vncnus Page 166
Page 166
"I told my parents." The girl held her camera, the lens slowly panning across the street under the setting sun. "They said they support my decision."
Jun Matsue was not surprised at all. Imokawa's family was obviously well-off, and her parents were both in the industry, so there was no reason for them to object to her pursuing her dream.
"To be honest, I can't imagine what you would be like in any other profession." Only after confirming that the girl had made up her mind did he reveal his true thoughts.
What would Imokawa be like if she put down her camera? Imokawa as a teacher? Imokawa as an office lady? Or Imokawa as a designer?
"That sounds scary..." the girl said weakly. "I think I'd better keep the camera with me."
If you keep holding the camera, you can keep taking pictures of whatever you want.
Watching the white cat walk down the street, its body dyed completely red, resembling a long-haired chili pepper, Natsumi Imokawa suddenly thought of a question.
When was the first time I photographed pine branches?
She placed the camera on the windowsill, ran to the computer, opened the folder, and listened to the soft "tap tap" sound on the phone—the sound of a girl's bare feet stepping on the floor.
"Taochuan?"
"Ah, it's alright, please continue." Natsumi Imokawa browsed through the images she had saved according to the dates. The camera on the windowsill was still taking pictures, the long-haired chili pepper had already left the lens, and flocks of crows flew over the city.
"Have you decided which university you want to apply to?"
"You want to go to the Tokyo University of the Arts, right?" The girl's mouse pointer hovered over the videos and quickly found the boy's image.
The boy named Jun Matsue first appeared on screen at the opening ceremony. At that time, Natsumi Imokawa was holding a camera, wanting to record her first day of high school. As a representative of the new students, the boy gave a speech on stage, and the bright spring sunshine gilded his ordinary black and white school uniform with a layer of gold.
The girl stared at him blankly through the camera lens for a long time, never imagining that she would become friends with this handsome boy.
Jun Matsueda's second appearance on camera was a long time later, in a video recording of the escape room. The scene was very quiet, with only staff members hurriedly packing up their things. A boy was also mixed in with them. He carried two large cardboard boxes past the girl who was filming and quickly disappeared out of the frame.
Feeling that Matsue was doing something wrong, Imokawa Natsumi secretly chuckled.
“Tokyo University of the Arts…” Jun Matsue opened his computer and started searching. “The only national university specializing in arts in the country, known as the ‘cradle of artists,’ it’s really amazing.”
"So it's very difficult to get in. If you can't get in, you'll have to consider universities like the Japan Film University or Musashino Art University."
The girl was still looking at the computer. After the escape room, there was the brass band competition, the competition at Aoyama University, the ball games competition, Meiji Shrine, the Winter Cup... Before she knew it, the boy she was talking to had been appearing in her camera for almost a year.
Perhaps it wasn't that Matsue was her exclusive model, but rather that she was his exclusive photographer? Natsumi Imokawa thought to herself.
So Jun Matsue started searching for the Japan Film University and Musashino Art University, one across the Tama River and the other in Kodaira City, two cities away from Mitaka.
Kodaira City is manageable; it's only six or seven stops from Mitaka JR Station. But Kawasaki City, across the Tamagawa River, is a bit more complicated to get there, with its winding routes.
"I think Tokyo University of the Arts is better. It's located in one of the 23 wards of Tokyo, so it will be more convenient to meet up in the future."
after……
The girl imagined herself attending school in Taito Ward, listening to Takeshi Kitano and Yuji Sakamoto give lectures. After a day of classes, she could go find Matsueda to hang out with, eating together and chatting about the goats on the hill behind the school. Even if she wasn't good at socializing, it wouldn't matter; Matsueda would always introduce her to all sorts of interesting people…
"I want to apply to Tokyo University of the Arts." Natsumi Imokawa's tone was more determined than before.
"I must pass the exam!" The girl turned off her computer, walked to the windowsill, picked up her camera again, and the red sky reflected her burning determination.
"Imokawa, you'll definitely be able to do it." Matsueda Jun stretched. "I'm getting ready to head out now. I'll talk to you about the band's filming later."
"Wait!" Natsumi Imokawa called out to Jun Matsueda, "Can Matsueda see the sunset now? It would be a shame to miss it."
The boy pushed open the window, leaned out, and the magnificent flames in the city sky illuminated his eyes.
"I was right by the window and could see it very clearly. Tonight's sunset looks like burning waves."
“Pine branches are better at describing things.” The girl looked at the shimmering, undulating clouds in the distance.
With Matsueda being so smart, she'll definitely go to either the University of Tokyo or Waseda University in the future, right? Only by staying in Tokyo can I watch the sunset with him.
After hanging up the phone, Natsumi Imokawa turned off the recording camera and stared blankly at the dark red sky for a while.
"It seems like the Faculty of Arts at the University of Neon is also in Tokyo..."
"Matsueda took so long to make that phone call!" Yosei Kurusu and Jun Matsueda went out together, and the girl who had been waiting for a long time was a little dissatisfied.
"We're discussing important topics, so it's been a bit long."
Jun Matsue went to buy drum kit parts, and Yosei came to Suzuki simply because the weather was nice and he wanted to take a walk.
It was nearly seven o'clock in the evening, the sun had just set, and the afterglow was gradually fading. The two walked into the increasingly dim street, and Jun Matsueda was still thinking about the phone call.
"Will everyone stay in Tokyo from now on?" the boy suddenly asked.
“Of course I’ll stay in Tokyo,” Yosuke Kurusu said matter-of-factly.
"Who is this 'everyone' that Songzhi is talking about?" the girl asked, becoming alert.
Jun Matsue just smiled and looked at the flock of crows that had landed on the power lines. They were looking south, in the direction where the temperature was fading.
Flocks of crows always seem to thrive best in Tokyo.
Chapter 286 The Prelude to Summer is Heat
During lunch break in early June, Jun Matsuoka stood in front of the podium, the sun shining down on the campus without any obstruction, making the classroom noticeably hot.
"Matsueda-chan, turn on the air conditioner!" Rion, a gyaru sitting by the window, fanned herself with her notebook.
The white curtains offered only temporary relief from the sun, and the girl's uniform collar was undone in two places, attracting the attention of the boy at the next table.
"Does everyone want to turn on the air conditioning?" Jun Matsue asked the students in the audience.
"Yes—" The voices from below the stage were in unison. The boy on the stage walked to the door, pressed the air conditioner button on the wall, and the vent on the ceiling opened, with a buzzing sound coming from the air.
The first use of air conditioning this semester was memorable; the applause in the classroom was like wild grass growing on a lawn, celebrating the arrival of summer.
Jun Matsue smiled and said, "If any of you feel cold, you can adjust the temperature yourself later, or put on your summer vest. Just be careful not to catch a cold."
He was speaking to Mochizuki Haruka in the back row of the classroom. The girl was probably on her period today and was weakly lying on the table, her face pale.
Tomatsu Tomohana smiled and looked at the girl sitting on the other side. "Does Mochizuki-san need painkillers? I have painkillers here that girls over seven years old can take~"
“…No need.” Mochizuki Haruka frowned slightly, feeling inexplicably humiliated.
The girl rested her chin on the table, staring intently at the boy on the podium, as if he were her painkiller.
Jun Matsue lowered his head and read the documents in his hand. His bangs, which had grown a little longer, fell down from his forehead. He thought absentmindedly that he should get a haircut soon.
"Starting next week, the student council election process will officially begin. By this Saturday, each class must nominate one student representative to form an election management committee. Members of the election management committee cannot be members of the student council..."
When Matsueda Jun returned to his seat, Mochizuki Haruka had already closed her eyes and was sleeping peacefully, seemingly no longer in so much pain.
"Songzhi should be our class's election committee member, right?" Tomatsu Yuka took out her small pillow, ready for a nap.
The girl's afternoon nap time was irregular, generally depending on how sleepy Matsueda Jun was. Based on her understanding of boys, once all the things to do during the afternoon nap were finished, it was almost time for them to sleep.
"Probably." Jun Matsueda nodded. "Although I'll be busy again, it'll be nice to be able to see the seniors changing leadership up close."
Seniors… Tomatsu Yuka blinked. Was Matsueda referring to Tsushima-senpai or Maki-senpai?
“If you’re too busy, I can help.” The girl looked at him from her pillow. “Both the band and the part-time job take up a lot of time.”
"The band is fine. We just need to coordinate the time with the others and avoid clashing with the Literature Museum."
Jun Matsue cleared the table, rested his head on his arm, and closed his eyes. The girl also tacitly buried herself in the pillow; it was nap time.
Once the boy's breathing became steady and long, Tomatsu Yuka quietly raised her face to look to the left of her seat. Matsueda Jun usually faced right when taking a nap because the sunlight on the left was more dazzling.
Thanks to this, the girl was able to quietly admire her beloved's sleeping face. Every noon, the people she was most grateful to were Ms. Kominato and the student council president; one arranged the classroom seating, and the other extended the lunch break.
The strong sunlight outside was softened by the white curtains, turning into a diffused mist of light in the classroom. Looking at Jun Matsue's peaceful sleeping face, Tomatsu Yuka felt that she could relive this summer a thousand more times.
The two afternoon classes passed quickly. After school, Jun Matsue walked into the club building with two girls. Yuka Tomatsu separated from the two on the third floor, while Haruka Mochizuki followed the boy upstairs.
There was no one in the practice room yet. Jun Matsue sat down in front of the drum kit to warm up his wrists, while Haruka Mochizuki skillfully turned on the metronome on the windowsill. The white drumsticks struck the drumhead, covering the sound of the mechanical pointer swinging.
He temporarily put away the drumsticks that Yami Maki gave him. Drumsticks also have a lifespan, and he should just use ordinary drumsticks for daily practice. He would bring out his senior's gift when he went on stage to perform.
Have you decided what song to perform?
The girl moved the chair to the side of the drum set and sat down facing Jun Matsueda, so she could see all of the boy's movements clearly.
"We've already decided on two songs: Mushroom Empire's 'Paranoia Parade' and AKG's 'Re:Re:'."
"Those two songs you started practicing the day before yesterday?" The four members of the band have been practicing together for a week, and Mochizuki Haruka is basically present every time, able to become the fifth member of the band as long as she picks up the keyboard.
Jun Matsueda kept moving his hands, talking to the girl while multitasking. “Paranoia Parade has a summery feel and suits Aya’s singing style. Re:Re: is more rock and roll. The guitar and bass are not very difficult, so it’s not easy to make mistakes in the first performance.”
"Someone says he's just a temporary worker, but he's actually quite dedicated." Mochizuki Haruka's eyes were fixed on Matsueda Jun, who was concentrating on his performance. Even though she had been seeing this scene for a week, the girl did not feel tired of it at all.
A focused person's charm doubles, and Mochizuki Haruka believes that this statement should be applied tenfold to drummers.
"I don't rush to end anything I've chosen to do; that's my simple value." Jun Matsueda's hand moved faster and slower, practicing open and closed rolls several times.
“I really like that,” the girl said with a smile.
The intense drumming stopped, and Jun Matsueda glanced at Haruka Mochizuki, then turned off the metronome on the windowsill. The light footsteps of the girls echoed in the corridor; the formal practice was about to begin.
By the time practice time was over, Mochizuki Haruka had already left the room. She didn't like to cooperate with others, nor did she have any interest in disturbing them. Usually, once the ensemble practice started, the girl would leave silently.
Jun Matsueda once thought she was like a ninja, but now he thinks that the girl is probably closer to the habits of a cat.
If the brass band doesn't need the saxophone to perform today, Jun Matsueda will still see Tomoka Tomatsu carrying her instrument case in the practice room. The girls in the light music club are quite welcoming to the brass band leader because the girl will occasionally leave some wagashi (Japanese sweets) and snacks, which are more appealing than the impromptu jazz music played by the saxophone and drum kit.
The election committee members for Class 2-6 were elected on Friday, and Matsueda Jun unsurprisingly received the most votes. On Monday, he was elected as the vice president at the first internal meeting of the election committee.
"In conclusion, I look forward to your guidance during the next two months of the campaign."
Jun Matsue stood on the third-floor balcony, bowing to the girl in front of him in a pretentious manner, as if they were colleagues meeting for the first time at work.
"I'm the one who needs to trouble Matsueda-san to cooperate with the student council's work."
The colors in Maki Yami's smile seemed more vibrant than usual, or perhaps the sunlight was too dazzling, causing Jun Matsueda to have an illusion.
The change of leadership is certainly something that would make a girl feel disappointed, but with Matsueda by her side, this hot summer is not so hard to bear.
Chapter 287 Notice Board, Ice Cream Vending Machine, and Practice Room
"Should we just put it here?"
On the second Monday of June, Jun Matsueda stood in front of the notice board on the school avenue, with three members of the student council presidium behind him.
He arrived at the school earlier than usual today because the election management committee needed to post notices—to ensure that all students present could see the 14-day campaign process announcement.
“Let’s double-check the content of the announcement to make sure there are no problems,” said Hiromi Seshita, who was standing to his left. “Typographical errors, formatting issues, numbers, and dates, etc.”
Yumi and her best friend Natsumi Imokawa are in the same class in their second year of high school. The girl is the election committee member of Class 2-5 and also the president of the election committee.
As for why she was able to get Jun Matsueda to be her deputy, it was simply because the girl was very popular and the election committee members all knew her.
Election management work doesn't require particularly outstanding abilities; as long as you don't make mistakes, you're fine. Someone like Yumi-chan, who can talk to anyone, is more suitable.
"No problem." Jun Matsueda checked one last time, then pulled open the glass of the notice board. "Did I put it up?"
"Just stick it in the middle." The student council president, wearing glasses, spoke with the same calm tone as his face. "Tear down the list of students for this year's student council."
Jun Matsue placed his right hand on the thin white paper in the center of the notice board, just as he was about to exert his strength, when the senior student behind him called out to him.
"Can I tear it?" Yami Maki walked to his side, and Matsueda Jun consciously gave up his place.
The girl placed her hands on the two corners of the old notice, carefully lifting the paper bit by bit, and gently peeled off the entire notice with almost no damage.
"I feel it's quite meaningful, so I wanted to keep it." She turned around, looking a little embarrassed.
“I understand what Yamami-kun is thinking,” Tsushima Kou said with a smile.
"Now it's almost time for us to step down. After we move our things out of the student council office, it feels like Yuuki High School won't have left much of its own mark."
Maki Yami smiled gently and returned to stand behind Jun Matsueda. The third-year students began to chat.
"That's why I wanted to push for some changes in school affairs." The student council president looked across the avenue, where a school worker was sweeping the cement ground at the school gate.
"Although they may be forgotten by freshmen in a few years, at least now everyone will remember that we changed their campus life a little."
Yumi stood next to the boy with a grin, "President, wanting to change someone's life, even just a little bit, is an incredibly greedy idea~"
Yumi-san sometimes says things that make a lot of sense, Jun Matsue blinked and spread glue evenly on the notice board.
"Since we're in the student council, we need to be prepared to make a change." Although he knew the girl's words were somewhat joking, the student council president's tone remained serious.
"Because we are not administrators, but communicators between students and the school, responsible for summarizing and reflecting the opinions of all students to the school so that problems can be resolved."
"The president is back in work mode." Tsushima Kou joked with a smile. With him and Seshita Yumi around, the atmosphere would never become tense.
Press down gently with your palm to ensure the paper and glue are in full contact and no extra wrinkles are created. Jun Matsue takes two steps back to observe and confirm that he has not pasted the notice crookedly.
"Anyway, I strongly support the president." He turned to face the boy with glasses. "The suggestion to extend the lunch break was great. I sleep very well every noon."