Green plums cannot become lovers.

"Anwa-kun, what do you think?" Shiina Tatsuki asked, looking at Anwa Asuka beside her.

The girls all turned their heads to look at the boy sitting in the corner.

An and Asuka leaned against the wall, holding a bottle of water in their hands, and smiled when they heard this.

"You've all made great progress, both in technique and teamwork, much better than before."

Chihaya Aine's eyes lit up.

"Really!"

“Really.” An and Asuka nodded. “Especially the chemistry when playing together. Before, we would sometimes play our own parts, but now we can hear that we are cooperating much better.”

"Great."

The girls were all happy with this compliment.

An and Asuka didn't continue speaking, but silently added in their hearts—their efforts were part of it, and of course, his contribution was also part of it.

He won't feign modesty about this.

Helping them correct their fingering, adjust rhythms, and optimize arrangements—these are all real efforts. Without this guidance, they couldn't have improved so quickly by figuring things out on their own.

Of course, the most important thing is the character effect that can speed up the practice progress.

This ability has existed since he completed the system's mission, quietly exerting its influence. Anyone who is around him and has established a stable emotional connection with him will learn new skills at a significantly faster pace.

Without this effect, no matter how hard the girls work or how talented they are, they could not possibly make such great progress in such a short time.

“However,” An and Asuka changed the subject, “great progress is a good thing, but don’t be arrogant. The opponents in the knockout stage are much stronger than those in the qualifiers.”

“We know!” Chihaya Aine immediately replied, “So we’ll continue practicing tomorrow!”

"Okay." An and Asuka nodded. "That's good."

Nagasaki Motoyo checked the time and stood up.

"It's about time to head back; we have practice tomorrow."

“Okay—” The girls stood up and began packing their things.

Chihaya Aine walked up to Anwa Hiru and said with a grin, "See you tomorrow, Anwa-kun!"

"See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow!" Kita Ikuyo waved.

Nijika Ijichi, Ryo Yamada, and Ichiri Goto also left one after another.

Shiina Tatsuki was walking at the back, and as he passed An and Asuka, he suddenly stopped.

“Anhe, classmate.”

"Ok?"

"Thank you."

Her tone was a bit harsh, but her eyes were very serious.

An and Asuka were stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"You're welcome."

Shiina Tatsuki nodded and turned to leave.

Only An and Asuka remained in the practice room.

Volume 1: Chapter 250 Elimination Tournament

Practice Liu Yiqi Yi??^ (8a) is that only An and Asuka are left in the room.

The practice room, now empty of the girls, was large and quiet. The speakers and instruments stood silently in the corner, and the mirrored wall reflected the spaciousness of the room. The silence after the liveliness was even quieter than usual.

An and Asuka leaned against the wall, looking at the neatly tidied practice room. The drumsticks were back on the shelf, the guitar and bass were against the wall, and the sheet music on the music stand was neatly stacked to the side. There was no trash on the floor, and the chairs were back in their original positions.

Before leaving, the girls tidied up a bit, something no one reminded them of.

He stretched and loosened his stiff shoulders.

I've been really busy lately.

Thinking about it, it seems like it's been several days since I've had a proper rest. I helped the band finish their practice in the morning, led two bands in rehearsal in the afternoon, and had to deal with my own band's affairs in the evening.

Interspersed with this was writing scores for them, analyzing their opponents, and arranging the stage. Every day after returning home, I would almost always eat, take a shower, and fall asleep immediately, only to repeat the same routine the next day.

My own private time?

It seems there's really nothing left.

However, being able to witness the girls' growth makes sacrificing a little personal time worthwhile.

An and Asuka couldn't help but smile at this thought.

He suddenly felt like a parent, or rather, a guide. He was only seventeen, yet he felt old, worrying about this and that, more concerned about things than his own.

But seeing the girls improve time and time again with his help made him really happy.

From Kita Ikuyo practicing alone in the park to performing confidently in front of 500 people. From Goto Ichiri cowering in a corner, too shy to speak, to greeting people proactively. From an unknown roadside band to now competing with top musicians.

He witnessed all these changes. And he deserves some credit for them.

It would be a lie to say I didn't feel a sense of accomplishment.

An and Asuka took one last look at the practice room, then turned and pushed open the door to leave.

-

When I got home, the living room light was still on.

Marina, Ai, and Shizuka were sitting at the dining table when they saw him push the door open and immediately greeted him.

"Asuka is back!" Marina was the first to stand up. "Go wash your hands, the food is just heated up."

Xiao Ai poked her head out from the kitchen, holding a soup bowl in her hand: "I made curry today, your favorite!"

Shizuka was already setting the table. She looked up at him and said gently, "Are you tired? Eat more."

An and Asuka washed their hands and sat down at the dining table.

Several dishes were laid out on the table, in larger portions than usual: curry, fried pork cutlet, cold salad, and a bowl of miso soup. All of them were his favorites.

I was out all day, so I spent much less time with them. But instead of complaining, they were very understanding and caring.

"How's the training going?"

“That’s great.” An and Asuka picked up a piece of fried pork cutlet. “Both End Band and MyGO have made great progress. They should be fine in tomorrow’s elimination round.”

"Do you think we can get first place?" Xiao Ai asked curiously.

An and Asuka thought for a moment.

"It's hard to say who will be first, but advancing should be a sure thing."

“That’s fine!” Marina nodded. “As long as we can advance, the ranking doesn’t matter.”

“You’re quite open-minded,” An and Asuka laughed.

“Of course!” Marina said matter-of-factly. “Anyway, it’s not just this one match; there will be other opportunities in the future.”

Shizuka smiled gently and poured him a bowl of soup.

"Stop talking about them. What do you think of our band's preparations? Is there anything that needs improvement?"

An and Asuka took the soup and drank a sip.

"We're almost done here too. We've mastered the new song, and your teamwork is fine. If you perform normally tomorrow, advancing shouldn't be a problem."

"That's good." Shizuka Kuze nodded.

"Oh, right." An and Asuka paused, "I'll be back a little earlier tomorrow afternoon, so let's go through it together then."

"What about the End Band?" Marina asked curiously.

"It's alright!" Shizuka Kuze waved her hand. "They're not children anymore; they can handle it themselves."

“Besides,” Xiao Ai added, “you’ve already helped them enough in these seven days; the rest is up to them.”

An and Asuka didn't speak, they just nodded.

They are right.

No matter how much help you give, in the end, it's them who will be on stage.

He has done all he could.

-

The last day arrived quickly.

In the practice room, the girls from both bands were more focused than usual.

No one chatted idly, no one was distracted. Everyone kept their heads down, playing their parts over and over again. Occasionally someone would stop to look at the score, but would quickly continue playing.

They probably all know the competition starts tomorrow.

Almost no one made a mistake all afternoon.

Chihaya Aine's rhythm was so steady it was like she was a completely different person, and Kita Ikuyo's chord progressions were so smooth you couldn't tell she was a beginner. Shiina Tatsuki's drumbeats were precise and powerful, and Iji Chi Nikka's rhythm was as solid as a rock. Kaname Rakuna's solo was as amazing as ever, and Goto Ichiri's intro was so gentle it gave you goosebumps.

Even Takamatsu Akari and Goto Ichiri, who are usually the most nervous, were unusually calm today.

An and Asuka sat in the corner, quietly watching them.

There was no speech, no guidance.

Everything that needed to be said has been said, and everything that needed to be taught has been taught. The rest is up to them.

After the practice session ended, An and Asuka stood up.

"Come up on stage."

-

The ring's medium-sized performance hall holds 500 people.

This is their last stop for the next few days.

The lights dimmed and then came back on, and the four girls who had finished their band performance walked onto the stage.

The audience was packed with people, but they weren't as nervous as they had been the first time.

Goto Ichiri stood in the corner of the stage, her fingers resting on the strings. Her legs were still a little weak, and her hands were still trembling slightly, but she was much better than she had been a week ago.

She raised her head and looked in a certain direction from the audience.

An and Asuka stood there, arms crossed, quietly watching the stage.

Goto Ichiri took a deep breath.

The sound of a guitar began.

The melody of "Four-Leaf Clover" flowed through the concert hall.

A gentle intro, a clear verse, and a progressively building chorus.

This time, no one made a mistake.

Every note landed steadily where it should, and every lyric was clearly heard by the audience.

The 500-seat auditorium was extremely quiet.

Everyone was captivated by this song.

The song ended.

Thunderous applause and cheers erupted from the audience.

"End the band!"

"It sounds so good!"

"One more song!"

The four girls stood on the stage, listening to the cheers, all somewhat dazed.

The stage lights shone down from above, casting long shadows on them. The dark mass of people below, the waving arms and lit-up phone screens, and the constant shouts of "End the band!" all made them feel unreal.