Am I being simulated by their love affair.

Chapter 729 Prelude to the Entrance Selection

Two days later, on Wednesday, Jun Matsue followed the boys through the school building corridor. Sunlight fell on their sports uniforms, like clear, cool mountain streams.

This afternoon, Class 6 of Grade 3 doesn't have class. They'll be having a physical exam together with Class 5, which is a rare moment of leisure in the midst of their hectic exam preparation.

The fourth-floor corridor was a stark contrast to its previous quietness; people were coming and going at the door of each room. The boy's gaze swept over the notice board next to the stairwell and lingered for a moment.

"The student council has changed elections again..."

"This year's student council president seems to be a girl too." Kenya Sakamuro, walking beside him, glanced at her. "Do you know Matsueda?"

"Not familiar with him," Jun Matsue replied coldly.

Although he had told Imokawa that he would wait until university to control his social circle, the boy had already been doing so in the remaining months of his third year.

Whether it was the extra love letters and small gifts in the shoe cabinet, or the girl who intercepted him outside the classroom when Tomatsu wasn't there, all he got in the end were "thank you" and "no".

Although Jun Matsueda used to do the same thing, he no longer wears that businesslike smile, which makes many girls who have feelings for him hesitate to approach him.

Last Sunday, Tomatsu Yuka complained to him in bed, saying that as his girlfriend, she was too strict, which caused Matsu-san to smile less.

"Is it just that Matsueda isn't familiar with you?" Ken Sakamuro smiled at the boy.

"It feels like no matter which girl in school you talk to, they will all look at you with an 'I know you' expression."

Jun Matsue rolled his eyes, and the two went upstairs—the room for measuring eyesight was on the fifth floor.

After stepping out of the stairwell, Ken Sakamuro took a few steps to the left before realizing that his companion had not followed.

"Pine branch, what are you looking at!" He turned around.

"Boys don't get their physicals done there!"

Jun Matsue still had the back of his head facing him, but he waved his hand behind his back.

"Sakamuro, go get your medical check-up first. I'll come over later."

“...Really.” The tall, big boy sighed and turned to walk towards the examination room.

Even a fool could guess that Songzhi must have seen Tosho or Mochizuki.

As the footsteps behind him faded into the distance, Jun Matsue walked forward. He greeted several girls along the way, their expressions a mixture of surprise and delight, before stopping at the end of the corridor.

"What are you doing standing here, Mochizuki?"

The girl in sportswear crossed her arms and leaned against the closed balcony sliding door behind her. Mochizuki Haruka's fair face was cold; she had noticed the boy's approach long ago.

"There are too many people getting their vision checked, so I'm just waiting outside."

Jun Matsue glanced at her somewhat weak face, then turned and left.

Watching his departing figure, Mochizuki Haruka showed a look of surprise on her face.

The girl's eyelashes trembled, she slightly opened her mouth, and then pursed her lips.

"...Just like that, he left." She muttered softly.

The cramping pain in her lower abdomen made Mochizuki Haruka frown. She looked down at the ground, leaned against the door, and slowly squatted down, her bangs obscuring her eyes.

They even said they would continue to care for me and protect me as before... The girl complained inwardly, suppressing her pain.

It was all a lie, after all.

The sound of a door opening came from not far away. The girls who had finished their vision tests walked toward the stairwell chatting and laughing, not noticing the girl squatting at the other end of the corridor.

Mochizuki Haruka hugged her legs, remaining motionless as she waited for the pain to subside. She stared at the floor tiles in front of her until another lone footstep approached again.

The girl looked up and saw a pair of legs under a boy's tracksuit.

Jun Matsueda crouched down, bringing his line of sight to the girl's.

"Your period isn't over yet, is it?"

A gentle voice entered her ears, but Mochizuki Haruka didn't speak; she simply nodded, her chin resting on her knees.

He handed over the thermos he was holding, saying, "It's ginger tea I made in the infirmary."

The girl reached out and took it, holding it where the boy had let go. Her fingertips trembled slightly, and she could still feel the warmth through the cup.

"Drink it quickly." Jun Matsue took a few more pieces out of his pocket.

"This is a hand warmer, and this is a medication for menstrual cramps."

He placed what he was holding on the tip of the girl's shoe.

"It's getting colder now that the seasons are changing, so don't let yourself catch a cold. If you feel cold in your workout clothes, put on a jacket."

"Hmm..." Mochizuki Haruka held the thermos and took small sips, making indistinct sounds.

The boy didn't say anything more, but just kept squatting down and watching her. The girl swallowed a little faster and quickly put down her water glass.

"how do you feel?"

"I'm feeling a little better." Mochizuki Haruka licked the ginger tea off her lips.

"Then remember to put on the heat packs later." Jun Matsueda stood up. "If that doesn't work, take the medicine."

"This thermos belongs to the infirmary. Please remember to return it to the teacher later."

The boy turned to leave again, but the girl behind him called out to him.

"Pine branches."

Matsue Jun turned around and saw that Mochizuki Haruka was still squatting on the ground, but her face had regained some healthy color.

"..." The girl's thin pink lips opened and closed again, and she spoke somewhat reluctantly.

"What's the story behind the photos of you and the brass band?"

"Why is Yamami Maki there too?"

The boy recalled the brass band's performance last Saturday. Before leaving the hall, the three of them took a group photo with everyone—they were originally there as the national golden group from that year to bless the younger generation, so taking a group photo was an essential part of the event.

However, I didn't expect that Mochizuki would see that group photo... Jun Matsue smiled at the girl.

Are you very concerned about your senior's affairs?

Mochizuki blinked and looked away.

The girl certainly didn't care about Yamami Maki; she was just afraid that while she was having a cold war, some people might try to rekindle their old flames and take advantage of her vulnerability.

"It doesn't seem convenient for me to talk to Mochizuki right now," the boy said calmly.

The girl immediately turned her gaze back and looked at him with a somewhat fierce expression.

“After all, Mochizuki and I are in a cold war.” Jun Matsueda winked at her.

“If you come back and become my girlfriend, I should be able to tell you.”

“…Shameless.” Mochizuki Haruka muttered, glaring at him.

"You should leave now." She took her water glass and pills, and stood up, supporting herself against the door behind her.

"I'm leaving?"

The girl did not reply, so Jun Matsue turned around and left the corridor without looking back.

I initially thought Mochizuki's pale complexion was just due to her period, but it turns out there was another reason...

While texting Rion, Jun Matsueda finished his physical exam on the fifth floor. As he walked downstairs with the boys from Class 5, his phone vibrated in his pocket.

It was a voice message from Yosuke Kurusu, along with a set of cute chibi-style emoticons just for girls.

"Songzhi! Your song has passed the production department's review without any problems!"

The girl's voice was so lively that the boy had to hold the phone's earpiece close to his ear to avoid being overheard.

"We're currently working on the instrumental arrangement. I'll send it to you when it's finished!"

"No problem," he replied in a voice message as well. "Feeling like we'll be hearing a new song soon?"

“Then I’m not in a hurry~” Idol sent a chibi version of Kurusu’s smiling emoji.

"I feel this song is perfect for winter."

"It would be best to postpone the release date further, at least until the leaves fall in Tokyo."

Winter... Jun Matsueda looked up at the swaying shadows of trees outside the stairwell window. The air was crisp and dry, the sky was hazy, and the wind on the street ruffled the scarves of passersby. It was indeed a season suitable for listening to sad love songs and indulging in sentimental moments.

But he was still hoping to release his new song as soon as possible.

I hope that when winter comes, there will be more people walking around me...

Back on the fourth-floor corridor, the boy was about to continue down when a girl walking towards him made him stop.

"Has Chun-kun finished his vision test?"

Tomatsu Yuka waved the green medical examination form in her hand and walked towards him with cheerful little steps.

Jun Matsue nodded. "The vision and hearing tests on the fifth floor are all done."

Are there many people now?

"Not many, I suppose." He glanced down before going downstairs, and the girl who had been crouching at the end of the corridor had disappeared.

"Then I'll go up now~" The girl looked towards the stairwell, then suddenly remembered something.

She pulled the boy aside to a corner and mysteriously opened the medical examination form in her hand.

"Let me show you my stats for this year!"

Jun Matsue took the green paper and looked at it. There was a sticky note on the medical examination form, which covered the part that showed his height, weight, and measurements.

"Were these handed out by the staff during the physical examination?"

"That's right, the older sisters are super thoughtful!"

The boy lifted the sticky note, glanced at the numbers on it, and nodded in satisfaction.

"It's one centimeter taller."

"But your weight doesn't seem to have changed much?"

"I wanted to lose some weight," the girl pouted. "It must be because I ate too much with Jun-kun."

“Anyway, I haven’t gained weight.” Jun Matsueda continued looking down, and Yuka Tomatsu leaned her head closer.

"Can Chun-kun understand measurements?"

He shook his head. "It's okay, I measured it myself anyway."

The girl glanced at him, her expression both reproachful and alluring.

"Anyway, there's not much change from last year—I thought my breasts might have gotten bigger, but the nurse couldn't detect it..."

The boy pinched the soft flesh on her arm.

"Want to be thin and have big breasts at the same time? Are you a monster or some deity?"

Tomatsu Yuka stuck out her tongue. "Girls are all greedy at times like this~"

After showing her medical examination report, the girl waved playfully and turned to walk upstairs.

Jun Matsueda continued downstairs. He had gone to the infirmary earlier, but his height and weight had not been measured.

As they entered the first floor, a familiar figure flashed by. The boy waved and stood in front of the girl who was carrying books.

Do I need to bring a book to the Imokawa physical exam?

Natsumi Imokawa, who was looking down, bumped into his arm before stopping.

"So it was a pine branch..." The girl breathed a sigh of relief, then puffed out her chest with a sense of self-righteousness.

"The waiting time is much longer than the actual medical examination time, so it's perfectly normal to bring a book."

Jun Matsue bent down and examined her face closely, but couldn't find any trace of dark circles under her eyes.

"Have you finished your physical exam? Yu Chuan is looking down at books 24/7 now, is there anything wrong with his health?"

“There’s no such thing as 24 hours…” Natsumi Imokawa turned her face away, avoiding the boy’s gaze with some embarrassment.

"There's also vision and hearing testing, and blood tests. I just had my measurements taken, and the doctor said I have a slight hunchback, but I should just pay attention to it."

"Are you hunched over?" The boy frowned slightly. "Is it related to the fact that you've been looking down at your book all the time?"

"No..." The girl squeezed the thin medical examination form in her hand.

"My weight hasn't changed much, but my breasts seem to have gotten bigger..."

Hearing her extremely quiet reply, Jun Matsue blinked in surprise.

He had just criticized Tomomichi Tomoka's greedy ideas, but unexpectedly, a living example appeared before his eyes.

"..." The boy didn't know what to say, "Remember to buy new underwear regularly."

"Of course I know!" Natsumi Imokawa blushed and glared at him without any threat. "Matsueda doesn't need to tell me this!"

"...Just so you know."

"That's strange," Matsueda Jun thought.

Every time he stood next to Imokawa, his sense of wariness and distance seemed to subconsciously decrease.

Jun Matsue took a step back and glanced at the book in the girl's hand.

The previous book, "A Collection of Film Theories," is no longer available; it has been replaced by "110 Years of Japanese Cinema."

"Imokawa is going to Tokyo University of the Arts for auditions this Sunday, right?" He changed the subject to a more serious one.

“Yes.” Natsumi Imokawa hugged the book tightly with both hands.

"2 PM on October 12th, Classroom 2, 3rd Floor, Faculty of Film, Tokyo University of the Arts."

The girl already knew all the exam information by heart.

"Is someone going with you?"

She nodded. "My parents will drive me there."

"That's good." Jun Matsueda was relieved.

Although Natsumi Imokawa wasn't exactly a careless person, the boy was inexplicably a little worried about her.

"Good luck on your exam." He raised his fist and made a light tap in front of the girl's eyes.

"There are only a few days left. We can have a proper celebration after the exam."

“Celebrate…” Natsumi Imokawa shook her head, repeating the boy’s words.

"I don't want to celebrate anything."

She looked up at the boy's surprised eyes.

"Does Songzhi still remember when we went to Meiji Shrine together the autumn before last?"

“Of course I remember,” Jun Matsue recalled. “I was your model back then, and we even went to see the ginkgo avenue together.”

"Hmm!" The girl tilted her head back, took a step closer to him, and her eyes were exceptionally bright.

"Let's go out and have fun together after I finish my exams!"

"...So it's just friends hanging out together?" the boy asked cautiously.

“Yes, we’re friends!” Imokawa Natsumi nodded vigorously.

"Is that settled?"

"No problem, I'll find time when the time comes."

After waving goodbye to Jun Matsueda, the girl walked up the stairs alone with her textbooks in her arms—she temporarily put aside the numerous knowledge points and looked forward to the days after the exams.

Where should we go for fun with Songzhi?

Yoyogi Park? Shinagawa Ekiden Festival?
The cosmos flowers in Showa Memorial Park look beautiful too.

I'll have to choose carefully when the time comes...

At this time, Natsumi Imokawa was still innocent, simple, and easily satisfied.

She didn't realize that her romantic feelings were about to blossom.

(End of this chapter)