Green plums cannot become lovers.

Not a dream.

"...Really...it's you?" Her voice was hoarse, with a heavy nasal tone, as soft as a whisper, yet it carried a tremendous weight.

"Yes, it's me." Anhe Asuka's voice was gentler than ever before. He gently took her cold fingers in his hand and enveloped them with the warmth of his palm. "I'm here, Kaoru."

The simple confirmation brought tears to Kaori Miyazono's eyes again. She sniffed hard, trying to force a smile, but it was more heartbreaking than tears.

"Idiot, idiot... why did you only come now..." she sobbed, but gripped his hand even tighter, as if afraid that he would disappear if she let go.

"Feel sorry."

An and Asuka didn't argue, but sincerely apologized, their gaze carefully tracing her face. She was thinner than they remembered, her face pale from not seeing the sun for so long, with faint blue circles under her eyes, but the light in her eyes, that vibrant spirit, remained the same, even appearing clearer and more resilient because of the trials of illness.

It took me a while to find my way.

He used a lighthearted approach to try and ease the tension.

Kaori Miyazono stopped crying and started laughing, though her face was still streaked with tears. "You're lying... You're so amazing, 'Asuka'-sensei..."

She deliberately used the term "fan," her tone tinged with a hint of pride and teasing, "I heard it all! The new album... is amazing! Even better than before!"

"Do you like it?" An and Asuka asked, their eyes focused.

"I love it! I love it the most!" Kaori Miyazono nodded vigorously, tears almost welling up in her eyes again. "Especially 'Always With Me' and 'Smile'... Listening to them makes me feel like you're right next to me playing them."

She paused, her voice lowering, "Sometimes when the pain is unbearable, or when I feel like I can't go on, I listen to your songs... and it seems to give me the strength."

Anhe Fei Niao's heart suddenly clenched. He gently tightened his grip on her hand, his Adam's apple bobbing, before whispering, "From now on, I'll play for you, right next to you."

Kaori Miyazono's eyes brightened again, and she gave a heavy "Mmm!"

The atmosphere gradually eased, and the initial shock slowly settled into a tender tranquility of something lost and regained. Kaori Miyazono leaned back against the pillow, but refused to let go of his hand, as if afraid he would run away.

"How have you been these past few years...?"

She asked, looking at him greedily, as if trying to make up for all the changes she had missed in the past four years, "It must have been amazing, right? You've become a big star!"

An and Asuka smiled and briefly told her, "It's alright. I got into a high school in Tokyo and made some new friends. I tried doing some other things, like... playing a game with my friends."

"A game? 'Where the Stars Fly'?" Kaori Miyazono immediately replied, her eyes widening even further. "That super popular game lately? You really made it? I knew it! The music was so recognizable as your style! And those starry skies... I knew it!"

Seeing how excited she was about her, An and Asuka felt a warmth in their hearts. "Yes, it's all thanks to everyone's efforts."

He downplayed the issue, saying, "I mainly wanted to... try different approaches."

"Amazing..." Kaori Miyazono exclaimed sincerely, then her eyes dimmed for a moment. "I can only stay here and do nothing... I haven't been able to play the violin properly in so long."

She looked at the violin case placed in the corner of the ward; it was her pillar of support, but also a source of regret that she was powerless to touch at this moment.

“It will get better.” An and Asuka’s voices were firm and strong. “When you’re better, we’ll play that piece ‘Rain’ together again. No, we’ll play a new piece. I’ve written a lot of them.”

"You made a date?" Kaori Miyazono held up her little finger.

"It's a promise." An and Asuka hooked their slender little fingers together, their thumbs touching. It was a promise that was four years late, but all the more solemn.

Kaori Miyazono recounted her past four years in a rambling manner. The tedious and repetitive treatments, the brief joy of occasional improvements, and the new friends she made—Arima, Tsubaki, Ryota, and Nao—and how they brought her happiness.

She carefully avoided the most painful and desperate moments, only saying lightly, "Sometimes it's a little uncomfortable," but An and Asuka could clearly sense the hardships she had endured from her thin figure and the occasional shadows in her eyes.

He also told her some lighthearted stories, such as funny incidents at school, embarrassing moments during game development, Akane Kousaka's occasional "tyrannical" behavior, and his childhood friends and clubmates with their distinct personalities. Kaori Miyazono listened with great interest, occasionally letting out soft laughter, and color gradually returned to her pale face.

Time slipped away quietly in the hushed conversation, and the sunlight outside the window slowly turned golden-red.

Just then, familiar, lively voices and footsteps came from outside the ward.

"Kaoru! We brought you some delicious food!" Tsubaki Sawabe's voice rang out first.

The door was pushed open, and Kousei Arima, Tsubaki Sawabe, Ryota Watari, and Nao Kashiwagi filed in, carrying fruit and snacks. Their smiles froze on their faces the moment they saw the scene inside the ward.

Beside Kaori Miyazono's bed sat a handsome, unfamiliar boy in a high school uniform. Their familiar Kaori was holding the boy's hand tightly, her face still wet with tears, and wearing an expression they had never seen before—a mixture of immense joy and vulnerable dependence.

The air fell silent instantly.

Ryota Watari nearly dropped the plastic bag in his hand. Tsubaki Sawabe gasped in surprise, covering her mouth. Nao Kashiwagi's eyes widened. Kousei Arima frowned slightly, his gaze scrutinizing An and Asuka before turning to Kaori Miyazono with concern.

Kaori Miyazono was startled from her reunion with her friends and realized they had arrived. A faint blush rose to her cheeks; she was a little embarrassed, but showed no intention of letting go of their hands. Instead, as if announcing some important news, she spoke with pride and joy, her voice clear and distinct:

"Kousei, Tsubaki, Ryota, Nao! Let me introduce you—this is Anwa Asuka, my...my most important friends!"

She paused, then added, her eyes sparkling, "It's 'Asuka'! The one who plays piano and guitar, and wrote so many amazing songs!"

"Eh—?!!" Sawabe Tsubaki's exclamation nearly lifted the roof off.

She pointed incredulously at An and Asuka, then looked at Kaori Miyazono, “'Asuka'?! The musician 'Asuka' that you, Kaori, absolutely adore?! The real Asuka?! So young?! And your friend, Kaori?!!”

Ryota Watari was also shocked: "Wait! The genius high school student Anwa Asuka who made 'Where the Stars Lies'? He's the same person as the musician 'Asuka'?! Kaoru, you knew him all along?!"

He clearly also keeps up with news from the gaming industry.

Nao Kashiwagi opened her mouth slightly in surprise, her gaze shifting back and forth between Anwa Asuka and Kaori Miyazono, as if she understood why Kaori always had a special fondness for Asuka's music.

Arima Kousei was the quickest to calm down, but surprise was still evident in his eyes.

He stepped forward and nodded politely to An and Asuka: "Hello, I'm Arima Kousei. Kaoru often mentions you." His tone was calm, but carried a subtle protectiveness.

Anwa Asuka released Miyazono Kaoru's hand, stood up, and bowed slightly to everyone, her demeanor composed and polite: "Hello, I am Anwa Asuka. Kaoru is very grateful for everyone's care."

His gaze swept over the crowd, lingering briefly on Arima Kousei. The two nodded silently, and a certain tacit understanding between the boys seemed to be established at that moment.

"I'm Tsubaki Sawabe! Oh my god, I really love your 'Hotaru no Hikari'!" Tsubaki Sawabe had switched to fan mode, excited and a little incoherent.

"Ryota Watari! I bought your new album! It's so great for running!"

“Nao Kashiwagi… It’s a pleasure to meet you, Anwa-kun. Your music has given Kaoru a lot of strength,” Nao Kashiwagi said gently.

The small hospital room became lively because of the arrival of the new member and the unexpected "idol meet-and-greet". After the initial surprise, the friends quickly accepted this amazing fact and were genuinely happy for Kaori Miyazono - they could see that the appearance of this "Anwa-kun" made Kaori seem to be shining.

Kaori Miyazono leaned against the headboard, watching An and Asuka being surrounded by their friends and earnestly answering questions, and then looking at her lively friends around her, a smile never fading from her lips.

The last rays of the autumn sunset shone through the window, bathing the ward in a warm orange hue, and freezing this moment of reunion and merriment into the most precious and brightest frame in her memory.

The long wait seems to be finally coming to an end.

Volume 1: Chapter 180 Kiss

The ward door was gently closed, temporarily shutting out the lingering excitement of friends' conversations and the clamor of visitors. The room returned to silence, with only the faint light of dusk outside the window and the steady, rhythmic ticking of the bedside monitor.

An and Asuka looked again at Kaori Miyazono on the hospital bed. She seemed a little tired, leaning back slightly against the pillow, but her amber eyes were still bright and unblinking, following his figure.

Four years of time and the trials of illness have left indelible marks on her—overly slender wrists, pale skin, and dark circles under her eyes—yet at this moment, a joy and relief that shines brighter than the sun, emanating from her very being, makes her seem to glow.

That light illuminated the paleness of the ward and dispelled the last trace of uncertainty in An and Asuka's hearts before their reunion.

No words were needed; the immense joy of a long-awaited reunion and the peaceful relief of things settling down flowed quietly between their intertwined gazes. A warm, almost sacred tranquility permeated the air.

Kaori Miyazono gently patted the empty space at the edge of her hospital bed, where a soft white sheet lay. An and Asuka understood, and instead of sitting in the chairs their friends had just sat in, they sat down gently on the edge of the bed as instructed, close enough to smell the faint scent of medicine and shampoo on her.

The next second, a pair of cool but soft hands, with a cautious and tentative touch, gently landed on An and Asuka's heads.

His body stiffened almost imperceptibly, but he did not flinch.

"Don't refuse." Kaori Miyazono's voice rang out above his head, carrying a long-lost, mischievous playfulness, as well as a deeper, almost sighing satisfaction hidden beneath.

"Mmm." An and Asuka responded softly, obediently lowering their eyelashes.

With tacit approval, Kaori Miyazono seemed to grow bolder. Her fingers gently ran through his soft, black hair, stroking it slowly and gently. Her movements were light, as if afraid of shattering some fragile dream.

"A long, long time ago... I wanted to touch you like this." Her voice was soft, carrying the distant memories, her gaze tracing his lowered eyebrows, straight nose, and unusually docile features.

An and Asuka let her fingers run through their hair. Hearing this, the corners of their mouths curved into a barely perceptible smile: "Then why didn't you touch them before?"

"Did you let me touch you before?" Kaori Miyazono asked with amusement, playfully flicking a stray hair from his forehead with her fingertips. "From the first day I met you, you've always looked like a mature child."

"No." An and Asuka answered honestly, but their tone lacked the estrangement of yesteryear, only a faint trace of nostalgia for the past.

"That's fine then." Kaori Miyazono laughed, gently ruffling his hair with a slightly affectionate, complaining touch.

An and Asuka cooperated by lowering their heads slightly in accordance with her force. This small, completely submissive gesture, even with a hint of indulgence, was like an invisible key that instantly unlocked a switch in Kaori Miyazono's heart that was filled with an intense, tender feeling.

A sudden pang of emotion shot through her nose, and her vision blurred again. She quickly tilted her head back, blinking hard to force back the sudden surge of tears.

Don't cry, don't always cry. Reunion is a happy occasion, you should smile.

A moment of silence filled the air between them, but there was no awkwardness; instead, a tacit understanding, unspoken yet deeply felt, was quietly growing between them. Kaori Miyazono took a deep breath, drawing her attention back to the warm touch on her fingertips, and also back to the questions that lay ahead.

“By the way,” she began, her voice regaining its composure, “Asuka, how…how did you find this place? And how did you know I was in this ward?”

"My aunt brought me here," Anhe Feibiao said without hiding anything.

"Mom?" Kaori Miyazono raised an eyebrow in surprise, then couldn't help but laugh, her laughter filled with disbelief. "My mom? She used to be... well, you know, she wished we'd never see each other again. Why would she bring you here on her own initiative?"

She spoke in a lighthearted, teasing tone, but her eyes held a serious, inquisitive look.

An and Asuka raised their eyes and looked at her calmly: "Perhaps time can change many things. Auntie... may have figured some things out as well."

Their conversation was frank and direct, neither avoiding the unpleasant past nor trying to romanticize it. This honesty, in turn, brought a sense of relief to both of them.

“If that’s really the case…” Kaori Miyazono’s smile softened, with a sigh of relief, “That would be wonderful.”

She never truly resented her mother's decision. Leaving the small town for Tokyo, where medical care was better, was for her illness—that was an undeniable fact, a testament to her parents' boundless love. Her only regret and hope was that the slight estrangement between her mother and An and Asuka could be resolved.

In this way, if... if she really has to leave, at least she won't leave such a knot in her heart, causing those who care about her to harbor resentment towards each other.

“After all, there’s really no deep-seated hatred between me and Auntie.” An and Asuka continued in a relaxed tone, “In the end, it’s just that when her daughter was unwell, I was so immature that I took her daughter running around and almost made her worry terribly.”

He used the word "ignorant" to describe himself back then, with a sense of detachment that comes with the passage of time.

Kaori Miyazono chuckled, her eyes crinkling: "You've been made to take the blame for so much! It was clearly my own insistence on going... and now you've gotten what you deserved from Mom."

Looking back, she felt both guilty and comforted, finding the ability to laugh about it now a form of healing. "Thinking about it now, it's so funny."

She laughed for a while before slowly stopping, raising her hand to gently wipe away the tears that had welled up in her eyes. Then, as if remembering something, her amber eyes turned to An and Asuka, a hint of slyness and seriousness in them: "Speaking of which... back then, didn't you already guess that when I took a month off, it wasn't to go back to my hometown, but because I was sick and hospitalized?"

An and Asuka did not deny it, but simply nodded slightly: "After all... it's too obvious, only an idiot wouldn't notice."

"Then why didn't you expose me sooner?" Kaori Miyazono pressed, though she already had a vague idea of ​​the answer.

“The things you don’t want me to know,” An and Asuka’s gaze was calm and tolerant, just like back then, “I can only pretend I don’t know, as this is to respect your choice.”

Kaori Miyazono's heart felt as if it had been soaked in warm water, both warm and bittersweet.

She was silent for a few seconds, then her voice lowered, trembling almost imperceptibly: "Then... what if I said that, actually, I don't really want you to see me like this right now?"

She was referring to herself at that moment, frail and weak. What she wanted him to remember was forever the vibrant Kaori Miyazono playing the violin on stage.

Upon hearing this, An and Asuka slowly but firmly shook their heads. He reached out, not to hold her hand, but to gently place it on the back of her hand as she stroked her hair; his palm was warm.

"It won't work this time, Xiaoxun."

His voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable strength; his eyes were gentle yet resolute. "This time, I won't let you be willful on your own anymore. I'll stay by your side, help you, watch over you, and be with you... until you recover."

"..."

Kaori Miyazono froze. The warmth of his palm soothed the coldest, most uneasy corner of her heart. A surge of intense sorrow mixed with indescribable emotion rushed to her nose and eyes, almost causing her to lose control again. She bit her lower lip hard, forcing herself to suppress the overwhelming emotions.

He really... didn't know the specifics of her illness, did he? Didn't he know how stubborn the illness was, how powerless modern medicine was in her case, or how slim the hope of "restoring health" was? Did he think it was just an "illness" that could be cured with time and companionship?

That's fine too.

Let him think that way. At least for now, this hopeful promise is so warm and precious.

She forced a bright smile, her eyes still red, but her voice carried a feigned cheerfulness: "Okay! Then I'll stick with you! Wait for Anhe to cast a spell and help me get back to health!"

“Leave it to me.” An and Asuka smiled, a smile that held an almost certain light that Miyazono Kaori had never seen before. He released his hand from hers.

Kaori Miyazono immediately withdrew her hand that had been messing with his head, then opened her arms to him, making a gesture as if she wanted a hug, her eyes expectant yet carrying a hint of undeniable spoiledness.

“Now, lift me up,” she announced. “I’ve been lying down all day, and I want to get up and move around a little, just for a moment.”

"it is good."

Without hesitation, An and Asuka carefully bent down, gently supporting her back with one hand and slipping the other under her knees, and steadily lifted her from the hospital bed in a standard princess carry. Her body was so light that his heart tightened, as if she weighed almost nothing.

However, after he picked her up, Kaori Miyazono did not try to get down and move around as she had said. Instead, she gently rested her cheek against his shoulder, wrapped her arms around his neck, and quietly and affectionately stayed close to him, without moving.

An and Asuka instantly understood her intention. He didn't urge her or put her down. He simply bent his knees slightly and gently sat back on the edge of the bed, but didn't let her go. Instead, he let her sit sideways on his lap, still firmly encircling her in his arms.

Kaori Miyazono sighed contentedly, like a kitten that had finally found a safe haven, snuggled deeper into his arms, and closed her eyes.

At this moment, the pallor of the ward, the shadow of illness, and the uncertainty of the future seemed to be temporarily shut out by this warm and firm embrace. Only his steady heartbeat could be heard through the thin fabric, one beat after another, like the most reassuring rhythm in the world.

Time seemed to slow down again.

The ward door was gently pushed open, and Ryoko Miyazono walked in carrying a thermos lunchbox.

Seeing the scene in the ward—the boy sitting by the bed, his daughter nestled in his arms like a koala, the two of them cuddling together in a quiet and intimate way—made Miyazono Ryoko stop in her tracks, her hand holding the lunchbox tightening unconsciously, a complex emotion flashing across her face.