Green plums cannot become lovers.

An and Asuka obediently went inside. Before he could even speak, a young female teacher asked, "An, I heard you play the guitar very well?"

"Hmm, it's just so-so."

"So-so. Songyue was praising you so highly just now, saying you're a little genius and stuff."

"What? Don't talk nonsense!" Songyue Ying didn't expect her friends to betray her so easily.

"So Professor Matsutsuki already told the other teachers. Now we can't keep a low profile anymore." An and Asuka said expressionlessly, "That's right, I am the genius that Professor Matsutsuki mentioned, a genius that comes along only once in a century."

"I never said you're a once-in-a-century beauty, don't flatter yourself."

Songyue Ying couldn't help but roll her eyes, and his serious expression made the teachers next to her giggle.

They like humorous and witty children, they also like children with excellent grades, and they like children with artistic talent even more.

Now that these three elements are combined into one, the young female teachers absolutely adore it.

"Xiao Anhe is really interesting."

"I wish my younger brother was like you."

"Come on, let me take you to buy some delicious food."

"Thank you, teachers." An and Asuka thanked the teachers sincerely, but then changed the subject, "However, I have important business to attend to here today."

"What do you mean?" the teachers asked curiously.

Anwa Asuka looked at Matsutsuki Sakura and smiled, "I'd like to borrow a guitar from Ms. Matsutsuki."

"Huh?"

"Borrow a guitar?"

What do you need this for?

Not only was Matsue Sakura curious, but the other teachers were also puzzled by his purpose.

I'd like to borrow a guitar to practice with.

An and Asuka revealed the purpose of their trip: they wanted to borrow the school's guitars for free, since buying a decent guitar outside was very expensive, and he simply couldn't afford it now.

"For practice? Don't you have a guitar at home for practice?"

"No," An and Asuka shook their heads, feigning regret. "That was the first time I ever used a guitar, back in the music room."

"Huh?" Song Yue's eyes widened upon hearing this, and she subconsciously asked, "Then how do you know how to play?"

The boy's technique didn't seem like that of someone using the guitar for the first time; after all, he had played so skillfully before, without making a single mistake.

"Yes, I learned it from watching TV." An and Asuka had already prepared their excuse.

"what?"

Upon hearing this, Songyue Ying was completely stunned, and even the female teachers next to her opened their mouths slightly.

It took them a while to gradually come to their senses.

"You, you said you learned it from TV?"

Sakura Matsue couldn't help but press down on Anwa Asuka's shoulders, staring into his eyes. She could immediately detect even the slightest lie from the boy in front of her.

"um, yes."

Unfortunately, the boy in front of her had a clear expression and a firm tone, and she couldn't see any trace of him lying.

In other words, it was truly his first time using a guitar, and under these circumstances, he perfectly played the school song based solely on what he had learned from television.

This guy might actually be a genius.

Sakura Matsue looked at her friends, who were all still engrossed in their speculation. Finally, it was An and Asuka who broke the silence by speaking up again.

"Matsuzuki-sensei, is that alright?"

Volume 1: Chapter 25 Such a big appetite?

Upon hearing the boy's question, Songyue Ying no longer hesitated and immediately decided, "Okay!"

If she doesn't agree at this point, then she really is blind.

"I'll buy you an even better one."

The school's guitars are very basic, only good for teaching purposes. The guitar for this boy must be much better.

"Thank you for your kindness, Ms. Songyue, but this is not necessary."

An and Asuka immediately refused. They only wanted to temporarily borrow the school's guitar for free and would return it after the competition. How could they let the teacher spend money to buy it for them?

Matsue Sakura calmed down and carefully considered her salary and her usual extravagant spending. She could only look at An and Asuka with a face full of shame.

"I'm sorry, Anhe, it's my fault as a teacher."

"How could that be? I'm very grateful that the teacher is willing to help me. Besides, I just want to borrow it for practice during the competition, I won't be taking up the space for nothing."

"Anhe, were you just about to say you wanted to get something for free?"

"That's not true." An and Asuka shook their heads without changing their expressions and denied it. "Why would I take things from the school for free? I just thought they were just sitting there anyway, so I might as well lend them to you so they can be used and make a difference."

Hearing this, Songyue Ying couldn't help but laugh. She pinched Anhe Asuka's cheek and said, "You're so glib."

"By the way, you just said you'd borrow it for practice during the competition, what about after the competition?"

"Of course we gave up."

"why?"

These words made Sakura Matsue's heart leap again. Giving up after the competition would completely bury his talent.

"For some personal reasons."

"What's the reason?!"

When pressed for answers, An and Asuka simply shook their heads. "I'm sorry, Matsuzuki-sensei."

"Something that can't be said?"

"Ah."

"Feel sorry......"

When Songyue Ying saw that the boy's face suddenly darkened, she immediately realized that she must have touched a sore spot in his heart, so she apologized immediately.

"It's okay, it's not a big deal anyway, teacher, you don't need to apologize."

An and Asuka spoke lightly, but to Matsue Sakura, it seemed like he was putting on a brave face, and she felt even more guilty.

So she said seriously, "Don't worry, Anhe, leave the guitar to me. You just need to practice hard."

"Thank you, Ms. Songyue."

Seeing that they had finally achieved their goal, An and Asuka couldn't help but smile.

"Then I won't disturb you teachers any longer."

"Okay, you should go back quickly, don't make your parents worry."

"......OK."

An and Asuka turned to leave, but as they reached the door, they seemed to remember something and turned back to the young teachers in the office.

Goodbye, old... sisters.

Goodbye, little bird.

Be careful on the road.

"Be careful not to get kidnapped by that weird auntie."

The boy's address of "sister" delighted the young female teachers present. Their smiles only faded after the boy had disappeared for quite some time.

"Do you think Little Flying Bird's family isn't doing too well?"

"I think it's possible."

"He's clearly such a sensible child..."

"We should take better care of him in the future."

While the teachers were all concerned, An and Asuka rubbed their cheeks and regained their normal expression.

He said all sorts of nice things and harsh words just for a guitar.

【Host, I didn't expect you to have such a big appetite. Although I only ship childhood sweetheart romances, I can accept it if you're interested in older women.】

[Just so you know, Sakura Matsue's affection for you has jumped from 50 to 90, but unfortunately, even if it goes higher, it won't turn into a romantic relationship.]

Shut up.

Two days later, An and Asuka did indeed receive a guitar, a special loan from the school that he was allowed to use temporarily, and he was to return it after the competition.

With this guitar, he was able to start practicing, and the time came exactly on September 15th.

The buff from the system's practice experience was indeed very useful. After a few days of practice, he did feel that his skills had improved.

However, his guitar playing skills haven't improved.

He wasn't disappointed by this. Reaching level three meant he was at the expert level, and the skill level required for mastering it could only be achieved through diligent practice. He was still some distance away from being a true expert.

Besides practice experience, he felt that performance experience was also very important. To improve performance experience, one must perform with an audience, and the number of people is not a crucial factor.

So, during lunch break at school, he would find an open space to practice and play, and after school, he would have Marina and Shizuka as his audience.

To avoid wasting his buff, he even applied for a music room at the school, practicing the piano when he got tired of guitar. If he had the time and energy, he would have liked to practice every instrument the school offered.

It took me about five days to go from recognizing the piano keys to being able to play a simple piece of music completely and without mistakes.

He didn't know whether his talent was mediocre or genius, but Teacher Songyue praised him highly, and through practice he gained a new skill.

[Piano Performance Lv1]

clang!

As the performance ended, applause rang out beside them. An and Asuka turned their heads and saw that Teacher Matsue had been standing to the side at some point.

"You've improved again, Anhe."

As Matsue Sakura walked in, she looked at An and Asuka with delight, her affection for them impossible to hide.

This boy is truly talented. He was able to play the guitar skillfully on his first try. If that was the result of practicing while watching TV, then the piano was a completely foreign field to him.

After all, I taught him to recognize the piano keys myself.

When he first asked to practice the piano, she was completely against it, worried that he would fall behind in his guitar playing.

But now it seems that she was worrying too much. This boy not only practices in two areas, but he is even excelling in both.

His progress is so rapid that it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him a genius.

However, despite his obvious talent, it had never been discovered before. If it had been discovered and nurtured earlier, she couldn't even imagine how high he would have reached by now.

She thought this to herself, but the reality was that he didn't even own a guitar. The thought made Songyue Ying feel a pang of heartache.

An and Asuka had no idea what Matsuzuki Sakura was thinking; in response to the praise, he simply nodded politely.

"Thank you, teacher."

"There's no need to thank me. Weren't you just being glib a few days ago?"

"After all, it was so that I could borrow a guitar."

An and Asuka spoke the truth, and instead of making Matsue Sakura angry, they were amused.

"You're really cunning. Anyone who ends up with you will be exhausted."

Is it really that exaggerated?

What do you think?

"Never mind, teacher, what brings you here?"

"Of course something's up." Upon hearing this, Songyue Ying immediately glared at her and asked, "Where's your entry form? Did you fill it out?"

"..."

Book 1: Chapter 26 A Friendship Lasts Forever

Although the entire period from September 15th to October 15th falls within the scope of the competition, the actual competition will not begin until October. The time before that is for schools and individuals to prepare.

"Nanami, you're in great form today. If you keep this up, you might actually win the championship."