Am I being simulated by their love affair?

Why is it so dark inside?

“Because the curtains aren’t open yet…” Natsumi Imokawa took out slippers for the boy.

“I asked my dad to design the same blackout curtains as the previous studio, so I installed the same style here as well.”

"I see." Jun Matsueda bent down to change his shoes, while the girl ran into the living room first.

When he straightened up, his vision was filled with sunlight. Jun Matsue put down his shoes and walked into the room in front of him.

The apartment that Yuchuan rented was similar in layout to the studio she lived in when she was in school, only the overall space was a bit smaller...

The boy placed the backpack containing the equipment on the sofa and handed it to the girl to unpack, then walked around the room.

The living room is divided into a living area and a work area along the central axis, with the doors to the kitchen and toilet opening onto the wall of the work area.

A corridor extends from the central axis, with a bathroom next to the kitchen and toilet on the left and two bedrooms on the right—but currently only one bedroom has a bed, while the other only has a table and a desktop computer, which will likely be filled with Imogawa's equipment later.

After finishing his "inspection," Jun Matsue returned to the living room. The girl on the sofa took out her camera, computer, and card reader from her backpack and placed them one by one on the long table in the work area.

"Do you need my help?"

"No need, no need~" Natsumi Imokawa looked up, "I'm almost done!"

The idle boy sat down on the sofa and watched as the girl put away the last stabilizer and walked towards him in her slippers.

"All done!"

As she spoke, Natsumi Imokawa walked up to him, raising her hand to fan her rosy cheeks, whether from the sun on the way or from the effort of moving things.

"It's so hot..." the girl said, taking off her cardigan, revealing another magnificent, surging sight.

However, Matsueda Jun was not as engrossed in watching it as he was in the car; he just suddenly laughed.

Natsumi Imokawa blinked in confusion and threw her cardigan next to him.

"What is Songzhi laughing at?"

The boy draped his warm cardigan over the back of the sofa, "It just reminded me of the time when Imokawa threw his underwear on the sofa."

The girl's face flushed slightly. She lowered her head and silently lifted the neckline of her dress, then shook her head with relief.

"It's not that hot today."

Jun Matsueda's smile widened as he took the girl's hand and stood up.

"I see there's still a spare bedroom. What do you plan to do with it, Imokawa?"

“Use it as a recording studio!” Natsumi Imokawa answered without hesitation.

"In a couple of days, I'll have Dad move the equipment from the old studio over, and we'll bring the game controllers we used before too—so we can play games with Songzhi whenever we have free time!"

"Actually, I originally wanted to turn that empty bedroom into a darkroom for developing photos, but that would be too much trouble..."

She excitedly counted on her fingers—

"We need to do shading, install a ventilation system, and prepare chemicals... I heard that the Shanghai Oriental Art University has a darkroom, so it'll be more convenient to go to the school then."

"Then I'll come and move the equipment for you." Jun Matsue smoothed the girl's hair that was hanging over her shoulder.

"But if there's only one bed, where will I sleep and spend the night?"

Natsumi Imokawa's eyes widened. "Will Matsue be spending the night here?"

"I thought you would only sleep in your apartment."

“It’s our apartment,” the boy corrected. “There’s an empty bedroom over there.”

"And we're a couple," he repeated.

“Imokawa’s status is the same as Mochizuki’s, so of course I will stay overnight at your place.”

"Like you just said, let's play games together, or stay up all night watching movies in the living room. If we get hungry, I'll cook you a late-night snack, or we can go for a walk and buy something to eat together..."

The girl's eyes sparkled, as if she was already imagining the night she would spend with Songzhi. She licked her lips, her heart fluttering with longing.

“Then of course the pine branch will sleep with me,” Natsumi Imokawa answered without hesitation.

"Because we're a couple~"

Chapter 878 First Intimate Contact

For the rest of the morning, Jun Matsue and the girl went to a nearby supermarket to buy household supplies for the apartment and some groceries for just one meal.

Around 1 p.m., a boy wearing an apron stood in front of the sink, with Natsumi Imokawa beside him, helping to tidy up and peeking at him.

"When you get to university, Imokawa can't just live on fried rice and pasta," he said, turning his head to give the girl a word of advice.

"Although what we ate for lunch wasn't much different..."

Since Imokawa said he wouldn't be staying here anytime soon, the two of them bought a pre-packaged vegetable bag from the supermarket for lunch—then went to the next counter to buy a packet of stir-fry sauce and two bags of fresh noodles, and the boy and girl's lunch was ready.

Her gaze shifted from the boy's rolled-up sleeves back to his face, and Imokawa Natsumi, regaining her composure, puffed out her chest and said...

"I'm not just good at making fried rice and noodles!"

"I can make scrambled eggs with rice now—I learned how after Songzhi mentioned it last time, and it's not difficult to make!"

Jun Matsue paused for a moment.

Water droplets slid down the edge of the plate, flowing down his wrist, drawing the girl's gaze away again.

The boy wiped the water droplets from his forearm. "I didn't expect Iokawa to still remember..."

When he was trapped in his studio in Imogawa during a torrential downpour in Tokyo overnight, he made a crab stick and scrambled egg rice bowl for the girl and reminded her to buy a pair of gloves to wear when washing dishes.

Jun Matsue lowered his head, looking at his yellow and white checkered apron and the bright yellow gloves of the same color on his hands.

These items were not on today's shopping list; Imokawa had already purchased them.

"Of course I remember!" Natsumi Imokawa took the washed bowl and put it away.

“I remember everything Songzhi said to me, and it doesn’t take me any effort to remember it—is that because I like him?”

"It's because of Imokawa—Imokawa's affections are quite intense," the boy replied with a smile.

"But remember to buy another pair of housework gloves so that the two of you can work together."

"Okay~" the girl nodded.

"Next time I'll cook, I'll make beef and scrambled eggs rice for Songzhi!"

After cleaning up the kitchen, Jun Matsue and the girl returned to the living room and rested on the sofa for a while. Imokawa took a few pictures of the room after it was furnished and sent them to his parents, along with some photos of the two of them together.

"Songzhi, would you like to go for a walk?"

"Now?" Jun Matsue glanced at the TV the girl had just turned on, then looked at the bright sunshine outside the window.

"If we go out now, Imokawa will definitely feel hot, right?"

“So we’re heading towards the river!” Natsumi Imokawa got up and knelt on the sofa, placing her hands on his shoulders.

"The weather is so nice today, we shouldn't stay home, we should go out and enjoy the view! It might get colder again in a couple of days!"

"Then let's listen to Imagawa?" Jun Matsue helped her stand up.

"Do you want to bring your camera? If it's heavy, I can help you carry it."

"No need~" The girl picked up the bracelet with the mini camera hanging on it and put it back on her wrist.

"It's good enough to have it."

A few minutes later, the two left the apartment and walked toward the Sumida River behind them—their hands naturally clasped together again.

"I kind of miss the old film crew." The boy turned around and glanced at the towering apartment building.

When will Iogawa make his next film?

"That's still a long way off." The enlarged riverbank before her eyes filled the girl with joy, and her tone became lighter.

"Shouldn't we wait until after school starts to talk about it?"

"Where's Songzhi?" She looked at the boy's profile. "Hasn't the University of Tokyo's acceptance letter arrived yet?"

"We should be there soon." Jun Matsue squinted slightly in the sunlight.

"The results should be out around the end of February. I'll send you the photos then."

“Okay~” Natsumi Imokawa smiled, revealing her shiny teeth. She turned around, picked up her camera, and took a picture of the riverbank in front of her.

"We've taken photos here before."

"Imokawa, are you referring to that time we were filming before?"

“Yes!” The girl took the arm of the person next to her.

"And Miss Yangshi, I even took a photo of you and her together."

"Songzhi doesn't know—when I took the group photo of you all, I felt really strange..."

She rested her chin on the boy's shoulder, puffed out her cheeks, and stared into his eyes.

"I must have already liked pine branches back then! That's why I immediately got jealous when you took pictures of me."

Jun Matsue didn't follow up on the girl's topic about what happened back then; he simply smiled and put his arm around her shoulder.

“Then let’s reshoot now—Imokawa can take as many group photos as he wants.”

Having already taken many photos together at home, Natsumi Imokawa picked up her camera briefly, then took the boy's hand and continued forward.

"Let's cross the bridge first, and then walk along the riverbank."

The girl pointed to the opposite side—a narrow green space between the Arakawa and Sumida Rivers, with few people on the path.

"From here you can walk all the way to the place where I confessed my feelings to Songzhi. I want to go back and see it again!"

“Then let’s walk slowly.” Jun Matsue glanced at the softness overflowing from her neckline.

"It's a bit windy by the river, be careful not to sweat and catch a cold."

After crossing the bridge spanning the Sumida River, the two spent a few minutes reaching the green space on the bank of the Arakawa River, and walked along the path closest to the river. The bright afternoon sun shone on the riverbank, where there were few people, only their short shadows swaying in the sound of the water.

A cool breeze ruffled his bangs. Matsueda Jun held the girl's warm hand and looked at the wild grass growing wildly on the shore and the low, sparse houses in the distance.

At the top of the slightly higher embankment, people rode by on bicycles, and all of this was shrouded in the vast, clear sky, as if slowing down along with their steps.

"Arakawa Ward really feels great."

Natsumi Imokawa nodded, her cheeks flushed.

"I feel that Arakawa is like a paradise, or a secret realm."

"The 'secret realm' is a fitting description." The boy continued walking, looking around.

"Although it is a central urban area, it is not highly developed. As far as the eye can see, there are only bungalows and green spaces. The space is also very open, giving a quiet and relaxing feeling."

"I moved my family to Wakaba Town, didn't I?" he said, pointing to the girl in the direction of Yotsuya Station.

"The environment there is similar to Arakawa; both have a relatively secluded atmosphere."

"However, in a place like central Tokyo where land is incredibly valuable, all the relaxation is artificial—the meticulously planned architectural layout, the well-placed green spaces and vegetation, and the supporting living facilities..."

“Unlike here—” Jun Matsue’s free left hand slid from one side to the other.

"In advertising terms, it's about being additive-free, natural, and wild."

Natsumi Imokawa nodded in agreement. "So, Matsueda prefers this place to Wakaba Town?"

"..." The boy turned his head to the side and quietly whispered in her ear.

"Don't ask these kinds of questions in front of them again, Imokawa."

The girl smiled sweetly, with a hint of mischief in her expression.

“But to be honest, that’s really true—” Jun Matsue blew on the black hair behind her ear.

"I finally decided to rent a house in Wakaba Town simply because it's in the center and convenient to go anywhere."

"But it doesn't have a supermarket, only the more expensive 'Life', 'Maruetsu' and 'Seijo Ishii'."

"There won't be any direct sales points for wild vegetables, and no old ladies will sell me their fresh vegetables cheaply just because I'm pretty."

"It will be impossible to get oden at the intersection downstairs from the apartment building in the future—people living in Wakaba Town generally don't like sitting at roadside stalls drinking cheap hot soup."

“But just reminiscing isn’t enough.” He squeezed the girl’s hand.

"Humans are highly adaptable creatures. The apartment in Wakaba Town is very comfortable. I will definitely go there in the future and create more memorable memories."