Am I being simulated by their love affair.

Chapter 473 You Won't Be Alone
After December arrives, Tokyo is like a giant tree, with leaves falling every day.

Jun Matsue opened the glass door in front of him, moved the lounge chair from inside to the veranda, sat down with a cup of hot tea, and leaned back.

The clouds in the sky began to sway, and the boy looked up at the children playing with fallen leaves under the shade of the trees at the edge of the courtyard.

When the wind whips up the fallen leaves, it's dazzling and quite unpleasant. However, there hasn't been much wind in the orphanage these past few days, so people have simply let the fallen leaves carpet the ground for the children to enjoy.

"Jun-nii is like an old man." Miyamura Aya's voice came from behind the recliner, where the girl was looking at him with her hands on her hips.

"Can't I be a little lazy during my vacation?" Jun Matsuoka took a sip of tea, feeling a warm sensation spreading throughout his body.

Today is the morning of December 31st, the day of New Year's Eve.

“But Chun-ge is a bit like a salted fish. After he came back from the holiday, he hasn’t made a sound at all. He didn’t even celebrate Christmas.” The girl moved a small stool over and sat down next to him, holding an apple in her hand and crunching on it.

"What's so great about it?" The boy glanced at her. "Isn't it troublesome to keep sending and receiving gifts?"

Haneoka Taka had started his holiday a week ago, just before Christmas. Matsueda Jun specifically approached the two girls at the next table and told them that he didn't need any gifts.

"Why?" Mochizuki Haruka asked him with a serious expression.

"Because I'm the kind of person who doesn't like celebrating holidays," the boy explained earnestly. "Don't you know? I don't even celebrate my own birthday."

"Then let's skip it this year." The girl said in a tone that said, "I'll let you off the hook for now."

As for Tomatsu Yuka, she simply smiled and nodded, then took out a box of sweets during her last shift at the library before the New Year.

"Matsueda-kun, we can skip Christmas, but we should always share some New Year's treats with everyone. That's how we create the festive atmosphere for the new year!"

So Jun Matsuoka had no choice but to accept the box of mochi. On the day he returned to the orphanage, he shared it with the director and the children—the mochi was coated with soybean flour and filled with red bean paste. It was chewy, sweet but not cloying, and tasted very good.

The sweet taste of mochi seemed to return to his tongue. Jun Matsue picked up his teacup and looked at the shadows of crows spreading their wings in the sky.

"When is Sister Yao coming?" The girl beside him held a clean apple core that she had just finished eating.

"Nine o'clock." Jun Matsueda glanced at his phone; it was 8:30.

Half an hour later, he stood at the entrance of the welfare home, watching the Wangyue family aunt and niece get out of the car.

"Songzhi, long time no see~" Auntie waved.

The boy smiled and said, "It hasn't been that long, less than a week."

The girl beside her snorted, "Auntie is just bored because she can't visit other people's homes anymore."

The woman winked playfully at her right eye. "Is the dean in his office?"

"It should be in the office or archives."

"I'll go find the dean now." She walked towards the building. "Xiaoyao, try to spend as much time as possible chatting with Songzhi~"

"Hurry up?" Jun Matsue looked at the girl beside him.

“We’re going back to our hometown in Kamakura for the New Year this year.” Mochizuki Haruka nodded. “We’ll set off after leaving the orphanage and arrive there around noon.”

"Aren't you guys not very close to your hometown?" the boy asked, somewhat surprised.

“No matter how distant we are, there’s still a connection.” The girl’s cheeks flushed slightly; she was a little unaccustomed to the cold air outside the car.

"I didn't go back for the New Year the year before last, and I didn't go back last year because of my aunt's matter. I should go back this year."

“That makes sense.” Jun Matsue looked at Haruka Mochizuki’s face, the moisture from her breath rising gently into the air.

"It's a bit cold, wouldn't you like a cup of tea?"

In late December in Tokyo, although the temperature is below zero, it's cold enough to make you not want to move.

However, the girl waved her hand, "No need, just show me around the orphanage."

"Take a turn around?" Jun Matsuoka turned around and looked at the open space and the square, low-rise buildings in front of him.

"It's not like this is your first time here, what's so interesting about our place?"

"It's none of your business." Mochizuki Haruka gently kicked his shin. "Just lead the way."

So Jun Matsuoka had no choice but to take her around – the dry, yellow lawn, children chasing and playing, fallen leaves trampled by footsteps, and the vegetable garden in the backyard that was temporarily vacant.

After circling around, the girl's face remained expressionless. "What about indoors?"

What's going on here? Is this an end-of-year inspection? Matsueda Jun was lost in thought as he led her into the building.

The corridor walls are covered with strange and childlike graffiti, the doorplates have crooked names, the restaurant is bright and spotless, and the lounge is filled with chairs where everyone watches the Red and White Song Festival together at night.

Wang Yueyao stopped and nodded in satisfaction.

"There was no attempt to hide anything, and no strange expressions were made. It seems that Songzhi has indeed been staying obediently in the orphanage."

"Did you really think I would keep a mistress?" Jun Matsuoka finally realized what was going on and said helplessly.

"Maybe Tomatsu Tomohana and Yamami Maki will just make up some excuse and you'll let them in," the girl said, pursing her lips.

Mochizuki Haruka wasn't going to let her guard down. She observed the boy's face the whole time, and only when she confirmed that he didn't show any expression as if he was thinking about someone else did she finally feel relieved.

"You're not going to sneak off to see someone on New Year's Eve, are you?" she pressed on relentlessly.

Jun Matsueda spread his hands. "Who can I turn to?"

"That's good!"

Mochizuki Haruka didn't think she was particularly powerful—this was her family's orphanage, in other words, her territory, so of course she had to protect it.

The two returned to the entrance, where the headmistress and aunt were already waiting. Before leaving, the girl waved to him.

"Don't wander around after midnight, and remember to wait for my call."

"You mean 12 o'clock, not noon, right?"

The boy asked a question to the girl's retreating figure, and received a glare from her.

After the black sedan drove away, Jun Matsue accompanied the director back indoors.

"It seems that Atsushi and Miss Mochizuki's relationship is getting better and better," the old man asked with a smile. "Are you ready to start a new romance?"

Two days after returning to the orphanage, the boy told her about breaking up. The director didn't comment, but just smiled and said, "I know."

"We're good friends, I guess."

As he said this, Jun Matsue recalled the sarcastic remark made to him by the girl who had left the orphanage.

"In someone's eyes, anything below lovers is just ordinary friends, and there is absolutely no middle ground."

"Are you scared?" The old man's eyes were filled with worry. "You've only had two relationships, one in junior high and one in high school, and neither of them seemed to be pleasant experiences."

"It's not that bad. I don't regret dating my senior. I just don't understand her right now."

What Jun Matsue didn't understand was not that the girl put her family before him, but that she was unwilling to resist—she clearly had the opportunity to choose the life she wanted, but she didn't choose it.

"But I think I should at least clear my mind before thinking about love. How can I welcome new guests if the room isn't clean?"

The white-haired old man nodded kindly, "It's good that you know what you're doing."

The two stepped onto the veranda, and girls holding paper airplanes ran past them. Not far away, Miyamura Aya sat on a rocking recliner, her relaxed posture making her look more like an old person than the boys before her.

"Grandma once said that if I could be with her, I would be very happy," Jun Matsue suddenly remarked.

"I still hold this view," the old man said calmly. "You just failed in the process of walking the same path; you haven't even come together yet."

Jun Matsuoka had to admit that the old man's wisdom in speaking was something he could always learn from.

The afternoon is for a big cleaning of the welfare home. The younger children are responsible for wiping the tables and countertops, while the older children help the adults by moving boxes and airing out the quilts.

Jun Matsue and Aya Miyamura spread out the heavy blankets and draped them one by one over the wooden pole.

"Speaking of which, isn't Yang Shi-nee going back to Tokyo this year?" The girl straightened up and wiped the thin layer of sweat from her forehead. "Yes."

Jun Matsue took a step back and looked at the rows of clothes racks in front of him. The afternoon sun was shining brightly, and both the quilts and shirts were gleaming.

“She’s been in Osaka for the past few days, and she’ll continue westward. It would be too much trouble for her to come back.”

Yosei Kurusu's tour has been going on for a month, with two shows in each of Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka and Wakayama, averaging less than four days between shows.

“Celebrities have their own inconveniences too.” The girl shook the blanket and sighed regretfully. “If Yang Shi-jie were popular enough to be on the Kohaku Uta Gassen, that would be great. At least we could still see her.”

"If you want to see her, you can video chat tonight."

"Is it okay?" The girl looked up in surprise.

"Of course, she won't be performing today, and the staff will all be given the day off."

"Can we video chat with her now?"

Jun Matsueda shook his head. "Let's wait until tonight."

Before coming to Qiyang, I had video chatted with him a few times during the day, mostly backstage or on the street, which made it easy for other staff and strangers to see us, so the risk was quite high.

After completing their task, they had free time. Aya Miyamura brought a picnic mat and spread it on the grass. The two of them didn't plan to have a picnic; they just wanted to sunbathe.

"Hey, Chun-ge," Cai-jiang suddenly called out.

"What's wrong?" Jun Matsuoka had already closed his eyes. The afternoon sun was particularly bright, perfect for relaxing and taking a nap.

"Have you and Senior Moji become strangers now?"

"Why would you ask that?" The boy opened his eyes.

"I occasionally run into my senior and chat with her, but she has never mentioned you," the girl said cautiously.

Jun Matsue squinted as the thin clouds receded and the sunlight became a little dazzling.

"My senior is at a crucial stage in her exam preparation right now, and we've agreed not to disturb each other."

The boy initially thought that saying it would be difficult to actually carry it out, but he seemed to have underestimated Yami Maki's determination—Matsueda Jun never saw his senior in the corridor again, and at the class representative meeting, the position of Class 3-4 was changed.

He didn't ask why. Perhaps the senior had simply turned down all her other duties to focus on preparing for the exam, which was actually a good thing for a girl whose choice of university was not easy.

Judging from the mock exam results that Tomatsu Yuka told him about, her senior has returned to her previous level.

"I see," Miyamura Aya breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought your love had turned to hate."

The boy smiled and closed his eyes again.

"It's just an ordinary relationship, it will never turn into something like in a TV drama."

At 7:20 p.m., as the opening music of the Kohaku Uta Gassen played in the lounge, Aya Miyamura started a video call with Yosei Kurusu right on time.

"Yahoo~" Jun Matsue heard the energetic voice coming from the girl's phone next to him.

"Is Aya-chan with everyone now? It sounds so lively over there~"

"Yes, that's right~" Aya Miyamura spun her phone halfway around, "Everyone's watching the Kohaku Uta Gassen in their rooms, the kids in the front row are so energetic~"

"Where's the pine branch? Where is the pine branch?"

The girl held the phone up to Jun Matsueda, and Yoyo Kurusu's bright face appeared on the screen. The boy waved to her and said, "Good evening."

Good evening! The pine branches haven't changed much!

“How can I change?” Jun Matsue broke open a pistachio and put it in his mouth. “But you, you’ve been running around for a month and you don’t seem tired at all.”

Miss Idol smiled happily, "Of course I'm not tired! The tour was a great success, and I'm singing my way to the top. I'm so happy!"

The agent sitting behind her was also on the phone; the two appeared to be in a hotel.

“Sister Yang Shi’s performance clips are really popular online!” Cai Jiang joined their chat.

The topic was quickly taken over by the girls, who started discussing the live broadcast of the Kohaku Uta Gassen. However, Aya Miyamura's phone camera remained locked on Jun Matsueda, faithfully showing the boy's profile to Yosei Kurusu, who was far away in Osaka—it was unclear how Yosei Kurusu was actually watching the Kohaku Uta Gassen.

Time flew by. Jun listened to the girls chattering away, occasionally chiming in with a word or two, peeling a few nuts for the tired children, and watching the celebrities on TV change one after another. Before he knew it, it was eleven o'clock.

"Oh no, my mom's about to call!" the girl on the phone exclaimed. "Aya-chan, give the phone to your brother!"

Aya Miyamura handed her phone to Jun Matsueda, who then got up and went into the corridor.

"Matsugi is quite perceptive; he knew I was going to whisper something~" Kurusu Yosei nodded in satisfaction.

"Isn't it Happy New Year?"

The girl shook her head. "That's what everyone says, it's not important."

"Pine branch, things are going incredibly well for me right now, you know?"

Yosei Kurusu blinked; even through the cold screen of an electronic device, her eyes remained captivating.

Perhaps because she knew the boy understood her unspoken message, the girl didn't say anything more and simply hung up the phone.

Jun Matsue stood in the corridor for a while before returning to his room.

"What did Yoshimi-nee say to you?" Miyamura Aya asked curiously.

"He didn't say anything." He handed the phone back, and the girl pouted in dissatisfaction.

Half an hour later, Jun Matsueda's phone lit up; it was a message from Yuka Tomatsu.

"Because I thought that once it was midnight, Songzhi would definitely receive a lot of blessings, I had to send you a message early to make sure that Songzhi could see my presence."

Happy New Year~ I hope to see more of Tsunku's genuine smile~

The boy replied with a thank you, "Happy New Year, and I hope Tomatsu can come up with fewer bad ideas."

Not long after putting his phone down, message notifications started piling up, so Jun Matsue had to pick it up again and reply to them one by one.

The countdown to midnight started as he replied to the message, and the noisy, childish voices in the room became orderly as everyone counted down together.

Fireworks sounded right on time outside the window, and children ran out of the room to admire the fireworks in the night sky amidst the adults' wishes of "Happy New Year".

Jun Matsueda looked at the call notification from Haruka Mochizuki on his phone and walked to the side.

After the call connected, there was silence, with only the faint sounds of fireworks and the girl's breathing audible.

For some reason, Jun Matsue didn't say anything either.

The two remained silent for a long time until Mochizuki Haruka lost her patience.

Why don't you say Happy New Year?

"I was just afraid you'd be unhappy." Jun Matsue still remembered what happened last year.

The girl laughed happily, "This time you're allowed to speak."

"Happy New Year," the boy said in a warm voice.

"Happy New Year." The girl's voice was somewhat reserved, yet sweet.

Mochizuki Haruka's phone call ended just like that. Matsueda Jun returned to the crowd, and everyone sat on the lawn, looking up at the colorful fireworks flickering and covering the monotonous light of the stars.

A boy in the crowd took out his phone and took a picture of the night sky.

He had just clicked on Natsumi Imokawa's profile picture when the girl's picture of fireworks was sent to him first.

Jun Matsue was pleased with this coincidence.

No matter what, at least I won't be alone in the new year.

(End of this chapter)