Green plums cannot become lovers.

"Is it just inconvenient to show it publicly?" An and Asuka said the second half of the sentence for her, their tone devoid of judgment, merely stating the facts.

Eriri tacitly agreed. She recalled the moment she flinched and became wary when he mentioned "anime" and "otaku" in the activity room.

Looking back now, wasn't that vigilance just a kind of cowardice? A fear that if her true preferences were exposed, it would shatter the perfect shell of "Sawamura Spencer Eriri" that she had carefully maintained, attract strange looks, or even... repeat the same mistakes.

"actually......"

An and Asuka's voice rang out again, smoothly cutting into the gaps in the sound of rain, "I think the game we're preparing for will be quite compatible with you, Sawamura-kun."

Eriri looked up abruptly, her azure eyes widening, and instantly understood his unspoken meaning—was he taking the opportunity to recruit her?

She immediately sprang into action like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, raising an invisible guard and glaring at him with a hint of embarrassment and annoyance: "Hey! You, you bastard! You're not trying to take advantage of me, are you? Do you think you can easily persuade me by looking at me like this?"

An and Asuka did not answer immediately, but just looked at her quietly. In her usually calm eyes, there seemed to be a very faint smile, so quick that it was hard to catch.

This brief silence only made Eriri more anxious. "Hey! Say something!"

She couldn't help but take a half-step forward, completely forgetting to keep her distance; her wet coat almost brushed against An and Asuka's arms. "Let me tell you, don't think that just because you see me like this, I'll agree to anything! I have very high standards for my work! Even if... even if I'm a little interested, it doesn't mean..."

Before she could finish speaking, a crisp, pleasant cell phone ringtone suddenly rang out from the pocket of her sweatpants, interrupting her blustering statement.

The moment the bell rang, An and Asuka's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly.

Eriri was also taken aback for a moment, then hurriedly pulled out her phone. The screen displayed a call from "Mother." She glanced awkwardly at An and Asuka, turned around, and answered the call in a low voice.

"Hello? Mom... Yes, I'm outside. It suddenly started raining... I'm taking shelter from the rain... It's okay, it's okay. I'll go back when the rain gets a little lighter... Don't worry... Okay, I understand."

After the brief call ended, Eriri breathed a sigh of relief and put her phone back in her pocket. But the unique ringtone seemed to still linger in the damp air.

An and Asuka spoke up at the opportune moment, their tone carrying just the right amount of curiosity: "The ringtone just now... was it 'Summer'?"

"Huh?" Eriri turned around, somewhat surprised. "You recognized it?" Although this instrumental piece is popular in certain circles, it is not a mainstream pop song.

“Yes,” Anwa Asuka nodded, her gaze falling on her face, “Does Sawamura-san like this piece of music too?”

Upon hearing this, Eriri's eyes lit up instantly, and the previous embarrassment and defensiveness seemed to be largely dispelled by the excitement brought about by this shared topic.

"I love it! Of course I love it!"

Her voice unconsciously rose a little, filled with the joy of finding a kindred spirit, "You like it too?"

"Yes, I like it too." An and Asuka's lips curved into a gentle smile.

"Really?!" Eriri's eyes widened even more, her azure eyes seeming to hold stars. "This piece is absolutely amazing! The piano tone in the prelude is so clean and bright, it immediately reminds me of the feeling of summer sunlight filtering through the leaves overhead!"

The rhythm is upbeat, but the addition of strings in the middle subtly conveys a sense of... well, like a touch of melancholy at the passing of time as summer vacation draws to a close? The blend of joy and sadness is exceptionally well done! Every time I listen, I feel my mood improve, but there's also a faint... how to put it, nostalgia?

She spoke rapidly, her face radiant with the natural glow of talking about her favorite things, completely forgetting that she was dressed in an outfit that had nothing to do with "elegance".

At this moment, she was no longer the reserved mixed-race young lady, nor the embarrassed and indignant girl hiding from the rain, but an ordinary girl simply sharing the emotions evoked by the music.

“I think so too,” An and Asuka listened attentively and chimed in at the right moment, “I also really like that song, ‘The Light of Fireflies’.”

"Hotaru no Hikari!" Eriri was even more excited, almost jumping up, but she held back, though the excitement in her eyes was almost overflowing.

"That song was amazing too! The imagery was incredibly beautiful, both lonely and tender, with a sense of hope... Ah! I didn't know you were such a discerning listener! You really know your stuff!"

She seemed to have opened a floodgate, launching into a long, detailed account of the various scenarios and feelings she had while listening to the two pieces: playing "Summer" on repeat to refresh herself while doing homework; listening to "Hotaru no Hikari" to calm herself down when she was feeling down; she even tried to recreate illustrations based on the mood of the music.

An and Asuka listened with a smile the whole time, without interrupting.

Seeing her genuine love and profound understanding of her own work, a wonderful sense of satisfaction and warmth quietly filled my heart. This touched the core of creation—resonance—more directly than any sales figures or praise in the comments section.

"Speaking of which," he asked casually after she finished speaking, "what prompted you to like these songs, Sawamura-kun? When you first heard them?"

This question brought Eriri's excited narration to an abrupt halt.

The light on her face froze slightly, her excitement receding like the tide, replaced by a moment of bewilderment and... something deeper. The rain poured down, and time seemed to stretch out for a few seconds.

Some images that had been carefully sealed away uncontrollably flashed through my mind.

In elementary school, my classmates discovered the anime keychain that accidentally peeked out of my schoolbag, followed by the drawings tucked into my textbooks... Whispers, strange looks, gradually estranged playmates, and mocking notes that occasionally appeared in my desk.

"Homebody," "freak," "completely different from her appearance"... Her golden twin tails no longer attracted envy, but instead became the focus of attention. At that time, I felt that the world was dark and I was isolated and helpless, until one night, I accidentally clicked on the song "Hotaru no Hikari" while wearing headphones.

The ethereal and melodious tune, like a faint light quietly illuminating a quiet summer night, is not blazing, yet it stubbornly pierces through the heavy loneliness, telling her that even alone, one can have one's own peace and longing.

Later, in junior high school, perhaps due to prolonged sitting while drawing, or perhaps due to her constitution, she began to fall ill frequently and often had to take leave from school. The hospital and her bedroom at home became her most frequent places. Unable to participate in clubs regularly, she struggled to maintain stable friendships, and the joyful laughter of her classmates walking home together outside her window seemed distant.

It was on a drowsy afternoon after a fever that the radio played the light and lively notes of "Summer." The melody was like a gentle medicine, carrying the scent of sunshine and grass, infusing her weak body, making her feel as if she were running in a summer field.

It reminded her that even when confined to a small space, she could still have a vast and bright summer in her heart.

These two pieces of music, like the background music that played at the right time during two somewhat gloomy chapters of her life, gave her indescribable comfort and strength.

But these things... are too personal, too heavy. Like old scars she doesn't want to show easily, she rarely even thinks about them carefully herself.

Eriri awkwardly avoided An and Asuka's gaze, lowered her head, rubbed the wet ground with her toes, and lowered her voice, which carried a hint of deliberate nonchalance.

"Well... there wasn't any particular reason. I just heard it by chance, thought it sounded nice, and then I started to like it."

She tried to make her tone sound relaxed and casual, but the brief pause and the complex emotions that flashed in her eyes did not escape An and Asuka's eyes.

He didn't ask any further questions.

He simply looked at the girl in front of him, who had lowered her head again and seemed somewhat uneasy. Her blonde hair was wet, her coat was unfashionable, she was clutching the anime paper bag tightly, and she was trying to cover up her past with a nonchalant expression.

Suddenly, he seemed to understand why she was so sensitive about her "homebody" identity, to the point that she needed to carefully disguise it. It might not just be the burden of being a rich girl, but more likely stemmed from some unpleasant memories related to this hobby in the past.

The torrential rain showed no signs of stopping, but the world under the eaves seemed to become clearer and more real because of this unexpected conversation that touched on a certain edge.

An and Asuka were silent for a while, and when they spoke again, their voices were even gentler than before: "'I heard it by chance and liked it' is probably the best affirmation for a creator."

Eriri looked up at him, somewhat puzzled.

He smiled, offering no explanation, but simply looked up at the gray sky, as if talking to himself: "To be liked so 'accidentally' by someone, to be remembered, and even to draw strength from it when needed... Musicians would feel incredibly happy if they knew this."

His words were soft, yet like a warm seed, quietly falling into Eriri's heart, which was somewhat chilled by memories.

She stared blankly at his profile, and suddenly felt that this sudden downpour, this messy encounter, and this overly calm young man in front of her... perhaps, weren't entirely a bad thing.

The rain pattered down, and the curtain of water swayed.

Two teenagers, trapped by a torrential downpour and each preoccupied with their own thoughts, find themselves drawn closer together through a brief moment of shared musical inspiration.

Volume 1: Report! The bounty data is out!

The bounty details are as follows:

Recommendation votes: 434

Monthly pass: 92

刀片 ： 39

Tip: 0

(The data is based on the cumulative sum of seven days' data from the backend. If you are not sure, I can provide screenshots for you.)

After being unemployed at home, I spent every day writing, sometimes for seven or eight hours straight, only to find this was the result. It's impossible not to be disappointed. But even though it didn't meet my expectations, I'll still update more chapters, since the reward is flexible.

One extra chapter for every 400 recommendation votes.

One extra chapter for every 90 monthly votes.

35 blades plus one more.

An extra chapter will be added for every 0 donations.

All the bounty thresholds have been exceeded, so this is the fourth update.

Let's say each update is 5,000 words, for a total of 20,000 words.

I currently have around 3 words, and I'll try to reach 30 words before the end of this month.

We still hope everyone will continue to support us.

By the way, I'd like to ask everyone's opinion: would you prefer more conflict or more everyday life?

Volume 1: Chapter 171 Approaching

The music failed to completely bridge the distance between the two; the brief resonance was like ripples spreading across the water's surface after a raindrop, before slowly returning to calm.

During the pauses in the conversation, silence returned, but it was no longer the initial awkwardness and tension; instead, it was a tranquil coexistence filled with the sound of rain.

The rain curtain clearly separated the narrow eaves from the outside world.

Outside, the city continued its relentless march through the rain—the splashing of wheels over puddles, the hurried footsteps of pedestrians, the faint honking of horns in the distance, all mingled with the clamor of raindrops striking everything, creating an endless urban symphony.

But beneath the eaves, it forms its own quiet, isolated island.

Only the occasional breeze brought a damp coolness, ruffling the slightly damp hems of their clothes; only the sound of the pattering rain, monotonous yet grand, became the sole background noise in this small world.

Neither of them spoke again, but simply stood side by side gazing at the white curtain of rain before them, letting time slip away quietly amidst the sound of the rain.

The atmosphere shifted from initial tension and defensiveness to relaxed resonance when music was discussed, eventually settling into the quiet that needs no words. This quiet is not empty; rather, it is like something washed clean by rain, exuding a strange clarity.

Summer downpours come fiercely and leave just as suddenly. Before you know it, the continuous rain begins to thin out and become intermittent, eventually turning into clearly visible raindrops that shimmer in the gradually brightening sky, dripping and pattering reluctantly from the eaves.

The thick gray clouds covering the sky were torn apart by an invisible force, and golden sunlight pierced through the haze like a sharp sword, rapidly expanding the victory.

Within minutes, the torrential rain subsided, leaving only puddles on the ground and glistening water droplets rolling on the leaves, testifying to the sudden baptism that had just occurred.

The air was filled with the fresh scent of rain, a blend of earthy and grassy fragrance that soothed the soul. This rain was like a rash visitor, rushing into my heart, stirring up waves, and then hurrying away, leaving behind a damp residue and a cleansed clarity.

"that......"

Eriri's soft voice broke the final silence. She turned to face An and Asuka, still clutching the slightly deformed paper bag, but her posture was much more natural now. "I... have to go."

She could have simply turned and left without a word, as if avoiding an episode she didn't want to revisit.

But at this moment, she chose to say goodbye. This extra courtesy stemmed not only from good upbringing, but perhaps also from the indescribable, subtle sense of relief and... a faint warmth in her heart.

Having witnessed my most vulnerable side, I didn't face the expected ridicule or alienation. Instead, I unexpectedly found someone who understood parts of my world. This realization gave the moment of parting a different kind of color.

“Hmm,” An and Asuka looked at her and nodded.

The sun finally completely dispelled the dark clouds, revealing a pristine blue sky. That clear blue was remarkably similar to the light reflected in her eyes as she looked up. "Be careful on the road."

"Mmm!" Eriri nodded vigorously, her golden twin tails bouncing playfully with the movement. She glanced at An and Asuka one last time, her lips seeming to curve into a smile, but she held it back with a touch of demureness. Then she turned and walked briskly across the shallow puddles on the ground towards the other end of the street.

Sunlight shone on her wet green coat and golden hair, creating dappled patterns of light. Soon, her figure disappeared around the corner.

An and Asuka watched her leave until she was out of sight before turning their gaze away and picking up their bookshelves from the corner of the wall. On the street, pedestrians seeking shelter from the downpour reappeared, traffic resumed, and the sounds of bustling activity filled the air once more. He merged into the crowd and walked towards the apartment building, the sky behind him clear and azure, as if the torrential rain had been nothing more than a fleeting illusion.

Since that rain, the relationship between An and Asuka and Eriri on campus has indeed undergone some subtle and inexplicable changes.

When you bump into someone in the hallway, it's no longer just a polite way of avoiding eye contact or a fleeting glance between strangers. Sometimes it's a simple nod, sometimes it's a fleeting smile when your eyes meet.

Without many words, they seemed to share a secret known only to each other. Although the barrier had not completely disappeared, a corner of the invisible ice seemed to have quietly melted away.

However, the actual progress of the game development department did not immediately see the light at the end of the tunnel; instead, it fell into a slow stalemate. Although Marina, Shizuka, and Ai were all willing to help, their respective worlds were already filled with their studies, dreams, and busy "work"—Marina's manga selection and illustration commissions, Shizuka's writing and studies, and Ai's idol training and increasing exposure opportunities.

An and Asuka understood their burdens better than anyone and would never allow club activities to become the straw that broke their backs. Therefore, the energy they could devote was ultimately limited; most of the time they could only offer ideas and suggestions, unable to engage in high-intensity, sustained collaboration.

The core work of advancing the project still mainly falls on the shoulders of Anwa Asuka and Kasumigaoka Utaha. Like pioneers, the two are painstakingly cultivating the land of the project inch by inch without enough "labor."

Without an artist, they focused on the parts that didn't require visual presentation: Kasumigaoka Utaha buried herself in polishing the details of the script and world view, while An and Asuka began to conceive and create music demos for several key scenes, while also building the game's most basic program framework.

To Anwa Asuka's slight surprise, Aki Tomoya actually managed to build up a small team in a short period of time.

During lunch break, he often saw him and several other students, all wearing glasses but with different personalities, gathered in the courtyard or an empty classroom, having a heated discussion. Various design sketches and reference materials were spread out on the table, as if they were about to embark on a major project.

It seems that the hasty one-year promise was not just empty talk made out of youthful impetuosity; he was truly trying to fulfill his persistent desire to prove himself in his own way.

An and Asuka were not worried about this; on the contrary, they felt somewhat sentimental.

He knew all too well that a person's long-established thought patterns and behaviors could not be changed overnight. Passion could ignite a beginning, but to transform passion into sustainable and productive action required discipline, methodology, and continuous effort. Aki Tomoya may have found some partners, but he still had a long way to go before he could produce a truly solid and executable complete plan.

Of course, An and Asuka themselves also face a long road ahead. The gap between ideals and reality will not automatically narrow just because of determination.

"Junior, I might not be able to come to the activity room for the next couple of days."

As Kasumigaoka Utaha closed her notebook and calmly announced the news, An and Asuka were adjusting some ambient sound effects. He paused, looking up in surprise, but quickly understood from the other's slightly tired yet focused expression.

"Is it a problem with the novel's progress?" he asked.

"Hmm." Kasumigaoka Utaha gently rubbed her temples, her wine-red eyes filled with a clear sense of urgency befitting a creator.

"If we don't focus on finishing the manuscript for Volume 3 soon, we'll miss the deadline. Yuanzi has already sent a tactful email expressing her concern."

Thanks to the positive response to the previous book signing and the steady promotion that followed, "Love Metronome" has temporarily escaped the shadow of being canceled. However, if it wants to truly gain a foothold and even go further, the quality of the upcoming third volume is crucial, and she must go all out.

"I understand." An and Asuka nodded in understanding, then a sense of apology rose in their hearts, "I'm sorry, senior, I've made you spend a lot of energy on the club lately."

Upon hearing this, Kasumigaoka Utaha slightly raised the corners of her lips: "What's there to apologize for? Participating in this was a choice made voluntarily by both parties."

She paused, her gaze falling on An and Asuka's faces, her voice lowered, tinged with a hint of mischief, "Besides... I was quite happy when I 'did' it with my junior, you know."