Green plums cannot become lovers.

"Alright, stop gossiping." An and Asuka tapped the rim of the drum, producing a crisp sound that drew everyone's attention back. "Let's start practicing. Karen, you just said the transitions in the new song need some practice?"

Himegami Karen snapped out of her daze and quickly nodded, "Yes, that's right."

Music soon filled the practice room, the familiar rhythm and melody temporarily dispelling the subtle emotions that filled the air. The four were immersed in the ensemble, as if they had returned to their usual tacit understanding.

But the girl's emotions seemed to be infused into the music.

An and Asuka remained oblivious, or rather, he chose not to investigate. His gaze swept over the long progress bar of fan points on the system interface, his mind calculating how to get closer to that goal faster through the next performance.

Marina and Shizuka eventually learned about the boy's situation, and like the other girls, they felt a pang of sadness and helplessness.

When it comes to relationships, a young man is just a block of wood.

hateful!

Volume 1: Chapter 139 You Don't Like Me, Do You?

Campus life is like a pool of spring water; even if a pebble thrown in can create ripples, it will eventually return to calm. The much-discussed corridor confession incident, after everyone discovered that the two parties had no further contact and that the boy's attitude was clearly distant, gradually faded away like a thin mist blown away by the autumn wind, and no one mentioned it anymore.

Everyone tacitly came to the conclusion that An and Asuka had rejected the outstanding senior.

However, this incident acted like a lit fuse, quietly shattering the relatively peaceful campus environment of Anhe Feiniao. It seemed that overnight, he was being targeted by more gazes, some bold and some shy.

In the early morning, when he opens his shoe cabinet, occasionally one or two unsigned envelopes with a faint fragrance will quietly slip out, and sometimes there will be exquisitely wrapped small gifts placed next to them.

When walking alone to the library or through the quiet paths of the courtyard, he might be stopped by a younger female student who suddenly appears out of nowhere. From her flushed face and stammering words, he receives a heavy message of affection that he doesn't want.

He disposed of the love letters untouched, and rejected all confessions with a gentle yet unequivocal attitude. He handled everything swiftly and decisively, almost formulaically, leaving no room for misunderstanding.

However, even so, in the eyes of Anna Hanami, Karen Himemiya, and even the other three seemingly detached girls, these successive confessions were nothing short of a continuous alarm.

Although the boy is currently resolute, who can guarantee that, at some unexpected moment, some special girl won't happen to pry open a crack in his heart in some special way?

Whenever the image of a boy holding the hand of another strange girl in the future, showing that person a gentle smile he has never given to them, becoming someone else's exclusive support... a subtle yet sharp pain will uncontrollably tighten around their hearts.

It was a complex emotion that mixed possessiveness, resentment, and fear.

"Asuka, you really... absolutely will not date anyone else?"

The rooftop is bathed in sunlight during lunch break.

Seeing Anzu picking at the tamagoyaki in her lunchbox, Hana finally couldn't resist asking the question that had been lingering in her heart for so long. Although the boy had clearly stated a month ago that he had "no romantic feelings," her inner unease, like weeds, grew wildly at the slightest opportunity.

After all this time, what if he... changes his mind?

"Why are you bringing this up again?" An and Asuka put down their chopsticks and turned their heads with a slightly surprised look.

Sunlight danced on his dark hair, making his clear eyes even more luminous and reflecting his pure confusion, as if he were discussing a topic completely unrelated to him.

"I'm just afraid you'll go astray!" Seeing that Anzu seemed to be burned by his gaze, Banai quickly lowered her head, poking at her lunchbox with her chopsticks, her tone carrying her usual excuse, but now somewhat lacking in confidence.

"Huh?" Anhe Asuka chuckled, finding her worry unfounded, and habitually resorted to changing the subject and teasing her, "I think you should worry about your weight instead of this."

He pointed to the food disappearing quickly from her lunchbox and the longing look in her eyes as she glanced at the fried shrimp in her own lunchbox every now and then, "You've been eating a lot lately."

"You! You're the one who's gotten fat!" Weight is a sensitive topic for girls, and Anna Hanami instantly bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, her cheeks puffed up with anger and flushed red.

"I didn't say you were fat." An and Asuka shrugged innocently, accurately seizing the loophole in her words, a playful smile playing on their lips. He liked seeing the girl so energetic and easily exuberant; it made him feel relaxed and familiar, a unique interaction mode between close friends.

"..." Seeing Anja speechless for a moment, Bana realized that she had been led by the nose again, and a wave of annoyance washed over her. "Tch, I'm not talking to you anymore."

She turned her face away in a huff, deciding to unilaterally end this conversation that was detrimental to her.

However, An and Asuka were not about to let go of this opportunity to tease her.

He felt that Anja's recent excessive focus on this topic was a bit strange, so with a mischievous intent, he leaned forward slightly, raised an eyebrow at her, and, in a half-joking, half-teasing tone, dropped a bombshell that he thought was harmless but was actually incredibly powerful:

"Speaking of which, you seem to care a lot about my love life... Anzu, you don't actually like me, do you?"

"..."

Time seemed to freeze at this moment.

Anna's breathing suddenly stopped, her heart felt as if it had been gripped tightly by an invisible hand, ceasing to beat. Blood seemed to rush to her head in an instant, only to recede completely the next second, leaving only the amplified, thunderous sound of her own heartbeat in her ears. She froze on the spot, unable to move even her fingertips.

Himegami Karen, who had been quietly eating, suddenly stopped. Her hand gripping her chopsticks tightened slightly, her knuckles turning white. Beneath her lowered eyelids, her pupils contracted sharply, her heart also churning with turmoil. Asuka…why would he suddenly ask that question? Did he sense something? Or…was it just a casual remark?

Anguish and panic overwhelmed Hanami Anina. Her mind went blank, her only thought being to deny it; she absolutely could not let him discover that deeply hidden secret, the one that, once exposed, could lead to utter ruin.

Driven by an almost instinctive instinct for self-preservation, she abruptly raised her head, her voice rising sharply due to extreme tension and excitement, even sounding somewhat shrill and piercing, echoing clearly across the empty rooftop:

"You jerk! Who, who likes you?!"

After he finished speaking, the world fell silent.

Bana saw that Anna herself was also stunned. She watched as the playful smile on An and Asuka's faces froze instantly, turning into clear surprise and a hint of... perhaps illusion, confusion. His usually calm and unwavering eyes were now clearly reflecting her panicked and disheveled appearance.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something to salvage the situation, to smooth things over with a lighter tone, and to laugh it off as usual. But her throat felt like it was blocked by something, and she couldn't make a sound.

All my courage was exhausted in that overly harsh denial, leaving only endless panic and the fear of being seen through.

Finally, under that suffocating silence and the boy's probing gaze, her last line of psychological defense completely collapsed.

When Banai saw Anja suddenly turn around, she almost fled in panic, not even bothering to pick up the lunchbox on the ground. She staggered towards the exit of the rooftop, her footsteps hurried and chaotic, and soon disappeared around the corner of the stairs.

Volume 1: Chapter 140 What if?

The sudden turn of events caused the atmosphere on the rooftop to plummet from lighthearted banter to freezing point.

Anwa Asuka stared at the doorway where Hachiman Anna had disappeared, his brow furrowed, a lingering look of astonishment on his face. He hadn't expected such a strong reaction. Based on his understanding from the system's data, this was just a harmless joke between friends, even carrying a hint of mischievous humor: "See, you always ask these weird questions; I've turned the tables on you."

He had imagined that Anzu would, as usual, retort angrily, or give him a mild punch, and then the two would end lunch amidst their bickering. Not like this... as if some fatal sore spot had been hit, reacting with an almost out-of-control intensity.

"Did I... go too far?" he murmured uncertainly, turning his head to look at the only remaining person beside him for an answer.

Himegami Karen had lowered her head, her long bangs obscuring her eyes and making it impossible to see her expression. She silently tidied up the bento box that Anja had left behind, her movements slow and meticulous. But only she knew that her fingertips were trembling slightly, and her heart was far from as calm as it appeared.

Asuka's seemingly joking question struck like a thunderbolt, not only startling Anjana but also sending shivers down her spine. She almost instantly put herself in Anjana's shoes; if she were asked the same question, would she have been more composed than Anjana? The answer was no.

That deep-seated emotion, carefully buried, simply cannot withstand such a direct interrogation.

Hearing An and Asuka's confused mutterings, Himegami Karen paused almost imperceptibly in her tidying up. She took a deep breath, trying to make her voice sound calm and natural: "...Maybe. This kind of topic is always quite sensitive for girls."

Unable to tell the truth, she could only offer a vague and generic excuse. A bitter feeling welled up inside her.

The boy had no idea how terrifying his casual joke meant to them.

"Really?" An and Asuka stroked their chins, still somewhat puzzled. "I was just joking... Besides, aren't we good friends? Why is she reacting so strongly, as if I really hit the nail on the head?"

Aren't we good friends?

These words were like a fine needle, gently piercing Himegami Karen's heart.

Yes, in his mind, they always remained within the boundaries of "good friends." That solid yet pathetic barrier, built by a system malfunction, completely separated him from their true feelings.

She looked up, forcing a smile, trying to smooth things over for her companion and herself: "Anzai... she's probably just a bit shy. You know, she can be quite boisterous sometimes, but she's actually very sensitive."

This explanation was weak and unconvincing, but it was the best she could think of.

An and Asuka looked in the direction the girl had left, lost in thought.

But he ultimately did not get up and chase after them.

However, for Himegami Karen, the impact of this incident was far from over. Watching An and Asuka quickly regain their composure and resume eating as if the turmoil had never occurred, a profound sense of powerlessness gripped her.

His detached calm is precisely the greatest cruelty.

She began to worry about Anja, who had run away. Knowing Anja as she did, she figured that girl was probably hiding somewhere, either regretting her actions or secretly shedding tears of grievance.

"I...I'll go check on Anja." Himegami Karen stood up and said softly.

"Okay, go ahead. Take this to her for me." An and Asuka casually put the half-eaten tamagoyaki, which was Anzai's favorite, into a clean lid and handed it to Karen. His actions were still those of a friend, caring and considerate, but devoid of any romantic feelings.

Himegami Karen took the lid, feeling a trace of residual warmth on her fingertips, but her heart remained ice-cold. "Okay."

Just as Himegami Karen had predicted, she found Hanami Anna curled up in a secluded corner behind the teaching building, near the horticulture department's flowerbed.

The pink-haired bassist hugged her knees, buried her face in her arms, and shrugged slightly, like a wounded animal licking its wounds alone.

"Apricot." Himegami Karen approached and called softly.

Seeing Anja's body stiffen without her looking up, a muffled voice came from her arms: "...Did he send you to see me make a fool of myself?"

"How could that be?" Himegami Karen sat down next to her and handed her the lid of the bento box. "Asuka asked me to bring this to you. He thought you were still angry about the tamagoyaki you didn't finish."

Upon hearing this, Hana saw Anna suddenly raise her head. Her eyes were indeed red, and she looked like a rabbit, with tear stains still on her cheeks. She looked at the half-eaten golden tamagoyaki, her expression complex, a mixture of grievance and a deeper sadness.

“That idiot… he doesn’t understand anything at all!” she said, her voice hoarse and choked with sobs.

“He really doesn’t understand.” Himegami Karen echoed softly, her tone filled with the same helplessness and sadness. “In his mind, we’re just ‘good friends.’ He just asked me if he had gone too far with his joke.”

"A joke..." As Anna repeated the word, it seemed like a sting, and tears welled up in her eyes again. "He thought it was just a joke... but I... I..."

The girl choked up and couldn't continue.

To her, the question, "You don't actually like me, do you?" was no joke, but a sharp blade piercing her heart. Her vehement denial was less for the bird's ears and more for her own—a desperate attempt to suppress her burgeoning emotions, a warning to herself against wishful thinking.

"I know." Himegami Karen reached out and gently put her arm around Anja's shoulder, offering silent comfort.

They are allies and rivals, guarding the same secret and enduring the same torment of unfulfilled desires.

"Karen, I'm so upset..." Seeing Anja leaning on her friend's shoulder, her pent-up emotions finally broke down. "I like him... I really like him... but I'm afraid to say it. I'm scared... scared that if I say it, even our relationship won't last..."

She spoke haltingly of her inner fears and pain, and Himegami Karen listened quietly, feeling deeply empathetic.

"If we could continue like this, perhaps it wouldn't be so bad." Himegami Karen gazed at the unnamed wildflowers swaying in the breeze in the distance, her voice ethereal. "At least, we could always be by his side."

"But... what if?" Bana asked, seeing Anzu's tearful eyes. "What if one day he really accepts someone else? What should we do then?"

"..."

This question, like a heavy boulder, weighed on the hearts of the two girls, plunging them into silence.

Volume 1: Chapter 141 I Don't Like You!

The once cheerful rooftop was now empty except for An and Asuka. The breeze was still gentle, the sun still warm, but the air seemed to carry the echoes of the commotion and an indescribable tension that Anzu had taken with her when she fled. The familiar, relaxed atmosphere between friends had been completely shattered.

He stared at the tightly closed rooftop door, his deep eyes no longer filled with mere confusion, but rather with a complex silence.

He is not a fool.

He might not be particularly perceptive in matters of the heart, but he possessed the intuition of an observer. Seeing Anzu's instantly pale face, her abruptly stopped breathing, her suddenly rising, sharp, denial-filled voice, and her final, near-collapse-like escape... all of this reaction went far beyond what one would expect from "being teased too much by a friend."

It was the panic of having one's deepest secrets exposed unexpectedly, a naked emotional outpouring that could not be perfectly concealed no matter how hard one tried.

He wasn't oblivious to the emotions that might be hidden beneath that unusual reaction. At that moment, he almost believed his eyes, believed that instinctive judgment that transcended words—Anna, perhaps, really...

However, he suppressed the idea as soon as it took root.

system.

The system panel that floated in his consciousness clearly displayed [Favorability: 89].

89... This number is infinitely close to a lover, but ultimately it is not a lover.

This cold, hard number stood like an insurmountable chasm between his judgment and intuition. It was so clear, so objective, the absolute yardstick he had always relied on to measure interpersonal relationships. He wanted to believe his eyes, to believe the unusual palpitation his heart had felt at that moment, but the data from the system was like a bucket of ice water, carrying an unquestionable authority, extinguishing his newly ignited speculation based on "feelings."

"Only 89..."

He muttered to himself, as if trying to convince himself. The system had been with him for too long, giving him so much help—extraordinary musical talent, precise mission guidance, and even the ability to change his destiny. It had never deceived him; it was his most reliable partner and trump card. He relied on it as much as he relied on his own limbs and senses.

But now, this dependence is creating an unprecedented conflict with our perception of reality.

An unprecedented headache struck, not a physical pain, but a mental disorder and exhaustion caused by a shock to the cognitive system.

An and Asuka rubbed their temples, feeling a wave of weakness. On one side was a vivid, detailed, and emotionally charged reality, and on the other side was concise and clear system data that had always been verified as "correct."

Which should he believe? His own intuition or the system he has always trusted implicitly?

Trusting your intuition means denying the information the system is providing at this moment and the trust that has been placed in you all along.

If you trust the system, it means forcibly interpreting Anja's unusually intense reaction as "shyness," "joke allergy," or some other complex mechanism belonging to a girl's heart that he cannot understand.

But this explanation seemed so weak that even he himself could not fully believe it.

This contradiction left him in a stalemate.

On the other side, An and Asuka's inner Mei were observing while wiping away non-existent cold sweat.

During the afternoon classes, An and Asuka were somewhat distracted. The words in the textbook seemed to have lost their meaning, and the teacher's explanations were as if viewed through frosted glass, blurry and indistinct. His thoughts kept drifting back to the rooftop, to the panicked face of Hanami Anna, and to the silent and complex expression on Himegami Karen's face at that time.

He even subconsciously brought up the system panel again to repeatedly check the favorability ratings of those girls.

【Hanami Anna: 89】

This cold number acts like a sturdy lock, attempting to confine his understanding firmly to the realm of "closest friend."

However, once the seed of doubt is planted, it will quietly take root. An and Asuka couldn't help but recall the moments they had spent together.