Green plums cannot become lovers.

But she didn't say anything.

Because once you open your mouth, your voice will definitely tremble.

So she just nodded vigorously.

"Ok!"

When she laughed, her eyes were red-rimmed, but her smile was bright and sparkling.

"I'll never run away again!"

Yamada Ryo put down his bass and walked up to her.

Kita Ikuyo instinctively straightened up.

Liang looked at her, his purple eyes calm and still, and remained silent for a few seconds.

Then she spoke:

"Next time you run away, tell me first."

"...Huh?"

“I can recommend some cost-effective missing person locations.” Liang’s tone was extremely serious. “The park you mentioned last time has benches that are too hard to be suitable for long-term stakeouts.”

“…Ryou-senpai.” Kita Ikumi’s expression was complicated. “Are you worried about me?”

"Mm." Liang nodded.

It was so frank that it caught me off guard.

Kita Ikuyo paused for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"I understand!" she nodded vigorously. "I'll definitely let you know in advance next time!"

"Hmm." Liang nodded in satisfaction, turned around and went back to his high stool, picking up Bess again, as if the conversation just now was just a routine exchange.

Hongxia sighed helplessly, "Liang, your way of showing concern is really strange..."

"As long as it works," Liang said.

An and Asuka stood aside, watching this scene without saying a word.

Nijika turned to Kita Ikuyo, her smile fading and replaced with a serious expression.

"So, Kita."

"Yes!"

"Can you tell me why you ran away?"

Kita Ikuyo's smile froze for a moment.

She lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her hoodie.

There was a few seconds of silence.

"...Because I'm afraid."

Her voice was soft, not as loud as when she apologized earlier.

“I’m afraid I’ll play too badly and drag you down. Nijika plays the drums so well, and Ryo-senpai plays the bass so well, but me… I can’t even press the C chord steadily.”

She paused.

“Every time we practice, you all have to wait for me and accommodate my pace... I feel like a burden.”

She raised her head, her amber eyes filled with honesty, not tears.

"So I think I'll come back when I've practiced enough and I'm good enough for this band."

"And then you practice all by yourself?" Hongxia asked.

"Ah."

How long did you practice?

"...I've been training every day since the day I ran away."

Hongxia fell silent.

She looked at Kita Ikuyo with a complex emotion in her eyes.

Then she sighed.

"You..."

There was no blame in her tone, only helplessness and a little bit of heartache.

"Who said you're not good enough for this band?"

Kita Ikuyo blinked.

“We invited you to join because you are Kita Ikuyo, not because you are a guitar expert.” Nijika looked at her seriously. “Technique can be practiced slowly, but you are unique.”

She paused.

"And do you really feel that you haven't made any progress at all?"

Kita Ikuyo was taken aback.

She looked down at her hands. Several bandages were still wrapped around her fingers, from practicing too much yesterday and getting them chafed.

But she also remembered that An and Asuka corrected her plucking technique yesterday, and after she tried adjusting it, the tone really improved.

Although it's still terrible, it's definitely an improvement compared to my previous self.

“…a little,” she said softly.

"That's good." Hongxia smiled. "If you improve a little bit every day, you'll accumulate a lot and become amazing, right?"

She reached out and patted Kita Ikuyo's shoulder hard.

So, stop running. Take it slow, let's do it together.

Kita Ikuyo looked at her.

A layer of mist slowly rose in her amber eyes, but she blinked hard, holding it back.

"Ok!"

She nodded vigorously, her smile so bright it seemed to glow.

"I'm not running anymore!"

Ryo Yamada strummed his bass guitar, producing a deep hum.

“Welcome back,” she said.

His tone remained calm and even.

But Kita Ikuyo felt that these were the warmest words she had heard all day.

An and Asuka stood to the side, without saying a word the entire time.

It's not that he doesn't want to help, it's that he simply doesn't need to.

Hongxia welcomed the returning members in her own way, and Liang also expressed her care in her own way.

Kita Ikuyo was completely enveloped in this warmth, and her previous worries about "whether they would hate me" and "whether they would think I was a nuisance" seemed both superfluous and silly at this moment.

She stole a glance at An and Asuka.

An and Asuka met her gaze and raised their eyebrows slightly—See? I told you so.

Kita Ikuyo stuck her tongue out at him, then looked away and continued to endure Nijika's interrogation about whether she had been eating properly these past few days.

An and Asuka withdrew their gaze, a slight smile playing on their lips.

-

Now that the guitarist has returned to the band, it's time for him, the "temporary guitarist," to retire gracefully.

He was about to speak when Hongxia turned to him first.

"Anhe, classmate!"

"Ok?"

"Um..." Hongxia scratched her cheek, a little embarrassed, "Although Kita is back, we don't actually have much practice time left. There are only a little over two weeks left until the performance..."

She paused, a hint of earnestness in her amber eyes.

"Could you... continue helping us until the end of the performance?"

Before Anwa and Asuka could answer, Kita Ikuyo paused for a moment.

"Huh? Wasn't Asuka-senpai just here to fill in temporarily?"

“Yes, but…” Hongxia said a little embarrassedly, “If both of you were here, we could form a double guitar lineup! We’d have more arrangement options and the live performance would be much more exciting!”

The more she talked about it, the better she thought the idea was, and her eyes lit up.

"And with Asuka around, you feel safer, right, Kita? You can ask him directly if you don't understand something! After all, he's a professional!"

Kita Ikuyo blinked and looked at Anwa Asuka.

An and Asuka were silent for two seconds.

His original plan was indeed to "find Kita and then retreat".

After all, she still has a band to lead called "Praise Music," and her time and energy are limited.

But Nijika's point is valid. A two-guitar arrangement is indeed much richer than a single-guitar arrangement, and Kita has just rejoined the band, so his technique still needs a lot of practice. Having him guide him will reduce the pressure considerably.

(6a) Doubt 7 One Ba IV Temple Shrimp y?e Ripple "......Okay."

"Really?! That's great!" Hongxia jumped up happily.

“However,” An and Asuka added, “the premise is that it doesn’t affect my band’s original practice time.”

"Of course, of course! You decide the time!" Hongxia quickly assured her.

Kita Ikuyo, who was listening nearby, suddenly raised her hand.

"Um, I have a question!"

“Speak.” An and Asuka looked at her.

"Since Asuka-senpai is only here temporarily to help out, will you and I be playing dual guitars together during the performance?"

"Ah."

"Wow, that's so cool!" Kita Ikuyo's eyes sparkled. "Performing on stage with professional musicians, I can brag about this for the rest of my life!"

"...It's more practical to practice the piano properly."

"I know!" Kita Ikuyo replied with a grin, showing no sign of being discouraged.

Yamada Ryo put down his bass guitar and spoke calmly:

"If it's a two-guitar setup, the arrangements for several songs need to be adjusted."

“Hmm, I’ll think about it when I get back.” An and Asuka nodded.

“I can help,” Liang said.

An and Asuka glanced at her. He had witnessed Liang's composing abilities before; although her style was rather eccentric, she was indeed very creative.

"Okay, we'll discuss it together later."

Hongxia watched them discuss the arrangement adjustments one after another, a satisfied smile on her face.

The guitarist has returned to the band, and they also have strong external support.

The performance next month suddenly feels very promising.

She secretly clenched her fist.

The band is over, but officially back in action!

-

In the following time, the four of them had their first official practice session together in Practice Room A since Kita returned to the team.

result--

Yes, it was quite tragic.