Am I being simulated by their love affair.

Chapter 367: Tamagawa has witnessed many love stories.
After the credits rolled and the screen went black, Jun Matsueda left the theater with Maki Yami.

They sat in the coffee shop next door, the girl's eyes still red and wet with tears.

"I should have chosen a comedy to watch." There was a hint of resentment in her voice.

“But this movie is also very good.” Jun Matsueda let the girl lean on his shoulder. “You have great taste, senpai.”

"It looks good, it does." Yami Maki lowered her eyes, looking at the few strands of her long hair hanging on the boy's chest.

"But it shouldn't have been watched today."

The two remained silent for a while until the waiter brought over a double scoop of ice cream. Jun Matsueda used the provided tissue to wipe away the tears from the girl's eyes.

"Senior is just going to Kyoto for a few days, it's not like she's moving all the way to Kyoto, what's there to worry about?"

"..." Yamami Maki didn't speak, but just stared blankly at the two ice cream scoops of different colors.

After watching the movie, the girl suddenly felt a little scared—maybe she had only been in Kyoto for a few days and Matsueda had been kidnapped by Mochizuki or Kurusu.

Jun Matsue placed the ice cream in front of her. "If it really doesn't work, send me a message after you get to Kyoto, and I'll fly over to be with you."

“It’s not that exaggerated,” Yamami Maki said, picking up a spoon and ruining the perfect surface of the green sphere.

"I just finished watching a movie and I'm a little overwhelmed with emotions. Matsue-kun, just sit with me a little longer and I'll be fine."

The girl shifted her body, and the two who were sitting side by side moved even closer. Matsueda Jun could feel his senior's thigh pressing against him—at times like this, physical intimacy was more meaningful than words of comfort.

They slowly finished their double scoops of ice cream, left the café, and headed towards the nearest station; the girl was getting ready to go home.

"So the next time we meet is in a week?"

Tomorrow, Yamami Maki will be leaving with her family, so the two of them won't have much of a chance to meet.

“Yes,” Yamami Maki nodded. “I’ll be back after the Gozan Fire Offering is over.”

"I hope the elderly lady stays healthy and has a smooth trip to Kyoto." Jun Matsue stopped and prepared to watch his senior walk into the station, as he always did.

But the girl didn't take a step; instead, she remained standing beside him, their hands almost touching.

"Today, I want Songzhi to take me home."

The boy thought for a second, then smiled and said, "No problem!"

More than ten minutes later, the two walked out of Futako-Tamagawa Station. Matsueda Jun looked around at the somewhat unfamiliar streets and asked, "Is your home around here, Senpai?"

“My home is a bit further south, in Okuzawa.” The senior shook her head. “It’s still early, I thought I’d take a walk here first.”

This is the southern corner of Setagaya. Unlike the bustling north, the neighborhood is very quiet, with detached houses and gardens replacing high-rise buildings, making the sky above the two of them seem exceptionally vast.

Many former Tokyo landlords liked to set up gardens here, which is why there is a saying that "the further south you go in Setagaya, the richer you become."

Futako-Tamagawa is right next to the Tama River. When the boy and girl walked to the riverbank, the sun was just beginning to set.

"In the movie I just watched, the male and female protagonists were also taking a walk along the Tama River like this."

Yamami Maki's voice returned to its usual gentleness; the girl's emotions had stabilized.

"The scenery is indeed quite beautiful," said Jun Matsue, looking at the river in front of him.

The banks are covered with lush green grass, where there are elderly couples with gray hair and young people walking their dogs alone. The ripples on the water reflect the clouds tinged with the colors of the sunset.

"But they're taking a walk further upstream, aren't they?" The boy pointed to the source of the river. "It should be in Chofu, the place where the summer festival was held last year." That's also where a girl gave him a yukata.

“Yes, it is.” The girl nodded as she recalled, “The meadow where everyone played music together, the main characters in the movie also walked there, it’s really amazing to think about.”

"So, if that's the case," she said, looking at the boy beside her, "the station where they first met because they missed the last train was Mingdaimae Station, right?"

Because of band rehearsals, the two were very familiar with the Mingda Station.

"Hmm, we seem to have a special connection with this movie." Jun Matsueda shrugged.

The girl sat down on the riverbank, hugged her legs, and watched the water birds hopping around on the riverbank.

"I feel like this relationship is going to turn out badly?" She nudged the boy's arm. "I don't want things to end badly between me and Songzhi."

“We’re definitely different,” Jun Matsue said without hesitation. “My senior is a very wealthy woman. Even if I don’t earn money in the future, I can still live off her.”

"It definitely won't be like in the movies, where people drift apart because of work."

Yamami Maki laughed even harder, then poked the boy's arm again, "Matsueda-kun is so spineless~"

"It's obvious that Japanese men are all thinking about making women stay-at-home moms."

Jun Matsueda simply gazed quietly at the Tama River, the river that flows between film and reality.

A man walks along the riverbank with his dog on a leash. The setting sun sinks below the opposite bank, leaving behind a golden expanse and the dark silhouettes of the man and his dog.

"If lacking ambition could keep my senior by my side forever, I'd be willing to lack ambition."

Yamami Maki laughed, leaning on the boy's shoulder. The sweetness in the girl's heart was also golden, spreading and overflowing on the river surface with the afterglow of the setting sun, eventually covering the entire lawn.

As the shape of the setting sun was obscured by the buildings on the opposite bank, it was time to part ways. The two stood up from the lawn and walked towards the street to the south.

As the tall buildings became fewer and fewer, and the surrounding residences became larger and more elegant, the girl stopped at the intersection.

"Let's leave Matsue here, otherwise it's too far to walk back to the station."

Jun Matsue stopped in his tracks. "So, see you next time?"

"Mmm!" The girl smiled, stepped forward, and stretched out her arms. "One last hug~"

Her words carried a hint of coquetry, and for Yamami Maki, who had just entered into a relationship, even a separation of only about a week was extremely difficult.

Jun Matsue pulled the girl into his arms, their bodies pressed tightly together.

The warmth I felt through her thin clothes was so reassuring.

Time passed without Jun Matsue noticing or reminding his senior, until Maki Yami took the initiative to release him from his embrace.

"Matsueda-kun, don't run off with other girls while I'm gone, okay?"

The girl's smile remained gentle and soft, showing no sign of warning.

"I guarantee I'll complete the mission," the boy said seriously.

After watching his senior's figure disappear at the end of the tree-lined path, Jun Matsueda walked past the Tama River, looking at the river water that rippled with a hint of gold.

This filled him with determination.

(End of this chapter)