Am I being simulated by their love affair.

Chapter 477 Farewell Kiss (The End)

As soon as Maki Yami stepped onto the stage, the noise from the audience grew louder.

That is people's sighs of appreciation for beauty.

A girl in a light green kimono smiled and greeted everyone, her hands resting on the edge of the podium as she looked at her prepared speech.

Before she began to speak, she turned her head and glanced at Jun Matsueda standing behind the curtain.

This was the second time in more than four months that the two had locked eyes. Compared to the rationality he displayed in the principal's office last time, the girl's gaze was far more complex now—a deep and contradictory mix of resolute determination, reluctance, and lingering affection that captivated Matsueda Jun, making him momentarily forget to blink.

Yamami Maki turned around and looked at the audience below the stage.

"Hello everyone, I am Yamami Maki from Class 4, Grade 3. It is an honor to speak here on behalf of all the students in Grade 3."

"Last year, I also spoke as a representative of the students, but at that time I certainly couldn't have imagined what I would feel when I stood on the stage again."

There was a hint of bitterness in the girl's words, and as someone who had once been inseparable from her, Jun Matsue could certainly taste it.

"My final year of high school was filled with far more than I had imagined. Besides having to continue working hard for college entrance exams, there was the impending separation from loved ones, the hesitation at a crossroads in life, and perhaps even disagreements with my family about future plans..."

"In short, senior year of high school is exhausting. I don't think I'm the only one who feels this way, right?"

A chorus of approval rose from the audience, and Yamami Maki smiled as she tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear.

"Perhaps because I am more emotional, this year has been incredibly sad for me—the pain has taught me many lessons."

“Sad things will certainly happen, and there will be many more to come after today.”

"So getting hurt is also very important - whether or not you can learn to endure it, at least you can be more mentally prepared."

The girl's smile was gentle and helpless, naturally evoking empathy from the audience.

"Whether you enter university or the workforce, once you've made your choice, you can no longer play around with life—you must remember the common sense and wisdom that adults should have."

"However, I don't want everyone to change."

Yamami Maki took a deep breath, the sound of her breathing echoing throughout the hall. She then turned her head and glanced at the boy behind the stage.

"As the saying goes, the human heart is the most fickle thing, but I hope that everyone can always keep the most precious part of their hearts."

"It will always gently remind you that there is always someone who loves you and supports you."

For the girl on stage, it was a love she would cherish forever, and she hoped to carry this memory with her for the rest of her life.

"So please keep shining, and don't worry about anything."

"Because she will always love you."

"Thank you."

Sincere applause erupted from the audience. No one seemed to care about the slip of the tongue regarding "she" and "it." Only the girls in the audience could understand that Yami Maki had said it on purpose.

"What does she mean?" Mochizuki Haruka frowned. "Is she using this occasion to express her feelings to Matsue?"

"You're not still thinking about getting back together, are you?" the girl asked warily.

“Impossible.” Tomatsu Tomoka’s tone was firm. “Tsunku is not that kind of person.”

Jun Matsue watched as the girl on the stage bowed deeply and then walked towards him, her eyes shining with a sense of relief.

The boy had many questions he wanted to ask, but there was no time—Mitani had already walked onto the stage from the other side, and it was his turn to go on stage.

"Thank you for your heartfelt speech, Maki Yamami. Please have a student representative come up to the stage to offer their best wishes to their seniors."

Amidst the enthusiastic applause from the audience, Jun Matsueda could only ignore the girl beside him and walk step by step to the center of the stage.

The audience erupted in noise again for a brief moment. Even though the boy was only wearing a school suit, as long as he stood under the spotlight with his eyes downcast and focused, his demeanor was still rare and captivating.

"Hello everyone, I am Jun Matsue from Class 6, Grade 2. It is an honor to represent the current students and offer my best wishes to the graduating seniors."

Jun Matsueda looked down at the open notebook. Although he had an exceptional memory, he brought it on stage just in case.

"..."

The girl's skirt froze in his peripheral vision, and the boy remained silent for the time it takes to blink.

Jun Matsueda sighed and closed his notebook.

He didn't want to say anything more that was correct and without any problems.

"I'd like to ask the seniors in the audience, do you still have any regrets?"

A murmur of doubt arose from the audience.

"After three years of high school, there will always be some regrets left in your heart, no matter how many or how few," the boy continued.

"For example, we failed to qualify for the Winter Cup that year."

The basketball seniors sitting in the front row all raised their hands. "For example, that summer when we were aiming for Koshien, watching my teammates sprint towards the final inning, only to fall at home plate."

A girl in the audience lowered her head, and the boy next to her said with dissatisfaction, "Songzhi, don't make our manager sad!"

Jun Matsueda and the others laughed together, "I know there are actually many regrets like this—a second attempt where I didn't perform well, a friendship that broke down because I refused to admit my mistakes, and missing my friends' vacation trips..."

"Of course, we will romanticize these things as part of our youth, and when we go to university or enter the workforce, we will describe these regrets at parties with a beautiful yet helpless tone."

"But what I want to say is that regret is regret, don't try to beautify it."

"Having missed that crucial opportunity and been forced to choose a future I didn't want, I can only try to embellish it with memories in order to accept it."

"But how wonderful would it be to catch it on the spot?"

"So it's better to be brave."

"At least you were brave enough, so you won't always be thinking about those beautiful things that seem so distant now when you wake up in the middle of the night or at parties, things that might have been within your reach."

"Don't let yourself regret it."

"I think we should start now."

The boy smiled, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the audience, but he missed the one on the stage.

"After the graduation ceremony, remember to confess to the person you like as soon as possible, so that no one else gets there first."

"Thank you."

Amidst thunderous applause and cheers that filled the hall, Jun Matsueda stepped off the stage. Behind the curtain, Maki Yamami was also clapping, her eyes filled with affection as she watched the boy walk towards her.

The two stayed backstage and sang the school song together with the wind instrument section, string section, and choir that came on stage.

The graduation ceremony officially ended, and the third-year students below the stage received their graduation certificates one by one, chatting with their juniors.

“Matsueda-kun.” Yamami Maki looked up at the calm-faced boy beside her.

The boy, hidden deep within her pupils, constantly tempted the girl's almost emotional rationality, even when he wasn't in front of her.

"Can I have your buttons?"

At graduation, girls would take the second button from the uniform of their favorite boys to express their feelings.

Matsueda Jun instantly understood why Yamami Maki ultimately chose Ochanomizu.

Because there are no male students at Ochanomizu University.

He looked at the girl in front of him. At the moment of their final parting, the senior student no longer concealed her true feelings.

She had decided to say goodbye, but she also wanted to stick to her feelings and make them never change.

She wanted to leave him, yet she also wanted to remember him.

"You really want to make this unforgettable, don't you?" Jun Matsue asked coldly.

The girl smiled sadly and nodded.

The boy was silent for a moment, then said, "Senior, Tomatsu confessed to me a few days ago."

Do you think I should accept her?

Yamami Maki was stunned. Her expression remained frozen for a long time before she nodded with difficulty and stiffness.

"That's great... She's always liked you."

Then Jun Matsueda turned around and walked off the stage.

He walked through the laughing and joking crowd and found Tomatsu Yuka standing in the classroom.

"...Matsueda-kun?" The girl's expression was somewhat puzzled.

However, upon seeing Yamami Maki's eyes glistening on stage, she seemed to understand.

Tomatsu Tomoka closed her eyes, tilted her head slightly, and met Matsueda Jun's lips as they fell.

They kissed in the crowd, surrounded by a tidal wave of gasps and cheers.

Jun Matsue embraced and kissed the girl in front of him, then looked up at the lonely figure on the stage.

This is your own choice.

And so, the tears that had been swirling in Yamami Maki's heart finally fell.

It hurt much more than she had imagined.

　I'm going back to my hometown to sweep the tombs tomorrow, so I'll most likely have to ask for leave.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)