Green plums cannot become lovers.

However, he was also quite curious about which day the other party was referring to, as the girl seemed to have known him for much longer than he had imagined.

"Alright, let's go home."

Never mind, I'll ask again next time. If we really do meet again.

The scorching sun silenced the world, while vibrant greenery grew in the small courtyard before us.

An and Asuka sat under the eaves, their feet soaking in a basin of water that had become warm, and leisurely played their guitars.

There are no fixed pieces; I just play whatever comes to mind.

The weather forecast said it would be 36 or 37 degrees Celsius today, with a scorching heat in the air, but the occasional breeze brought some coolness, making it not so unbearable.

The world outside seemed even quieter amidst the chirping of cicadas, the sound of the wind, and the guitar. In contrast, the house was bustling with activity, with the voices of young girls occasionally drifting through the air.

"Flying bird!"

Just as An and Asuka were playing, the side door was opened and the girl's voice broke the silence in the courtyard.

An and Asuka paused in their movements, and the music stopped. Without turning around, he simply asked slowly, "Maria, what's wrong?"

"Ten thousand!"

"What, ten thousand?"

"View count!"

The girl replied excitedly, "The practice video we released last time has already surpassed 10,000 views!"

"You mean this?"

An and Asuka's tone remained relatively calm upon hearing this. He had indeed filmed a practice video of "I'm Sorry for Being So Cute" at school and posted it online, which was over half a month ago.

Ten thousand views in just over half a month... to be honest, that's too little, it's hard to get excited about it.

But compared to their previous videos, this is indeed a lot more. After all, among the dozen or so videos they released, the one with the most views only had a little over two thousand.

The internet is a complex and unpredictable place, so it's no wonder the girl was excited.

"The positive feedback rate is very high."

"Then let everyone hear it a little more."

"Aren't you going to take a look, Asuka?"

The girl was still quite excited. This was the first time they had received so much praise. After all, most of the videos they posted went unnoticed, and they were completely ignored.

"Let's wait and see."

An and Asuka kept their heads down and continued plucking the strings. After thinking for a moment, he reminded them, "Remember, it's okay to see other people's praise, but if someone asks for our specific information, you can't just give them a stupid answer."

"Don't believe those who sell health products or offer high-paying jobs."

The girls already have a basic understanding of computer operation and the internet; the most important thing now is to raise their security awareness.

"We know that."

As Marina spoke, she sat down next to An and Asuka, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Don't you feel hot?"

"It's nice to do this once in a while."

The girl rubbed against him contentedly, and An and Asuka, seeing this, didn't say anything and let the other stay close to them.

Yes, it's nice to have a leisurely break between busy studies.

Volume 1: Chapter 86 A Letter from Tokyo

An and Asuka also looked at the comments on the song they released. Most of them were positive, and of course, some people were guessing where they were from.

He wasn't worried about being recognized. Their school uniform style was used in many other areas, and everyone's face was blurred, so even people from the same area would have a hard time recognizing them from a video.

Then he checked the number of followers on their account, which was only a dozen or so, with little growth.

This is normal. The videos they released before were all uninformative, either short clips or practice segments, and they never actually appeared on screen.

Although I initially intended to manage it well, I was busy learning and practicing other things, so I didn't have much time or energy to pay attention to it.

Why not take advantage of this summer vacation to run it properly?

An and Asuka looked at the main content of their account and began to think.

On the tenth day of summer vacation, An and Asuka found a letter in the mailbox at their front door. The return address was Tokyo.

As if struck by a sudden realization, he quickly grabbed the letter and ran home, opening the envelope. Sure enough, the sender was the girl he hadn't seen for over a year—Aoyama Nanami.

To my friend

Asuka, how have you been lately? It's been over a month since we last contacted each other.

I really want to quit.

I'm doing great here. How are things going on where you are? I bet you're doing well too.

By the way, you guys should be on summer vacation by now, right? Actually, I'm writing this letter to invite you and everyone else to come and have fun.

Of course, if you don't have time, then forget it.

Looking down at the letter in their hands, An and Asuka couldn't help but smile. Compared to communicating by phone before, this traditional method was quite interesting.

Inviting him to visit Tokyo... that was something he'd never even considered. But he didn't have any other plans for summer vacation, so going out for a trip wasn't out of the question. After all, he'd never even left this city before, let alone seen a so-called international metropolis with his own eyes.

What is Tokyo really like? Is it as bustling as it appears on TV?

An and Asuka looked at the letter in their hands again and again for a while before putting it back on the table and getting up to prepare lunch.

When the three girls came downstairs, the first thing they saw was the letter on the table.

Shizuka picked it up curiously and gasped when she saw it was sent by a former friend. Seeing this, the other two girls also crowded around to take a look.

Just as he finished reading the letter, the boy's voice rang out from beside him.

"Have you finished watching?"

"Flying Bird...this..."

"It's Nanami. She invited us to visit Tokyo."

"Then, shall we go?" Marina asked impatiently. It was obvious that if An and Asuka didn't agree, she would probably pounce on them and force them to.

“Of course we’re going.” An and Asuka nodded. “We can’t let such a good opportunity slip by.”

"Great!"

The girl jumped up and down happily, and Shizuka smiled as well, but a hint of loneliness flashed in Hoshino Ai's eyes.

The only girl she didn't know was the one in her letter, nor did she know how deep their bond was, so she could neither go with them nor stop them from leaving.

In that case, she'll probably be alone again for a while. Even if it's only for a few days at most, she's already used to being with the boy, and even a day apart will make her feel lonely.

"Xiao Ai will come too."

An and Asuka immediately saw through the girl's thoughts and answered without hesitation. Hoshino Ai paused for a moment upon hearing this, then her eyes lit up, and she cautiously asked, "Is it alright?"

“Of course.” An and Asuka nodded.

"Thank you, Asuka!"

The girl happily jumped into An and Asuka's arms, which immediately displeased Mari.

"Hey, don't stick to the birds in this heat!"

However, just because you want to go to Tokyo doesn't mean you can just set off on a whim; you should at least do some research beforehand.

Prepare your route and map, familiarize yourself with each area to avoid getting lost, and carefully consider where to stay, where to eat and drink.

Although they are not short of money now, it doesn't mean they can squander it; they should save every penny they can.

In the afternoon, An and Asuka and the girls searched for travel guides online, preparing for their trip the next day.

The trip will last approximately three days and two nights.

The next morning, the girls got up very early this time, without needing An and Asuka to wake them up again.

While leisurely preparing breakfast, Hoshino Ai arrived. The girl wasn't carrying a suitcase, just a plastic bag containing a change of clothes. Upon seeing this, An and Asuka immediately took her clothes and put them into their own small suitcases.

After finishing breakfast, the group tidied up and prepared to set off.

After checking the appliances and faucets in the house again, they led Chabi to Marina's house.

Dogs weren't allowed on this trip, so they left Chabi at the girl's house, asking her mother to take care of her for a few days.

"Please be careful on your journey, and contact me if you encounter any problems you can't solve."

The girl's mother reluctantly gave her some parting words, saying that she hadn't traveled in a long time and longed for the outside world. However, seeing the smiles on the faces of her children, especially her own daughter, filled her with great joy.

Her daughter met a good boy, and she will surely be happy and fulfilled every day from now on, which can be considered as fulfilling her daughter's wish.

"Auntie, let's go somewhere fun together when you have time."

An and Asuka said this to the woman, and instantly all the sorrow in her heart vanished.

"Okay, then our family can go somewhere else for fun. Alright, I won't keep you any longer, you can go now."

"Goodbye, Auntie."

Be careful on the road.

After saying goodbye to the woman, An and Asuka took the girls back to the station by car.

If you go to Tokyo from here, you can take the fastest Shinkansen line, which takes about two hours, but the price is a bit expensive.

But even if it's a bit more expensive, he'd choose friendship over money.

After buying their tickets and boarding the train, the girls were incredibly excited. An and Asuka sat in their seats, silently watching them peer out the window, their bright eyes fixed on the scenery, a slight smile playing on their lips.

Seeing how happy they were, his mood also lifted unconsciously.

We're all the same; we've never left that small town.

Volume 1: Chapter 87 A Long-Awaited Reunion

The scenery outside the car window kept rushing past, and the girls gradually quieted down after their excitement subsided, but the anticipation on their faces still lingered.

An and Asuka were chatting with the girl on their phones, but as they talked, the girl's sweet tone, which could be felt even through the screen, suddenly turned into the uncle's anger.

"You brat, don't interfere with my Qi Hai's studies."

"...When will you arrive?"

Looking at the message on his phone that seemed to be both blaming and admitting fault, An and Asuka smiled. He could almost see the helpless expression on the man's face.

An and Asuka checked the time; an hour had passed since they set off, and they would arrive in about an hour.

After replying to the messages, An and Asuka looked away from their phones and gazed at the unfamiliar scenery outside the window.

What is Tokyo like?

For the first time, she left the city she had never left before and embarked on an unknown journey, accompanied by three girls who were also still young.

It felt more like an adventure than a trip, since their world used to consist only of that small city, and everything outside was unfamiliar to them.

I hope everything goes smoothly.

An and Asuka prayed this in their hearts.

When we arrived at our destination, it was exactly 11:00 AM.

As I stepped out of the car, the scene before me was a bustling, vibrant world, the bustling atmosphere of a metropolis hitting me like a whirlwind.

Well, it's not much different from theirs, just a bit bigger and with more people.

"Alright, let's get off the train quickly and not wander around."

An and Asuka reminded the three girls beside them, pulling their suitcases and leading them out of the station according to the instructions.

Even the usually lively Marina became somewhat reserved, staying close to An and Asuka without daring to run around.

This place is too big and there are too many people. It would be troublesome if you got lost.

Once you exit the station, the scenery changes again. There are bustling cars and people, and towering skyscrapers that dazzle the eyes.

People walked briskly, and vehicles honked their horns from time to time; everyone seemed very busy.

"Birds".

Shizuka moved even closer beside them, and An and Asuka could feel the girl's warmth, tinged with a hint of anxiety.