Am I being simulated by their love affair.

Chapter 684: Determination to Break Up

At 6:30 p.m., after dinner, Jun Matsueda led the girl by the hand and walked past the Kaminarimon Gate of Senso-ji Temple.

Linked arm in arm with a boy, and brushing past girls in kimonos, Tomatsu Yuka looked toward the next intersection—the Sumida River was right next to Senso-ji Temple, and she could already see the bridge beyond the zebra crossing.

"The timing is perfect." The girl looked up.

The sun had already sunk below the horizon, the historic streets were bathed in the newly painted night, and the dark gray clouds in the sky were still clearly visible.

"The sun is setting earlier and earlier." The boy took out his phone and glanced at the map.

"The place to buy water lanterns is near Asakusa Station, let's go there first."

Tomatsu Tomohana nodded obediently, and the two crossed the zebra crossing. The European-style retro architecture of Asakusa Station came into view. Before stepping onto the riverside platform, the girl turned back for a final look.

"What's wrong?" Jun Matsuoka turned around.

"Hmm... I remembered what happened when I came here before."

"Did you come with your parents?" He looked ahead, where a long line had formed in front of the stalls distributing water lanterns on the platform.

Tomatsu Yuka shook her head and continued forward, "It was during the New Year before, when I came with you and Aya-chan."

The boy paused.

The girl was talking about her visit to the shrine during the New Year last year—she came to Senso-ji Temple with Aya-chan and ran into Tomatsu and her senior.

The two walked silently toward the stall distributing water lanterns, the sounds of people on the bank and the water on the river consciously distancing themselves from them.

“Tsun-kun, you don’t need to make that face.” Tomatsu Tomoka pointed her finger at the cheek of the person next to her.

"Anyway, I'm pretty happy now—even though the process was a bit bumpy, the result was good!"

Jun Matsueda parted the crowd for her, saying, "If that's truly what you feel, then that's good."

"Actually, looking back, I still feel a little nostalgic." The girl grabbed his clothes and followed behind him.

"Aside from romance, back then I participated in training camps with my senior, and Tsun-kun accompanied us during competitions..."

“And we’ll also do Hōshū together during the New Year.” She pointed to the road outside the platform behind her.

"The four of us were standing at the intersection in front of Komagata Bridge, and Aya-chan and I were complaining about the shape of the Asahi Beer Building together—I remember it very clearly."

Tomatsu Yuka knew that her senior had been really good to her—she had defied all opposition to elect her as the principal saxophonist, and had even argued with classmates and seniors for her sake.

So, it would be great if they didn't fall for the same person.

The girl stuck out her tongue. "Of course, it's also because I'm in a relationship with Tsunku now that I can recall these things calmly~"

Jun Matsue turned around and glanced at her, then took the small hand that was clutching the hem of his clothes, and the two walked to the stall.

How can he bring up breaking up after that...?

"Could you please give me two water lanterns?" the boy said to the woman in front of him whose clothes read "Sumida River Water Lantern Festival".

"Four thousand yen for Cheng Hui~"

"..." Jun Matsuoka glanced at the water lantern in the cardboard box behind her and took out four banknotes.

A boy and a girl each walked out of the crowd with a lantern. Tomatsu Yuka frowned slightly as she looked at the simple lantern in her hand, made of plastic cardboard with a candle in the middle.

"They dare to raise prices on something so poorly made!" she complained, having done her research beforehand. "Last year, one of these only cost 1,500 yen!"

The boy waved the lantern in his hand, "Just consider it a lucky charm."

It was completely dark when the two sat down on the high point of the tiered platform. Not far away, a crowd gathered by the railing on the shore, and many orange-red lights could already be seen on the surface of the Sumida River.

Using the light overhead, the girl took off the lantern and placed it on her lap. She picked up the included oil-based pen and touched her cheek with the cap while thinking.

What wish should I write down?

"I definitely need to write down my goals for university," the boy said, picking up a pen as well.

After thinking for a while, Tomatsu Yuka pressed the cardboard on her lap and carefully began to write.

"I hope that both Tsunku and I can get into the University of Tokyo."

"I hope my father and the unknown lady will have a happy marriage in the future."

"I hope Mom... has a successful career."

"I hope that Jun-kun and I can be together forever."

After filling in the four blank sides, she wrapped the lantern around herself again and looked at the boy beside her.

"Has Chun-kun finished writing?"

"It's written."

The girl tilted her head slightly, looking at the paper lantern in his hand.

"I hope Wangyue and her aunt are in good health."

"I hope Yu Chuan gets into Tokyo University of the Arts."

"I hope that Kurusu's transformation into a singer will be successful and that he will continue to make a name for himself."

"I hope Grandma lives to be a hundred years old, and that all the children in the welfare home can grow up as happily as possible."

"I hope that even when Aya-chan grows up to be an outstanding young woman, she can still show the same carefree smile as she does now."

By this point, there wasn't enough room left on the paper, but the boy still found a blank space and wrote a line of slightly smaller words.

"I hope that Senior Yamami will have more freedom in the future."

As the lantern spun around, Tomatsu Yuka pouted, a hint of dissatisfaction in her eyes.

"It's one thing if I wasn't included, but why didn't Tsunkun even write his own name?"

The pen cap snapped shut with a soft "click," and Jun Matsue smiled.

"Because I knew you would write it for me."

"No way!" The girl gave him a reproachful look. "Then Jun-kun should write it on my side too."

The boy took the lantern from her lap, found the side with the words "Love Blessings" written on it, and added a line of text.

"I hope that Jun Matsue and Yuka Tomatsu can be together."

"..." Tomatsu Yuka stared at the still-wet ink on the words, then stood up as if nothing had happened.

Let's release water lanterns.

Walking to the riverbank where the crowds gathered, the boys and girls lit candles with flintlock pistols, and carried lanterns that emitted a soft glow, walking along the riverbank to the dimly lit shadows.

"The Sky Tree is still prettier," Tomatsu Tomoka said, tilting her head back.

The Tokyo Skytree stands on the opposite bank of the Sumida River, its spire shimmering with a silvery-purple light amidst the dark buildings, like a beautiful, illusory creation from a dream.

Jun Matsue stopped in his tracks. The riverbank in front of him was sparsely populated, and the ugly Asahi Beer logo was nowhere to be seen. Only the scattered lights floating on the river resembled returning travelers.

"Just here."

The two walked to the riverbank. The girl gripped the railing with one hand, and the boy squatted down with her. The river in front of them was like a pure black curtain, reflecting a narrow strip of light that shimmered under the lights on both banks, and was dyed into the colors of an oil painting with the swaying water.

The sound of the waves and the dampness on her face made Tomatsu Yuka lean her paper lantern over the railing, and soon the boy's lantern appeared beside her slender arm.

Lower your hand that's been hanging over the river to its lowest point, then carefully release it. The thin paper lantern immediately falls onto the river with a soft thud.

The girl looked to one side, and at the same time, Jun Matsueda's water lantern fell into the water, the two bright orange lanterns swaying with the same ripples.

Watching them drift slowly away on the shimmering river, a sense of tranquil peace, like candlelight, welled up in their hearts.

They stood up and leaned against the railing, watching the ferry upstream anchored in the middle of the water, releasing lit paper lanterns. The flickering lights twinkled on the dark river, forming streams of light floating in the air.

Jun Matsue blinked, and the girl beside him leaned gently against his shoulder, her smooth black hair falling down.

Although it was a summer night, the temperature close to their bodies didn't make the boy feel hot at all—neither of them spoke or made any unnecessary movements. They quietly felt the night breeze blowing across the river and the tender warmth of this moment. "Tsun-kun, can you find our lantern?" Tomatsu Yuka poked the boy's arm.

“It’s over there.” Jun Matsue raised his hand and pointed to several water lanterns that looked from the river surface and were about to be attached to the bridge.

"We are the two on the far right."

"They run so fast!" the girl exclaimed.

"But it's a bit of a shame that I'll be joining the main group soon."

The boy didn't answer; he just silently watched the direction the water lanterns went.

After the wind picked up on the river and their water lanterns disappeared on the other side of the bridge, Tomatsu Yuka gently tugged at his arm.

"Does Jun-kun have something else to say to me?"

Jun Matsue turned around, and the crowd behind him chased the ferry to the other side. On this platform, apart from the neon lights of the cities on both sides, there were only the two of them.

He let out a soft breath. "Let's sit over there on the steps."

"No, thank you." The girl patted the metal railing she was leaning against. "Let's talk here."

"Don't worry, Jun-kun. I won't be like your ex-girlfriend, turning around and jumping into the Sumida River."

"..." The boy gave a helpless smile.

He turned his head, and Tomatsu's black hair swayed in front of him, more beautiful and gentle than the river water beneath their feet.

"I want to break up with Yuka today."

The shore was quiet for a moment, with only the sound of flowing water and the night wind remaining. Jun Matsue watched the girl blink, her expression calmer than he had imagined.

"Why?" Tomatsu Yuka turned to face him. "Tsun-kun clearly intended to date both Mochizuki Haruka and me at the same time, didn't he?"

"Because I want to end this relationship."

The girl's shoulders trembled slightly.

She could accept a boy's tentative words, but she didn't want to hear such a resolute declaration.

Had she guessed wrong? Or had Mochizuki Haruka gone to talk to Jun-kun again...? Tomatsu Tomoka's mind raced, and her eyes became cloudy.

“Because this relationship was built on a flawed foundation—” Jun Matsueda continued, and the girl came to her senses slightly.

"Tomatsu and I initially got together because we harbored mutual malice towards Yami Maki."

The boy gripped the railing tightly with his right hand. "So I think that even though this malice gradually disappeared later, the inertia formed by this fake relationship still remains."

"And what's worse, we almost really broke up."

He was referring to that rainy day after he and Mochizuki confirmed their relationship... The girl hugged her left arm.

"That's why you, Yuuka, can never find peace of mind and always suppress your feelings—"

"She humbled herself and obeyed me in every way, just so that I wouldn't have the chance to say goodbye."

"He swallowed his anger and even belittled himself in the face of Mochizuki's provocations."

"Even I myself, every time I'm with you and feel those feelings of love and impulses, I always end up coming back to reason."

“It’s like someone is reminding me that our relationship is impure and abnormal—keeping it at this level leaves room for maneuver.”

Tomatsu Yuka clenched her arms; it had been a long time since Tsunku had spoken this much with her when they were alone.

"Yuka has something to say too, right?" The boy looked at her with her eyes downcast. "You've clearly suffered a lot of grievances in this relationship."

"...Actually, it's not so bad." The girl smiled. "It's just that I get given the cold shoulder by Mochizuki Haruka at school."

"I just want to watch you and her ride bicycles together."

"...I just get asked by friends occasionally what's going on between Tsunuki and Mochizuki Haruka."

Her voice gradually grew louder.

"Even though we're a couple, I still need to find excuses to ask you out."

"She can have sex with you whenever she wants, but I can only masturbate while thinking about you!"

"..." Tomatsu Tomoka lowered her head and took a deep breath.

"I just want to be someone in your heart who is equal to her!!"

The girl's shouts drowned out the river, startling the water birds not far away. Jun Matsue watched as her chest heaved and she gasped for breath.

She clenched her hands, her arms trembling slightly as she became tense with emotion.

"So we have to split up," the boy said with relief.

"Only by truly breaking up once can we correct these initial mistakes and put an end to our concerns."

"And what happened after the breakup?" Tomatsu Yuka looked up.

"Will Tsun-kun still be with me after we break up?"

“That’s what I want to know too.” Jun Matsueda chuckled self-deprecatingly.

He recalled what Maki Yamami had said when she bid farewell to her senior at Haneoka High School's graduation ceremony two years ago—

"We are foolish humans; we only understand what a choice means after we have already made it."

Instead of getting caught up in this, it's better to just say goodbye.

"The moment I said goodbye, I was sure I truly understood my feelings for Tomatsu Yuka."

This will also help you understand whether you truly have the heart to conquer.

"..." Tomatsu Yuka smiled. "Tsun-kun saying that really makes me nervous."

"Me too." The boy opened his mouth and took a deep breath of the wind.

"I'm ready—to abandon reason and, the moment I say 'break up,' I'll seize the most prominent thought in my mind and leave no room for negotiation."

"..." The girl tidied her black hair and took a deep breath.

She looked at Jun Matsueda, "I'm the first person to know this time, right?"

The boy nodded, and Tomatsu Yuka smiled.

"Then I believe that Matsueda-kun will not let me down."

The girl fell silent, simply gazing at him quietly.

Jun Matsue took a deep breath.

He spoke softly, each word distinct.

"Tomatsu-kun, let's break up."

Tomatsu Yuka's eyes shimmered like the ripples on the river, and she nodded with difficulty.

The flowing water of the Sumida River, along with all the sounds and light on both banks, seemed to fade into the distance in an instant—

The only voice in the boy's heart leaped out of the water like a flying fish, and fell like a giant whale, stirring up a vast and boundless tide.

Looking at the girl with black hair flying in the air, Jun Matsue spoke again.

"Tomatsu-san, I like you."

"Can you be with me?"

With tears streaming down her face, Tomatsu Tomoka bit her lip and threw herself into his arms.

"Yu-Hana sounds better..."

(End of this chapter)