Am I being simulated by their love affair?

Page 401

"Two iced mochas~"

The waiter brought over the drinks, and Jun Matsueda turned his gaze from the window to the sweet coffee floating with cream in front of him.

They only ordered one cup of coffee, and Tomatsu Yuka picked up a silver spoon and stirred the cream and chocolate sauce floating on top into the coffee.

She picked up the coffee. "Would you like to have a sip first, Jun-kun?"

The boy lowered his head, and the girl fed him in just the right way. He licked the cream off his lips.

"It's cool, sweet, and tastes good."

“Right~” Tomatsu Yuka’s eyes narrowed slightly with a smile. “It might be too much for one person, but it’s just right for two people to share.”

The two of them took turns sipping half a cup of coffee, then the girl pushed it aside, stood up, and sat down next to the boy.

"What other gift does Chun-kun have for me today?" she asked expectantly.

"I lit one of the incense sticks you gave me yesterday when I got home, and it smelled wonderful! Mom said she liked it too~"

"I'm glad you like them." Jun Matsue took two small boxes out of his bag. "The rest of the souvenirs aren't as practical."

Tomatsu Yuka first opened the long, thin box, and a bell with a picture of a sleeping cat rolled out gently.

"Ah, it's the bell amulet that Jun-kun showed me before!" She hung the cord on the tip of her little finger and shook it gently.

Jun Matsue glanced at the swaying bell. "Hanging it on your schoolbag might be a bit noisy. Hanging it at home, like you said before, would be more suitable."

The greedy young lady of the Mochizuki family eventually took all the amulets available for her to choose from, but fortunately, she had secretly hidden the one she was going to give to Tomatsu beforehand.

If you want to please more than one person, you have to be prepared for multiple possibilities; boys have already realized this.

"I always feel my room is too quiet, so hanging a bell would be perfect!"

The girl carefully put the amulet into her pocket and looked at another box on the table.

When disassembled, it is a small rabbit made of colored ceramic, which looks somewhat similar to the famous "Miffy". It is light gold all over, with its two front legs raised, holding a dark blue bead, and looks sweet and lovely.

"Wow..." Tomatsu Yuka exclaimed softly, resting her chin on the table as she stared at it.

So cute~

“It’s cute, but not very useful.” Jun Matsueda looked at her eyelashes. “Maybe I could help you hold down the pages when you’re reading or doing exercises?”

"It's okay." The girl placed the pale gold bunny in her palm. "It's just good to be cute~"

“That’s true, after all, its owner is very capable.” The boy smiled. “These are all the gifts.”

"Thank you, Jun-kun~" Tomatsu Yuka leaned in and left a light kiss on his cheek, the scent of chocolate and cream lingering.

"I love so much!"

After finishing the remaining half-cup of coffee, taking turns sip by sip, Jun Matsueda followed the light-footed girl out of the coffee shop and into the bustling subway station.

It was already past rush hour, and the crowds at Shinjuku Station were exceptionally dense. Tomatsu Yuka naturally took the arm of the person next to her and leaned against him.

As the Keio Line train pulled into the station, Jun Matsue helped the girl squeeze into the carriage. Of course, there were no seats, so the two of them had to squeeze into a corner of the carriage and stand against the wall.

As the train started moving, Tomatsu Yuka's body swayed, and the boy raised his arms to shield her on either side.

"This position makes me feel so safe." The girl looked at the boy who was "wall-pinning" her and smiled as she nuzzled his chin.

The skin felt a little rough and wasn't very comfortable to rub against, because the boy was already at the age where he would grow a beard, but he had shaved it clean, so it wasn't usually noticeable.

However, Tomatsu Yuka really liked this touch—it was an intimate feeling, a feeling of life, that made her feel comfortable and sweet from the bottom of her heart.

The only regret was that this sensation wasn't unique to her... The girl's gaze went past the shoulder in front of her and towards the top of the carriage.

The crowded throng, like an open sardine canopy, was clearly reflected on the smooth ceiling, stretching into the distant carriages with no end in sight.

Tomatsu Tomoka listened to the station announcements above her head: the next stop was Sasazuka, and the stop after that was Shiroda Bridge…

When she realized that Tsun-kun's final destination was not herself, the sweet feelings in the young girl's heart would gradually turn into bitterness.

"Standing for so long is a bit tiring." She felt the boy's hand on her shoulder. "Let's see if we can get two seats at the next stop."

"Okay~" The girl nodded obediently and nestled in his arms.

Jun-kun has a strong and broad mind, and in order to enjoy this happiness, she must endure it.

Two stops later, the boy and girl found seats, and Jun Matsue was able to take his phone out of his pocket and glance at the messages in the chat box.

Laixi was shopping at the supermarket and sent him a lot of pictures of beautiful vegetables. Wangyue had just returned from her aunt's place and asked him when he would arrive home.

Just as the boy was about to reply, the girl next to him leaned closer, and he quickly exited the interface.

"How much did Tsunkun pay for that coffee just now?"

"Seven hundred yen." Jun Matsueda blinked. "What's wrong?"

"Let's split the bill, I'll pay half."

He watched the girl pick up her phone to transfer money, saying, "You don't need to be so picky about a cup of coffee."

“That won’t do.” Tomatsu Yuka looked at him seriously. “I’ve watched a lot of shows and interviews about couples, and money is the most common source of problems!”

"So splitting everything equally is the most convenient solution."

“…Then I’ll do as you say.” Jun Matsueda glanced at the transfer notification that popped up on his phone.

This topic is a bit unfamiliar, after all, Mochizuki isn't the kind of girl who cares about expenses.

"By the way, how much does Jun-kun spend in a day?" the girl continued.

"Hmm..." The boy tilted his head back to calculate, "I usually cook breakfast and dinner myself, but as for buying groceries—"

He paused, because he wasn't buying groceries to cook for himself anymore.

"Including the cost of school lunch, it's about 1,000 yen a day?"

Tomatsu Yuka nodded. "That's about the same as me."

"But there are still rent and utilities costs, which should add up to about two thousand three or four hundred a day?"

"Hmm... and gas, rent, and utilities." She lowered her head and scribbled on her phone's notes app.

"What are you calculating?" Jun Matsue asked curiously.

"The cost of living in college," the girl replied naturally. "Didn't I say before that you have to rent a place to live on your own during college?"

"I'm wondering if I can cover my college expenses by including my savings and part-time jobs."

"...Your parents should give you living expenses too, right?" The boy looked at her focused profile as she did the calculations. "University should definitely prioritize academics."

His implication was that there was no need to distance himself too much from his parents. Tomatsu Yuka raised her head and gently nodded her chin.

"I know, but I still think it's better to rely on them as little as possible."

After all, her parents had their own lives, and the girl didn't want to stay in the same place alone anymore.

Moreover, if you are financially independent, you will have more confidence in choosing your partner, right?

"Working with Tsunku was such a wise decision!" she said with a laugh. "Otherwise, it would have been terrible to find a place to rent and work part-time after graduation, especially without any experience!"

“…That’s how it is.” Jun Matsueda calmly put his phone back in his pocket.

"We'll still have to pay Tsun-kun for rent then~" The girl hooked her arm around his. "We'll be living here for several years, so we can't afford to be shortchanged in this regard~"

Her words seemed to completely ignore the presence of the other girl, leaving the boy with only vague answers.

"...We'll see. I might not stay for long. Maybe in a month or two I'll find a better part-time job, a more comfortable place to live, or something else, and I'll move again soon."

"Hmm." Tomatsu Yuka hugged his arm tighter.

"We must consult with Tsunku carefully when the time comes!"

After parting ways with the girl at Hamadayama Station, Jun Matsueda returned to his apartment building around 6 p.m. The sunlight between the buildings had lost most of its heat, and the air had turned a dim grayish-blue.

Pushing open the door to 507, the light, rhythmic chopping sounds from the kitchen ceased. Kurusu Yosei, wearing an apron, poked her head out and waved a kitchen knife at the boy in the doorway.

"Pine branch is back~"

Jun Matsue changed into slippers and walked into the living room, taking the kitchen knife from her hand.

"Could you put the knife down before you greet me?"

The girl giggled and followed him back to the kitchen. "I've already chopped all the vegetables for you. All you have to do is stir-fry and boil them!"

This is the method the two came up with to deal with the spoiled young lady—Mochizuki Haruka doesn't eat the dishes made by Kurusu Yosei, so the girl prepares the dishes and the boy cooks them, which saves a lot of trouble.

“OK.” Jun Matsue took the apron she had taken off, put it on, and then picked up his phone to send a message to the girl next door.

"Eat your meal in fifteen minutes."

Upon receiving a casual "oh," the boy turned on the gas stove, and the humming noise of the range hood followed.

"I'm going to take a shower now~" Yosei patted him on the shoulder.

"I bought pudding, let's eat it together tonight, but don't tell Mochizuki!"

When the idol returned to the living room after drying her wet hair, there was a girl with her arms crossed on the dining table, in addition to the two dishes the boy had brought.

"Why did you come here?" She raised an eyebrow and sat down opposite the girl.

"Didn't you not want to stay in the same room with me?"

"It's all because of you." Mochizuki Haruka glanced at her arrogantly. "The meeting with YM Entertainment has been scheduled for 2 PM the day after tomorrow."

"You're going too?" Kurusu Yosei's eyes were wary; she didn't want to entrust her future to this guy.

“I’m not going, but my aunt will.” The girl glanced at her phone. “She’ll be bringing your temporary management team with her.”

"Don't worry, I'll make sure you leave the apartment willingly and eagerly."

Miss Idol glared at her, but her view was blocked by the boy serving the food.

"Dinner is ready." Jun Matsue took off his apron and looked at the cat girl beside him.

"Should I bring it over for you to eat?"

Mochizuki Haruka picked up her chopsticks, took a slice of beef, and put it in the boy's bowl. "Today is an exception."

"Has the time for the discussion been set?" Jun Matsueda pulled out a chair and sat down. He had overheard the girls' conversation.

"Yes, 2 PM the day after tomorrow, in the top-floor meeting room of the YM building."

"Your aunt will come to pick you up first, and then we'll go to YM together."

Mochizuki Haruka glanced at her phone again, her expression somewhat resentful.

Her aunt didn't plan to bring her along, firstly because the occasion wasn't appropriate, and secondly because she was afraid that the willful girl might act irrationally if she met certain people.

So the girl could only look at her opponent and speak in a cold tone.

"If Yamami Maki shows up, remember not to give her a friendly look."

"Okay~" Yosei Kurusu nodded while chewing rice, though it was unclear whether he took it to heart.

As for Jun Matsueda, he was busy putting food on his plate and serving food to himself and the girls, as if he hadn't heard what was said at all.

Chapter 665 Outsider

The first day of August, the longest day of the year has passed, but the heat in Tokyo remains undiminished.

Yosei Kurusu and Mochizuki sat at opposite ends of the sofa, watching midday entertainment programs on TV.

The tall idol, with her freshly dried pink hair, hummed an unknown song, while the young lady of the Mochizuki family, expressionless, typed rapidly on her phone.

Jun Matsue was washing dishes in the kitchen. He put down the last plate and turned around to make sure the two figures in the living room were alright.

Today is the day for negotiations with YM Entertainment, which is why the girls are temporarily sharing a room.

However, Miss Idol didn't seem to have any sense of responsibility when facing important matters. During lunch, she said that she would wash the dishes herself later, which was of course rejected by the boy.

The washed dishes were put into the cupboard with a crisp, clean sound. The girl in the living room put down her phone and shuffled towards the entryway in her slippers.

When Mochizuki Haruka returned to the living room with her aunt's hand, Matsueda Jun had just dried his hands and walked out of the kitchen, meeting the gaze of the woman in front of him.

"Long time no see, Matsueda-kun." Mochizuki looked at him with a smile, her tone somewhat meaningful.

"...Good afternoon, Auntie." Jun Matsue looked up, took off his apron, and hung it on the wall by the kitchen door.

Today, my aunt is wearing a suit, and even her fitted pencil skirt has been replaced with sharp-lined trousers, exuding a cool and sophisticated aura.

Seemingly noticing the boy's gaze, the woman smiled, as if she had transformed back into the kind and easygoing aunt.

"After all, we're going to discuss business today, so of course we need to be a bit formal."