Am I being simulated by their love affair?

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"But the pine branch is still mine tonight!"

Jun Matsue, who was having breakfast on the other side, paused and looked down at the cat that had jumped onto his lap.

Hearing the girls so openly discussing who they would be with that night, he felt a little uncomfortable...

Mochizuki Haruka let out a not-so-cold nasal sound, "Fine, I'll give it to you."

Yosuke Kurusu raised an eyebrow warily and sized up the boy next to him.

"You didn't already squeeze the pine branches dry, did you?"

"...How could that be?" The arrogant young lady's words were tinged with shame and sarcasm.

“He’s still full of energy when he wakes up in the morning—I don’t think four people can really satisfy Matsugi.”

"What are you saying!" Jun Matsue got up, holding his cat, after finishing breakfast.

"Satisfaction comes not from desire, but from love, okay?"

The girls watched as the boy walked to the corner of the living room to buy cat food for Jinzhi.

Mochizuki Haruka turned around, waved her fork at her roommate, and made the following assessment—

"Men have two brains, just like women have two stomachs."

After breakfast, they entered the school—with only five days left until the common exams, the third-year students at Haneoka High School were noticeably more and more nervous.

After the second class ended, Jun Matsueda went down the stairs, slowly entered the corridor with the form given to him by Ms. Kominato, and watched as figures hurried past him.

Their steps in the corridor became efficient and quick—at times like these, most people realize that they don't have much time left.

As he approached the classroom door, the boy blinked and stopped.

There was another figure in the hallway who was just as out of place as him—like a rock protruding from the river, the girl stood out conspicuously and abruptly in the ceaseless flow of time.

Jun Matsue took another step, but before he could get close, Natsumi Imokawa, as if sensing something, raised her head first.

"Pine branches!"

The girl waved her hand in surprise, and the mini camera hanging on her fair wrist swayed back and forth.

"Good morning." The boy walked up to her and glanced at the closed back door of the classroom behind her.

"Imokawa, is there something you need?"

"Something's up!" Natsumi Imokawa nodded and bent down to unbutton the collar of her coat.

This action startled Matsueda Jun. He opened his arms, fearing that Imokawa might do something indecent in public—fortunately, the girl only unbuttoned two buttons and put her hand into the inside pocket of her coat.

"Hmm?" Natsumi Imokawa, who had taken out her item, looked up at the boy who was spreading his wings like a roc.

"What are you doing with the pine branch?"

"...It's nothing." Jun Matsueda withdrew his hand from his surroundings. "Did you bring me a protective charm?"

“That’s right!” The girl handed over the amulet she had in her hand.

"This is what I bought for Matsue at Yushima Tenmangu Shrine yesterday!"

The boy reached out and took it.

The small amulet is a classic square design, with a bright red fabric embroidered with a five-petaled plum blossom emblem and the words "Protect of Studies".

"..." Matsueda Jun rubbed the amulet with his fingertips. The raised texture still carried the warmth of the girl's chest, warm and delicate.

"Did Imokawa buy this at Yushima Tenmangu Shrine?" He looked up. "There must have been a lot of people there these past few days, right?"

"It's alright~" Natsumi Imokawa smiled innocently.

"There were indeed quite a few people, but not as many as the line during our Hsinchu shrine visit that day. Plus, it's open until 8 PM, so I can buy things without having to rush after school!"

The boy touched the amulet in his hand again.

When he and Aya-chan went on their first shrine visit, he looked up information about Yushima Tenmangu Shrine on the way there. It would take at least an hour to get there by train from Haneoka High School...

"Thank you for the gift, Imokawa." He didn't mention that he was already confident of passing the exam, and put the amulet into the inside pocket of his coat as well.

"I really like it. I'll put it in my pencil case from now on so I can see it often."

"I don't know if I can bring it into the exam room," Jun Matsue smiled.

"I'm glad Matsue likes it~" Natsumi Imokawa's smile became even brighter.

She leaned closer to carefully observe the boy's eyebrows and eyes.

"Why do the pine branches seem a little different today?" The girl used the observation skills she had developed through her hobby.

"You seem more at ease now? You don't seem to be hiding things from me like you did yesterday?"

"Imokawa is really amazing." The boy laughed again, not denying her statement.

"Why?" Natsumi Imokawa asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.

Jun Matsue shook his index finger. "This has to be kept secret for now."

Imokawa is already making a fierce offensive. If the girl knew that the others had already tacitly approved of her joining, the boys couldn't imagine how "arrogant" she would become.

"..." The girl pouted in dissatisfaction.

"Never mind, it's a good thing for me anyway!"

"Is there anything else?" Jun Matsue gestured to the papers tucked under his arm. "I still need to go back to the classroom to hand out forms."

"That's all~" Natsumi Imokawa fastened her buttons, hiding her full breasts under her collar.

"Pine Branch, go ahead and get busy!"

"Then I'll go first." The boy walked past her with the form in his hand, then quickly turned back.

"Oh, right."

"I've already read through the last year of the photo album that Imokawa gave me."

The girl didn't speak, but simply held the mini camera hanging on her wrist, held it above her head, and smiled at him.

Jun Matsueda naturally understood her smile—

"I'm waiting for you."

Chapter 862 Their Common Exam (Part 1)

January 16th, Friday, the day before the common entrance exam for Japanese universities.

After lunch, the third-year students' classes for the day were over, but the corridor remained quiet—everyone was in the classroom listening to their homeroom teacher speak.

"Make sure to set your alarm!" Kominato Shoko stood on the podium, gently tapping the projection screen with her pointer.

"I don't expect everyone to get up very early, but please don't be late—if you get flustered, your performance during the exam will be affected."

"So you must set your alarm and never be late!" Her pointer tapped on the screen again.

"Yes—" came the students' tacit response from below the podium.

"Of course, if you are late due to unforeseen circumstances, such as a trolley accident or some other unforeseen event, don't worry, there will be a chance to retake the exam..."

The voices coming from the podium were getting a bit boring, so Jun Matsue lowered his head and started scribbling in his notebook.

"Things to bring..."

The first one was the "examination ticket," which was the admission ticket. The boy glanced at the document in his hand.

The long verification ticket was made of slightly stiff, thick cardstock. On a white background were black information and red table lines, including the candidate's information, exam number, exam venue address and mode of transportation, as well as the exam subject and time.

This is way too big… He picked up the inspection ticket and waved it.

I feel it would be more convenient to fold it in half and store it.

"What is Chunjun doing instead of paying attention in class?"

A soft whisper drifted to the edge of the table, and Jun Matsue turned his head.

Tomatsu Yuka leaned against the desk, looking down at him with a smile.

The boy glanced at the homeroom teacher pointing a pointer at the podium, then twirled the pen in his hand.

"Who said I wasn't paying attention in class? I was organizing the list according to what Ms. Kominato said."

"Really?" The girl stretched out her hand under the table. "Let me see what you've finished writing, Tsun-kun~"

"Immediately—" Jun Matsue lowered his head and continued writing on his draft paper.

"Student ID, exam instructions booklet, stationery, watch..."

He quickly finished listing them and handed the notebook in his hand to Tomatsu, who was standing next to him.

"Thank you, Jun-kun~"

The boy, teased by the girl, touched his fingers, looked at the podium, took a sip of water, and then looked to the other side.

Mochizuki Haruka was looking down at her phone when she seemed to notice his gaze. The girl turned her head and gave him an unguarded, questioning look.

"Where is Mochizuki's exam room?" Jun Matsue asked in a low voice.

She glanced down at her inspection ticket and then typed furiously on her phone.

Tokyo Women's University.

"That's pretty close," the boy recalled. "It's near Kichijoji."

The girl nodded. "I can sleep a little longer now."

Jun Matsue smiled. "You're chatting with your aunt, right?"

—This only happens when Wangyue is chatting with him but contacting other people on her phone. She only does this when her aunt is on the other side of the screen.

"Hmm." Mochizuki Haruka looked up.

"My aunt said she'll pick me up after school and take me home, so I won't be sleeping at Songzhi's place tonight."

"Hmm?" The boy raised an eyebrow. "To make it easier to get to the exam hall tomorrow?"

"That's one of the reasons, I suppose." The girl glanced at her phone again.

"It's the day before the exam, my aunt must feel more at ease taking care of me herself..."

"And," she said, glancing at the boy, her lips moving silently.

"She's worried that if we do it tonight, it will affect our performance tomorrow."

"..." Jun Matsueda could only blink helplessly.

His aunt's suspicions about him were completely unjust—the girls were the ones who started the "battles" in the first place.

Moreover, since the start of exam week, except for the two nights following the "family meeting," he has maintained a state of tranquility and focused study.

Although only three days had actually passed...

"That concludes the discussion of exam-related precautions." Kominato Shoko put down her pointer.

"The rest of the information is in the brochure—does anyone have any other questions?"

Jun Matsue raised his hand high, and the female teacher blinked in surprise.

"What's wrong, Matsueda-kun?"

All eyes in the classroom turned to him, and the boy asked a question without changing his expression.

"I'd like to ask Ms. Kominato, is it okay to bring amulets into the exam room?"

“Hmm…” Kominato Shoko stared at the ceiling and thought for a while.

"Theoretically, it is possible, but some strict invigilators may open it for inspection."

"If you can bring the amulet into the exam room, then don't touch it, lest the proctor think you're cheating."

Laughter erupted in the classroom—everyone knew that given Matsueda Jun's memory, he was the least likely person to do such a thing.

"Thank you, teacher." The boy put down his hand and took the notebook from the girl.

"Tsun-kun, don't forget to bring some snacks," Tomatsu Yuka said with a smile.

"The exam is so long and you have to use your brain all the time, it's very energy-consuming."

“That makes sense. I’ll buy some chocolate and cookies then.”

"It's a pity that my exam room isn't in the same place as Jun-kun's." The girl pouted regretfully.