Am I being simulated by their love affair.

Chapter 727 She's changed, she hasn't changed

Half an hour later, the final melody of "Grandeur" fell on the floor of the grand hall like the sound of hurried, flamboyant footsteps.

Sitting in the audience, Jun Matsueda raised his arm and applauded his juniors who were putting down their instruments and bowing on stage.

"How are you feeling?" he asked the person next to him in a low voice.

Tomatsu Tomoka and Yamami Maki spoke at the same time, giving completely different answers.

"It's a little difficult."

"That's great!"

Upon hearing the other's reply, the two exchanged a glance across the boy's face before quickly looking away.

Jun Matsue laughed and pointed in the direction of the exit.

"Let's find the main force first, we'll talk about it on the way."

They quietly left the concert hall before the next school's team went on stage, closing the heavy door behind them, leaving only the three of them in the empty corridor.

"Where are they now?" the boy broke the silence.

"...Yuna told us to go to the preparation room we were in before." Tomatsu Yuka took out her phone. "They were blocked by the line behind them in the backstage passage."

Yamami Maki let out a soft breath; after watching her juniors' performance, she seemed to have relaxed considerably.

"Let's go over there first."

The soft carpet in the corridor masked the sound of their footsteps. Jun Matsue glanced at the girls around him out of the corner of his eye—they seemed to still be immersed in the melody of the brass band, lost in thought.

"I feel like the brass band is pretty strong this year," he said, taking the initiative to speak.

"Indeed," the girls said in unison this time.

Yamami Maki blinked and looked at the girl who was closer to the boy.

"...Didn't Yuka say it was a bit difficult?"

“After all, there are only a handful of gold medals in the whole country.” Tomatsu Yuka turned her head and smiled at her.

"The brass section was actually quite good this year. Although there weren't any particularly strong sections or solos, the teamwork and emotional engagement were excellent."

"But how should I put it..." she thought for a moment.

"Flawless doesn't equate to outstanding. They are certainly qualified to enter the national competition, but whether they can impress the judges is another matter."

"After all, the competition is fierce." The girl looked into her senior's eyes.

"If you don't make mistakes, it's hard to survive to the end, isn't it?"

“I don’t think so,” Yami Maki said without hesitation.

The boy sandwiched between the two paused—this seemed to be the first time since they met today that the senior had so clearly disagreed with Tomatsu.

"Actually, I think Yuna-chan's solo and the clarinet solo are both very good."

Tomatsu Yuka recalled, "Compared to the whole group, they did stand out more."

"Could it be that Yuka's standards are too high?" Yami Maki leaned forward slightly to look at the girl on the other side.

"After all, not everyone can get an invitation from the judges like you do."

"..." The girl did not answer, only her eyelashes trembled slightly.

"The 'Grace Dance' is a very difficult piece—not only in terms of its own performance difficulty, but also in terms of the cymbals, cymbals and tambourines... Such a challenging free piece is rare in previous years."

"The fact that Yuna-chan and the others were able to complete the entire process with virtually no mistakes is truly astonishing."

"I think it is precisely because the judges have many years of judging experience that they are able to recognize the rare value of this 'no shortcomings'."

"This year's Haneoka High School team should be one of the few teams to score higher in freestyle pieces than in their subject pieces."

"Yuka can't use her own standards as the judges' standards." Yami Maki unconsciously clenched her right hand.

"What you see as ordinary might be exactly what he needs..."

Jun Matsue felt the girl beside him tighten her grip on his arm—their conversation seemed to have drifted away from the realm of wind instruments and started discussing other things.

Fortunately, the preparation room was right in front of them. The boy opened the door and let the girls go in first.

Although the band hadn't returned yet, the spacious preparation room didn't feel empty. Everyone's instrument bags were piled up against the wall in twos and threes, with a few cardigans draped over them—someone must have hurriedly changed into their uniform jackets here.

Yamami Maki looked around curiously. "It's not much different from our old preparation room."

Tomatsu Yuka stood next to the boy, carrying her saxophone bag without saying a word.

The girl didn't like the environment of the preparation room. It was in the preparation room that she confessed her feelings to Tsunku and was rejected.

"Are they coming back?" Jun Matsue looked behind him, and faint footsteps could be heard outside the door.

The door was quickly opened again, and Yuna, carrying an oboe, led the club members in.

As the wooden door closed, the girls' feigned composure and politeness vanished instantly, replaced by excited chatter.

"I was so nervous—I was terrified when I got on stage and realized my uniform was buttoned crooked!"

"I almost got hit by the trombone behind me..."

"There was an older man in the first row who kept staring at me without moving. It was really scary..."

The preparation room was suddenly filled with a cacophony of noise. Standing in the corner, Yamami Maki smiled – just like when she and her club members finished their performance.

"How are you feeling, seniors?" Yuna squeezed in front of the three people in the corner, and only then did everyone realize their presence.

"Huh? When did Yuka-senpai and Matsueda-senpai arrive?!"

"Thank goodness, I almost had to change my clothes..."

"Is that the Yamami-senpai the minister mentioned? She looks so gentle and elegant!"

The girls swarmed around her, and Tomatsu Yuka gave a gentle smile.

"Everyone worked hard! They performed very well, and we in the audience were quite surprised!"

"Have you heard any other people's opinions?" someone asked expectantly.

"Wasn't the applause quite enthusiastic?" Yami Maki asked the girl who had asked the question.

"I watched the replay of your Tokyo Metropolitan Tournament before I came. It's such a difficult piece as 'Grandeur Dance,' and everyone was able to make progress before the national tournament. It seems like you've worked very hard."

“That’s right!” The girls nodded in agreement with delight.

"I've been practicing really hard lately!"

"I didn't even have the energy to eat dinner when I got home!"

Jun Matsue silently retreated to the wall, watching the members of the brass band excitedly chattering around the two senior students.

Like chicks surrounding a mother hen, the scene before him was somewhat nostalgic, reminding the boy of the days when he filmed with the brass band.

He wasn't the only one reminiscing about those days—the two girls in the crowd, their slightly troubled smiles revealing the same unspoken understanding.

Time seemed to flow backward briefly in the room, taking the three people with complicated relationships back to that summer filled with sweat, melody, and the chirping of cicadas.

Ten minutes later, after taking a group photo with their juniors, the boy and girl walked out of the preparation room and found Yuna, who was taking a break in the corridor.

"Yuna-chan, aren't you guys planning to leave yet?"

The girl who was taking a selfie with her oboe put away her phone and shook her head.

"Teacher Guangnei went to see the person in charge of the communal hall. She wanted to ask if we could use the small concert hall for practice this afternoon."

"Thank you so much for coming to watch the performance. If you have something to do, you can go now."

Yamami Maki glanced at the boy and girl standing beside her. The boy nodded, presumably intending to leave.

"Yuna-chan, do your best with our blessings~" She waved to her juniors, "Haneoka High School will definitely perform even better in Nagoya than today!"

"Huh?" Yuna Ohba was taken aback.

"It's not Nagoya, it's Utsunomiya."

"...Utsunomiya?" Tomatsu Tomohana asked in surprise, "Has the venue for the national tournament been changed?"

“Yes.” The girl took out her phone again. “The Nagoya International Conference Center is undergoing large-scale renovations and will not be ready for use for at least three years.”

"Is Utsunomiya in Tochigi Prefecture?" Jun Matsueda asked.

"Yes, although it's not as famous as Nagoya, it's much more convenient to get there from Tokyo."

"That still feels a bit of a shame..." Yami Maki said softly.

"After the competition, we went to Atsuta Shrine to draw fortune sticks. I was thinking that if you had time, you could go and take a look too." "..."

Tomatsu Yuka didn't say anything, but simply put her right hand into the uniform bag she was carrying.

The fortune slips she drew with her senior at Atsuta Shrine are still in her bag.

Even without opening it, she remembered the words on it.

"If close friends forget about etiquette, they may quarrel. If the mind is not clear, there is a risk of unintentional slander."

"Wish: Taking care of others will grant your wish."

"Waiting for others: belated."

"Matchmaker: Be patient and your wish will come true."

"We should prioritize honesty and integrity, and be cautious in what we say and do."

Looking at the seniors who had suddenly fallen silent, Yuna Oba blinked in confusion.

"That does seem... a bit of a pity..."

After saying goodbye to his juniors in the brass band and walking out of the hall, Jun Matsueda looked at the quiet girls around him.

Why does the atmosphere suddenly feel so low?

The boy could roughly guess the reason, but he thought it was better to just say what he meant rather than guess.

"It just feels like time has passed." Tomatsu Tomoka looked up and smiled at him.

"I didn't expect that even the venue for the national conference had changed."

Yamami Maki nodded silently.

The girls didn't have many memories of Nagoya, but they were all equally precious to each other. Although their feelings at the time were different, they achieved a wonderful resonance at this moment.

Jun Matsue felt a sense of relief—this strange meeting was finally coming to an end.

"Is Yuuka planning to go straight home?" He looked at the girl beside him. "Do you want me to take you home?"

"..." Tomatsu Yuka looked to the other side, "Are you going home now, Senpai?"

"Hmm." Yami Maki snapped out of her reverie. "I'll take the subway back. Higashi-Nakano is only a few stops away from here."

Higashi-Nakano... The girl raised the corners of her lips and affectionately hugged her senior's arm.

"I'm going to Koenji to buy clothes, and it just so happens that I'm going the same way as my senior~"

She turned to look at the boy, her honey-colored eyes blinking.

"Shouldn't Tsun-kun go home first?"

"..." Looking at her cunning eyes, Matsueda Jun hesitated.

Although I don't know what Tomatsu suddenly wants to do, it's probably not something good.

To his surprise, Yamami Maki took the initiative to hold the hand of the girl next to her.

"I'm fine, Matsue-san can go back first."

Standing on the platform of the Chuo Main Line, before the train arrived, Jun Matsueda looked at the girl standing opposite him.

The girls' arms, which had been linked together, had come undone, but for the time being, they seemed to be at peace.

Noticing the boy's gaze, Tomatsu Yuka and Yamami Maki both gave him sweet smiles, as if to reassure him.

The tram coming from the opposite direction arrived quickly. After watching her lover board the tram, Tomatsu Yuka took out her phone and checked it.

Does the fact that Chunjun hasn't sent her a message mean he trusts her enough?

"So... what does Yuka want with me?" the girl standing next to her asked softly.

She looked up, put her phone back in her pocket, turned her face away, and asked casually.

"Senior still likes Tsun-kun."

This was not a question, and Yamami Maki did not try to hide it, but silently straightened her chest and nodded affirmatively.

"Yes, I still love Jun-kun."

Her address made Tomatsu Yuka narrow her eyes slightly, and the girl then asked a question.

Do you know his current situation?

Yamami Maki took a breath.

"If Yuka is referring to Matsueda's romantic relationship, I know that."

"After all, it was I who persuaded him to go down this path."

There was a moment of silence on the platform, with only the sound of footsteps from the passengers behind them.

Tomatsu Tomoka blinked in surprise, then smiled knowingly.

"So that's it..."

"It seems that my senior is not as ordinary as I thought."

"Perhaps I should thank you." A playful smile curved her lips.

“…No need.” Yami Maki shook her head. “I did this for myself and for Matsueda-kun.”

"So you're all ready?"

Tomatsu Yuka took a step toward her, her long, straight, pure black hair swaying.

"Are you ready to share Tsunkun with others?"

"..." Yamami Maki met her gaze without flinching, their chests pressed together.

"I was the one who brought these things up, so of course I was mentally prepared."

"I am willing to do anything to bring Jun-kun true happiness."

The girl's words were more powerful than ever—because she had already paid the price of leaving her family and now had to watch the person she loved be intimate with her former best friend right in front of her.

Tomatsu Yuka took a step back and turned to look at the train approaching in the distance.

"These senior students nowadays are truly admirable..."

She turned around, her smile even brighter.

"Then you should work hard, senior," she said to the tense-looking girl.

"I won't cause you any trouble. I know how difficult it is to win Tsun-kun back."

"As for the past..." Tomatsu Yuka turned her head to the side, looking at the reflection of her flowing black hair in the passing tram.

"I am very happy now, happy enough to temporarily forget the pain I experienced before."

"I will never forgive you."

The wind whipped up by the train was a bit chilly, and the girls pulled their clothes tighter around themselves.
"But if we can stay happy forever, then forgetting forever doesn't seem so bad."

Yamami Maki finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The tram stopped, and pedestrians on the platform gradually boarded the carriage. Tomatsu Yuka took one last look at her senior.

"You get in the car, I'll pass."

She turned around and walked against the flow of people off the platform, pressing down the strands of hair that were blowing up by her ears.

It's better for Yamami Maki to come back than for Mochizuki Haruka to come back; at least Senpai is easier to handle...

The girl's thoughts were that simple.

Besides, the senior student is right. I'm not a "judge," so no matter how much I try to stop her, it won't make a difference.

"..."

As she turned into the passageway leading to the opposite platform, Tomatsu Yuka's mind was filled with the image of those eyes that had just met her gaze.

If I had to pinpoint the most significant change in my senior, it would probably be her eyes…

As Yamami Maki entered the carriage, the resolute light in her eyes shone even brighter than before.

Yet she remains gentle.

(End of this chapter)