Green plums cannot become lovers.

Even from the name alone, he could glean some clues. But he still needed to find out exactly what the system was for.

【Okay, host! 】

[This system is dedicated to helping childhood sweethearts find their happy ending, and you, the host, perfectly fit the system's requirements, so I have answered your call.]

I don't recall summoning you for anything like this.

An and Asuka immediately felt that this system was somewhat unreliable. The purpose of making childhood sweethearts become a couple seemed a bit too strange.

How can childhood sweethearts become lovers? That's so strange.

Hehe, please don't worry about it. Just know that I'm here to help you.

An and Asuka were too lazy to waste time on this issue, so they went straight to the point and asked:

How exactly will we help?

I can provide you with all sorts of helpful tools, but only if you complete the mission.

"Speak, what's the mission?"

An and Asuka countered crisply with a question.

[Host, I like your attitude! Now, this system will issue a task.]

Main Quest 1: Rescue Childhood Friend - Marina Kirasaka

[Description: Marina, who originally had a harmonious family, suddenly became unhappy one day. Her father had an affair, and her mother's personality changed drastically as a result. She subjected young Marina to inhumane abuse, plunging Marina's childhood into darkness.]

Main Quest Two: Saving Childhood Friend - Shizuka Kuze

[Description: Kuze Shizuka's mother was Marina's father's mistress. Marina, who suffered abuse at home, inflicted all her misfortunes on Kuze Shizuka because of this, plunging Shizuka's life into darkness and twisting her personality.]

Therefore, to prevent this tragedy from happening again, please find a way to save these two girls and prevent it from repeating itself.

[Quest Completion Rewards: 2 Vouchers for Granting Any Wish, 2 Amulets for Protection from Illness and Disaster, 100 Character Skill Points.]

[Mission Failure: Marina and Shizuka will relive their tragic lives, and may even die together.]

"..."

The system's words were still echoing in their minds, but An and Asuka were still in a daze.

He never imagined that Marina and Shizuka would have such a future. They both seemed pretty good, especially Marina, who was a lively and cheerful person who was a bit of a headache.

After a long while, An and Asuka gradually finished digesting all the information, and by then, the excitement of receiving a cheat code had subsided.

[Host, I hope you won't be too impatient. Saving people is not something that can be done overnight, but a long process.]

【If you're willing to do it, you definitely can. Besides, I'll be there to support you. We'll definitely succeed and prevent this tragedy from happening again!】

"..."

An and Asuka couldn't guarantee they could save the two girls, but the system was right; no matter what, they had to do it.

Whether it's to save their friends or for the system's rewards...

If you're willing to do it, you can definitely do it.

[System, when did Marina's tragedy begin?]

An and Asuka calmed down and asked the system.

Today, or rather, it has already begun.

Marina's mother discovered her husband's infidelity, and the two are currently arguing.

As soon as the system finished speaking, An and Asuka ran out.

Volume 1: Chapter 3 Childhood Sweethearts Are Friends

An and Asuka quickly arrived at the girl's door. He stood outside listening to the arguing and the sounds of pots and pans being smashed on the ground.

An and Asuka quickly pressed the doorbell, and the girl appeared in front of them shortly afterward.

The girl was no longer as cheerful as before; tears of grievance clung to her lovely face. Upon seeing An and Asuka, she immediately threw herself into his arms.

"Birds..."

Sensing the girl's unease, An and Asuka stiffened for a moment before reaching out to hug her back.

At this moment, he finally believed the system's words: Marina's future was cruel.

"Yes, I'm here."

"Waaaaah."

As if she had found her pillar of support, the girl, who had been holding back her sadness, could no longer hold back her tears.

The argument inside the room continued, while the girl's sobs outside the door grew increasingly muffled.

In the end, An and Asuka pushed the girl away from their embrace and took her hand as they walked home.

Rather than letting her keep listening to those two irresponsible adults arguing, it would be better to take her to our own home to calm down first.

Thanks to her decent grades in elementary school and her seemingly harmless demeanor, the girl's parents never suspected her.

"Birds...woooooo..."

Marina Kirisaka sat in a chair, crying without saying a word. This incident had dealt her a heavy blow.

The once reliable father inexplicably hit the mother, and the once gentle mother turned into a ferocious figure. When she watched the two of them fight, she felt as if her heart was about to break.

"Don't cry, it's okay."

An and Asuka sat beside her and gently comforted her, "It's normal to argue. Your aunt and uncle will make up in a couple of days."

"Really?" the girl asked, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Yes, it's true." An and Asuka nodded with a smile.

Even though he already knew the truth, there was nothing else he could do but comfort the girl at this point.

He can't very well say that your family will be torn apart soon, can he?

He believed that as long as he said that, the girl would stop talking to him the next day.

"By the way, you haven't eaten yet, have you?"

"Ah."

The girl reluctantly agreed. Her table was originally covered with delicious food, but in the blink of an eye, it was all swept onto the floor.

"That's perfect, I haven't eaten either. You sit down for a bit while I go cook some noodles."

An and Asuka patted Marina's head, then got up and ran towards the kitchen. A moment later, they came out carrying two large bowls of steaming noodles.

"If you don't have enough to eat, just let me know."

"it is good......"

Marina listened to the boy's concern, then looked down at the noodles in front of her, and large tears welled up and fell into her bowl.

The steaming noodles emitted an enticing aroma, and the warm steam seemed to temporarily dispel some of the coldness and sadness in the air.

Marina sobbed and wiped her tears with her sleeve, then picked up her chopsticks and began to eat in small bites. Perhaps she was truly hungry, or perhaps the company of An and Asuka gave her a sense of security; she ate quickly.

An and Asuka didn't speak, but simply stayed quietly by her side, occasionally glancing worriedly towards the direction next door. The arguing seemed to have subsided somewhat, but it hadn't completely stopped; it lingered like muffled thunder, pounding at one's heartstrings.

[System, what's the situation over there now?] He asked silently in his mind.

A temporary truce has been reached. Marina's father stormed out, and her mother is crying in her room.

An and Asuka felt slightly relieved, at least for the time being, there wouldn't be any more intense conflicts. He looked at the girl opposite him; her bowl of noodles was quickly emptied, but she held her chopsticks, her eyes still empty and lost, clearly not focused on the food at all.

"Asuka..." Marina's voice was thick with nasal congestion as she asked softly and uncertainly, "Mom and Dad... will they really make up?"

An and Asuka put down their chopsticks and looked at her intently. He knew that simple comfort was inadequate, but at this moment he had to give her some support.

“I don’t know if they’ll make up right away,” he said, choosing a more cautious approach, but with a firm tone, “but I know that whatever happens, it’s not Marina’s fault. And you still have me, I’ll be there for you.”

This was not an empty promise, but his determination.

Marina's tears welled up again, but this time it seemed to be not just because of sadness, but also mixed with a sense of grievance and emotion at being understood.

She nodded vigorously: "Yes!"

Once Marina's emotions had calmed down a bit, An and Asuka decided to take her home. After all, he hadn't gotten her parents' permission to bring the girl out, and they needed to know at least that Marina was safe.

"Come on, I'll take you home."

An and Asuka extended their hands to Marina, and the girl took them without hesitation. She still held onto a glimmer of hope, thinking that perhaps her parents would reconcile by the time she got home.

An and Asuka took the girl home, only to find her mother sitting at the door.

When the other person saw Marina behind him, a glimmer of light appeared in their eyes, which were originally filled with panic and sadness.

"Marina!"

She hugged the girl tightly, sobbing with relief, "Marina, where did you run off to? Do you know how worried your mother was?"

"I'm sorry, Mom..." Marina murmured her apology softly.

"You silly child..."

Marina's mother's tone was a mix of sadness and relief. Then she looked up and saw An and Asuka standing to the side, and forced a smile: "Thank you for taking care of Marina."

"Auntie, you're too kind. It's what I should do," Anhe Asuka replied politely, carefully observing her emotional state.

Although the woman in front of him was emotionally agitated, she seemed to have temporarily regained her senses and did not show any signs of "mental disorder" as the system had described.

It seems that it was a gradual process of deterioration.

[System, does this mean that if we intervene in time, things might turn around?]

After An and Asuka told the system their thoughts, they asked each other in their minds.

[Possibly. After all, it takes time for negative emotions to accumulate and eventually erupt, so early intervention might indeed be more effective.]

The system provided a calm analysis.

An and Asuka felt a little more at ease. He looked at the woman who was tightly holding her daughter, as if clinging to the last piece of driftwood, and then at Marina, who was both dependent and afraid in his arms.

He felt he should protect her.

After all, if you really want to count, they were childhood sweethearts and good friends.

Volume 1: Chapter 4 The System Takes Effect

After watching Marina follow the woman into the house, An and Asuka breathed a sigh of relief before returning to their own homes.

He originally wanted to rest for a bit, but after thinking about it, he went to the kitchen and made two simple stir-fries. After sealing them with plastic wrap, he went to the girl's house.

After knocking, the woman quickly came into view.

"Auntie, you haven't eaten yet, have you? I made you something to eat."

An and Asuka spoke first, handing over the dishes they were holding as they spoke.

Seeing this, the woman quickly declined, saying, "This, this won't do."

"It's okay, this is what I left over from earlier. I thought you might not have eaten it, so I brought it over."

"this......"

"If Auntie doesn't like it, then I'll take it back."

Seeing that the woman was still somewhat conflicted, An and Asuka took a step back and made an apologetic gesture as they prepared to leave.

"Birds".

As expected, the woman stopped him, looking conflicted. In the end, she couldn't bear to refuse the kindness of this warm-hearted boy and said, "Feiniao, thank you. You've really gone to a lot of trouble."

"It's no trouble at all." Anhe Feibiao smiled and shook her head, saying, "Auntie, please eat well. Everything will be alright."

"Um......"

"Then I'll be going now."

"Bird, be careful on the road."

The bowls and plates in my palms were still warm, clearly freshly cooked.

The woman was touched; a warmth welled up in her heart, which had just been deeply hurt.

An and Asuka returned home and began to carefully consider how to save Marina.

The little things we're doing now are obviously not going to be very effective. To save Marina and Shizuka, we need to keep an eye on her father and prevent him from having an affair.