Am I being simulated by their love affair?

Page 177

"Isn't Imokawa supposed to be filming? Isn't she coming with us?"

Jun Matsue waved his hand to fan the air, saying, "There was no practice today, and the performance venue hasn't been confirmed yet, so she felt there was no need to film."

Actually, Natsumi Imokawa originally wanted to go to a livehouse with Matsue, but when she heard that Haruka Mochizuki would also be going, her initial interest immediately vanished.

The girl, who had been silent on the other side, tugged at the boy's sleeve and pointed to the dessert shop next to the station ahead. "It's so hot, I want to eat ice cream."

"Buy it!" Matsueda Jun's tone was firm, definitely not because he was about to break out in a sweat. The two quickened their pace, while the upperclassman, lagging behind, watched the girl's retreating figure.

The atmosphere between them was so natural. Yamami Maki frowned slightly, wondering why Yuka seemed to be the slowest progressing...

To enjoy the taste of ice cream, the three of them got off at Mingda Station ten minutes late. After putting their bags in the practice room, the exploration team walked out onto the street empty-handed.

“Let’s exclude the ones Aya and the others have been to before and start with the nearest livehouse.” Jun Matsueda looked at the list on his phone.

Upon entering the venue, finding the organizer or person in charge, inquiring about performance opportunities, and sending the band's information, demos, and rehearsal videos, Jun Matsue walked out of the underground space and suddenly felt a sense of emotion.

"It feels just like when I first started looking for a part-time job."

Maki Yami laughed, "Playing in a band properly is quite tough, isn't it?"

Returning to the ground from the dark space, Mochizuki Haruka squinted like a cat, "The Yamami family also runs performance venues, right?"

"Yes, there are," the girl nodded, "but they're quite far from here, and I'm not very familiar with that area."

Jun Matsueda waved his hand, "It's not like we won't even have a chance to perform in a variety show. There's no need to trouble you, senior."

Before sunset, the exploration team entered seven livehouses, got three audition opportunities, and even witnessed a rehearsal band's brutal fight on stage.

"Why did the guitarist and the lead singer suddenly start fighting..." Yami Maki asked, still shaken.

Jun Matsueda shook his head. "Don't try to figure out what rock musicians are thinking. Just stay away from them."

When the band on stage suddenly started a live fight, he immediately stepped in front of the two girls. The senior girl gripped his sleeve tightly, but Mochizuki Haruka wasn't really scared. Instead, she moved his arm away and watched with interest as the blood flowed down the guitarist's face.

"That's enough for today. Three audition opportunities are enough. Any more and the band's schedule will be difficult to manage."

The three walked back to the studio. Matsueda Jun and Mochizuki Haruka walked ahead, while the girl was still trying to persuade the boy to accept her help, but she was rejected again.

Yamami Maki walked behind, watching the shadows of the two people ahead stretched long by the setting sun and intertwined. After leaving the last livehouse, the girl became somewhat absent-minded.

She looked at the boy's slightly deformed cuffs, which she had pulled on when she was nervous because of the violent incident. The girl's mind was still replaying the scene of Jun Soji standing in front of her.

That reassuring, comforting touch caused the sunset-red hue on Yamami Maki's face to fade into a charming blush.

She reached out and gently touched her cheek with the back of her hand. Luckily, Songzhi couldn't see it. The girl breathed a sigh of relief and followed the boy's footsteps with her head down.

Tomatsu Yuka stood in the gentle breeze under the setting sun, carrying her bag in both hands, waiting for Matsueda Jun to appear—today's practice ended relatively early, and the girl deliberately took the train home for two extra stops to arrive at the studio.

Watching the three of them walk from the end of the street at dusk, the girl stared at the senior who was lagging behind for a few more seconds, shook her head helplessly, and walked back to the group.

"Thank you for your hard work, everyone~" Tomatsu Yuka greeted her sweetheart with a smile, but as she got closer, her gaze shifted to Matsueda Jun's back.

Why does the senior student look so happy?

Chapter 309 Their Doubts Were Unspoken

"I didn't expect to pass all three auditions..." The girls from the Light Music Club sat in the cafeteria looking at each other in disbelief.

"It's actually quite normal, isn't it?" Jun Matsue said, eating a bowl of Chinese cold noodles that was on summer sale.

"Neither Izumi nor I are beginners, and Sachi's bass playing is very solid. We're playing mature songs, so apart from Aya-chan singing the wrong lyrics, there's nothing to worry about."

"It sounds like I'm the one holding everyone back!" Aya Miyamura said, putting down her chopsticks in dissatisfaction. "I'm going to be singing in front of an audience! Just thinking about that scene is definitely stressful!"

"Yes, yes~" Matsueda Jun finished the last bite of cold noodles. "I was just reminding you not to forget your lines on the spot."

Although Chinese cold noodles have nothing to do with China, Jun Matsueda still broke his principle of not eating cold food for main meals and chose it. Eating cold noodles in the summer is indeed very refreshing, no wonder Chinese cold noodles have become an indispensable part of the summer memories of Japanese people.

"I won't forget!" the girl patted her chest confidently. "If I really forget, I'll just make something up~"

Laughter erupted at both dining tables. The three girls from the Light Music Club sat with Natsumi Imokawa, who was holding a camera, while Jun Matsueda sat at a table with two girls from his class.

Natsumi Imokawa was there to film the scene where the band announced the audition results. As for Tomatsu Tomoka and Mochizuki Haruka, they were just used to eating in the cafeteria with Matsueda Jun.

"So how will the audition be decided?" Tomatsu Yuka asked curiously.

"If the times don't conflict, I should be able to go to both." Izumi Mizuki glanced at her phone. "The earliest one is on July 10th. The dates for the other two haven't been confirmed yet, but they'll definitely be in the middle or late part of the month."

July 10th... Sitting opposite Jun Matsueda, Haruka Mochizuki kept this date in mind. She was sure she would be competing with Yuka Tomatsu for the seat closest to Matsueda.

"Isn't it almost holiday time again?" Natsumi Imokawa said softly, holding her camera. She had already finished her lunch.

"It's possible that it will be scheduled during the summer vacation." Izumi Mizuki nodded. "We'll see if it conflicts with everyone's schedule."

Summer vacation starts in late July, and it's the end of June now, so there's still a month until summer vacation, which is actually quite a long time.

After agreeing on the time for the next practice session, Jun Matsue left the cafeteria first, Haruka Mochizuki was called away by her old classmates from other classes, and only Yuka Tomatsu stayed by his side.

"There's a sports meet next month, will Yamami-senpai be busy?" The girl seemed to be talking to herself, but it also seemed like she was talking to him.

"This should be the last work of this student council." Amidst the incessant chirping of cicadas by the roadside, Jun Matsueda took over the conversation.

"Hmm..." Tomatsu Yuka looked at a couple walking past them, the girl's smile sweet and content.

The smile looked somewhat familiar to her, so the girl asked a few more questions.

"Since Songzhi is on the election management committee, does she have more contact with her senior classmates?"

Seemingly realizing that her question was a bit strange, Tomatsu Yuka waved her hand, "It's just that I haven't seen my senior as often lately, and I wanted to know how she's doing."

As Jun Matsue entered the teaching building, he glanced at the girl again. "I saw you when the election management committee held its last meeting. Didn't I run into you in the corridor later?"

"These past few days have been spent waiting for candidates to submit their posters, so I haven't had much free time and haven't seen any senior students."

The first-year students in the corridor looked on with longing as the two seniors whose names appeared on the notice board walked up the steps.

"They seem like a couple..." someone whispered.

"Maybe they really are in talks~"

The two quickly returned to the classroom. The air conditioning inside was a bit cold. The girl sat down and put on a thin, light yellow vest.

"If you care about your senior, why don't you just go find her?" Jun Matsueda took out the sports meet registration book from the drawer, and Kominato-sensei told everyone that they could prepare to register.

"Your senior is on the same floor, just a few steps away. She would be very happy if you went to see her."

"That's true..." Tomatsu Yuka smiled apologetically as she watched the boy walk onto the podium to explain the registration details for the sports meet.

So, in the café after school, Yamami Maki looked at the girl sitting across from her. The upperclassman had a smile on her face, but she felt a little uneasy inside.

Tomatsu Yuka scooped a small spoonful of strawberry parfait in front of her. "I haven't been chatting with you lately, have I bothered you?"

"It's alright~" The girl shook her head gently, "The sports meet is coming soon, and the atmosphere in class has been quite relaxed lately."

The girls ate ice cream while chatting about the upcoming July, mentioning sports meets, wind instrument competitions, and band performances—things that would excite them to the point of sweating.

"Do you know, senior? Aya and the others all passed their auditions!" Tomatsu Yuka wiped the bright red strawberry jam from her lips with a tissue.

"The first performance is scheduled for July 10th, let's go see it together!"

"July 10th?" In fact, Yamami Maki already knew through the message sent by Matsueda Jun, but she still tried her best to act like she had just received the news.

"It seems like it's at the same time as the sports meet. Maybe after competing in the morning, I'll have to go see a band performance in the afternoon. It feels like it's all physically demanding."

Fortunately, the girl's acting skills had improved after a period of practice, and although Tomatsu Yuka tried to observe her carefully, she couldn't find any flaws.

After finishing their parfait, the two left the cafe. Tomatsu Yuka took the subway home, and her senior decided to take her to the station.

"Speaking of which, the proposal for ice cream vending machines has been approved~" Yami Maki said excitedly. "Although it's not something as fancy as a parfait, we can enjoy ice cream cone freedom right here in the school building."

"I hope they don't sell out." Tomatsu Yuka imagined students queuing in front of the vending machines. "I feel like everyone's going to gain a lot of weight this summer."

"Why?" the senior student asked, somewhat confused.

"Because we can eat ice cream right in the teaching building, we don't have to go to the convenience store, so we don't have to walk as far as we want, and we don't have to sweat in the sun. Plus, we'll definitely eat ice cream more often."

"Isn't it bound to make me fat?"

Tomatsu Yuka watched Yamami Maki, who couldn't suppress her laughter; her senior's smile was somewhat similar to the one she had seen in front of the studio that day.

"So, was that smile just because the livehouse was fun?" the girl guessed.

Watching the girl enter the station, Yamami Maki lowered her waving arm and turned to walk past the locust tree where cicadas were chirping incessantly.

Yuka looked at her differently today, with a scrutinizing attitude. Was she starting to doubt herself?

The girl sighed deeply and looked in the direction of the coffee shop she had come from. She now knew that the boy's apartment was right next door.

"It's all Matsueda-kun's fault..."

Chapter 310 The Prelude to the Stage Performance

At the dining table in the Wangyue family, Wangyue Hua looked at her niece, who seemed somewhat absent-minded.

"Xiaoyao doesn't seem to have much of an appetite today?"

The woman had a good appetite, after all, she hadn't eaten a proper meal for almost half a year. For the two months after she woke up, her three meals a day were the time she looked forward to the most.

"I'm thinking about the Pine Branch performance," the girl mumbled. She had just learned at noon that the band's debut performance had been confirmed.

Mochizuki Haruka felt a little regretful that the band's progress had been too smooth.

If the audition fails, she can still go to the dark and enclosed space with Songzhi a few more times; the livehouse is one of the best places for a love story to unfold.

"Is Songzhi going to perform?" Wang Yuehua put the beef brisket, soaked in broth, into her mouth and chewed happily.

"When?"

"July 10th." The girl took out her phone to check the weather forecast. "A high of 34 degrees Celsius, and it might rain..."

It doesn't seem like the right conditions to go out and see a show?

Mochizuki Haruka both hoped that her beloved's performance would be packed and thunderous, but also felt that if the weather was too bad and no one came, it would be fine too—that way she could have Matsue's first time all to herself.

Although it was unlikely, the girl frowned. Tomatsu would definitely go to the show in a kayak even if the torrential rain flooded half the city that day.

Thinking of this, Mochizuki Haruka put down her chopsticks and looked at the woman sitting opposite her. "Auntie will be going to the show with me, right?"

"Isn't that a given?" Auntie raised an eyebrow. "I want the front row seat."

“A livehouse isn’t a concert; you can’t get a front-row seat.” The girl rolled her eyes at her. “If you want to be at the very front, you have to be one of the first people to arrive.”

"Is that so?" The woman blinked in surprise; she had no experience watching a performance in this kind of setting. "Then we should go early."

She had seen pictures of boys playing drums on her niece's phone; the way their muscles bulged exuded pure hormones. The aunt was quite looking forward to seeing Jun Matsueda live.

"Should we prepare something for him?" Mochizuki Haruka pondered. Simply being an audience member was clearly not enough. "Should we send him a bouquet of flowers? Or perhaps some gifts for the entire band?"

"Is this how you pursue guys? You have absolutely no talent for romance..." The woman pursed her lips, wiped her mouth with a napkin, and sat down next to her niece.

"When boys play musical instruments, they are no different from those who play basketball or soccer. The happiest thing is that some people think they are handsome."

"You sit in the front row, stare intently at Songzhi, and act like you're completely smitten. Even if Songzhi doesn't show any reaction on her face, she'll drum harder..."

That seems to make sense. The girl nodded in thought, not forgetting to correct her aunt's mistake, "There aren't any seats in the livehouse, are there?"

"Huh?" the woman said in disbelief, "Then you can only stand there?"

"You have to stand here the whole time~"

In apartment 507, Jun Matsueda and Yosuke Kurusu sat on the sofa, watching the latest episode of "Exposing Their Masks!" on TV.

“I don’t really have any experience standing in the audience…” The pink-haired girl sitting next to Jun Matsueda had a reminiscing expression. “Aside from my own performances, I’ve never been to see anyone else’s performances.”

"Then wouldn't I be very honored?"

Matsueda Jun looked at Kurusu Yosei on the screen. Even sitting in the corner, this guy was still so eye-catching. The girl's eyes, which were glancing around, had a cute and mischievous look in them.

"What were you looking at at the time?" he asked curiously.

"I'm looking for the pine branch," the girl said matter-of-factly. "The lights from the audience are too bright; I've been looking for it for ages!"

This guy… Jun Matsueda wanted to laugh, but also felt a slight tickle in his heart, like being gently scratched by a girl’s hair.

"I was worried about you back in the audience."

"What's there to worry about?" Kurusu Yosei's eyes were innocent. The show soon reached the moment when she made her first surprising statement, and a gasp of surprise rang out from both the stage and the audience.

But as the girl spoke gently, the tense atmosphere gradually dissipated, and a line of subtitles appeared on the TV screen: "Kurusu-san's producer must be crying by now, right?"

The production team wanted to turn this into a plot twist... Jun Matsueda nodded. The seemingly flamboyant and optimistic girl actually had great respect for her work and colleagues. Such a contrast could indeed attract many people.

Another round of banter between the host and guests ensued, culminating in the final question, which also became the subtitle of the episode—"Does nobody have any dreams?!"