Green plums cannot become lovers.

Green plums cannot become lovers.

Author: Hello Tomorrow

Introduction:

An and Asuka always believed that childhood friends could not become lovers. After all, they knew each other so well and knew many of each other's little secrets; it would be too strange for them to become lovers.

Marina Kirasaka, a blonde girl who is frequently abused by her neighbor's family due to discord.

Shizuka Kuze, a black-haired girl who was bullied in class.

Aoyama and Nanami, working hard all by themselves.

The somewhat goofy Anzu Hachimi

My distant cousin

"Green plums cannot become lovers."

So, this is what he said when these girls confessed their feelings to him.

But it doesn't seem to work.

"Green plums can become lovers."

Years later, with her body thin and her face withered, An and Asuka finally admitted to the girls, their legs trembling.

Volume One: Chapter One - The Boys Meet Again

If I could do it all over again, what would I want to be?

Become a bird, then you can see the whole world.

Become a flower, and you will receive love and affection from others.

Become a stone, and you won't get hurt.

Become a noisy cicada, become a swaying blade of grass, become a free wind... It doesn't matter what you become, because no matter what, you will live on strongly.

The boy strolled leisurely through the pure white world, his heart filled with anticipation for the unknown.

Summer's ferocious beasts hovered overhead.

Dappled sunlight casts its light on the sparse shadows of the trees in the forest.

A fresh rain last night took away some of the summer heat, and the lingering raindrops cleansed the surrounding greenery.

The winding gravel path was still a bit slippery, and it made a squelching sound when you stepped on it.

The forest was vast and empty, save for the chirping of insects and cicadas and the calls of unidentified birds. Although it sounded quite lively, this open world still evoked a sense of profound tranquility.

However, a sound soon came from the end of the path, completely breaking the silence of the woods.

"Flying Bird, what's the name of this flower?"

"pansy."

The girl's sweet and clear voice echoed along the winding gravel path, reaching Anhe and Feibiao's ears.

Where is this flower?

“Camellia,” the boy glanced at it and replied.

Where is that flower?

Following the direction the girl pointed, An and the bird saw the small white flower blooming on the riverbank. It bloomed so lonely on the yellow earth of the riverbank, without the company of its kind or the company of weeds.

Forget-me-not.

"Wow, Asuka is amazing, she knows so much."

The girl clapped her hands and looked at the boy beside her with adoration. Her long golden hair swayed as she walked, and her brown eyes were clearer than the summer sky.

An and Asuka glanced at the girl, not showing much joy at her praise. They simply reminded her, "Marina, be careful not to fall if you're not watching where you're going."

"Hehe, I can keep an eye on things with Fei Niao."

"Anyway, with Asuka around, she definitely won't let anything happen to me."

Instead of stopping, the girl smiled foolishly and foolishly handed her fate over to the boy.

She stretched out her arms and yawned, her voice turning into a comfortable hum. Her pure white dress enveloped her, making her look like the pure white flower that had bloomed by the river earlier.

The girl's complete trust left An and Asuka speechless. He wanted to tell the girl in front of him that he couldn't protect her forever.

"What if I'm gone one day?"

The girl has always seemed a bit dim-witted. If he were to leave one day, who knows what kind of trouble she would cause with her not-so-bright little brain.

She couldn't rely on him forever, and he wouldn't always be by her side. Because they would eventually grow up and go down two completely different paths.

"Not here?" Marina tilted her head, blinked twice, and asked with some confusion, "Why isn't Asuka here?"

In the girl's world, friends are those who will stay by her side for life and never abandon her, so she doesn't understand why her best friend would say he's not here.

"Will the birds leave us?"

The little girl didn't yet know what parting meant.

The girl's naivety made An and Asuka feel a little helpless, but they still tried to explain: "Because all sorts of things can happen in this world, maybe one day we will be separated because of something, and then I won't be able to be by your side."

"Then we just won't break up, right?" The girl blinked, looking completely matter-of-fact. "No matter what happens, we'll always be together, won't we?"

An and Asuka held their breath, but finally waved their hands and said, "Forget it, you're too stupid, I don't want to talk to you anymore."

He's only eleven years old now. Even though he's awakened some memories of the past for some reason, making him a little more mature than his peers, he still can't reason with a stubborn child.

Moreover, he didn't want to be too definitive, or rather, he didn't want to betray the girl's innocence.

Anyway, she'll understand eventually. He won't always be by her and everyone else's side, and their relationship won't stay the same forever.

"Ah, the person who calls others stupid is the stupid one!"

Marina glared at An and Asuka, clearly annoyed by the label of "idiot."

"Okay, we'll be home soon."

An changed the subject with Asuka, knowing that if he continued talking to the girl, they would get into an endless argument.

He didn't want to waste too much time on the question of 'who's the idiot'.

The girl was easily diverted from the conversation. She looked up and realized that she was indeed almost home.

The girl couldn't help but hum softly, overwhelmed with joy at the prospect of meeting her parents.

She skipped and hopped forward, singing an unknown song with a "la la la" sound.

The girl's innocence bathed this vibrant little world in pure white, as if the sunlight would never disappear as long as she was there.

She is like...like

sun.

An and Asuka looked at Marina in front of them and a smile appeared on their lips.

He recalled the first time he met the girl, and she was just as endearing as she was today.

His first encounter with the girl was one afternoon after school in third grade. She was walking home alone with her schoolbag on her back, and he was following behind her.

He was certainly not a stalker; it just so happened that they shared a section of the same route home.

Whether it was the girl's striking blonde hair that was so attractive, or the fact that some children are just inherently wicked, she soon attracted two annoying boys to her side.

They surrounded the girl, and although they didn't physically bully her, they kept chattering and freely expressing their opinions.

His terrifying appearance, his witch-like appearance, his ominous symbolism... Although these words meant no harm to him, they were hurtful to the girl.

So he ran over and chased those two annoying guys away.

He didn't think he was particularly handsome, but when he noticed the gratitude in the girl's tearful eyes, a slight stirring rose in his heart.

Perhaps, there was something cool about his behavior.

That day he received the girl's thanks and was rewarded by her mother after taking her home.

He thought his relationship with the girl was about to end, but the girl stopped him at the school gate the next day after school.

The afternoon sun at 3:30 was so gentle, feeling warm and cozy on her skin. Standing before him, she said hesitantly, "Um, let's go home together..."

He still remembers how her voice was so cautious yet full of expectation, making it impossible for anyone to refuse.

"Asuka, what are you thinking about... Ah!"

Thinking back on the past, An and Asuka still feel a sense of beauty.

But the girl's sudden panic snapped him out of his reverie. When he saw that she was about to fall because she slipped, An and Asuka didn't care about anything else and grabbed her wrist.

There was no romantic scene of a hero rescuing a damsel in distress; he simply grasped her slender wrist and straightened the dim-witted girl's body.

"What did I just say? I told you to watch where you're going, but you didn't, and you almost tripped and fell, didn't you?"

After the rain, the ground was still wet. If she slipped and fell, she would be in big trouble when she got home.

"Hmph, as I just said, Asuka will definitely protect me."

Instead of reflecting on her actions, the girl stood with her hands on her hips and retorted smugly.

Volume One: Chapter Two - The Future of Childhood Sweethearts

The road back was filled with the girls' laughter.

An and Asuka escorted the girl to her doorstep, but to their surprise, they didn't see Marina's mother waiting for them at the door.

He watched as the girl waved goodbye, then happily turned and went inside. From his perspective, the entryway and hallway were dark, and as the door closed, the darkness gradually swallowed the girl's figure.

For some reason, An and Asuka felt a sense of unease, but they couldn't quite put their finger on what it was.

Perhaps it's just my imagination.

With that thought in mind, An and Asuka left the girl's house and headed towards their own.

His house wasn't far from the girl's house; it was just one more street away.

Taking out the key hanging around her neck, An and Asuka opened the door and went inside.

His living room wasn't large, and the orange-red sunset shining through the window brought a touch of loneliness.

An and Asuka tossed their schoolbags aside, lay down on the sofa, closed their eyes to rest, and the quiet air filled every corner of the room.

The fifth-grade curriculum wasn't difficult for him; he was just a little mentally exhausted.

Having such an energetic guy around every day is really hard to handle, and he also has to think about his future.

Since his father fled with a mountain of debt, and his mother followed in his footsteps, he has been all alone in the family.

A person's life always requires a variety of considerations.

An and Asuka turned over and lay on their side on the sofa, looking at the living room in front of them. In the orange-red sunset, they could still see dust floating up and down.

After lying down for a while, An and Asuka got up, picked up their schoolbags, and headed to their rooms.

Anhe and Feibiao sat down at their desks and picked up a copy of "Fundamentals of Music Theory" from the pile of books on either side, then began to read it.

He wanted to learn all sorts of skills, and music was one of them, because he possessed knowledge that didn't belong to this world, which, if used well, could help him change his current terrible situation.

Sigh, my family of origin.

Regardless, he had to seize this opportunity.

As the sun gradually set, and the words on the book became somewhat illegible, An and Asuka finally snapped out of their reverie.

He touched his stomach, feeling hungry; clearly, his stomach was empty.

Thinking of making some noodles, An and Feibiao stood up from their chairs, but suddenly their vision went black and they felt a wave of dizziness.

Before he could recover, An and Asuka suddenly heard a mechanical voice coming from deep within their minds.

[System, start up!]

[Childhood Sweetheart System Successfully Loaded]

[Hello, host. The Childhood Sweetheart System is at your service. OwO]

An and Asuka were stunned for a moment, then immediately realized that their cheat system had been activated.

It would be a lie to say that An and Asuka weren't excited, but they forced themselves to calm down.

[Childhood Sweetheart System, right? Can you tell me what it's for?]