Am I being simulated by their love affair.

Chapter 594 Looking at me, thinking about me

After grabbing a bite to eat at a random Matsuya restaurant by the roadside, Jun Matsueda boarded the train to Shibuya.

The air conditioning in the carriage was refreshingly cool, and the passengers all had expressions of relief – compared to the tram, the air conditioning in the station was far too weak.

He took out his phone, opened the chat window, found the address of the outdoor equipment store that Tomatsu Yuka had sent before, and at the same time, a new message from the girl popped up.

"I'm off! I'm dressed like this today, so please don't mistake me for someone else, Tsunkun~"

Next was a selfie in front of a full-length mirror. Her face wasn't in the frame; only her white fitted short-sleeved top and layered skirt hem were visible—compared to her usual favorite pure white dresses, the girl's style today seemed more glamorous and sweet.

"I'm already in the car," Jun Matsue replied simply, along with a picture of the scenery outside the car window blurred by dappled sunlight.

"I need to get going!"

"No need to rush, there's still plenty of time."

The girl's reply was a rolling rabbit, seemingly depicting her hurrying on her way.

Ten minutes later, the train arrived in Shibuya. Jun Matsueda went into the convenience store across from the station, bought a cup of coffee to perk himself up, and took out a copy of Weekly Bunshun from the magazine section to pass the time.

After Tomatsu Yuka sent him a message that she would be arriving at the station soon, Matsueda Jun had already finished reading about a famous male actor's eight extramarital affairs over five years. He put the magazine back on the shelf and walked out the door under the reluctant gaze of the shop assistant.

Walking towards the station across the street, the boy blinked. A striking white figure appeared in the crowd at the station exit—it was Tomatsu.

The girl quickly noticed him too. Tomatsu Yuka stood on tiptoe in the crowd and waved vigorously at him before looking down and taking out her phone.

A vibration came from Matsueda Jun's pocket, a message that was right in front of him: "Jun-kun, you don't need to come over, I'll go over there myself."

So he stopped by the roadside and watched the girl cross the traffic lights and zebra crossing, walking step by step toward him.

Her all-white outfit shone brightly in the sunlight, the tiered skirt just reaching her knees, revealing a glimpse of her thighs as she swayed her legs. This slightly elaborate dress didn't appear ostentatious on Tomatsu Yuka; the swaying layers of the skirt resembled the frosting edges of a cake, creating a sweet and alluring effect.

"Good afternoon, Jun-kun~" Tomatsu Yuka said as she approached the boy, raising the corners of her lips and waving her hand in front of her eyes as if to ward off the sunlight.

"The weather is lovely today."

Jun Matsueda glanced at the sun high overhead. "Girls would probably find it too hot, right?"

"It's definitely a bit sunny~" The girl shook the bag on her shoulder. "I used an umbrella the whole way."

"So let's hurry up and go inside the building; it's much more comfortable with air conditioning!"

The two started walking towards the building at the crossroads, and Jun Matsueda glanced at the girl beside him.

Tomatsu was not as proactive as usual today. She didn't hold his hand or link arms with him, but maintained an extremely intimate distance with him.

Noticing the boy's gaze, Tomatsu Yuka did not turn her head and continued to look at the road in front of her.

"You can hold hands anytime you want!"

"Today I'm going to hand over the initiative to Jun-kun. Whether it's a regular shopping trip or a date between lovers, it's all up to you."

"In that case, perhaps Jun-kun will feel more at ease."

Jun Matsue looked at her profile. "But I didn't come out today to make myself happy; I wanted to make you happier."

"...Is that so?" The girl smiled. "Then let's...get closer together."

She leaned closer to the boy, and the already small distance between them shrank even further, until their arms were occasionally touching—despite the hot weather, this intimate stickiness wasn't bothersome at all. Stepping into the department store, a refreshing coolness washed over them. Tomatsu Yuka glanced at the floor plan, "The outdoor gear stores are all on the sixth floor; we can just go straight there."

She turned around, and the boy wasn't beside her. Instead, he was standing in front of a watch shop next door, looking at a promotional video on the screen at the entrance.

"Are you interested in watches, Jun-kun?" She walked over. "You're graduating soon, so a watch would be a nice souvenir of your university years."

Jun Matsueda shook his head. "I'm just looking at this guy."

He pointed to the man's bright smile on the screen. "While I was waiting for you, I was reading Weekly Bunshun at 711-Eleven. Isn't he embroiled in a bunch of scandals? How come he's still endorsing products?"

The girl smiled. "Because they're all relationship-related issues."

"Japan is quite tolerant of men's romantic affairs."

"...Sixth floor, right?" After taking one last look at the man's mature and reliable appearance, Jun Matsue turned and walked towards the escalator.

"Tsun-kun's eyebrows are drooping," Tomatsu Yuka said, following behind him. "Is he regretting coming out with me?"

"No, not at all." The boy shook his head with his back to her.

But the glamorous man on the screen and the news in the magazines made him feel a little depressed.

Jun Matsue doesn't want to become someone who doesn't cherish relationships and squanders them recklessly.

The girl didn't speak, but stood side by side with him on the escalator. Their figures rose in the wide space, and the crowd below gradually shrank, turning into a crowded black circle.

“Tsun-kun has too strong a sense of morality,” Tomatsu Yuka whispered in his ear. “But we are all heartless bad kids. You didn’t force or demand anything. This is our own choice.”

Jun Matsueda glanced at her. "You were saying the same thing back when you tempted me to take revenge on my senior."

The girl stuck out her tongue, a hint of innocent wickedness in her smile. "Look, I'm doing evil willingly by your side."

"So, Jun-kun, don't overthink it."

The winding escalator reached the sixth floor, and Tomatsu Yuka stepped out first, turning around to face the boy.

"Why not try this—when you're with me, don't think about Mochizuki, and when you're with Mochizuki, don't think about me."

Matsueda Jun looked at the girl in front of him and said, "My memory isn't that bad."

"It's actually very simple~" Tomatsu Yuka winked playfully, "I'll teach you how to do it step by step."

"First of all, keep your eyes on me and don't look away." She placed her hands on her chest, and the tiered hem of her skirt swayed slightly.

The girl took small steps back, and Jun Matsue followed her forward, while Yuka Tomatsu's dark, deep eyes magnified before him.

"Humans are very simple creatures. When they look at something, their minds are gradually occupied by its presence."

"So as long as he keeps looking at me, Jun-kun will only have me on his mind."

Perhaps she did succeed for a moment, Jun Matsueda suddenly realized.

It turned out that her pupils were not pure black, but a soft and sweet brown.

(End of this chapter)