Green plums cannot become lovers.

This time, she played much more steadily than yesterday. Although she still had a few wrong notes at the beginning, she quickly corrected them. The middle section was much smoother, and you could even hear a bit of her own style in it.

The only problem is—

She still didn't dare to look around.

Every time a passerby walks by, her shoulders tense up. Every time someone looks in her direction, her fingers tremble.

But I persevered.

As the song ended, Goto Ichiri let out a long breath and subconsciously looked at An and Asuka.

An and Asuka nodded to her.

"One more time?"

Goto Ichiri nodded.

Second time, third time, fourth time.

Goto Ichiri's fingers became more and more relaxed, her wrong notes became fewer and fewer, and her fluency became higher and higher.

And she has started to lift her head occasionally.

Although it was only for a moment, and she would immediately retreat, she did try to look around.

An and Asuka watched this scene, the corners of their mouths slightly turned up.

-

Behind the bushes not far away, three heads were huddled together.

"Wow..." Kita Ikuyo exclaimed softly, "Little Lonely is so serious."

Ichi Nijika nodded, her eyes filled with satisfaction: "She's really amazing... Siw!u, the sommelier, is working so hard."

Yamada Ryo didn't speak, but his eyes remained fixed on the two figures in the park.

"Anwa-kun is so kind," Kita Ikuyo continued in a low voice, "She stayed by my side the whole time."

“Yes.” Ichiji Nijika smiled. “With him around, Little Loneliness was able to persevere.”

The three of them just watched, and none of them made a sound to disturb them.

until--

An and Asuka suddenly turned their heads and glanced in their direction.

The three of them froze simultaneously.

“We’ve been discovered,” Yamada Ryo stated calmly.

Kita Ikuyo and Iji Tomoka exchanged a glance, then awkwardly emerged from behind the bushes.

"Um... we didn't follow you on purpose..." Kita Ikuyo explained guiltily.

“I’m just a little worried about Xiao Loneliness…” Ichiji Nijika added.

An and Asuka looked at them and smiled helplessly.

"Since we're here, let's watch it together."

-

So, three more people appeared next to the bench.

Goto Ichiri was a little nervous at first, but seeing the encouraging expressions on their faces, she gradually relaxed.

She played it again.

This was the best performance in the past few days.

There were very few wrong notes, the rhythm was very steady, and it even had a bit of its own unique flavor.

When the song ended, Kita Ikuyo was the first to applaud.

"Little Loneliness is amazing!"

Ijichi Nijika nodded vigorously: "You've made great progress!"

Yamada Ryo succinctly commented, "Good."

Goto Ichiri blushed, but the corners of her mouth curved into a small smile.

-

it's dark.

An and Asuka stood up.

That's enough for today. It's time to go back.

He looked at Ichichi Nikka, Kita Ikuyo, and Yamada Ryo.

"You can take Goto home."

The three girls exchanged a glance.

"Ah, I suddenly remembered I have something to do!" Kita Ikuyo slapped her forehead.

“Me too, I made plans with someone,” Ichiji Nijika added.

"Same as above." Yamada Ryo replied expressionlessly.

After saying that, the three of them quickly slipped away, leaving An, Asuka, and Goto Kazumi looking at each other in bewilderment.

Goto Ichiri: "...Eh?"

An and Asuka looked at the three figures running faster than rabbits and shook their heads helplessly.

"Let's go." He looked at Goto Ichiri. "I'll see you off."

Goto Ichiri paused for a moment, then whispered, "I could actually go home alone... [Unintelligible characters]..."

“That won’t do.” An and Asuka shook their heads and said, “Since I brought you out, I have to ensure your safety.”

His tone was very ordinary, but when Goto Ichiri heard it, that strange feeling welled up in his heart again.

It felt heavy and warm.

She lowered her head, hugged her guitar, and followed beside him.

-

The streets were quiet at night, and the streetlights cast dim yellow halos on the ground.

The two walked side by side without saying a word.

Goto Ichiri lowered his head, watching his toes move step by step.

The sound of a boy's steady footsteps came from the side.

She suddenly remembered what he had just said: "Two? One three??? Neon dove?? Laughing bird deleted? 2 Li? Yi."

"Since I brought you out, I have to ensure your safety."

She secretly raised her head and glanced at him.

The light from the streetlamp fell on his profile, outlining a soft contour.

Goto Ichiri lowered his head again.

The corners of her mouth subtly curved upwards.

Volume 1: Chapter 241 The Goto Family

For the next two days, An and Asuka continued to take Goto Ichiri out for training.

The park became their regular hangout in the evening. Goto Ichiri stood in the open space with his guitar, while An and Asuka sat on a bench not far away, surrounded by elderly people taking a stroll, children playing, and the occasional passerby.

On the first day, she played "Summer" more than a dozen times, and the number of wrong notes decreased.

The next day, she began to try playing other pieces, such as An and Asuka's "Kara" (a type of song), her favorite anime songs, and some simple etudes.

Goto Ichiri gradually became less afraid.

Of course, she was still a little nervous. Her shoulders would tense up every time someone walked by. Her fingers would tremble every time someone looked in her direction.

But just thinking about how much the person she admired had done for her gave her strength.

In particular, several friends were cheering him on.

She needs to work even harder.

To win this time.

-

On the evening of the third day, the practice was nearing its end.

After playing the last piece, Goto Ichiri put down his guitar and breathed slightly out of breath.

"Very good, you've improved a lot compared to before." An and Asuka stood up and praised him generously.

"Th...thank you."

Goto Ichiri mustered her courage and spoke, her voice still not loud, but much clearer than before.

No sooner had he finished speaking than a figure pounced on him.

"Little Lonely has made a lot of progress!" Kita Ikuyo hugged Goto Ichiri tightly, hanging on her like a happy little animal.

Goto Ichiri stumbled from being hugged, and her face instantly turned red.

"Ki, Kita..."

“Now we have even more confidence!” Ichiji Nijika walked over and said with a smile, “With you here, we can definitely do it!”

Yamada Ryo stood to the side, expressionless, and said, "Phew, the championship is ours now."

The group paused for a moment, then burst out laughing at the same time.

"Ryo-senpai, what are you saying?!" Kita Ikuyo laughed so hard she couldn't stand up straight. "How could winning the championship be so easy!"

“Exactly, exactly,” Ichiji Nijika wiped away her tears of laughter, “There are so many strong competitors in this competition, it’s already good enough that we were able to advance.”

Yamada Ryo remained expressionless, but the corners of his mouth seemed to curve into a small arc.

"joke."

"Hahaha? 俬0? 齐傂尔? 罢罒哈——"

Laughter drifted away into the twilight.

-

The time for parting has come.

Kita Ikuyo, Ijichi Nikka, and Yamada Ryo walked together toward the station, while An and Asuka, as usual, escorted Goto Ichiri home.

The streets were quiet at night, and the streetlights cast dim yellow halos on the ground.

The two walked side by side without saying a word.

But this silence was different from the awkwardness I felt the first time I rode a tram.

Goto Ichiri lowered his head, watching his toes move step by step. The steady footsteps of a boy could be heard beside him, along with the occasional chirping of cicadas and the sound of a train in the distance.

It's very quiet.

Very reassuring.

They soon arrived at the Goto family's house.

Goto Ichiri stopped, holding his guitar, head down, as if deep in thought.

An and Asuka looked at her without urging her.

There was a few seconds of silence.

Then, Goto Ichiri raised his head.

"Um..." her voice was a little nervous, "Would you... like to come in and sit down for a bit?"

An and Asuka were taken aback.

“My house is just up ahead…very close…” Goto Ichiri’s voice trailed off, “My mom’s cooking…is so delicious…”

She regretted it as soon as she said it.