Am I being simulated by their love affair?

Page 343

Next was a selfie in front of a full-length mirror. Her face wasn't in the frame; only her white fitted short-sleeved top and layered skirt hem were visible—compared to her usual favorite pure white dresses, the girl's style today seemed more glamorous and sweet.

"I'm already in the car," Jun Matsue replied simply, along with a picture of the scenery outside the car window blurred by dappled sunlight.

"I need to get going!"

"No need to rush, there's still plenty of time."

The girl's reply was a rolling rabbit, seemingly depicting her hurrying on her way.

Ten minutes later, the train arrived in Shibuya. Jun Matsueda went into the convenience store across from the station, bought a cup of coffee to perk himself up, and took out a copy of Weekly Bunshun from the magazine section to pass the time.

After Tomatsu Yuka sent him a message that she would be arriving at the station soon, Matsueda Jun had already finished reading about a famous male actor's eight extramarital affairs over five years. He put the magazine back on the shelf and walked out the door under the reluctant gaze of the shop assistant.

Walking towards the station across the street, the boy blinked. A striking white figure appeared in the crowd at the station exit—it was Tomatsu.

The girl quickly noticed him too. Tomatsu Yuka stood on tiptoe in the crowd and waved vigorously at him before looking down and taking out her phone.

A vibration came from Matsueda Jun's pocket, a message that was right in front of him: "Jun-kun, you don't need to come over, I'll go over there myself."

So he stopped by the roadside and watched the girl cross the traffic lights and zebra crossing, walking step by step toward him.

Her all-white outfit shone brightly in the sunlight, the layered skirt just reaching her knees, revealing a glimpse of her thighs as she swayed her legs. This slightly elaborate dress didn't appear ostentatious on Tomatsu Yuka; the swaying layers of the skirt resembled the frosting edges of a cake, creating a sweet and alluring effect.

"Good afternoon, Jun-kun~" Tomatsu Yuka said as she approached the boy, raising the corners of her lips and waving her hand in front of her eyes as if to ward off the sunlight.

"The weather is lovely today."

Jun Matsueda glanced at the sun high overhead. "Girls would probably find it too hot, right?"

"It's definitely a bit sunny~" The girl shook the bag on her shoulder. "I used an umbrella the whole way."

"So let's hurry up and go inside the building; it's much more comfortable with air conditioning!"

The two started walking towards the building at the crossroads, and Jun Matsueda glanced at the girl beside him.

Tomatsu was not as proactive as usual today. She didn't hold his hand or link arms with him, but maintained an extremely intimate distance with him.

Noticing the boy's gaze, Tomatsu Yuka did not turn her head and continued to look at the road in front of her.

"You can hold hands anytime you want!"

"Today I'm going to hand over the initiative to Jun-kun. Whether it's a regular shopping trip or a date between lovers, it's all up to you."

"In that case, perhaps Jun-kun will feel more at ease."

Jun Matsue looked at her profile. "But I didn't come out today to make myself happy; I wanted to make you happier."

"...Is that so?" The girl smiled. "Then let's...get closer together."

She leaned closer to the boy, and the already small distance between them shrank even further, until their arms were occasionally touching—the weather was hot, but this intimate stickiness wasn't bothersome at all.

Stepping into the department store, a refreshing coolness hit them. Tomatsu Yuka glanced at the floor signs and said, "The outdoor equipment stores are all on the sixth floor. We can just go straight to the sixth floor."

She turned around, and the boy wasn't beside her. Instead, he was standing in front of a watch shop next door, looking at a promotional video on the screen at the entrance.

"Are you interested in watches, Jun-kun?" She walked over. "You're graduating soon, so a watch would be a nice souvenir of your university years."

Jun Matsueda shook his head. "I'm just looking at this guy."

He pointed to the man's bright smile on the screen. "While I was waiting for you, I was reading Weekly Bunshun at 711-Eleven. Isn't he embroiled in a bunch of scandals? How come he's still endorsing products?"

The girl smiled. "Because they're all relationship-related issues."

"Japan is quite tolerant of men's romantic affairs."

"...Sixth floor, right?" After taking one last look at the man's mature and reliable appearance, Jun Matsue turned and walked towards the escalator.

"Tsun-kun's eyebrows are drooping," Tomatsu Yuka said, following behind him. "Is he regretting coming out with me?"

"No, not at all." The boy shook his head with his back to her.

But the glamorous man on the screen and the news in the magazines made him feel a little depressed.

Jun Matsue doesn't want to become someone who doesn't cherish relationships and squanders them recklessly.

The girl didn't speak, but stood side by side with him on the escalator. Their figures rose in the wide space, and the crowd below gradually shrank, turning into a crowded black circle.

“Tsun-kun has too strong a sense of morality,” Tomatsu Yuka whispered in his ear. “But we are all heartless bad kids. You didn’t force or demand anything. This is our own choice.”

Jun Matsueda glanced at her. "You were saying the same thing back when you tempted me to take revenge on my senior."

The girl stuck out her tongue, a hint of innocent wickedness in her smile. "Look, I'm doing evil willingly by your side."

"So, Jun-kun, don't overthink it."

The winding escalator reached the sixth floor, and Tomatsu Yuka stepped out first, turning around to face the boy.

"Why not try this—when you're with me, don't think about Mochizuki, and when you're with Mochizuki, don't think about me."

Matsueda Jun looked at the girl in front of him and said, "My memory isn't that bad."

"It's actually very simple~" Tomatsu Yuka winked playfully, "I'll teach you how to do it step by step."

"First of all, keep your eyes on me and don't look away." She placed her hands on her chest, and the layered hem of her skirt swayed slightly.

The girl took small steps back, and Jun Matsue followed her forward, while Yuka Tomatsu's dark, deep eyes magnified before him.

"Humans are very simple creatures. When they look at something, their minds are gradually occupied by its presence."

"So as long as he keeps looking at me, Jun-kun will only have me on his mind."

Perhaps she did succeed for a moment, Jun Matsueda suddenly realized.

It turned out that her pupils were not pure black, but a soft and sweet brown.

Chapter 595 The Conquest Mode of a Max-Level Girl

Following the girl into the outdoor supplies area on the sixth floor, you are greeted by sun-protective chairs, kayaks, parasols, and folding chairs. The bright yellow-green color scheme combined with the sea-blue background makes it feel like summer has arrived early.

Jun Matsue looked at Tomoka Tomatsu beside him. Her black hair swayed violently as it passed through the curtain at the doorway, like a sea breeze blowing in his face.

"Didn't you want me to only think about you? So what's the next step?"

Tomatsu Yuka laughed, startling the shop assistant who was about to come over to serve the two.

"Today, Chun-jun only needs to do the first step: just focus on me."

After politely telling the shop assistant, "Thank you, but we plan to look around ourselves first," the boy and girl headed towards the beach goods counter.

"Things to buy..." Tomatsu Yuka took out her phone and looked at the memo, "Kominato-sensei said we need to buy several life jackets, swim rings, swimsuits, and flip-flops, as well as heatstroke medicine, cooling patches, band-aids, and sunscreen..."

"We'll have to buy the medicine at the daily necessities section," Jun Matsue said, glancing around. "They have life jackets and swim rings, but do we need to buy swimsuits and flip-flops too?"

"Yes!" The girl nodded seriously. "If my swimsuit gets torn or one of my flip-flops gets washed away, it'll be more convenient to change in class—the class fund will reimburse us anyway~"

“There might be more unexpected situations at the beach.” Jun Matsueda picked up a crumpled armband that wasn’t inflated from the shelf. “Then let’s follow the list that Kominato-sensei gave us.”

He walked toward the swimsuit rack not far away, but was stopped by the girl.

"Where are you going, Jun-kun?" Tomatsu Yuka pressed her face close to his.

The faint scent of berries wafted from her neck into the boy's mind—a sweet and sour aroma with a distinct summer vibe.

“…I thought it would be faster to buy them separately,” Jun Matsueda explained, his part-time job habits leading him to subconsciously choose the most efficient option.

"Why do we have to rush?" the girl puffed out her cheeks. "Nobody's rushing us, can't we take our time?"

So Jun Matsueda returned to the girl's side, and together they strolled slowly past the shelves.

"Five armbands, swimming rings, life jackets..." Tomatsu Yuka counted the items in the boy's hands, watching the shop assistant from afar, her expression becoming increasingly satisfied.

"The quantity should be enough, and the venue should provide some as well." She nodded to her lips. "The safety supplies here are all bought; now let's look at sun-protective clothing and swimsuits!"

The two walked to the clothing section, and the girl picked up a light yellow sun-protective shirt and put it on.

She leaned forward, striking a pose full of girlish charm, "What do you think, Chun-kun?"

Matsueda Jun looked her up and down twice. The slender curves revealed by the close-fitting short-sleeved shirt were completely covered by the coat, and only the skin under the short skirt still shone brightly in the indoor light.

"It's not bad. It doesn't look like it's see-through, so the fabric should be quite breathable."

Tomatsu Yuka furrowed her gentle brows. "I meant whether it looks good or not!"

So the boy glanced at it again and said, "In a store that emphasizes practicality, don't expect it to be very attractive."

"Luckily, I bought a sun-protective jacket a long time ago." The girl took off her jacket and put it into the bag in the boy's hand.

"Does Jun-kun have any suitable sun-protective clothing?"

Jun Matsue nodded. "I've bought the swimsuit and sun protection clothing."

To be precise, Mochizuki Haruka had already picked them all out for him last night. Anyway, they weren't any overly colorful or gaudy styles, so the boy had no objections.

"..." Tomatsu Tomoka blinked. "Tsunku didn't buy it himself, did he?"

"Instead of wearing a sun-protective shirt, you're probably the type who just grabs a light sports jacket for sun protection."

The boy's gaze shifted to the dark blue sports swimsuit on the side; Tomatsu had already answered the question for him.

"That's alright."

The girl suddenly reached out and slapped both sides of Matsueda Jun's cheeks, clamping his head and turning it around.

"Now that it's already been bought, there's no need to think about it anymore." With the girl's movement, her deep brown pupils magnified again in front of the boy.

"Think quickly, what is there that you haven't bought yet?"

Jun Matsueda's eyes glanced at the poster on the wall to the side.

Beach shorts? I think I've already bought those for him too.

Sunglasses? They're unnecessary except for looking cool.

slippers……

His gaze returned to the girl in front of him. "It seems like she's missing a pair of slippers."

"Flip-flops?" Tomatsu Yuka lowered her hand from his cheek. "A pair of flip-flops suitable for walking on the beach is definitely necessary!"

"I didn't buy beach shoes either, so I'll just buy them with Tsunku~"

So when the two left the outdoor gear area, the boy was carrying a large bag full of safety supplies, while the girl had a simple tote bag containing two pairs of beach sandals—the large black ones belonged to Jun Matsueda, and the small beige ones belonged to Yuka Tomatsu.

Incidentally, at the girl's urging, Jun Matsue eventually bought a pair of sunglasses.

"Next up is the medicine?" he asked, looking at the girl beside him.

The two carried more items, but they tacitly freed their hands from the inside of their arms, maintaining the same intimate distance as they walked downstairs to the household goods section.

"Mm!" Tomatsu Tomohana nodded cheerfully, her mood seemingly even more uplifted than when they first met. "It shouldn't take much time~"

As they stepped onto the escalator again, the equipment in their hands prevented them from walking side by side. The girl took the initiative to step down, leaving herself in the boy's sight.

Her loose black hair and shoulders looked demure and quiet. The brief silence reminded Jun Matsue of Tomatsu Tomoka, who had been in tears not long ago.

"Yuhua, how are your parents doing now?" he asked softly.

The girl's shoulders trembled slightly. Tomatsu Yuka turned her head, and the way she looked up made her appear even more frail.

"Nothing's wrong," she said with her usual smile.

"Mom's long period of working overtime has temporarily ended, and she's been spending more time at home lately."

When the escalator reached the bottom, she stopped and waited for the boy to walk up to her before leaning on his arm to continue.

“Dad is dating one of his colleagues.” The girl’s tone was a little downcast. “But he didn’t tell me himself. Mom told me a few days ago when she took me to get a massage.”

"...It's very difficult to salvage an adult's feelings." That was all Jun Matsueda could say to her, urging her not to waste her efforts.

"I know." Tomatsu Yuka nodded quietly, then raised her pink lips.

Her smile was like a rare dewdrop in summer, leaving one in a daze and longing.

"Jun-kun, thankfully we haven't become adults yet."

Her melancholy was like a May sickness; once the boy beside her brought the bright June sunshine, it was immediately dispelled.

The emergency medicine didn't take the two of them too long. Twenty minutes later, Jun Matsue came out of the cashier's counter, took various plasters and small bottles and jars from the girl, and stuffed them into the gaps in his large handbag.

"Is there anything else you want to buy?" the boy asked, looking up.

"Hmm... let me double-check." Tomatsu Yuka took out her phone again, "Cooling patches, band-aids, heatstroke medicine, mosquito repellent..."

"I've bought almost everything on Ms. Kominato's list." She brushed a strand of hair from her lips. "We can buy things like lightly salted water when we get there."

"And what's next?" Jun Matsue looked towards the exit on the other side of the passage.