Am I being simulated by their love affair.

Chapter 476 Opening of the Graduation Ceremony

From the end of the common exams to the graduation ceremony in early March, only a little over a month had actually passed.

The third-year students had just returned to school when Tokyo's first snow arrived. After the snowflakes fell, their figures disappeared into the hallway again.

Submitting applications to universities, taking entrance exams for public and private universities (early, middle, and late stages), and for private universities (first, second, and third times) – there's always so much to do before graduation.

But none of this had anything to do with Jun Matsue. At that time, he was busy having a snowball fight with Ken Sakamuro, who rushed out of the classroom, building a small snowman with Haruka Mochizuki and Yuka Tomatsu, and watching Natsumi Imokawa press the camera in the swirling snow, the girl's fingers turning red from the cold.

Yosei Kurusu had originally planned to return to Tokyo before the end of February, but after all the tickets for the girls' performances in Kumamoto and Fukuoka sold out, adding more shows to the tour became a natural thing to do.

As for when we'll return to Tokyo, let's postpone it for another two weeks.

So when Jun Matsuoka turned to the March page of the class calendar, apart from feeling a little sorry for the melting snow, he didn't have many feelings.

Winter is almost over, which is a good thing no matter how you look at it.

Until March 3rd, the day of the graduation ceremony.

Jun Matsueda walked along the school avenue, looking at the boys and girls in kimonos and suits ahead, as well as their parents dressed very formally.

"That's quite a grand affair," the boy remarked.

“After all, a high school graduation ceremony is a once-in-a-lifetime moment for the person in question,” Tomatsu Yuka said with a smile as she walked beside him.

"Is Songzhi's speech ready?" Mochizuki Haruka asked, looking at the notebook the boy was holding.

Jun Matsue nodded. "After several revisions, what remains are all perfectly correct statements that are perfectly acceptable no matter how you look at them."

"It's just nonsense."

The girl pursed her lips and looked at the cherry blossom tree by the roadside. The once bare branches were now covered with many buds, waiting to bloom.

The three of them followed their class into the auditorium. There were already quite a few people sitting in the hall. They found the seats for the second-year students and sat behind the parents who were attending the ceremony.

"I saw my senior," Tomatsu Yuka suddenly whispered.

Matsueda Jun followed her gaze and saw Yami Maki sitting in the center of the front row, the girl wearing "graduation hakama" today—

The kimono has short furisode sleeves, with a light green and almost white background decorated with grass patterns and blooming flowers in pale yellow, green and light white. Below the obi is a matcha-colored hakama skirt with a gradient effect.

The girl's cheeks were fair with a hint of pink, and as she sat under the bright lights of the auditorium in this outfit, it was as if spring had already arrived.

"You look beautiful today, senior," Tomatsu Yuka remarked. "Your poise is truly remarkable, no less than the grand furisode you wore for your coming-of-age ceremony."

Sitting next to her, Mochizuki Haruka scoffed disdainfully, "Just an empty shell."

The girl sitting in the front row stood up and walked towards the curtain at the edge of the stage, disappearing from everyone's sight.

"Is the graduation ceremony about to start?" Tomatsu Yuka glanced at the time on her phone. "Matsueda-kun, are you going backstage too?"

The boy nodded and was about to stand up when the girl grabbed his sleeve.

"Matsueda-san, tie," Tomatsu Yuka said softly.

She really wanted to straighten the boy's tie herself, but in order to earn the right to do so, she had to be patient for now.

Jun Matsue lowered his head, tightened his somewhat sloppy tie, then picked up his notebook, got up, and left his seat.

He walked from the back of the auditorium to the front row, hearing the curious chatter of parents and the greetings from third-year students on both sides of the aisle.

"This year's student representative is Matsueda."

"Good luck, Pine Branch!" "Remember to say a few more words, because you won't have many chances to see me again!"

The boy smiled and waved, then stepped onto the steps the kimono-clad girl had just walked up, disappearing behind the curtain as well.

The backstage space was somewhat dim. The graduation ceremony had not yet officially begun, and the murmurs of the people below the stage drifted through the curtain, dissipating into a soft rhythm.

The first person Jun Matsueda met after taking the stage was Maki Yami. The girl was chatting quietly with the principal, with a calm and gentle smile on her face.

The flowers on her kimono were faintly visible in the shadows of the stage, like flower buds that had bloomed early, waiting for the spring dawn in the warm darkness.

"Matsueda-kun is in position now." The principal waved to him. "You and Yamami-kun will stand here and wait. Once the host signals you on stage, just walk up."

“Okay.” The boy walked to her side. Yamami Maki’s face was blocked by the woman. He looked at the bright and spacious stage in front of him, and in the corner of his vision was the girl’s matcha-colored skirt.

"Matsueda-kun~" Another girl's voice came to his ear. Matsueda Jun turned his head and Mitani-kun, holding a microphone, gently patted his shoulder.

"I'm the host this year!" The girl, dressed in a formal gown, smiled sweetly. "It's so nice to see Matsueda-san on stage!"

"It's a pleasure working with you." The boy smiled as well.

"What's wrong, Yamami-kun?" The principal asked, looking at the somewhat dazed girl in front of him.

"It's nothing." Yamami Maki snapped out of her reverie. "I started spacing out unconsciously after staring at the lights for too long."

The people backstage chatted casually for a few minutes before the staff came up and told them that their time was up.

The principal stepped down from the stage temporarily, while the student representatives remained behind the scenes. A minute later, the lights outside the stage went out, and the audience's attention naturally focused on each other.

Jun Matsue watched as the members of the brass band and string section walked onto the stage from the opposite passage. The magnificent and solemn music began, calming the restlessness in people's hearts.

Seemingly to control her nervousness, Mitani struck up a conversation with Yamami Maki next to her.

"Senior, have you finished all your exams? Did you pass and get your papers published?"

The girl in the kimono nodded quietly without saying a word.

"Wow, that's amazing! You passed Keio University too!" Mitani clapped silently, his face beaming with joy.

"So, did you ultimately choose Ochanomizu University as your major?"

Jun Matsue turned his head away.

“Yes.” Yamami Maki smiled. “After thinking it over, I still prefer Ochasu.”

"The ocha-sushi is good too, and it's convenient since it's mostly girls." Mitani nodded, watching the girls leave the stage. "I'll go up first!"

Only the two of them remained on this side of the stage, and Jun Matsue reached out and tugged at his tie.

It was tied a little too tightly before.

"Why is it Ocha-sui?" He looked at the girl's profile.

Didn't you dislike ochasu?
Wasn't it in order to escape Ochanomizu that you were working so hard?

Even with this little bit of freedom he had left, and the changes he brought about, was she ultimately letting go and returning it to her family?
Yamami Maki kept her head down and didn't say a word until Mitani's voice, amplified by the speakers, reached their ears through the curtains.

"Please invite a graduate representative to come up and speak."

She walked onto the stage.

(End of this chapter)