Am I being simulated by their love affair.

Chapter 309: Guarding and Stealing
"Are you free after school today, senior?" Tomatsu Yuka asked the girl next to her while standing in front of the sink.

Yamami Maki turned off the tap, pulled a tissue from the pocket of her skirt, and dried her hands.

"Is there anything I can help you with, Yu-Hana?" She might be available or not, depending on the girl's answer.

"It's not that I have something to do, it's that Songzhi is going to look for a performance venue after school."

“But the brass band is preparing for a competition, so I don’t have much time.” The girl took the tissue from her senior. “If I don’t go, then Mochizuki Haruka and Matsueda will go together.”

"So what does Yuka mean?" Yami Maki asked cautiously, holding a wad of damp tissue in her hand.

"If you're free, senior, go with them—keep an eye on Mochizuki Haruka for me!"

The girl looked down at her phone, pretended to think for two seconds, and said, "I do seem to have some free time today."

"Then I'll leave it to you, senior?" Tomatsu Yuka took a step forward, bringing the two of them closer together, and she carefully observed her senior's expression.

"I know that it might be difficult for you to do this kind of thing, given your personality. It's okay if you don't want to."

Yamami Maki smiled and gently patted the girl's hand with her right hand. "It's alright, it's not like I'm going to fight with Mochizuki-san or anything."

Tomatsu Yuka took the crumpled paper from her senior and threw it into the trash can next to the sink along with her own, letting out a soft sigh.

"Now I realize how busy my senior was back then. I wish I hadn't become the department head."

“That won’t do.” Yami Maki shook her head firmly. “Without Yuka, Tayo-chan can’t carry the brass band by herself!”

The girl's eyes sparkled with a smile. If Yuka didn't become the club president, wouldn't she have to stay by Matsueda's side forever?
"So, after school today, it'll be the three of us going out together?" Jun Matsue asked, looking at the two girls standing at the school gate.

"Is that right?" The tall girl nodded, while the shorter girl next to her clicked her tongue impatiently.

"It must have been Tomatsu who sent you, right?"

"No, I came here of my own accord." Yami Maki shook her head, and the feeling of saying such things openly and honestly seemed even more pleasant than she had imagined.

As the three walked out of the school gate, the girls consciously gave the middle seat to the boy, adopting a "let's keep to ourselves" attitude.

The afternoon sky was a monotonous blue, without a single cloud in sight, and the sun was shining brightly. Jun Matsue could feel the heat rising from under his school uniform trousers. He looked around and saw that the girls wearing skirts didn't seem to have this problem.

Yamami Maki noticed the boy's gaze and, misunderstanding that he was trying to start a conversation, spoke first.

"Isn't Imokawa supposed to be filming? Isn't she coming with us?"

Jun Matsue waved his hand to fan the air, saying, "There was no practice today, and the performance venue hasn't been confirmed yet, so she felt there was no need to film."

Actually, Natsumi Imokawa originally wanted to go to a livehouse with Matsue, but when she heard that Haruka Mochizuki would also be going, her initial interest immediately vanished.

The girl, who had been silent on the other side, tugged at the boy's sleeve and pointed to the dessert shop next to the station ahead. "It's so hot, I want to eat ice cream."

"Buy it!" Matsueda Jun's tone was firm, definitely not because he was about to break out in a sweat. The two quickened their pace, while the upperclassman, lagging behind, watched the girl's retreating figure. Their interactions seemed so natural. Yamami Maki frowned slightly; why did it feel like Yuuka was the slowest one?
To enjoy the taste of ice cream, the three of them got off at Mingda Station ten minutes late. After putting their bags in the practice room, the exploration team walked out onto the street empty-handed.

“Let’s exclude the ones Aya and the others have been to before and start with the nearest livehouse.” Jun Matsueda looked at the list on his phone.

Upon entering the venue, finding the organizer or person in charge, inquiring about performance opportunities, and sending the band's information, demos, and rehearsal videos, Jun Matsue walked out of the underground space and suddenly felt a sense of emotion.

"It feels just like when I first started looking for a part-time job."

Maki Yami laughed, "Playing in a band properly is quite tough, isn't it?"

Returning to the ground from the dark space, Mochizuki Haruka squinted like a cat, "The Yamami family also runs performance venues, right?"

"Yes, there are," the girl nodded, "but they're quite far from here, and I'm not very familiar with that area."

Jun Matsueda waved his hand, "It's not like we won't even have a chance to perform in a variety show. There's no need to trouble you, senior."

Before sunset, the exploration team entered seven livehouses, got three audition opportunities, and even witnessed a rehearsal band's brutal fight on stage.

"Why did the guitarist and the lead singer suddenly start fighting?" Yami Maki asked, still shaken.

Jun Matsueda shook his head. "Don't try to figure out what rock musicians are thinking. Just stay away from them."

When the band on stage suddenly started a live fight, he immediately stepped in front of the two girls. The senior girl gripped his sleeve tightly, but Mochizuki Haruka wasn't really scared. Instead, she moved his arm away and watched with interest as the blood flowed down the guitarist's face.

"That's enough for today. Three audition opportunities are enough. Any more and the band's schedule will be difficult to manage."

The three walked back to the studio. Matsueda Jun and Mochizuki Haruka walked ahead, while the girl was still trying to persuade the boy to accept her help, but she was rejected again.

Yamami Maki walked behind, watching the shadows of the two people ahead stretched long by the setting sun and intertwined. After leaving the last livehouse, the girl became somewhat absent-minded.

She looked at the boy's slightly deformed cuffs, which she had pulled on when she was nervous because of the violent incident. The girl's mind was still replaying the scene of Jun Soji standing in front of her.

That reassuring, comforting touch caused the sunset-red hue on Yamami Maki's face to fade into a charming blush.

She reached out and gently touched her cheek with the back of her hand. Luckily, Songzhi couldn't see it. The girl breathed a sigh of relief and followed the boy's footsteps with her head down.

Tomatsu Yuka stood in the gentle breeze under the setting sun, carrying her bag in both hands, waiting for Matsueda Jun to appear—today's practice ended relatively early, and the girl deliberately took the train home for two extra stops to arrive at the studio.

Watching the three of them walk from the end of the street at dusk, the girl stared at the senior who was lagging behind for a few more seconds, shook her head helplessly, and walked back to the group.

"Thank you for your hard work, everyone~" Tomatsu Yuka greeted her sweetheart with a smile, but as she got closer, her gaze shifted to Matsueda Jun's back.

Why does the senior student look so happy?

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　　Two more chapters owed.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)