today to discuss the midterm exam arrangements at the end of the month. I'll send you the exam room assignments and seating chart later..."

The academic affairs director had been at Haneoka High School for over twenty years, and his attitude during meetings was far more casual than that of the student council president, whose term was about to end. Every now and then, a first-year student would ask a question in the meeting room, and the middle-aged man would answer very slowly; perhaps his energy for speaking, along with his enthusiasm for teaching, had faded along with his hair.

While waiting, the seniors in their seats started chatting quietly, and Yamami Maki looked around and gently nudged the shoulder of the boy next to her.

The senior student's rosy lips opened and closed in front of Matsueda Jun. He could smell the faint fragrance of the girl's hair, with a hint of sweetness from the flowers. It seemed that she had just washed her hair that morning.

"Has Matsue finished her tutoring?"

"I just finished yesterday, and I feel like I can try tutoring part-time in the future."

The girl's lips curved slightly upward. "Then you can take a break for a while. Tutoring isn't an easy task."

Of course, if she were the one receiving the tutoring, Yamami Maki would most likely not have said that; a little resentment had been building up in the girl's heart recently.

Last weekend, Tomatsu Yuka suddenly messaged her, saying that the after-school four-person study group was canceled and that she didn't need to get involved in the tutoring group for the time being.

Originally, looking at Songzhi's face, she could relax and slowly solve even the most complicated problems. However, this luck came and went quickly, and the girl only enjoyed it for two days before it vanished.

Back home, after studying alone in her quiet bedroom for a week, Yami Maki suddenly realized that she had been studying with Matsueda for more than two months. Counting the time spent practicing for the Winter Cup, they had spent even more time together after school.

Although they weren't together every day after school, it wasn't like now where they could only meet and chat in the corridor between classes—the girl inevitably felt a sense of loss.

How can I spend more time with Matsueda-san? Yami Maki pondered this question seriously.

Chapter 278 He had met a meticulous and patient person before.

"Please report the information of those who are absent from the exam to me by next Tuesday and make a summary."

The dean's voice, like that of an old goat, gently nibbled at the wild grass in Yamami Maki's heart, waking her up.

The class leaders left the meeting room with their documents in their hands, but Jun Matsue and the girl next to him remained seated, waiting tacitly for the rest of the group to leave first. Neither of them were the type to actively squeeze into the crowd.

"How's your midterm exam preparation going, senior? Hope your previous competitions won't be affected?"

He decided to chat with his senior for a while longer. After the four-person study session ended, the two met much less often.

"Hmm... I think I'm fairly well prepared. Would you like to check it, Matsueda-san?"

Yamami Maki smiled calmly, but the weeds in her heart that had been completely devoured quietly sprouted again when she heard Matsueda Jun's voice.

Unfortunately, although the desires in both of their hearts were gradually growing, the boy seemed unaware of the bait she had thrown out.

"I believe my senior will be fine."

"..." Aside from smiling, the girl didn't know how to answer.

Once the sunlight at the conference room entrance was no longer blocked, the two stood up. Just as Matsueda Jun was about to leave, Yamami Maki seemed to remember something, turned around and went back, pushing the chairs around them under the table.

Of course, Jun Matsue couldn't just watch her work. He and his senior tucked the chairs under the conference table. "People as meticulous and patient as my senior are rare these days."

It's one thing to realize that something is thankless and difficult, but it's another to be willing to do it. After all, there are only the two of them left in the conference room now, and no one can see the girl's efforts.

Yamami Maki's face flushed slightly, whether from his words or from the difficulty of moving the chair, it was hard to tell.

"The previous student council president would always have everyone push their chairs back in after each meeting, so I've gotten into the habit."

"If there's anything commendable about me in people's eyes, it's mostly because I've been influenced by more outstanding individuals."

The two finally left the conference room. Jun Matsue bought two bottles of water from the vending machine and handed one to Maki Yami, saying, "It seems that my greatest strength is still my humility."

The senior quickly glared at him, then looked down into the corridor. The girl's blushing profile reminded Matsueda Jun of the cherry blossoms in full bloom in the forest that day.

"I haven't seen Aya-chan much lately. Has she not come looking for you again?" Yamami Maki chose to change the subject.

"Their band members are all together now, and they should be busy rehearsing these days. Running a band is much more troublesome than it seems."

The two stood by the vending machine drinking water. For some reason, no one took a step. They just leaned on the corridor railing and looked at the lawn in the distance—cats and dogs were sunbathing there. Spring had arrived, and it seemed that there were a few more animals in the school.

"Matsueda-kun sounds like he has a lot of experience." The girl looked at him curiously. "Have you ever been in a band?"

“No, but I’ve watched a few documentaries about bands,” the boy recalled. “A band needs countless hours of practice and refinement to achieve success.”

"Of course, it's more likely that they'll disband before they achieve fame and success. There are many reasons for this, such as differing musical tastes, someone having a chaotic schedule who can't coordinate with the others, not being good enough, or a relationship turning into a mess."

Yamami Maki blinked in surprise. It seemed that her brass band was better, with harmony and friendship, and Yuuka helping her teach the troublemakers a lesson.

"In that case, Aya-chan's band still has a test to go..."

The girl stared at the cat rolling around on the lawn, lost in thought. Actually, she would rather see Matsueda standing on the stage.

The Yami family also has music-related businesses, so if Matsueda joins the band, there will be more opportunities to meet him, right?

“Matsueda-kun, when shall we go see Aya-chan’s band together?” Yamami Maki suddenly said.

“Sure,” Jun Matsue nodded. “I’ll ask her about it later.”

"Remember to call me!"

Please, the girl began to pray, the drummer that Aya-chan found must be someone with terrible musical taste, low skill level, irregular sleep schedule, and a messy love life!

"Let's go back." Jun Matsue yawned. "Ever since the lunch break was extended, there seem to be more meetings at noon, and I still haven't been able to get a proper rest."

The girl laughed, and the two walked towards the classroom, then went their separate ways. Back in her classroom, Yamami Maki looked at the bottled water in her hand.

The water in the bottle had only decreased slightly, and I have no idea what she was drinking...

When Jun Matsue returned to the classroom, most of the students were slumped over their desks. Even the girls sitting on either side of him were taking a nap. Tomatsu Yuka was hugging a small pillow, while Mochizuki Haruka was resting her head on her arm.

When the lunch break schedule was first adjusted, people weren't used to it and few chose to rest. However, as the weather gradually warmed up, coupled with the heavy physical activity in PE class this morning, taking a nap on the desk naturally became the first choice to relieve fatigue.

Jun Matsue tiptoed to his seat and pulled out the chair without making a sound, but the girl sitting to his right still woke up.

Tomatsu Yuka groggily looked up and saw that Matsueda Jun had returned to his seat. She smiled, took a carton of yogurt from the drawer, and handed it to the boy.

Matsueda Jun paused for a moment, took the yogurt and placed it on the table. The girl stretched out in a way that looked very comfortable, her arms outstretched, her sailor uniform lifted up, revealing a shallow cleavage at her lower back, making one unconsciously imagine the feeling of fingers stroking it.