Green plums cannot become lovers.

Most mainstream romance games on the market are sweet, heartwarming, and bring a smile to players' faces. Even those with some heart-wrenching plots usually have a happy ending, allowing players to leave satisfied.

What An and Asuka wanted to create was a story that was destined to be a tragedy from the very beginning.

Eriri frowned: "Are you sure?"

“I’m not sure,” An and Asuka said, “but I want to try.”

Kasumigaoka Utaha said thoughtfully, "Tragedies are harder to write than comedies. To make players willing to invest their emotions even when they know the ending is bad, and ultimately accept that ending willingly—that requires very strong narrative skills."

“Yes.” An and Asuka nodded. “So this isn’t a short-term project. We need a lot of time to refine it.”

Shizuka asked softly, "Why did Asuka-kun want to make such a game?"

An and Asuka remained silent for a while.

“Because…” he thought for a moment, “there are some emotions that HE can’t express. About loss, about regret, about how to move forward in sadness—these are also part of life. I want to use the game to express these as well.”

The girls looked at each other again.

Then, Marina was the first to speak: "Okay, whatever you say."

"Huh?" An and Asuka were taken aback.

“Although I don’t know much about tragedy and comedy,” Marina scratched her head, “there must be a reason why Asuka wants to do it. I believe you.”

Xiao Ai nodded: "Yes, I also believe in Asuka-kun."

Shizuka smiled and said, "Then let's do it together. Whether it's a tragedy or a comedy, the important thing is that we're together."

Kasumigaoka Utaha's lips curled up slightly: "That's quite a bold project."

Eriri turned her face away and whispered, "Anyway...anyway, when have we ever successfully opposed something you've decided?"

An and Asuka looked at them, and a warm feeling welled up in their hearts.

"……Thanks."

Aside from the game itself, he also doesn't plan to create the music for this game by himself, but rather rely on everyone to collaborate on it.

This was inspired by his performance at the school festival.

When six people stand together on stage to perform a piece of music, the feeling is incomparable to any solo performance. The music is no longer "his," but "theirs."

He wanted to bring that feeling into the game as well.

“My idea is to combine music and games. All the background music, theme songs, and incidental music in the game will be played and recorded by our band. In this way, when players play the game, they will not only hear ‘background music,’ but also the sounds we co-created.”

He paused, then looked at them.

"In this way, our team can go further and higher."

“When other bands debuted with nothing, our band already had a wealth of production experience. To perform together at the Budokan is not just a joke.”

The girls' eyes slowly lit up as they listened to his words.

“So,” Marina exclaimed excitedly, “we can play games and practice the band at the same time, without missing a beat?”

"Ah."

"Can we even put our music into the game?"

"Correct."

"Wouldn't that be super cool!"

Marina had already begun to imagine the scene in her mind—her drumbeats playing in the game, with players listening to their music as they played.

Xiao Ai got excited too: "Then the theme song I sang can be played on a loop in the game?"

“We can write a theme song specifically for you to sing.”

"Wow!"

Shizuka seemed to understand something: "In that case, the game's immersion should be even stronger. Players will hear the same music as when we were playing..."

"Junior, this is a great idea. Games and music complement each other, and it can also help the band build up its repertoire and popularity for its debut."

Eriri didn't say anything, but her eyes were sparkling.

An and Asuka, observing their reactions, had a better understanding of the situation.

"However, there is a problem."

"what?"

"The workload will be huge."

He counted on his fingers: "The game's script, character design, programming, testing—these are the parts of the game."

The band's practice, arrangement, recording, mixing—that's the music part. Both sides combined were more exhausting than ever before.

He looked at them.

Can you persevere?

The girls exchanged glances.

Then, Marina was the first to stand up.

"Nonsense!" she said, hands on her hips. "When have we ever given up halfway?"

Xiao Ai nodded in agreement: "That's right! It's tiring, but we'll all work together!"

Shizuka smiled and said, "As long as you manage your time properly, there won't be any problems."

Kasumigaoka Utaha's wine-red eyes flickered: "I'm really looking forward to seeing what the final product will look like."

Eriri turned her face away and whispered, "...Anyway, I'm just killing time."

An and Asuka smiled.

“Okay,” he said. “Then let’s do it together.”

-

However, although making both games and music sounds exhausting, the production cycle this time is long, so they don't need to rush anything.

"The Small Town Family" is a story that needs to be polished slowly. The script needs to be repeatedly revised, the music needs to be carefully composed, and the visuals need to be meticulously drawn—all of these require time.

They have plenty of time.

-

It's worth mentioning that a new game from someone who challenged him a year ago has also been released.

An Yilun also.

The one who confidently vowed to defeat An and Asuka when they first decided to make a game.

Given Aki Tomoya's personality, if he succeeds, he'll probably run up to him and brag about it without any restraint. That guy doesn't understand the meaning of humility; he wants the whole world to know about his achievements.

But now, he remains largely unknown.

If we occasionally bump into each other at school, we'll lower our heads and walk away quickly, as if we're hiding from something.

An and Asuka didn't make a point of inquiring, but they got a general idea of ​​the situation from some scattered rumors.

The game is finished.

But sales were dismal.

The reviews weren't high either.

It's said to have many bugs, a fragmented storyline, and inconsistent art style. Player reviews on forums are overwhelmingly one-star.

This was undoubtedly a heavy blow to a young man who dreamed of creating a masterpiece that would change the industry.

An and Asuka did not mock him.

I didn't try to comfort him.

They weren't familiar with each other to begin with.

Only occasionally, when they brushed past each other in the corridor, would he see that once spirited young man, now with his head down and his steps hurried.

He didn't know what to say.

Perhaps, saying nothing is the best course of action.

-

The practice session in the activity room came to an end.

Marina put down her drumsticks and let out a long breath.

"By the way, have you heard?" she suddenly asked. "It seems that Aki Tomoya's game flopped pretty badly."

The activity room fell silent for a moment.

"I've heard about it," Kasumigaoka Utaha said calmly. "It was expected."

"Why do you say that?" Xiao Ai asked curiously.

“Because he was too impatient,” Kasumigaoka Utaha said. “Wanting to create a masterpiece is a good thing, but a masterpiece isn’t something you shout about, it’s something you do, and his personality isn’t suited to doing things in a down-to-earth way.”

Shizuka nodded: "Making games requires a team, it requires coordination, it requires time, and it requires an excellent leader."

Eriri remained silent and did not speak.

She and Aki Tomoya were old acquaintances. That guy was annoying, but he was definitely passionate and had dreams.

only……

“Flying Bird,” she suddenly spoke, “do you think he will give up?”

An and Asuka thought for a moment.

"I don't know, but for someone who really wants to make games, one failure is nothing."

He paused.

"The key is whether he can learn from his failures."

Eriri nodded thoughtfully.

Marina stretched: "Forget about him. Let's keep practicing! I can't let the music of the new game down!"

"Okay—" everyone responded.

The sound of musical instruments filled the activity room once again.

Volume 1: Chapter 225 Past Events

"I love you!"

"I love you!"

"I love you!"

At night, Eriri lay alone in bed, wearing headphones, listening to the boy's voice on her phone.

The sound was a bit distorted, after all, it was a secret recording. She had hidden her phone behind the sheet music during a break from practice, pretending to look at something, but actually pressing the record button. After recording, her heart was pounding, terrified of being discovered.

At first, she didn't dare to listen at all.

Every time I open that audio file, my face turns bright red, and my fingers tremble so much that I can't even plug in the earphones properly. I can't listen for more than three seconds before I frantically turn it off, throw my phone aside, cover my face with a pillow, and roll around on the bed.

But now, she is able to face it calmly.

One could even say that they listened with great interest.

Those three words came through the earphones, over and over again. The boy's voice was deep and gentle, like a lover's whisper. Although it was just a recording, although it was just acting, her heart still skipped a beat every time she heard it.

She knew that her behavior was somewhat abnormal.

Would a normal person secretly record someone else's voice and then listen to it repeatedly under the covers every night?

will not.

But she couldn't control herself.

Because she knew that, apart from using his voice to comfort her heart, she might never hear that boy say those words to her again.

Eriri stared at the pitch-black ceiling, the sound from her headphones continuing. Moonlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, casting a faint silvery trail on the floor.

She suddenly felt like crying.

It's not sadness, but... a complex emotion that's hard to describe.