Am I being simulated by their love affair.

Chapter 749 Who will deal with Imokawa Natsumi?

"Has the school festival already started? How's Matsueda-kun feeling?"

Seeing the message pop up on his phone, Jun Matsueda looked up at the classroom in front of him.

It wasn't a classroom, but a coffee shop.

The neat rows of solitary school desks that used to stand alone have vanished, replaced by large coffee tables. Orange-brown French-patterned tablecloths conceal the traces of the stitched desks, and a young female customer sits at the table, holding a pure white coffee cup, her movements elegant and refined.

The drawn curtains enveloped the warm yellow light in the room, as if they could see through the traces of coffee steam. The boy gently stepped on the square rug under his feet—these rugs and tablecloths, full of atmosphere, accounted for a large part of the purchasing expenses.

Jun Matsueda raised his phone and recorded a video of the customers at the square tables and the queue waiting at the bar, then sent it to Maki Yamami on the other side of the screen.

"The coffee shop has been open for an hour and things are going well. As for the other classes, I haven't gone out to check yet."

As the class monitor, the boy naturally had to make sure that there were no problems in his class before he could go out and enjoy the cultural festival with peace of mind.

"Looks pretty good~" The senior sent a parrot emoji waiting to be fed.

"Unfortunately, I have a full schedule of classes today, so I can only come tomorrow, Saturday."

"There will be coffee tomorrow too."

After he finished typing the reply and clicked send, a large, strong hand pressed down on the table he was leaning against and tapped it lightly.

"Boss, our business is doing very well. You should check on another location."

The boy looked up and saw Ken Sakamuro, dressed in a white shirt and waistcoat, grinning at him with a set of white teeth—Sugisaki, carrying two cups of coffee, and his petite girlfriend were walking towards him.

Jun Matsue stood up and walked out of the classroom through the front door. The girls from Class 6 were taking a group photo in the corridor, with the main subjects being the maids from today's class.

Seeing the boy walk out of the classroom, Tomatsu Yuka, who had just finished taking a group photo, walked towards him, with Mochizuki Haruka following closely behind.

"Is Chun-kun going out?"

Jun Matsueda nodded. "The classroom is almost full, and there are no problems at the bar. You can rest assured."

He looked at Mochizuki Haruka standing to the side; the girl had just taken off the cat ears that the gyaru had put on her head.

"Isn't it time to change the performers?"

Sitting in the back row of the coffee shop now is Honma, who plays acoustic guitar. It's about an hour before the accompaniment group changes shifts.

Mochizuki Haruka and the girl beside her exchanged a glance. Tomatsu Yuka smiled, as if to say, "Whatever."

"Where is Songzhi going next?" she asked the boy.

"...If Auntie isn't coming now, she'll probably just wander around for a bit first, and then go to the auditorium to watch the screening of 'White Line Flow'."

The director, Natsumi Imokawa, would naturally attend the screening of "White Line Flow," and the girl raised an eyebrow warily.

"Then I'll go first."

She glanced at the person next to her. It seemed that Imokawa wasn't afraid of her, so she decided to leave it to him.

Tomatsu Tomoka wore an indifferent smile; she certainly understood what Mochizuki Haruka meant.

"Then Jun-kun, shall we go for a walk together?" she asked tentatively.

"Of course," the boy replied decisively.

"Remember to come back to me at eleven o'clock." Mochizuki Haruka glared at him, then turned and walked into the classroom.

Jun Matsue walked to the back door of the classroom and watched the girl open the violin case standing in the corner of the wall—she placed the violin on her shoulder and nodded her delicate chin toward the head of the violin.

Slender, fair fingers lifted the bow, and a magnificent and elegant tone filled the room, flowing into everyone's hearts.

The elegant young woman lowered her eyes slightly, glanced at the back door, and Jun Matsue smiled.

Mochizuki meant for him to stop hanging around there with Tomatsu Tomoka, as it was making her upset.

The boy raised his hand and clapped silently as he left through the back door, the girl beside him naturally taking his arm.

"Where would Chun-kun like to go first?"

Jun Matsue looked at the equally lively classroom next door—the door of Class 5 was covered with bright red wallpaper, which featured chibi versions of Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White, miniature elves, and other cartoon characters.

"Let's go check next door first."

The candy house in Class 5, Grade 3 is decorated in a fairytale style. The desks in the classroom are stacked into long strips and covered with shiny candies and cookies of various colors. But what is even more eye-catching than these are the boys and girls standing by the desks, carrying baskets and dressed in fairytale costumes.

After wandering around the candy store and paying at the counter, Tomatsu Yuka stuffed the fruit gummies into the boy's jacket pocket, keeping only a few in her hand.

"I think Class 5's idea is pretty good too." She unwrapped a gummy candy and offered it to her crush's lips.

“Indeed.” Jun Matsue bit into a candy and put it in his mouth. “Candy and cookies are readily available, unlike coffee which is so complicated to make.”

"I meant their outfits~" The girl waved to her friend, who was wearing an ice-blue princess dress, not far away.

"It feels great to be dressed up like this!"

"Does Yuka want to be a princess?" Jun Matsue blinked.

"Hmm~" Tomatsu Yuka nodded gently, "Then I'll have Tsunku dress up as a prince and accompany me!"

The boy laughed, "How about we dress up like this and go to Disneyland after graduation? I've seen a lot of girls go."

"That feels like it'll take a while..." The girl's eyelashes fluttered, and she was somewhat tempted.

"How about next Sunday?"

"Then forget it." She shook her head decisively.

Rather than wearing glamorous matching outfits to stroll through an amusement park, Tomatsu Tomoka prefers lying naked in bed and enjoying intimate moments with men.

"Why don't I buy a princess dress and wear it to Jun-kun next Sunday?" she thought, linking her arm with her beloved's again.

The girl felt threatened by someone's earlier declaration of "taking advantage of her completely" during the purchase—she had no idea what Mochizuki Haruka's appetite and capabilities were really like...

As Jun Matsueda led the absent-minded Tomatsu out of the candy store, he encountered Seshita Hiromi dressed as Alice on the stairs.

Yumi stopped and hopped on the stairs, her golden wig and the rabbit doll in the candy basket jumping along with her.

"Oh, is Matsue looking for Natsumi?"

Even though the boy in front of her was standing right next to his girlfriend, the girl still acted completely unconcerned.

"She's not in the classroom right now; she's probably in the auditorium preparing for the screening."

“I know.” Jun Matsue held onto the person next to him tightly. “I was just strolling around with Yuka. After all, your class is right next door.”

"I see~" Yumi-chan continued upstairs. "I hope you two had a good time."

A girl dressed in a childish and cute style skipped past her. Tomatsu Yuka smiled and continued downstairs with the boy.

"At the screening later, would you like to go alone, or should I go with you?" she asked softly.

Although she knew Mochizuki Haruka's purpose, she was not going to be the kind of villain that guy expected.

"Anything is fine with me," Jun Matsue said casually. "If you're interested, you can come with me."

The girl smiled but did not answer immediately.

After the two left the makeshift "casino" on the third floor, Tomatsu Yuka took out her phone to check it.

"Isn't it almost time for the screening? Shall we go now?"

She still decided to accompany Jun Matsueda to see Natsumi Imokawa.

"Okay." The boy nodded, his attitude remaining calm.

The two left the noisy teaching building and walked along the campus avenue toward the auditorium.

Back in the auditorium, the spacious area had a more solemn and quiet atmosphere. The young men and women walked past the back rows filled with parents and chose a less crowded spot to sit down.

On the stage was a calligraphy club exhibition. Several students, accompanied by melodious and soothing Japanese traditional music, bowed their heads and wielded their brushes on the long table in front of them, their movements graceful.

The auditorium is usually used for exhibitions by arts and cultural departments, such as calligraphy and tea ceremony exhibitions. Of course, the stage for the wind instrument and drama departments is also here. Therefore, the auditorium is more popular with parents than the gymnasium, which is usually filled with singing and dancing.

Tomatsu Yuka let go of the boy's arm and glanced at the program schedule on her phone.

"After the calligraphy club's program ends, there will be a screening of 'White Line Flow,' right?" Jun Matsueda, who also took out his phone, nodded.

"I heard the principal is going to give a speech before the screening? The school really values ​​Imokawa-kun."

"Because Imokawa passed the comprehensive selection process and was admitted to Tokyo University of the Arts ahead of schedule, right?" The boy looked up and glanced at the seats around him.

"For the school, she is the gold standard for the school's emphasis on personalized education and encouragement of students' multi-faceted development, so of course it should be showcased."

"I see." The girl looked around after him. "Is Tsunkun looking for Imokawa-kun?"

“Yes.” Jun Matsue said without hesitation, “Imokawa is also going to give a speech. She’s not very good at this kind of thing. I want to see how she is before she goes on stage.”

“Tsun-kun has always been very considerate to his friends,” Tomatsu Yuka said with a smile.

When will Tsunku tell her about Imokawa's confession? She pondered this question.

He may never say that this is what the girl thinks.

After all, if Tsunku and Imokawa Natsumi didn't have romantic feelings for each other, then there was really no need to say anything—just like those people who wrote love letters and confessed to him in person before, he never mentioned it.

Moreover, the boys never directly mentioned their feelings to girls like Mochizuki Haruka and Kurusu Yosei—the girls' affections were so obvious that they could immediately sense each other's similar emotions with just a slight interaction.

Thinking further, if I were someone else who liked Tsunkun, I wouldn't want my cherished feelings to become a tool for a boy to express his loyalty and honesty to his lover.

As she thought about it, Tomatsu Yuka realized once again that she really liked Matsueda Jun.

Because she liked him so much, even someone as selfish as her would consider things from Jun-kun's perspective.

There was nothing she could do… The girl sighed inwardly.

Who made Tsun-kun tolerate that selfish, clumsy, and stubborn version of himself from back then?

"I wonder where Imokawa is now." Matsueda Jun's voice returned to her ears.

"I need to go look for her. Does Yuka want to come with me?"

"Never mind." Tomatsu Yuka shook her head and patted the armrest of the seat between the two of them.

"I need to guard my position. Jun-kun, you can go find her yourself."

The boy took her left hand and shook it, saying, "I'll be back before the movie starts."

"Good~"

Crouching low as he walked out of the audience seats, Jun Matsueda quickly spotted Natsumi Imokawa in the side corridor outside the hall.

This time, the girl didn't bring a camera, but instead carried a notebook and hurried towards him—when she saw the boy in the corridor, Natsumi Imokawa's face quickly lit up with surprise.

"The pine branches are here~~"

She jogged up to the boy, the notebook she was holding to her chest swaying violently.

"I thought you were in the auditorium," Jun Matsue said, looking in the direction she had run from. "Were you preparing for your speech later?"

“Yes!” Natsumi Imokawa nodded. “The principal just spoke with me and told me not to be too nervous.”

"Are you nervous now?" the boy asked with a smile.

"..." The girl tilted her head back and stared at the ceiling, seemingly trying to understand her own state.

"It seems alright!" She turned to look at the boy. "I feel like I need some water."

Jun Matsue turned around and said, "Then let's go buy it."

The vending machine was at the end of the corridor. The boy took a can of strawberry milk from the dispenser and handed it to the girl leaning against the wall.

"It should be your favorite flavor, right?"

Natsumi Imokawa was still muttering to herself in her notebook. After a while, she closed the notebook, took the milk, and gulped down two big mouthfuls.

"Thank you, Pine Branch." The girl exhaled softly. "I feel less nervous now."

“There’s really no need to be nervous.” The boy looked at her while holding the vending machine with one hand.

"After all, it's just asking you to share your thoughts on the creation of 'White Line Flow' and express your gratitude to the school for its support."

"Imokawa has already gone through the Tokyo University of the Arts interview, so giving a speech like this should be as easy as pressing the shutter."

“It’s not that easy…” the girl glanced at him, “but it does feel less difficult now.”

"You just need to stand on the stage, look down at the script and read it, and you'll be fine."

The boy was very confident. He had seen Imokawa's manuscript and read it aloud in front of him, so there was definitely no problem.

"Okay!" Natsumi Imokawa clenched her fist, her cheeks puffing out adorably. "I'll do my best!"

"So, are you free after the pine tree screening? Want to go to the cultural festival with me?"

The girl's topic shifted so naturally that Jun Matsueda's expression became unnatural.

"You're probably not free. After you finish here, I need to go back to my class to check on things. The coffee shop's milk should be almost gone."

The boy tried his best to make his words reasonable and his tone gentle, after all, Mochizuki Haruka was waiting for him to return on time.

"Oh, that's alright." Natsumi Imokawa blinked, her gaze still as innocent and harmless as a puppy's.

"Anyway, the cultural festival lasts for two days, so there's plenty of time."

The girl unscrewed the strawberry milk and took another sip. A commotion came from the other end of the corridor—members of the calligraphy club came out through a small door in the auditorium, some of them carrying props.

"It's time to go on stage!"

Natsumi Imokawa hurriedly tightened the screws on the milk in her hand and looked at the boy next to her.

"I'm going backstage to prepare."

"Good luck." Jun Matsueda gently pumped his fist at her. "I'll be watching you from the sidelines."

Watching the girl run off down the corridor, the boy went through the nearest small door back to the auditorium. He quickly found Tomatsu Yuka in the audience and quietly sat back down.

"You're back pretty quickly~" The girl smiled as she watched him sit down.

"Actually, there's not much to say. It's not like Imokawa is incompetent." Jun Matsueda handed her the drink.

"Your favorite jasmine tea."

"Thank you~" Tomatsu Yuka reached out and took it, then affectionately nuzzled against the boy's shoulder.

She opened the jasmine tea she had just taken a sip of and looked up at the ceiling.

There was nothing ambiguous about Tsunku; it seems he really was just offering encouragement to Imokawa Natsumi as a friend…

The screening then began, the stage lights came on, and the big screen turned completely white.

First, the principal spoke. Just as Matsueda Jun had predicted, the woman focused on the theme of personalized education and respecting students' interests. The parents below seemed to appreciate it, nodding in agreement as the principal spoke.

Next up is the star of this screening, Natsumi Imokawa, an outstanding student representative who is also a director.

As the girl walked slowly onto the stage with her notebook in her arms, Jun Matsueda was the first to raise his arm, and loud applause resounded throughout the auditorium.

The students and parents in the audience quickly followed, and the girl on the stage quickened her pace and stood in front of the podium.

"Um, thank you so much for your support!"

The girl, her cheeks slightly flushed, bowed deeply, her forehead hitting the microphone on the podium. Her cry of pain rang out along with the buzzing of the microphone.

A burst of good-natured laughter rang out from the audience. Tomatsu Tomoka quietly turned her head to look at Matsueda Jun beside her.

The boy was still looking at the girl on the stage whose face was flushed. Unlike his usual model smile, his smile was not obvious.

However, such a natural and gentle smile makes people feel closer to her.

"..." Tomatsu Yuka blinked, subtly shifting her gaze back to the stage.

It seems that even without romantic feelings, Natsumi Imokawa must have held a significant place in Tsunuki's heart...

(End of this chapter)