Green plums cannot become lovers.

As the sun sets on the horizon, neon lights begin to emit their vibrant glow.

After finishing their meal, An and Asuka gave the other two girls a few words of advice, then took Kuze Shizuka's hand and walked out of the inn.

At first, Shizuka thought the boy was just taking her out to buy things, but even as the sun completely set and they passed several convenience stores, the boy didn't stop walking.

It was only then that she realized the boy seemed to have other motives for bringing her out. He only stopped when they arrived at a car showroom.

"Asuka..." Shizuka Kuze called out softly, looking at the hand she was holding with the boy beside her.

"Hmm? What's wrong?"

Where are we going?

"Port Area".

"Where are you going and what are you going to do?"

Kuze Shizuka hadn't reacted yet when she heard the boy say that.

"I'll take you to see the person you miss." An and Asuka squeezed the girl's hand slightly, turned to her and smiled.

Although his family background was comparable to the girl's, there were still some differences. He had long since lost any expectations or feelings for his parents, so he was able to be completely unburdened.

But this girl was different; she still missed her father, and the family dog ​​was a gift from him.

The girl cherishes it very much.

Hearing this, Shizuka Kuze was stunned. It took her a while to react. She hadn't expected that the boy had already sensed her thoughts.

"I'm sorry, Asuka."

She bowed her head and apologized. They had agreed to have a great time for three days, but she couldn't enjoy herself because of this, and even made the boy worry about her. This was really disappointing.

"Don't say sorry to me with that apologetic look on your face."

An and Asuka faced the girl, pinched her cheek with their other hand, and gently scolded her, "We are family, not ordinary friends, and certainly not strangers."

These words warmed Shizuka Kuze's heart, but she still felt somewhat apologetic.

"But......"

There are no "buts".

An and Asuka interrupted the girl before she could finish speaking, saying, "Shizuka, what I care about isn't whether it's troublesome or not, but whether it's worth it."

"To me, whatever it is about you, it's something I think is worthwhile."

Do you remember what I told you back then?

An and Asuka released their grip on the girl's cheeks, then took her delicate hands in their own and whispered, "I told you, I will always protect you from now on."

“And you need my protection right now. I’m just fulfilling my promise and duty to you. If you feel indebted, it will only make me sad.”

Do you want to see me sad?

"..."

The night wind carried the lingering heat of summer, but the boy's words were like a gentle spring breeze caressing the heart.

Shizuka Kuze could feel her heart trembling because of the boy's words. She looked into his eyes, which shone brighter than the stars in the sky.

The boy's eyes were pure and gentle, making it impossible not to be captivated by them.

It took the girl a while to come out of her daze, because she heard the whispers of the people next to her who were also waiting for the bus.

"Young people these days are really daring."

"They look so sweet together, I'm shipping them."

"Is this a confession? How sweet!"

“Look at their hands together.”

The words of those around her made Shizuka Kuze's cheeks gradually turn red, while An and Asuka also restrained themselves a little.

However, their hands remained clasped together, swaying gently in mid-air.

An and Asuka brought Shizuka Kuze to her father's current residence, which was a fairly nice-looking apartment.

He stood to the side, watching the girl nervously and expectantly ring the doorbell, and soon the door was opened.

The first thing that caught her eye was a man wearing glasses and with a slightly thin build. The moment Shizuka saw him, her eyes lit up.

But when she saw the two girls the man was holding and leading, she paused for a moment.

When the girl called out and asked, but the man said he didn't know her, the girl opened her lips, but ultimately didn't say "father."

The door was slammed shut without a second thought, and the hallway fell silent.

The girl stood there, stunned, unable to recover for a long time. An and Asuka watched as the girl silently shed tears, and their hearts ached as well.

Some things are just absurd, like a father no longer relying on such things.

"Shizuka, I will stay by your side forever."

An and Asuka walked to the girl's side and gently hugged her.

Volume 1: Chapter 93 Girl, Grow Up.

The city's neon lights still shone brightly, and the arrival of night did not diminish people's enthusiasm.

An and Asuka led Shizuka Kuze along the bustling, unfamiliar streets. They had no destination in mind; they simply wandered through the city.

They walked past glittering skyscrapers, past noisy nightclubs, and across zebra crossings, finally stopping in a square filled with music.

Looking at a band performing on the street not far away, the girl's eyes reddened again. The band was playing a song about family.

The lyrics are heartwarming, and the accompaniment is cheerful. For a girl who has just completely lost her father, this is undoubtedly a knife stuck in her heart.

But that's good. The more pain I feel now, the more emotions I release, and I won't feel pain anymore in the future.

But he still wanted to do something more for the girl.

As the music ended, the sparse crowd at the Yilinqi Bar clapped. The girl did the same, but he knew that compared to the joy others felt upon hearing the song, the girl felt more sadness inside.

An and Asuka thought for a moment, then said to the girl, "Shizuka, wait for me."

Without waiting for the girl's response, he ran up to the group who were preparing to sing the next song.

The members of this street band are all young, probably members of university music clubs.

"Hello, older brother and sister."

Faced with An and Asuka's sudden greeting, the group was initially taken aback, but quickly recovered and acted very kindly.

The lead singer, a blonde girl, smiled upon hearing his greeting and asked, "Little one, what's the matter?"

"Here's the thing, a friend of mine is going through a tough time right now, so I'd like to borrow your guitar to sing her a song. Is that alright?"

An and Asuka got straight to the point.

"Huh?"

It took the group a while to react after hearing this. Then, following the boy's gaze, they saw a girl with red eyes at the very front of the crowd.

They looked at each other and nodded.

"Sure."

They would definitely refuse for any other reason. But if it's to make someone important to them happy, they'd be happy to help.

Besides, not many people come to see their performances, so having a little kid perform might attract more attention.

So the girl generously took the guitar down and handed it to An and Asuka.

"Thank you sister."

An and Asuka thanked him, took the guitar without ceremony, hung it on their bodies, and then walked to the microphone.

"Little one, what song do you want to perform? We need..."

The girl wanted to ask An and Asuka if they needed their help, but before she could finish speaking, the boy's singing began.

From Shizuka Kuze's perspective, the boy once again demonstrated his social skills, running over to the older brothers and sisters and saying something to them.

Then, the blonde older sister gave the guitar to the boy, who then stood in front of the microphone and suddenly started singing.

"The wind that swept between the two"

It brings a loneliness from who knows where.

The sky I looked out at after crying

It has an extraordinary clarity.

Pingyi⊙YiqishiWujiuShiJiuqun·Chatting about the harsh nagging of daily life

But today I feel especially warm.

The boy's voice rose under the night sky, tinged with a hint of hoarseness from puberty, yet it sounded so gentle.

He strummed the guitar strings, and the monotonous sound seemed to express everything they had experienced.

A gentle night breeze blew, and the once bustling city seemed to fall into silence, as if the gods had pressed a pause button. In this world, only the boy's singing could be heard.

"Really, just a little bit is enough."

Give me a little more time

Let's cuddle together a little longer, okay?

Without fancy words, the pure lyrics express the most innocent feelings of a young man, yet they can make your eyes well up with tears.

The world before my eyes gradually became shrouded in a blurry shadow, and the negative emotions that had been building up inside me finally burst forth.

The girl's outburst was quiet and silent, with tears falling onto the star-studded plaza floor.

"You're such a crybaby!"

I tried to stop the tears from falling.

Feeling sad or hurt and crying

That's because I listened to my inner voice.

As the song ended, the girl's tears flowed silently, forming a continuous stream. An and Asuka, however, smiled.

He took the guitar and returned it to the older sister who was still in a daze, sincerely thanked them, and then ran back to the girl's side.

He took out a handkerchief and gently wiped away the tears on the girl's face.

"Waaah..."

It's truly heartbreaking to see family ties, which I've always cherished so carefully, shattered so easily.

Of all the women in the past, only she remained in the beautiful past.

However, it will never happen again. She's a crybaby and doesn't want the boy in front of her to worry about her like that anymore.

She needs to become stronger.

The people watching the interaction between the two felt incredibly heartwarming. Although they didn't know exactly what had happened, it must be the best possible outcome.

The girl's tears gradually stopped, and she forced a smile. An and Asuka could sense that something about the girl had changed since a few minutes ago.

This is a good thing.

This change made An and Asuka very happy. He turned around and the girl thanked them again.

"Thank you, brothers and sisters."

"It's ok."

The group smiled with relief. Seeing this, An and Asuka decided not to linger any longer and said goodbye to the others.

"Well, I'm sorry to have bothered you. Goodbye."

"Then take care on your journey, and be careful on the road."

An and Asuka nodded, then took the girl's hand and turned to leave. But just then, the blonde girl in the lead seemed to remember something.

"Young man, what's your name?"

Oh right, I almost forgot about that. The boy's performance exceeded their expectations; his singing and guitar playing were impeccable. But more importantly, it was the song he played.

It was a beautiful and moving song that they had never heard before.

They wanted to know his name and where he was from.