Am I being simulated by their love affair.

Chapter 233 From Underground to Top of the Tower

The last class on Saturday morning was Classical Studies B. When the bell rang, it marked the official end of the first week of school.

The school bell at Haneoka High School is a melodious and slow chime, a very classic sound.

The original song is called "Westminster Bells," right?

Jun Matsue tidied his desk as the bell rang, while the girl sitting to his right was still calmly organizing her notes.

"Isn't Tomatsu working part-time at the literature museum today?"

Tomatsu Yuka shook her head, the cherry blossom hair clip in her hair swaying. "Because the brass band has to practice recruitment songs after school these past few days, I asked the manager to adjust the schedule."

The girl suddenly remembered something, looked up at the boy, and asked, "By the way, what happened to that girl after we called the police?"

Jun Matsueda paused for a moment, glancing in the direction of Toriyama Hospital. "Anyway, she definitely won't appear in front of us."

Mochizuki Haruka didn't tell him any further news, but in this kind of situation, no news is actually good news, meaning that she should be able to resolve the issue without any problems.

"Does the wind band have to perform during the recruitment?" He chose to change the subject.

"Yes~" The girl took out a saxophone from her instrument case and wiped it with a cleaning cloth. "It's a piece that everyone chose together. Would you like to come and listen to it, Pine-e?"

It seemed like it had been a long time since he had heard Tomatsu Yuka play. Matsueda Jun watched the girl's graceful hands move up and down, the midday sun shining on the surface of the gorgeous instrument, which shimmered and swayed with the girl's movements.

"If the news department isn't too busy, I'll come and take a look."

Tomatsu Yuka watched him walk out of the classroom. Starting next week, it might not be so easy for the two of them to be alone after school.

Her gaze shifted back into the classroom, landing on the seat to Matsueda Jun's left. The once empty desk now held neatly stacked textbooks, hinting at someone's return.

The girl wiped the saxophone with a bit too much force, as if she were wiping a gun barrel.

Just as Jun Matsue stepped out of the teaching building, Yosei Kuraki called, "Matsue! Are you done with get out of class yet!"

"I just got out of class." He walked toward the bike shed, a few crows flying overhead.

"Lunch is ready, come back quickly! We'll leave after we eat!"

"Yes~"

As he hopped on his bicycle, the wind picked up, and the scent of pollen intensified. While waiting at a red light, Jun Matsueda spotted several glossy crows perched on the telephone poles again. With the arrival of spring in Tokyo, it seemed the crows were appearing in greater numbers.

As soon as he returned to 507, Jun Matsue smelled the strong aroma of cheese. Yosei Kurusu had already changed out of his pajamas and was sitting at the dining table, waiting for him to come back and start the meal.

"Is today's lunch black pepper cheese bacon pasta?" He put down his schoolbag and sat down at the table. The girl had already picked up her fork and started eating.

"Because pasta is quick to make and quick to eat." A few drops of milky-white sauce clung to the corner of Kurusu Yosei's mouth, which she licked off with her tongue. "The day after the album's release, I'm a little excited~"

The girl was eating spaghetti, her long legs moving around under the table. Her bare feet occasionally kicked Matsueda Jun's shin, as if urging him to eat faster.

"Don't wash the bowls yet, let them soak in the sink." Yosuke Kurusu stood up from his chair and carried two plates and cutlery into the kitchen.

"I don't like washing dishes that are soaking in water."

"It's okay! I'll wash the dishes when I get back." The girl only had one thing on her mind: "Can we leave now?"

"Okay, okay." Matsueda Jun had originally wanted to change out of her school uniform, but seeing how much of a hurry Kiyoshi was in, she decided to just leave like this. The girl put on a large mask and watched the boy behind her lock the security door. "Matsueda, hurry up~"

"No matter how much you rush, the album won't sell two more copies just because of this."

Jun Matsue put the key in his pocket, passed by the door of room 506, and followed Yosei Kurusu.

When they arrived at the apartment building, the taxi the girl had called was already parked on the side of the road. The two of them got into the back seat together, and Jun Matsueda loosened his tie.

"Taking a taxi can be very expensive."

Jun Matsueda had specifically looked it up before. The starting fare for taxis in Tokyo is 500 yen for the first kilometer, and about 400 yen for each kilometer thereafter, plus a waiting fee, which is quite exorbitant.

"It's okay! I still have plenty of commuting expense reimbursement left this month. I'm someone who creates value for the company, so taking a taxi on my day off is definitely within the allowed limits~"

With the hood of her sweatshirt on and a mask covering her face, all Jun Matsueda could see were the girl's excessively beautiful eyes.

At 1:30 p.m., Jun Matsue, wearing a school uniform and with a sunny disposition, and Yosuke Kurusu, wearing a hat and mask and acting suspiciously, stood on the streets of Shibuya.

"Is that where we're going?" Jun Matsuoka squinted in the sunlight and pointed to the roof of a building not far away, where a large, bright yellow sign was displayed with red English letters.

"TOWER RECORDS".

“That’s right!” The girl wearing the hat nodded vigorously. “The Shibuya Tower, the largest record store in all of Asia.”

"My album is right there in there, sister~"

On Saturday afternoon, the streets of Shibuya Shinan 1-chome were bustling with people. Jun Matsueda followed the girl as they approached the building that resembled a yellow iron tower.

"By the way, wasn't the place where I first saw your performance around here?"

Jun Matsueda looked at the domed building at the other end of the street. The Shibuya Idol Theater was on the basement floor there. He remembered having dinner at Yoshinoya across the street and seeing a girl light up the stage in the dark.

"Matsue's memory is really good." Kurusu Yosei's smile brightened even more behind her mask. "I was still in the troupe back then. Thinking about it now, it feels like such a long, long time ago~"

"Back then, I was just a member of an idol group that could only perform in underground theaters." The girl walked to the entrance of the nine-story record store, turned around and gave him a victory sign.

"Now that I've debuted as a solo artist, I can release my album in the nine-story building next door!"

"Keep your voice down." Jun Matsue walked up to Yosei Kurusu, pretending to cover her mouth. "Are you afraid others won't find out about you?"

The girl lowered her head and obediently hid behind him, the two of them looking up at the building in front of them.

"No wonder it's a record store, the decoration is so unique." The girl murmured to herself. The exterior of the building was decorated in a bright yellow tower shape, like a miniature Tokyo Tower in a different color.

"It seems like every time I go out with you, we have to go through this process: craning our necks and looking up before entering the building." Jun Matsueda twisted his neck; he had been keeping his head down all the time at school, so looking up like this made him feel much more relaxed.

"This is called 'look up first, then conquer'," the girl said with a grin, looking at the huge slogan at the store entrance.

"No music, no life."

Yosei Kurusu compared his finger to a gun and shot it at Jun Matsueda's chest.

"I want my songs to invade your lives!"

(End of this chapter)