Am I being simulated by their love affair?

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Even though Tsunku said that Mochizuki Haruka didn't intend to date him...

Jun Matsue turned to look at her. "Tomoka Tomatsu is certainly wonderful, undeniably wonderful."

Panicked eyes in the snowy night of Hokkaido.

Short hair swaying outside a barbershop in Setagaya.

Bathrobes on the riverbank as the fireworks fade.

Her fingers danced in the sunlight as she played the saxophone.

The stickers she put on his water bottle, the menus she meticulously planned for him before going out, her bento boxes, her ever-changing smiles in front of him...

All of this made it impossible for him to say anything bad about Tomatsu Yuka against his conscience.

Tears welled up in the girl's eyes again. "Then why can't I?"

The boy fell silent.

"It's because of the rumors we spread before..." Tomatsu Yuka's eyes dimmed.

As expected... Even knowing you were wrong is useless; how can you undo the damage done in the past?

She once again hated the version of herself who had been blinded by desire.

"Didn't I tell you a while ago that I didn't mind?" Jun Matsuoka had a bit of a headache.

"Where did I fall short?" The girl's eyes were bitter. "Is there something Jun-kun is dissatisfied with about me?"

"...It's not your fault." That was all Jun Matsueda could say in the end.

Silence fell under the eaves as a middle-aged man in a raincoat rode by on his bicycle, splashing through the water.

Tomatsu Yuka looked at the jacket in the boy's hand. The soaked school uniform suit had lost its original crisp outline and become a heavy, limp lump, silently dripping water droplets.

If it's not her problem, then whose problem could it be?

The entire city was soaked and drenched by the rain, so wet that water could be squeezed out of the air and accumulated on the streets, turning the ground into a giant mirror.

Looking into his no longer resolute eyes, the girl suddenly mustered her courage.

Why does it have to be a scoring opportunity?

Jun Matsue blinked in surprise as he looked at the girl beside him who was clutching a tissue tightly.

What are you saying?

"Didn't Jun-kun say before that Mochizuki Haruka didn't plan to date you?" Tomatsu Yuka choked up again as she spoke.

While she was still trying to stay by Jun-kun's side, her rival stubbornly refused to date him.

"If she doesn't want to be your girlfriend..."

The girl walked up to Jun Matsueda, took the boy's left hand in both of her hands, and held it to her chest.

A strand of damp black hair clung to her lips, and Tomatsu Yuka's eyes were filled with longing.

"Then why do we need to break up?"

Chapter 580 Soaked

"If Mochizuki doesn't want to be your girlfriend, then what's the point of us breaking up?"

When these words reached Jun Matsuoka's ears, his first reaction was that the rain was too loud and he had misheard.

However, Tomatsu Tomohana's persistent, longing gaze made the boy realize that his understanding was correct.

"..." Matsueda Jun stared at the girl for a while, then put down her left hand that she had been holding to her chest.

"Such words make me doubt whether you are Tomatsu Tomoka or not."

The girl who once tried to isolate and control him through stalking and spreading rumors, the girl who would be overjoyed if he didn't stick his tongue out when he kissed his first love, would now say, "There's no need to break up."

Jun Matsueda was even more surprised than when he heard the words "I want to have sex with you" yesterday.

“What’s done is done. I’d much rather stay by your side than break up with Tsunku like this…”

Tomatsu Tomoka's smile was bittersweet and pitiful, reminding the boy of a thin leaf swirling outside a drain vortex.

Even now, the girl's possessiveness prevented her from speaking, trying to make her turn back. However, Tomatsu Tomohana's rational mind told her that Mochizuki Haruka had already beaten her to it, and if she allowed herself to fall further behind Tsunku, she would only fall further behind.

Although Tsun-kun might feel reluctant or guilty, if the deed is done and someone else's name is already engraved on the bowl and chopsticks, then her reluctance and guilt are useless.

"Anyway, we weren't really lovers to begin with, so it won't affect your relationship with Mochizuki-san. Why do we have to break up?"

Tomatsu's expression became more vivid; her eyes were no longer lost and dejected, but filled with a precarious sorrow, like a gardenia covered in raindrops in a roadside bush.

“…This relationship is too abnormal.” Jun Matsueda turned his head away.

The delicate leaf that was just swirling in the tiny whirlpool has long since vanished without a trace, perhaps already fallen into the sewer.

Does it really matter whether something is normal or not?

Tomatsu Yuka grabbed the boy's arm, forcing him to look at her.

"If we break up, will Mochizuki Haruka start dating you? Is your relationship even considered normal?"

"You said that Mochizuki has her own ideas, so if you ask her to date you now, do you think she would be happier?"

Jun Matsue thought of the girl in the bedroom, his expression a mixture of longing and worry.

I don't want to be your next ex-girlfriend...

"Isn't our own thoughts more important than what is considered normal?"

Seeing the raindrops sliding down the boy's temples, Tomatsu Yuka's tone became even more sincere and urgent.

“Some people may find me disgusting or pathetic, but for me, I feel more at ease being by Tsunkun’s side as his lover.”

"I guess Mochizuki feels the same way? Her decision might seem irresponsible, willful, and naive to others, but she must have thought it through carefully before making this choice, right?"

"This is a decision we made willingly. What does it matter if it's normal or not, or if it's healthy or not? As long as it makes us happier, isn't that enough?"

Meeting the boy's silent gaze, the girl grabbed Matsueda Jun's arm and shook it.

"If Mochizuki and I can both feel at ease, would it really do any harm to Tsunuki?"

The girl's pleading eyes were so familiar; Matsueda Jun once again thought of Yamami Maki.

They hadn't seen each other for a long time.

Pursuing an ordinary romance seems to have left him with nothing but a mess in the end.

The silent eaves blocked the boundless wind and rain. Sensing the unsettling atmosphere, Tomatsu Yuka reached out and lifted the boy's drooping face.

“Chun-kun.” Her tone was incredibly gentle.

"In the end, none of us are truly obedient children. Living a life of conformity will only prevent us from pursuing true happiness."

"If Jun-kun truly feels indebted to me, shouldn't he make it up to me instead of pushing me away?"

The girl's last words, tinged with a seductive, sophistry, were drowned out by the damp, relentless sound of rain.

Jun Matsue raised his head.

Let me take you home first.

“Okay.” Tomatsu Yuka agreed without hesitation.

If she could make Jun-kun waver even slightly, it would be considered a victory for her.

"Want to go back together?" The girl bent down and picked up the umbrella the boy had placed on the ground.

"No, thank you." Jun Matsue shook his head. "Your umbrella isn't big enough. Just take a taxi. I'll see you to your car."

Mochizuki was still waiting for him in the apartment.

"...That's fine too."

Tomatsu Yuka felt a little regretful, as she had originally intended to continue reasoning with them along the way.

The girl took out her phone and called a taxi. During the final wait, neither of them spoke, but simply watched the rain pouring down from the sky and soaking into their hearts.

A few minutes later, a boxy, dark green taxi appeared at the end of the street, quickly cutting through the rain and stopping in front of the two.

Jun Matsue took the umbrella from the girl's hand, and Yuka Tomatsu obediently crawled under the umbrella, took his arm, and the two walked around the puddles to the open car door.

The girl got into the car, took the boy's drooping left hand, and pulled a handkerchief from the hem of her skirt.

That was the handkerchief he had rejected in the classroom before.

"Jun-kun's face is all wet, remember to wipe it with a handkerchief." Tomatsu Yuka stuffed the handkerchief into his hand.

"Take the umbrella with you too. The taxi can park right downstairs at the apartment building."

Jun Matsue bent down and glanced at the driver's seat. The driver was a gentle-looking woman with glasses and neatly combed gray hair.

"Remember to message me when you get home."

"I will." The girl nodded, tilting her head back as she said this last sentence.

"I really hope that Jun-kun can give this a serious consideration."

Jun Matsuoka did not answer. He gently closed the car door, and the taxi slowly started moving. Only after driving a certain distance did the accelerating tires splash water.

The boy turned around and continued on his way. He quickly passed the school gate and picked up the umbrella he had thrown on the ground.

With his back to the window of the guardhouse, Jun Matsue folded up his soaking wet umbrella, smoothed out the wrinkles on the umbrella, and tied it securely with a strap.

He took out a handkerchief from his pocket and gently wiped away the water stains on his face and neck.

The handkerchief carried a familiar scent of lily of the valley; it was the same scent Tomatsu Yuka wore when she first walked into his apartment.

After wiping it dry, the girl's scent wafted into his mind. Matsueda Jun folded the damp handkerchief and put it back in his pocket.

The boy opened the umbrella left behind by Tomoe Tomatsu and stepped back into the rain, sighing.

"I still need to go buy groceries..."

His shoes were soaked.

Chapter 581 She Can't Be Hidden

When Jun Matsuo returned home, it was nearly 10 a.m.

Ms. Kominato announced the end of class at 8:25, then it was Tomatsu's turn, plus the time spent commuting in the rain, and then there was the grocery shopping...

"It's actually pretty fast," the boy said to himself, standing at the apartment door and looking at the blurry shadow on the metal door.

I hope Wangyue hasn't woken up yet.

Jun Matsue took out his key and opened the door, holding the handle firmly. The heavy security door emitted a low, muffled scraping sound, which couldn't penetrate into the tightly closed bedroom.

Putting down his two umbrellas, the boy didn't change into slippers. He walked into the living room in his soaking wet socks, placed the plastic bag on the dining table, and then took his wet coat to the bathroom.

As he passed his bedroom door, Jun Matsue deliberately slowed down. He pressed his ear against the door and listened, but apart from the faint sound of rain through the wall, there was no sound from inside.

He quietly pushed the door open a crack.

The room was still dimly lit, and a small shadow was now on the familiar bed, rising and falling slightly—the scene before him was unusual, yet it made the boy feel at ease.

Entering the bathroom, Jun Matsue first took off his shirt and threw it, jacket and all, into the washing machine. Halfway down his belt, he suddenly remembered something and pulled a neatly folded handkerchief from his pocket.

The upper right corner of the handkerchief is embroidered with a round rabbit head, the outline of which is a little crooked, showing its childlike cuteness.

Maybe it was her middle school art class assignment... The thought popped into the boy's mind.

After staring at the handkerchief for a while, Jun Matsue placed it on the sink—this couldn't be put in the washing machine; it had to be hand-washed.

Stripping off his clothes, the boy walked naked into the bathroom, turned on the tap, and warm water flowed over his head, a warm feeling spreading throughout his body.

Tomatsu Tomoka had already arrived home; Matsueda Jun received her message while he was checking out at the supermarket counter.

The girl posted a photo of herself sitting in a bathtub. She wasn't in the photo; only the steamy water and two rubber ducks floating in the center of the picture were visible.

She didn't utter a single extra word, as if nothing had happened—the understanding girl always made him feel just the right amount of comfort.

Perhaps a bath would be more comfortable... Matsueda Jun turned the temperature up a little, closed his eyes, and let the hot water slowly drown out his thoughts.

A few minutes later, as the boy began rinsing off the soap, the sound of a door opening suddenly came from the hallway outside the bathroom.

"...Pine Branch is back?" He heard the girl's indistinct voice.

"I'm taking a shower," Jun Matsue called out, turning down the water flow.