Green plums cannot become lovers.

"Kuse-kun must be very hungry."

Kuze Shizuka, who had been looking at the ground, subconsciously looked at the girl in front of her after hearing those words.

"You've been clutching your stomach the whole time."

"I, I..."

“I saw it all, so lying won’t work.”

Kuze Shizuka, who had intended to say something to brush it off, fell silent upon hearing these words, unsure of how to respond.

She also didn't know why the boy in front of her had gone to such lengths to expose her facade; she just felt a little sad.

He could have pretended not to know anything and saved himself some face, but he insisted on exposing her.

However, she couldn't get angry because of this. The boy in front of her was very popular in the class, and if she went against him, she would definitely be targeted by the other students.

Besides, he had just helped her that morning.

"Um......"

Kuze Shizuka finally admitted that she was very hungry and waited for what might happen to her next.

What could it be? Laughter or charity? It doesn't matter what it is, as long as she's not bullied.

If she gets bullied again, she might not be able to get out of bed tomorrow.

"Let's go eat together then."

"Huh?"

Kuze Shizuka blinked, somewhat taken aback. Had she misheard? She probably had.

I said, "Let's go eat together."

Only after the boy repeated himself did Shizuka Kuze realize that she hadn't misheard.

It wasn't mockery or charity; the boy in front of me had a smile on his lips and simply invited me to have a meal.

"But, but..."

The unexpected turn of events left Shizuka Kuze momentarily speechless.

"Let's go, Shizuka."

An and Asuka grasped the girl's slender wrist, which was resting on the table, and pulled her up without a word, leading her outside.

Kuze Shizuka tried to struggle but couldn't break free, or rather, she didn't even try.

She didn't dare to use too much force, nor did she want to break free.

She looked at the boy's back in front of her, then looked down at him holding her hand.

He grasped my hand so easily, and called out my name so readily, as if we had a very good relationship.

Their relationship was not good at all; apart from being classmates, they were completely like strangers.

In fact, she had once fantasized about having a good friend, and she would often secretly watch the boy in front of her interacting with others.

He was academically excellent, good-looking, and had a cheerful personality. He got along well with everyone in the class, but it seemed he had forgotten about himself.

Of course, this can't be blamed on him, because he deliberately curled up his body, blocking all communication with the outside world.

But this time, the trick didn't seem to work. Even though he had shrunk into a corner, he was still pulled out.

Completely disregarding whether she was willing or not.

"I... I didn't bring a lunchbox."

Kuze Shizuka said this, thinking that the boy might be afraid that she was freeloading, and then let go of her hand.

"It's okay, I'll share with you."

"..."

Still not the response she had imagined, Shizuka Kuze said again, "But, I'm dirty and an eyesore, and I'll affect your appetite."

"Who said that? Shizuka is clearly so cute."

The boy stopped, smiled, and said something to her. Behind him was a window, and outside the window was a blue sky.

Shizuka Kuze stared at her blankly.

The June sky is vast and clear, a gentle breeze rustles outside the window, and two white clouds drift lazily by.

It's a very beautiful sight.

But if it were only that, it would lack a certain liveliness.

However... if one were to take in the smiling boy by the window, one would be captivated by this breathtakingly beautiful scene.

Volume 1: Chapter 8 The Meeting That Changed the World Line

We followed the boy to the secret base he mentioned, which was a lawn located behind the teaching building.

She saw the blonde girl sitting not far away. She was one of the top students in the class, with beautiful blonde hair and a delicate face. She was also the boy's best friend, and they spent almost every day together.

Upon seeing Marina, Shizuka Kuze instinctively tried to retract her hand, but she failed.

The boy easily led her to the blonde girl's side.

"Marina, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

"Asuka, what are you doing... wait, why did you bring her here?"

Marina was initially happy, but when she saw that the boy was holding hands with a girl from their class who wasn't with them, she changed her tune and questioned him.

"Since Shizuka hasn't eaten, I thought it would be good for us to eat together."

"what?"

"Is that not allowed?"

“Well, it’s not impossible.” Marina shook her head, her eyes filled with confusion. “But why so suddenly?”

In the morning, the boy helped her avoid punishment from the teacher, which she could accept as him being helpful. But now he's holding her hand and bringing her to their secret hideout.

This all seems so sudden, and when did they become so close?

"Sudden? Actually, I've been planning to be friends with Shizuka for a long time, and I'm only just finding the opportunity now."

As An and Asuka lied as they pulled Shizuka Kuze to sit on the grass. Once the girl sat down, she lowered her head nervously, the boy's words echoing in her mind.

Did you actually plan to be friends with her so early on?

"real or fake?"

"real."

"You've been hiding it quite well."

Marina puffed out her cheeks, looking a little jealous, and said, "I didn't expect the boy to have planned this from the beginning. What a lecherous fellow."

An and Asuka smiled but didn't say anything. Instead, they took out the bento from their bag, opened it, and placed it directly into the hands of Shizuka Kuze, who was standing next to them.

"Shizuka, come and eat."

The delicate bento box suddenly landed in her hands, heavy and still slightly warm to the touch. Kuze Shizuka looked up abruptly, bewildered, at Anwa Asuka.

"Eh? Anhe-kun... this, this is yours."

Her voice was barely audible, and she instinctively wanted to push the delicious-looking bento box back.

Inside were tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelet), fried chicken nuggets, neatly arranged mini sausages, and vibrant green broccoli; it looked incredibly delicious.

"It's okay, I'll just eat bread."

An and Asuka spoke casually, pulling a piece of bread from their pocket. They tore open the wrapper, broke the bread in half, and brazenly said to Marina:

"Maria, could you put some vegetables on my bread?"

Marina looked at Asuka's untroubled smile, then glanced at Kuze Shizuka, who was looking down and practically curling up into a ball, and felt very uncomfortable.

But in the end, she reluctantly snorted and took a piece of roasted pork from the lunchbox and put it into the bread.

"Here, let's eat."

She spoke as if it were charity, but An and Asuka didn't care about her tone.

"Thank you."

Shizuka Kuze held the bento box that belonged to Asuka, her fingertips trembling slightly. The aroma of the food was tempting, but she dared not touch it.

It all felt so unreal. The most popular boy in the class not only helped her out of the predicament but also took her to his and his best friend's secret hideout and even gave her his lunch.

"Eat up, Shizuka." Anwa Asuka urged vaguely with food in his mouth, his eyes still bright and friendly. "We have PE class this afternoon, you won't have any energy if you don't eat your fill."

“Yeah,” Marina seemed to have reluctantly accepted the situation, though her tone was still a bit awkward. “If you don’t eat, Asuka might just be happy to feed you again.”

"It's not that exaggerated."

An and Asuka retorted, "How could he do such a thing? This isn't a two-dimensional world, and he's not the sunny, handsome, gentle, and kind male protagonist from anime."

Kuze Shizuka's face instantly turned bright red.

She hurriedly lowered her head, whispered "I'm starting," and then carefully picked up a small piece of tamagoyaki with her slightly trembling chopsticks and put it in her mouth.

Slightly sweet, soft, and delicious.

It tasted completely different from what she usually ate.

She remembered eating it a long time ago, when her mother would make it for her, but she hadn't eaten it for a long time since the family tragedy.

A warmth slid down her esophagus, not only because of the temperature of the food, but also because of this sudden, somewhat unsettling kindness.

She secretly glanced up at the birds flying beside her.

He was telling Marina something funny, making her giggle, as if the little incident from before had never happened.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, dancing on his soft hair and smiling eyes, so bright it was almost blinding.

Kuze Shizuka ate her special lunch in silence, her heart filled with immense confusion and a tiny, barely perceptible hope that she dared not let grow.

Why is he so good to me?

The answer to this question, like the sweetness of the tamagoyaki in my mouth, is temporarily shrouded in a warm and blurry halo, making it difficult to see clearly.

But I could clearly feel the sensation of my stomach being full.

Before she knew it, she had finished her bento box. Looking at the empty bento box, Shizuka Kuze immediately looked up at the boy beside her.

He was looking at himself too.

"Are you full?"

This question made Shizuka Kuze blush slightly again. The portion of the bento box was clearly meant for a boy, and she had actually finished it all.

"Um......"

"Is it tasty?"

"Um......"

"I'll make it for you tomorrow."

"..."

He suddenly said something that left her speechless but also warmed her heart.

Kuze Shizuka lowered her head and fidgeted with her fingers, but refused, saying, "No, it's not necessary."

Once is enough; if she does it again, she might not be able to repay the other party's kindness.

Seeing this, An and Asuka knew exactly what she was thinking, so they said, "Don't worry, I won't let you eat and drink for free."

"Starting tomorrow, if you still want to eat, you'll have to do my homework for me. And when it's my turn to clean, you'll have to do all the cleaning too."

"It's fair to exchange your labor for food, isn't it?"

"..."

Volume 1: Chapter 9 Tell me, Kuze-kun.

The school bell rang like a pardon, instantly igniting a restless atmosphere in the classroom. The sounds of desks and chairs clattering, cheerful laughter, and zippers opening and closing mingled together as the children eagerly rushed to the door, eager to enjoy their free time after school.

"Bird, come home!"

Marina practically jumped up as the bell rang. She quickly packed her bag and rushed to An and Asuka's desk.