Am I being simulated by their love affair.

Chapter 286 Stay in Tokyo, this city that makes you lose your way

"So Songzhi went to your sister's band?!"

A surprised voice came from the other end of the phone; Natsumi Imokawa was the last person to know the news.

"That's how it is right now. I'm currently the drummer for the No. 2 Machine band."

The girl, nicknamed "Unit Two," couldn't help but laugh. "Is this name a bit inappropriate?"

"Anyway, it was them who came up with it."

Jun Matsue sat at his desk in his bedroom, massaging his arms and wrists. Drummers engage in very strenuous activities, and to avoid strain on their tendons and wrists, they need to rest and protect themselves regularly.

"Did you tell them about what I wanted to film?" Natsumi Imokawa asked cautiously, sitting on the sofa in her living room.

"I told you, everyone was really welcoming." Jun Matsue recalled the excited expressions of the girls in the practice room, feeling that this was the kind of treatment only celebrities would receive. That's what Izumi said.

"You can bring your camera anytime from now on."

"That's great!" The girl breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the curtains in the living room. The sunset glow hit the dark curtains and slid down the fabric onto the floor by the window. The remaining light still carried a lot of heat.

She put her phone in her pocket, took out her camera, and drew back the curtains. The glow of the sunset, which had painted half the city red, illuminated her face. Natsumi Imokawa pressed the shutter button on her camera, and the red dot on the screen indicating that recording was in progress began to flash.

"So what are Imokawa's thoughts on studying film now?"

"I told my parents." The girl held her camera, the lens slowly panning across the street under the setting sun. "They said they support my decision."

Jun Matsue was not surprised at all. Imokawa's family was obviously well-off, and her parents were both in the industry, so there was no reason for them to object to her pursuing her dream.

"To be honest, I can't imagine what you would be like in any other profession." Only after confirming that the girl had made up her mind did he reveal his true thoughts.

What would Imokawa be like if she put down her camera? Imokawa as a teacher? Imokawa as an office lady? Or Imokawa as a designer?

"That sounds scary," the girl said weakly. "I think I'd better keep the camera with me."

If you keep holding the camera, you can keep taking pictures of whatever you want.

Watching the white cat walk down the street, its body dyed completely red, resembling a long-haired chili pepper, Natsumi Imokawa suddenly thought of a question.

When was the first time I photographed pine branches?

She placed the camera on the windowsill, ran to the computer, opened the folder, and listened to the soft "tap tap" sound on the phone—the sound of a girl's bare feet stepping on the floor.

"Taochuan?"

"Ah, it's alright, please continue." Natsumi Imokawa browsed through the images she had saved according to the dates. The camera on the windowsill was still taking pictures, the long-haired chili pepper had already left the lens, and flocks of crows flew over the city.

"Have you decided which university you want to apply to?"

"You want to go to the Tokyo University of the Arts, right?" The girl's mouse pointer hovered over the videos and quickly found the boy's image.

The boy named Jun Matsue first appeared on screen at the opening ceremony. At that time, Natsumi Imokawa was holding a camera, wanting to record her first day of high school. As a representative of the new students, the boy gave a speech on stage, and the bright spring sunshine gilded his ordinary black and white school uniform with a layer of gold.

The girl stared at him blankly through the camera lens for a long time, never imagining that she would become friends with this handsome boy.

Jun Matsueda's second appearance on camera was a long time later, in a video recording of the escape room. The scene was very quiet, with only staff members hurriedly packing up their things. A boy was also mixed in with them. He carried two large cardboard boxes past the girl who was filming and quickly disappeared out of the frame.

Feeling that Matsueda was doing something wrong, Imokawa Natsumi secretly chuckled. "Tokyo University of the Arts, huh?" Matsueda Jun opened his computer and started searching. "The only national university specializing in arts in the country, known as the 'cradle of artists,' it's quite remarkable."

"So it's very difficult to get in. If you can't get in, you'll have to consider universities like the Japan Film University or Musashino Art University."

The girl was still looking at the computer. After the escape room, there was the brass band competition, the competition at Aoyama University, the ball games competition, Meiji Shrine, and the Winter Cup. Before she knew it, the boy she was talking to had been appearing in her camera for almost a year.

Perhaps it wasn't that Matsue was her exclusive model, but rather that she was his exclusive photographer? Natsumi Imokawa thought to herself.

So Jun Matsue started searching for the Japan Film University and Musashino Art University, one across the Tama River and the other in Kodaira City, two cities away from Mitaka.

Kodaira City is manageable; it's only six or seven stops from Mitaka JR Station. But Kawasaki City, across the Tamagawa River, is a bit more complicated to get there, with its winding routes.

"I think Tokyo University of the Arts is better. It's located in one of the 23 wards of Tokyo, so it will be more convenient to meet up in the future."

after
The girl imagined herself attending school in Taito Ward, listening to Takeshi Kitano and Yuji Sakamoto give lectures. After a day of classes, she could go find Matsue to hang out with, eating together and chatting about the goats on the hill behind the school. Even if she wasn't good at socializing, it wouldn't matter; Matsue would always introduce her to all sorts of interesting people.
"I want to apply to Tokyo University of the Arts." Natsumi Imokawa's tone was more determined than before.

"I must pass the exam!" The girl turned off her computer, walked to the windowsill, picked up her camera again, and the red sky reflected her burning determination.

"Imokawa, you'll definitely be able to do it." Matsueda Jun stretched. "I'm getting ready to head out now. I'll talk to you about the band's filming later."

"Wait!" Natsumi Imokawa called out to Jun Matsueda, "Can Matsueda see the sunset now? It would be a shame to miss it."

The boy pushed open the window, leaned out, and the magnificent flames in the city sky illuminated his eyes.

"I was right by the window and could see it very clearly. Tonight's sunset looks like burning waves."

“Pine branches are better at describing things.” The girl looked at the shimmering, undulating clouds in the distance.

With Matsueda being so smart, she'll definitely go to either the University of Tokyo or Waseda University in the future, right? Only by staying in Tokyo can I watch the sunset with him.

After hanging up the phone, Natsumi Imokawa turned off the recording camera and stared blankly at the dark red sky for a while.

"It seems the Faculty of Arts at the University of Neon is also in Tokyo."

"Matsueda took so long to make that phone call!" Yosei Kurusu and Jun Matsueda went out together, and the girl who had been waiting for a long time was a little dissatisfied.

"We're discussing important topics, so it's been a bit long."

Jun Matsue went to buy drum kit parts, and Yosei came to Suzuki simply because the weather was nice and he wanted to take a walk.

It was nearly seven o'clock in the evening, the sun had just set, and the afterglow was gradually fading. The two walked into the increasingly dim street, and Jun Matsueda was still thinking about the phone call.

"Will everyone stay in Tokyo from now on?" the boy suddenly asked.

“Of course I’ll stay in Tokyo,” Yosuke Kurusu said matter-of-factly.

"Who is this 'everyone' that Songzhi is talking about?" the girl asked, becoming alert.

Jun Matsue just smiled and looked at the flock of crows that had landed on the power lines. They were looking south, in the direction where the temperature was fading.

Flocks of crows always seem to thrive best in Tokyo.

(End of this chapter)