Am I being simulated by their love affair?

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"I can't be fooled by just bringing you a meal." The girl placed her right hand in front of him, extending only her little finger.

"This is my original patience."

She bent her little finger, only letting the boy see a short section of it.

"There's only this much left now."

Jun Matsue smiled helplessly, "Is there any way to make up for it?"

The girl leaned close to his ear and spoke slowly and deliberately.

"Hurry up and break up with her."

In the bustling cafeteria, Tomatsu Yuka looked at the boy sitting opposite her.

"I didn't prepare a bento box today, so I had to come to the cafeteria with Jun-kun."

“I never intended to eat a bento box.” Jun Matsueda picked up a golden pork cutlet from his bowl. “How could you possibly be in the mood to prepare a bento box?”

The girl's usual smile was faint and gentle. "It seems like Mochizuki-san is angry?"

The boy didn't say anything, but took a bite of the pork chop, chewed it, and shook his head.

"I'm sorry to have troubled Tsun-kun, but I'm actually a little happier." Tomatsu Tomoka gently took a bite of half a thick omelet.

"At least that shows that I still hold a place in your heart that I can compete with Mochizuki Haruka, doesn't it?"

Jun Matsue swallowed the food in his mouth. "I thought you were in a bad mood, but I didn't expect you to care about this."

The girl scooped up a small spoonful of tea-soaked rice and put it in her mouth—she usually didn't eat much, and today there were only a few small clumps of rice in her bowl.

"Well, how should I put it?" Her eyes were somewhat unfocused, and it was unclear where she was looking.

"I talked a lot with my mom last night, and I'm feeling a bit conflicted right now."

Jun Matsue put down his chopsticks and drank a bowl of miso soup.

He ate quickly, partly because he wanted to buy hot takoyaki for Mochizuki Haruka, and partly so he could concentrate on listening to the girl in front of him.

"Mom said something similar to Dad, and she admitted it very readily."

"She said the reason she lied to me was because she and her father thought about it and realized that I might not be able to accept the fact that their relationship had cooled down, so they came up with this excuse."

Is falling in love with someone else really easier to accept than the end of a relationship...? Jun Matsueda felt that Ms. Tomatsu was being somewhat insincere.

"I asked her a lot about her past."

"She and her father got together because they were well-matched in terms of social status. They didn't dislike each other, so they got married."

"Actually, they didn't want children at first, but as time went on, their thoughts changed, and that's how I came to be."

"So my parents didn't have a very pure love for each other; it was just that time made them used to each other."

Tomatsu Yuka stopped eating as she was talking. Matsueda Jun gently tapped her bowl with his chopsticks, but she didn't react. It wasn't until he picked up a spoon, scooped up a spoonful of ochazuke (rice with tea) and brought it to her lips that the girl obediently opened her mouth.

“It’s sad as it is, but you still have to eat.” The boy said seriously, “If you don’t eat, you’ll become sadder and sadder.”

The girl smiled softly, swallowed the food in her mouth, and continued speaking.

"Their relationship was sustained by a stable period of time, so it's normal that their feelings for each other have faded now due to the debts that followed and the long separation."

"But when I hear my mother talk about these things, I still feel a sense of disillusionment..." Her eyes blurred, and tears welled up in her drooping eyebrows.

"I always thought my parents were a very loving couple..."

Jun Matsue scooped up another spoonful of ochazuke and fed it to Tomoka Tomatsu. The girl chewed it unconsciously, her cheeks puffing out cutely, and some of the disappointment in her eyes dissipated in the salty and savory tea soup.

"True love is actually quite rare," the boy comforted him. "Just look at the people around you."

"Choosing to date is like agonizing over what to eat for lunch in the cafeteria."

He picked up the last small piece of pork chop from his bowl. "It looks pretty good. I suddenly wanted to eat this today because it's cheaper or more convenient..."

"Their reasons are essentially no different from those of adults."

“That makes sense…” Tomatsu Yuka lowered her eyes.

After finishing the last few bites of their lunch, Jun Matsueda returned to the cafeteria window and watched as the freshly baked takoyaki were packed into a cardboard box. He then bought a bag of soy milk from the vending machine and walked out of the cafeteria with the girl.

“But your parents definitely mean something different to you.” The boy looked at the cherry blossoms on both sides of the road.

Unlike delicate and fragile flowers, cherry tree leaves are broad and rounded, with distinct and strong pale green to white veins.

“We often think that parents can only see their immature side, but when children look at their parents, they can often only see their beautiful and strong side. The so-called disillusionment may just be that you have finally discovered their whole picture and seen reality.”

“…Tsun-kun is more mature than I imagined.” Tomatsu Yuka took the boy’s hand affectionately. “I only understood this after talking to my mother last night.”

"Because she had no intention of remarrying, we started talking about our future plans."

“My mother doesn’t plan to date anyone for the time being. She even apologized to me, which was a bit of a surprise to me.”

"What are you apologizing for?" Jun Matsuoka led the girl out of the shadows under the tree and chose a small path to head towards the teaching building.

“My mother said she was too focused on her career and often neglected my feelings. She knew that this was not good, so she apologized to me.”

"She said that if I have any complaints or anything I want her to change, I can just tell her directly, and she will try her best to correct it."

"Hearing my mother say that touched me a little, which is probably why I slept relatively well last night." She tightened her grip on the boy's hand.

“After all, she does love you.” Jun Matsueda smiled.

The two walked up the stairs of the teaching building. When they passed the third floor, the boy went out of his way to buy two ice creams and handed the melon-flavored one to the girl.

"Eating something sweet can make me feel better."

"At this rate, Tsunku will fatten me up," Tomatsu Yuka said with some distress.

As they reached out and tore off the wrapper from the ice cream cone, their clasped hands naturally separated. Back in the slightly chilly fourth-floor corridor, Jun Matsue went into the classroom first.

Mochizuki Haruka was still lying on her desk. The half-open window blew the curtains, and the white, semi-transparent gauze brushed against the girl's black hair, casting a hazy light over her body.

Jun Matsue walked over to the girl with the bag and gently nudged her.

"Lunch is ready?"

The girl shook her head. She didn't look up, but patted the boy's clothes with her hand on the table, signaling him to stop bothering her.

“This guy…” Jun Matsue stuffed the takoyaki and soy milk into her drawer.

They said they wanted it piping hot, but it turns out they were just venting their anger and making things difficult for him.

He returned to his seat, and Tomatsu Yuka, who was sitting next to him, silently cast his gaze over, clearly indicating that she hadn't finished speaking.

So the two left the classroom and went to the terrace at the end of the corridor.

Today the sky is high and the clouds are wide, and the temperature is pleasant. There are many first-year and second-year students strolling in the open space downstairs, looking carefree.

"Actually, you don't need to care too much about your parents' affairs."

Jun Matsue looked at the girl beside him, bathed in sunlight. Her shimmering black hair fluttered in the wind, possessing a beauty that was both dreamlike and illusory.

“Because your life hasn’t changed, has it?” he said softly, and Tomatsu Yuka looked up.

“You lived with your mother before, and you still do now.”

"And now you can see your father, everything is changing for the better, isn't it?"

"Just live like before. Given your parents' situation, if they really remarry, will it be as harmonious and warm as you imagine?"

"If they start arguing, whose side will you take?"

"Will those warm childhood memories shatter under the harsh realities of life?"

The girl lowered her head and smoothed the hair behind her ear. "...I really hadn't thought about these issues."

"You think that if Father comes back, everything will be the best, right?"

Tomatsu Tomohana nodded slightly. "It seems a bit impractical."

“Hmm.” Jun Matsueda leaned against the railing, their arms touching. “So all you need to do is let go of your fantasies and face reality.”

The girl smiled, looking troubled. "I can understand the principle, but putting it into practice seems a bit difficult."

The boy looked at the sparrow hopping on the grass and said, "Let's take it slow."

Although Mochizuki Haruka was still urging him to resolve the issue as soon as possible, gentleness and patience were the only way to deal with Tomatsu Yuka in her current state.

"Hmm." Tomatsu Yuka looked at the boys and girls sitting on the lawn sunbathing. They were so immersed in happiness that they didn't notice their seniors standing on the terrace.

She pressed her cheek against Jun Matsueda's arm and rubbed it against him reassuringly.

"At least one thing I'm very clear about."

"My love is definitely different from my parents'."

Chapter 558 The story continues

May 10th, Saturday.

Jun Matsuoka sat in the classroom, listening to the geography teacher on the podium explain the test paper.

"This chart question about the changes in the employment share of different countries' industrial structures actually involves relatively simple knowledge points; the key is to correctly interpret and analyze the chart."

"The proportions and structure of the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries must not be confused..."

He already knew all of this. The boy turned his head and looked at the girl next to him—Tomoka Tomatsu was also not listening to the lecture. She was looking down at her workbook and taking notes.

Normally, she would probably occasionally look up and nod at the teacher on the podium, pretending that she was listening very attentively... Matsueda Jun thought to himself.

It seems that his advice yesterday was somewhat effective, but the girl's wounded heart, hurt by the disillusionment of her expectations, cannot be healed by just one talk.

Matsueda Jun looked to the other side; the girl's seat by the window was empty. Mochizuki Haruka hadn't chosen geography and was currently in class in the next classroom.

Fortunately, it's Saturday, so we only have to go to class for half a day, the boy thought thankfully.

Otherwise, if Tomatsu comes looking for him again during lunchtime today, I don't know what kind of trouble Mochizuki will cause him...

The bell rang, and the man on the podium walked out the front door on time. The classroom became noisy, and Tomatsu Yuka, who had been studying with her head down, put down her pen. She looked up and stared blankly at the writing on the blackboard that the student on duty was erasing bit by bit, then took out a water cup from her drawer.

"Is Jun-kun going to film with Imokawa and the others this afternoon?"

The boy nodded. "We're about to film the scenes with the fiancée, and it just so happens that Wangyue's aunt is available."

"...She's the actress who was finally cast?" The girl, who had been looking rather listless, blinked in surprise.

"Yes, Imokawa thinks she's quite suitable."

Jun Matsue thought for two seconds, then asked, "Do you want to come and take a look?"

Tomatsu would probably be alone at home anyway, so it's better for him to stay on the busier filming location, which would help him avoid overthinking things.

"What are you looking at?"

A girl's clear and melodious voice came from the back door of the classroom. Mochizuki Haruka walked past the two sitting people and placed the Japanese history textbook in her hand on her seat.

She didn't sit down, but turned around to look at Matsueda Jun. Her long black hair, which was draped behind her, was blown by the wind outside the window, like a small snake baring its fangs.

"I asked Youhua if she wanted to go to the film set this afternoon."

Yuuka… Hearing the boy's address, Mochizuki Haruka blinked unhappily.

However, she did not object, but simply said "oh" and then sat down in her seat.

The afternoon wasn't originally meant to be a private time for her and Matsue; her aunt was the main character. Not to mention Imokawa was there too, so having Tomatsu Yuka as well wouldn't have made much difference.

"How is it?" Jun Matsue asked, looking at the girl holding the water glass.

However, Tomatsu Yuka gently shook her head, "I really want to go see it, but let's skip it today."

This was unexpected, and Mochizuki Haruka glanced at her.

"Because my dad said he'd pick me up from school today," the girl smiled. "He said he wanted to show me around and chat with me."

“That’s good.” Jun Matsueda understood now. “Anyway, the crew will be filming for a long time, so family is definitely more important.”

"Hmm, let's talk about it next time." Tomatsu Yuka put down her water glass.

"Tsun-kun, are you going to dress up as a gangster this afternoon? Take lots of pictures and send them to me, I'm really curious~"

After a class period, Jun Matsue picked up his schoolbag and walked out of the classroom with Yuka Tomatsu. The two of them crossed the school avenue together.

The temperature was slightly high today, and the sky above the city was full of clouds. The boy breathed in the slightly stuffy air and looked at the school gate that was getting closer and closer to him—Tomatsu Akira had changed into casual clothes and was waving at the two of them.

The girl beside him quickened her pace, her skirt swaying, and the two soon arrived at the school gate.

“Dad came very early.” Tomatsu Yuka’s smile brightened a bit.