Am I being simulated by their love affair?

Page 172

For Tomatsu Yuka, there couldn't be better news. The girl gently clenched her fist; it would have been inappropriate for her to laugh at this moment.

"I heard from a senior student that her family's studio is near the University of Minnesota train station?"

Jun Matsue nodded. "It's about 800 meters away."

"That's quite close to my house!" the girl said with delight. "My house is over the Zenpukuji River. It's just a short walk from Hamadayama Station."

The boy looked up at the route map on the train door and realized that it was only two stops away from Mingdaqian.

Is the senior student helping Tomatsu get ahead again?

The Keio Inokashira Line is an above-ground railway. It was summer, and the road was lush with vegetation. After leaving the station, the dazzling sunlight shone into the carriage. The girl squinted, her eyelashes fluttering, and leaned closer to the shadow of Jun Matsueda.

The journey between the two stops only took a few minutes. Soon, the announcement inside the carriage mentioned Hamadayama's name. The girl, who had been hiding in the shadows, sat up straight and waved her hand in front of the boy.

"Matsueda-kun, the Zenpukuji River is right behind you~"

He turned to look out the window but didn't see the river. The girl chuckled softly and pointed behind the building.

“It’s right there. There are several kindergartens and elementary schools along the way. If you’re riding your bike here, Matsue-kun, you’d better be careful.”

Tomatsu Tomoka spoke gently as she introduced the streets she walked every day to her beloved.

"After crossing a few intersections with little traffic, you can find a small stall on the left side of the road. Their taiyaki is delicious. If you're not hungry, Matsue, you can buy one and try it."

"After walking for more than ten minutes, I passed a building with its exterior painted a light green. My apartment is right across from it. Behind the apartment is the Zenfukuji River Green Space. If we take a walk together, we can see the cherry blossoms in full bloom along the river in spring. I think it's even more beautiful than Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. The breeze on my face at night in summer is also very comfortable..."

The girl spoke softly, and the glaring sunlight turned into a cool breeze, carrying cherry blossoms that fell and covered the entire railway track, seeping into Jun Matsuoka's memory bit by bit.

"Next stop, Mingdae-mae. Please exit from the left door."

Tomatsu Yuka stood up and looked at Matsueda Jun. "Anyway, please remember, Matsueda-kun, if you want to see Tomatsu Yuka, please get off at Hamadayama Station~"

This girl is still too dangerous. Jun Matsue stepped off the train and looked at the girl's back. Her skill in saying sweet words had reached a state of perfection, making her impossible to guard against and extremely terrifying.

After taking the elevator to the fourth floor of "Denny's Studio," the boy used the key from the front desk to open the door to the practice room. He fumbled on the wall for a bit and then turned on the light.

"So this is the environment of the off-campus practice room..." Tomatsu Yuka looked around him curiously, "Is that Matsueda-kun's drum?"

"To be precise, it's a drum set that I borrowed from Senior Yamami." The boy walked towards the drum set, with the girl following behind him.

Jun Matsue sat down and took out drumsticks from his bag. Yuka Tomatsu moved a chair over and sat down next to him, looking expectant.

Next up was Songzhi's solo performance, a precious moment for just the two of them, the girl thought to herself.

"Wait a minute." The boy put down his drumsticks and looked at the drum set in front of him. "A cymbal is missing. I'll go ask at the front desk."

"I'll go with Songzhi."

"You can wait for me in the practice room." Jun Matsueda shook his head. "It won't take long. Could you please keep an eye on the room and make sure no one sneaks in?"

After closing the door behind him, Jun Matsue pressed the button in front of the elevator and waited.

There was a cymbal missing... He was a little puzzled. Who else could have entered the room? Could it have been a staff member?

Someone gently patted his shoulder. Jun Matsueda turned around and saw a girl in a third-year student uniform with a mischievous smile in front of her.

"What are you looking for, Matsueda-san?" Yami Maki asked with a smile.

Chapter 299 The Absent Third Party

"What are you doing here, senior?"

The girl caught a fleeting look of surprise on Matsueda Jun's face, and her smile became a little more unrestrained.

"Can't I be here?" Yami Maki looked at him reproachfully. "This is my family's studio, you know."

“That’s not what I meant.” Jun Matsue suddenly felt that the familiar senior had become a little unfamiliar. “Tomatsu said you were busy today.”

"So I disturbed your time alone with Yuka?" The girl pretended to be angry again.

"...Was that something you did on purpose, senior?" Matsueda Jun realized he had been teased.

Yamami Maki chuckled, but her smile vanished immediately as the sound of a door opening came from the corner of the elevator entrance—it was the practice room that Matsueda Jun had just left.

"Matsueda-kun?" Tomatsu Tomoka's call came along with her footsteps, and the girl seemed to hear Matsueda Jun's voice outside the door.

She walked into the elevator but didn't see the boy. The girl wandered around the corridor in confusion before returning to her room to wait for Matsueda Jun to come back.

"Thank goodness the elevator is here..." Yamami Maki, who pushed Matsueda Jun into the elevator, breathed a sigh of relief.

The girl, now relaxed, immediately realized that her hands were pressed against the boy's chest. Her face flushed red, and she put her hands behind her back.

"It's obvious that you didn't want to disturb my time alone with Tomatsu, right?" Jun Matsueda looked into his senior's eyes, but the blushing girl turned her head away, unwilling to meet his gaze.

When the elevator reached the first floor, Yamami Maki finally returned to normal and walked towards the room at the other end of the corridor on her own.

"Matsueda-kun, you're out looking for a cymbal, right? I saw that the cymbal was a bit dirty, so I took it to the first floor for maintenance."

"Senior hasn't answered my question yet," Matsueda Jun said, following behind the girl. "Are you deliberately avoiding Tomatsu?"

"It's not that I'm deliberately avoiding her..." The girl turned around and glanced at the boy behind her, her face still slightly flushed.

"I was just passing by on my way to class. It wasn't time for class yet, so I was just resting in the studio for a bit."

"Yuka probably prefers to be alone with Matsueda, so I thought I'd better not show up in front of her."

As for the missing cymbals and the chance encounter between the two at the elevator entrance, she would never admit that it was intentional.

Jun Matsue took two steps forward and observed his senior's profile. The girl's expression was serious and without the slightest flaw.

"I've never seen my senior lie before, so it seems I have no choice but to believe her."

“That’s just how it is.” Yamami Maki walked into the room where the musical instruments were kept, and a shiny cymbal was placed on the workbench. “Hey, here’s the cleaned cymbal.”

Jun Matsue picked up the soft cloth that was placed to the side, carefully grasped both sides of the cymbal, and lifted it up. "So, senior, you're going to class?"

"Mmm." The girl nodded and shook her schoolbag. "It's almost time."

The two walked out of the room and stopped at the fork in the corridor. Yamami Maki walked towards the lobby, and before leaving, she turned around and gave Matsueda Jun some instructions.

"Please don't tell Yuuka that I was here, okay, Matsueda-san?"

She only felt relieved and left after the boy nodded repeatedly.

Jun Matsue stood in the corridor for a while longer, watching the girl's figure completely disappear outside the door before heading towards the elevator.

He looked at the cymbals in his hand, which were as shiny as a mirror. So, did their practice room have a fairy godmother who did good deeds without leaving her name?

Tomatsu Yuka sat upright in the room. The time when Matsue-kun was not there seemed to last forever. She waited and waited before she finally heard the sound of the door opening in the silent space.

The boy walked in carrying cymbals, and the girl made way for Matsueda Jun, watching him install the cymbals onto the stand.

"Matsueda-kun, it took you quite a while. Did you encounter any problems?"

"I chatted briefly with the staff member in charge of cymbal maintenance," Jun Matsueda said without changing his expression.

The cymbals were sent for maintenance by Senior Yamami, so Senior Yamami could be considered a staff member, right? He thought there was nothing wrong with what he said.

The drum kit was finally complete. Jun Matsue tapped the cymbals; there were no problems. He waved the two drumsticks in the air, and the solo practice time began.

From the moment the first beat sounded, Tomatsu Yuka stared intently at the boy beside her. The air conditioning in the room hadn't been turned on yet, and Matsueda Jun was only wearing a short-sleeved shirt. The muscles in his upper and lower arms contracted and bulged with each movement, displaying pure physical beauty.

Jun Matsueda's movements were sometimes slow and sometimes fast. When they were slow, the girl could clearly see every bent finger joint. When they were fast, the drumsticks in his hands were just afterimages, reminding her of a train passing by the station, rushing past her with great momentum, dazzling her eyes and stirring up gusts of wind.

Perhaps the drum kit is the most suitable instrument for men, perfectly combining surging power with exquisite skills. Every strike is enough to pierce the eardrum and control the heart of the onlooker.

After Jun Matsueda finished performing, the girl, who was completely absorbed in the performance, realized that she had forgotten to record it. Fortunately, this was a practice room and not a stage, so she could watch it many times.

"...Was Matsueda-san also this impressed when she saw me play the saxophone?" Tomatsu Yuka murmured to herself, looking lost in thought.

“I think your saxophone is a bit better,” Jun Matsue smiled. “After all, the drums have a sound advantage.”

The drum kit is the instrument that sets the tone for the band's performance and controls the rhythm for everyone. This is why the girls in the light music club were so determined to find a high-quality drummer.

"Pine Branch, do it a few more times!" The girl picked up her phone to record a video. She wanted to get her revenge and show it to the guy who hadn't come to class today.

Then the sound of percussion filled the room once again.

"Thank you for your hard work, teacher." Yamami Maki bowed slightly as she saw the elegant woman off.

Watching the woman close the heavy door to the room, the girl breathed a sigh of relief, her straight back slumped, and she rested on the table.

The flower arrangement class had just ended, and the next class was calligraphy. There was a twenty-minute break in between. Yamami Maki had her left cheek pressed against the table, staring blankly at the sunlight outside the window.

"Is Matsueda still practicing?" She took out her phone. Yuka hadn't messaged her, so it seemed she was having a good time in the room where the two of them were alone.

She scrolled through her chat list again, but there were still no messages from Songzhi. The girl pouted, exited the chat app, and tapped the camera icon on her phone.

"I'd like to see what you're doing..."

This is an application that connects to the studio's backend monitoring system. Yamami Maki tapped the screen again and quickly saw the interior of a room on the fourth floor.

In the video, Jun Matsueda is still focused on playing the drums, while Yuka Tomatsu leaves her seat with her phone and starts taking pictures of him.

"It's a pity we can't hear anything. Looks like he didn't do anything bad." Yami Maki nodded in satisfaction and zoomed in on the image.

The girl's figure disappeared off-screen, leaving only the boy playing the drums, filling the entire screen.

Chapter 300 Offense and Admission

During the break, Jun Matsue sat down and drank water, while Yuka Tomatsu next to him was typing on her phone. The girl's fingers moved so fast that she seemed to be having a heated argument with someone.

Jun Matsueda glanced at his phone; it was almost six o'clock. The two of them had been in the practice room for over two hours, and the others should be arriving soon.

"It should take about half an hour for everyone to arrive, and the practice won't be until evening." He looked at the girl beside him. "Is Tomatsu going home?"

"It's okay, I'll go back later." Tomatsu Yuka shook her head, put down her phone, and realized that Mochizuki Haruka, who had lost the online battle, had already blocked her.

"The drum set alone is immersive enough; I'm really looking forward to the chemical reaction when other instruments are added!"

“Isn’t this how the brass band usually is?” Jun Matsue swung his arm. “You guys have more instruments and a wider variety of instruments, and the sound is more impressive.”

"That seems to make sense." The girl looked at the drum set and thought, "Maybe I'm just used to the band format, so I don't really feel anything."

"But rock and roll is more passionate than wind instruments!"

She imitated the cool movements of boys playing drums, waving her hands back and forth, which only made people feel a bit clumsy and cute.

"Once everyone arrives, we'll start practicing, right?" Tomatsu Tomoka asked Matsueda Jun. "Should we go have dinner first?"

"I support you." Jun Matsue nodded. Two hours of drumming had taken a toll on his energy, and it was lunchtime.

"Let's go out now~" The girl stood up from her seat. "I just found a nice shop that I think Matsueda-kun will like!"

Stepping out of the studio, the setting sun hung on the rooftops at the corner of the street, and the colors of the city sky began to change. Tomatsu Yuka led Matsueda Jun through the intersection, turning left and right. The girl's unwavering steps were a stark contrast to the hesitant senior who had taken him to lunch earlier.

"This is it." The girl stopped in front of a small shop. The sign at the entrance featured a smiling tomato, and the shop was called "Tomato."

Jun followed her into the shop and sat down at a rustic, thick wooden table. A silver-haired grandmother came over with a smile and handed the two of them a menu.

"This shop specializes in European-style curry, and they open at 6 PM, we were so lucky!"

The girl pointed to the various bottles and jars on the counter by the wall, which contained all kinds of spices. "It is said that their curry is made by simmering thirty-six kinds of seasonings for six days."

The small shop can only accommodate four people at a time. The customers at another table had already ordered their food, and the complex aroma wafting from the kitchen began to tantalize Jun Matsueda's taste buds.

"Does Tomatsu have some kind of talent for exploring restaurants?" Jun Matsueda exclaimed, as the girl never seemed to disappoint him when it came to food.

"Matsueda-kun is wrong. My talent isn't in exploring restaurants." Tomatsu Yuka leaned against the table, propped her cheeks up with her hands, and looked at him with a smile.

"I just think about how I would spend my time with Matsueda every single moment."

She had said this to Yamami Maki once before, and Matsueda Jun only heard it today. The girl's tone was sincere, and her ordinary voice made no attempt to hide anything, which drew the attention of the customers waiting at the next table.

“But I’m not the kind of person who likes to be with other people all the time.” Jun Matsueda took the menu the girl handed him. “Besides, it sounds like there’s a risk of losing myself.”

More accurately, it reminded him of Mochizuki Haruka from before, he added in his mind.

"I know." Tomatsu Yuka's smile remained gentle. "Matsueda-san likes more independent and self-reliant types, and I'm working towards that goal."

With his impeccable words, Jun Matsue knew very well that Tomatsu Tomoka wasn't the kind of girl who would be easily defeated by his words, so he chose to lower his head and focus on looking at the menu.

The girl's expression remained unchanged despite her failed attack. Having done her homework beforehand, she changed the subject to the restaurant.

"This restaurant's signature dish is beef tongue curry, which you can try, Songzhi. However, European-style curry might have a slightly bitter taste. If you don't like that, you can order the seafood curry, which is closer to the type we usually eat..."

So the two ordered a beef tongue curry and a seafood curry, plus a seasonal side dish to cleanse their palates. Tomatsu Yuka ran to the door to make a phone call, telling her mother that she would be home late that day.

With nothing to do, Jun Matsuoka began to observe the shop's furnishings. It was clearly in a European style, and he recognized some of the spices in the jars, including dried tangerine peel and star anise, which made him feel nostalgic.

As he stared at the bottles and jars for a while, his phone vibrated in his pocket. It was a message from Yamami Maki; it seemed that her senior had already finished class.

Upon opening the chat window, the girl sent a video, a top-down view of the practice room. Jun Matsueda was concentrating on playing the drums. He intended to spin the drumstick in a stylish manner, but the stubborn stick slipped out of his control and flew away in a spiral.