Green plums cannot become lovers.

"come on."

Goto Ichiri stood there, holding his guitar, looking at the calm-looking boy in front of him.

The afterglow of the setting sun fell upon him, gilding his gentle face with a faint golden hue.

She took a deep breath.

Then, she found a slightly secluded spot, with her back to the crowd and facing An and Asuka, and slowly opened her guitar case.

Take out the guitar.

Hold me tight.

Fingers rest on the strings.

The sounds of children's laughter, old people's conversations, and the faint chirping of cicadas in the distance could be heard all around.

Goto Ichiri's fingers were trembling.

She raised her head and looked at Anhe Feibiao.

An and Asuka nodded to her.

He didn't say anything.

But that look in his eyes seemed to say: You can do it.

Goto Ichiri closed his eyes.

Then, she started playing.

The girl was playing his piece.

An and Asuka found a bench and sat down, watching quietly.

Goto Ichiri stood with her back to the crowd, facing him, her fingers resting on the strings. After hesitating for a few seconds, the first note finally rang out.

It's "Summer".

The light and bright melody flowing from her guitar now carried a hint of awkwardness and trembling.

An and Asuka didn't make a sound, they just listened quietly.

Sure enough, under the watchful eyes of so many people, the girl began to make mistakes.

The first wrong note appeared in the third measure, where a glissando that should have been smooth became abrupt. This was followed by a half-beat rhythmic lapse, which was then forcibly corrected. Then, a chord was not pressed firmly enough, producing a muffled sound.

Goto Ichiri's shoulders were noticeably tense.

But An and Asuka did not interrupt.

He simply continued to sit there, quietly watching her.

People around started to be drawn to the music.

A young mother with a child stopped and glanced in their direction. Several elementary school students playing nearby curiously gathered around. Even the elderly people chatting on a bench in the distance turned their heads, squinting at the pink-haired girl playing the guitar.

Goto Ichiri felt those gazes.

Her fingers trembled even more violently.

Another wrong note.

The rhythm is off again.

She almost wanted to stop and run away.

But when she looked up and saw the boy's figure on the bench, she held back.

An and Asuka were looking at her.

There was no frown, no urging, no disappointment. He simply looked at her quietly, his eyes filled with a faint yet clear warmth.

Goto Ichiri took a deep breath.

She turned her gaze back to the strings, trying to calm herself down.

I stopped thinking about those passersby.

Ignore those gazes.

All I want is the guitar.

I just want the music.

I just want to—

The boy was looking at her.

The song ended with difficulty.

When the last note fell, Goto Ichiri froze on the spot, not daring to breathe.

A few scattered claps rang out from around them—it was the applause of a few elementary school students. They didn't understand anything; they just clapped because they thought it sounded nice.

The young mother smiled, took her child, and left.

The elderly people looked away and continued their conversation.

Everything returned to normal.

It was as if nothing had just happened.

Goto Ichiri lowered his head, holding his guitar, and remained motionless.

An and Asuka stood up and walked up to her.

Goto Ichiri didn't dare to look up. She knew how badly she played—so many wrong notes, so many mistakes, it was simply embarrassing.

"How about it?"

Goto Ichiri shook his head.

"Very bad..."

"Yes, there are indeed many wrong pronunciations."

Goto Ichiri lowered his head even further.

“But,” An and Asuka continued, “you persevered.”

Goto Ichiri was taken aback for a moment.

Volume 1: Chapter 240 I'll Take Responsibility

Goto Ichiri stood in the sunset, holding his guitar, listening quietly.

“Persistence is the most important thing,” An and Asuka said with a smile. “Just like your guitar, you must have persisted for a long time to have the skills you have today.”

Upon hearing this, Goto Ichiri felt a surge of happiness.

The feeling was light, like a feather falling on the water, yet it carried a heavy warmth.

This is because her hard work and perseverance have earned her the recognition of those who admire her.

"Well, actually..." she began softly.

"Actually what?"

"Actually...actually..."

Goto Ichiri looked at the boy in front of her, but the words she wanted to say got stuck in her throat.

Actually, she had considered giving up before.

Just when she realized she still couldn't fit in with the group through the guitar, she practiced very hard, playing in front of the mirror in her room every day, but her classmates still wouldn't talk to her; she remained the invisible person in the corner.

She thought at the time that maybe the guitar was useless anyway.

But the reason she was able to persevere was because in the summer of her second year of junior high school, she accidentally heard the guitar version of "Summer".

She was wearing headphones, sitting in her room, the cicadas chirping incessantly outside. But as soon as that melody started playing, the whole world went silent.

Light and bright, like musical notes dancing in the sunlight.

She thought to herself, "This is a really great piece of music. I must learn it."

So I persevered.

Her persistence was actually related to him.

Goto Ichiri opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found that he couldn't utter a word.

An and Asuka noticed her embarrassment.

He didn't press further, but instead naturally changed the subject: "Shall we continue?"

"Huh?"

"Try again, okay?" An and Asuka pointed to the few elementary school students who hadn't left yet, "There are still a few listeners over there."

Goto Ichiri followed his gaze—the elementary school students were squatting next to the sandpit, but their eyes kept glancing this way.

She hesitated for a moment.

Then, as if possessed, he nodded.

-

She played it again.

It's still "Summer".

This time it was a bit more stable than before. Although there were still a few wrong notes at the beginning, the middle part was much smoother. The elementary school students were attracted and stood at a distance to listen.

Goto Ichiri could feel their gazes.

That unease lingers, like tiny thorns pricking my back.

But among all those gazes, one gentle look remained fixed on her.

"One more time," An and Asuka's voices came from the other side of the bench.

She took a deep breath and played it again.

"Let's do it one more time."

The third time.

"come on."

Fourth time.

As dusk fell, the streetlights in the park came on. The elementary school students were called away by their parents, and the elderly people also left one after another, leaving only the occasional passerby.

Goto Ichiri played it over and over again.

The melody of "Summer" flowed in the twilight, and the lighthearted notes fell in the gradually quieting park.

She could feel her fingers becoming more relaxed, her rhythm becoming more stable, and her wrong notes becoming fewer.

Even more amazingly, the stinging sensation from those gazes didn't seem so painful anymore.

"Okay, very good."

The sounds of peace and birdsong rang out.

Goto Ichiri stopped pointing and looked up.

The boy had already stood up and walked up to her.

That's all for today.

Goto Ichiri then noticed that night had completely fallen. The streetlights in the park cast dim, yellowish halos on the ground.

She put away her guitar, somewhat dazed.

How long did you play just now?

“Let’s go, I’ll take you home,” An and Asuka said.

-

Goto Ichiri's house wasn't far away; it was only two train stops away.

There weren't many people on the tram in the evening; there were only the two of them in this row.

The carriage swayed rhythmically, the scenery outside the window rushed past, and the lights of thousands of homes flickered in the night.