Green plums cannot become lovers.

"You scoundrel...!"

Songyue Ying realized that the boy was teasing her for crying like a child. She was both angry and wanted to cry. Her brows furrowed and relaxed, and she didn't know what expression to make.

However, looking at the boy in front of her, who not only wasn't sad but could even joke with her, she figured it must be true, as he said, that he didn't think his life was that bad.

That way, she could feel a little more at ease.

Matsue Sakura grabbed a tissue from the side and wiped away her tears. Then she got up and walked to An and Asuka's side, giving him a big hug before he could react.

"Go for it, Asuka!"

The hug ended abruptly, and then Matsue Sakura walked out of the house without looking back.

She has something she absolutely must do now.

After that day, An and Asuka's lives remained unchanged. No one was afraid to hurt him when they were with him, and no one bothered to laugh at him.

However, he could still tell that the teachers were taking better care of him, especially Ms. Songyue, who would often bring him gifts to visit him. On the surface, she would arrogantly order him to cook for her, but in reality, she was saving him a lot of money.

Sometimes, he would hear from Teacher Songyue that certain teachers had bought him certain items. It would be a lie to say he wasn't moved by this; he felt as if he had been fed by many different families.

Now that things have come to this, it's impossible for him to give up even if he wanted to.

【Matsuzuki Sakura's Affection Level: 100】

[Xiaomei, what does the heart icon above Songyue-sensei's affection level mean?]

【Xiaomei, I don't know either.】

Swallows landed on the eaves, a warm breeze carried fragrance, and the melting of the last piece of ice and snow completely took away the traces of winter.

After spring break, everyone moved up to sixth grade.

Once you reach this level, your status in school is practically second only to the top student, given the strict hierarchy among elementary school students.

With no more worries weighing on their minds, An and Asuka had more time to do what they wanted.

The school gave him the right to use the music room and musical equipment freely, so whenever he had free time, he would take his guitar and find the most crowded place on campus to play, thus earning the admiring glances of his younger schoolmates.

Being admired by others can be a splendid experience, though the main purpose is, of course, to gain more stage experience.

After all, once you decide to take this path, you can't rely on the system for everything. If you depend entirely on the system, and it suddenly disappears one day, you might become a disabled person without crutches.

[How rude of me, host! I'm not going to suddenly disappear.]

Yes, yes.

After reassuring the system in her mind, An and Asuka continued playing their instrument.

As the song ended, enthusiastic applause erupted from the crowd.

"Anhe is so amazing!"

"We like you, Shidai Anhejun!"

"Waaaaah, I really want to lock Anhe in the basement and make him play for me alone!"

"Flying bird...hehe..."

Hearing the cheers of the people around them, An and Asuka lightly strummed the strings, ready to continue playing the next piece.

But when his gaze swept across the crowd and he saw a familiar figure, his eyes immediately lit up. Then, without hesitation, he walked towards that figure and grabbed the person's hand.

"Nanami, you've come at the right time. Let's perform together."

"Huh? I, I just need to watch."

"You can't improve just by watching."

Without saying a word, An and Asuka grabbed the girl's hand and led her to their 'stage'.

He still felt somewhat indebted to this girl. Since the end of that competition, he had been busy with Shizuka and Marina's issues and had rarely visited her.

Although they eventually finished their busy schedules and their lives returned to normal, they gradually started communicating more, but they never performed together.

I was the one who took the initiative to form the 'Bluebird' duo with her in the first place, but now I've ignored her for so long, which is really wrong of me.

"..."

Looking at the boy in front of her, Aoyama Nanami simply couldn't refuse his enthusiasm.

I was originally just an unknown nobody, but I was repeatedly brought into the spotlight by the other party, and ended up where I am today.

Thinking about it carefully, she realized that she had never properly thanked him even once.

I'll find an opportunity to tell him everything that's been nagging at me.

Aoyama Nanami thought to herself as she looked at the boy with an encouraging smile.

As for now, let's finish this performance with him.

Volume 1: Chapter 48 The Encounter of Aoyama Nanami

The two's performance won applause from the audience, but An and Asuka just looked at the girl beside them without saying a word.

The girl's eyes couldn't hide her worries; even her smile couldn't conceal the sorrow in them.

Moreover, the song they had just performed was one they had practiced together many times, yet she made several mistakes in a row, which made him even more suspicious.

The girl must have encountered something.

Is it due to family reasons?

Anhe Asuka's Third Death ⊙ Abandoned |?| Scarface One of the suspects is the girl's family.

He recalled how, after the match that day, the girl's father looked remorseful and said he would try to understand her. So, had this attempt failed? Had her father reverted to his initial stubbornness?

Or perhaps she has something else on her mind?

An and Asuka couldn't fathom the girl's thoughts, nor did they want to. If possible, they preferred to ask directly.

If the girl is willing to answer, he is also willing to help her solve the problem. If she is not willing, he will still try to help her.

After all, they are good partners.

"Asuka, do you want to play again?"

"I'm not performing anymore."

Upon hearing the girl's question, An and Asuka quickly packed their things, and then, ignoring the other classmates' attempts to persuade them to stay, they pulled her away.

After struggling slightly, Aoyama Nanami let the boy pull her along. She now cherished every opportunity to be with the boy.

Finally, the two arrived at the music classroom.

This is where they first met, and since no one is using it at the moment, it has temporarily become their secret base.

Aoyama Nanami watched as the boy put the guitar back into the instrument cabinet, then walked towards her.

His gaze was deep, as if he could see right through the little secret hidden in her heart. However, she wasn't ready to tell him her secret.

The boy drew closer and closer, and Aoyama Nanami grew increasingly nervous until he stood in front of her, clenching his fist and placing it in front of her.

"Nanami, here you go."

The boy opened his fist, revealing a glistening fruit candy inside.

Aoyama Nanami immediately recalled how nervous she was when she faced the selection process, and how the boy had handed her a piece of fruit candy back then.

She still remembers that sweet and sour taste.

The boy noticed his own nervousness and comforted himself in the same way once again.

Aoyama Nanami remained silent for a moment, then slowly reached out and took the candy from the boy's hand.

She wanted to put the fruit candy in her pocket, but then she heard the boy's puzzled voice.

Aren't you going to eat?

"I... I want to keep it and take it home to eat..."

"That's a strange idea. Aren't you afraid your aunt and uncle will see it and confiscate it?"

An and Asuka looked at the young girl with amusement, but they didn't stop her. Instead, they took out another one from their pocket.

Then he peeled off half of the candy wrapper and held it to the girl's lips.

"Ah~"

"..."

Do you dislike me?

"No, no!"

Upon hearing An and Asuka's words, Aoyama Nanami immediately shook her head, then opened her mouth. The next second, a sweet taste spread throughout her mouth.

So sweet, it's sweet to the core.

"Is it tasty?"

"Well, it's delicious."

A single piece of fruit candy easily melted away the low spirits of the past few days, and Aoyama Nanami couldn't help but squint his eyes, revealing a satisfied expression.

"But we can't let it go to waste; Nanami will have to pay the price."

"Huh? But Asuka didn't say there would be a price to pay."

"Idiot, if I had told you beforehand, would you still have eaten it?"

"Hmm..." Upon hearing this, Aoyama Nanami was speechless for a moment. She had been so easily fooled by the boy.

"Don't worry, I won't let you do anything excessive." An and Asuka raised the corners of their mouths slightly and said, "For example, I won't let you say 'I like Asuka' in front of everyone."

boom!

An and Asuka's words startled the girl. When she came to her senses, she felt as if something had gone wrong in her mind, leaving her feeling dizzy.

She likes birds...

Looking at the girl's appearance, An and Asuka realized that their joke had gone too far.

"Sorry, Nanami, I won't do that. I just thought you were like a kitten, so I wanted to tease you a little."

"Huh? A kitten?"

Is Fei, Asuka praising her cuteness? Aoyama Nanami's face turned even redder.

"Oh, if you don't like kittens, puppies are fine too, since both kittens and puppies are cute."

"Fly, birds..."

Stop talking, or she really won't be able to take it anymore.

Although I already knew that the boy was the kind of person who was outgoing and knew how to compliment others, his blunt self-description was just too much to bear.

Seeing the girl looking completely disoriented, An and Asuka's smiles widened even further.

This girl is too easily embarrassed. If it were Marina, she would have already pounced on her. But she should be feeling better now.

No matter what troubles him, he hoped they would disappear from her heart as soon as possible.

As An and Asuka thought to themselves, they turned around and walked to the piano, sat down, opened the lid, and placed their hands on the keys.

Then, cheerful music suddenly filled the entire music classroom.

After a while, Aoyama Nanami's complexion gradually returned to normal, and An and Asuka immediately waved to her.

"Nanami, come here."

"..."

Aoyama Nanami pursed her lips, still a little shy, and walked over. But as soon as she reached the piano, she was pulled to sit next to the boy.

"Nanami, is there any song you'd like to hear? I'll play it for you for free today for a limited time."

"Whatever, whatever..."

She enjoys listening to any music played by a young boy.

"Whatever, it's really frustrating."

What's easy is the hardest.

"Then, then..."

Upon realizing that he had caused the boy distress, Aoyama Nanami immediately tried to make amends, but at that moment the piano music started playing again.