Am I being simulated by their love affair?

Page 583

Jun Matsueda smiled and said, "You've worked hard too, Aya-chan."

"In short, my senior's older sister has now contacted me and asked me to make a decision regarding the conflict between my senior and her family."

"...How cunning!" The quick-witted girl also noticed the problem.

"Hmm." The boy looked at the matcha-colored figure walking towards them from a distance.

"So before making a decision, I definitely need to figure out my senior's thoughts as much as possible."

Yamami Maki returned to the two of them carrying a small paper bag containing skin cream.

"Matsueda-kun and Aya-chan, have you made your choices? I've seen you standing here for quite a while."

"Not yet." Jun Matsue glanced at his younger sister beside him.

"My judgment is terrible. I was just receiving some careful guidance from Aya-chan."

"Is that so?" The girl chuckled softly.

Her gentle eyes glanced to the side. "Shall I go take another look?"

"No need," the boy shook his head.

"Let's just browse around and see if there's anything we'd like to buy for each other."

"If we keep shopping separately, there's no point in Aya and me inviting our senior to come along, is there?"

The gentle light in Yamami Maki's eyes shone even brighter. She tilted her head slightly to one side and smiled sweetly.

"Tsun-kun is right~"

Jun Matsue turned around and continued forward, shaking his head inwardly as he listened to the steady footsteps following behind him.

Miss Yuxiang's wicked scheme...

So the three-person team, now reunited, took a proper tour of the first floor.

Listening to the girls' eloquent conversation, Jun Matsue quickly changed his mind and changed the gift options from dresses to various accessories, such as belts, hats, scarves, or pendants.

The shoes looked nice too… He watched as Aya Miyamura picked up a pair of ankle boots and went into the fitting room.

"Brother Chun, wait for me to try on the shoes~" the girl said, peeking out of her head.

"Hmm." Jun Matsue got up from the soft chair in the center of the shop and looked to the side.

The senior student was facing away from him, observing a mannequin against the wall—the mannequin was wearing a dark green coat and a fluffy white knitted hat.

The boy walked up to her and asked, "Senior, do you want to buy this hat?"

"Um……"

Yamami Maki glanced at her sweetheart beside her, then at the price tag next to the knitted hat, and finally shook her head.

"I am indeed tempted, but I already have other styles of hats."

"Knitted hats tend to weigh down hair, make it difficult to style hair, and they also tend to pill..."

She raised her hand, pried open each of the boy's fair fingers, and listed his shortcomings, then glanced at the price tag.

"In short, it's not worth spending that much money on me!"

Looking at her earnest expression and outstretched fingers, Jun Matsue nodded.

"You're really good at budgeting these days, senior."

Yamami Maki squinted slightly, enjoying herself, and the corners of her lips turned up, revealing a touch of cute pride.

"After all, you have to learn to live independently."

“I value cost-effectiveness a lot now,” she said, seemingly noticing the boy’s softening gaze.

"So I often check out the magazine sections in shopping malls and convenience stores—some magazines may be boring, but the freebies they give away are really useful!"

The girl, who was talking excitedly, subconsciously pressed her cheek against his, and this time Matsueda Jun did not back away.

"Is it one of those brand-gifted freebies?" he echoed his senior's words. "I saw Caijiang buy it before."

“Yes!” Yamami Maki nodded happily.

"For just 300 yen, you can get a Paul Joe storage clip. I also got a pot holder last time, which is perfect for placing on the kotatsu table!"

As he listened to the girl's sharing, Jun Matsue's eyes lit up with a smile.

When they were dating, he loved listening to his senior share her stories like that, and that hasn't changed even now that they've broken up.

"Clang! Clang!" The sound of leather boots rang out behind the boy. "How about these?"

Jun Matsue turned around, revealing the girl he had been hiding; Aya Miyamura slightly opened her mouth.

"Should I put on my shoes and wander around for a bit, then come back later?"

Yamami Maki covered her mouth and chuckled. The boy glanced helplessly at his younger sister and walked past her.

"The boots are nice. I'll pay for them. After you pay, let's go upstairs and see what gifts we need to bring back to the orphanage."

Carrying his shopping bags, Jun Matsue walked up the escalator and saw the senior student standing in front of him take out her phone. He craned his neck—the girl seemed to be flipping through something on her notes app.

"Did the senior even make a shopping list?"

"Hmm?" Yami Maki turned around and noticed his gaze.

"Ah, this is my habit..." she said, smiling and waving her phone.

"Because there are many people in my family, it would be easy to mix up gifts if I bought them, so I made a memo—"

For example, what is my sister currently interested in, and what things might she want? This way, it's less likely I'll forget.

“…I see.” The boy nodded.

As the girl turned back to look at her phone, Jun Matsueda also turned around and met the gaze of Aya Miyamura, who was standing behind him.

Judging from their eye contact, they were probably thinking about the same thing—

Even though you planned to spend the New Year alone, you still subconsciously thought about picking out gifts for your family.

Perhaps the senior herself didn't even realize how contradictory her thoughts were.

Chapter 815 Jun Matsugae's Year-End Countdown

After shopping for more than two hours in the malls around Kichijoji, the young man and woman entered the station after 6 p.m.

The winter sunset had long passed, and the entrance to the station was bathed in night and lights, with a chill rising with the dew—Matsueda Jun, carrying a handful of shopping bags, stood in the warm air of the passage and gently stamped his feet.

"Is it about time to head back?"

The two girls walking in front of him turned around, each carrying something they had bought.

"I'd like to browse around some more!" Aya Miyamura said, picking up the bag in her hand. "But I can't carry any more!"

"Is there anything else you want to buy, Jun-kun?" Yamami Maki asked softly.

The boy shook his head. "Senior, are you taking the Central Line home on the return trip?"

The girl blinked, seemingly puzzled as to why he would ask such a simple question.

"Yeah, we'll take the Chuo Line back to Higashi-Nakano, which is the same route as yours."

She tilted her head. "Does Matsueda-kun want me to help him buy something?"

“…No.” Jun Matsue glanced at the bag in his senior’s hand out of the corner of his eye.

Although she didn't buy much, items like classic original-color silk scarves and co-branded coffee beans clearly weren't for her own use.

"Remember to send a message when you get home, senior." He looked away and followed the flow of people entering the station.

"Will there be any problems after that electronic doorbell is installed?"

“It works great!” Yamami Maki nodded beside him. “When there are deliveries or sales pitches, I can see everything clearly without opening the door.”

"And the electronic doorbell will also work when I'm not home, so I'll know who knocked when I get back..."

"And the landlady reimbursed me a lot of money!" The girl smiled contentedly, like a squirrel with a full granary ready for winter.

"I barely spent any money; I just helped her pick out styles and prices."

“Yes, I mentioned it before.” Jun Matsueda glanced at the billboard near the senior’s side.

"Normally, landlords will reimburse you for part of the expenses, unless they're extremely stingy..."

The station passageway was exceptionally crowded before they parted ways, filled with men and women leaving get off work or on holiday. Even walking on the edge, the distance between the young men and women had to be squeezed and pulled closer.

Miyamura Aya watched with a smile as the matcha-colored wool coat swayed with her steps, brushing against the arm of the black cotton-padded coat beside her.

The entrance passage is short, and after passing through the card reader, the road branches off, leading to the respective platforms.

They stopped in their tracks at the edge of the dispersing crowd, and Jun Matsue looked at the girl who had turned around.

"Well... I'll be going now?" Yami Maki waved her hand lightly and cutely, carrying the bag.

"Okay." The boy raised his hand in response, "See you next time."

The girl's serene expression softened with a hint of a smile.

Previously, she was always the one to say goodbye, expressing her expectations and hopes, and replacing "goodbye" with "see you next time".

But now, Tsun-kun has already gotten used to seeing her again.

"Hope to see you soon~"

Yamami Maki raised her hand and waved it again before turning and walking toward the central passageway.

Before the girl's figure had gone far, Miyamura Aya approached the boy.

"So, Chun-ge, have you thought it through?"

Looking away from the matcha-colored figure, Jun Matsueda looked up at the ceiling reflecting the crowd in the station passageway.

"Well..."

"After figuring out what my senior was thinking, I found it even harder to make a decision."

“…I think so too.” Aya-chan lowered her head.

"Sister Moji clearly has feelings for her family."

The boy took a deep breath and led her by the hand toward the other side of the passage.

"To be precise, the senior student definitely has feelings for her family and home."

"But at the same time, she didn't like living in a family, or rather, she didn't like what the 'family' taught the 'family'."

"It's all her family's fault for being so despicable!" Miyamura Aya complained bitterly. "Why do we have to make Jun-nii think about these things?"

Because Miss Yuka is indeed on her sister's side... Jun Matsue smiled helplessly and said nothing.

As they boarded the train together, the Inokashira Line wasn't as crowded as the Chuo Line. Luckily, the boy found an empty seat and watched the girl count her spoils of the day.

"This box of Hokkaido milk tea is to be taken back to the orphanage..."

"This coaster is a gift for the store manager..."

"This scarf was Chun-ge's gift to Yao-jie, and this hair accessory is for You-hua-jie..."

“…Hmm?” Miyamura Aya paused while sorting the items, looking at the small box in her hand covered in English.

"What's this? Did Chun-ge buy it?"

"Yes, I saw it at the digital product counter." Jun Matsue took the box.

"This is for Imokawa, don't let it get mixed into the orphanage's bag."

"Huh?!" The girl suddenly looked up, her eyes brighter than a gossip reporter's camera lens.

"Is there something else about Imokawa-neechan?"

"Because I'm going to see Imokawa tomorrow." The boy looked up at the train car window.

"She prepared a gift, so I definitely have to prepare a gift to exchange."

“~~Oh?” Miyamura Aya leaned closer to his cheek with interest.

"Has Chun-ge been in a lot of contact with Imokawa-neechan lately? Do you feel good when you're with her?"

“…No.” Jun Matsue pushed the girl’s face away.

"Don't overthink it, Cai-chan."