Am I being simulated by their love affair.

Chapter 736: Taro Sichuan Confession

"Imokawa, is something the matter?"

The streets of Koenji were bustling with people. Faced with the boy's question, Natsumi Imokawa felt the sunlight on her face begin to burn rapidly.

The girl didn't want to say "I like you" at this time, so even though she wasn't good at lying, she could only try to deceive Matsue first.

"Because we came out to play together." Her eyes blinked quickly, hurriedly searching for an excuse.

"This is my first time visiting Koenji Temple, and I'm worried that Matsue won't have much fun."

A car passed by at the intersection, and Jun Matsueda pulled the girl further inside.

"Then why did you choose Koenji today?" he continued. "I feel like your home is similar to this place, and the old lady's café we went to last time was even more interesting."

"Uh." Natsumi Imokawa was a little stumped.

"Also, I noticed you didn't take many photos today, and you seemed a bit distracted the whole time—Does Imokawa feel happy?"

"Of course I'm happy!" the girl quickly retorted.

"Then why did you still seem distracted this afternoon?" Jun Matsue stared into her eyes.

So you still have something on your mind?

Natsumi Imokawa lowered her head, stared at the half-covered shoe tips in silence for a while, then gripped her skirt and looked up at her.

"Because today's main task isn't filming!"

"Didn't I tell you before? I came out to play with Songzhi today!"

"I didn't have much experience hanging out with friends, so I asked Yumi-chan—she said I could come to Koenji, so I came!"

The girl's tone had a "what's the use" feel to it, which made it sound particularly convincing. Matsueda Jun blinked, looking somewhat surprised.

"...Is this so?"

The boy thought that this trip with Imokawa was no different from before—even when informing Tomatsu, he used the term "filming."

"Otherwise what!" Natsumi Imokawa glared at him, embarrassed and helpless.

The excuse the girl came up with on the spot was a bit weak, but the genuine feelings she showed were enough to fool the intuitive boy.

"That's good..." Jun Matsue breathed a sigh of relief.

He thought that after passing the selection, Imokawa would have plenty of time and energy and would start to develop romantic feelings.

"So, can we go to the antique shop now?" Natsumi Imokawa tugged at his sleeve.

After barely managing to get away with it, she was eager to change the subject.

"Let's not go." The boy stood there unmoved.

"……Eh?"

The girl turned around and blinked in surprise.

"These places were suggested to you by Yumi, right?" Jun Matsue glanced at the phone hidden behind her back.

“I can understand Imokawa’s concern for me as a friend, but I don’t really need it.”

He bent down slightly, bringing his gaze level with the girl's.

"I feel fine just going out with you like before, you don't need to think so much."

“…Oh.” Natsumi Imokawa nodded slightly.

She was quite happy to hear Songzhi say that.

"So forget about all that planning you did." The boy held up his palm and wiped it in front of her, as if he were erasing a blackboard.

"Forget all that nonsense, where does Imokawa most want to go right now?"

"..." Natsumi Imokawa stared at him blankly.

The girl's eyelashes were dark and thick, and they shimmered silently in the crystalline air.

"I want to go to Arakawa."

Fifty minutes later, a crow perched on the "Adachi Kodai" bus stop sign poked its head out and looked down at the boys and girls walking out of the station.

Stepping out of the east exit of the station, past the bus stop sign, I stopped at a small traffic light—unlike the crowded shopping streets of Koenji, across the street was a large expanse of green grass, showcasing the flat and spacious area.

Gazing at the golden band of light in the distance, Jun Matsue stretched and breathed in the fresh air of the riverbank.

He swung his arm and looked at the girl beside him.

"It's much more comfortable here than in Koenji."

Natsumi Imokawa clutched the backpack strap across her chest with one hand and smoothed her wind-blown hair with the other.

"But there's only the Arakawa River and grasslands here, I'm afraid it won't be very interesting..."

The crowd around her disappeared, and there were hardly any people on the road, only boys on bicycles speeding by—it felt like she had returned to the days when she and Songzhi strolled around casually, and the girl's mood was much more relaxed than before.

The green light came on, and the two started walking towards the riverbank.

"Then why does Imokawa still want to come here?"

"Because I want to move to Arakawa Ward for university." Natsumi Imokawa looked around, as if searching for a suitable apartment.

"It's relatively close to the East China University of the Arts, the rent isn't high, and it's near the river with nice scenery."

"So, you're here to get a taste of university life beforehand?"

"Ok!"

“No wonder.” The boy looked at her pink earlobes illuminated by the sunlight. “I thought you would want to go to Yoyogi Park or something—didn’t you go to Meiji Shrine last autumn?”

"I've seen it!" The girl waved her hand seriously.

"The ginkgo trees in Yoyogi Park and Jingu Gaien aren't very yellow yet, so it's not worth going!"

"Then let's take a walk along the river, chat, and take some photos," Jun Matsue said with a smile.

"Autumn is the perfect time for a walk."

"Okay~" The girl nodded in relief.

Arakawa, as its name suggests, is a somewhat desolate river—although located within Tokyo's 23 wards, it is not surrounded by tall, dense buildings. Its banks are lined with grassy slopes and walkways; only by standing on the shore and looking up can one see the Tokyo Tower and the city's layered, blocky buildings in the distance, like some kind of mirage.

However, on a clear autumn day, Arakawa appears just right—

The afternoon sun at 3:30 was as clear and cool as water, shining on the young men and women walking side by side on the shore.

A few loud, childlike shouts approached from a distance; it was middle school students playing a game on a riverside baseball field. Their white baseball caps were askew, casting no deep shadows on their faces.

The wind carried the scent of grass and earth. Jun Matsue squinted contentedly as he watched the girl beside him raise her camera and capture the dust kicked up on the court and the blurry figures of the athletes.

"The autumn in Arakawa seems quite nice." Natsumi Imokawa nodded in satisfaction.

The boy stretched out his arms towards the distant sky, and sunlight, tinged with a hazy golden hue, pierced through his outstretched fingers and fell onto the tips of the grass blades by the roadside.

"This is what autumn looks like..."

Continuing forward, she bought two bottles of chestnut milk from a vending machine by the roadside. Holding the beverage bottles, the girl looked at the grassy slope of the riverbank ahead.

The green slope is flat and soft, with a moderate angle of inclination. It floats with a layer of fine golden light under the sunlight, which is simply too tempting.

She turned her head. "Would you like to sit here and rest for a bit?"

Matsueda Jun naturally wouldn't object, and the two sat down in the middle of the grassy slope. He watched as the girl carefully gathered the hem of her skirt behind her legs to prevent the short blades of grass from pricking her delicate skin.

After carefully adjusting her posture, the girl placed her canvas bag and camera aside and obediently hugged her legs.

Just two meters away, the shimmering surface of the Arakawa River stretched out before me. A gentle breeze whispered in my ear, and the sound of bicycle chains on the shore drew near and then faded away behind me.

"So comfortable..." Natsumi Imokawa blinked, suppressing the urge to lean on the shoulder of the person next to her.

"This is the perfect time to come to the river." The boy's warm voice rang in her ears, as comforting as sunshine.

"If it were two months earlier, the grass we're sitting on now would be scorching hot, with mosquitoes flying around our heads and bugs crawling on our legs."

The girl laughed as boys wearing baseball caps walked over the grassy slope, the sound of baseballs being swung in the air.

"Is Imogawa on vacation now? The selection results are out, and as long as you graduate normally, you can get into Tokyo University of the Arts."

"Mmm." The girl nodded demurely, her eyes reflecting the shimmering light on the river's surface.

"But classes will still continue, just without worrying about grades."

“That’s good too.” Jun Matsueda looked at the lush wild grass swaying in the wind on the opposite slope. “Have you figured out how to kill time?” “There’s the Tokyo International Film Festival at the end of October, I want to go!” Natsumi Imokawa glanced at the boy’s right hand resting on the grass.

"Also, I've finished editing the short film 'White Line Flow,' and I uploaded it to my YouTube account as soon as I woke up this morning."

"So fast?" The boy turned his head. "Why do you seem to have so much going on this morning?"

The girl smiled. "Good news always comes at once!"

She forgot about passing the audition because she had to release a short video in the morning.

"Can I see it now?" Jun Matsue was about to take out his phone when the girl next to him stopped him.

"Let's look at it when we get back." Natsumi Imokawa put her hand on his wrist. "Let's enjoy the scenery in front of us now."

"……it is good."

The boy silently moved his hand away, secretly observing the girl sitting next to him out of the corner of his eye.

Why does it seem like Imokawa has suddenly become so quiet and reserved...?

"Where's the pine branch?" Natsumi Imokawa stared at the blades of grass lying in front of her feet. "You guys have been busy with the cultural festival lately, haven't you?"

“That’s right.” Jun Matsue secretly moved to the side, and only after finding that Imokawa did not react did he feel relieved.

"We've already submitted our application to open a coffee shop this year, so other classes won't snatch it away."

"A coffee shop?" The girl looked up. "Our classroom is a candy shop, they even sell cookies and other small biscuits."

The boy watched a couple walk by, with a short-legged corgi following behind them.

"Isn't that a perfect match for coffee?"

"Hmm~"

The playful tone of her voice revealed Natsumi Imokawa's cheerful mood. She picked up her camera and took a picture of the silhouettes of the two people and the dog opposite her.

After glancing at the screen, the girl turned to the side and pointed the camera at the boy beside her.

"Pine branches?"

"Hmm?" The boy turned his head, his eyebrows and eyes bathed in sunlight, showing a clean and warm color that had nothing to do with autumn.

"I like you."

That's how Natsumi Imokawa started speaking.

She pressed the shutter, capturing the boy's surprised expression at that moment.

It turns out that even pine branches can show such an unexpected expression... The girl even had time to think about this kind of question.

A brief, profound stillness descended upon the riverbank; the wind of Arakawa swept away the noise from the shore, leaving only the sound of the river's waves crashing against the shore.

This was not the time Natsumi Imokawa had originally envisioned for her to confess.

As originally planned, after watching an enjoyable underground performance with the boy, the two would chat casually about their day's events. As they walked past the streetlights, she would, as if playing a prank, boldly take Songzhi's arm and confess her feelings, saying, "I like you."

But it doesn't matter now. The wind in Arakawa is refreshing enough to blow away people's worries and anxieties, allowing the girl to openly express her feelings.

Natsumi Imokawa blinked, openly looking at the boy's face so close to hers.

"Didn't you hear me, Pine Branch? I like you~" she repeated, with a slightly mischievous smile.

“…I heard you.” Jun Matsueda waved his hand, looking at the girl in front of him with a natural expression.

"Imokawa is serious?" he asked again.

"Of course I'm serious!" Natsumi Imokawa puffed out her slightly chubby cheeks.

"I asked you out today, and I've been hiding it all this time, just to say that I like you."

"..." The boy remained silent for a while.

To be honest, when he heard Imokawa's confession, his first thought was not, "The worst has happened."

Instead, it was a somewhat unexpected and delightful surprise.

After all, he had never disliked Natsumi Imokawa, and he was well aware of the girl's unique charm and extraordinary abilities—any normal person would not feel any resentment at being liked by such a special and adorable girl.

"Is Imokawa referring to romantic feelings between men and women?" Jun Matsueda wanted to confirm.

“Of course!” Natsumi Imokawa puffed out her chest.

"The kind of liking where I want to be with you, go on dates with you, and sleep with you!"

"Don't try to deny it, Songzhi! You just told me what 'liking' is like!"

This is troublesome... The boy blinked.

This kind of straightforward and naive girl is actually the one he finds most difficult to deal with.

But the two people on the grass remained seated, like two pebbles on a riverbank, their distance unchanged.

"Imokawa, do you remember what my current relationship status is?" Matsueda Jun asked cautiously.

"I know." The girl drew flowers on the grass. "You're two-timing, and you're thinking of stepping on a third one."

"..." The boy nodded somewhat awkwardly. "Have you thought about how I would respond?"

"Will you go out with me?" Natsumi Imokawa blinked at him.

Jun Matsue shook his head again.

"Can we still be friends?"

Jun Matsue hesitated for a moment.

"Of course, but—"

"No buts!" The girl immediately reached out and covered his mouth with both hands.

"I just confessed my feelings to you, I didn't expect you to respond!"

The wind by the riverbank ruffled their bangs, and the boy, whose mouth was covered, looked at her with a bewildered expression.

"If you like someone, you should say it. That's just what I think."

Natsumi Imokawa released her hand, her palm still warm from the boy's breath.

"If you're going to distance yourself from me because of this, then please pretend you didn't hear me!"

"...Do you think I can ignore it just because you said you didn't hear it?" Jun Matsueda's tone was somewhat helpless.

"What should we do?" The girl's clear black and white eyes flickered; she was a little nervous.

"If you like someone, you should say it. Is that wrong?"

"...Imokawa is not wrong." The boy composed himself and smiled reassuringly.

"But I really don't have any plans to date you right now."

“…Oh.” Natsumi Imokawa nodded.

She stood up and patted the blades of grass off her sundress.

"Where do we go now? Straight home?"

The girl asked in a natural tone, as if nothing had changed.

The boy remained seated on the grass, looking up at her.

"What's wrong?" Natsumi Imokawa bent down. "Doesn't Matsueda want to come with me anymore?"

"..." Jun Matsue got up from the grass and picked up his chestnut milk.

"Let's walk along the Arakawa River a bit more; I haven't calmed down yet."

"Oh~" The girl nodded. "Would you like me to get you a drink?"

"……Need not."

Jun Matsue opened the beverage bottle, and the sweet milk with the rich flavor of chestnuts slid down his throat.

He looked up and glanced out of the corner of his eye at the girl waiting for him on the slope.

Seemingly noticing the boy's gaze, Natsumi Imokawa tilted her head and looked at him with a puzzled expression.

This guy, Imokawa, seems almost flawless...

(End of this chapter)