Green plums cannot become lovers.

“Yes!” Ichiji Nijika nodded vigorously, “We just signed up yesterday! So now we’re competitors!”

As she spoke, she clenched her little fist, making a gesture that said, "I will try my best."

Kita Ikuyo also imitated her, clenching her fist and saying, "It's really stressful to be an opponent of Anwa-senpai."

"But it's also a good opportunity to defeat you."

A glint flashed in Yamada Ryo's eyes.

Her tone carried a hint of provocation.

An and Asuka raised an eyebrow.

This Yamada Ryo is definitely different.

Goto Ichiri didn't speak, but simply held her guitar and quietly watched the scene unfold. Yet, there was a hint of anticipation in her eyes.

An and Asuka looked at them.

"I'm waiting for you to come and challenge me."

He paused after speaking, but then immediately changed the subject.

"But before that, I guess you'll need some help."

The four girls were stunned at the same time.

"Huh?"

An and Asuka continued, "You all still have a lot of room for improvement in terms of arrangement, performance skills, and stage presence. There are still two weeks until the competition, and without guidance, your progress may be very slow."

Ichi Nijika blinked, slowly understanding what he meant.

"So, what Anhe-kun means is..."

“What I mean is,” An and Asuka looked at her and smiled, “I can help you. As a consultant, I can help you improve your overall level.”

The rest area was quiet for a few seconds.

The four girls were stunned.

They looked at An and Asuka, seemingly unable to believe what they had heard.

"Are you... are you serious?" Ichiji Nijika's voice trembled slightly.

"Ah."

“But…” Kita Ikuyo hesitated for once, “Anwa-senpai, you guys have matches to play too, right? If you help us, won’t it affect your practice?”

Ryoya Yamada chimed in, "Besides, it's unreasonable to help your opponent improve."

Although Goto Ichiri didn't speak, her eyes showed worry.

Anhe Feiniao shook his head.

"Don't worry, since I've chosen to do this, everything else will be arranged. The times can be staggered. I'll help you in the morning and practice my own in the afternoon, so there won't be any conflicts."

"Besides, although we are rivals, we are also friends, aren't we?"

"Huh?"

“We are rivals, but also friends,” An and Asuka smiled. “There’s nothing wrong with helping a friend improve.”

The four girls exchanged glances, each seeing surprise and a touch of emotion in the other's eyes.

Finally, Hongxia spoke.

"Anhe, classmate..."

"Ok?"

"Thank you." Her voice was soft but sincere. "Really, thank you so much."

An and Asuka smiled.

"Then it's settled. Starting tomorrow?"

"it is good!"

-

The next morning, STARRY's Practice Room A.

The four girls who had finished their band performance had all arrived, each holding their instrument, waiting for An and Asuka's "inspection".

An and Asuka stood before them, holding a notebook. Having decided to help, he wouldn't do it casually.

"Play the whole piece first, just your best piece. Let me hear it."

Hongxia took a deep breath and raised her drumsticks.

"Alright! Everyone, get ready!"

Kita Ikuyo hugged her guitar tightly, Yamada Ryo adjusted the bass strap, and Goto Ichiri lowered his head, his fingers lightly resting on the strings.

"One, two, three, four—"

The music is ringing.

An and Asuka stood to the side, listening quietly, occasionally raising their hands to make gestures in time with the beat, just like a conductor.

His brow furrowed and relaxed intermittently as he quickly jotted something down in his notebook.

The song ended.

The four girls looked at him with some nervousness.

"How is it?" Hongxia asked cautiously.

An and Asuka did not answer immediately, but instead looked down at their notes.

After a while, he raised his head.

"Overall it's good, but there are a few areas that need improvement."

Nine chess pieces? Willow 9? Mountain? Scar sulfur? Beyond? He walked up to Kita.

"Kita, the rhythm of your guitar solo is a bit rushed. The transition before the second chorus is half a beat too slow."

Kita's face flushed slightly.

"Does it...?"

“Hmm. You’re too nervous. When you’re nervous, you tend to rush the beat or go too far,” An and Asuka pointed out the problem. “Relax a bit and follow the rhythm of the drums.”

Then he turned to Liang.

"Liang's bass is very stable, but there are some places where you can add more variation. In the third verse, you kept playing the root note. You could add some walking bass lines to make the lines more fluid."

Liang paused for a moment upon hearing this, then nodded and said, "I understand."

Next up is Goto Ichiri.

An and Asuka walked up to her.

Goto Ichiri's body visibly stiffened, and he lowered his head even further.

"Goto-kun."

"......Um."

"Your skills are excellent, even better than I expected."

Goto Ichiri suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"But that's also where the problem lies."

"Huh?"

“You rely too much on technique,” ​​An and Asuka said. “You play every note perfectly, but without emotion. Music is not just about the arrangement of notes, but also about the flow of emotions. You have to immerse yourself in the music.”

Goto Ichiri was stunned.

Put yourself... into the music?

She had never thought about that.

Finally, there's Nijika.

“Nijika’s drumming is fine, the rhythm is steady, and the fills are beautiful,” An and Asuka said. “But as the captain, you need to learn to lead the team with your eyes and actions. During the competition, the audience not only listens but also watches. Your performance will directly affect your teammates’ performance.”

Hongxia nodded vigorously.

"I understand!"

An and Feiniao closed their notebooks.

"Alright, let's address these issues one by one now."

-

For the next two hours, the practice room was filled with all sorts of sounds.

An and Asuka flitted among the four girls, sometimes correcting Kita's fingering, sometimes demonstrating new bass lines to Ryo, sometimes encouraging Goto Ichiri to relax, and sometimes reminding Nijika to pay attention to eye contact.

Kita learns very quickly, but he is always too excited, and when he gets excited, he is prone to making mistakes.

"Kita, calm down."

"Okay, okay! I'll calm down!"

Then, not long after, they got hyped up again.

An and Asuka shook their heads helplessly.

Liang, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. She learns everything very quickly, but her expression remains unchanged, making it impossible to tell whether she is happy or dissatisfied.

"It's a bit cold; we can add some emotion here."

What are emotions?

"...Just think about happy things while playing."

“Happy things…” Ryo thought for a moment, “The convenience store had a sale today, does buying my favorite cold noodles count?”

She played it once, and it indeed sounded a bit lighter and more lively.

Anwa Asuka: "..."

That works too.

What surprised him most was Goto Ichiri.

Once she started practicing seriously, she was no longer that socially awkward girl who huddled in a corner. Her fingers danced nimbly across the strings, each note perfectly precise.

But as he said, it lacked a certain emotion.

“Goto-san, imagine this,” An and Asuka said, standing beside her. “This song is one you wrote for someone important. What would you like to say to that person?”

Goto Ichiri lowered his head and remained silent for a long time.

Then, she played it again.

This time, it's different.

The notes were still the same notes, but something was added to each one. It was as if something soft was flowing from the strings.

An and Asuka were stunned for a moment, then he smiled.

"That's it."

Goto Ichiri looked up at him.

Her cheeks were slightly flushed, but the corners of her mouth curved into a small smile.

"......Thanks."

-

Two hours later, all four girls were so exhausted that they collapsed on the sofa.

"I'm so tired..." Hongxia said weakly, "More tiring than a whole day of practice..."

Kita leaned on the armrest, burying his face in his arms: "But I feel like I've improved a lot!"

Liang remained expressionless, but unusually took the initiative to speak: "It works."