Green plums cannot become lovers.

There's still an hour until the performance.

"That's about it. Let's get ready and head to the gymnasium."

"it is good--"

-

1:40 PM, at the gymnasium.

The stands were already quite full. There were students, parents, nearby residents, and some fans who were clearly there because of the name "Asuka". Several girls held up support signs that read "Asuka, fighting!"

The stage was set up and the equipment was tested. The teacher in charge of sound control gave an OK sign from backstage.

An and Asuka stood backstage, looking out through the gap in the curtain.

There are a lot of people.

More than expected.

He took a deep breath and turned to look at the five girls behind him.

Marina held the drumsticks, a smile of excitement on her face, but her fingers were slightly white. Ai had her eyes closed, her lips moving gently, as if she were reciting lyrics.

Shizuka stood quietly to the side, holding her bass guitar, but her breathing was a little faster than usual. Kasumigaoka Utaha remained calm. Eriri stood beside the keyboard, and when her eyes met his, she nodded slightly.

"Are you ready?"

"Ready!"

The six people put their hands together.

"Praise the music—keep it up!"

-

The curtain is drawn back.

The lights came on.

A burst of enthusiastic applause and cheers erupted from the audience.

An and Asuka, carrying their guitars, walked to the center of the stage. They wore simple white shirts and dark trousers, without any extra embellishments, but the moment they stood under the spotlight, they seemed to radiate light.

He smiled into the microphone.

Hello everyone, we are—Praise Music.

Applause erupted again.

He turned around and nodded.

The first note flowed from his guitar, the prelude to "If It Could Shine," clear and full of power.

Marina's drumbeats followed closely, steady and powerful. Shizuka's bass laid out deep and resonant, like the pulse of the earth. Kasumigaoka Utaha's guitar gently echoed from the side, while Eriri's keyboard filled the gaps in the space like flowing water.

Then, Xiao Ai's voice rang out.

The clear singing voice echoed in the stadium, penetrating every corner.

The audience fell silent.

Everyone is listening.

As An and Asuka played their guitars, they glanced at the audience out of the corner of their eyes.

He saw Akane Akasaka, sitting in the third row, a relieved smile on her lips.

He saw the four girls who had just finished their band performance. Nijika was waving vigorously, Kita was excitedly taking pictures with her phone, Ryou was expressionless but her eyes were bright, and Goto Ichiri was huddled in her seat, but the corners of her mouth were curved into a smile.

He saw many familiar faces, as well as many strangers.

Everyone was watching them.

-

The first song ended, and thunderous applause followed.

The second song begins with a soothing melody, like a spring breeze.

As soon as the melody of the third new song, "Play," began, the audience fell silent.

This is a song that has never been released to the public before, which made many fans of An and Asuka realize that this is their idol's new song.

No way, to release a new song at a mere school festival, isn't this boy a bit too amazing? And the quality is so high too!

When the chorus came on, some people in the audience started humming along.

An and the flying birds heard it.

A slight smile played on his lips, and he played the guitar with even greater steadiness.

-

As the three pieces ended, the last note faded away.

The audience fell silent for a second.

Then--

Applause and cheers surged forth like a tidal wave, almost lifting the roof off the stadium.

"Encore! Encore!"

Some people started shouting rhythmically.

An and Asuka looked at the girls behind them.

Marina was covered in sweat, but she smiled brightly. Shizuka, holding her bass guitar, rarely showed such a wide smile. Eriri stood in front of the keyboard, and when their eyes met, she nodded slightly.

They are all ready.

An and Asuka turned to the audience and raised the microphone.

"Thank you everyone!" His voice resonated throughout the venue through the speakers. "That concludes today's performance! We are—Hymn to Music!"

Applause erupted again.

Under the spotlight, the six people stood side by side in a row and bowed deeply to the audience.

-

Backstage, Marina was the first to break down.

"Aaaaaahhhhh—!" She threw down her drumsticks and jumped up. "We did it! We did it!"

"This is wonderful..."

Shizuka gently patted her back, her face showing a rare expression of excitement.

Kasumigaoka Utaha leaned against the wall, exhaled a long breath, and smiled a rare, unreserved smile.

Eriri stood to the side, watching them, and suddenly felt a lump in her throat.

She blinked hard, suppressing the sour feeling in her eyes.

Then, she looked at An and Asuka.

He was leaning against the wall, holding a guitar, with a faint smile on his face.

As if sensing her gaze, he turned his head.

Eyes facing each other.

"Thanks for your hard work."

Eriri paused for a moment, then turned her face away.

"......The same to you."

But the corners of his mouth still couldn't help but curve into a smile.

-

The backstage door was pushed open, and a group of people rushed in.

"Asuka! That's amazing!" Hongxia was the first to rush over. "It's so good! Especially that new song! What's it called again?"

“Playing the Song,” Anwa Asuka said.

"Yes, yes, yes! 'Play'! I want to play it on repeat a hundred times!"

Kita was so excited he was almost incoherent: "Anwa-senpai is so cool! Ai-nee sings so well! Eriri-chan's keyboard is amazing! Marina-chan's drums are so powerful! Shizuka-nee's bass is so steady! Kasumigaoka-senpai's guitar is so cool!"

She praised everyone in one breath, then, panting, concluded, "In short, it was fantastic!"

Liang silently took out her phone and took a picture of An and Asuka.

“This time it really can make money,” she said earnestly.

Goto Ichiri huddled at the back of the crowd, whispering, "It's...it's so beautiful...I'm...so moved too..."

Akane Akasaka also came in and stood at the back of the crowd. Asahi and Asuka gave her a thumbs up.

An and Asuka smiled and nodded at her.

-

The excitement lasted for a long time.

Once everyone had left, the backstage area finally quieted down.

The six people sat on a bench in the rest area, and no one spoke.

But that tacit silence is warmer than any language.

"Hey," Marina suddenly spoke up, "We...will we still be together in the future, right?"

“Of course,” Xiao Ai said.

"Mm." Shizuka nodded.

"Nonsense." Eriri turned her face away.

An and Asuka looked at them and smiled.

"Then let's stay together forever."

The setting sun outside the window was just right, its golden rays streaming into the backstage area.

The shadows of six people overlapped on the floor.

-

The first day of the school festival has come to an end.

When they got home that night, An and Feiniao lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

My phone kept vibrating with congratulatory messages.

He read through them one by one, finally stopping at the one posted by Eriri.

Eriri: Thank you for today...

Eriri: It was a pleasure performing with you.

He thought for a moment and replied:

--Me too.

Let's get together again next time.

The other side remained silent for a few seconds.

Then--

Eriri: Hmm.

He looked at the "hmm" and smiled before putting down his phone.

Outside the window, the moonlight streamed in, as gentle as it had been in the courtyard the night before.

He recalled the conversation from the previous night.

I remembered the look in her eyes when she said "thank you".

He remembered saying "I love you" to himself—even though it was acting, he was sincere at that moment.

just