Green plums cannot become lovers.

With that in mind, the short-haired girl in the lead tentatively asked, "Um, Anhe-kun, by the way, what about your own band?"

He had previously claimed to be a mercenary, but none of them believed him. But now it seems he certainly has the qualities to be a 'mercenary'.

"My band... If you mean the school band, then I do have one, but if you mean a band that can perform on this stage, then I haven't found one yet."

"Because everyone dislikes me because I'm too young and doesn't want me."

An and Asuka spoke with some helplessness. It wasn't that he hadn't tried to join other bands, but after several auditions, no one chose him.

The reason is that he is too young. His junior high school age is not good enough in a band where most members are in high school, college, or even adults.

"Hey? How old are you?"

The girls were surprised that such a talented boy would be disliked because of his age.

"Thirteen, I guess. I'll be fourteen soon."

"Huh?! It's so small!"

Although they thought the boy was a middle school student, they were surprised to find that he was actually younger than they had imagined.

If she's this amazing at such a young age, what will she be like when she grows up?

Volume 1: Chapter 123 My Love for You Has Always Been Quiet

After chatting and laughing with the group for a while, An and Asuka decided to leave. He wasn't famous yet, so no one would ask him for help anymore.

The gains this time were quite substantial. Not only was his access to this place now secure, but he also gained some people who liked him. Although it was only a dozen or so, he was certain he could complete the system and save the girl given enough time.

It was only a little before eight o'clock when they came out of the livehouse. An and Asuka walked in the cold night. After thinking for a moment, they changed direction and headed towards the hospital.

He entered the hospital and arrived at the familiar ward. The door was closed, and he heard no sound, so the girl must be resting.

So, after standing at the door for a while, he quietly left.

In the days that followed, An and Asuka gradually found the knack of being 'mercenaries'. Every day, many teams would go on stage to perform, and they would encounter some unexpected events.

So he waited by the recruitment board, and when he encountered bands that needed extra members due to unforeseen circumstances, he would proactively approach them to communicate.

While this efficiency may be somewhat slow, at least most people wouldn't reject him in an emergency simply because he looks inexperienced.

In order to pave the way for his own advancement, he would accept any offer of support, regardless of its nature.

If they need a guitarist, then he'll be the guitarist. If they need a bassist, then he'll be the bassist. He can also be a drummer, keyboardist, or even a lead singer, and he's open to all styles of bands.

With his superb skills and dedicated attitude, he won the praise of those teams.

In just over ten days, he went on stage more often than once a day, and up to six times a day. Some audience members soon noticed something was wrong.

A boy appeared on stage far too often, in various different positions. At first, people didn't believe it, but as they watched more performances, they gradually realized something was amiss.

Besides the audience, the bands also noticed this phenomenon. The boy who was playing bass support in his own band yesterday was now playing keyboards in another band.

After watching a performance out of curiosity, everyone was surprised to find that the boy could also play other instruments and that his skills were superb.

In no time, An and Asuka became stars in this small livehouse. Although they couldn't guarantee many support tasks every day, their reputation was at least guaranteed. At the same time, as they performed more often, more and more audiences began to recognize them, and with their good skills, good looks, and the aura of their characters, they quickly accumulated their first batch of fans.

Although his high-profile display quickly caught the attention of the staff, they turned a blind eye to the discussion he generated, since the staff who used to be very strict and followed the rules were now doing so.

After twenty days of hard work, An and Asuka had completed one-fifth of their mission. This was already quite fast, considering that some bands that regularly perform here don't necessarily have this many fans, but he thought it would be even better if they could go a little faster.

After another day of providing support, An and Asuka dragged their tired bodies toward the hospital. They had performed three shows today, providing support on guitar, bass, and drums, and two of them were heavy metal rock shows, which required even more of his effort.

It was tiring, but the pay was very generous.

Aside from the more than one hundred new followers, I received a total of 100,000 yen in donations today, which is considered top salary in this small town. Having another income option also means having more security in my life.

After putting the money away, An and Asuka looked at the panel in front of them.

[Task: Gain more people's favor]

[Completion Progress: 2201/10000]

[Stage Reward Obtained: Magical Conch Shell (One-time Use Item)]

Stage experience increased; current stage experience: 10850.

It's worth mentioning that the additional tasks initially given by the system were phased, meaning that a reward would be given upon completion of each phase. This explains why the initial task completion rewards were so small.

It has only one attribute point and one skill point, plus the function of unlocking the system shop.

This time he obtained a magical conch shell.

An and Asuka looked at the description of the 'magical conch' with some curiosity.

[The Magic Conch Shell: Ask the magic conch shell a question you want to know, and the conch shell will give you an answer. Note: It cannot be used to solve unsolved human problems.]

Looking at the description, An and Asuka thought it was a very good item, the only pity being that it could only be used once.

An and Asuka felt a little disappointed, but they quickly calmed down and focused their attention back on the panel below.

After accepting the mission, the "Stage Experience" stat, which I had previously thought was just for increasing experience, began to prove its usefulness.

This can also be used to buy things in the system's store, but since the acquisition channels are very simple, the system says that you can only buy some common items, such as firewood, rice, oil, and salt.

He would have been very happy in the past, but now they have all of those things. What he lacks is something that can ensure everyone's good health or something that can enhance everyone's abilities.

But as the saying goes, something is better than nothing.

After turning off the control panel, An and Asuka headed towards the hospital. Because there were so many performances this time, it was already almost 10 PM.

The weather got colder, and the hospital became even quieter.

An and Asuka arrived at the familiar ward door, then took out their phones, found the girl's contact information, and sent her a greeting.

"Miyazono-kun, are you asleep?"

Seemingly to prevent him from noticing anything amiss, the girl contacted him three days after being hospitalized. She first apologized to him, and then carefully crafted a lie for him.

The girl said there was an emergency at her home in another city, which was why she left without saying goodbye, and promised to return soon.

Despite the flawed lie, An and Asuka didn't expose it, but continued to play the game with the girl.

As long as she's happy... that's what he was thinking.

The message had barely been sent when An and Asuka heard a soft notification tone coming from inside the ward. A few seconds later, they received a response from the girl.

"Not yet, I'm looking at the stars."

The girl said this, accompanied by a picture of a starry sky.

I don't know where she found it; the picture is practically worn out.

Anhe and Asuka looked at their phones, a slight smile playing on their lips.

Volume 1: Chapter 124 We Will Keep Going On

Looking at the message on her phone, An and Asuka could feel the girl's vitality between the lines. Even in the face of such a fate, she still maintained her inner kindness and didn't want others to worry about her.

She is truly a wonderful girl.

After chatting for about ten minutes, An and Asuka said goodnight to the girl and headed out of the hospital.

By the time I got home, it was already 10:30 p.m. The two girls in the house were still awake, huddled around the kotatsu in the living room doing their own thing.

One is painting, the other is writing a novel.

Upon seeing the boy return, the two girls were about to get up, but An and Asuka stopped them. He took off the scarf around his neck and threw it on the sofa, then sat down in the kotatsu as well.

The warm kotatsu dispelled the chill accumulated from being out for so long, and An and Asuka couldn't help but squint their eyes comfortably.

"Asuka, did you perform many shows today too?"

Kuze Shizuka put down her pen, picked up the kettle that had been prepared on the table, poured a cup of hot water, and handed it to Anwa Asuka, asking with concern.

“Yes.” An and Asuka took the hot water the girl handed them, sipped it, and nodded.

There are probably four games.

"Asuka is really amazing." Upon hearing this, Shizuka Kuze didn't know whether to be happy for the boy or feel helpless.

Ever since the other person said they were going to perform at a livehouse, they've been coming home this late every day. After school, they'd take their guitar and head out until very late, sometimes even working until the wee hours of the morning.

He said this was his way of training and could also help supplement his family's income, which they all understood. But understanding aside, they still felt sorry for him, especially since the boy always came back with visible fatigue on his face.

“Not that impressive.” An and Asuka smiled.

No sooner had she finished speaking than Marina, standing to the side, said angrily, "Do you think we're praising you?!"

She broke off a segment of orange and stuffed it into An and Asuka's mouths, glaring at him and saying, "You should at least relax a bit, or your body won't be able to take it."

She's always busy with school, yet she doesn't skip extracurricular activities and still comes home so late at night. This is hardly the sleep schedule of a middle school student. What good is being liked by so many people if she keeps this up? Her health will collapse.

"I don't look that weak, do I?" An and Asuka seemed unconcerned. They rested their chins on their hands and smiled at the two girls, saying, "You know, I was even more exhausted than I am now back then because of you, but I still persevered, didn't I?"

"..."

When the topic turned to the past, the two girls fell silent for a moment. Seeing this, An and Asuka seized the opportunity to continue, "I know you're concerned about me, but I assure you, I would never joke about my own body."

"After all, didn't we make a promise? To grow up together and move towards the future together. I will keep doing that until we fulfill that promise."

"But you don't need to work that hard at all."

Marina said softly. She was grateful for the boy's efforts for them, and that's why they didn't want to see him make such desperate efforts again.

"That won't do." An and Asuka directly denied the girl's words, and laughed, "If I don't work hard, how can I create a better future for you?"

“We can do it together,” Shizuka Kuze said. “You, me, Marina, Ai… the four of us can create a future together.”

It is precisely because they do not want to see the young man working so hard for the family that they work even harder.

But little did they know that the harder they worked, the harder the boy worked too. They thought they would share the burden of the family with the boy, but in the end, it was the boy who shouldered the heaviest burden alone.

“I know.” An and Asuka reached out and patted the girl’s head, saying softly, “I know you are working hard in your own way, so in order not to lose to you, I am also working hard in my own way.”

Completing the system's mission would not only save the girl, but also provide an extra layer of security for the family. He might even be able to use the system's tools to create a brighter future for the girls.

So no matter how you look at it, he has to complete this task, and the sooner the better.

“But we are really worried about you,” Marina said, her voice filled with genuine emotion.

Throughout their short lives, their fathers had always been irresponsible figures. So when such a responsible young man suddenly appeared when their lives were in darkness, they naturally hoped that he would be alright.

They cherished the boy in their hearts.

"Don't worry," An and Asuka said confidently to the two girls, "I'll be fine."

"You'd better be alright."

Seeing that no amount of persuasion would work, the two girls exchanged a glance and could only helplessly let the boy do what he wanted.

Since they can't persuade him, they should just support him.

A family needs the father's unwavering support and the mother's silent devotion.

"By the way, Christmas is in two days. What kind of presents do you two want?"

"You've been with us for so long, don't you know what we want?"

"..."

"Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore." Seeing the boy looking troubled, the two girls smiled at each other and said, "We like anything you give us."

"That's right, whether it's a blade of grass or a rope, as long as it's from you, it's fine."

In the past, little girls would likely have preferred sparkly gifts, but now, after experiencing so much, they value spiritual fulfillment more than material satisfaction.

The value of a gift doesn't lie in its price, but in the sentiment behind it. If a young man truly cares for them, they will gladly accept even a single blade of grass.

After all, they still kept the grass wreaths that the boy had given them. Even though the grass had withered and the flowers had faded, the feelings they carried were still cherished in their hearts.

They wanted to be together for life and never be separated.

"I would never give you such a shabby gift."

An and Asuka gently pinched the noses of the two girls, their lips curving slightly upwards.

The room was warm and cozy, with occasional sounds of a boy's helpless voice and girls' sweet laughter.

Outside, the cold wind howled, taking away the last trace of green from the earth.

In the hospital, the blonde girl looked out the window, her thoughts drifting into the distance.

Christmas is almost here, and I was hoping to spend it with that boy.

I wish I could see him that day.

Volume 1: Chapter 125 Christmas