Am I being simulated by their love affair.

Chapter 267 Let's head towards spring, okay?
When Jun Matsue opened his eyes, he saw the serene profile of Maki Yamami.

The girl gazed silently at the lawn before her, sunlight falling on her face, adding a layer of depth and dimension to her delicate features. A passing breeze stirred up pink petals from the grass, a few drifting between the two.

She turned around and looked at the boy lying on the grass. Her eyes became focused, and the misty confusion between her brows disappeared.

"Matsueda-kun is awake?" The girl smiled slightly, her greeting sounding like a good morning.

"How long have I been asleep?" Jun Matsue sat up, brushing the grass clippings off his body. He used to be able to withstand the drowsy sunlight of an autumn afternoon, but now he couldn't resist the bright sunshine on the spring lawn, which smelled of cherry blossoms.

"It's only been about ten minutes," Yamami Maki said with a touch of affection. "Matsueda-san looks so well-behaved while she's sleeping."

"This is the first time I've received such a compliment." Jun Matsue blinked in confusion, and the girl chuckled.

"Hasn't Kurusu and the others returned yet?" He looked around. There were only the two of them on the picnic mat, and two girls who looked like middle school students were playing frisbee not far away.

"They should be back soon, right?" Yami Maki tapped her chin with her index finger. Actually, she didn't want the girls to return quickly. Compared to the tense and scheming atmosphere, she preferred the lawn where the two of them were, where there was only a free and easy atmosphere.

The two sat on the grass, hugging their knees. They didn't speak for a moment, just watching the flat, slightly curved white disc spin back and forth between the girls' sailor uniform scarves.

"It seems like you've changed a bit since you came back from the competition," the boy's sudden words startled Yamami Maki, who looked up.

"Yes, yes?"

She only had a slight thought in that direction, and Matsueda sensed it?

Jun Matsue nodded, recalling the girl's face he had seen when he first woke up, "It was like that feeling of being lost after getting revenge, not knowing what to do."

"It's not that dramatic about getting revenge," the girl said, relieved after confirming that he was talking about something unrelated to romance.

"Rather than saying I have a grudge, I might as well thank Kokoro-chan." A trace of melancholy drifted from her words, mingling with the scent of sprouting grass in the air.

"After all, without Kokoro-chan, I wouldn't be here at Haneoka High School, and I wouldn't have met you all."

Jun Matsue changed his posture, facing the girl, sitting cross-legged on the grass, and making an expression that suggested he was listening attentively.

“I used to love competing with Kokoro-chan. We went to the same school for kindergarten, elementary school, and junior high. When we were about to graduate from junior high, Kokoro-chan told me that we should have one last competition before graduating from junior high.”

"What should we compare?" Jun Matsue imagined what middle school student Maki Yami looked like and imitated the girl's tone.

High school student Yami Maki gave him a reproachful look. "She said it's a competition based on the scores of the last mock exam. Whoever loses has to go to the other's preferred school."

"I see," Matsueda Jun immediately understood the story, but why did Kuroba Shin go to Ochanomizu in the end?
“At the time, my preferred school was Ochanomizu University, and hers was Haneoka High School.”

“Ochanomizu University has a rigorous academic atmosphere and a deviation score of 78, which is the highest in Tokyo. Even members of the Imperial Family attend Ochanomizu Middle School. It was the best school my parents chose for me.”

"Haneoka High School has a deviation score of 71, but the atmosphere is much more free, which is the school that Kokoro most wants to go to."

The frisbee, which had been floating around, finally slipped from her grasp and landed at Yamami Maki's feet. "Actually, I wasn't really confident of beating Kokoro back then, but my pride wouldn't allow me to refuse her challenge."

The girl picked up the frisbee and threw it with an elegant and skillful motion. Sunlight streamed through her flowing black hair, outstretched arms, and slightly bent legs, making her breathtakingly beautiful.

The disc returned to the hands of the girls not far away. Yamami Maki smiled and waved her hands in acknowledgment. She returned to sit down next to Matsueda Jun, and the dazzling light vanished in an instant.

"The final result was also clear: I lost to Kokoro without any suspense and ended up going to Haneoka High School."

Matsueda Jun looked at the sparrows hopping around on the picnic mat and asked, "I feel like your family is pretty strict, right? Would they allow you to go to Haneoka High School?"

Yamami Maki revealed a sly smile, "Because I took the entrance exam for Haneoka High School and applied for a specialization like Aya-chan."

Special applications can lower the admission score, but once you reach the admission line, you can only choose the school that applied for and cannot change it.

"Although my parents did intend to change the schools I applied to, they gave up after my insistence."

"But we've also agreed that these three years in Yuqiu will be the last time we can be so willful."

The final act of willfulness sounded somewhat sad. Matsueda Jun looked at the girl's calm face. What was she thinking?
"As for why Kokoro went to Ochanomizu, it was Uncle Kuroba's punishment for her willful bet. He even dragged Kokoro to me to apologize, and she cried so pitifully back then~" Yami Maki laughed happily.

"But now that I think about it, I still have to thank Kokoro. At least I had a great time in Haneoka. I wonder how she's doing in Ochanomizu."

A nostalgic look appeared on the girl's face. "Maybe the bet we made back then was just her not wanting to leave me."

"In that case, I should thank Kuroba Shin. If it weren't for her bet, wouldn't the person sitting next to me now be someone who's always clamoring to compete with me in achievements?"

Matsueda Jun said with relief, "Compared to her, my senior is like heaven and earth."

"Kokoro-chan isn't that bad, is she?" Yami Maki couldn't suppress the smile on her face as she looked at the figure that appeared at the end of the lawn.

"It seems like everyone's back. It must be time for Miss Yangshi's performance."

“I’ve rested enough.” Jun Matsue stood up from the grass. “After we see Kurusu to the door, let’s take a stroll around some more. Since we’re here to see the cherry blossoms, we should at least see all the cherry blossoms here.”

Yamami Maki nodded gently and waved to the approaching girls. "I also feel like there's not enough time."

The weather became even brighter in the afternoon, and the clouds in the sky disappeared, leaving only the blooming cherry blossoms shimmering in the cascading sunlight.

As she left Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, Maki Yamami looked up at the city skyline. The overly clear blue sky and white clouds under the sunlight gave her a slight feeling of dizziness.

The girl was unaware whether this blissful and carefree dizziness belonged to her.

Only the footsteps of the people continue to move towards spring.

(End of this chapter)