Green plums cannot become lovers.

It's a song that celebrates friendship... Indeed, the core message of this entire song is friendship, but because of the age of the listeners, it carries additional meanings.

So if it's a song praising friendship, then it's definitely one that a child could write.

As the man thought this, although he was still not at peace, he gradually accepted the explanation.

He remained silent for a long time, and finally let out a deep breath, putting aside his prejudice.

Then he heard the boy next to him ask, "So, now that we've finished talking about the digression, Uncle, shouldn't we get to the main topic?"

"You're really perceptive." The man was somewhat impressed by the boy's keenness and intelligence, not expecting that his purpose had been seen through so early.

"Alright, let's get down to business."

"I'm here to tell you that from now on you should have no further contact with our Hua Lian."

Volume 1: Chapter 107 Please Leave My Daughter!

"Don't have any further contact with our Hualian."

The man's words brought a moment of silence to the small space, but An and Asuka were already prepared, so they were not particularly surprised.

He still had a faint smile on his face as he asked, "Does Uncle think this kind of thing is a waste of time?"

"No." The man gently shook his head.

"Does Uncle think that Himegami-kun has made no progress in the past month and is wasting his time?"

"Not at all."

The man shook his head again. He had witnessed his daughter's progress over the past month. From stumbling and fumbling at the beginning to being able to play a complete piece skillfully, she had really improved a lot.

"Is it because Himegami-san's studies have slipped? And that's why you think I'm the culprit?"

He had considered this problem from the beginning, so while teaching the girl guitar, he would also take the time to teach her other subjects, so she shouldn't have regressed too much, right?

"Not at all."

"So, does your uncle simply not want her to be with me?"

"Yes."

This time, after a pause, the man finally nodded.

"It's really sad." An and Asuka looked up at the sky upon hearing this, but their tone remained as gentle as ever.

After a moment of silence, the man, hearing the boy's tone, finally revealed the truth.

“Our Hualian has been a little too obsessed with you lately.”

"Huh?" An and Asuka blinked, somewhat stunned.

"She's been coming home very late for the past month because of you, and she hasn't spent a single weekend properly at home."

"this......"

An and Asuka had nothing to say; the girl had indeed been coming to see him frequently over the past month.

“We are actually very worried about this kind of thing.” The man looked up at the sky and sighed. “Our Hua Lian has been well-behaved and sensible since she was a child. She is our precious child and has always grown up under our wings. She has never faced anything on her own. She is very well-behaved and sensible.”

"Isn't she well-behaved and sensible now?"

"Of course she's very well-behaved and sensible," the man replied immediately upon hearing this. Clearly, in his heart, the girl was still his obedient daughter.

"That......"

An and Asuka were really curious. Since the girl's grades hadn't suffered and her character remained upright, and she had even made a lot of progress while she was with him, why would this man stop her?

"Because we cherish Hualian very much." The man withdrew his gaze from the distance and turned it back to An and Asuka beside him.

“You’re still young, you don’t understand this feeling. As parents, what we worry about most is what might happen to our most precious child in a way we can’t see.”

“And we feel this even more strongly.”

If it's just going to and from school, there's no problem, because the school guarantees it and there shouldn't be any major issues.

But the situation over the past month or so is different from when she was in school. Her child went to a place that was unfamiliar to her on her own initiative, looking for people who were completely unfamiliar to them.

If it were only for this month, they would tolerate it, because they love their daughter very much and are willing to give her more freedom.

But after a month, instead of settling down, she continued to go out early and return late, and once she didn't even get home until it was completely dark.

This really worries them.

"Young man, my Hualian got lost once before."

The man spoke of the past with a melancholy tone, and An and Asuka's smiles faded upon hearing it.

Instead, a smile appeared on the man's lips, though it looked rather awkward. He continued, "That happened when Hua Lian was four or five years old. We took her out to play that day. She insisted on seeing the scenery in the wild, so we took her."

“Our whole family was very happy that day, but my wife and I only indulged in it for a little while, really just a little while, and then Hua Lian disappeared.”

"We searched for a long time but couldn't find it. We were about to give up when the sun went down."

The man's voice softened considerably, but his guilt and lingering fear were almost palpable. As An and Asuka listened to the girl's past, they gradually came to understand the man's feelings.

Imagine if the girl you cherished most suddenly disappeared; wouldn't he become cautious and insecure afterward?

"So how did you finally find her?"

"Hehehe." Upon hearing Anhe Asuka's question, the man let out a somewhat bitter yet relieved laugh.

"At that time, we contacted many people for help but couldn't find it. Finally, the police station called us."

"When we arrived, we saw Hua Lian sitting on a chair eating ice cream. The police said that a boy brought her to the police station."

"Isn't it ridiculous? We failed in our responsibilities as parents and now we need a boy to help us, otherwise we might have lost her."

"..."

The man's words stunned An and Asuka, and childhood memories suddenly flooded back like a tide.

In the summer countryside, amidst lush forests, sunlight filters through the leaves, casting dappled patterns on the ground.

Because the area was somewhat remote, occasionally lost travelers would get lost and not be able to find their way. On that day, while he was catching cicadas, he encountered a crying girl.

After questioning her, he took her out, just as he had done many times before. Since she was crying and couldn't explain herself, he took her to the police station.

Surely it can't be that much of a coincidence?

An and Asuka were somewhat uncertain, but it was indeed the first and only time he had taken a lost person to the police station.

"So, can you understand how we feel?" The man didn't notice the strange look on An and Asuka's faces, and continued, "We're really worried that something like that will happen again."

"At least, we really can't put our minds at ease until Hua Lian has fully matured."

"Hua Lian often talks about you at home now; she's become too dependent on you. And if you stop contacting her, her enthusiasm will gradually cool down."

"We had no choice but to make this decision in order to protect Hualian. We hope you won't blame us."

He acknowledged the boy's talent, but even if he was a once-in-a-century genius, in their eyes he still couldn't compare to their own extraordinary child.

An and Asuka snapped out of their reverie, took a deep breath, and their expressions turned serious.

"Uncle, I think I may not be able to grant your request."

"..."

"Because I've already made a promise with Himegami-san, I'll help her improve her guitar skills and I'll also help her fulfill your request."

Volume 1: Chapter 108 Respecting the Girl's Wish

He understood the man's worries, but he was more concerned about the girl's true thoughts.

He didn't know exactly what she was thinking, but it definitely wasn't like what this man said—that she wanted to cut off all contact with him.

She herself had never said such a thing, so even if the girl's guardian made such a request, he would not listen.

Whether it was stubbornness, unruliness, or selfishness, the only thing he respected was the girl's true wishes.

Unless she says it herself, "Don't come looking for me again," he won't unilaterally end the agreement between them.

"you......"

The man hadn't expected such a response after being so sincere, and he felt a lump in his throat.

This isn't right. If it were any other child who heard him say this, they would probably understand. This is a vulnerable father revealing his vulnerability, making a request after painful memories.

"I understand my uncle's feelings and thoughts."

An and Asuka shook their heads seriously and said, "But compared to Uncle's idea, I respect Himegami's idea more, so I'm sorry I can't grant your request."

"Since you respect her so much, do you really want to see Hua Lian suffer another accident?"

“I don’t want to,” An and Asuka said. “If Uncle is worried that this kind of thing will happen, then I will pick up and drop off Himegami from now on.”

"You? But you're only a first-year junior high student."

What good is it to pick up and drop off a child who has just entered puberty? They have no ability to protect anyone.

"Even so, I will do everything I can for Himegami-san."

An and Asuka knew that given their age, no matter how capable they were, they couldn't gain the other party's trust, so they simply expressed their determination.

He will protect them just as he protected those girls.

The man looked at An and Asuka. He could feel the determination in their hearts when they said those words, and he was also somewhat surprised that a thirteen-year-old boy could say such a thing.

But no matter what, he's only thirteen years old, just graduated from elementary school, with no experience or knowledge. If he really encounters any danger, he'll probably just freeze up.

"You are so stubborn."

"I just wanted to respect Himegami-san's request."

The man's tone had cooled considerably, but An and Asuka were not afraid. In the current situation, no choice he made would be understood by this man.

"Since that's the case, then I'll give you my final ultimatum."

Seeing the man sigh deeply, he stood up from his seat and looked down at the still unyielding boy. He said coldly, "As Hua Lian's father, I hereby order you not to approach our Hua Lian again. Similarly, I will not allow Hua Lian to come to you again."

“If I find out, I will choose to report this to your parents and school.”

No matter how talented this boy is, he will always be afraid of his parents and school teachers.

With that thought in mind, the man then walked out of the park without giving An and Asuka any chance to speak.

He had only taken a few steps when he heard the soft sound of a guitar behind him. It wasn't as cheerful as the previous birthday song, nor as melodious as "Hotaru no Hikari," but rather a calm and understated narration, as if telling him what choice he had made, or as a farewell to his departure.

The man paused for a moment, then continued walking.

Actually, he quite admired that young man. Not just his talent, but also his humble yet confident character, his composure in the face of adversity, and his unwavering determination in making choices... He could fully foresee that this young man's future achievements would be extraordinary, and this city could not confine him.

But no matter what, he is not as good as his daughter.

Himegami Karen locked herself in her room and curled up on the bed, feeling somewhat sad.

She had just experienced something very upsetting. She had her first argument with her parents because her father wouldn't let her go out to look for that boy, saying it was for her safety.

This wouldn't have been a big deal at first; she initially thought there had been some kind of security incident nearby, which was why her father made this decision.

If that's the case, then she can completely tolerate it, and then borrow her father's phone to apologize to the boy, saying that she cannot keep her promise today.

However, things were far more difficult to accept than she had imagined. There had been no security incidents in the vicinity, and her father's decision not to let her go to the boy was not temporary.

He planned to completely sever ties with that boy, and the promise they had made that he could transfer schools once he became proficient at guitar was denied by his father this morning when she asked him about it.

She really couldn't accept that this was the outcome.

I practiced so diligently for this promise, and I was so looking forward to it, but he just went back on his word.

What about all the efforts she made before?

That's so unfair, so incredibly unfair. I finally managed to meet that boy again and have a chance to be with him, and then he just vanished like that.

She hadn't had a chance to get to know that boy properly, hadn't had a chance to tell him her feelings, and hadn't even told him the gratitude she had kept hidden until now.

Her father extinguished all her hopes and expectations; how could she accept such an outcome?

Thinking of this, the girl's eyes involuntarily reddened slightly.

Sunlight streamed through the window into the bedroom, and the time displayed on the wall had long since exceeded the time she and the boy had agreed upon.

This is the first time I've ever broken a promise.

She was afraid that the boy would hate her because of this, thinking she was a person who didn't keep her promises. She knew she wouldn't be able to handle that.

"Hua Lian".

Hearing the calls coming from outside the door, the girl, who was curled up on the bed, covered herself completely with the blanket.