Am I being simulated by their love affair.

Chapter 394 That’s it
September 7th, Sunday, at the Setagaya Literature Museum.

"These are the books you requested to borrow last time. They have been transferred from another library. Please return them within the specified period. Happy reading!"

Tomatsu Tomoka stood behind the counter, watching the visitor leave with her standard smile. Only after the glass door closed did the girl sit back down and pick up the book "Studies in Japanese History" in front of her to continue reading.

Sitting to the side, Jun Matsue observed her out of the corner of his eye. The girl had a serene expression and seemed to be focused on her work. It appeared that Friday's incident had not affected her in the slightest.

But yesterday before school ended, when Jun Matsuoka walked through the corridor, even girls he had never met before came up to ask him questions.

"Matsueda-kun, do you know what happened between Tomatsu and Yamami-senpai?"

If Haneoka High School really had a food chain, then Yamami Maki and Tomatsu Tomoka would definitely be at the top.

If we compare them carefully, Yamami Maki is probably half a level above Tomatsu Yuka. She is an upperclassman, and because of her work in the student council, she appears in front of everyone more often. Moreover, she is an absolutely pure and beautiful girl, unlike her junior who already has someone she likes.

As for their relationship, everyone knew that Yamami Maki admired Tomatsu from the moment she entered the brass band. Later, the two naturally became close friends.

So why have they now become "ordinary classmates"?
The girl, who was reading with her eyes lowered, trembled slightly. She raised her head and revealed a pure and sweet smile.

"Is Matsue looking at me?"

Jun Matsue nodded. "These past two days, quite a few people have come to ask me about you."

"Thank you for your hard work, Matsu-san." Tomatsu Yuka's expression was a little apologetic. "Everyone's curiosity is just too strong."

"Does Matsue want to blame me?" she blinked.

“That’s your prerogative.” The boy looked at the registration form in front of him. “I was just wondering how you answered those people.”

There were definitely more people asking about the girl herself than coming to him; he knew that his senior had also dealt with quite a few "enthusiastic" gossipers.

“Of course I’ll be honest,” Tomatsu Yuka blinked again, “because I hate my senior.”

The girl had no interest in answering any further questions about why.

"Now that you mention it, I'm actually a little curious." The girl crossed her legs and shifted her position. "What did you say, senior?"

She did not answer.

Matsueda Jun recalled the expression on Yami Maki's face as she left the classroom after her campaign speech that day; the senior's obvious disappointment was compounded by this.

"Actually, this is a good thing for Matsueda, isn't it?" Tomatsu asked with a smile.

"The deeper the disappointment my senior received from me, the more comfort she received from you, didn't she?"

The boy shook his head again, "Love can't replace friendship, and your senior is stronger than you think."

"Really? Anyway, I've never experienced either friendship or love."

The girl's smile carried a self-deprecating tone. "Matsueda-kun already knows my senior better than I do."

Silence reigned in the library. The lush green beech trees swayed silently through the glass walls, and the girl's bangs cast shadows, obscuring her eyes.

Tomatsu Yuka suddenly leaned closer, her face almost touching Matsueda Jun's shoulder, and gently sniffed.

"You haven't met your senior yet today?"

Jun Matsue frowned slightly, and the girl shrank back, smoothing her hair.

“Matsueda-kun, do you know? Every time you meet with Yami-senpai, I can smell her perfume on you.”

"The scents of citrus and orange blossom, along with some sweet and herbal notes, don't quite match my senior's low-key and composed personality."

"It's probably a particularly girly side that only appears in front of Matsueda-san, right?" the girl guessed with her eyes closed.

“But when I smell this scent, it only makes me feel agitated.” She opened her eyes. “Even if we don’t see each other, don’t speak, and sever ties, I can still smell traces of her on you.”

"It's really annoying."

Tomatsu Yuka said this, but her tone was still bright. She looked at the boy beside her. The girl's gaze was always so focused on him, as if there were only the two of them in the world, as if time had never flowed, as if they were still the first-year students who had secretly liked each other when they first met.

"So I wore perfume today too."

She raised her right hand and gently brushed it across Matsueda Jun's face, releasing a faint yet distinct fragrance.

It has a sweet and sour berry scent, accompanied by the fragrance of roses, ambiguous and sexy, like a young girl's obvious desires.

"That way you'll have my scent on you."

Tomatsu Yuka smiled, picked up the registration form placed in front of Matsueda Jun, and took over his work.

"Don't worry, Songzhi-kun, things between me and my senior won't escalate. Let's leave it at that."

"There will be no bullying or rumors; we'll just go back to being ordinary classmates."

"I just wanted to tell my senior that I don't want to forgive her, that's all."

She didn't want to leave any room for maneuver.

"So please don't mention her to me again, Matsueda-kun." The girl put down her pen and handed the form back to the boy, "especially when we're working."

"This is one of the few moments we have left together, is that alright?"

After a moment, Jun Matsue nodded.

"That's good~" Tomatsu Yuka's smile became even more charming. "I haven't told Matsueda about summer vacation yet, have I?"

"Although Ome City is just a small town, it is very interesting. Walking into the town is like going back to the Showa era."

"The old lady at the hotel told us that Qingmei has always looked the same, quiet and unchanging, and hasn't changed in decades."

And so everything turned the page. The girl softly described the fragile, dilapidated town to him, and Jun Matsue listened silently as the scent of perfume gradually drifted away.

The alluring top notes have faded, like a rose that has withered after blooming, leaving only a woody scent, transparent and dry, gently brushing against the pages of a book.

That evening, as usual, Jun Matsueda called Maki Yami, and the two chatted about their daily lives.

"Matsueda-kun, you must have been working all day, right? You must be exhausted~"

"It's alright, the work at the library is relatively easy."

"So, did you see Yuka?" the girl asked cautiously.

The boy looked out the window and saw several crows landing on the rooftops opposite, silencing the cicadas chirping all around.

Tomatsu said she didn't want to hear anything about you.

The breathing on the other end of the phone suddenly stopped.

Jun Matsue sighed silently, "I reckon her attitude won't change before you graduate."

"So accept reality, senior."

"Let's not talk about Tomatsu anymore."

(End of this chapter)