Am I being simulated by their love affair.

Chapter 672 The Determination to Go Home

An hour later, Jun Matsue sat in front of his computer, controlling his character to cover his teammates' retreat.

"Pine branch! This skeleton soldier keeps chasing me and shooting arrows!"

The girl sitting next to him shouted in a panic, gripping the controller as she leaned closer.

Natsumi Imokawa has little experience playing games, so she gets easily startled by the slightest movement on the screen. While her bewildered expression is indeed cute, it also causes some trouble for the boys.

Jun Matsueda leaned his body along with the girl's movements to avoid any inappropriate physical contact—their posture didn't resemble that of a classic sandbox game, but rather that of a racing simulator.

The boy didn't try to teach her how to use the shield. "Just walk in an S-shape, don't go straight."

"But this is too slow, the monsters behind us will catch up!" Natsumi Imokawa pressed the joystick left and right, tilting her head as she shouted again.

"It's alright, leave the rest to me." He said as he swung his iron sword, slashing away any spiders that approached.

A few minutes later, the characters controlled by the two successfully escaped from the mine. The girl looked at the blue sky and white clouds on the screen—even though she knew it was just a game, the illusory sunlight shining from the square sun still excited her.

Natsumi Imokawa pulled out a diamond from her game backpack, held it in her hand, and waved it at the blocky little figure on the pine branch in front of her.

"This is a diamond!"

"That's amazing~" Jun Matsueda turned to the girl beside him and smiled, "You can make good things now."

"Mmm!" Natsumi Imokawa nodded excitedly, and she picked up her phone to check.

"One will be used to make a record player, and the remaining two will be used to make diamond swords from pine branches. That's just right!"

The boy blinked. Generally speaking, experienced players would choose to make a diamond pickaxe, as it is the most cost-effective option.

"Let's make a record player first. It just so happens that Imokawa found a record in the dungeon earlier."

He did not hesitate to support the girl's decision—what did the veteran player's optimal route matter compared to Imokawa's happiness?
The two returned to the simple hut they had built together. Jun Matsue took the diamond sword from the girl and stood with her in front of the newly made record player, listening to a simple and cheerful electronic song.

"It sounds nice~" Natsumi Imokawa nodded happily, "I almost forgot it's still raining outside."

Jun Matsue looked out the window. The curtains in the recording studio were already drawn back, and the unprecedented downpour was still falling, accompanied by the equally hysterical wailing of the alarm.

He went to the window and looked out. The rain wasn't as heavy as before, but the "river" on the street still hadn't receded.

The boy glanced at the time at his computer desk but didn't sit down. "It's already nine o'clock."

Natsumi Imokawa put down the controller, a slight blush of pleasure still on her face. "Matsueda's going to sleep?"

"It's not that early." Jun Matsueda took a sip of the yogurt the girl had prepared. "But it'll take the two of us a while to wash up, won't it?"

“Indeed!” she stood up. “Then I’ll go take a shower first.”

The boy and she walked out of the recording studio, which had been turned into a game room.

The corridor inside the house wasn't wide. Jun Matsue followed the girl to the end—a small window opened on the wall, like an oil painting depicting a rainy night, with bedroom doors tightly closed on both sides.

“Matsue will be sleeping here tonight~” Natsumi Imokawa pushed open the wooden door on the right. “I’ll go get a change of clothes first.”

The girl's bedroom was right across from the guest room. She didn't close the door properly when she went in, and Matsueda Jun could see Imokawa's back as he opened the wardrobe. He then closed the door himself.

Lying on the newly made bed, Jun Matsue listened to the sound of rain drifting across the other side of the room and looked around at where he would be spending the night.

The space was a bit larger than his bedroom in Mitaka, but the bed was about the same size. There was a large desk against the wall not far from the head of the bed, with notebooks and papers piled on it, as well as a clean ashtray.

The boy glanced to the side and saw some posters on the wall above the desk, some of which were not very well-known movies and TV series, probably things that Imokawa's father had been involved in.

It's easy to imagine a middle-aged man with a cigarette in his mouth, a lamp lit, sitting at his desk late at night, working on a project. The sound of rain in the room at this moment is quite fitting.

There was a sound of a door opening outside the room. Jun Matsue opened his eyes, and the girl in the hallway gently knocked on the door.

"Songzhi, I'm going to take a bath, okay?"

"Okay." The boy sat up and looked towards the door.

Although it wouldn't be strange if he said it, the way Imokawa said it still felt odd to him...

"Um, the bathroom door lock was broken before, but since I live alone, I was too lazy to fix it."

No wonder. Jun Matsue nodded through the wall. "I understand. I won't go in."

The soft sound of slippers faded into the distance, and the boy lay down again. He stared at the ceiling for a while, then took out his phone.

Kurusu was still watching TV when he sent a string of complaints about the program. Tomatsu sent a photo taken at his desk, where the incense sticks he had given him were placed. Compared to the dark, heavy rain outside the window, the wisps of smoke and the faint glow of the incense sticks were so comforting.

There was no news from Mochizuki... Matsueda Jun took his phone, got out of bed, and walked towards the living room.

On the way, they passed a restroom and a bathroom. The sound of showering could be heard from the closed doors. The boy quickened his pace and sat down in front of the TV to watch the news.

After watching the breaking news footage of several subway stations with waterfall-like water curtains, he blinked, and heard the sound of a bathroom door opening in the corridor.

The girl's footsteps faded into the distance, then she hurried back to the other side.

"Pine branch?" Natsumi Imokawa's moist face peeked into the living room, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"I saw no one in the guest room, so I thought you had run out."

"Where could I run to?" Jun Matsue stood up. "Are you done washing?"

"I'm done washing." The girl nodded.

Natsumi Imokawa's hair was still wet after taking a shower. She dried the ends of her hair with a towel draped over her shoulder, her eyelashes, still damp with water droplets, drooped slightly, making her look exceptionally innocent and naive.

She changed into a tank top that she was wearing as pajamas. The girl, who had just taken a shower, was still naturally naked from the waist up. The close-fitting cotton tank top revealed her round and full figure. The large expanse of delicate skin exposed at the neckline shone with a moist, off-white luster, trembling and accumulating into a deep cleavage.

The girl wore simple loungewear shorts that accentuated the curves of her waist and hips. Her legs weren't particularly thin, but they had just the right amount of fleshiness. The way they were pressed together made one imagine the wonderful feeling of holding them in one's arms and stroking them.

Like a delicate and beautiful little beast tempting a predator, this thought suddenly popped into Jun Matsueda's mind.

How could he possibly have feelings for Imokawa! He immediately turned his head to look at the television on the wall.

"Does pine branches need to take a bath too?" The girl's legs, which were pressed together, unconsciously shifted. "What about my underwear?"

She frowned and thought hard, "How about I find a pair of looser shorts, and Songzhi can make do with these for tonight?"

“…No need.” A faint fragrance emanated from Imokawa as she moved closer, somewhat like strawberry milk. Matsueda Jun raised his chin, trying to keep his distance from her.

"Anyway, the air conditioning will keep me cool, so I can just take a quick shower."

The girl turned and walked towards the bedroom. "I'll go get you another towel to wipe yourself down!"

She opened her wardrobe containing underwear and crouched down to search for a towel and shorts deep inside.

"It would be more refreshing to take a bath," thought Natsumi Imokawa. She first found some temporary clothes for Matsue to change into, leaving it up to him whether he took a bath or not.

It's okay if she doesn't wear underwear, right? Even if it's obvious, she can pretend she doesn't care.

Spending the night with pine branches... The girl hummed a tune she had just heard in the game.

Since we don't have to go to school tomorrow, should I play games with Songzhi for a while longer, or watch another short film with him?
Let's play games first and then watch the movie, it's not even 10 o'clock yet anyway~
As Natsumi Imokawa walked out of the room carrying a thick towel and oversized striped shorts, a boy's voice rang out in the living room.

"Are you already on your way?" "..." It didn't sound like she was being spoken to, so the girl slowed her pace.

Matsueda Jun listened to the cool yet sweet girl's voice on the phone, "Yeah, I'll be at Nishi-Ogiwa in about twenty minutes."

He walked to the French windows in the living room, where the rain outside could soak him through in just a few seconds.

"Has the rain lessened where you are?"

Mochizuki Haruka replied calmly, "No, but I've found an off-road vehicle, so getting us home shouldn't be a problem."

"..." Matsueda Jun realized he had underestimated her ability to act.

He recalled the phone call Mochizuki had made earlier: "Then Matsue can stay at the studio for now."

He stayed in the studio "first," indicating that the girl had no intention of letting him spend the night with other girls.

"What's wrong?" Mochizuki Haruka asked, puzzled by the boy's silence. "Do you want to stay in Imogawa?"

Jun Matsueda turned around, phone in hand, while Natsumi Imokawa, holding a towel and shorts, looked at him with a somewhat blank expression.

"No, it's just that you suddenly told me you're already on your way, which was a bit of a surprise."

"Hmm." The girl made a muffled nasal sound. "Anyway, I'll be picking you up in about twenty minutes, so be prepared, okay?"

"understood."

The boy hung up the phone, but Natsumi Imokawa in front of him didn't move, her expression still a little dazed.

"Is Songzhi going back?" Although she already had a premonition, she still chose to ask again.

"Okay." Jun Matsueda put away his phone. "Mochizuki said she'll be there in twenty minutes."

"Oh, oh, oh." The girl nodded. "So you're not sleeping here tonight?"

Although it was a pointless question, he still answered it.

"You wasted the bed you made."

"It's nothing." Natsumi Imokawa lowered her head, staring at the towel pressed against her chest.

"Being able to go home is more important..."

Twenty minutes passed faster than the girl had imagined. When the boy answered the phone again, the girl walked to the window—in the murky rain, she could see the blurry headlights of cars, waiting alone downstairs.

"Okay, I'll come down now." Jun Matsue stood up and walked towards the door.

"Wait a minute!" Natsumi Imokawa hurriedly turned around, not caring whether the person on the phone could hear her at that moment.

"What's wrong?" The boy turned around.

"Uh..." The girl's mind went blank. She just blurted it out subconsciously, not knowing what she was going to do.

"I'll grab an umbrella!" she thought. "Even though it's just a few steps, it's better not to get wet in the rain."

Natsumi Imokawa walked behind the shelf by the entrance, took out an umbrella, and handed it to the boy. "Be careful on the pine path!"

“Okay.” Jun Matsueda smiled, hung up the phone, and pushed open the apartment door.

"Imokawa, remember to avoid staying up late; it's bad for your health."

The girl didn't reply; she just stood there and waved, watching the boy close the door.

With a soft thud, the motion-activated light in the hallway disappeared into the entryway. After a while, she turned around and sat down in the living room.

The white light from the television became blinding, and the cool air from the air conditioner pressed against her skin. Even though the rain was loud outside the window, Natsumi Imokawa still felt that the room was too quiet.

As if remembering something, the girl got up and walked to the window again.

The dim car lights below the building just started to flicker, and a few seconds later, the rough sound of an off-road vehicle engine came on, quickly disappearing into the heavy rain.

“…” Natsumi Imokawa gently tapped the windowpane in front of her.

She didn't like the feeling of having her expectations dashed.

As he sat inside the tall car, Jun Matsueda folded his umbrella. The cat that had been lying on the girl's lap meowed happily and jumped into his arms.

Mochizuki Haruka stared at the boy sitting next to her, "Kinji missed you."

"Is it Jinzhi who misses me, or someone else?" Matsueda Jun glanced at her and stroked the golden fur ball lying on his lap.

The afternoon checkup involved shaving the fur off the cat's belly, and it felt strange to the touch.

The girl smiled and nuzzled the boy's arm, leaning on his shoulder and sniffing him a few times.

"There's a strong smell of cooking oil." She frowned.

Although it doesn't smell good, it's definitely better than a girl's sweet scent.

"I cooked dinner," Jun Matsue said calmly. "Where's your aunt? Didn't she come with you?"

"Auntie went back in the hospital's special vehicle, so we can go straight back to the apartment."

The small back seat was silent for a moment as the boy looked at the rain streaming through the entire car window.

"I didn't expect it to rain so heavily today."

“Yes.” Mochizuki Haruka pressed her cheek against the glass, watching the apartment building lights being left behind by the cars.

"I almost had to sleep outside tonight."

Almost? Jun Matsueda didn't think so.

If the rain gets any heavier, will Mochizuki come looking for him in a helicopter or rescue boat?

"Did you eat your fill tonight, Wangyue?" the boy asked.

"It's alright," the girl said, clinging to his arm.

"There's definitely no oden to eat in this weather. I'll cook you instant noodles when we get home."

“Okay~” Mochizuki Haruka replied sweetly, then looked at the maid in the driver’s seat.

How much longer until we get to the apartment?

"About ten minutes," the maid replied respectfully. "We can't drive too fast in this weather."

"As long as we can drive back, that's fine." Jun Matsueda stroked the cat in his arms.

The bare belly was still a bit hard for him to get used to touching.

For some reason, the boy and girl didn't say much for the rest of the journey, as if they were appreciating this once-in-a-century rainy night in Tokyo.

(End of this chapter)