Green plums cannot become lovers.

"Ok?"

"Nijika-chan's drumming is really amazing, right? And Ryo-senpai's bass too!"

Her eyes were sparkling.

"So I have to catch up with them quickly!"

After saying that, she waved and strode away.

The bright orange-red ponytail danced in the sunset before quickly disappearing at the park entrance.

An and Asuka stood there, watching her leave.

A gentle evening breeze brought tranquility back to the park.

He stood there for a while, then suddenly chuckled softly.

He really is... a dazzling guy.

He took out his phone and opened the chat window with Ichiji Nijika.

Anhe: Your band's guitarist should be going back tomorrow.

The message was sent and received a reply in less than ten seconds.

Hongxia: Huh?! Really?! How did you know?!

Anhe: We just happened to run into each other.

Hongxia: What a coincidence?! Where is she?! Is she alright?! Is she injured?! Was she abducted by aliens?!

Anhe: ...practicing guitar in the park. Not kidnapped.

Hongxia: Practicing guitar?!

Anhe: She felt she played too poorly and was afraid of holding you back, so she hid away to practice. She plans to practice until she's better before going back.

The other side remained silent for several seconds.

Then came a barrage of messages.

Rainbow Summer caused 17??? Umbrella? Er?? Er: That idiot—! !!

Who cares if she plays well or not?!

As long as she's back, that's enough!

I'll message her right now!!

An and Asuka stared at the screen without replying.

He put away his phone and turned to walk towards another exit of the park.

As darkness fell, the streetlights came on one by one.

Tomorrow, STARRY should be quite lively, right?

should

Volume 1: Chapter 214 They Made Up

Chapter 214

The next day after school, An and Asuka went to STARRY as usual.

He was about to go inside when he caught a glimpse of a suspicious figure crouching in the corner by the door.

A girl with a high red ponytail, wearing a school uniform and holding a guitar case, is sneaking around peeking into the STARRY store like a little animal trying to sneak into the kitchen.

Anhe and the flying bird stopped in their tracks.

"......What are you doing?"

"Whoa!" Kita Ikuyo suddenly pulled her head back, almost dropping her violin case. She turned her head and saw that it was An and Asuka. Her tense shoulders relaxed slightly, but her expression still looked guilty, like she thought, "Oh no, I've been found out."

"I...I'm observing the enemy situation!" she said in a low voice, her tone serious.

"Enemy situation?"

"It's just...when would be the best time to go in..."

An and Asuka looked at her.

Kita Ikuyo gradually wilted under his gaze.

"...Okay, I'm too scared to go in." She confessed honestly, her shoulders slumped, her voice revealing a self-righteous cowardice. "I made it all agreed yesterday, but when I actually got to the door today, my legs just wouldn't listen to me."

She poked at the edge of the violin case, muttering softly, "Do you understand shame and embarrassment, Anhe-senpai? It's that feeling—even though you messed up, you have to go back and apologize, but just thinking about saying 'I'm sorry' makes your toes dig into the ground..."

An and Asuka were silent for a moment.

"We've come all this way, wouldn't it be a waste not to go in?"

"I know," Kita Ikuyo replied listlessly, "but knowing is one thing, and being able to do it is another. There's a huge difference between the two!"

She looked up, her amber eyes filled with struggle.

"My current feeling is probably like this—I know I can get out of the water by jumping into the pool and swimming to the other side, but I'm just squatting on the edge of the pool, too afraid to go in!"

An and Asuka looked at her.

"...So how long do you plan to stay here?"

"I...I..." Kita Ikuyo opened her mouth, but couldn't answer.

She turned her head and glanced at the half-closed soundproof door of STARRY. She could vaguely hear Hongxia adjusting the drum kit and the occasional low hum of Liang's bass testing.

She shrank back again.

"How about I wait another five minutes..."

An and Asuka didn't speak, they just watched her quietly.

Kita Ikuyo felt increasingly guilty under his gaze, and her voice grew softer and softer: "...Ten minutes isn't impossible..."

Just then, her eyes suddenly lit up, and she looked up sharply at An and Asuka.

"That's right!"

She grabbed An and Asuka's sleeve, her amber eyes gleaming with a sense of "a narrow escape from death."

"Come in with me!"

"..."

"Please put in a good word for me with Hongxia and Liang-senpai!" Kita Yuyo spoke quickly. "You're so reliable and your words carry weight, they'll definitely listen to you! With you around, it won't be so hard for me to speak up!"

"this......"

"Please, please!" Kita Ikuyo clasped her hands together, almost leaning in front of him, her eyes glistening with tears, looking like a large dog begging for food. "Just this once! If you help me get through this, I'll do anything you ask! I'll go through fire and water for you!"

An and Asuka looked at her.

Actually, he never intended to leave the guy to die; he just deliberately remained silent to see how much the guy would hesitate.

"......All right."

"Yay!" Kita Ikuyo instantly perked up, her gloom vanishing completely. "Thank you, Anwa-kun, no, Anwa-senpai! From now on, you are my half-senpai!"

"What a strange saying, 'a distant relative from a different father...'"

“It means you’re very important!” Kita Iku’s representative said matter-of-factly. “Only a ‘senior’ can express my respect for you at this moment!”

An and Asuka were too lazy to even comment.

He pushed open STARRY's door and glanced back at Kita Ikuyo.

"Follow."

Kita Ikuyo took a deep breath, nodded vigorously, and followed closely behind An and Asuka, clutching her violin case. Like a small animal that had finally found a backer, she dared to step over the threshold that she had never been able to cross before.

In STARRY, Ijichi Nijika is squatting by the stage adjusting the height of the cymbals on the drum kit, while Yamada Ryo sits on a high stool next to him, practicing his bass half-heartedly with a blank expression on his face.

Hearing footsteps, Hongxia looked up.

"Anhe, you're here! What's wrong today—wait?"

Her words were cut short.

Because she saw that familiar figure following behind An and Asuka.

A bright orange ponytail, a face that was somewhat restrained yet trying to force a smile, and a pair of amber eyes that flickered slightly with nervousness.

"...Kita?"

Hongxia was stunned.

Yamada Ryoya stopped plucking the strings, his purple eyes calmly turning in this direction.

Kita Ikuyo felt two gazes on her, and her heart instantly raced. She instinctively shrank half an inch behind An and Asuka, then forcefully pulled herself back—

No, Yiqi Liuyi Erjiu can't hide anymore.

She took a deep breath, stepped forward, and bowed deeply to Hongxia and Liang.

"sorry!"

Her voice was clear and resonant, standing out exceptionally well in the quiet STARRY.

"I didn't answer the phone or reply to messages, and I disappeared for a long time, causing you a lot of trouble... I even had to ask Asuka-senpai to come and help out temporarily... I'm really sorry!"

She remained bowed at a ninety-degree angle, staring intently at the tips of her shoes, not daring to look up.

My heart was pounding like a drum.

one second.

two seconds.

three seconds.

Then she heard footsteps.

Someone is approaching.

"Kita..."

It was Hongxia's voice.

Kita Ikuyo closed her eyes tightly, mentally preparing herself for being questioned, complained about, and even scolded.

Then, she was suddenly hugged.

"Huh?"

She suddenly opened her eyes.

Ichi Nijika was holding her, her arms tightly wrapped around her back, as if afraid she would run away again.

"You idiot..." Hongxia's muffled voice came from her shoulder, "I thought something had happened to you! You didn't answer my calls or reply to my messages, I thought you'd been abducted by aliens!"

"I'm so sorry..."

"Do you know how worried I was!" Hongxia looked up, her eyes red, but she didn't actually cry. "Liang even said you might be dead, and I almost believed him!"

Yamada Ryo calmly added from the side, "The probability of survival is indeed very low."

"Cold! Don't add any more details now!" Hongxia shouted as she turned her head, then turned back to look at Kita Ikuyo and sniffed hard.

Then, she revealed a smile.

That smile was so warm that Kita Ikuyo's heart skipped a beat.

"Never mind," Hongxia said with a smile. "It's good that everyone is alright."

She released Kita Ikuyo, took a step back, and looked her up and down.

"You've lost weight." She frowned. "Have you been eating poorly these past few days?"

"Huh? I... I ate..."

"Why do you look even thinner than before?" Hongxia grumbled, then sighed, "Never mind, it's good that you're back. If you dare to disappear again, I'll tie you to the drum bench and make you practice for ten hours a day."

She said some harsh words, but her tone was full of "welcome back".

Kita Ikuyo stared blankly at her, her chest feeling as if something was blocking it.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say thank you, wanting to say sorry, wanting to say that she had been practicing guitar in the park every day for the past few days, practicing until her fingers bled and were covered in bandages, just because she didn't want you to think that inviting her was a mistake.