Am I being simulated by their love affair.

Chapter 741: The film has ended, but their story continues.

Because she went to get a takeaway coffee in the middle of the meal, Aya Miyamura became the last person to finish lunch.

As she licked her lips and closed the bento box, Yamami Maki, who was sitting next to her, was resting her chin on her hand, staring blankly out the floor-to-ceiling window of the booth.

Following the girl's gaze, outside the window stood Jun Matsue—the boy with his back to them, leaning against a camphor tree, the lush green shade deepening the gray of his shirt.

The boy's hand was partially obscured by his body; he appeared to be on the phone. Miyamura Aya's gaze subtly shifted back to his side.

Besides tender affection, Yamami Maki's gaze also held a hint of obvious melancholy.

"Does Yamami-neechan know who he called?" she asked cautiously.

"..." The girl came to her senses and gave her a gentle smile.

"It must be Yuhua, otherwise she wouldn't have gone out to answer the phone."

This is also the reason for Yami Maki's melancholy—back then, her naive and weak self pushed her lover into someone else's arms, and even though time has passed, she still can't help but feel resentful whenever she thinks about it.

"So, do you still like Jun-ge?" Miyamura Aya couldn't help but ask.

"You want to win him back?"

Yesterday, to help Yamami-neechan get used to her job, she didn't ask many questions. Today, she deliberately lured the boy over, and after witnessing their interactions, the girl is now filled with curiosity.

Chun hasn't told her about his relationship status for a while!

Yamami Maki was silent for a moment, then asked, "Do you know about your brother's current situation?"

Cai Jiang blinked, "Anyway, I'll always stand by Chun-ge's side!"

Even if Chun-ge didn't tell her, she would definitely be able to see many clues.

For example, Tomatsu Yuka's intimacy with boys at school, Mochizuki Haruka's inexplicable coldness, and the mysterious idol who appeared briefly at the school gate that day and became the subject of much discussion.

"..." The girl beside him smiled, "I also want to stand by his side forever."

Such natural words of love made Miyamura Aya blink in surprise, while Yamami Maki stood up with a smile.

"Thank you for your hard work, Caijiang. I'll take care of these packages."

When Jun Matsueda put away his phone and returned to the shop, the lunch table had been cleaned up, and the two girls were whispering to each other, talking about something.

"Jun-nii is back!" As he approached, Miyamura Aya immediately stood up from her seat.

"I need to go to the back to wash the cups. Could you please keep an eye on the shop? Let me know if you need anything."

"I'm just killing time anyway, I might as well help out," the boy said without hesitation.

The girl who got up rolled her eyes. "That's fine too, there aren't many cups to wash anyway."

Yamami Maki, sitting in her seat, remained expressionless and waved to the two of them with a smile.

"Come on~"

Passing through the small door of the control room, you are greeted by a long, rectangular space. White lights illuminate the metal shelves in the center, giving a refreshing and invigorating feeling.

As they passed the refrigerated display case against the wall, Jun Matsue stopped in front of the sink on the other side. Looking at the few cups and saucers at the bottom, he sniffed the faint coffee aroma in the air.

The girl hummed a song as she turned on the tap; it was the melody of "Chirp, Diversity" from a while back.

"Moki-neechan is a great colleague," Miyamura Aya said cheerfully. "I wish she could stay and work at the store!"

The boy continued washing his hands, then glanced at her from the side.

"What does Cai-chan want to do?"

The girl had clearly intended for him to be alone with his senior.

Miyamura Aya smiled and winked. "What's Atsushi-nii up to now?"

The cool water rinsed away the grime in the coffee cup, and Jun Matsue lowered his head again.

"Ai-chan, just ask whatever you want."

The girl immediately leaned closer, "What's going on with Chun-ge? Who are you dating?"

"Your sister Youhua."

When a hint of disappointment flashed in her eyes, the boy continued talking without looking up.

"And your sister Yao."

"Afterwards, I will talk to your favorite Yang Shijie."

Miyamura Aya opened her eyes wide, and her small mouth turned into a round shape.

"...Huh?!" Her surprised tone carried a hint of suppressed excitement.

"What does Brother Chun mean?"

It means that we'll talk about everything, but we won't break up.

Jun Matsue watched as the dishwashing sponge in his hand slid across the delicate coffee cup, leaving behind white foam.

"Although it's not right to do this, your brother is going to be a scumbag."

The girl next to me suddenly started making a bit more noise while washing the cup.

"Did they all know?"

"Of course I know." The boy turned on the tap again. "That's why Mochizuki is giving me the cold shoulder."

"But even though it's a cold war, you should still treat her like your sister-in-law."

"When will Yang Shijie become my sister-in-law?" Cai Jiang asked excitedly.

"We are still in a power struggle with Kurusu, but we have already seen hope."

"..." A girl's heartfelt exclamation rang out in the quiet space, "Chun-ge is so amazing~"

"Don't tell Grandma Dean yet." Matsueda Jun's voice sounded a little guilty at this moment.

"Okay~" Miyamura Aya placed the washed cups and plates on the tray by the sink.

A few minutes later, when the cleaning was almost finished, she suddenly asked another question.

What should I do if I see my sister on the mountain?

The boy paused, his hand hovering over the last plate.

"It's fine as it is now."

"But doesn't she want to get back together with you?" the girl pressed.

"...Right now, I don't have the energy or the desire to get back together."

The latter was the decisive factor. Jun Matsue rinsed the foam off the last plate and placed it on top of the washed porcelain plate.

"It's time to go out."

Pulling open the small door separating the light and dark areas, Yamami Maki, standing behind the counter, smiled at the two of them.

"Thank you for your hard work. I was supposed to be washing the dishes with Aya-chan."

"It's okay." The boy shook his head. "I don't want to just watch you guys work either."

The girl tilted her head, her smile a little troubled. "But Matsueda-san is clearly a customer."

Aya Miyamura walked past the two of them and returned to her coffee machine. She fiddled with the coffee beans, stealing a glance at someone who walked out from behind the counter.

Chun-ge's expression when talking to Yama-mi was not as cold and ruthless as when he was washing the dishes.

It can't be the lighting, can it?

Jun Matsueda didn't intend to leave the coffee shop, but instead sat down on a high stool at the far end of the bar. He watched Aya-chan busy herself at the coffee grinder with her back to him for a while, then turned around with a spoonful of coffee grounds in her hand.

"Brother Chun, would you like some more coffee?"

"I'll forget it."

The girls behind the bar quickly picked up their hot mochas and squinted contentedly at the autumn scenery outside the shop.

When the first customer of the afternoon sat down by the window with his coffee, Jun Matsue gently tapped the bar counter.

"Do you have any extra paper and pens?" He made a writing motion.

"I have it here!"

Yamami Maki immediately picked up the wooden writing board in front of her, with a stack of A4 paper and a pen clipped to it.

"I just need a piece of paper." The boy stretched out his arm and took the paper and pen from the senior student.

"What does Chun-ge want to write?" Miyamura Aya asked curiously.

"Our class's project for the cultural festival is the coffee shop."

"Then you've come to the right person~" the girl said smugly. "You can ask me any questions!"

"Okay, okay." Jun Matsuoka lowered his head and started writing and drawing.

Aya looked to her side and asked, "Will Yamami-neechan come back to visit Haneoka High School's cultural festival this year?"

"..." Yami Maki hesitated for a moment, then secretly glanced at the boy sitting at the other end of the bar.

He didn't react in any particular way.

"I should be back," the girl smiled. "As long as I have time."

"Does Ochanomizu offer many courses?"

"There will definitely be more courses in the first year, but they will mostly be general education courses..."

The two chatted for a while, occasionally exchanging a few words with Matsueda Jun. As people finished lunch and began to stroll leisurely on the street, the coffee shop naturally became busy again.

Sitting in the corner of the bar, Jun Matsueda listened to the footsteps coming and going around him—most people just grabbed their coffee and left, but a few girls would catch a glimpse of his profile while waiting and naturally lean closer.

Their fate, of course, was to walk away dejectedly after being rejected. At this point, the girls behind the bar would suppress their laughter and wait for the customers to turn around, then give the boys a knowing look of approval for their indifference. When Matsueda Jun put down his pen, the noise in the café subsided again. He checked the time on his phone; it was already a little past one in the afternoon.

The boy stretched and looked at the girls behind the counter on the other side. They sat down and leaned on the counter to whisper to each other.

Jun Matsueda got up and walked over. "Why don't you take advantage of this free time to watch the national tournament live?"

Yamami Maki straightened up and looked at him, smoothing her hair.

"The afternoon's matches don't start until after 2 p.m.

"Is it this late?" the boy thought for a moment.

"Would you like to watch the short film that Imokawa made first?"

"I've seen it!" Aya Miyamura raised her arm. "Imokawa-neechan is amazing! I've already shared it on my feed!"

The other girl blinked, looking confused. "A short film?"

Matsueda Jun then realized that his senior seemed unaware of this matter—Imokawa's short film was only started after the two broke up.

"It's a short film from Imokawa's portfolio for her application to Tokyo University of the Arts. She asked me and Tomatsu and others to help with the filming."

"She passed the comprehensive selection of Dongyi University a while ago, so she released this short video."

Yamami Maki's eyelashes trembled. "Natsumi-kun is amazing."

It seems that a lot happened during the time she hesitated and didn't move forward...

"Do we still need to see it?"

“Let’s show it to Yamami-neechan~” Miyamura Aya picked up the tablet that was placed to the side.

"Chun-ge and I can watch it again, after all, it's really good!"

So, taking advantage of the fact that there were few customers, the three of them gathered in front of the upright tablet.

When Jun Matsueda, holding his graduation certificate, and Yuka Tomatsu appeared together on screen, Maki Yami's heart trembled uncontrollably.

She recalled her heart-wrenching graduation ceremony.

So even when watching Kashiwabara Hikaru and Konno An on the screen having to separate because of moving, the girl felt no pleasure whatsoever.

Because no matter how you look at it, this seems more like her story, that of Yamami Maki...

The girl's mind gradually became immersed in this fictional world. When customers entered the store, Miyamura Aya considerately did not disturb her, but instead called on Matsueda Jun to share the work.

First love turned into a heart-wrenching, irreversible tragedy, which was naturally a huge blow to Hikaru Kashiwabara, who had no experience in relationships.

So when Mochizuki Haruka's character "Fujii Kaede" uttered a heartbroken cry, Yamami Maki was not surprised at all.

This did not bring much comfort to the girl, and she continued watching.

Fujii Kaede was a failure, but she was also a success—the girl's extremely sorrowful expression was deeply etched in Kashiwabara Hikaru's heart, reminding him that he should not linger any longer.

So, like most young people, after a uneventful start to his job, Hikaru Kashiwabara fell in love with his colleague, Yuko Matsu.

The reason why Ms. Matsu Yuko fell in love with him was simple—she was allergic to alcohol and was harassed by her boss at a department party, and it was Kashiwabara Hikaru who stood up for her.

"..." Yamami Maki winked at the woman wearing glasses on the screen.

Although "Matsu Yuko" never appeared on camera with her face fully visible, the girl could still tell that she was Mochizuki Haruka's aunt, Miss Hana, who held the reins of the Mochizuki family.

Even she's in it... The girl continues watching.

However, this first encounter of a hero rescuing a damsel in distress wasn't exactly romantic—

Hikaru Kashiwabara's alcohol tolerance was average, and in the end, it was Yuko who helped him to the restroom.

Yuko Matsu held her breath when the man's cheek pressed against hers in the dim light.

She was a little nervous, but the excitement, like being under the influence of alcohol, made her not refuse.

However, instead of the sounds of intimate kisses, what rang out in front of the narrow sink was the sound of uncontrollable vomiting.

The somewhat awkward and embarrassing first meeting did not diminish Matsu Yuko's excitement; on the contrary, it made her more confident and bolder.

The woman thought that Mr. Kashiwabara might be a trustworthy person.

So, after Ms. Yuko took the initiative to pursue them, their relationship naturally changed from colleagues to lovers three months later.

They are marginalized figures in the workplace, misanthropic individuals in an atomized society, which is why the comfort they receive when they gradually draw closer and embrace each other seems so warm and bright.

"..." Yamami Maki, who was watching the screen, already had a bad feeling.

Ms. Matsu Yuko's face has still not been shown.

In this relationship, Hikaru Kashiwabara was neither proactive nor passive. He would invite Yuko to watch movies and have coffee, and the two would always exchange gifts on holidays without saying a word.

They gradually held hands, kissed, and embraced each other on the small bed in their rented room. Seeing the joyful smile on the person's face, Hikaru Kashiwabara would also show a matching smile.

But he still felt uneasy.

Is this all there is to it? The man thought to himself as he sat at his desk in his rented room, the melancholy deep blue of the sky outside the window gradually permeating the room.

Hikaru Kashiwabara knew that he could be immersed in happiness only because the letters coming from the distant island were gradually decreasing.

So he proposed to Miss Yuko.

Watching the close-up shot of the woman's trembling hands as she put her fiancé's ring on her finger, Yamami Maki felt a lump in her throat.

This shouldn't be happening, she thought.

Just like when Yuko Matsu asked Hikaru Kashiwabara about her lover's past, his answers were vague and ambiguous—the seemingly perfect happiness before her eyes was mixed with a sense of falsehood.

Late that night, as the two were making out in their shared apartment, news of an earthquake off the coast suddenly broke on TV—the coastline was not significantly affected, only some outlying islands near the mainland were impacted and temporarily out of contact.

Hikaru Kashiwabara hurriedly changed his shoes and ran out the door, leaving Yuko Matsu behind.

After years of being a corporate slave, the man's stamina wasn't what it used to be; the camera swayed, and his panting was clearly audible. He wanted to hitch a ride, but there wasn't a single car in sight on the road.

The camera's shaky speed gradually slowed down, and the view dropped as the man's perspective shifted, revealing only his hands supporting his knees and the gleaming pavement.

“What’s the point…” Hikaru Kashiwabara’s voice rang out on the screen.

The once clear and slightly hoarse voice of a young boy now sounds hoarse and tired.

"It's like you know perfectly well that you've made a phone call to Xiaoxing's island, but you never receive a number from the letter."

When was the last letter received, six months ago or a year ago?

"What did the letter say again?"

He had clearly kept it carefully in the drawer, but he had already forgotten about it.

"If you're the only one still stubbornly persisting, even though you graduated from university several years ago, why haven't you gone to her island to take a look?"

As he walked, Hikaru Kashiwabara turned around and headed back towards the apartment.

But the room was completely empty.

The next day, Yuko Matsu did not show up at the company.

When he got home in the evening, he received a breakup call.

I still love you.

The woman's voice was somewhat hoarse, and her face was still not visible in the shot.

"But I feel that even if we send each other a thousand messages, our hearts can only get one centimeter closer."

Silently hanging up the phone, Hikaru Kashiwabara put his phone in his pocket and walked out of the apartment.

The camera only shows the man's leather shoes and trouser legs. The light and shadow in the scene change in waves. Sometimes it is daytime, sometimes it is rainy, sometimes it is quiet and deserted, and sometimes it is noisy and crowded. Bicycles chase past his feet.

The shoes and trouser legs in the scene are also changing back and forth. When the camera rises again, the tireless chirping of cicadas reaches Yamami Maki's ears.

It was an afternoon with such intense sunlight that it looked like an overexposed photograph. Hikaru Kashiwabara unknowingly walked to a riverbank.

He was very familiar with this river; his high school was on the other side, and many things had happened along its banks.

The screen started flickering rapidly—

The separation from Konno An, Fujii Kaede's rejected confession, the "white line flow" of graduates every year, and the unexpected encounter with Matsu Yuko's skirt while he was strolling alone on the shore one day...

After a jumble of memories flashed by, what appeared before me was once again this river, futilely shimmering in the summer sun.

It seems like nothing has changed.

The camera remained still for a few seconds, quietly filming the man's arm leaning against the railing and the flowing river in front of him.

The cicadas were chirping incessantly.

Hikaru Kashiwabara lowered his head.

The End.

"..." Yamami Maki took a deep breath and looked at the frozen image on the screen.

She almost became that kind of person, an adult numb to emotions.

Like simulating your future self, all the excitement, joy, and tears of your youth, and all the shining roles in your life, are gone forever.

"how do you feel?"

A familiar male voice rang in my ears, clean yet slightly immature.

Yamami Maki raised her head and wiped away a tear from the corner of her eye.