Green plums cannot become lovers.

"And what are you?"

"I couldn't sleep either," An and Asuka said with a raised eyebrow and a smile. "But you woke me up."

"Hey!"

Eriri glared at him, but her dissatisfaction at being "followed" inexplicably dissipated by more than half.

The two stood side by side, looking at the courtyard under the moonlight.

Silent for a long time.

Then, Eriri spoke up.

"Birds".

"Ok?"

"What do you think... our band will become in the future?"

Will they really be able to perform at the Budokan someday?

She certainly didn't doubt the boy and their abilities, but she suddenly wondered if they could still be together in the future.

An and Asuka thought for a moment and said.

"It will get better and better. You are all very hardworking and talented. If you keep going, it will definitely get better and better."

"What about the school festival? Will the performance be a success?"

"Yes, you will." He said confidently. "You've practiced for so long, there won't be any problems."

Eriri remained silent for a while.

"how about you?"

"What am I?"

"Will you..." she paused, "...stay with us forever?"

An and Asuka did not answer immediately.

The moonlight gently shone on the two of them, and the night breeze blew softly, carrying the fragrance of flowers.

"Yes, as long as you still need me."

Eriri turned her head and looked at his profile.

The moonlight cast a soft shadow on his face, making his features appear exceptionally gentle.

She suddenly remembered herself a year ago.

Back then, she stood beside him just like she does now, listening to him speak, secretly happy inside.

At that time, she thought that such days would continue forever.

He thought that one day she would become the special person in his heart.

But later she realized that she was thinking too much about other things.

Marina, Ai, Shizuka... each of them has a deeper bond with him than she does.

She is not special.

She is just one of them.

Eriri looked away and lowered her head.

"...birds."

"Ok?"

"Let's perform the play one more time."

An and Asuka looked at her.

"Now?"

"Hmm." Eriri looked up, moonlight shimmering in her eyes. "Just consider it... a bit of practice. Anyway, the official performance is tomorrow."

An and Asuka looked at her and remained silent for a few seconds.

Then he laughed.

"it is good."

-

The atrium became a temporary stage.

There was no set, no lighting, and no audience.

There was only moonlight, flowers, night breeze, and two people.

Eriri stood by the flowerbed, imagining it as Juliet's balcony. An and Asuka stood a few steps away, in Romeo's spot.

“Girl, by the light of this bright moon—” An and Asuka began, their gazes fixed intently on her.

Eriri continues her lines.

Scene after scene, sentence after sentence.

From their first meeting to falling in love, from their secret marriage to their forced separation.

Their voices echoed in the quiet courtyard, mingling with the night breeze, the fragrance of flowers, and the moonlight.

Then, it came to that match.

Balcony scene.

An and Asuka looked up at her, the moonlight reflecting gently in his deep brown eyes.

Eriri stood by the flower bed, looking down at him.

"Do you love me?"

The three words were asked softly.

But this time, her voice didn't tremble, didn't stutter, and wasn't nervous.

She just looked at him, intently, her amber eyes sparkling with starlight.

The starlight holds too many unspoken emotions.

I like it.

I have high expectations.

It has a sour and astringent taste.

There is a sliver of humble hope.

An and Asuka looked at her.

Under the moonlight, her eyes were very bright, as if they filled the entire night sky.

"I love you."

Three words, spoken gently.

Eriri's eyes instantly welled up with tears.

It wasn't because of the crowd watching, nor because it was a rehearsed script.

Simply because at this moment, it was just the two of them.

There was only moonlight, only the night breeze, only the fragrance of flowers.

It was just him and her.

When he said "I love you," his voice was so gentle and his eyes so focused, as if he were stating a perfectly natural fact.

If it's true

How wonderful that would be.

She blinked hard, trying to hold back the tears that were about to spill.

Can't cry.

It's just acting.

She knows.

but--

"Thank you," she said softly, her voice trembling slightly.

An and Asuka were taken aback.

"What are you thanking me for?"

Eriri did not answer.

She just smiled, wiped her eyes, and jumped down from the flower bed.

"Alright, that's all for now." Her voice returned to its normal tone, though it still had a slight nasal quality. "Go back now, we have to get up early tomorrow."

She walked past him and headed towards the teaching building.

After walking a few steps, he stopped again.

"Birds".

"Ok?"

"......Good night."

An and Asuka watched her retreating figure.

The moonlight shone on her long golden hair, casting a soft halo around it.

"Good night."

Eriri continued walking forward without looking back.

-

When we returned to the activity room, it was still quiet. The girls were still fast asleep, their breathing even.

Eriri gently lay back in her blankets and closed her eyes.

The scene from just now was still replaying in my mind.

Moonlight, the fragrance of flowers, and his voice.

"I love you."

She turned over and buried her face in the pillow.

But a slight smile crept onto her lips.

It's just acting.

She knows.

but--

Tonight, let her secretly take those words seriously just this once.

-

The next morning, Marina was the first to wake up.

She sat up with a yawn and looked around—everything was normal. Shizuka and Ai were still asleep, Kasumigaoka Utaha's blanket was bunched up, and An and Asuka were in the corner.

Eriri is still asleep.

But Marina noticed that there seemed to be a faint smile on her lips.

Did you have a sweet dream?

Marina didn't think much of it, stretched, and prepared to wash up.

Volume 1: Chapter 222 The First Day of the School Festival

Today is the school festival at Toyonosaki Academy.

Because the school was open to the public, it was several times busier than usual. Long queues formed at the school gate, including parents, students from other schools, and many local residents who were simply there to join the fun.