Green plums cannot become lovers.

"I'm just giving an example."

"If you're going to give an example, at least give one that sounds nice."

"Um......"

"Fine, I give up. Let's not think about this anymore."

Seeing the boy's troubled expression, Hoshino Ai finally gave up.

Volume 1: Chapter 60 You Are Also Being Loved

Every day before, Hoshino Ai would look forward to the end of school, because then she could escape the gossip around her and return to that warm orphanage.

Although none of the children in the orphanage had parents, and the headmistress was very old, it was the only place where she wouldn't feel any pain in her hands.

And now, she also looks forward to getting out of school early every day so that she can return to that warm orphanage sooner.

But she no longer sought solace or comfort in a group; instead, a boy would wait for her to come home every day after school.

He would tell her stories, teach her how to do her homework, play games with her, buy her snacks... He would take her to experience everything she couldn't experience at school, again and again.

He said he would keep doing this until she was satisfied. She can still clearly remember the expression on his face when he said that.

Smiling, I looked at her intently.

He was truly a wonderful young man; it seemed that all the best qualities were embodied in him, making him shine like the sun.

Of course, he was also very strict in some aspects, such as studies.

The boy was even more anxious about her studies than her teacher, and every day after school he would check on her learning progress.

And her academic performance was, of course, terrible.

She was always bullied at school, even during class, so she had to focus more on prevention most of the time, which caused her to fall behind in her studies.

Although she didn't think she was stupid, she was sure she could learn it if the teacher was willing to teach her again when she asked for help.

But not even once. No matter how much she asked the teacher for help, they would just chase her away. This led to her not knowing more and more things, and her grades getting worse and worse.

Sometimes, a miserable family situation not only fails to elicit pity from others, but is instead seen as a grave sin.

But ever since the boy decided to teach her to read, she has made noticeable progress almost every day. Moreover, she feels that the boy teaches better and more clearly than her teachers, allowing her to absorb information very quickly.

She improved by a full ten places in the last exam, which surprised even the teacher.

Just by looking into their eyes, she could tell that they were wondering if she had cheated, since she had almost always been at the bottom of her class in previous exams.

But who cares? As long as the boy is willing to teach her, she'll eventually make them speechless.

"Love, what are you thinking? Listen to the lesson."

An and Asuka gently tapped the table, waking the girl who was lost in thought. Hoshino Ai snapped out of her reverie and quickly looked back at her textbook.

"Final exams are in two days. You promised me you'd get into the top 15 of the class. If you don't, you can forget about having a good summer vacation."

"I will work hard."

Hoshino Ai also recalled the bold promise she had made to the boy before, saying that he must get close to the top fifteen in the class this time, or else he would let him do whatever he wanted with him.

Therefore, she needs to work hard.

"Then let's continue the lesson. Next, let's look at this question."

The closer the important exam got, the gentler the boy became. If it were me in the past, if I had dared to daydream in class, I probably would have been hit on the forehead the next second.

But now he only gave a gentle reminder, as if he didn't want to put too much pressure on himself.

This boy truly considered her to the extreme. Whether it was his gentle side or his stern side, he was as warm as sunshine, making people want to get closer.

Their tutoring sessions usually end at 6 p.m., which is the time when the sun sets and the evening glow paints half the sky red in the summer.

"I won't be coming tomorrow. You should relax and have some fun."

An and Asuka stood at the orphanage gate, bidding farewell to the girl. But upon hearing that the boy wouldn't be coming tomorrow, Hoshino Ai's expectant expression vanished.

Seeing this, An and Asuka chuckled and said, "You're not happy about giving me a day off?"

"Well......"

"Stop pouting like a pufferfish." Anhe Asuka pinched the girl's cheek and said, "I'll come find you after your final exams, it's only two days anyway."

"All right......"

Two days felt like a long time to her. After spending the last two weeks together, she felt herself becoming more and more dependent on the boy in front of her, like a moth drawn to a flame.

"Then goodbye."

"Okay, goodbye."

Hoshino Ai waved goodbye, suppressing her reluctance. She watched the boy's figure gradually disappear into the sunset, but she didn't leave the spot until he was completely gone.

Even now, thinking back on it still feels somewhat like a dream.

In the darkest moment of her life, a boy actually appeared out of nowhere and changed her originally hopeless life.

How could there be such a young man, and how could she have happened to meet him? She was so lucky.

Thinking about all the little moments she shared with that boy, Hoshino Ai's lips involuntarily curved into a slight smile. It wasn't until a frail, aged voice suddenly sounded beside her that she snapped back to reality.

"Do you love that child?"

"Oh, Grandma..."

Hoshino Ai felt a little flustered when she was suddenly asked this question.

"Don't feel embarrassed. It's normal for a child your age to like someone."

"Not to mention children like Asuka."

The grandmother had a kind face, and the boy's performance over the past two weeks had been remarkable. Not only did he stay to help after the charity event ended, easing her burden considerably, but he also took time to tutor the large group of children.

Xiao Ai, in particular, made rapid progress in her grades in just half a month under his teaching.

But none of that matters. What matters is that she feels Xiao Ai has found someone she can truly rely on.

A responsible, loving, and talented person who is both strong and gentle, even though the other person is only twelve years old, already has a shoulder to lean on.

She has lived for over ninety years and has seen all sorts of people; sometimes she can see right through a person's true nature at a glance.

That boy has a pure heart, and his future is equally immeasurable. If Xiao Ai goes with him, she will surely be very happy in the future.

"Grandma, we're still young."

Seemingly having her thoughts exposed, Hoshino Ai said somewhat embarrassedly.

She thought her mother-in-law would restrain herself because of this, but the other party said instead:

"So what if you're small? It's not like you can't grow up."

"Xiao Ai, one of the purest feelings in the world is childhood sweethearts, innocent and carefree."

"You'd better seize this opportunity, or you'll regret it someday."

"Xiao Ai, you don't need to worry about whether you're good enough for her..."

"Because you are also loved by birds."

"..."

The mother-in-law's words were as gentle as a breeze, stirring the girl's heartstrings.

Volume 1: Chapter 61 The Time That Moves Forward

The child named Hoshino Ai grew up in a family called 'hell'. From a very young age, her ears were filled not with the gentle words of her parents, but with endless arguments and broken sounds.

As she grew a little older, the arguments gradually decreased and eventually disappeared completely, but the sounds of objects falling and breaking increased, and she gradually began to have many scars on her body.

The burning sensation of a slap on the face, the blood clots from a whip, the cuts from a sharp weapon... every kind of pain was so unforgettable.

Her mother's piercing screams and resentful voice sounded like those of a zombie, and every time she heard them, she felt terrified, as they were always directed at her.

So from a very young age, the little girl knew that she was not loved by anyone, not even her own parents.

However, she still held onto a tiny glimmer of hope, thinking that if she were in the outside world, there would surely be someone who would love her.

But no, no one liked her. Later, dislike turned into disgust and ridicule because people found out that her mother had been arrested for stealing, and she became an orphan.

Being alone at school is really tough. There are bugs in the drawer, thumbtacks in the boots, glue and doodles on the desk, backpacks that are hidden somewhere, and books that are soaked... It took her a long time to get used to it, from struggling to cope at the beginning to being able to handle it now.

Unsurprisingly, she was bullied during the school celebration that day. It was a celebration for all the teachers and students, but she was the only one excluded.

Six years of school life, and not even a single happy memory remains.

If this is the price of longing for love, then she really can't bear it; it's just too painful.

That day, as she listened to the hustle and bustle outside, she thought to herself that she no longer wanted to be loved, and she didn't want to be hurt anymore.

However, it seemed that fate did not want her to give up so easily, and at that moment a young man was brought into her life.

He chased away the bullies who were tormenting her, and, ignoring the stares of her classmates, led her around everywhere. He even took her to an event and gave her a rag doll.

His once withered heart gradually regained its vitality through his gentle nurturing.

That boy was different from everyone else... Of course, this was just her wishful thinking.

If that boy had known his background, knew that he was an orphan and had a mother who was a thief, he probably wouldn't have treated him that way.

She felt she had to keep this a secret from the boy because he said he would come to visit her again, and she didn't want to lose this hard-won friendship.

But he still found out, and the secret wasn't kept for more than two days.

She watched as the boy came to her 'home' and played happily with everyone. At that moment, she wanted to run away but was arrested by him.

It turned out he already knew her secret, but even so, he didn't show any disgust.

His words were blunt and harsh, yet they repeatedly melted away her inner unease.

"How wonderful it would be to see him every day!" she thought to herself. And the boy seemed to have heard her wish, for he continued to come to the orphanage every day even after the charity event ended.

From then on, she had something new to look forward to every day.

It turns out, she really can receive love.

Shouldn't she also give all her love?

[Hoshino Ai's Affection Level: 89]

[Host, that's quite impressive. You've reached this level in just half a month.]

The system chuckled dryly and informed An and Asuka of the good news.

[Wow, it's rising so fast!]

An and Asuka were also somewhat surprised. He thought that girls with psychological trauma would be more difficult to please, like Shizuka... No, even Shizuka's affection for him seemed to be rising very quickly, reaching over eighty in less than half a month.

[Yes, yes, to reward the host for their diligence, the system will award the host an extra 500,000 yen in the form of royalties.]

[Oh?] There are extra rewards for this.

but

[Xiaomei, why is there an extra reward this time?]

He had never heard of such a thing as an extra reward before.

Upon hearing Anhe Asuka's question, the system flashed and quickly replied:

[Because the host behaved very well, Hoshino Ai's condition returned to normal; otherwise, she might have collapsed if things had continued like this.]

I see.

If that's the case, then it makes sense.

Thank you, Mei.

An and Asuka nodded upon hearing this, then smiled and thanked the system.

【...】

"Waaah, host, I'm so sorry..." Faced with An and Asuka's sincerity, the system could only weep silently in its heart.

No, I must do more to benefit the host from now on!

The system thought this to itself, but received no response, and An and Asuka didn't care.

He exited the conversation with the system and glanced down at the extra 500,000 yen in his pocket.