Am I being simulated by their love affair?

Page 207

"Huh?" The girl glanced at the straw in the cup. "It really is! I didn't even notice it myself."

She handed her ticket to the ticket inspector and followed Jun Matsueda into the dimly lit passageway. The theater carpet undulated slightly, and the girl silently took the boy's arm.

Jun Matsue turned to look at his senior, "I remember you never used to bite straws, so I was a little surprised when I found out."

"Is that so?" Yami Maki trusted his memory. "Actually, I used to like biting straws when I was little. My parents said it was a bad habit, so I broke it."

The two entered the screening room and sat down in the back row. Jun Matsue took the coffee from his senior and placed it on the armrest. The girl rubbed against the boy's shoulder contentedly—a habit she had developed while "studying" in the library.

"It's said that small actions like biting a straw can reflect a person's personality traits." Before the movie even started, Jun Matsueda continued the previous topic.

"Really?" Yamami Maki blinked curiously. "What kind of features?"

Jun Matsue whispered a few words in her ear, and the girl's ears turned red in the darkness.

"How could that be!" The senior student punched him in anger and embarrassment. She turned around and looked behind her. The empty seats were still empty.

"I'm not a person with a high sex drive!" the girl whispered.

Jun Matsue chuckled twice, so his senior nudged him twice more, saying, "Don't laugh."

"Yes, yes." The boy's smile faded. "Actually, these little gestures can indeed reflect personality traits, but saying they're related to sexual desire is inaccurate."

The screen in front of the two lit up, revealing that the opening time of the neon movie was inaccurate, with fifteen minutes of commercials remaining.

So what actually happened?

Yamami Maki stretched out her left hand and covered the boy's right hand, which was resting on the armrest. The two had compared their hands before, and the girl's hand was much smaller.

"Freud's psychoanalytic theory holds that a person is in the 'oral stage' during the first eighteen months after birth."

"At this stage, children mainly explore and satisfy their desires and needs through oral activities, such as feeding, sucking, oral stimulation, and chewing."

"If children do not have their oral needs fully developed and satisfied during the oral stage, they will express their unease and anxiety by biting straws, pens, nails, etc. when they grow up, and over time it will become a habit."

“That sounds reasonable.” Yamami Maki nodded in agreement. “When I was a child, my family was very strict and I was often criticized and disciplined, which is probably why I have the habit of subconsciously biting straws.”

"But where did you learn this knowledge, Matsueda-kun?" The girl scratched the boy's hand, expressing her curiosity.

"I've never heard of a psychology competition before!"

Jun Matsue withdrew his right hand and placed it over the girl's left hand to suppress it; this was a childish habit the two had developed in the library.

"I saw it in the dean's office before. It must have been a book that my grandmother used to study educational psychology when she was young."

At that time, the dean did not yet have a full head of white hair. It was only when she discovered that Jun Matsue was lending his comic books to others and going to the dean's office to study psychology that she realized this boy would definitely be extraordinary when he grew up.

Curious, Yamami Maki asked the boy some psychology-related questions and played with his hands for over ten minutes, just in time for the movie to officially start.

Looking at the logo of "Tokyo Theater Co., Ltd." appearing on the screen, the girl suddenly remembered a question.

Songzhi said she had never seen her bite a straw before, so why did she bite a straw today?

Is it because of unease or anxiety? But she doesn't feel that way.

Unfortunately, she didn't know anything about psychology, otherwise she might have realized that a person's subconscious mind always senses a crisis before their surface thinking.

The scene on the screen interrupted Yamami Maki's thoughts. The sudden question was put aside by the girl, who now wanted to focus on enjoying her time alone with Matsueda.

The movie they watched was chosen by Maki Yami; it wasn't the horror movie that couples usually watch, but a romantic and sad love story.

"Love Like a Bouquet" tells the story of two young people who meet unexpectedly and are surprised and delighted to find that they are so similar in their hobbies, habits and ideas. The story follows their journey from strangers to lovers, and from university to society.

But they eventually broke up.

Because of income, because of work, because of the daily grind of life.

Because of reality.

At the moment of their final breakup, the boy said, "How about we get married?"

Even though the "smiley" sneakers of the past have become leather shoes, and the headphones for listening to music have become briefcases, we can no longer share the same joys, and our pace of life is no longer in sync.

"Let's get married."

"Most people in this world live like this, so why can't we?"

Love is destined to end, so many people choose to get married before it ends.

But they still broke up.

The last time they bumped into each other on the street, they both had new partners, but their clothes were still the same color, as if they were still wearing matching outfits, and nothing had ever disappeared.

The two couples walked away in opposite directions, still wearing matching outfits, and waved goodbye to each other without looking back.

"How could this happen..."

Jun Matsue looked at the girl beside him, Maki Yami, who was wiping away her tears with a tissue.

"Didn't you already know this was going to be a tragedy, senior?" the boy said gently, taking the girl's hand lightly.

"But I... I didn't expect it to be so heartbreaking..." Her voice choked with emotion.

"I was thinking that since I'm going to be separated from Matsueda tomorrow, I'll watch a movie to prepare myself mentally."

Tomorrow is the day the girl will depart for Kyoto.

"This is terrible!" Yami Maki cried and threw herself into his arms.

"Completely unprepared..."

Chapter 367 Tama River Has Witnessed Many Loves

After the credits rolled and the screen went black, Jun Matsueda left the theater with Maki Yami.

They sat in the coffee shop next door, the girl's eyes still red and wet with tears.

"I should have chosen a comedy to watch." There was a hint of resentment in her voice.

“But this movie is also very good.” Jun Matsueda let the girl lean on his shoulder. “You have great taste, senpai.”

"It looks good, it does." Yami Maki lowered her eyes, looking at the few strands of her long hair hanging on the boy's chest.

"But it shouldn't have been watched today..."

The two remained silent for a while until the waiter brought over a double scoop of ice cream. Jun Matsueda used the provided tissue to wipe away the tears from the girl's eyes.

"Senior is just going to Kyoto for a few days, it's not like she's moving all the way to Kyoto, what's there to worry about?"

"..." Yamami Maki didn't speak, she just stared blankly at the two ice cream scoops of different colors.

After watching the movie, the girl suddenly felt a little scared—maybe she had only been in Kyoto for a few days and Matsueda had been kidnapped by Mochizuki or Kurusu.

Jun Matsue placed the ice cream in front of her. "If it really doesn't work, send me a message after you get to Kyoto, and I'll fly over to be with you."

“It’s not that exaggerated…” Yamami Maki picked up a spoon and ruined the perfect surface of the green sphere.

"I just finished watching a movie and I'm a little overwhelmed with emotions. Matsue-kun, just sit with me a little longer and I'll be fine."

The girl shifted her body, and the two who were sitting side by side moved even closer. Matsueda Jun could feel his senior's thigh pressing against him—at times like this, physical intimacy was more meaningful than words of comfort.

They slowly finished their double scoops of ice cream, left the café, and headed towards the nearest station; the girl was getting ready to go home.

"So the next time we meet is in a week?"

Tomorrow, Yamami Maki will be leaving with her family, so the two of them won't have much of a chance to meet.

“Hmm…” Yamami Maki nodded. “I’ll be back after the Gozan Fire Offering is over.”

"I hope the elderly lady stays healthy and has a smooth trip to Kyoto." Jun Matsue stopped and prepared to watch his senior walk into the station, as he always did.

But the girl didn't take a step; instead, she remained standing beside him, their hands almost touching.

"Today... I want Matsue to take me home."

The boy thought for a second, then smiled and said, "No problem!"

More than ten minutes later, the two walked out of Futako-Tamagawa Station. Matsueda Jun looked around at the somewhat unfamiliar streets and asked, "Is your home around here, Senpai?"

“My home is a bit further south, in Okuzawa.” The senior shook her head. “It’s still early, I thought I’d take a walk here first.”

This is the southern corner of Setagaya. Unlike the bustling north, the neighborhood is very quiet, with detached houses and gardens replacing high-rise buildings, making the sky above the two of them seem exceptionally vast.

Many former Tokyo landlords liked to set up gardens here, which is why there is a saying that "the further south you go in Setagaya, the richer you become."

Futako-Tamagawa is right next to the Tama River. When the boy and girl walked to the riverbank, the sun was just beginning to set.

"In the movie I just watched, the male and female protagonists were also taking a walk along the Tama River like this."

Yamami Maki's voice returned to its usual gentleness; the girl's emotions had stabilized.

"The scenery is indeed quite beautiful," said Jun Matsue, looking at the river in front of him.

The banks are covered with lush green grass, where there are elderly couples with gray hair and young people walking their dogs alone. The ripples on the water reflect the clouds tinged with the colors of the sunset.

“But they’re taking a walk further upstream, aren’t they?” The boy pointed to the source of the river. “It should be in Chofu, the place where the summer festival was held last year.”

That was also the place where a young girl gave him a yukata.

“Yes, it is.” The girl nodded as she recalled, “The meadow where everyone played music together, the main characters in the movie also walked there, it’s really amazing to think about.”

"So, if that's the case," she said, looking at the boy beside her, "the station where they first met because they missed the last train was Mingdaimae Station, right?"

Because of band rehearsals, the two were very familiar with the Mingda Station.

"Hmm, we seem to have a special connection with this movie." Jun Matsueda shrugged.

The girl sat down on the riverbank, hugged her legs, and watched the water birds hopping around on the riverbank.

"I feel like this relationship is going to turn out badly?" She nudged the boy's arm. "I don't want things to end badly between me and Songzhi."

“We’re definitely different,” Jun Matsue said without hesitation. “My senior is a very wealthy woman. Even if I don’t earn money in the future, I can still live off her.”

"It definitely won't be like in the movies, where people drift apart because of work."

Yamami Maki laughed even harder, then poked the boy's arm again, "Matsueda-kun is so spineless~"

"It's obvious that Japanese men are all thinking about making women stay-at-home moms."

Jun Matsueda simply gazed quietly at the Tama River, the river that flows between film and reality.

A man walks along the riverbank with his dog on a leash. The setting sun sinks below the opposite bank, leaving behind a golden expanse and the dark silhouettes of the man and his dog.

"If lacking ambition could keep my senior by my side forever, I'd be willing to lack ambition."

Yamami Maki laughed, leaning on the boy's shoulder. The sweetness in the girl's heart was also golden, spreading and overflowing on the river surface with the afterglow of the setting sun, eventually covering the entire lawn.

As the shape of the setting sun was obscured by the buildings on the opposite bank, it was time to part ways. The two stood up from the lawn and walked towards the street to the south.

As the tall buildings became fewer and fewer, and the surrounding residences became larger and more elegant, the girl stopped at the intersection.

"Let's leave Matsue here, otherwise it's too far to walk back to the station."

Jun Matsue stopped in his tracks. "So, see you next time?"

"Mmm!" The girl smiled, stepped forward, and stretched out her arms. "One last hug~"

Her words carried a hint of coquetry, and for Yamami Maki, who had just entered into a relationship, even a separation of only about a week was extremely difficult.

Jun Matsue pulled the girl into his arms, their bodies pressed tightly together.

The warmth I felt through her thin clothes was so reassuring.

Time passed without Jun Matsue noticing or reminding his senior, until Maki Yami took the initiative to release him from his embrace.

"Matsueda-kun, don't run off with other girls while I'm gone, okay?"

The girl's smile remained gentle and soft, showing no sign of warning.

"I guarantee I'll complete the mission," the boy said seriously.

After watching his senior's figure disappear at the end of the tree-lined path, Jun Matsueda walked past the Tama River, looking at the river water that rippled with a hint of gold.

This filled him with determination.

Chapter 368 The First Day She Was Gone

On the morning of August 11th, Jun Matsue received a message from his senior while he was having breakfast. It contained two pictures.

The first picture shows a parrot left alone in its cage in the room, seemingly saying goodbye to its owner.

The second picture is of airplanes outside the terminal building. Jun Matsue recognized this place; it was Haneda Airport, which he had visited twice.

No, it was three times: once to Hokkaido, once to Kumamoto, and once to pick up Mochizuki Haruka.