Am I being simulated by their love affair?

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She could be a tool for Jun Matsuoka to vent his frustrations, but she couldn't accept becoming a prop for him to vent his frustrations on other women.

Mochizuki Haruka raised her head and carefully traced the face of the boy in front of her with her gaze, as if confirming something.

"How did you become like this?" the girl asked him with her eyes, and Matsueda Jun could only turn his face away.

"Have you made up your mind?" she asked as a final question.

“Hmm.” Jun Matsue looked up at the sky held up by the gnarled branches of the cherry trees. “Actually, Tomatsu had suggested it to me a long time ago.”

“Cunning creature…” the girl cursed angrily, like a farmer discovering a crow stealing his crops.

"Matsugi." Mochizuki Haruka then called out the boy's name, her tone serious.

“I don’t care what you become, you have to be that pine branch that says ‘I won’t watch you die in front of me.’”

"Ah."

Jun Matsue had lost count of how many times he had hummed in agreement.

The girl remained expressionless; this was only the most basic requirement, and she was not satisfied with Matsueda Jun today.

"Remember to break up with that guy as soon as possible."

Because she was extremely unwilling to accept this reality, Mochizuki Haruka spoke these words quickly, and then turned and walked towards the auditorium.

"Otherwise I'll really get angry with you."

As she passed the edge of the cherry blossom grove, she encountered a girl who had been waiting there for a long time—Tomatsu Tomomi smiled and nodded at her, looking completely harmless.

Mochizuki Haruka glanced at her disdainfully, then brushed past the girl.

"Just be a good rag and recognize your own value."

Chapter 479 "Hypocrisy"

"Just be a good rag and recognize your own value."

Tomatsu Tomoka turned around and watched the girl who had said those words disappear from her sight before walking toward Matsueda Jun, who was watching her from a distance.

The value of a rag... She looked at the boy approaching her, a ripple of emotion stirring within her.

A rag is very useful; it can wipe away stains, sweat, and even bodily fluids—perhaps to Tsun-kun, he isn't even a rag right now.

But it doesn't matter.

She once had all the possibilities in her grasp, but by the time she realized it, she had nothing left. Now that she can re-enter the boy's field of vision, she should already be celebrating.

Tomatsu Yuka has experienced failure, ugliness, and depravity, and it is precisely because of this that she is able to face love with such a resilient mindset.

Before, I was just a passerby; now, I'm just a rag. But if I keep working hard, I'm sure I can secure my position as your "lover."

"Thank you for your hard work, Pine Branch." The girl walked up to the boy with a smile, her tone soft and her laughter sincere.

As long as I can stay by his side, everything is worthwhile.

“What’s so difficult about it?” Jun Matsue looked at the bustling entrance to the auditorium. “It’s easier to explain to the boys, but the girls will definitely have a bunch of questions for you. It’s quite troublesome, isn’t it?”

"That's not what I meant." The girl shook her head. "It must have been hard work to comfort Mochizuki-san, right?"

The boy's expression froze for a moment; he hadn't expected Tomatsu Yuka to bring up Mochizuki's matter so naturally.

He was clearly her rival in love.

"Matsueda-kun, you don't need to look at me like that." The girl still had a smiling expression. "Even though I'm just a fake girlfriend, my concern for my lover is definitely the same as that of a real girlfriend."

Tomatsu Yuka wasn't acting—for her, being close to Matsueda Jun and caring about his thoughts wasn't something she needed to pretend to do.

"I don't want Matsueda Jun to date me with a lot of worries and unhappiness in his heart."

"After all, I am a tool—the task of a tool is to make its master happy."

As the girl spoke softly, she gently embraced Matsueda Jun's left arm. Boys passing by in the distance glanced at her, their eyes filled with envy.

After all, after Yamami Maki left, Tomatsu Yuka became the only unattainable beauty at Haneoka High School—in terms of talent and ability, she was even more eye-catching than her senior.

After the boys walked away, the girl did not lower her arms, but instead looked up at them from an angle similar to when she kissed them in the auditorium.

"I hope I can bring warmth and comfort to Songzhi and reduce your troubles as much as possible."

Her curled eyelashes shimmered in the sunlight, and her eyes reflected nothing but the sky and the image of Jun Matsueda.

"So, Matsueda-kun, you don't need to hide anything from me. You don't need to care about my thoughts. If you feel that I'm not convenient enough, you can just discard me."

"Because my only thought is to make you happy."

The girl's tone was so sincere that even Matsueda Jun, who had been somewhat wary of her embrace, relaxed again.

"If your senior comes back and you want to get back together with her, then get back together."

"If you want to start a new relationship, whether it's with Yang Shi-san or Mochizuki-kun, just tell me and I'll leave on my own."

"Of course, if you haven't found your own love yet, let me be your safe haven for now~"

Tomatsu Yuka rested her cheek on the boy's shoulder and rubbed against him affectionately.

How could such a harmless girl be cunning and cruel?

"Tsun-kun, you're not planning to go back to the classroom right now, are you? There must be quite a few people asking you to take commemorative photos with me, want to come along?"

She blinked, her rosy lips moving silently: "Even if senior can't see it, a bunch of people will make her see it."

After thinking for a while, Jun Matsue finally agreed to her proposal.

"Let's go."

That's how it is when you're with Tomatsu; you don't need to think about anything because she's already thought of everything for you.

As he walked toward the crowd with the girl, Jun Matsue reminded himself that he had to be careful with his feelings and not become a captive of Tomomi Tomatsu.

After nearly two years of making mistakes and learning, she is now adept at manipulating people's hearts.

"What are you thinking about, Jun-kun?" Tomatsu Yuka suddenly leaned closer, asking him with a charming smile.

Matsueda Jun looked up and saw that the two of them had returned to the main road, surrounded by eyes.

So the boy smiled and said, "I'm thinking, I shouldn't let myself fall too completely."

The girl smiled shyly, her joy barely concealed.

"We're a couple, it's only a matter of time before I fall for you~"

The news spread faster than expected, and by the time school let out in the afternoon, the fact that Tomatsu Tomoka and Matsueda Jun were dating had already slipped into the sleeves of most people.

So when Jun Matsueda pushed his bicycle away from the school, the line of sight was even denser than the flower buds on the trees.

"That's really an exaggeration..." he exclaimed, walking towards the girl waiting at the door.

After leaving the school gate, the curious gazes gradually disappeared. Tomatsu Yuka stood at the top of the long slope in front of the intersection, with sunlight and wind behind her, swaying her long hair.

Matsueda Jun was somewhat dazed. Three more months passed, and her black hair was now very close to the length it was when the two first met.

Tomatsu Yuka tilted her head slightly, watching the boy approaching her.

"Matsueda-kun, is nobody watching us now? Are we still going to continue this act?"

Matsueda Jun admired the girl somewhat. Such self-awareness was just right for him, but for her, he wondered if it was cruel.

"I'll take you to the station."

So he continued pushing his bicycle toward Kugayama Station, with Tomatsu Yuka walking on the other side of the bicycle, her flowing hair occasionally brushing against the boy's arm as he held the handlebars.

"Matsueda-kun, how did you feel about my performance today? Are you satisfied?"

She turned her head to the side, her words carrying a hint of self-satisfaction, as if the two of them had simply finished another task in the library.

“Perfect.” Jun Matsueda affirmed her without hesitation.

"It's a pity that my senior left so soon, and she didn't get a chance to see it with her own eyes," Tomatsu Yuka said with a smile.

"But Mochizuki gave me a fierce look just now before getting on the bus at the school gate."

Matsueda Jun recalled the message he received on his phone: Mochizuki Haruka wasn't staying at the apartment today; it seemed she was so angry she went straight home. He sighed inwardly.

"It's alright, Matsueda-kun." The girl spoke at just the right moment, and after leaving the school, she changed back to how she addressed the boy.

"If you feel guilty, just blame it all on me, your accomplice."

"After all, it was I who stirred things up with you."

Her smile, bathed in the setting sun, was the color of honey.

Chapter 480 The Owl-Headed Strategist

On the afternoon of graduation day, Mochizuki Haruka stormed back to her family's manor.

The aunt, who was typing on the computer keyboard, stopped. Her unusually hurried footsteps came from the hallway to the study door. She picked up her coffee, turned around, and leisurely watched her niece walk towards her.

The corridor was carpeted, and the heavy footsteps that Mochizuki Haruka stomped out were not crisp, but rather dull and sluggish, clearly reflecting the frustration of its owner who had nowhere to vent her anger.

The girl strode into the study, her school uniform skirt swaying violently. She stopped next to her aunt and tossed her schoolbag onto a chair by the window.

The flexible backpack bumped against the soft cushion of the chair and fell straight to the ground, startling the golden cat huddled in the corner, which let out a meow.

"What's wrong?" Wang Yuehua didn't get up, but curiously looked at her niece who was pursing her lips. "Why are you so angry today? Did Songzhi and Xiao Moji get back together?"

"No." Mochizuki Haruka said in a muffled voice, throwing her phone onto the table in front of the woman.

"See for yourself."

So Auntie picked up her phone, and on the screen was a video—in the brightly lit auditorium, a boy and a girl, surrounded by the burning gazes of the crowd, were kissing as if no one else was around.

“Five seconds.” Mochizuki Haruka’s words were laced with gritted teeth. “They kissed for a full five seconds. If it weren’t for the fact that they were in a public place, I think Tomatsu Yuka would have already stuck her tongue in.”

"..." Wang Yuehua looked up at her niece, "How long did you kiss Songzhi back then?"

The girl's anger suddenly subsided, and she looked at the lawn outside the study and began to reminisce.

"I don't remember, but we kissed for a long time, I have to keep track of it in minutes."

Mochizuki Haruka seemed lost in thought as she spoke, and the faint taste of blood from that day seemed to rise on her tongue again.

"And I stuck out my tongue."

"So Xiaoyao won!" Auntie raised her arm as if she were the victor, her tightly gripped phone still playing a video of a boy and girl kissing on repeat.

"Why are we comparing this..." The girl pulled a chair over to sit next to the woman. "I'm clearly angry that Songzhi is in a relationship again!"

Her aunt leaned closer to her cheek. "So, Matsue and this Tomatsu-kun are dating?"

"Why? He doesn't seem like the type to seamlessly transition between roles."

The girl explained the whole story in a few simple words, then picked up the coffee on the table and took a big gulp, her chubby cheeks looking especially adorable.

"The pine branches weren't like this before!"

However, Mochizuki Hana showed no surprise. She rested her chin on her right hand and smiled as she looked at the resentful girl.

"That's normal, isn't it? Haruka probably doesn't know as much about Matsugi as she thinks she does, right?"

This time, her aunt did not speak up for her, which surprised Mochizuki. She looked at the woman beside her stretching out her body after sitting for so long, revealing her slender curves.

"You've never actually seen Songzhi when she's really angry, have you?" Auntie continued, standing up as she spoke.

She slowly walked to the corner, picked up the cat curled up in a ball, and stroked its fluffy body.

"The time when Songzhi hated you the most was probably the first time I met him here?" the woman recalled, sitting by the window. "Back then, Songzhi, how should I put it... gave off a tense feeling."

"But even back then, he was only thinking about retaliating against you, not hurting you, right?"

The girl nodded.

"So Songzhi's temper is already considered very good. He's not a saint, of course he gets angry and has times when he wants to hurt others."

Wang Yuehua returned to her niece's side and placed the cat in her arms on her lap. Jinzhi meowed, seemingly complaining that the new place wasn't soft enough.

"If you think he's changed, then isn't there any change between the Matsueda Jun you first met and the Matsueda Jun you fell in love with?"

"It's not like I said I don't like him anymore..." Mochizuki Haruka said somewhat aggrievedly, while squeezing the cat on her lap until it meowed.

"I'm afraid you'll be disappointed in him because of this," the woman smiled gently, finishing the rest of her coffee.

"You're my aunt!" the girl exclaimed, raising her head in dissatisfaction. "Why have you been taking Songzhi's side all day?"

"Because Xiaoyao is almost an adult now." Wang Yuehua smiled and hugged her niece. The cat on the girl's lap slipped away before it could be trapped.