Green plums cannot become lovers.

After the young women left the stage, An and Asuka left the performance hall and went to the rest area outside.

This place is so big that it even has coffee shops.

Upon entering the coffee shop, An and Asuka found a corner seat. He planned to rest for a bit, organize the information he had gathered that day, and then continue his observations.

What would you like to order?

Hearing the question, An and Asuka looked up, then paused for a moment.

That black-haired girl, isn't she the drummer from the MyGO!!!!! band on stage yesterday? Long, straight black hair, those signature slanted eyes—she looks really unique. What was her name again… Shiina Tatsuki?

"Just a cup of warm Earl Grey tea, please," An and Asuka said with a smile, quickly regaining their composure.

"Okay, please wait a moment."

Shiina Tatsuki's tone was somewhat harsh, and coupled with her slanted eyes, she seemed like a very strict girl. She turned and went back to the bar, skillfully starting to make tea.

The competition is almost here and you're still working here...

An and Asuka watched her retreating figure, thinking to themselves, "She seems to be a very confident girl. She has enough confidence in her abilities to even be working before the competition."

Shiina Tatsuki seemed to sense his gaze and looked up to ask, "What's wrong, guest?"

An and Asuka weren't flustered. Instead, they smiled confidently and asked, "You're the drummer for the MyGO!!!!! band, right?"

Shiina Tatsuki was taken aback by his question and paused for a moment before nodding, "Yes, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing, I just really like your songs, I think they're really good," An and Asuka said.

That's the truth. After watching their performance yesterday, he was indeed very impressed with the band.

"Oh, I see. Thank you for liking it."

As Shiina Tatsuki said this, she looked away and continued operating the machine. Her tone remained stiff, but if you listened carefully, you could sense a hint of pleasure from being praised.

Seeing this, An and Asuka also withdrew their gaze and waited quietly.

Just then, the coffee shop door was pushed open again.

"The seniors at Poppin'Party are really amazing! I never expected to be in the same group as them. I feel so much pressure—"

The one who spoke was a pink-haired girl. Her voice was slightly strained, yet it possessed a unique charm that made it hard to forget once you heard it.

"Alright, Aiyin, don't worry about it so much. Just do your best when the time comes."

This time, it was the mature girl with brown hair who spoke. Her voice was more composed than the pink-haired girl's, but it also had an indescribable gentleness. If you listened carefully, it was even a little gentler than the pink-haired girl's.

"Isn't Su Shishi nervous? Morfonica's senior is also in our group."

"..."

"I never expected to be grouped with so many seniors..."

The gray-haired girl followed behind timidly, her voice low, as if afraid of disturbing others.

Matcha Parfait.

As for the white-haired girl with heterochromia, she didn't participate in their discussion at all. Instead, she went straight to the bar and started bothering Shiina Tatsuki.

"Lixi, matcha parfait."

"I'm at work now, I'll talk to you after I get off work."

Matcha Parfait.

"...Please sit down first."

Matcha Parfait.

"..."

As An and Asuka watched this scene, the corners of their mouths couldn't help but turn up slightly.

"Should we adjust the music?"

The pink-haired girl must be the one who was called "Little Ai-yin" earlier—she continued, "There's still some time before the competition, right?"

“No need to adjust it, right?” The brown-haired girl thought for a moment. “Both ‘Ichishizuku’ and ‘Shichisou’ are very good. We can just choose one depending on the situation.”

“I think adding ‘Spring Shadow’ would be great!” the pink-haired girl suddenly exclaimed, slamming her hand on the table.

The brown-haired girl immediately rejected the idea.

“Yada”.

"Su Shishi is really something—"

"But Aine, you shouldn't make decisions so easily."

"Yes, yes—"

The girls bickered as they walked to a table not far from An and Asuka and sat down, engaging in a frank discussion.

An and Asuka sat silently beside them, their ears perked up.

"Ichishizuku", "Shichikuban"...

Great, now we know what piece they're going to play.

He silently made a mental note of it.

"Hey, where's Lixi?" The pink-haired girl suddenly remembered her companion and got up to go look for her. "I'll go find her."

"I am here."

Shiina Tatsuki had already walked out from behind the bar with another cup of black tea. However, at that moment, she accidentally tripped over the wiring on the floor.

The next second, she lost her balance, and the black tea in her hand splashed directly towards An and Asuka.

By the time An and Asuka realized what was happening and tried to dodge, it was too late.

All the black tea was poured over him.

A large red water stain was rapidly spreading across the white clothes.

Thankfully it was warm...

An and Asuka looked down at their clothes, feeling so fortunate.

Thankfully it wasn't scalding hot, otherwise today it wouldn't just be a matter of clothes getting dirty.

After a brief silence, not only Shiina Riki, but also the other four girls exclaimed in surprise.

"Lixi, are you alright?"

The pink-haired girl was the first to rush over.

"Guest, how are you?" The brown-haired girl quickly stepped forward, her face full of apology.

The gray-haired girl followed weakly behind, whispering, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

The white-haired girl with heterochromia, Liu Qiyi II Ba Shiba, didn't say anything, but just kept staring at An and Asuka's soaked clothes with pure curiosity in her eyes.

Shiina Tatsuki stood there, her face pale. She looked at the tea stain on An and Asuka's clothes, opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.

In the end, it was An and Asuka who spoke first.

"It's nothing." He shook his head and smiled at them. "My clothes are just dirty, but I'm fine."

“But…” Shiina Tatsuki’s brows furrowed even more, “This dress… shall I wash it for you? Or should I buy you a new one?”

"No need, no need." Anhe Asuka waved her hand. "It was just an accident, don't worry about it."

Looking at the girls in front of him who were clearly relieved, a thought suddenly popped into his mind.

From their conversation, he could tell that this band seemed to know the strong teams in Group C quite well.

If we can take this opportunity to build a good relationship with them...

Perhaps we can find out more useful information.

An and Asuka picked up their unfinished cups of black tea and took a small sip.

“However, if you really want to apologize—” he paused, then gave a gentle smile, “could you sit down and have a chat with me?”

"Huh?"

The girls were stunned for a moment, then looked at each other in bewilderment.

An and Asuka took out a handkerchief and wiped the water stains off their clothes while smiling at them. Although the tea stain on his clothes was conspicuous, his expression was very calm, as if he hadn't just been splashed with tea.

"Let me introduce myself first. My name is Anhe."

The girls exchanged glances and then introduced themselves one after another.

"I am Chihaya Aine!" The pink-haired girl spoke first, her voice still carrying that unique clip-like tone, but now it had a hint of curiosity.

"Nagasaki Motoyo".

The mature girl with brown hair nodded slightly, her tone gentle and polite.

"Takamatsu Takamori..." the gray-haired girl said weakly, her voice barely audible.

"I want Rakuna." The white-haired girl with heterochromatic eyes gave her name briefly, her gaze still lingering on An and Asuka's wet clothes, as if she was thinking about something.

Finally, it was Shiina Tatsuki's turn. She stood to the side, her face still showing remorse: "Shiina Tatsuki... I'm really sorry about what happened earlier."

An and Asuka nodded, then looked at them: "You must be MyGO!!!!! band? I really like your songs, so I'd like to learn more about you."

The girls exchanged glances, then turned their attention to An and Asuka. Seeing that he indeed seemed harmless, with a genuine smile on his face, they slowly relaxed and sat down in the empty seat next to him.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" Chihaya Aine asked curiously.

“Hmm? Anything is fine,” An and Asuka smiled. “Like creative insights, or interesting things that happen during practice.”

His tone was relaxed and natural, as if he were chatting with a friend. The girls gradually lowered their guard and began to chat amongst themselves.

Chihaya Aine was the most active, chattering away about all the funny things that happened during their rehearsals. Nagasaki Motoyo occasionally chimed in, gently adding details. Takamatsu Akari didn't talk much, but her eyes would light up when she talked about songs. Kaname Rakuna was mostly silent, only occasionally uttering "matcha parfait." Shiina Tatsuki listened from the side, occasionally correcting Chihaya Aine's exaggerated descriptions.

An and Asuka listened and nodded, occasionally asking a few questions, behaving like ordinary music lovers.

After chatting for a while, seeing that the atmosphere was just right, he changed the subject and said, "I heard there's a very famous music festival coming up soon, right? Are you going to attend?"

"We're in!" Chihaya Aine answered immediately, her face beaming with pride. "We really went through a lot to get these spots!"

"Is that so? That's really impressive," An and Asuka exclaimed sincerely.

He paused, then asked, "So, what songs are you planning to perform?"

The girls exchanged glances.

Nagasaki Motoyo frowned slightly, seemingly wary. But Chihaya Aine blurted out, "We might be performing one of 'Ichishizuku Sora' or 'Shichi Kizuna,' and we're currently rehearsing."

“Aine,” Nagasaki Motoyo gently interrupted her.

Chihaya Aine then realized what was happening, stuck out her tongue, and looked at Anwa Asuka with embarrassment.

"Ah...it seems I was being presumptuous."

An and Asuka waved their hands with a smile, it seemed that with this brown-haired girl around, he wouldn't be able to get any more information out of her.

"But it's okay, I was just asking casually. After all, I've also attended street concerts, so I'm a little curious about the songs my competitors have to sing."

"Huh?! You're a participating band too?"

Chihaya Aine and the other girls widened their eyes in surprise.

“Yes.” An and Asuka nodded. “My band is called ‘Praise Music’.”

“Praise music…” Shiina Tatsuki repeated thoughtfully, “Never heard of it.”

“We’re a new band and haven’t participated in many competitions,” An and Asuka said frankly. “This is also our first time participating in this kind of event.”

Nagasaki Motoyo looked at him with a hint of inquiry in her eyes: "Anwa-kun seems to know a lot about music. What are you in charge of?"

"I'm a guitarist, and I also write songs occasionally."

"Original?"

"Yes, I have a few of my own compositions, but they're not very famous."

The girls' expressions shifted again. Original musicians are a rare sight in amateur bands.

Are you also in Group C?

“No, we’re in Group A,” An and Asuka said. “But my friends’ band is in Group C; they’re called ‘The End Band.’”

"The End Band..." Shiina Tatsuki thought for a moment, "I feel like I've heard that name before, they are indeed in our group."