Am I being simulated by their love affair?

Page 610

"Let me see... It takes an hour and a half by tram and bus, and the sun will be setting by the time we get to the orphanage."

The boy leaned closer to her, "Do you still remember the address?"

“…I did secretly take a demerit.” Yami Maki looked up, her expression somewhat guilty.

"Would Jun-kun care?"

“There’s nothing to worry about,” said Jun Matsue, whether referring to the address or his senior’s way of addressing him, “Anyway, you can find the address with a simple search.”

"Let's take a taxi back." He looked at the street in front of the station.

"It's troublesome and time-consuming to get to the welfare home from here by taking several transfers."

"Huh?" The girl glanced down at her phone. "But taxis are expensive."

"It's expensive, but so be it," the boy waved his hand. "At least it'll make me feel more comfortable."

"It's like taking exams for several days in a row at school. At this point, you're just thinking about getting home as quickly and easily as possible."

For him, today was just an ordinary day that wasn't quite so unusual, but for his senior, today was enough to leave her mentally and physically exhausted.

“…I see~” Yami Maki smiled with a relaxed expression.

"Then I'll take a taxi."

Jun Matsueda glanced back again, but there were no new figures appearing on the road leading to his senior's house.

Was this also part of Miss Yuxiang's plan?

With that thought in mind, the boy flagged down a taxi on the side of the road.

Let's split the bill.

Sitting in the warm car, looking at the white mist clinging to the bottom of the windshield, Yamami Maki silently let out a long breath and leaned back in the soft seat.

Only then did the girl completely relax.

She took off her knitted hat, placed it on her lap, adjusted it, and quietly glanced at the boy beside her.

Jun Matsue rested one hand on the car door armrest, looking down at his phone and texting, his eyes sparkling with bright light.

Was he messaging Yuka and the others? She couldn't help but wonder.

No, that's not right. Given Junjun's personality, he should be messaging the headmistress right now, arranging her accommodations for tonight.

Sensing the gazes of those around him, the boy suddenly looked up.

"what happened?"

"It's nothing." Yamami Maki shook her head and smiled as she looked into his clear eyes.

"I'm just very grateful to Jun-kun."

"..." Jun Matsue glanced at the driver who was driving silently.

"What are you grateful for?"

“I’m grateful that Jun-kun didn’t try to persuade me to go back when I ran out the door.”

From a guy's perspective, that might have been the most appropriate approach, but he didn't do it.

Jun Matsue glanced again at the thin sunlight hanging in front of the road, slowly sinking and radiating its slanting rays.

"I don't like your house, I've said that before."

Gazing at the tender smile on the girl's face in his peripheral vision, he added another sentence to himself—

When you run towards me, I will never push you away.

Chapter 836 Will the Lost Spring Return?

At 4:30 p.m., as dusk settled over Mitaka City, Yamami Maki stepped out of the taxi, her expression showing some heartache.

"Seven thousand yen... so expensive!"

“After all, it’s eighteen kilometers.” Jun Matsue walked to her side. “At least the speed is fast, and we arrived comfortably in less than an hour.”

"Besides, it's split the bill, so three thousand five hundred is just the price of a big meal—does that make you feel better?"

The girl then smiled.

It wasn't because she felt comforted, but because she saw the coin purse the boy had taken out when paying the bill earlier—

It was still the same one that I had chosen for Tsun-kun back then.

The taxi behind them turned around and drove away. The two turned into a side street, and the girl's cotton slippers made a clattering sound as they walked against the wall of the alley.

"Suddenly I'm a little nervous again..." Yami Maki looked at the boy next to her, "I didn't bring any gifts."

"What gift should I bring?" Jun Matsuoka glanced at her without stopping.

"You're a runaway kid now, the orphanage should be preparing a gift for you."

His words weren't exactly considerate, but the girl felt strangely at ease as she looked at the orphanage gate that appeared ahead on the path.

It feels like it's been a very, very long time since I last came here...

As they approached the gate of the orphanage, they immediately spotted a girl standing at the entrance, craning her neck. Miyamura Aya waved playfully at the two of them and looked at Yamami Maki, who had a smile on her face.

"Sister Moji really came~" She gave her a warm hug.

"Welcome, welcome! Tonight's dinner is fried chicken nuggets and mushroom corn chowder—made with mushrooms we grew ourselves."

The considerate girl didn't ask why her sister Moji had come, nor did she mention the jokes they had made together during the New Year.

Yamami Maki smiled and hugged her. "I'm looking forward to dinner."

Jun Matsue walked over to the two of them and looked at the children chasing each other's shadows on the lawn not far away.

"Senior, why don't you go with Aya-chan to see the room you'll be sleeping in tonight? You can ask her any questions you have."

"I'll go see the headmistress first, then I'll come find you later."

"Okay~" The girl smiled at him, "Thank you, Jun-kun. I'll leave it to Aya-chan then~"

"No trouble at all~" Miyamura Aya winked at the boy with a grin, then took Maki's arm and walked into the orphanage building.

"Although there aren't many empty rooms in the dorm, we can still pick one—or, if you want, Sister Moji, you can share a room with me~"

"Eh..."

After watching the girls disappear into the dormitory building, Jun Matsuoka walked towards the small building directly opposite the entrance—he soon knocked on the door of the dean's office and was met with the dean's grandmother's helpless gaze.

"Hey Chun, you just saw two girls off, how come you've brought another one back in the blink of an eye?"

"..." The boy didn't sit down, but blinked while leaning on the back of the chair in front of the desk.

"This is not my girlfriend."

“I know,” the old man replied.

"Isn't this your ex-girlfriend? How come you've gotten in touch with her again?"

“She ran away from home,” Jun Matsue answered succinctly. “If she doesn’t come to the orphanage, she’ll have to spend the New Year alone.”

Taking his senior back to the orphanage was certainly not part of the boy's original plan. He never expected that the girl would run out angrily just a few minutes after returning home. If he hadn't stopped at the Yamami family's door for a while, his senior wouldn't have been able to find him even if she ran out.

So, this was completely an accident... Jun Matsue thought, looking at the deep wrinkles on the old man's face.

Just as he wanted to ask his senior if she regretted it, he should also ask himself if his decision was somewhat rash.

But standing in front of the dean at this moment, the boy couldn't find a trace of regret in his heart.

Jun Matsue did indeed harbor resentment and even anger towards his former senior.

But he is no longer the same person he used to be—he will not blame everything on his senior; if anyone is to blame, it is only that they were too stubborn, too naive, and too immature back then.

So Jun Matsue never considered letting his current senior go back to her rented apartment alone and spend the lonely New Year in a bittersweet way.

She, who mustered the courage to change, shouldn't have to go through something like this.

Ultimately, it's probably because he's developed feelings for his current female senior again.

Noticing the boy's expression, the silver-haired old man blinked silently without saying anything.

"It's good that Xiao Chun knows what she's doing..." She leaned back in her chair, picked up the hot tea on the table, and took a sip.

"Remember to show Miss Moji around the orphanage."

After saying goodbye to the dean and returning to the dormitory building, Jun Matsuoka reminded the children running in the corridor to watch their step, and then took out his phone to send a message.

"Where was your room assigned, senior?"

The girl sent a cheerful emoji of a bird hopping around, saying, "Right next to Matsueda-kun~"

"……next door?"

Matsueda Jun went up to the third floor and quickly found the slightly ajar door next to his room—

He knocked gently on the door, and only after a warm "Come in" came from inside did he push the door open and enter.

Yamami Maki was sitting on the small bed folding clothes when she heard the boy's footsteps and looked up.

"Tsun-kun is here?" The girl smiled and moved the backpack that was placed on the bed beside her.

"Is it time for dinner? I'm still packing—I don't have many clothes with me, so I might have to go back to the apartment tomorrow."

Ignoring his senior's subtle invitation to sit with him on the bedside, Jun Matsue walked to the desk by the bed, sat back in the chair, and looked at her.

"How are you feeling, senior? If you don't like the room, you can go back to the apartment tomorrow."

He just didn't want his senior to feel lonely during the holiday season; he didn't mean for her to stay there until the New Year.

“No need,” Yamami Maki quickly shook her head. “I feel fine here.”

The girl turned halfway around, put the folded clothes into the closet next to the bed, and then stood up.

"There's a bed, a desk, a wardrobe, and air conditioning..."

She looked around, and finally smiled at the boy next to her.

"The conditions are much better than I expected!"

"I watched a documentary about a welfare home in Japan during a university class. There were two children in one room, and they slept on tatami mats..."

As the girl spoke, she gestured towards the empty space at her feet, and Jun Matsue smiled.

"That documentary didn't make any mistakes either."

He lightly stomped his foot on the floor. "Younger children share a room with one other child. Only when they get older can they have their own room and not sleep on the floor."

"But there's nothing wrong with tatami mats." The boy stretched.

"There is more space to move around, and there is a wonderful sense of freedom when sleeping on the floor."

Maki Yami nodded. "I've experienced that too. When I lived at the main house, I slept on tatami mats—"

Her words came to an abrupt halt, and the mention of the Yami family caused a pause in the air in the room.

"Speaking of which, where's Aya-chan?" Jun Matsueda naturally changed the subject. "Why did she arrange for you to be here?"

"Aya-chan went to play with the kids." The girl smiled and looked towards the door.

"She said it was noisy over there and quieter over here, so she arranged for me to sit next to you so I could easily reach you if I needed anything."

That's pretty reasonable... the boy thought to himself.

"Let me introduce the room again." He stood up and walked to the senior student's side.

"You've already used the closet; you can put your clothes and bedding in there..."

"The senior student probably needs to use the computer—the power strip is on the desk, and the socket is under the desk; just plug it in and you can use it..."

"The air conditioner is controlled by a remote, but there are time restrictions; for example, it will automatically turn off after midnight..."

"There's no kettle in the room—there's a water dispenser in the hallway. I'll take you to get a thermos and a water cup after dinner..."

After explaining the layout of the room, from top to bottom and corner to corner, Jun Matsue took out his vibrating phone from his pocket and glanced at it.

"It's about time."

He replied to the message from the idol girl and looked up at the girl in front of him.

"I'll go back to my room first. Senior, come find me when you're all ready. Aya and I will take you out for dinner."

“Okay~” Yamami Maki nodded obediently, “I have another question to ask—”