Am I being simulated by their love affair.

Chapter 625 She is back
July 5th, Saturday. After finishing half a day of classes, Jun Matsue went to work at the Shitaya Literature Museum as usual.

At 2:30 p.m., the hottest and most unbearable time of day in summer, the boy looked at the readers sitting in the library—the row of tables and chairs by the floor-to-ceiling windows was empty, and looked as white as paper in the slanting sunlight.

The young woman, wearing a staff apron, walked quietly past the counter where he was sitting, carrying two freshly brewed cups of coffee.

Tomatsu Yuka returned to the counter and sat down, handing him the blue ceramic mug that belonged to the boy.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, how about some coffee to perk you up?"

"Thank you." Jun Matsueda picked up his cup and took a sip.

His fingers brushed against the brown sticker on the cup, which read "Drink More Water" and three rounded hollow exclamation marks.

The sticker had long since turned yellow and worn, and its once intact edges had become broken, but Jun Matsue had no intention of tearing it off—the marks left by time were not aesthetically pleasing, but in his heart they were quite endearing.

The library wasn't crowded on a summer afternoon, so Tomatsu Tomoka was able to sit leisurely behind the counter, resting her chin on her hand, and admiring her beloved's profile without a care in the world.

After the boy put down his cup, the girl observed his expression for a while before speaking.

"Jun-kun seems to be spacing out a lot these past few days."

"..." Matsueda Jun nodded honestly and looked at the phone on the table.

"There's nothing we can do; the situation in Kurusu doesn't seem very optimistic."

The girl blinked but didn't ask any further questions.

Although Tomatsu Yuka wasn't as concerned about Kurusu Yosei's situation as the boys, she still looked at the cups placed together in front of the two of them and sighed softly, feigning concern.

She only hoped that Yang Shisang could get through this crisis safely, continue to shine on stage as a radiant idol, and not disturb her and Tsun-kun's lives.

As the cup of iced coffee began to condense, Jun Matsueda looked away from the dark phone screen and watched the old sticker on the cup gradually turn darker from the moisture.

Almost a week has passed since Yosuke Kurusu assaulted the host, and tens of thousands of posts on social media have pushed the parties involved into the eye of the storm of public opinion, with no sign of it stopping.

At 10 p.m. on the night the boy finished his phone call with Kurusu, the girl's agency finally released a statement, briefly explaining what happened the night before "The Other Side of the Stage" aired, and stating that they would file a lawsuit against the host, Masahiko Sakurai, on behalf of their artist, Eri Yoshida.

Yosei Kurusu's account then updated its status, expressing his sympathy and concern for his junior, as well as his anger at Masahiko Sakurai's shameless behavior.

As a result, the overwhelming criticism and abuse directed at Yosei Kurusu finally subsided somewhat.

However, Masahiko Sakurai's agency responded quickly in the early hours of the following day.

"The appreciation party held that day was a routine event organized by the program team. The allegations of sexual harassment and attempted rape against Masahiko Sakurai, if lacking actual evidence, will seriously damage the image and reputation of the 'The Other Side of the Stage' program team, our company, and our artists. This constitutes malicious slander, and our company will consider taking it seriously..."

Masahiko Sakurai's personal account, on the other hand, played the emotional card.

"Having worked in this field for nearly twenty years, I'm fortunate to have achieved my current small success thanks to everyone's recognition and support. What I want to say is that while I, Masahiko Sakurai, may not be a faithful person in matters of the heart, I would never do anything illegal. My grandfather was also an ordinary patrolman in Saitama Prefecture, working diligently until his retirement. Every summer when I visit him, he tells me..."

When Jun Matsueda saw the meticulous and serious announcement and the heartfelt post, he found it all utterly ridiculous.

If there hadn't been a prior offense and contingency plans in place, how could Sakurai and the company have reacted so meticulously and quickly?
But the media doesn't consider these things; they excel at making baseless accusations, stirring up trouble, and doing things for money.

Thus, differing viewpoints fell like snowflakes, instantly evaporating into various subjective and emotional statements.

"Sakurai Masahiko's scandals have never stopped, and many young artists have fallen victim to his schemes—Ena-chan, who suddenly became popular a couple of years ago, became his lover and received many opportunities, which led to her sudden rise to fame."

"Sakurai Masahiko is a pimp. He was only responsible for drugging her. The person who actually did the thing to Yoshida Eri was someone else. Otherwise, why wouldn't her agency be able to provide evidence?"

"Actually, Eri Yoshida and Masahiko Sakurai had been together for a long time, but she wanted too many resources, which Sakurai couldn't provide, so they broke up. Yosuke Kurusu didn't understand the situation at all and just presumptuously exposed it."

Although Jun Matsueda tried his best to control his attention to the relevant events, the headlines that popped up on social media from time to time and the gossips among the girls in the classroom still inevitably passed before his eyes and ears.

Therefore, he naturally couldn't suppress his worries about Kurusu Yosei—

Once the vortex of the entertainment industry starts spinning, there is no longer any objectivity or fairness. Discussions about Yosei Kurusu have long since transcended the events themselves and become questions about her character, conduct, and personality.

"She speaks and acts without thinking. Calling her straightforward and innocent is just fans' excuse for her outrageous words and actions." "She became arrogant as soon as she became famous. She was like this when she debuted on 'Idol Producer' with others. She just hid it well before she became famous."

"No matter what, when facing hundreds of thousands of viewers in front of the camera, one must consider the impact on oneself. Moreover, many of Yosei Kurusu's fans are minors, and using violence is completely unacceptable."

"Jun-kun?" The girl waved her hand in front of Matsueda Jun, bringing him back to his senses.

"Can we go home now?"

The empty cup on the table, stained with coffee, had been washed clean at some point. The boy stood up.

"Let's go, it's time to get off work."

Before parting ways at the intersection, Tomatsu Yuka glanced worriedly at the boy riding the bicycle.

"Wouldn't Jun-kun be distracted while riding his bike?"

“How could that be?” Jun Matsueda chuckled. “I was just spacing out this afternoon because there weren’t many visitors and I was rather bored.”

"Remember to message me when you get home, Jun-kun~" The girl waved goodbye one last time.

"Also, don't keep thinking about Yang Shisang, okay?"

"There are only two weeks left until summer vacation. I should focus on preparing for my exams and then think about how to spend my last summer break!"

Watching the girl turn and leave, Jun Matsue let out a soft breath and walked through the green light in front of him.

The bright sky turned gloomy, and the boy arrived at the apartment just before the sweltering summer rainstorm arrived.

After sending a message to Tomatsu Yuka, Jun Matsueda called out the girl playing with the cat from the apartment next door. After a simple dinner, he thought for a moment and decided to go for a walk.

"Want to take a walk in this weather?" Mochizuki looked out at the thick, dark clouds on the balcony. "It's going to rain soon, isn't it?"

"Just bring an umbrella." The boy walked to the balcony and closed the doors and windows.

"Go out for some fresh air; it's not good to stay cooped up in your room all the time."

So the two left the apartment and walked into the twilight sky.

As rain clouds accumulated, night fell earlier than usual in the city. The wind blowing across his cheeks carried a long-lost coolness, and Jun Matsue took deep breaths to wash away the heat and restlessness in his heart.

"It didn't cool me off much," the girl walking beside her complained, regretting that she had brought her cat along.

The two spent twenty minutes walking, and it started raining when they returned to the apartment. Mochizuki Haruka ran back to her room to close the window, while Matsueda Jun went to wash the dishes first. He deliberately left the kitchen door open, listening to the pattering of raindrops on the balcony railing.

As the clear water washed away the foam on the dishes, the boy's phone, which was on the table, suddenly rang.

That was a message ringtone that he had recently set as a special reminder.

Without even wiping his hands, Jun Matsue casually wiped them on his apron before immediately picking up his phone.

Is Songzhi home?

The boy blinked in surprise. "Yes, I am."

"Then come down and pick me up."

Jun Matsue walked out of the kitchen, put on his slippers, pushed open the security door, and looked down while holding onto the railing of the apartment building's corridor.

The dense rain blocked the weak, dim light of the streetlights, and an unremarkable black sedan was parked downstairs.

A young girl pushed open the car door, holding an umbrella as she stepped out of the blurry shadows.

She has come back.

(End of this chapter)