Green plums cannot become lovers.

"Shall I help you?" he asked tentatively.

The roasted salt lemon suddenly raised its head, its eyes lighting up.

Is it really possible?

"It's possible..."

"Great!" Salted Lemon grabbed his sleeve with such force, as if he were grasping at a lifeline. "Then let's go in together!"

An and Asuka were pulled into the store by her, their steps a little unsteady.

"Wait, I—"

"Hurry, hurry, while there aren't many people inside yet!"

The shop door was pushed open, and a blast of cold air hit her. Salted Lemon felt like she had found a safe haven, and she relaxed a bit, but when her eyes swept over the swimsuits hanging on the wall, her face flushed a little more.

"Take your time looking around." An and Asuka stood at the doorway. "I'll wait for you here."

"Hmm..." Salted Lemon loosened his sleeve and slowly walked inside, glancing back every two steps as if to confirm that he was still there.

She wandered around the women's clothing section, took a pink one off the shelf, held it up to herself, and then put it down. She picked up a white one, looked at the tag, and put it down again. Then she picked up a polka-dot one, held it up to the light for a long time, and finally put it back.

An and Asuka leaned against the wall by the door, watching her wander around inside.

The shop assistant was a young woman. She walked over with a smile and asked if the customer needed any help. The customer, who was roasting salted lemons, quickly waved her hand and blushed.

A while later, she returned empty-handed, looking dejected.

"Don't you like any?" An and Asuka asked.

"No..." Salted Lemon gripped the shopping bag strap, her voice muffled, "I don't know which outfit looks good on me..."

She looked up at An and Asuka, then quickly looked down again.

"Um... Asuka-san..."

3 Ling's wife Erba "Hmm?"

"Could you... take a look at this for me?"

An and Asuka were taken aback.

"I don't know much about women's swimsuits."

"It's okay! It's just... just helping me with color suggestions..." Her voice trailed off, "I really can't choose by myself..."

An and Asuka sighed as they looked at her expression, which suggested she was about to cry.

"Ok."

Salted Lemon's eyes lit up. He turned and ran back to the women's clothing section, took two swimsuits from the shelf, and held them in front of him.

Which one do you think looks better?

On the left is a light blue two-piece outfit with a slightly flared skirt, the color refreshing. On the right is a white jumpsuit with a simple design, featuring only a thin belt at the waist.

An and Asuka took a look.

"Light blue, I guess."

"why?"

"Cool and refreshing in summer."

Salted Lemon looked down at the two swimsuits in his hands, nodded, and hung the white one back up.

She turned around again and picked up a yellow one.

"What about this one? Which is better, this one or the light blue one?"

An and Asuka looked again.

Light blue.

"why?"

"The yellow is too bright."

The roasted salt lemon nodded and hung the yellow one back up.

She brought over another light purple one. Then she brought over another one with small floral patterns. Then she brought over yet another one with an even more intricate design.

An and Asuka always say "light blue".

He held the light blue swimsuit, tilted his head and looked at it for a long time before finally making up his mind.

"This one is the best!"

She paid at the cashier, stuffed her swimsuit into her shopping bag, and felt a huge weight lifted off her shoulders. As she walked out of the store, she let out a long sigh of relief, as if she had accomplished a major life event.

"Thank you, Asuka!" She turned around and bowed to An and Asuka. "I definitely wouldn't have been able to buy it without you!"

You're welcome. Actually, you can manage on your own.

"No way." Salted Lemon hugged the shopping bag to his chest. "I stood at the door for ten minutes, but I just couldn't bring myself to go in."

An and Asuka smiled.

As the two were talking, a familiar voice came from behind them.

"Birds?"

He turned his head.

Hanami Anna and Himemiya Karen were standing not far away, each holding a paper bag. Hanami Anna's gaze swept between him and the roasted salt lemon, and her eyebrows slowly rose.

"What are you doing here? We didn't see you when we came out, we thought you had left."

"I ran into my classmate Shao Yan and helped her pick out a swimsuit."

"Choosing a swimsuit?" Anna's voice rose slightly as she looked at the roasted salt lemon beside him.

Shao Yanzi's face flushed red, and she hid the shopping bag in her arms behind her back.

"Well, it's just that..." she stammered, "Asuka-san just happened to be passing by..."

"Oh—" Bana said, drawing out Anja's words, a meaningful smile curving her lips. "By the way."

Himegami Karen stood to the side, glanced at the bag in Yashio Lemon's hand, then at An and Asuka, and smiled slightly, but said nothing.

"What color did you buy?" Anna suddenly asked.

The roasted salt lemon paused for a moment.

"Light, light blue..."

“Light blue.” Seeing Anja nod, Bana looked down at the bag in her hand, then at the bag in Himegami Karen’s hand, and suddenly smiled.

"What's wrong?" An and Asuka asked.

"It's nothing." Bana saw Anja hide the paper bag behind her back, but couldn't stop smiling. "I just think the beach will be very lively tomorrow."

Himegami Karen smiled too, her voice soft, like the sound of wind whistling through bells.

An and Asuka looked at them, feeling that they were laughing at something he didn't know.

"Let's go, let's go." Banami saw Anja turn and walk towards the street. "The sun is too strong, we'll melt if we stand here any longer."

The four of them walked back along the street together. The sunlight shone directly down from above, casting shadows that shrank to tiny clumps at their feet. Anna and Shiozaki Lemon walked ahead, talking to each other, Shiozaki Lemon's face constantly flushed. Karen Himegami walked beside An and Asuka, quietly carrying a paper bag, occasionally glancing at him.

Volume 1: Chapter 259 Summer

The next day, An and Asuka arrived at the station ahead of time.

Summer mornings are bright early, and sunlight streams down from the station's glass dome, casting bright patches of light across the floor tiles. A vending machine hums softly, and a middle-aged man sits on a nearby bench, looking at his phone and occasionally glancing up at the train information on the electronic screen.

An and Asuka found a shady spot near the cafe next to the station, took their shoulder bags off their shoulders, and leaned against the wall to wait.

When he saw that Anzu and Karen hadn't arrived yet, he took out his phone to check the time; there were still ten minutes until their appointment. Just as he was about to look down at his messages, he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure not far away.

The man was wearing a light gray T-shirt and carrying a dark backpack. He was standing on the other side of the coffee shop, looking down at his phone. His posture was somewhat languid, with his shoulders slightly hunched in, making him look like he might lean against the wall and take a nap at any moment.

The screen reflected white light, but his gaze didn't seem to be really looking at anything; it was more like he was using the gesture to cover up the awkwardness of being alone.

An and Asuka recognized him.

"Warm Water classmate?"

Wen Shuihe looked up, startled for a moment before realizing what was happening. His gaze lingered on An and Asuka's faces for a moment before he nodded slightly.

“Anhe, classmate.”

His voice was still that slow, deliberate tone, neither too high nor too low, like a cup of tea that had been left out for too long, lukewarm and without any extra heat.

"You're here too." An and Asuka walked over and stopped next to him. "Did you make plans with Anja and the others?"

"Hmm." Wen Shuihe responded, shifting his gaze to the sign on the opposite platform. He swiped his phone screen, then locked it and put it in his pocket.

An and Asuka noticed his movements but didn't say anything.

This was their first time alone together. In their previous meetings, there were always other people around. Back then, Wen Shuihe had simply sat quietly to the side, occasionally chiming in with a word or two, his presence barely noticeable. Now that the crowd had dispersed, leaving only the two of them standing face to face, his unease became quite apparent.

An and Asuka didn't notice his silence. He leaned against the wall, thinking that this was a good opportunity to ask him some questions.

"Warm Water, are you classmates with Anzu and the others?"

"Yes, we were in the same class from the beginning of high school."

"How are Xingcai and the others behaving at school?"

Wen Shuihe thought for a moment.

"not bad."

"I hope I haven't caused you any trouble?"

Wen Shuihe was taken aback for a moment. He glanced at An and Asuka, seemingly trying to judge from their expressions whether the statement was just a polite remark or a serious one.

“No.” He shook his head: “Hana is very popular in class, everyone likes her, and so does Himegami.”

"That's good." An and Asuka nodded, and then asked some more questions about the school.

What activities does the Literature and Art Club usually do? Are the desserts that Hanami Anna makes in the Cooking Club actually edible? Has Himemiya Karen's grades fallen behind?

At first, Wen Shuihe could barely answer, but An and Asuka kept asking questions, each one inevitably bringing up those two names. He asked them naturally, with a tone of taken-for-granted intimacy.

Wen Shuiheyan gradually ran out of words.

It wasn't because he couldn't answer, but because he didn't know how to deal with such a taken-for-granted notion.

The boy beside him was completely different from him; they seemed to be from different places.

When An and Asuka spoke, they would look each other in the eye, their tone gentle and their pace unhurried, making the other person feel neither offended nor distant. When he asked about Anna Hachimi and Karen Himemiya, a faint smile played on his lips, as if he had mentioned something that pleased him.

That kind of familiarity and closeness cannot be faked by asking around or testing.

Wen Shuihe looked into the distance, his fingers lightly rubbing the edge of his pocket.

He suddenly remembered the spring of his first year of high school. When he first walked into the classroom, Anna was sitting by the window talking to the girl next to her. Sunlight streamed in from the window, falling on her short blue hair, almost dazzlingly bright. When she smiled, she radiated light, like a little sun.

At that time, he thought that he and this person probably wouldn't have any interaction.

But later it turned out he was wrong. Even if he didn't want to get close, the sun's rays would still shine on everyone, including himself, who was somewhat marginalized and lonely at that time.

And now, the way the boy standing next to him spoke to Anna Hanami, and the tacit understanding he had with her, all told him that some people are born to walk into that light, while others can only stand outside and watch.

"Warm Water classmate?"

The sounds of An and the birds brought him back to reality.

"Ah...sorry, I was daydreaming." Wen Shuihe looked back, his voice still slow and unreadable.

An and Asuka didn't press for details, they just smiled.

The two remained silent for a while. The station gradually filled up, with passengers dragging suitcases passing by, and the announcement of the train's arrival came over the loudspeaker.

The sunlight shifted a bit, shining on the glass door of the coffee shop and reflecting a blinding white light.

"Flying Bird—!"

Anzu's voice came from afar, clear and bright, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake.

An and Asuka turned their heads. Two girls were walking towards them from the station entrance. Anna walked ahead, carrying a bulging canvas bag. The light blue fabric was stuffed out of shape, and one could vaguely see that it contained quite a lot of things. Karen followed behind, carrying a plain travel bag, her gait leisurely, completely different from Anna's hurried pace.

"You're here so early!" Bana greeted Anja with a light sheen of sweat on her forehead as she jogged over. "I thought we'd be here first."

"We just arrived too."