Am I being simulated by their love affair?

Page 357

Mochizuki Haruka had already sat down at the table on her own. She happily swung her legs and picked up the thin noodles with her chopsticks.

"Delicious!"

The girl slurped the noodles into her mouth and nodded approvingly with her chin.

"Then eat more." Jun Matsue picked up an eggplant and put it in her bowl. "In the future, if you're too lazy to cook in the summer, just eat cold noodles. It's convenient and easy, and even Mochizuki can easily learn how to make it."

"What do you mean 'Even Mochizuki can easily learn it'?" Mochizuki Haruka glared at him, and the boy smiled.

The quiet dining table echoed with the slurping sounds of two people slurping noodles. Outside the balcony, Tokyo was bathed in the glow of the setting sun. The evening glow covered half of the living room, climbing onto the dining table and turning the profiles of the young man and woman into a fiery reddish-gold.

"Should Songzhi sign up for the sports meet in early July?"

Mochizuki Haruka looked up and saw the dark gold in the boy's eyes.

"Just name one or two," Jun Matsue mumbled, chewing on a mushy eggplant.

Ken Sakamuro had invited him to work together to help Class 3-6 win all the gold medals, but the boy wasn't interested or had the energy—he had more pressing issues to address.

"There's only one month left until summer vacation. What are your plans, Songzhi?"

The boy looked at the specks of water seeping from the sliced ​​tomatoes.

"As usual, I'll have to work and study, and I'll probably still have to take those mock exams at those private schools."

The girl blinked. "Summer vacation is very long, do you want to come back to my aunt's hometown in Kamakura for a few days?"

"..." Matsueda Jun looked up and met her eyes. "I'll pass on it, but it feels a bit strange."

"What's strange? There are only the three of us." Mochizuki Haruka put down her chopsticks, which clinked against the rim of her bowl.

"Songzhi, have you been intentionally distancing yourself from me lately?"

The boy blinked. "You couldn't get up yesterday morning, so I dressed you. Does that count as growing distant?"

"That means you don't like me." The girl pouted, her lips still glistening with oil.

Jun Matsueda's eyes showed a hint of helplessness, "...I wouldn't do it with someone I don't like."

"But you've been acting a bit strange around me lately!" Mochizuki Haruka wasn't going to skip the topic. "So it's my fault?"

The boy also stopped eating his noodles. "Wangyue is great. She's willful, cute, and charming. I like her a lot."

"I like you so much that I can cut lots and lots of cucumbers and tomatoes for you."

"..." The sunset glow on the girl's face became more vivid, perhaps because it had gained a touch of color from within.

"You make it sound like all I do is eat." She lowered her head and started slurping her noodles again.

"Next time you make pine branches, I want to watch you make them. I'll learn how in no time and show you."

Matsueda Jun smiled and put another eggplant into Mochizuki Haruka's bowl. The two continued to eat their noodles with their heads down.

When only dark gravy and floating white sesame seeds remained in the boy's bowl, the girl spoke again.

"So it's still because of Tomatsu Tomori, right?"

Jun Matsuoka's chopsticks paused.

"Has Songzhi decided when to break up with her?"

"This semester, during summer vacation, or after the start of the new semester?"

"We can't keep talking to her forever, can we?"

The cool, refreshing soup seemed to suddenly become thick and firm, coating his mouth.

How should I bring it up with Mochizuki? Should I tell the truth?

Even if she were to be honest, it would be impossible to maintain this ambiguous relationship with Mochizuki forever, right?

So how should I explain this to Tomatsu?

What should we do if they don't accept it?

The questions that had been lurking in Jun Matsuoka's mind for the past few days suddenly exploded, turning his reflection in the soup at the bottom of the bowl into a blurry mess.

As he looked up under the girl's gaze, a knock suddenly sounded at the entrance.

"I'll go open the door." The boy stood up, placed his hands on the table, and strode towards the door.

As you open the door, you see a girl pulling a suitcase and wearing a baseball cap. She lifts the brim of her cap, revealing bright and energetic eyes.

"A surprise attack!" Kurusu Yosei's smile held a mischievous glint. "Has Matsueda been missing me?"

Two weeks ago, her surprise attack might have startled Jun Matsueda.

But now, as he opened the door and turned to watch the girl walk into the room, he breathed a brief sigh of relief.

"They came just in time..."

Chapter 613 His Gift and Her Return Gift

With a tense expression, Mochizuki Haruka picked up the cold noodles from her bowl and listened to the two people's footsteps approaching the table.

"Why did you suddenly come back?" Jun Matsue picked up the girl's suitcase. "You didn't even tell me beforehand."

"It's all for my souvenir~" Yosei Kurusu said with a grin.

"Didn't Songzhi say she would bring me a souvenir? I've been waiting for days and haven't heard anything yet."

"So I decided to come and get it myself, and while I'm at it, see what you've been up to, you've completely forgotten about me!"

"...This week is exam week, I don't have much time." The boy's gaze drifted towards the bedroom. "The gift is in my room, I'll get it for you later."

He did buy souvenirs for Yosei Kurusu, but the girls' cold war after he returned made Jun Matsueda put the matter aside for the time being.

Perhaps it was also because he subconsciously resisted seeing Kurusu—the situation with Mochizuki and Tomatsu hadn't been resolved yet, and if Kurusu Yosei were added to the mix, things would really get into chaos.

So after a brief moment of relief, Jun Matsue immediately tensed up again. He glanced at Haruka Mochizuki, who was eating noodles with her head down, and then looked at Yosei Kurusu, who was wandering around the living room.

"Has Kurusu had dinner yet?"

"No~" The girl shook her head. "I rushed over as soon as the show's recording ended."

"Shall I make you a bowl of cold noodles too?" The boy turned to look at the kitchen. "We happen to have extra ingredients."

"Cook me more noodles! Today's show had dancing and physical challenges, I'm starving!"

Lai Qiyang slipped on his slippers and went back to his suitcase, pulling it into the bedroom.

"Let me change my clothes first~"

After watching the girl close the bedroom door, Jun Matsueda did not immediately go into the kitchen. Instead, he gently patted Haruka Mochizuki's shoulder and squatted down beside her.

"Kurasu will rest for a day or two and then leave. Don't argue with her, okay?"

"Then I'll cook with you tonight," the girl said without hesitation, looking at him with chopsticks in her mouth.

She was still bothered by the boy's indifference when she came out of the shower.

Matsue Jun looked troubled.

"..." Mochizuki Haruka gave a soft hum, "I know."

Watching the boy walk into the kitchen, she added another sentence in her mind.

If someone comes to Qiyang World to provoke us, then it's not my responsibility.

So a few minutes later, the table for two became a table for three, with Yosuke Kurusu happily slurping up noodles and squinting his eyes in bliss.

"Delicious!"

"The tomatoes are delicious, the cucumbers are delicious, and this eggplant is delicious too!"

"...Is this the only word you can say?" Mochizuki Haruka, who moved her seat next to the boy, couldn't help but ask.

“You’ve come at the perfect time,” Jun Matsue quickly interjected. “We went to the orphanage after school, and these vegetables were just picked from the field.”

"No wonder!" The girl's cheeks puffed out adorably as she chewed. "But this eggplant salad is different from anything I've had before. Is it a signature dish of Songzhi?"

The boy nodded. "It's just that the sauce is different."

"This is wonderful." Kurusu Yosei took another slurp of the smooth noodles. "I'm starting to miss the days when I could eat pine branch-cooked meals every day~"

Jun Matsue didn't speak, focusing on eating his noodles. The girl sitting next to him placed her hand on his thigh and gently pinched it.

After finishing dinner and washing the few empty bowls, Jun Matsue had just stepped out of the kitchen when Yosei Kurusu eagerly jumped in front of him.

"Pine branch, pine branch, where's my souvenir?"

Like a child waiting for a present at Christmas, this thought flashed through Jun Matsue's mind.

Although it is very dangerous to be near Kurusu now, it is undeniable that having her by my side makes me feel more relaxed.

The boy's gaze swept over the girl's shoulder and around the living room. "Where's Wangyue?"

Yosei Kurusu turned his head to the side and pouted, "She went back next door to feed the cats."

A wise decision... Jun Matsue felt a surge of gratitude towards Mochizuki.

If the girls don't meet, there will naturally be no conflict.

"I'll get it for you right away." The boy walked towards his bedroom, with Kurusu Yosei following closely behind him with light steps.

When Jun Matsueda pushed open the bedroom door, he turned around, and the girl behind him subconsciously took two steps back.

"Don't come in, I'll get it for you."

"Hmm? There are secrets in Matsueda's room?" Kurusu Yosei raised an eyebrow.

"Is it some kind of risqué magazine photoshoot? You can just glance at these in a convenience store, there's no need to buy them."

"..." Jun Matsue glanced at her, reached out and closed the bedroom door, blocking the girl's curious face.

He came out again not long after, carrying bags in both hands.

"Here it is."

"Let me see~" Kurusu Yosei reached out and took it, then ran to the sofa in front of the coffee table in the living room and sat down.

"First item!" The girl took out a wide box from the bag, on which was painted a bright red sea bream.

The boy sat down next to her. "I've already tried the dried golden snapper, and it tastes pretty good."

"Let me try it~" Laiqi Youse pulled open the box and tore open the long dried fish packaging bag.

"Delicious!" the girl nodded vigorously. "It's very chewy, and the saltiness and sweetness are just right!"

“Live goldeneye snapper tastes even better.” Jun Matsueda looked into her bright eyes. “You should be able to get it here in Tokyo too.”

"Then I'll go look for a shop later~" Kurusu Yosei took out the second item from the bag.

“Amulet!” She waved the little trinket in her hand.

The dark blue amulet is decorated with waves, birds, and golden-red seashells, and bears three golden Chinese characters: “酒难除” (meaning “difficult to dispel alcohol”).

"It's said to protect you from alcohol-related difficulties and disasters." The boy recalled the description he had seen earlier. "It's perfect for someone like you who loves to drink."

"I don't drink often, okay!" The girl looked at him with dissatisfaction. "Only you and Eri have ever seen me drink."

"Anyway, there's no harm in carrying it." Jun Matsue watched her hang the amulet on her phone.

"You were drinking with that junior colleague? Looks like you two get along well."

Suddenly, Yosei Kurusu approached with a beaming smile, her bright eyes magnifying in the boy's eyes.

"You even get jealous of girls?"

"It was just a bit of a surprise." Jun Matsue quietly pushed her away. "After all, you two haven't known each other for very long."

"Because Eri is a serious and cute girl~ and I've been bringing her on TV shows recently, so we've naturally become closer."

"But don't worry about the pine branch." The girl continued rummaging through the bag, taking out a stained glass cup and orange marmalade.

She won't threaten your place in my heart.

"Who's worried about that?" The boy was speechless. He was just afraid that bad people would appear in the girl's social circle.

A few minutes later, Yosuke Kuraki counted the spoils on his legs.

"I've had a very fruitful haul!" She put all the gifts back. "These are all Songzhi's heartfelt wishes, and I will cherish them!"

“…I’m glad you like it.” Jun Matsue stood up. He was going to check on Haruka Mochizuki next door—that guy might be sulking by himself.

But the girl grabbed the boy's arm and made him sit down again.