Green plums cannot become lovers.

She doesn't want to talk to her dad right now.

The sounds outside the door gradually faded away after she didn't respond. Hearing the footsteps getting farther and farther away, Himegami Karen finally poked her head out again.

She stared blankly out the window, and then a bold idea popped into her head.

She immediately jumped out of bed, ran to the window and looked down, and then felt a little dizzy.

Her bedroom is on the second floor, which isn't actually that high up, and I'm used to seeing it from there.

But if she were to actually jump from here, she still lacked the courage.

She dared not jump, for fear of getting hurt.

Volume 1: Chapter 109 I'm Here!

The once joyful mealtimes were now somewhat deserted. Himegami Karen listlessly swished the food in her bowl, her thoughts drifting far away.

When her father returned home that day, he solemnly told himself that he should no longer have any contact with that boy, and also told her that the boy had agreed to his request and would not have any further contact with her.

When she heard the news, she was filled with despair, but she didn't believe that the boy would agree to her father's request.

She strongly requested her father to let her meet the boy, but he refused, saying that he would personally take her to and from school from now on.

Although he was not deprived of his right to continue learning guitar, he had already forgotten the agreement they had made.

She considered a hunger strike to protest this behavior, but gave up after two meals. She didn't have the resolve she thought she had, nor could she endure the feeling of hunger.

Sadness gradually enveloped her heart. She was terrified that her father would say something that would sow discord between them, and she couldn't help but imagine that the boy must be angry with her.

She wanted to escape and talk things out with the boy, but her parents kept a close watch on her, making it impossible for her to find an opportunity.

A week has passed, and she still hasn't been able to see the boy.

Her initial resolute attitude, regardless of everything, gradually weakened under this erosion. If things continued like this, the final outcome would surely be that she and that boy would once again become strangers.

She really wanted to meet that boy.

"I'm stuffed."

Himegami Karen put down her chopsticks and returned to her room with a heavy heart. Seeing this, the couple in the living room remained silent for a long while before letting out a soft sigh in unison.

"Do you think we're really doing the right thing?"

The woman watched her daughter leave with a heavy heart, and asked, somewhat bewildered. Initially, she had indeed agreed with her husband's actions; their daughter was a precious treasure, and they didn't want her to suffer any harm.

She is still young, having just entered junior high school. She is still inexperienced and unaware of many potential dangers.

They didn't want to control everything about her, they just couldn't bring themselves to completely set her free. Seeing her coming home later and later, they couldn't help but worry about what would happen if something dangerous happened to her.

A kind boy took her to the police station back then, saving her from danger. But if something were to happen now, would another boy save her in the same way?

They were all well aware that coincidental events could not happen consecutively.

However, looking at her daughter's current state, she felt that their approach was wrong. Despite their nice words, they were indeed using the guise of "doing what's best for her" to control their daughter's freedom.

This is not a normal family phenomenon.

She watched her daughter go from being angry and sad at the beginning to being negative and silent now. It seemed that she had completely changed her personality in just one week, even though she was not like this before.

Their daughter always wears a smile, and that sunny smile always heals their weary hearts. During meals, she chatters away, sharing funny stories from school, and they always listen with great interest.

So now she's starting to regret it.

"I don't know either."

When his wife asked him, the man remained silent for a moment before giving his answer. After speaking, he looked confused and lost.

He didn't know what to do.

On one hand, there's the issue of his daughter's safety, and on the other hand, there's his daughter's emotional state. As a father, he truly feels lost; this is only the second time he's felt this way since becoming a father.

The first time was when he learned that his wife was pregnant. He was confused about whether he was ready to become a strong and reliable father.

"What should I do?"

The man put down his chopsticks and scratched his hair in frustration.

Seeing this, the woman fell silent.

The nights in early November are cold, and the Milky Way can no longer be seen in the night sky; only a few sparse stars emit a cold light.

Only the city's neon lights still shine, bringing a touch of colorful warmth to this cold world.

Himegami Karen sat on the edge of the bed, looking at the road in front of the door.

The streets in the residential area don't have many bright lights. Only streetlights spaced a dozen meters apart illuminate the sparsely populated streets. Some families leave a light on in front of their doors so that people returning home late can see the way home.

In the darkness, these lights are like sparse stars in the sky, piercing the darkness of the night.

Looking at the scenery, the girl once again had the idea of ​​escaping.

But looking down at the immense distance, she still lacked the courage to cross it. She was afraid of pain, afraid of getting hurt.

Just as the girl was feeling self-loathing and frustrated, she suddenly saw a dark figure walk past their front door.

She didn't pay much attention at first, thinking he was just a passerby, but he walked past their house four or five times in a row, which was definitely not the behavior of an ordinary passerby.

When the dark figure stopped below her balcony and pulled back his hood, revealing a familiar face, the girl froze for a moment.

She watched as the boy waved to her, and then her vision began to blur.

It's him! It's that boy! He's come looking for her!

"An...An..."

Himegami Karen couldn't help but want to call out the boy's name, but when she saw him make a gesture like '?*_?陸[依柒,?异巴??死丝覇嘘', she immediately suppressed the urge to shout it out.

She couldn't shout or cry, otherwise her parents would find out and kick the boy out again.

As for An and Asuka, looking at the girl above, they couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

After a week of making numerous inquiries, including visiting the girl's school, he finally found her home address.

I don't know if this past week has kept her waiting long, or what kind of confusion she's been going through.

After all, he didn't know if the man had said anything provocative to the girl after he went back. If it caused their relationship to break down, that would be terrible.

So, he came here to tell the girl that he had never thought of giving up on her and had never misunderstood her.

He had been waiting for her, waiting for her to return to that little park, to sing with him and Anjana for everyone in the park.

Everyone is waiting for her, that pink-haired girl who's getting better and better at playing the guitar.

Volume 1: Chapter 110 You Must Be Happy

The moment Himegami Karen saw the boy, all her confusion and grievances vanished, leaving only joy and an overwhelming sense of happiness.

The fact that the boy is here proves that he has not given up on himself.

At this moment, she longed to talk to him, to tell him all the waiting and sorrow she had endured over the past week, hoping that he might offer her some comfort.

She wanted to tell Yiling and Wujiu about her week of perseverance. Ba told him that even so, she had never forgotten to practice guitar, because it was a promise between the two of them, and she could not slack off even when he was not around.

She thought her own weakness also told him that she couldn't bear the hunger and was afraid of getting hurt, so she never managed to negotiate with her parents with a tough attitude, and even her attitude eventually became weak.

Most importantly, she wanted to tell him about their past. They had actually met a long time ago, on a hot summer day in a lush forest filled with the noisy chirping of cicadas. He had taken her hand, rescued her, and bought her delicious ice cream.

She had originally hoped that the boy would discover it on his own, which would surely surprise him greatly, but she never expected that so much time had passed and he still hadn't remembered her.

Actually, beneath his intelligent exterior, he might be a little absent-minded.

She wanted to tell this boy everything. But now she couldn't; she could only look at his face from afar.

I long to hold his hand, just like when we were little.

The girl looked at the boy with tears in her eyes, and then she saw the boy start looking around, as if searching for something.

Himegami Karen was puzzled for a moment, but soon her eyes widened.

An and Asuka picked up a wooden ladder from below and placed it on the wall. Then they climbed up the wall of the girl's house, pulled the ladder over and placed it on the other side, and went down to enter the girl's yard.

Then, he carried the wooden ladder to the girl's window, gestured for her to step back a little, and then climbed up again.

He had prepared all the tools for today; once he decided to do something, leaving empty-handed was definitely not in his nature.

An and Asuka jumped into the room, smiling as they looked at the still somewhat dazed girl in front of them.

"If I didn't ask you to wait, then wait, my little apprentice."

"..."

Hearing the familiar voice again, Himegami Karen blinked and could no longer hold back the bittersweet feeling in her heart, throwing herself into the boy's arms.

"Anhe, classmate!"

The girl's tone was full of longing and grievance.

"Shh, don't be too loud, I'll be in big trouble if your dad finds out."

Although An and Asuka understood the girl's feelings, now was clearly not the time to confide in her.

After all, what he did was trespassing. Although he wouldn't be severely punished if he was discovered, and he had the system make all the necessary preparations, it would be best if he wasn't discovered at all, so that the girl's family wouldn't take any precautions.

"Well."

Upon hearing this, Himegami Karen immediately stifled her sobs, burying her face in Anwa Asuka's arms. Anwa Asuka gently patted the girl's back, trying to soothe her.

This girl is usually cheerful and lively, a complete optimist, but now she's crying like this, which shows how much she's suffered in the past week.

After an unknown amount of time, the girl's sobs gradually subsided. An and Asuka then gently pulled her away from their embrace and took out a handkerchief to wipe away the tears on her face.

He whispered, "Okay, don't be sad anymore after you've cried. I didn't come here today just to comfort you."

"Mmm." Himegami Karen obediently nodded as the boy wiped away her tears.

An and Asuka were pleased with the girl's obedience. They smiled and said, "That's more like it. I'd love to see your smile after all this time we've been apart."

"Smile." He reached out and pressed his hands against the corners of the girl's mouth, gently lifting them up and forcing her to smile.

"I'll laugh by myself," Himegami Karen said in a muffled voice, but she didn't stop the boy's actions.

After teasing her for a while, and seeing that the girl's tears had completely stopped, An and Asuka withdrew their hands and began to ask about the girl's recent situation.

When asked, Himegami Karen pulled him to sit on her bed, rested her head on his shoulder, and then mumbled about what had happened to her over the past week.

As An and Asuka listened, they nodded and occasionally chimed in to help the girl, commenting on her father's behavior and making her laugh out loud, completely dispelling the heaviness in her heart.

In short, the girl's freedom was temporarily restricted, which was something An and Asuka could have foreseen.

Although he felt this behavior was excessive, he was relieved that the girl did not completely break with her family because of it, even for his sake.

After all, a happy family is the most precious treasure in the world, and he didn't want the girl to go through what he had gone through, as it would be very painful for her.

He hoped she could grow up happily and without experiencing any misfortune.

After learning about the girl's situation, An and Asuka also told her about their experiences over the past week.

From his conversation with her father that day, to finding out her home address, to preparing the tools he needed, his tone was witty and humorous, turning all his hard work into jokes, occasionally making a sarcastic remark that made the girl giggle again.

However, no matter how lightly the boy spoke, she knew about his hard work and efforts, and she was truly moved by it.

"Honestly, I should have asked for your home address sooner."

"Um, I'm sorry, I wanted to wait until I transferred to your school before I could talk to you properly."

But to my surprise, Dad suddenly went back on his word and denied everything.

"Forget it, it's none of your business." An and Asuka waved their hands dismissively. Although this week had been tough, the result was good overall.

An and Asuka chatted with the girl for a while longer, and after agreeing that he would come again the next day, they prepared to leave. After all, the longer he stayed, the higher the risk of being discovered.

"Remember, if you can, never argue with your mom and dad."

Before leaving, An and Asuka gently reminded the girl.

"I would rather see you happy and joyful every day than be shrouded in sadness and sorrow than see you make progress."

"But......"

“No buts,” An and Asuka interrupted the girl, smiling slightly. “I love seeing your smile, and I hope I can keep seeing it in the future.”

"May I?"

"..."

Volume 1: Chapter 111 The Runaway Girl

An and Asuka left, and the girl watched his departing figure, a sweet smile unconsciously spreading across her face.