Am I being simulated by their love affair?

The girls in the wind band looked at Tomatsu Tomoka with a strange look in their eyes. Their principal saxophone player had once pursued Matsueda Jun with all possible means, and since the person involved had never denied the rumor, it had become a tacit fact.

Because of this incident, the girls in the wind band were a little afraid of Tomatsu Tomoka and kept their distance from her at first, but as time went by, their attitudes began to return to normal.

After all, how Tomatsu Tomoka pursues the person she likes has no effect on girls at all. They just need to know that the girl’s view on love is not normal.

"Okay, after the cheerleading team gathers, we will start playing." Yamami Moki stood in the front row of the stands and clapped her hands, reminding everyone to concentrate.

Natsumi Imokawa sat between Jun Matsueda and Yumi Senshita and fiddled with the camera. The filming of the women's basketball team was over, and the three freshmen from the news club gathered again.

After the cheerleaders lined up in the field next to them, the boys also put down their basketballs and stood along the midfield line.

Yamami Maki said to the members, "First, we will simulate the entrance and prepare the school song." She turned to face the basketball court and prepared to lead the performance.

The melodious and delicate oboe sounded first, and soon turned into an ensemble. With the accompaniment of the school song, the cheerleaders entered the field and stood around half of the field.

Both the basketball team and the cheerleading team only occupied half of the court because the other half was reserved for the opponents in the official game.

After the school song, the girls in short skirts left the stage, and the boys began training. After the break and after training, there were simulated halftime cheers and victory cheers.

Of course, when the basketball team is training, the cheerleaders and the brass band will not be idle either. They will practice in the nearby fields and stands, which also allows the players to adapt to the noisy audience seats during the actual game.

"It's such a big scale!" Natsumi Imokawa said excitedly. She had just taken pictures of the cheerleading team and the basketball team, and then turned around to take pictures of the brass band. She was busy like a top.

"This is also a national-level competition. Fuji TV and J-SPORTS will broadcast it live." Jun Matsueda explained to the two girls.

Fuji is one of the five major private TV stations in Japan, and J-SPORTS is also a well-known sports TV station. The girls in the news department showed wow expressions.

"Hey, look, isn't Songzhi a substitute? Why is he training on the court now?" a girl in the stands suddenly said.

The girls in free practice stopped and watched Jun Matsueda take off his jacket and walk into the venue in his shirt.

"Sorry Songeda, your jersey isn't ready yet."

"It's okay, Arai-senpai." He walked towards the dark-skinned minister.

The current model of the basketball team is to divide the non-participating third-year students into one team and the participating first- and second-year students into another team to conduct confrontational training, which is also to allow the players to adapt to the formal competition environment in the absence of the main third-year students.

But today there are not enough third-year students as some have gone to private school, so the director asked Jun Matsueda to come on and practice with them.

"Matsueda doesn't look very talented, so why did the basketball club insist on inviting him?"

The sophomore in the stands asked, she watched the September ball game but didn't watch the freshmen's game.

A puzzled look was cast at Tomatsu Tomoka, but the girl did not intend to explain. She continued to play her saxophone and follow the white shirt on the field with her peripheral vision.

It was enough for her to know Matsueda-san's shining appearance alone.

Jun Matsueda passed the ball to his teammate and watched him catch and shoot. He and the third-year student worked well together; all he had to do was pass, grab the ball, defend, and provide assists.

A defensive foul occurred and it was free throw time. Jun Matsueda walked outside the three-point line. Someone came towards him and bumped into his shoulder.

"Sorry, I didn't notice you." The man wearing the No. 36 jersey said with a smile.

Jun Matsueda looked at the minister. After the free throws, Minister Arai walked towards him.

"Some of the players have never seen you play, and they're not happy about someone from outside the basketball team being included in the roster."

"So did a senior really go to the private school today?" Matsueda Jun became suspicious. He now felt that these ministers had a lot on their minds.

Except for Yamami Moki.

"I gave him the day off today, and he went out with his girlfriend."

While talking, the two ran back to their team's three-point line, ready to defend.

"So Senior wants me to not let you win?"

The minister smiled and nodded. "Some people become complacent after making the roster. This mentality is too dangerous in an official match. Please curb their enthusiasm."

As expected, Jun Matsueda now understands why the minister is optimistic about Ken Sakamuro as his successor.

He made an OK gesture and rushed out under the surprised gaze of his senior.

No. 36 had just dribbled the ball to midfield when he saw the man he had just provoked running up to him. Before he could even get into a defensive stance, Matsueda Jun stole the ball.

While he was still in a daze, his teammate Ken Sakamuro had already shouted to return to defense and turned around to try to catch up with the accelerating Jun Matsueda.

The girls in the stands exclaimed as they watched the boy in a shirt, who was chatting with his teammates, suddenly rush forward to grab the ball, leaving the opponents who were returning to defend behind him, and finally jump high in the penalty area to dunk.

Tomatsu Tomoka sat among the girls who were talking. She squinted her eyes with pleasure and increased the volume of her saxophone.

"Matsueda, are you ready to use force in the first formal training?" Sakamuro Ken walked to Jun Matsueda, took the basketball that fell to the ground, and watched the boy pull up the sleeve of his shirt that was rolled up to his forearm, revealing the muscular lines of his upper arm.

"I don't want to either. I'm wearing a shirt, and it would be embarrassing if I sweat too much." Matsueda Jun looked at No. 36 who had arrived late. "But Minister Arai gave a death order, telling me to fight freely. What else can I do but agree?"

He imitated what Ken Sakamuro had said before, and the person involved could only wipe the sweat from his forehead and sigh.

"Kamimura, pay more attention during training. Don't you even know to return to defense when the ball is intercepted?" As the captain, Sakamuro Ken turned around and vented his anger on his teammates.

No. 36 nodded with an embarrassed look on his face, and the hostility in his eyes as he looked at Matsueda Jun remained unchanged.

Half an hour later, Jun Matsueda shot from outside the three-point line and the ball went into the net.

No. 36, who jumped up to try to block him, fell back to the ground. His heavy breathing and sweat on his forehead revealed his unconcealable fatigue.

"Kamimura, you can't defend him, let me do it." His teammate said bluntly.

The boy was unable to refute and could only watch the shirt go away in frustration and exchange places with his teammates.

Ten minutes later, No. 36 felt a little better because his teammates were unable to defend Jun Matsueda. Only double defense could interfere with this physical monster.

"Matsueda is too strong. Is there anyone of the same level in the basketball team who can defeat him?" Seshita Yumi said to her best friend.

Natsumi Imokawa was busy taking pictures of the muscular outlines under Jun Matsueda's sweat-soaked shirt and had no time to pay attention to her.

During their breaks, the girls from the wind band and cheerleading team leaned on the railings of the stands, watching the boys dribbling past players, shooting, and dunking on the court, their white shirts becoming more and more transparent.

When Jun Matsueda walked to the sidelines to drink water, he heard the sounds of mobile phones taking pictures and the continuous shutter sounds of a camera. He looked up outside the field and saw the girls waving at him excitedly.

Yamami Maki looked at the girl beside her, and the pride on Tomatsu Tomoka's face was mixed with a bit of jealousy.

"If Matsueda-san takes the stage at that time, the number of people paying attention to him will definitely increase dramatically." She reminded her juniors.

Yamamiya Moki didn't want to delve into what kind of mentality she had when she said this.

Chapter 119: Judgment Day

On the stairs just after school, the first-year girls walked in front of Jun Matsueda.

"It's already halfway through November," said the girl in front of him.

"There's only a little over a month left in this semester. It feels like time is passing so quickly." The girl next to me sighed.

"The teachers still think it's not fast enough. In today's History and General Studies class, the teacher was already talking about class divisions, even though there's still a semester left."

Jun Matsueda went downstairs while listening to the girls chatting, took out his cell phone and sent a text message to Haruka Mochizuki.

"I'll leave for the hospital at five."

The message quickly became read and the girl replied to him.

"I'll pick you up."

The girls in front stopped on the stairs, and Jun Matsueda walked past them and continued downstairs.

"My hometown had its first snow yesterday!"

"Sapporo?"

"It's Otaru."

The girl's voice was left behind by Jun Matsueda, but the snowflakes of Hokkaido had remained in his heart.

He suddenly realized that Neon's winter had already come, but Tokyo didn't know it yet.

So why did Mochizuki Haruka, who hadn't appeared in school for half a month, come to pick him up?

Jun Matsueda stopped thinking about it, as he would get the answer in an hour and a half anyway.

He walked into the gymnasium, passed by the cheerleaders practicing dancing, the basketball team warming up, and finally walked towards Yamami Maki in the stands.

The director was sitting in her seat reading "Biochemistry". When she noticed that Matsueda Jun was walking towards her, the girl put down the book in her hand, straightened her hair, and stood up from her seat.

"Matsueda-san, do you need something from me?"

Originally, as a senior, it would be fine for Yamami Moki to sit and talk to her juniors, but she did not have this habit to show respect.

"Hello, Yamami-senpai. Tomatsu-san has been called away by his homeroom teacher and will probably be here later."

"Okay, I understand. Thank you, Matsueda-san, for passing it on."

The boy nodded and turned to walk offstage. Although it was a perfectly normal attitude, Yamami Maki felt a little uncomfortable. She picked up the book on her seat and called out to Matsueda Jun.

"Matsueda-san, have you read this textbook?"

He turned around and glanced at the book in the girl's hand. "Biochemistry? I finished it last weekend."

"I feel like this book contains some of the content, and it's also mentioned in General Biology."

"Well, if you think this is a waste of time, I'll mark the repeated content for you."

After the girl nodded, Jun Matsueda picked up the pen on her seat, sat down next to her, and spread the book on his legs to make a mark.

Yamami Matsukori also sat next to him. She did not look directly at Matsueda Jun, but her eyes always swept around the gymnasium in a pretentious manner, and then fell back on the boy next to her.

Yamami Matsui, it’s wrong for you to do this, the girl said to herself. Although it’s right to want to make friends with Matsueda, she can’t forget that he is the person Tomoka likes, and she still has to keep a distance.

Next time, I should at least sit one seat away from him!

"......Matsueda." Natsumi Imokawa came over from the audience and called him softly. The girl had been calling him that since the last time at Meiji Jingu Shrine.

"Sorry, Senior, a friend asked me something. I've already marked the repeated content in the first few chapters. I'll tell you the rest later when I have the chance."

"Ok."

Yamami Moki looked at his back and felt that Matsueda-san had a lot of friends.

"Your jersey has arrived. We'll take your final photo later." Natsumi Imokawa said in a low voice.

Jun Matsueda went to the locker room to change into his jersey and stood on the sidelines with a basketball. The photographer kept her index finger on the shutter button and took countless photos.

After taking the photos, he changed his clothes back. There was a sigh from the girls. When it was time for a break, they all gathered around Natsumi Imokawa to look at the photos taken.

Tomatsu Tomoka and Yamami Matsukori did not move. They sat in the much emptier audience seats and looked at the girls who were gathered in a circle below.

Their gazes shifted to the outside of the arena as the doors of the gymnasium were opened.

Mochizuki Haruka walked in, holding a school uniform jacket in her hand.

In order to avoid the crowd, Jun Matsueda sat on the bench opposite the stands. He watched Haruka Mochizuki walk up to him.

He picked up his phone to check the time. It was 4:32 PM. "Aren't you a little early?"

The girls opposite were secretly looking at the girl who broke in. She was not wearing a school uniform or a cheerleading uniform, which was more conspicuous than a wrong note when the school song was played.

"This is the coat I borrowed from you earlier." The girl handed him the coat. "I can't stay in the hospital any longer."

Jun Matsueda took the coat and put it on the empty seat next to him, while Haruka Mochizuki sat down on the other side.

There was a moment of silence, and the only sound was the repeated impact of the basketball on the ground from the opposite side.

"I thought you would ask me why, or laugh at me for being weak."

At the beginning, the girl said that she would stay with her aunt even if she had to take a leave of absence from school, but now she tells him that she can no longer stay in the hospital.

"It doesn't matter whether there is a reason or not, whether you are strong or weak, just don't hold on." Jun Matsueda kicked the rolling basketball back.

Mochizuki Haruka took a long breath and said, "The results of the expert group's joint consultation will be out tonight. I don't want to wait for the results beside my aunt."

Hearing the girl's words, Matsueda Jun clenched his hands on the edge of the bench.

"This is the highest-level medical team I can currently hire. Last Sunday night, the last specialist finally arrived in Tokyo."

"We've made every possible effort, and finally this day has arrived."

"I should be happy, right? At least the experts are here, and the patient's condition hasn't deteriorated rapidly. Nothing unexpected has happened."

"But I'm not happy at all."

Mochizuki Haruka held Matsueda Jun's forearm with her left hand, looking for a reliable support.

Yamami Maki watched the girl opposite her touch Matsueda Jun's arm. She blinked and looked at the junior beside her.

Tomatsu Tomoka stared at the opposite side expressionlessly. The saxophone in her hand had been placed on the ground, and the smooth bell was stained with a little dust.

Natsumi Imokawa raised her camera and took a picture of the two people on the bench opposite. The girl just thought that their composition and posture were worthy of a photo.

"Matsuji, look at me."