Am I being simulated by their love affair.

Chapter 388 Differential Treatment
The next morning, it was still raining heavily when Jun Matsueda went out.

The typhoon had passed, leaving only gloomy clouds that continued to weave a storm. Jun Matsue did not ride his bicycle; instead, he walked into the school gate with an umbrella.

He walked past the bulletin board on the school's main street; the election notices posted a week earlier were slightly curled up due to the damp weather. The voices of students on the street were drowned out by the rain. Jun Matsueda went into the classroom and placed his umbrella on the umbrella stand by the classroom door.

Moving to the back row, Tomatsu Yuka looked much healthier today, and the girl was looking at her English book, seemingly back to normal.

Mochizuki Haruka arrived earlier than usual. She rested her chin on her hand, idly flipping through the Japanese history textbook in front of her, until the boy approached, at which point she looked up.

"Songzhi arrived a little late today."

“Walking is definitely slower than cycling on rainy days,” Jun Matsue said, putting down his bag. “But you’ve been coming very early these past few days.”

"Because I haven't felt like sleeping in lately," the girl replied with a smile, while Tomatsu Yuka glanced at her from the other side.

After the school bell rang, Jun Matsueda handed a note to the girl on his right.

"How are you feeling today?"

Tomatsu Tomohana quickly handed it back, saying, "I slept for a really long time yesterday, but I feel much better now. Thank you for taking care of me, Matsu-san!"

She waited for a while but didn't receive a second note. The girl gently bit her tongue and looked at the blackboard with regret.

It seems that Songzhi's defenses, which had briefly weakened yesterday, have now been re-erected.
After the third period ended, Kominato Shoko stepped down from the podium and looked towards the back of the classroom.

"Matsue and Tomatsu, please come to my office later. The school has sent out a survey about the new schedule. Please fill it out later."

“Okay.” Jun Matsue nodded, and the girl beside him smiled unconsciously. The two left the classroom together.

Due to the drop in temperature, there were quite a few people in the corridor these past two days. The female teacher's figure quickly disappeared into the floating crowd, leaving only the boy and girl to receive the gazes of those around them.

Tomatsu Yuka closed the distance between herself and the boy next to her. She raised her hand to comb the black hair behind her ear, and the girl's arm inadvertently brushed against Matsueda Jun's clothes.

"Matsueda-kun, is the election committee matter almost over?"

"More or less." The boy pondered, looking at the classroom sign for Class 4, Grade 3 ahead. "The formal speech will probably take place around the middle of the month, followed by the vote count."

"That's great." The girl's smile became a bright spot in the otherwise dull space.

"My biggest regret now is that I didn't replace Matsueda on the election committee."

"..." Jun Matsue paused for a moment, then glanced at the girl beside him.

He and his senior didn't become close because of the election, but it's a bit strange to explain it now. The boy turned his head and looked at the classroom they had just passed.

The seat where Yamami Maki sat was empty. Was she not here, or had she not come to school?
After following the girl beside him and turning at the end of the corridor, Jun Matsueda got his answer. Maki Yami walked towards them, carrying a stack of papers.

As she walked towards them, her face first showed her usual gentle smile when she saw the two of them. Then, as if remembering something, the smile tightened, and she looked at Tomatsu Yuka's face in a panic.

"Um, good morning, Matsue-san. Good morning, Yuka."

Yamami Maki mustered her courage and greeted her, but Tomatsu Yuka did not respond. The girl's gaze remained fixed on the road ahead, without shifting in the slightest, and her expression remained unchanged as she walked past her senior.

Matsueda Jun watched as the hopeful smile on his senior's face immediately faded. He sighed inwardly and walked up to Yamami Maki with a smile on his face.

"Good morning, senior. Is that the survey form for the new schedule?"

The boy deliberately raised his voice, and Tomatsu Yuka, who had already walked away, turned around and looked at the two people closing in behind her. Their shoulders were almost touching.

Yamami Maki glanced up at the girl in the distance, her expression becoming even more flustered. After exchanging a few words with the boy beside her, the upperclassman hurriedly left. Tomatsu Yuka watched as Matsueda Jun returned to her, and the two continued towards the teachers' office. As they went up the stairs, the girl suddenly asked a question.

"Did your senior tell you to keep it a secret before?"

The boy nodded. There was no need to lie about this, because concealing things was not something he would do.

“As expected.” Tomatsu Yuka’s tone was very complicated. “I hate seniors like that.”

Even if this pushes her further towards Matsueda's side, I still hate her.

Matsueda Jun could only remain silent. From Tomatsu Yuka's perspective, she was certainly not wrong. From beginning to end, it was Yamami Maki and him who were in the wrong.

The girl slowed her pace, and the sadness that had been well hidden began to surge again. She looked at the gloomy sky outside the window without saying a word.

She just wanted to make Matsueda like her, so why did the two people closest to her end up liking each other?

"Tsun-kun, I really want to hate you."

"But I can't do it."

Jun Matsue stopped in his tracks. The girl wiped her eyes and forced a smile.

"Let's go, we still need to get the survey forms, don't we?"

The two were even more silent on their way back than on their way there. Tomatsu Yuka stared blankly at the sky, lost in thought.

Back in the classroom, Jun Matsue kept glancing at Tomoka Tomatsu's profile out of the corner of his eye until the bell rang, at which point he looked at the teacher on the podium.

This matter must be resolved as soon as possible; neither Tomatsu nor the senior can maintain this situation in the long run.

He took out his phone from the drawer and sent a message to Yamami Maki.

"Senior, can we meet at noon?"

Just before class ended, the girl replied to her vibrating phone.

"it is good."

So after lunch, Jun Matsueda met Maki Yamami sitting by the window in an empty classroom.

The girl's expression as she gazed out the window was somewhat similar to that of her junior, but she seemed more lost, and her former calm and composed demeanor had vanished.

Jun Matsue closed the classroom door, sat down next to Maki Yami, and gently hugged her.

The girl was a little awkward at first, but after feeling the familiar body temperature and touch, she gently rubbed her cheek against the boy's shoulder as usual.

Physical touch is more comforting than verbal reassurance; this is a truth they have long practiced.

"Thank you for your hard work, senior." Matsueda Jun said softly, patting the girl's back with his right hand.

After two days of anxiety and confusion, Yamami Maki finally found a place for her emotions to rest, and she couldn't help but cry softly.

"Matsueda-kun, what should I do?"

The girl asked helplessly.

　I'm going home tomorrow, whether I can update depends on the highway conditions.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)