Green plums cannot become lovers.

Yamada Ryo maintained a calm and composed expression, only giving a barely perceptible nod when his gaze met that of An and Asuka.

"How did today's practice go?" Ichi Seika asked.

"It went very smoothly, the venue and equipment were great, thank you," Anhe Flying Birds replied on behalf of the band.

"That's good. You're welcome to come again anytime."

"Is the same time next week okay?"

"Of course, practice room A will be reserved for you."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, An and Asuka bid farewell to the girls and left, heading up the stairs leading to the ground.

Watching their figures disappear around the corner of the stairs, the forced smile on Ichiji Nijika's face finally crumbled, replaced by obvious frustration and annoyance. She scratched her head and let out a small groan.

"What should we do about the performance?" Yamada Ryo's voice rang out from the side, calmly stating the pressing issue.

“I don’t know either…” Ichiji Nijika held her head, squatted down, and said in a muffled voice, “We’ve contacted Kita, but she seems to have her own troubles lately and isn’t very enthusiastic. If we find someone else, there simply isn’t enough time to get them to mesh… Should we cancel it? But this was such a hard-won opportunity…”

Seeing her younger sister's distressed expression, Ichika felt a pang of heartache in her eyes, but she didn't say anything more. Ultimately, the band's problems had to be resolved by them.

Just as Hongxia was about to be overwhelmed by despair and prepared to accept the fact that "maybe this time it really won't work," footsteps suddenly came from the stairs again.

A familiar figure returned.

An and Asuka walked down alone, their gazes landing precisely on Ijichi Nijika, who was still squatting on the ground.

Hongxia looked up in surprise, staring blankly at the boy who had returned: "An... Anhe classmate? Didn't you go back?"

Is N back?

An and Asuka walked up to her, bowed slightly, and smiled gently. "I saw them to the crossroads and let them go home first. I came back to ask—"

He paused, looking directly into Nijika's eyes, "Nijika-san, earlier in the monitoring room, you seemed to have something you wanted to say to me, but Eriri interrupted you. What were you trying to say then?"

"Huh?" Ichiji Nijika was completely stunned, remaining in a squatting position, looking up at the boy standing against the light, her mind unable to process what was happening. He... came back specifically just to ask this?

Ryo Yamada and Hoshika Ijichi also cast surprised glances at them.

An and Asuka waited patiently, then asked again in a relaxed tone: "So, what was Nijika trying to say back then? You look quite troubled. If it's something I can help with, why not tell me?"

His attitude was so natural and calm, as if it were just a casual question between friends, yet it inexplicably dispelled the last trace of hesitation and timidity in Hongxia's heart.

The girl blinked, slowly stood up, and brushed the dust off her pants. She looked at An and Asuka, her heart, which had been pounding with tension and anticipation, gradually calming down. Perhaps… perhaps she really could give it a try? The worst outcome would be rejection, which wouldn't be much different from her current situation.

She took a deep breath, clenched her fists at her sides as if to encourage herself, and then, with all her courage, uttered the request that had been lingering in her mind for so long:

"I... am also cold-hearted and have given up on thinking of Liu... I would like to ask Anhe to temporarily join my band!!"

She finished speaking in one breath, holding her breath nervously, her eyes fixed on the other person's face, afraid of missing any change in expression.

The atmosphere fell silent for a moment. Only the faint sound of drums echoed in the distance.

Ichi Nijika noticed a hint of surprise flash across An and Asuka's faces, but they quickly regained their composure.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly added, "Of course, it's only temporary! You just need to help me get through until next month's performance! It'll be fine after the performance! I know this is sudden and unreasonable, and Anhe has her own band and is very busy... but, but I really have no other choice! We haven't been able to find a guitarist, and the performance is very important... so... so..."

Her voice grew softer and softer, her cheeks flushed red with excitement and embarrassment, her eyes began to dart away, and she lowered her head almost in despair.

However, just a second before she was about to say, "If it doesn't work, then pretend I didn't say anything," she heard a clear and steady voice:

"Okay."

"Huh?" Ijichi Nijika suddenly looked up, her eyes wide open, wondering if she had misheard.

Even Yamada Ryo, standing to the side, showed a crack in his usually calm expression, his purple eyes widening slightly. Iji Tomoko raised an eyebrow, revealing interest.

An and Asuka looked at the seemingly petrified girl in front of them, the corners of their mouths curving into a deeper smile, and repeated, "I said, okay. Join your band temporarily and help prepare for next month's performance—I can help with that."

"R-Really?!"

Overwhelmed by the sheer joy, Ichiji Nijika nearly jumped up, grabbing Anwa Asuka's arm and stammering excitedly, "You're not kidding? Really? Anwa-kun, you really want to? Oh my god! Am I...am I dreaming? Ryo! Pinch me!"

Upon hearing this, Yamada Ryo expressionlessly reached out and gently pinched Nijika's cheek.

"It hurts! It's not a dream! It's real!"

Hongxia covered her cheek where she had been pinched, but smiled like a child who had received the best gift in the world. "That's great! That's great! Thank you! Thank you so much, Anwa-kun! No, Asuka! Can I call you Asuka? You're a savior! A savior! An angel!"

An and Asuka were amused by her exaggerated reaction and gently pulled their arms out of her tightly clenched hands: "No need to be so dramatic. It's just temporary help. However, there are some things that need to be made clear beforehand."

"Tell me! I'll agree to any conditions!" Hongxia immediately stood up straight, pretending to listen attentively.

"First, the schedule. My own band, 'Praise Music,' has a fixed practice time every week, and this cannot conflict. So your practice needs to be scheduled at a different time, and it's best to coordinate in advance. I will try my best to cooperate, but I can't guarantee that I can be there every time."

“No problem! Absolutely no problem! We’ll prioritize your schedule!” Hongxia nodded vigorously, like a chicken pecking at rice.

"Secondly, regarding the musical style and repertoire. I'm just a temporary guitarist, not the core songwriter. I'll familiarize myself with and work with the band's existing tracks as soon as possible. If there are any parts that need to be rearranged or newly arranged, we can discuss it together, but the final decision rests with you."

“Yes, yes! We already have a few original and adapted songs, Asuka, can you take a look and suggest how to make them even better? We’ll listen to you!” Hongxia said without hesitation.

“Third,” An and Asuka looked at Yamada Ryo and Iji Seika beside them, “I need to know the band’s current situation in detail. Besides the two of you, are there any other members? For example, the lead singer? Also, the specific information about next month’s performance, the setlist, the current practice progress, and so on.”

When the topic of lead vocalist came up, Hongxia's enthusiasm cooled slightly, and she scratched her face a little embarrassedly: "The lead vocalist... well, it's not completely decided yet. Ryo was doing some of the vocals before, and I sang a little occasionally too... but neither of us has a particularly outstanding vocal style. Later we found Kita-chan, but... As for the songs, we currently have three relatively mature original songs and two arrangements, with the style leaning towards pop-rock and alternative..."

She started counting on her fingers.

Yamada Ryo then walked over and calmly interjected, "For technical details, you can refer to the sheet music and recordings. Nijika will coordinate the practice time. As for the lead vocalist..."

She paused for a moment, then said, "We can look for more, or adjust the arrangement to highlight the instrumental parts."

Ijichi Hoshika also spoke up, "It's the band's good luck that Anwa is willing to help. Nijika will clarify the specifics with you. If you need any support in terms of venue or equipment, just let us know. STARRY will fully cooperate."

She glanced at her sister, who was so excited she was almost spinning around, and added, "This girl may be a bit boisterous, but she's 100% serious about music and the band. I hope you two have a great time working together."

“Yes, I believe you.” An and Asuka nodded. He could sense from Hongxia’s eyes and her attitude when watching their practice that her love for music was pure and passionate. “Then, shall we discuss the specifics another time? It’s getting late today.”

"Okay! Okay!" Hongxia quickly agreed. "When is it convenient for you, Feibiao? Tomorrow? The day after tomorrow? We can send you the sheet music and demo first!"

"I'll come over after school tomorrow. I'll probably be there around five o'clock."

"Great! We'll wait for you here tomorrow!"

"Okay. See you tomorrow."

See you tomorrow! Be careful on the road!

An and Asuka said goodbye again, this time for real. Even after his footsteps had completely disappeared, Ichiji Nijika remained standing there, a silly smile on her face, immersed in immense joy.

“He agreed… Ryo, he really agreed!” She turned around, grabbed Yamada Ryo’s shoulders, and shook him.

"Hmm. Obvious emotional fluctuations were observed. Conclusion: Over-excitement." Yamada Ryo let her shake him, his tone remaining calm, but there seemed to be a very faint smile in his eyes.

"Sister! Did you hear that?!"

"I heard you, I heard you, you've almost made my ears go deaf." Ijichi Hoshika rubbed her ears, but seeing her sister's radiant face again, she breathed a sigh of relief. "Now you can rest easy, right? Prepare well and don't let them down."

"Of course! I will definitely work my hardest!" Hongxia clenched her fist, her eyes burning with fighting spirit. "With Asuka joining us, we will definitely give our best performance next month!"

As An and Asuka walked through the night streets, their feelings were somewhat complicated. Joining a completely new band was a completely new experience for them.

However, occasionally stepping outside the familiar framework and experiencing different music and people seems like a good thing. Besides, being able to help that drummer girl who's always looking bright despite her worries about the band doesn't feel bad at all.

He took out his phone and sent a message in the "Praise Music" group chat.

[Anhe] I have something to tell you all. I've temporarily agreed to be a guest guitarist for another band's performance next month. It might take up some extra time, but our own practice schedule remains unchanged, so please don't worry.

The message had barely been sent when it immediately generated a string of replies from Yueyi-II?删?邬j?u?六?删貳.

[Maria] Huh?! Another band? What kind?

[Shizuka] If Asuka-kun is willing to help, they must be a pretty good band.

[Xiao Ai] Bird is so busy! But keep it up!

[Eri] Huh? You still have time to help other bands? What about our new song?

[Kasumigaoka Utaha] Junior, please pay attention to time management.

An and Asuka smiled, replying briefly on their phones as they walked.

Volume 1: Chapter 210 Helping

By agreeing to temporarily serve as a guest guitarist for the "Ending Band," An and Asuka certainly meant that they would have to squeeze out even more space from their already tight schedules.

But this level of "busyness" has long been the norm for him, and even something he enjoys.

From his childhood in Aichi Prefecture, he was a "busy" child—not because he was forced to, but because he had to. Living alone meant that he had to arrange everything himself: school, homework, chores, part-time jobs, and most importantly, practice in music and later, game development.

Time is never a luxury to be squandered, but a resource that needs to be carefully allocated and used efficiently.

Over time, he developed an almost instinctive ability to manage his time. His brain became like a precise scheduler, automatically assessing the priority of each task, the time and energy required, and then seamlessly integrating them into the 24 hours of each day, like playing a never-ending, highly complex jigsaw puzzle.

Club activities, band practice, personal creation, studies, occasional performances or company affairs... as long as they are allocated properly, everything can run on the established track, and there is even room for getting lost, daydreaming or simply taking a walk.

Therefore, the additional task of "ending the band" was just a matter of rearranging the positions of the puzzle pieces for him, far from being beyond his capabilities.

The next afternoon, after finishing their school classes and a brief debriefing session with the "Praise Music" band in the activity room, An and Asuka went home for a quick dinner, then picked up their guitars and headed toward STARRY again.

As evening approached, the sky was tinged with a pale orange-pink hue, and there were fewer pedestrians on the streets than at night; the air was crisp and refreshing. When he descended the stairs leading to the underground and pushed open the soundproof door of the STARRY, warm lights were already on inside.

Behind the bar, Ichika Hoshika was working on her computer. Hearing the sound, she looked up and nodded at him as a greeting. Near the stage, in the rest area, two figures were already waiting.

Ichi Nijika jumped up almost instantly, her eyes lighting up like light bulbs that had been switched on, and a bright smile bloomed on her face as she rushed over to greet him.

"Anhe! You're here!"

Her voice was filled with undisguised joy and anticipation, as if she were waiting not for temporary teammates, but for the arrival of some savior.

Yamada Ryo, standing beside him, also stood up and walked over with steady steps. His face remained expressionless, but his eyes lingered on An and Asuka for a little longer than usual, and he nodded almost imperceptibly: "You've arrived."

"Yes, I didn't keep you waiting long, did I?"

An and Asuka placed the guitar bag aside.

"No, no! We're too early!" Hongxia quickly waved her hand, then eagerly got to the point, "Um, Anhe, shall we go to the practice room first? I've organized our band's sheet music and the demos we recorded before!"

The practice room was the same Room A as yesterday, and all the equipment was already turned on and warming up. Hongxia carefully handed a stack of handwritten and printed sheet music, as well as a small player with headphones plugged in, to An and Asuka.

"These are our three main original songs that we're practicing right now, plus two arrangements," Hongxia explained, pointing to the sheet music. "One is a bit rock-oriented, and the other two are folk-style, so the styles might be a bit mixed..."

She smiled a little shyly, "They're all songs we like, so we put them together."

An and Asuka took the sheet music and player, and quickly glanced through it. The sheet music was very detailed, with annotations for the main melody, chords, bass lines, and drum beats. The neat handwriting was mixed with slightly messy but logically clear handwriting, and there were many traces of revisions and annotations on the side, showing that it had been carefully polished.

He put on his headphones and opened the demo. The recording quality was mediocre, clearly recorded with a mobile phone or simple equipment, and there was background noise, but the basic framework and mood of the music were clearly expressed.

Rainbow Summer's drumbeats are solid, powerful, and full of energy, with occasional flashes of whimsy and fun embellishments; Cool's bass lines are steady and supportive, with cleverly designed slides and staccato notes in some transitional sections, demonstrating quite good technique.

The guitar part... in some sections, Liang temporarily replaced the root notes with the bass, while in others there were obvious gaps, waiting to be filled.

Overall, the composition is not particularly complex, but the melody is catchy, the arrangement shows the artist's own ideas, and more importantly, you can hear the unique "flavor" of these two girls—Nijika's energy and drive, and Ryo's calmness and restraint, which are strangely mixed together to form a youthful but sincere attraction.

"How is it?" Hongxia looked at him nervously, her hands unconsciously clenching together.

An and Asuka took off their headphones and nodded: "The song is very good, it has a good idea. The drums and bass are also very well coordinated."

He paused, then looked at Liang, "The bass line was very well done."

Her face remained expressionless, but her eyelashes fluttered slightly: "Hmm. I like complex bass notes."

Hongxia breathed a sigh of relief, then asked expectantly, "Then... shall we try playing together? Shall we start with 'The Streetlight That Day'? We're the most familiar with that piece."

“Okay.” An and Asuka had no objections, took their guitars out of their guitar cases, connected them to the amplifiers, and began tuning.

Hongxia and Liang quickly took their positions. Hongxia sat on the drum stool, adjusted the height of the cymbals, and flexed her wrists. Liang picked up her somewhat old-looking bass, plugged in the strings, and tested a few notes.

The only sounds in the practice room were the occasional tuning of instruments and instrument testing. The atmosphere was subtly tense, but more than that, there was a sense of eager excitement, especially for Nijika, whose eyes were fixed on An and Asuka's movements.

"I'm ready." An and Asuka adjusted their voices and looked at the two of them.

“I’m all better too!” Hongxia replied immediately.

Liang nodded.

An and Asuka glanced at the sheet music on the music stand. The score wasn't complicated; the chord progressions were classic pop-rock patterns, the main melody was clear, and there was a simple guitar solo in the interlude.

With his skill level, one look is enough to memorize it almost perfectly, not to mention the silent assistance of "Xiao Mei" deep in his consciousness—the system had already completed its analysis the moment he looked at the score and listened to the demo, and even gave several suggestions for optimizing the performance details.

"Alright, let's start from the beginning. Follow the speed from your demo. Hongxia, give me a beat."

An and Asuka said.

"Okay!" Hongxia took a deep breath and gently tapped her drumsticks together, producing four crisp "tap, tap, tap, tap" sounds as she prepared to clap.

The moment the fourth "tap" fell—

As An and Asuka's right thumb brushed across the strings, a clear yet slightly melancholic arpeggio prelude flowed out, precisely cutting into the final note of the preparatory beat, without the slightest deviation.