Am I being simulated by their love affair.

Chapter 263 The Weight of Sakura Mochi

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden is so large that it could easily accommodate a Haneoka High School, a welfare home, and the Mochizuki family's estate.

Take a few steps along the path leading to the entrance of the Thousand-Layer Valley, and you'll soon see cherry blossoms planted on both sides. The chirping of unknown birds can be heard from the shade of the trees. To your right is the cherry blossom garden, where large clusters of varying shades of pink bloom like a passionate cloud amidst the greenery.

"Brother Chun, can you tell what kind of bird this is?" The girl asked curiously, looking up at the treetop.

"Although I studied biology, it doesn't mean I'm a zoologist." Jun Matsueda walked into the cherry blossom grove. "Shall we spread out the picnic blanket here?"

"No!" Miyamura Aya stopped him from reaching into his bag. "Let's look around first, then find a place to sit down."

"Girls have a lot of energy, it's not time for them to rest yet."

Yamami Maki walked up to Matsueda Jun and said with a smile that after making a promise with her junior, the girl became more talkative, which reminded the boy of the senior he used to spend time alone with.

"This is a great place for taking pictures!" Aya Miyamura walked to the center of the cherry blossom grove, straightened her skirt, and asked, "Could someone take a picture for me?"

Just as Mochizuki Haruka was about to speak, Tomatsu Yuka had already raised her phone and walked up to the girl, "Aya-chan, come a little closer to me, so we can capture the cherry blossoms in the background~"

"." Mochizuki Haruka narrowed her eyes slightly, stared at the two people taking pictures for a while, and then walked towards Matsueda Jun, who was standing next to Yamami Maki.

Has Matsue ever read The Garden of Words?

Yamami Maki didn't speak, but just watched the two chat with a gentle smile.

"I watched it in junior high, and I thought it was pretty good." Jun Matsueda brushed a cherry blossom off his shoulder. "Why are you suddenly asking about this?"

"Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden has a filming location for The Garden of Words, do you want to go check it out?" Mochizuki Haruka moved a little closer to the boy.

"Sure, let's wait until they've finished taking pictures." Jun Matsue leaned against the tree trunk behind him and yawned.

"Girls take a long time to take photos. They can take several pictures of one pose, and after taking one pose, they'll take another, and they'll have to change the angle again." Mochizuki Haruka looked at the two people taking pictures not far away. "We can go over first, and they can catch up later."

"Does it really take that long?" he asked the senior student standing on the other side. The girl looked thoughtful. "I'll go ask her."

Yamami Maki walked towards the girls, while Mochizuki Haruka looked at the boy's hand beside her. She wished she could just grab Matsueda Jun and leave the others behind, letting them search for her in Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden for an entire afternoon.

"Cai-chan said we should go ahead first." The senior student came back. "I'll send them the location later."

"Is Senior going too?" Mochizuki Haruka thought she would stay and keep Tomatsu Yuka company.

"Hmm." The girl nodded gently. "I also quite like The Garden of Words, and I'd like to hear Mochizuki-san tell me more about it~"

Mochizuki Haruka stared at her for two seconds, and Yamami Maki blinked innocently, "Aren't we leaving?"

Tomatsu Yuka watched as the girl in the black dress led the two of them out of the cherry blossom grove. She looked away, and the shutter of her phone camera flashed.

"What do you think of this one, Cai Jiang?"

"Very good!" Miyamura Aya nodded in satisfaction, looking in the direction where the three had disappeared.

"Are Tomatsu-nee and Mochizuki-nee still not on good terms?"

“How can this be good?” Tomatsu Yuka sighed. “The more we like Matsueda-kun, the more we find each other annoying.”

“If Mochizuki Haruka doesn’t try to take your brother from me, I’d be happy to be her friend, or even her servant.”

Aya Miyamura flashed an incredibly cute smile at the girl's camera.

“My Jun-ge is really guilty of a lot of sins~” Matsueda Jun looked at the green reflection on the water’s surface. The branches, which were overburdened, clung to the pool of spring water and swayed in the wind, as if they were kissing the pond intermittently.

“It’s almost exactly like a scene from a movie,” Yami Maki exclaimed softly, impressed by the tree’s branches that drooped towards the water.

"If you keep going, you'll reach the lawn after the rain, just like in the movie. It's a good place to rest." Mochizuki Haruka gazed quietly at the water, her tone devoid of any emotion.

In Mochizuki Haruka's view, Yami Maki was much less aggressive than Tomatsu Yuka, but this only made her more difficult to deal with—the girl would simply ask one or two questions out of curiosity while she was talking to Matsueda Jun, or stand by and pretend to listen attentively, and the atmosphere between the two of them alone would be easily ruined.

"Jun-nii~" Miyamura Aya's voice came faintly. Matsueda Jun, who was standing by the pool, turned around. The girls who had finished taking pictures had already followed.

"Never mind," Mochizuki sighed. Opportunities to be alone are not so easy to create.

"Shall we rest here?" Jun Matsue looked at the dazzling green lawn in front of him and turned to ask the girls behind him.

"Let's do it here. The lawn here is very spacious and the light is especially good." Tomatsu Yuka nodded.

They stood in the center of a large lawn, surrounded by cherry blossom trees. Nearby, some people were picnicking, while others lay down and covered their faces with their hats for a nap.

Jun Matsue laid out the picnic mat, and the girls sat on the large green and white checkered cloth, with clouds slowly drifting across the sky above them, casting moving shadows on the grass.

Yamami Maki took a deep breath of the fresh air, which carried the scent of grass and leaves, and her chest heaved more.

"Being able to breathe this kind of air is already a rare comfort."

The girls placed their handbags in the center of the placemats. Mochizuki Haruka, who hadn't brought anything, tilted her head in confusion and secretly moved closer to Matsueda Jun's position.

Tomatsu Yuka took out a box wrapped in cloth, Yamami Maki had a large glass box, and Miyamura Aya had a cardboard box with a cake pattern on it.

"Snack time!" Cai Jiang announced excitedly, opening the box in her hand. Inside were several slices of mille-feuille cake, which she had bought in advance.

The glass box containing Maki Yami's creations features sliced ​​fruits of various colors, mixed with yogurt. It's a fresh and tempting treat that the young girl prepared herself before heading out.

Tomatsu Yuka untied the bento cloth, gently opened the lid, and pink wagashi wrapped in green leaves appeared before everyone's eyes.

"It's sakura mochi~" Miyamura Aya exclaimed, "A sweet treat specially made for spring!"

"I made it myself." The girl had a hint of pride on her face.

"This must be complicated to make, right?" Yami Maki carefully picked up a piece of sakura mochi. It was a Kanto-style "Chōmeiji Sakura Mochi," made by rolling red bean paste in mochi skin and then wrapping it in a layer of salted cherry blossom leaves. It was delicate and beautiful.

"It's alright. The cherry blossom leaves were bought from the supermarket, and the mochi skin was also a semi-finished product. The main problem was that making the red bean filling took a bit of effort."

Tomatsu Tomoka glanced at the eager boy, "Well, it's because Matsueda-kun wants to eat it~"

Yamami Maki and Mochizuki Haruka remained silent in perfect unison as they watched Matsueda Jun put a sakura mochi into his mouth.

"What a wonderful texture and taste!" He chewed slowly. The cherry blossom leaves had a crunchy texture with a hint of cherry blossom aroma. They were slightly salty after being pickled. The mochi skin was very soft and chewy, and the sweetness of the red bean paste filling was just right.

He swallowed the food in his mouth and looked at the silent girls. "We agreed on snack time. Aren't you going to eat?"

Mochizuki Haruka picked up a sakura mochi and tasted it. She wasn't very interested in wagashi and didn't eat much of it, but this sakura mochi was indeed quite delicious.

"How are you feeling, Mochizuki Haruka?" Tomatsu Tomoka asked with a smile.

Does my heartfelt gift taste delicious?

(End of this chapter)