Am I being simulated by their love affair?

The steady sound of the saxophone gradually rose, Tomatsu Tomoka's fingers pressed quickly, and her face was dyed a passionate red because of playing long notes.

The sound became higher and higher, and the pitch changed faster and faster. People unconsciously looked up and they could see the wind rushing into the sky.

When people could no longer see the wind, they knew that everything was over. Tomatsu Tomoka put down the saxophone, and the ensemble sounded again, as if to commemorate the departure of the wind.

Tomatsu Yuka doesn't care about the club leader's expectations, the club members' approval, or the audience's reaction. The girl just wants to know whether Matsueda Jun likes her solo.

She looked at the center of the stage, where Jun Matsueda was sitting, wearing a black and white yukata, with his eyes closed, immersed in the music.

Mochizuki Haruka stood in front of him, blocking Tomatsu Touka's expectant view.

Tomatsu Tomoka watched her lips move.

"Don't look at it, it's not yours."

Chapter 46: Girl's Scenery Poems

When Tomatsu Tomoka walked off the stage angrily, the girl who was standing between her and Matsueda Jun had disappeared.

"Where is Mochizuki Haruto?" Tomatsu Tomoka held the saxophone that had made her shine throughout the entire performance, but she held it like a weapon to commit a crime.

Jun Matsueda pointed to the side of the stage. The girl looked over and saw an older sister who looked a bit like Mochizuki Haruka holding Mochizuki Haruka's hand and shaking it.

Mochizuki Haruka first shook her head, then looked at Matsueda Jun and Tomatsu Tomoka beside him. The woman grabbed her hand and shook it again, and she nodded helplessly.

Tomatsu Tomoka watched the two sister-like people leave. The elder sister waved to them before leaving, and Matsueda Jun also waved back.

"Is that her sister?" Tomatsu Tomoka asked. Mochizuki Haruka was just a mere sister, but even having another sister wouldn't be enough.

"No, it's Aunt."

Tomatsu Tomoka thought about it and felt that this seemed to be more difficult to deal with than sisters.

The other girls were just coming back from the stage, whispering excitedly to each other. They had practiced for performances before, but always in semi-enclosed rooms. This was their first time in such an open environment.

"There's a sense of openness and exposure!" I don't know which girl said this, but everyone laughed.

"What do you mean?! Please stop saying weird things. It's ruining the good atmosphere!"

"Suzuhara hit me over the head with the trombone again this time!"

Since there were basically no boys around, the girls were very relaxed, pulling at their collars to relieve the tension while playing, or turning around in place to adjust their skirts.

Of course, Jun Matsueda is a man, but just as boys would say weird things loudly in front of the girls they like, girls would also want to attract the attention of the opposite sex of Jun Matsueda's level through weird words, body movements, and feminine charm.

Tomatsu Tomoka silently stood in front of Matsueda Jun, shielding him from the fragrant wind and charming rain.

"Okay~ The last practice before the training camp is over today." Yamami Maki clapped her hands among the girls. "The next time we meet will be the training camp. Let's relax and adjust ourselves for the last time. Let's prepare for the training camp in the best condition together."

"Yes—" The girls raised their instruments, creating a small golden ocean on the lawn. The people around them looked at them with tender eyes, reminiscing about their youth.

Although the picnic mats brought by the girls were large, they were not enough for all the members to sit together. However, many people had made plans to come and play with friends and family, so there were actually not many people sitting on the brass band side.

The Hanaoka High School Wind Ensemble was the first to open in the afternoon, with other acts following. The performances would continue until sunset. Currently, a group of girls in cheerleading uniforms were dancing on the stage. Matsueda Jun didn't pay much attention, but they were probably from a nearby school.

"Didn't Tomatsu come with his mother? Don't you need to go find her?" Jun Matsueda just wanted to stay here quietly, enjoy the breeze and watch the performance.

"My mother received a call from the company this afternoon and left early for something." The girl looked at the riverbank where she came from, with a sad but not hurtful smile on her face.

Matsueda Jun was kindhearted and couldn't stand this, so he stopped talking. He leaned towards Imokawa Natsumi and watched her take pictures of the summer festival with her camera.

Tomatsu Tomoka stopped talking and just looked at the profile of Matsueda Jun, like a slide, from the bridge of his nose and shoulders to his chest, waist and abdomen, and finally to his hand on the picnic mat.

The stage was changed to a traditional folk dance of Chofu City, with men and women performing strange steps. Matsueda Jun glanced at it twice and didn't look again.

It's not as interesting as the one that Natsumi Imokawa just took of the crow that snatched the coffee from a couple.

Tomatsu Tomoka poked Matsueda Jun's arm, but he didn't react. He was still watching with relish the crow taking away the straw and removing the lid of the coffee cup, his head almost touching Imokawa Natsumi.

The girl prodded again, and Matsueda Jun turned back, "What's wrong, Tomatsu-san?"

Tomatsu Yuka pointed to the stage and said, "There's a girl on the stage who seems to be staring at Jun-kun. Do you know her?"

Jun Matsueda looked up at the stage. It seemed to be a girl group that had just been formed. The girl standing in the center was singing and staring at them.

Only after removing the eyeshadow, dyed pink hair and fancy attire did he recognize who the girl on the stage was.

Kurusu Yoshi, the former idol who ate oden with him at the back door of the supermarket and the woman who interfered with his work.

Well, now I'm an idol again.

Kurusu Yoyo stood on the stage. Her performance costume looked a bit like a maid uniform, but it was pink and white. There was a transparent laser layer on the white fabric on the hem and chest, reflecting pastel light.

"That girl is frivolous and vulgar, a love thief."

"And I have good intentions, how excellent."

“But I can’t find love.”

"Oh my God! Why is this happening?"

She held the microphone, sang in the direction of Jun Matsueda, and smiled naturally. The plaintive lyrics she sang out had a strong sense of defeat.

Jun Matsueda listened to the pink-haired maid's singing and recognized that it was the girl who said that there were so many people like garbage.

"Just a strange woman, don't take it too seriously." Although Jun Matsueda said this, he still got up and left the stage area.

Lai Qi Yang Shi is a guy with a weird way of thinking, and he doesn't want to meet her in the audience later.

Natsumi Imokawa had originally wanted to follow Jun Matsueda, as he enjoyed watching the things she took pictures of, which made the girl very happy. However, Tomatsu Tomoka stood up, forcing the girl to stay where she was and watch the two of them go away.

Kurusu Yoyo was still singing on the stage and waving in the direction where Matsueda Jun was leaving. The audience thought she was interacting and responded excitedly.

"Jun-kun, Jun-kun, wait for me." Tomatsu Tomoka pulled Jun Matsueda's yukata, "Wait a minute, there's a delicious Okonomiyaki restaurant nearby, I'll take you there later!"

So Matsueda Jun stood by the river for another two minutes, watching the orange sunset melt into the river water.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting!" The girl hurried back and changed into a yukata. Unlike the floral yukata she wore during the day, Tomatsu Tomoka's yukata had a white background with a lavender pattern, featuring purple orchids and green leaves, giving it a fresh and charming feel.

The sun had completely set, but the riverbank only grew brighter, lit by the warm yellow lights of vendor carts and lanterns from nearby streets. They walked among a crowd of people holding round fans and paper pinwheels, watching a woman in a yukata and wooden clogs walk gracefully arm in arm with a man beside her.

Time flows slowly here, like the water of the Tama River.

Tomatsu Tomoka did not follow behind Matsueda Jun. She led the way in front, turning around from time to time and looking back to make sure he had not disappeared in the crowd.

Even if Jun Matsueda tried to be as hard as stone, he had to admit that the girl's glance back was moving. Her eyes were full of your cautiousness, which could not be faked.

In order not to be shaken by the girl's temptation, Matsueda Jun could only imagine the steaming Okonomiyaki in his mind.

When he really smelled the aroma of Okonomiyaki, Jun Matsueda's heart calmed down again. Women are not as important as food.

The two ordered two servings of Okonomiyaki. The stall owner cracked two eggs and sprinkled some corn on the egg liquid. Steam rose from the iron plate.

Sprinkle generous handfuls of shredded cabbage onto the batter, piling it like a mountain, followed by shrimp, grated red ginger, and corn kernels. Once half-cooked, brush with teriyaki sauce, top with a fried egg, bonito flakes, and bacon, and wait for it to be served.

He picked up a fork, cut off a piece, and placed it in his mouth. The aroma of bonito flakes and various meats, the firm texture of the cabbage, and the crispy batter that satisfied his stomach made Jun Matsueda sigh with happiness.

The two of them ate while walking. As they walked, Tomatsu Tomoka stopped and turned to look at him.

"Chunjun, I can't eat anymore, what should I do?"

The girl smiled cunningly, and the heat in her eyes was even hotter than the okonomiyaki in her hand.

Chapter 47: Methodology of Love

Always be loyal to food. This is the principle of the working emperor and also the life creed of Jun Matsueda.

However, faced with the obvious trap before him, Jun Matsueda had to hesitate.

Eating other people's leftovers was considered unseemly. If it had been his classmate Ken Sakamuro, or his department head Kou Tsushima, Jun Matsueda wouldn't have hesitated and would have just eaten it.

We are all brothers, what is there to worry about?

But Tomatsu Tomoka, the girl whose heart and eyes were filled with his, eating from the same meal with her was a bit too intimate. Matsueda Jun didn't want to give her any unnecessary hope.

Seeing Matsueda Jun's hesitation, Tomatsu Tomoka sighed and finished the remaining okonomiyaki in two or three bites, swallowing it with some difficulty.

He was a little surprised that the girl really looked like she couldn't eat anymore.

Tomatsu Tomoka wanted to explain, but she hadn't swallowed the food in her mouth yet, so she had to cover her mouth with one hand and chew hard.

Jun Matsueda went to the roadside and bought a small cup of lemon tea and handed it to her. The girl took it, took a sip, and then swallowed the food smoothly.

"I'm alive~" Tomatsu Tomoka held Matsueda Jun's shoulders with her right hand, pressed her heaving chest with her left hand, her legs slightly bent, and her posture weak.

Because she almost choked to death, Matsueda Jun didn't push away the hand on his shoulder.

"There's no need to force yourself to eat if you can't finish it." Jun Matsueda frowned as he took the unfinished lemon tea of ​​Tomatsu Tomoka.

He is not the kind of person who would use his own arbitrary standards to demand others, and he has seen countless amounts of waste while working.

"But Jun-kun doesn't like to waste food, and he doesn't want to eat my food. I don't want to see you embarrassed in front of me, so I have to try my best to eat it." Tomatsu Tomoka smiled.

"Why bother?" There was no expression on Jun Matsueda's face.

The girl rested for a moment before resuming her walk. She took the tea from Matsueda Jun's hand and drank it as she walked, trying to ease the discomfort in her stomach.

"I do." Tomatsu Tomoka said lightly, "Just eating a little more can make you less unhappy. It's a very cost-effective deal."

As she spoke, the girl covered her mouth and retched. "Sorry..." She smiled awkwardly.

Matsueda Jun stopped helplessly and said, "Don't go, find a place to sit down."

The two borrowed two small folding stools from the shop owner and sat at the innermost part of the street, behind all the vendors, watching the flow of light and the flow of people in the middle of the road merge together.

Tomatsu Tomoka was still smiling, but her face was a little pale.

"What's there to be happy about?" Matsueda Jun said unhappily.

"I feel like what I just ate wasn't leftover okonomiyaki, but Jun-kun's troubles. Thinking that way makes me happy!"

Jun Matsueda had nothing to say and could only sigh.

A woman who is obsessed with love.

The two stopped talking and watched the uncle in front of them busy in the dining car. Outside the frame of the dining car were people who had temporarily escaped from the city, and everyone was bright and cheerful.

"It felt like we pressed the pause button, and then only the two of us walked out of the picture, while they were still performing on the screen," Tomatsu Tomoka said suddenly.

Although she was just hiding in the dark, the girl was very imaginative.

"Jun-kun, have you ever heard that love can be created?" Tomatsu Tomoka suddenly asked.

Jun Matsueda shook his head.

"Some say love has three components: intimacy, passion, and commitment. When these are met, love is born."

"But I don't believe it."

"Because even though none of the above conditions were met, I still fell in love."

Tomatsu Tomoka looked at him.

"Maybe it's because love has right and wrong, and only with those, it can be a healthy and complete love." Jun Matsueda joined the topic.

"I don't think so." The girl retorted.

The light in front of them streamed endlessly, and the two of them sat in the darkness, like two audience members expressing their thoughts at the end of a movie.

"Love is a subjective feeling that we cannot control. That's why we say 'falling in love' instead of walking in love, because we cannot choose when, where, or who we fall in love with. This is our sorrow, but also our luck."

Jun Matsueda nodded in agreement.

"Then, when judging 'love', we should look at subjective feelings, not objective conditions."

Jun Matsueda didn't nod, but he didn't shake his head either. What she said seemed to make sense.

"If I don't have to do anything, just thinking about my love will make me feel alive. If I think about the person I love, I will want to work hard, to make progress, to discover the better side of myself, and to face others with a smile. Isn't this a great, especially great, very good feeling?"

"Generally speaking, I would call this situation being blinded by love. This feeling is only short-lived and momentary." Jun Matsueda made a calm assessment.

"So we're going to give up such a wonderful feeling?" Tomatsu Tomoka leaned closer. "Instead of giving up, why not try to maintain it?"

"I've said it before, it's your freedom." Jun Matsueda moved his stool to keep a distance from Tomatsu Tomoka.

“Then there are new problems.”

"When pursuing love, should we follow our heart and do what we want, or should we be scheming and use all kinds of methods?" Tomatsu Tomoka pointed at her chin with her index finger, looking very confused.

Before Matsueda Jun could answer, the girl continued speaking.

"I never mind using tactics in love. To me, it's just the difference between instinct and skill."

"Although I just said that love cannot be judged rationally, in order to pursue love, people have to calm down and use various methods to increase the possibility of love's success."

"Some people are gifted in love. Just by showing how passionate they are about love, they can make the person they like feel their heart flutter and they will fall in love with each other."

"But when it comes to love, I don't have any talent. I can't rely on instinct to make the person I love love me back. So I can only try one method after another until I find the key that can open the other person's heart. Although this is stupid, it is more effective than doing nothing."