Green plums cannot become lovers.

"Cookies then. One serving will do."

"Okay, please wait a moment."

An and Asuka turned to prepare, but he could still feel the gaze following him closely. He brewed black tea with deft movements and arranged the best-looking cookies in a small dish, the whole process smooth and orderly.

As he returned to the table with the tray and gently placed the black tea and cookies down, Akane Akasaka suddenly spoke. Her voice was soft, but it reached his ears clearly:

"Your performance on stage just now was fantastic. Especially your drumming, the sense of rhythm, the control of the force, and the explosive power hidden beneath the calm... it's not like what a middle school student should be doing, Anwa Asuka."

An and Asuka's fingers, which were arranging the snacks, paused almost imperceptibly.

So that's exactly what they came for?

"You flatter me," he replied calmly, gently pushing the black tea toward her. "It's just that I practice a lot more often."

"Oh? Just more practice?" Akane Akasaka picked up her teacup, the rising steam blurring the expression in her eyes. "I've listened to many live bands, professional and amateur. There's something very special about your playing... not entirely technique, but more like... an innate sense of rhythm and a desire for control?"

An and Asuka raised their eyes, meeting the gaze of this mysterious woman for the first time with genuine seriousness. Her eyes were a deep brown, clearly reflecting his image; there was no mockery, no frivolity, only a pure, artist- or connoisseur-like scrutiny and curiosity within them.

“The feeling of music is different for everyone.” He avoided a direct response, his tone remaining calm. “It’s my honor to have impressed you. Please enjoy your meal, and please feel free to call me if you need anything else.”

He bowed slightly again, preparing to step back and give the space back to the guest who was clearly not interested in the main event.

However, Akane Akasaka showed no intention of ending the conversation. She took a small sip of her tea, set down the cup, and lowered her voice slightly, yet it carried an irresistible allure:

"Anhe Asuka, would you be interested in... exploring a broader, more professional world of music beyond the school band?"

Seeing the boy's suddenly frozen gaze, her smile deepened. She slowly took out a simple yet high-quality white business card from the inside pocket of her trench coat and gently pushed it to the center of the table with her fingertips.

The business card contained only a line of elegant gold-stamped English lettering and a handwritten phone number.

The English text is:

"Rouge en Rouge"

Akane Akasaka's voice then rang out, carrying a certain declarative quality:

"Let me formally introduce myself. I am Akane Kousaka, a producer who has a slight interest in discovering potential talent..."

The noise outside the window seemed to disappear in an instant.

The aroma of coffee and the noise of people in the classroom became a blurred background.

An and Feibiao's gaze was firmly fixed on that small white business card.

A broader...more professional world of music?

Producer?

Volume 1: Chapter 149 A Little Bit of Secret [6.5k]

An and Asuka's gaze lingered for a moment on the simple yet exquisitely textured white business card before slowly shifting to the elegant woman before them.

The French calligraphy "Rouge en Rouge" in gold lettering on her business card gleamed subtly under the classroom lights, complementing her smiling eyes.

He hesitated for a moment, then gently shook his head.

"Excuse me, Ms. Kurosaka." The boy's voice was calm and clear, with a composure rarely seen for his age. His refusal was clear yet polite.

Such a scene was not unfamiliar to him.

In the past six months of livehouse performances, he has encountered no fewer than five so-called "talent scouts" or "producers" who have offered him opportunities based on his appearance or playing skills.

Some openly stated that they valued his outstanding appearance and promised to package him as an idol-type musician; others expressed amazement at his performance skills beyond his years and claimed to be able to provide professional training; still others couldn't even explain a decent company background and only made empty promises about a illusory future.

Each time, he politely but firmly refused.

It's not that he doesn't want to step onto a bigger stage, nor that he doesn't need a more professional platform to showcase himself and build popularity—on the contrary, in order to achieve the goal that requires a massive number of fan points, he craves wider attention and recognition than anyone else.

However, the opportunities that come their way are either small workshops lacking resources or obvious commercial traps. In this small city far from the cultural center, truly professional music production companies with resources, vision, and sincerity are almost non-existent.

Of course, he could disregard everything and venture into big cities like Tokyo or Osaka on his own. If it were him a long time ago, he might have actually done so—back then, his world consisted almost entirely of himself, with no ties or commitments to worry about.

But now it's different.

He promised them that he would wait until they graduated from high school together, and then they would go out into a wider world together. He could not, and did not want to, be someone who broke his promise and left alone.

"Don't be so quick to refuse."

Akane Akane seemed completely unsurprised by his reaction. Faced with the boy's calm rejection, she showed no displeasure at being offended; instead, her smile deepened, and a light akin to appreciation flickered in her deep eyes.

She pushed the business card forward a little further, her voice soft yet strangely penetrating: "Why not learn more about it first? Maybe... it will exceed your expectations."

"..."

An and Asuka fell silent. He wasn't entirely unmoved. The professional and confident aura emanating from the woman before him was completely different from those boastful "talent scouts" he'd encountered before. She didn't even rush to promote her company or make any promises; she simply waited calmly, as if certain he would eventually accept her business card.

Just then, a slightly anxious voice came from the other end of the classroom: "Anhe, we're almost out of cookies here. Could you please ask the logistics department if they have any left?"

This sudden interruption, however, seemed like an external force that propelled the decision-making process.

Anwa Asuka raised her eyes and met Akane Kousaka's gaze again. Her eyes remained calm, yet they seemed to see through the fleeting wavering in his heart.

He reached out and took the white business card. The moment his fingertips touched the card, he could feel the paper's unique crispness and the slightly raised texture of the gold-stamped lettering.

"Then thank you in advance, Ms. Kurosaka." His tone remained calm, revealing little emotional fluctuation.

Akane Akane's smile deepened, becoming a truly relaxed smile, less of the initial tentative tone and more of a satisfied satisfaction.

"Looking forward to your news, Anhe-kun." Her way of addressing him subtly changed, from "little guy" to "young man," showing more intimacy and recognition.

"Then I won't disturb your enjoyment of campus life any longer." Anhe Asuka bowed slightly, carefully placing the business card into the inside pocket of his suit jacket, his movements fluid and natural, as if he were simply accepting a tip from an ordinary customer.

He turned and walked back to his post by the door. His black and white deacon uniform made his figure stand out as particularly tall and aloof in the noisy classroom.

Only when that figure completely blended into the light and shadow and the flow of people at the entrance did Akane Akasaka's perfect, business-like smile fade away like the tide. She lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow beneath them, concealing the complex emotions that suddenly surged within them.

She picked up the slightly cooled black tea on the table, took a small sip, but her taste buds seemed unable to detect any flavor. All her senses seemed focused on every frame of her brief encounter with the boy—his expression, his tone of voice, the subtle pause in his fingers as he took the business card, and... his eyes.

Those eyes are so similar.

"Peace and...flying birds."

She murmured the name softly, so softly that only she could hear it, yet it carried a heavy weight. This name, along with the boy's face, had repeatedly appeared in her investigation materials, her dreams, and now, in the reality before her eyes, over the past three months.

"Is he really of the Anhe family bloodline...?" Her fingertips unconsciously caressed the warm porcelain cup, her gaze turning to the noisy corridor outside the window. The boy was no longer there, but there seemed to be a lingering trace of his presence in the air.

"Or... is it just that I've contacted the wrong person?"

This question had been lingering in her mind ever since she first saw the boy playing drums in a campus music video posted on a website.

Reason told her that there are countless people in the world who look alike, and it would be too hasty to make a judgment based on just a video and a few photos. But a certain intuition belonging to an artist, as well as a deeper, more personal emotion, kept driving her here to confirm it with her own eyes.

Now, having seen it with my own eyes, that sense of familiarity has not diminished; on the contrary, it has become even more vivid and directly strikes at my intuition.

The second day of the school anniversary celebrations officially concluded in the evening.

With the support of An and Asuka, the mascots of Class 2-A, the "Butler Cafe" instantly became the most popular theme among the second-year students. As the last customer left satisfied and the students began to happily count the remaining supplies and clean up the place, An and Asuka had already quietly changed back into their school uniforms.

"Anhe! Thank you so much for your help today! You were so kind and helpful!"

"Without you, we absolutely could not have done this!"

Please be sure to lead us again for the next class activity!

"Here you are, Anhe, this is the last batch of cookies, which we specially saved to treat you."

Surrounded by the students' enthusiasm and sincere gratitude, An and Asuka simply smiled and nodded modestly, accepting the cookies they offered.

He then quickly packed his belongings, briefly handed them over to the class monitor, picked up his schoolbag, and left the still noisy classroom.

The setting sun bathed the campus in a warm golden-red glow. He didn't go home immediately, but instead headed towards the school gate where he had arranged to meet the girls.

There is a cherry blossom tree at the entrance, but at this time of year, the cherry blossoms have long since fallen, and the lush green leaves rustle in the evening breeze.

From afar, he spotted those familiar figures. Yana saw Anzu gesturing wildly as she spoke animatedly to Karen Himegami and Ai Hoshino, her expressions lively. Karen listened quietly, nodding occasionally. The other three girls were also talking, their lips occasionally curving into faint smiles.

"Asuka! Over here!" Anzu spotted him first and immediately waved vigorously.

An and Asuka quickened their pace and walked over.

"You've worked hard, our top performer." Hoshino Ai spoke first, her purple eyes sparkling with laughter, her tone carrying a friendly teasing tone.

"Don't even mention it." An and Asuka rubbed their temples helplessly. After a day of business, even he felt a bit mentally exhausted. "It's much more tiring than playing drums."

"Of course! You have to keep smiling!" Marina leaned closer, looking him up and down curiously. "But seriously, Asuka, you look incredibly handsome in that butler uniform! Did lots of girls ask you for photos today?"

"It's alright," An and Asuka replied vaguely, not wanting to discuss the topic further. He glanced at the sky; the sun had already sunk behind the teaching building, leaving only a pale purple and orange-red afterglow on the horizon. "Alright, let's hurry home, it's getting dark."

"Yay!" Seeing that Anja was the first to respond, Bana slung her backpack over her shoulder, her face beaming with pure joy. "Summer vacation starts today! I can finally get some rest!"

Karen Himegami nodded gently, her eyes filled with anticipation: "Yes, summer vacation... there are many things I want to do."

Ai Hoshino put the last sheet music into her bag, elegantly smoothed a strand of hair at her temples, and smiled, "Indeed, it's a rare vacation. But don't forget we have a small performance in the middle of summer vacation."

"Okay, okay!" Anzu waved her hand, then looked excitedly at An and Asuka, "Asuka, what are your plans for summer vacation? How about we go to the beach? Or to the new amusement park in the city...?"

"We'll see when the time comes," An and Asuka interrupted her wandering thoughts, taking the first step. "Let's go, or we'll miss the bus."

Several figures left the campus in the deepening twilight, their laughter and conversations gradually fading into the warm summer night air.

In another corner of the city, in front of the floor-to-ceiling window of a penthouse suite in a business hotel, Akane Akasaka held a half-empty glass of red wine, but had no interest in tasting it. Her gaze was fixed on the myriad lights that had already illuminated the city outside the window, but her thoughts drifted to a more distant time and place.

After a long while, she put down her wine glass, walked to her desk, and opened her laptop. The cold white light of the screen illuminated her delicate yet slightly tired face. She skillfully logged into a video website and found the video in her bookmarks that she had watched no less than a hundred times.

The title is simple: "Excerpt from a performance at a high school's anniversary celebration in a certain city - live version".

This video, uploaded a year ago, has already garnered over 1.5 million views and thousands of comments. For a performance video from a middle school in a small city, these numbers are astonishing.

Akane Akasaka clicked play, and the familiar melody began to play again. In the scene, under the stage lights of the gymnasium, four boys and girls were performing with great enthusiasm.

The lead singer, a purple-haired girl, had a clear and penetrating voice, while the blue-haired bassist and pink-haired guitarist's performance was full of youthful energy. But Akane Kousaka's gaze remained fixed on that inconspicuous spot at the back of the stage—the boy behind the drum set.

Compared to his youthful appearance in the video a year ago, the boy in the video has indeed grown up; his facial features are more defined, and his eyes are more composed. But what truly caught Akane Kousaka's attention was the unique sense of rhythm and control he displayed while drumming, and... that face that seemed increasingly familiar the more she looked at it.

She first saw the video purely by chance.

One late night a year ago, while searching for suitable reference styles for one of her new bands, she stumbled upon this video in the popular recommendations. A title that couldn't be more ordinary, sandwiched among a bunch of exaggerated titles like "God-level live performance!" and "Tears welling up! The most touching cover ever!", yet it garnered an unusually high number of views, unlike any other video in its genre.

Out of professional habit and a touch of curiosity, she clicked on it.

This was a song she had never heard before, and she couldn't even find it online.

To be fair, from the perspective of a professional producer, the quality of "I'm Sorry for Being So Cute" far exceeds that of an ordinary original work by a middle school student.

The melody is catchy and easy to listen to, the rhythm is cleverly arranged, and the lyrics, while carrying the naivety and straightforwardness unique to teenagers, are surprisingly sincere and moving. Even disregarding all external factors, this is an excellent piece worthy of attention.

What truly made her watch the song repeatedly was initially the song itself. She even considered contacting the uploader through the website to obtain the copyright or to find the creator.

However, as time went on, after watching the video for what seemed like the umpteenth time, her attention was drawn to the drummer who remained behind the stage, mostly showing only his profile and arms.

At first, it was a vague sense of déjà vu. The lowered eyebrows, the slightly pursed lips when focused, and the unique way the wrist exerted force when playing the drum... all reminded her of someone she hadn't thought of in a long time.

Anwa Sōsuke.

She wasn't familiar with Anwa Sousuke himself, and they hadn't even had many formal conversations. Her understanding of him mostly came from mentions by her family elders and the impressive live footage of his brief period of activity.

The Kosaka and Anwa families were longtime friends, with ties in both the arts and business. She remembered attending a party with her grandmother when she was a child and seeing Anwa Sousuke, who had already graduated from university. In her memory, he was a man who seemed somewhat enigmatic.

The next time she heard news about that man was from her parents; he had disappeared.

However, she didn't think anything of it at the time, since she wasn't familiar with him anyway.

If it were merely a slight, albeit uncanny, resemblance in appearance, Akane Kousaka might not have gone to such lengths. What truly spurred her on her search was a tea party at the Kousaka family's old mansion this New Year, where the over-seventy-year-old Grandma Tendo, watching the children playing in the courtyard, inadvertently uttered a sigh:

"Time flies... If Jiro were still alive, his child would be about Subaru's age by now, right? Maybe... even more talented than his father."

At that moment, a chord was struck within Akane Akane. She recalled the drumming boy in the video, his similar features, and the seemingly calm yet turbulent undercurrents within the Anwa family over the years—the older generation was gradually passing away, the middle generation was facing a talent drain, and none of the younger generation had shown sufficient talent or interest in the family's artistic endeavors. The Anwa family, once highly respected in the entertainment industry and traditional arts, was facing a silent decline.

Thus began her long and winding journey of seeking proof.

Contacting the video uploader online was not smooth. Initially, the uploader refused to disclose any specific information, citing privacy concerns. Akane Akasaka had to use her connections and skills, spending several months, before finally obtaining a vague city name from an intermediary recently—the very small town where An and Asuka lived.

As for the specific name of the school and the personal information of the students in the video, the other party remained tight-lipped.

But that was enough for Akane Akasaka. As long as there was a location, she could find the person.

Using the excuse of "finding inspiration for a new project," she adjusted the club's recent schedule and came alone to this quiet little town, a place completely different from her past life. On the afternoon of her second day after arriving, she located the municipal high school based on the title of a video.

And luck seemed to be on her side.

As she pretended to be a visitor, wandering aimlessly around the school in an attempt to find more clues, she spotted the boy in the corridor connecting the gymnasium and the teaching building.

He was walking with three girls, his face turned to the side as he listened to one of the pink-haired girls excitedly saying something, a faint but genuine smile on his face. Even though it was just his profile, Akane Kousaka recognized him almost instantly.

At that moment, her heart pounded with relief. Not only because she had found her target, but also because the boy she saw up close was more vivid and more...like the figure in her memory than in the video.

However, just as she paused to gaze, the boy seemed to sense something, turning his head without warning and staring directly in her direction.