Green plums cannot become lovers.

"Don't just look at me, will you agree or not? To become your childhood sweetheart."

Even if I don't agree, doesn't our current relationship qualify?

"Yes, that's true."

When Banai saw that Anzu had come to her senses, she suddenly felt a little ashamed when she remembered her loud announcement earlier.

Volume One: Chapter Fifty-Two - A Bright Future

The summer sun shines on the bustling afternoon.

The girl beside him seemed to realize that what she had just said was too embarrassing, so she fell silent.

An and Asuka were happy to remain quiet and did not press their advantage. However, this silence did not last long, and the girl's voice regained its energy.

"That Anhe classmate..."

"Ok?"

"Our school is having an anniversary celebration next weekend!"

"Wow, does the United Nations know about something this big?"

An and Asuka glanced at her, wondering what their school's anniversary celebration had to do with him.

"Oh, don't be so cold."

The girl didn't seem to care about An and Asuka's teasing at all, and continued, "Our school will be open to the public then, you can come and play with me."

"Not interested." An and Asuka refused without even thinking. If it weren't for the teacher's insistence, he wouldn't even bother to participate in his own school's anniversary celebration, let alone another school's.

"Don't be so quick to refuse. Our school's anniversary celebration is a lot of fun."

Seeing that the boy refused so readily, Bana became a little anxious.

What's so interesting about it?

"There are lots of activities, lots of delicious food, fun activities, and it's very lively..."

“Our school also has all of these activities for its anniversary celebrations,” An and Asuka said. “In fact, I’ve participated five times.”

"..."

Upon hearing this, Banami was speechless, and her previously expectant expression faded. Anwa and Asuka, seeing this, felt a sense of helplessness.

He asked curiously, "Why do you insist on inviting me?"

Upon hearing this, Banai saw that Anja immediately perked up again. Since the boy had asked this question, it meant that he had already agreed.

"Because, because I made it known to everyone."

"Everyone? Your classmates?"

“Mhm.” Seeing Anja nod vigorously, Bana said, “I’ll tell them I know the third-place winner from last year’s competition, and I’ll bring him over so everyone can meet him.”

"You bastard..."

An and Asuka didn't know what to say. Even he himself had never mentioned this ranking before. Then, this guy not only remembered it but also took it out to show off to his classmates.

"Please, Anhe, please help me."

"Don't come any closer."

"No, if you don't help me, I'll keep sticking to you and I'll make you burn!"

As Anja spoke, Bana rubbed against Anwa and Asuka.

"Okay, I'll go."

"Really? That's great!"

"I told you not to stick to me like that!"

Seeing that the girl was getting even more and more aggressive in sticking close to him, An and Asuka couldn't help but pat her on the head.

Back home, the two girls immediately collapsed onto the sofa. An afternoon of playing had exhausted them.

Soon after, the two closed their eyes and fell asleep leaning against each other, their golden and black hair intertwined, appearing so intimate.

In the storyline given to him by the system, the two girls had tragic backgrounds, became enemies, and ultimately neither had a good ending.

But now, they have become good friends, eating, studying, playing, helping each other, and sharing happiness together.

Saving them was one of the best decisions he had ever made in his life; otherwise, he couldn't imagine the two of them becoming enemies and being hurt.

An and Asuka watched the two sleeping, and the corners of their mouths involuntarily turned up slightly.

This is probably the best friendship in the world, and he couldn't help but feel proud of everything he had done.

As An and Asuka watched, they suddenly remembered what Anami Anna had said to them.

He didn't really understand the kind of 'liking' she was talking about, nor did he understand what kind of feeling it was.

Is it reckless? Is it genuinely for you? Is it selfless? Or is it simply wanting them to be happy?

If this is what liking someone means, then he might like them, but if that's all there is to it, then the scope is still too broad.

Parents, children, siblings, friends, confidants... No matter what role most people play, they will still strive for someone.

After thinking it over, An and Asuka decided to let things take their course. If one day he truly understood his own heart, he would tell them without hesitation.

So for now, he should just focus on living his own life. Besides, neither of the two girls has any feelings for him that go beyond friendship, so there's no need for him to overthink it.

[Shizuka Kuze’s favorability: 89]

Marina's favorability rating: 89

Both of them remained at the level of 'close childhood friends,' just one step away from becoming lovers.

Hmm... According to the settings in novels and comics, if the male lead has done this much, he will most likely win the female lead's heart.

Is it really because they're childhood sweethearts that they're both still in '89?

Well, this is pretty good too. Anyway, he never expected them to reciprocate his feelings for him after all he did for them.

All he could think about was that they could be happy.

On the other side, looking at the satisfied An and Asuka, the system couldn't help but wipe the coolant dripping from its forehead.

Now that things have come to this, it's impossible to admit that the favorability rating system has already been overloaded.

The affection level for these two girls has probably already reached the heavens, and as for the rest, it's simply impossible to figure it out.

All the current favorability records are no longer accurate, meaning the host can no longer make choices based on the character's favorability.

What will happen then is beyond even its imagination.

"You have class tomorrow, so you should go to bed early tonight."

"Especially Marina, you're not allowed to sneak into my room at night, understand?"

An and Asuka gave the two girls some instructions, and only after seeing them obediently nod did they turn off the lights and return to their own rooms.

Because of her aunt's work, Marina has been living at her house for a while now. However, she only stays there when her aunt's factory requires her to work the night shift, to ensure Marina's safety.

At first she was very well-behaved, but later she would do some frustrating things, such as liking to crawl into his bed.

However, it was precisely because of her noise that their home became more lively.

It would be nice if the three of them could form a family, so they could support each other and walk together forever.

Moreover, everyone is growing. Shizuka recently received her first royalty payment, which, although not a lot, was enough to cover her living expenses for several days.

Marina unintentionally revealed her talent for drawing; if properly nurtured, she will surely achieve great things.

In addition, Aunt Yunmu Saka also faces life positively and works hard to support her family. Now she not only no longer needs his help, but also helps him in return, which has greatly reduced his pressure.

Looking at it this way, doesn't their future seem bright?

Volume 1: Chapter 53 It's you again!

Unlike their school, which is located on the outskirts of the city, Banami's school is located in the heart of the city.

In terms of both scale and resources, it is much better than their school, but the various fees are also relatively higher.

On the day of the school's anniversary, the school gate was bustling with people.

An and Asuka, wearing baseball caps, arrived at the door alone. He had originally intended to bring his two daughters with him, but one needed to complete a manuscript submission for a publishing house, and the other needed to practice drawing, so neither of them could come.

After waiting a short while at the entrance, a familiar figure came into view. The girl's height was only average for her age, and she could easily be obscured by the crowd, but her familiar blue hair was very eye-catching, making her stand out at a glance.

An and Asuka took the initiative to walk over, and when Bana saw Anna walk around the crowd, she saw the boy standing in front of her.

"Peace and safety!"

Her expression brightened, and she reached out to grab Anwa Asuka's hand, but Anwa Asuka dodged it.

"Just lead the way, I'll just follow you."

It was at least 35 degrees Celsius that day, unbearably hot. Plus, this was the girl's school, and if they were discovered holding hands, some gossipy people would probably start spreading rumors again.

This isn't his school, so it's best to be careful.

"Okay, then you'd better stay close!"

Seeing that Anzu didn't seem to care, Bana turned around and walked happily towards the school. Just now, she had been bragging to her friends that the boy who came in third place in the competition last time was coming today, but everyone was still skeptical.

This was exactly what she wanted; she couldn't wait to see the expressions of surprise followed by envy on her friends' faces.

If they could act even closer to the boy, making their relationship seem even better than they imagined, that would be even better. Ideally, this should be unintentional, so as to demonstrate their familiarity with each other.

Just thinking about it made Banami Anina's lips curl into a smile.

What are you grinning about?

An and Asuka looked at the smiling girl and couldn't help but ask.

"Anhe, could you be a little more affectionate with me later? Ideally..."

When Banami heard Anna express her thoughts, An and Asuka couldn't help but glance at her, but in the end they nodded in agreement.

"Okay, apricot."

"Eh, apricot vegetable?"

"..."

An and Asuka looked at the somewhat dazed girl and took a deep breath. Fortunately, Anna quickly recovered and cheerfully called out, "Asuka~"

Since they met last summer, and despite having a good relationship, this is the first time they've called each other by name so directly.

She almost didn't react.

"By the way, do your friends know me?"

An and Asuka were a little curious. Judging from the girl's description, they should know him, or at least have seen his previous match.

But that's about all there is to it; it doesn't even qualify as acquaintance, let alone any enthusiasm.

Is this guy being fooled?

"Why would I ask you to come over if I didn't know you?"

Upon hearing this, An and Asuka tried to recall in their minds how they met her friend, but they couldn't remember at all.

Do you really want to get to know him just because you watched one of his matches? That's a bit too much like something out of a romantic drama.

"Let me tell you, the fourth and sixth place winners in that competition were my friends. You know perfectly well what you did to them!"

“.Dove Bell Pomegranate V?I Shrimp Count....."

Upon hearing what Anzu said, Yasuhiro and Asuka quickly remembered. He had indeed frequently communicated with other contestants during the competition to gather information, and would even help comfort and reassure some nervous contestants.

If that's the case, then it makes sense that the girl's friend knows her.

However, he didn't remember the names or faces of the fourth and sixth place winners. During that competition, he only cared about himself and Nanami.

An and Asuka thought the girl would take them directly to her friend, but the friend was called by her teacher to help move things as soon as they arrived at the school building.

The girl left looking annoyed after leaving her seat in the classroom.

Not knowing when the other person would return to class, An and Asuka decided to wander around on their own.

I thought elementary school anniversary celebrations wouldn't be fun, but it's obvious that my own school's wasn't fun at all.

Schools with large populations tend to have more diverse projects and creative ideas, and they also have substantial financial support. However, due to limited travel funds, he could only look at most of them.