Am I being simulated by their love affair.

Chapter 555 Begging
A well-dressed waiter carrying an empty tray walked down the aisle of the café and quickly noticed two customers sitting by the window—a girl was leaning on a boy's shoulder, seemingly crying.

The waiter quietly walked up to the two of them, cast an inquiring glance at the guests, and after the boy gently shook his head, he bowed slightly and quietly left.

After seeing the waiter off, Jun Matsue looked down at the girl in his arms. She seemed to have cried herself to sleep, and her trembling body had temporarily calmed down.

He gently patted the girl's thin back, as if soothing a baby to sleep.

"Would you like something to drink to catch your breath?"

Tomatsu Yuka lifted her head from the boy's arms. Her face was wet. Luckily, the girl wasn't wearing makeup today, otherwise she would be in a terrible mess.

Jun Matsue wiped away the girl's tears with a tissue. Her eyes were closed, and her wet eyelashes were stuck together, reminding him of newborn animals in animal documentaries—those frail creatures still covered in amniotic fluid.

A damp tissue gently touched her face, the corners of her eyes and eyelashes, from her chin to the tip of her nose. Tomatsu Yuka opened her eyes, her expression somewhat bewildered.

"what time is it now?"

The boy glanced at the clock. "It's just past 6:30."

"...So Daddy has only been gone for about twenty minutes?" Tears welled up in the girl's eyes again. "I feel like I've been crying in Chunjun's arms for ages."

Jun Matsue placed the macchiato that the girl hadn't finished in front of her, saying, "If you're too sad, it's easy to lose your sense of time."

Tomatsu Yuka took the coffee cup and slowly sipped it. "Aside from Tsunuk's matter, this is the first time I've been this heartbroken..."

Her tears fell into the glass, softening the overly sweet taste of the cooled caramel macchiato.

The boy sighed softly and looked out the window. Mr. Tomatsu and the lady had long since disappeared—after today, their relationship should soon see a resolution.

The girl put down her coffee cup and silently lowered her head.

"It feels like I've been abandoned by my parents..."

“That’s not quite right.” Jun Matsue took her hand and squeezed the tip of her slender index finger. “They still love you. Ms. Tomatsu has provided you with a comfortable life, and he wasn’t angry at all when you investigated Uncle Akira’s affairs.”

"However... they also have their own lives to live now."

"But I don't want this kind of love," the girl said weakly, her eyes filled with disappointment.

"I don't want to live in a spacious, cold apartment where I walk in and find myself all alone."

“I don’t want to hear ‘You’re an adult now,’ and I don’t want any unrestricted freedom.”

"I just want to make up for the six years we missed together with my mom and dad..."

Tomatsu Tomoka's tears began to flow freely again.

"So, that home we used to live in can never be returned to, right?"

Jun Matsue stretched out his arms and hugged her tightly once again, the girl's chin resting on his shoulder.

"Chunjun, do you think Dad might have blamed us too?" Her tone was somewhat self-reproachful.

“We should have been a family sharing weal and woe, but we abandoned him and chose a stable life.”

“During those six years when we were at our lowest point, none of us were by Dad’s side. He must have had some resentment in his heart, right?”

"That has nothing to do with you." The boy's gentle voice rang in her ear.

"How old were you back then? Your parents made this decision. Since they were able to divorce so smoothly, they must have already discussed it beforehand."

"Perhaps they regretted it later, but the choice they made back then cannot be changed."

"The first thing we have to learn as adults is to take responsibility for the choices we make."

Jun Matsue stroked the girl's back repeatedly, trying to soothe her wounded heart.

"So don't feel like you did something wrong."

“Is that so…” Tomatsu Yuka murmured to herself on his shoulder.

“Of course you’re not wrong,” the boy said again. “Back then, you didn’t even have the right to choose.”

"That's it..."

The girl reached out to wipe away her tears. Just as Jun Matsue was about to hand her a tissue, his phone, which was next to him, suddenly rang.

A black cat's image zoomed in on his phone screen; it was a call from Mochizuki Haruka. Matsueda Jun glanced at the girl beside him, then lowered his head. His fingers hesitated for a moment before pressing the hang-up button.

Before Mochizuki sent his inquiry, he replied, "It's not convenient for me to answer the phone right now."

"What are you doing??" Mochizuki Haruka asked, adding an extra question mark.

The boy looked up, and Tomatsu Yuka gazed at the warm yellow light shining from the ceiling, taking small sips of her coffee.

He held his phone to the side and casually snapped a picture of the coffee shop. "Don't overthink it in the coffee shop."

"So you're not coming home for dinner tonight? It's almost seven o'clock."

"I'm not sure, you eat first."

After quickly sending the last message, Jun Matsueda placed his phone face down on the table, and the girl who had finished her coffee turned her head in tacit agreement.

"I'm feeling a bit tired right now. Could you please take me home, Jun-kun?"

"Now?" The boy blinked in surprise. "How about we grab a bite to eat outside, or rest for a bit before going back?"

"No, thank you." Tomatsu Yuka gently shook her head. "Mom isn't working overtime today. She just messaged me and she's home now."

"...Are you going back?" Jun Matsue asked.

He knew that the girl had mixed feelings about her current home.

“…Mmm.” The girl wiped away her tears with a tissue. “Mom is waiting for me to come home for dinner.”

"And I also want to have a good talk with her tonight."

The boy secretly breathed a sigh of relief—if Tomatsu had said he didn't want to go home today, he couldn't seem to find a reason to refuse.

“Then I’ll call you a taxi.” Jun Matsueda picked up his phone. “It’s getting late, and taking the subway is too much trouble.”

"Okay." The girl nodded obediently.

Half an hour later, the two stood at the foot of the luxury apartment building in Zenpukuji River.

As the sound of a car driving away echoed behind her, Tomatsu Yuka reluctantly let go of the boy's hand.

Before heading towards the apartment door, she looked into her beloved's eyes and spoke as if pleading.

"Chun-kun, can we break up a little later?"

Jun Matsue pursed his lips and looked at the ornate door behind the girl.

"Have I been a decent girlfriend for the past two months?" Tomatsu Yuka asked pitifully.

"I never asked you for any reward. I'm already very happy to be Jun-kun's girlfriend."

"But at least, at least wait until I can accept what my parents are doing before we break up, okay?"

"Now, you're the only one who can stay by my side..."

Faced with the girl's hopeful yet uneasy gaze, Jun Matsueda could only nod.

Tomatsu Yuka's face finally showed a hint of genuine joy. She hugged the boy again before slowly letting go and turning to walk towards the apartment.

"Remember to message me if anything comes up," he said as a final remark.

Watching the girl wave as she disappeared behind the automatic door, Jun Matsueda lowered his head and took out his phone to send a message.

"Go home now."

Mochizuki Haruka replied quickly, "I thought you weren't planning to come back tonight."

The boy looked up. Night had fallen, and the streets were covered with shadows of varying shades of gray-blue, creating a somber and gloomy scene.

He put down his phone and sighed, feeling a headache coming on.

How am I supposed to explain this to Mochizuki...?

(End of this chapter)