Green plums cannot become lovers.

Some people are so moved by seeing him that they shed tears.

He closed his eyes, a slight smile playing on his lips.

This feeling is great.

-

In the next room, Kasumigaoka Utaha sat by the window, looking at the photo on her phone.

The boy's smile looked especially gentle in the afterglow of the setting sun.

She stared at it for a long time.

Then, she opened her notebook and began to write.

Write about summer? The pomegranate blossoms, the flags, the uncertainties, the wind...

Write about the cicadas chirping in the park.

Describe a scene of a group of children surrounding a boy.

She wrote down the smile on the boy's face, a smile she had never seen before.

Inspiration flowed like a spring.

The pen scratched on the paper until late at night.

-

Volume 1: Chapter 229 Summer Memories

Inspiration flowed like a spring.

The pen scratched on the paper until late at night.

Kasumigaoka Utaha's thoughts flowed like a spring, and by the time she looked up from her computer, it was already two in the morning.

She pinched the bridge of her nose; her eyes were a little sore from staring at the screen for so long. Then she stretched, easing the stiffness in her shoulders and neck from sitting for so long.

I coded for several hours straight. I was tired, but very satisfied.

That feeling of inspiration bursting forth is the state every creator yearns for most. And tonight, she truly grasped it.

She turned her head to look to the side.

An and Asuka are already asleep.

He lay on the bed by the window, covered with a thin summer blanket, his breathing steady and long. Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting a silvery-white streak on the floor and also falling on his profile, outlining a soft contour.

Kasumigaoka Utaha's heart stirred.

She carefully stood up, tiptoed to his side, and then slowly knelt down.

She just watched him quietly.

She had never seen his sleeping face before.

This is the first time.

Asleep, he lost the faint aloofness he had during the day, and the composure he displayed when dealing with others. His brows relaxed, his expression gentle, and he looked like an ordinary, unguarded boy.

Quiet.

mild.

And a little bit... cute.

As Kasumigaoka Utaha watched, she suddenly felt a little envious of Marina, Ai, and Shizuka.

Those three girls must see his sleeping face like that every day. Every day, they can quietly stay by his side when he's least expecting anything.

She slowly reached out her hand.

Her fingertips gently touched his eyebrows and eyes.

Follow the curve of the brow bone and slowly slide down to the bridge of the nose.

Then comes the tip of the nose.

Then comes the cheeks.

Finally, it lingered on the lips.

His lips were slightly pursed, and they tinged with a faint reddish hue in the moonlight.

She really couldn't let go of her feelings for him.

Just like Eriri.

No, perhaps even deeper than Eriri. Because Eriri still has room to back down, while she—she has been saved by him far too many times.

The boy who quietly helped promote her novel when it was facing cancellation and her book signings went unnoticed.

The boy who showed her "you can do it" through his actions when she was confused.

That boy who asked for nothing in return, who simply wanted to help her.

How could she possibly let it go so easily?

Kasumigaoka Utaha lowered her head, looking at the face of the doctor who was so close to her.

His breath gently brushed against her cheek, carrying the warmth unique to a young man.

Their lips drew closer and closer.

I could already feel the warmth emanating from him.

Then--

She gently kissed him.

It was very light and shallow, like a dragonfly skimming the water.

It only lasted for a brief moment.

But in that instant, her heart almost stopped beating.

Boom—!

Suddenly, thunder roared outside the window, making the glass tremble slightly.

Kasumigaoka Utaha suddenly raised her head, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of her throat.

She stared intently at An and Asuka's faces.

He's not awake.

He merely frowned slightly, turned over, and fell into a deep sleep again.

Kasumigaoka Utaha let out a long breath, and her tense body slowly relaxed.

She sat up straight and gently touched her lips with her hand.

The warmth of that moment still lingers on it.

Soft, warm, his temperature.

Satisfied.

She said it softly to herself.

enough.

She stood up and tiptoed toward the side door.

-

The corridor outside the door was quiet, with only the sound of rain echoing in my ears.

Summer rain can come suddenly; what was just thunder a moment ago has now turned into a torrential downpour. Large raindrops pound against the windowpane, forming streams of water.

Kasumigaoka Utaha slightly opened the door and slipped out.

A cool breeze blew in through the crack in the door, carrying the dampness of rain and the scent of earth. She leaned against the doorframe, looking at the dark night and the continuous rain outside.

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

His sleeping face.

His breathing.

His temperature.

And that kiss was so shallow it barely counted as a kiss.

She suddenly remembered the scene in the park during the day when the children surrounded him.

The genuine smile on his face was one she had never seen before.

Later, the three girls told her that the boy's past was not pleasant. He grew up alone, faced everything alone, without his parents' company or family to rely on.

She always felt sorry for him.

I also understood the relationship between him and those three girls—how could those who accompanied him during his loneliest times not be important?

But she overlooked the fact that within this unpleasant past, there were also many wonderful memories for the boy.

For example, the park in that small town.

For example, the girls who played with him.

For example, those pure, carefree times.

She wanted to know more.

His past, his childhood, and the stories he never told anyone.

She was increasingly reluctant to give up.

The rain was pouring down.

The girl's mood subtly changed during this summer night's rain.

-

The next morning.

The rain had stopped, but the sky remained overcast, with low-hanging clouds. The air was filled with the unique freshness of the rain, carrying the scent of earth and grass.

When An and Asuka woke up, they felt something was wrong.

The room was quiet, but the sound of someone breathing was missing.

He sat up and looked at the bed opposite him.

Kasumigaoka Utaha's blanket was bulging, but the person inside seemed to be shivering slightly.

"Senior?"

no respond.

He walked over and gently lifted a corner of the blanket.

Kasumigaoka Utaha was curled up in bed, her cheeks flushed an unnatural red, her brows furrowed slightly, and her breathing a little rapid.

An and Asuka reached out and touched her forehead.

hot.

"Senior, you have a fever."

Kasumigaoka Utaha groggily opened her eyes, glanced at him, and then closed them again.

"Well……"

An and Asuka sighed.

He turned around, grabbed a thermometer, and handed it to her.

"Measure it."

Kasumigaoka Utaha took the thermometer and weakly tucked it under her arm.

Five minutes later, An and Asuka checked the readings.

Thirty-eight degrees two.

"Senior, what time did you finish writing last night?"