Green plums cannot become lovers.

"You come too!"

An and Asuka stood up, brushed the sand off their pants, and followed.

The seawater was cooler than I had imagined. When the waves surged in, my ankles were enveloped in the icy water, the sand was washed away from my feet, and my body sank slightly. When I saw Anna standing in the shallows, she would let out a soft gasp when the waves hit her calves, then laugh and take a step back, only to step back again when the wave receded.

Himegami Karen stood beside her, a small patch of her skirt dampened by the seawater and clinging to her legs. She didn't look away from the waves, but simply stood quietly, gazing at the horizon where the sea met the sky, occasionally glancing down at the seashells washed ashore at her feet.

An and Asuka stood a little behind them, watching them.

When Banai saw Anja suddenly turn around, bend down, scoop up a handful of seawater, and splash it at him.

An and Asuka didn't have time to dodge and got splashed in the face.

"Hahahaha—" Bana saw Anja laughing so hard she bent over.

An and Asuka wiped the water off their faces and bent down to scoop up a handful of water as well.

"No, no, no! I was wrong!" Banai saw Anja turn and run, but the waves slowed her down, and she was caught up after only a few steps. The moment the water splashed up, her laughter mingled with the sound of the waves, drifting across the sea.

Himegami Karen stood to the side, her body soaked by the splashing water. She chuckled softly and stepped aside.

An and Asuka looked at her.

"Hua Lian is here too?"

Himegami Karen shook her head and took a step back.

"You guys have fun."

When Banai saw Anja running back from the water, she grabbed her hand and pulled her into the sea.

"Come on, come on! It's no fun standing around when we're already at the beach!"

Himegami Karen stumbled as she was pulled, stepping on a wave and swaying. An and Asuka reached out to support her arm.

“Little Z? Jiu Lin Liu 36 Flag? IIba Heart.”

Himegami Karen looked up and met his gaze, her face slightly flushed.

"Thank you."

Her voice was soft and carried away by the sea breeze, but An and Asuka still heard it clearly.

In the distance, the salted lemon was having a contest with the president to see who could stand the longest in the waves. Every time a wave came, she would jump up, splashing a large spray of water. Little Marika sat on a waterproof mat, building a small mound of sand, while Onamizu Kazuhiko helped her by handing her wet sand.

The sun slowly rose higher, and the light on the sea grew brighter and brighter. Someone was flying a kite in the distance, its colorful tail fluttering in the sky, rustling in the sea breeze.

Hana saw Anna standing in the seawater, turning back to look at An and Asuka. Her light-colored swimsuit shimmered in the sunlight, her hair was ruffled by the wind, and a few strands of blue hair clung to her cheeks, but she ignored them, simply smiling at him.

"Flying bird!"

"Ok?"

"We'll spend the rest of summer vacation playing together like this!"

An and Asuka looked at her smiling face illuminated by the sunlight, and the corners of their mouths curved up.

"it is good."

Himegami Karen stood to the side, watching them quietly with a soft smile on her lips.

Waves surged in and receded, leaving behind white foam and tiny seashells. In the distance, the sky and the sea merged into one, indistinguishable from one another.

Volume 1: Chapter 260 A Young Man's Thoughts

Playing and having fun, time flew by without us noticing.

By the time everyone snapped out of their laughter, the setting sun had already painted the entire sea crimson. The once azure waters were now bathed in an orange-red glow, as if someone had spilled a can of thick paint on the horizon. The waves continued to surge in, but their pace seemed slower, and their sound deeper, as if preparing for the approaching night.

Everyone gradually quieted down, and without prior arrangement, they sat on the beach, gazing at the breathtaking panorama of sea and sky, listening to the crashing waves. No one spoke; even the roasted salt lemons fell silent.

She sat cross-legged in the sand, hands behind her back, looking up at the clouds on the horizon turning from orange-red to deep red. Komari Chika sat beside her, hugging her knees, chin resting on them, her eyes reflecting the last rays of light.

"How beautiful," someone exclaimed softly, as if afraid to disturb the tranquility. Everyone remained silent, offering their agreement in silence.

Anami sat to Anwa and Asuka's left, and Karen Himegami to his right. They had rested their heads on his shoulders at some point, as if by prior arrangement, one on each side, their weight light. Anwa and Asuka didn't move, simply gazing quietly at the distant horizon, letting the evening breeze brush their hair against his neck, tickling him.

This scene was witnessed by Wen Shui Kazuhiko.

He sat on the sand not far away, clutching a seashell he had picked up, his thumb rubbing its smooth surface repeatedly. He didn't look in that direction, but his gaze kept drifting there unconsciously. The blue and pink strands of hair softened in the twilight, and the way the hair rested on the boy's shoulder was so natural, as if it had been done many times before.

He lowered his eyes and looked at the seashell in his hand. The seashell was small, white with light brown patterns, and smooth and rounded from being washed by the sea.

When he found it on the beach, Anna was splashing in the waves not far away, her laughter mingling with the sound of the waves. He squatted down, picked it up, and put it in his pocket. He couldn't explain why he picked it up.

How easy it is to guess a boy's thoughts!

As the sun completely sank below the horizon, only a final glimmer of orange remained on the horizon. The company president stood up and brushed the sand off his pants.

"Let's go, it's getting dark. We still need to clean up the guesthouse."

Everyone stood up one after another. Bana saw Anna lift her head from An and Asuka's shoulders, rub her eyes, and yawn as if she had just woken up. Himegami Karen also straightened up and helped An and Asuka brush the fine sand off their clothes.

The three of them stood up and followed the crowd toward the back of the beach.

The guesthouse is located at the foot of the mountain, about a ten-minute walk from the beach. It is a very old Japanese-style building with a wooden structure, dark gray tiles, and several trees planted in front of the door.

The courtyard was paved with bluestone slabs, with fine moss growing in the cracks, making it a little slippery underfoot. A wind chime hung in the entryway, making a crisp sound when the night breeze blew through it, as if welcoming guests from afar.

The room was large, with traditional Japanese-style communal sleeping quarters. The sliding door was covered with off-white paper, and a bunch of unidentified wildflowers adorned a niche in the wall, their branches stretching out gracefully. The girls were assigned to the inner room, and the boys to the outer room, separated by a sliding door. A handwritten note on the door read, "Men and women are separate," in the vice-minister's elegant handwriting, but with an unquestionable tone.

Everyone laid out their bedding and tidied themselves up. Night fell completely, and the sky outside the window became a curtain, with stars lighting up one by one, far more numerous and brighter than in the city.

Next was mealtime, and Da Huo moved all the things outside.

President Shintaro Tamaki took out the ingredients one by one from the insulated bag: beef, pork, chicken wings, sausage, corn, green peppers, mushrooms, and several boxes of marinated pork belly.

He squatted down in front of the charcoal stove, lit the ignition block with a lighter, and the flames licked the charcoal, slowly burning it to an orange-red color.

“Alright, when it comes to staying overnight, of course we have to have barbecue.” He stood up, clapped his hands, and said with a hint of pride, “It’s a must-have for a training camp.”

The salted lemon had been circling around for a while, its eyes fixed on the sizzling meat skewers on the grill, swallowing hard. Xiaoju Zhihua helped arrange the plates, neatly stacking the chopsticks.

Dinner began, and everyone ate their favorite foods.

Hanami Anzu couldn't wait to use tongs to flip the beef rolls on the grill, and after flipping them a couple of times, she was about to put them in her mouth.

"The apricots aren't ripe yet," An and Asuka reminded each other from the side.

"Why worry so much? The beef roll only needs to be grilled for ten seconds, otherwise it will get tough," she said matter-of-factly, picking up a piece of still pink meat with her chopsticks and bringing it to her mouth.

"Are you a savage?" An and Asuka helplessly reached out and snatched her plate, exchanging their own grilled portion for hers. The slice of beef roll was grilled perfectly, slightly browned, glistening with oil, and steaming hot.

When Banami saw Anja look down at the meat on the plate, then at Anwa and Asuka, she grinned, picked it up, stuffed it into her mouth, and mumbled "So good," it was unclear whether she was referring to the meat or Shuo-to.

Himegami Karen sat on the other side of Anwa Asuka, quietly grilling a few skewers of green peppers and mushrooms. She grilled the green peppers until the surface was slightly wrinkled and the mushrooms released their juices, then used chopsticks to pick up a piece of pork wrapped around a green pepper and offered it to Anwa Asuka's mouth.

"Birds, ah—"

An and Asuka paused for a moment, looking at the piece of meat, then at Himegami Karen. She held her chopsticks, her expression serious, a faint smile playing on her lips.

He opened his mouth and bit into the piece of meat.

"good to eat."

Himegami Karen smiled, put away her chopsticks, and continued grilling the next piece.

Seeing Anja watching this scene from the side, Banami pouted and then used tongs to snatch two sausages from the grill and put them into Anwa Asuka's plate.

"Eat this! It tastes better than pork!"

"Didn't you just say that beef rolls are the best?"

"That was just now! Now it's sausage!"

An and Asuka smiled and ate the sausage.

Everyone was having a great time, the heat of the charcoal fire making everyone's faces rosy. Salted Lemon was telling a story about how she pitched her tent downwind during a camping trip in junior high and ended up being smoked all night. The club president laughed so hard he almost fell over, while the vice president shook his head as he flipped his meat.

"Clang clang!"

Vice Minister Tsukinoki Koto suddenly pulled several bundles of fireworks from his bag and laid them out on the table. There were small sparklers, several large sparkler tubes, and a box of firecrackers.

"Fireworks!" Salted Lemon was the first to jump up.

"I want to let it go! I want to let it go!" Seeing that Anja had forgotten about eating, Banai put down her chopsticks and went over to her.

Himegami Karen took a few sparklers and distributed them to the girls next to her. Komari Chika took one and carefully pinched the end, as if afraid it would suddenly catch fire.

So a few boys stayed behind to guard the barbecue grill, while the girls ran out to the yard to set off fireworks.

The courtyard wasn't large, and the bluestone pavement was gleaming white in the moonlight. The girls formed a circle, and Banami saw Anzu lighting a sparkler with a lighter. The flame hissed as it burned the fuse, and then with a "whoosh," golden sparks burst forth, illuminating her face.

"Wow—" Roasted Salted Lemon held up its wand, drawing circles in the air. The golden streak of light lingered for a moment in the night before disappearing. Komari Chika held up her sparkler, her hand trembling slightly, but her eyes sparkling as she watched the sparks burn out little by little.

Himegami Karen stood to the side, her sparkler half-burnt. She looked down at the cluster of golden sparks, a gentle smile curving her lips. Moonlight and sparks fell on her face simultaneously, flickering like a moving painting.

The girls' cheerful laughter sounded especially clear under the starry sky, and An and Asuka felt much better listening to and watching. He flipped the chicken wings on the grill, the oil dripping onto the charcoal, making a soft sizzling sound, and the aroma wafted out.

Just then, a question came from the boy beside her.

"Anwa-kun, when did you meet Hanami?"

An and Asuka paused slightly in their movements and turned to look to the side. Wen Shuihe was sitting not far from the grill, holding a skewer of grilled green peppers, but hadn't eaten them yet; the oil on the surface of the peppers had already solidified.

He didn't look at An and the birds; his gaze was fixed on the flickering sparks in the courtyard. His expression remained slow and deliberate, but when he asked the question, his tone was more serious than usual.

An and Asuka looked at him and slightly raised the corners of their mouths.

"Is Wen Shui very curious?"

"Um...yes, a little bit." Wen Shuihe nodded somewhat awkwardly.

Actually, it's more than just a little bit.

He sat there, watching the girls in the courtyard laughing and playing around the fireworks, watching Anna Hanami twirling around with her sparkler, her blue hair fluttering in the night wind, her smile brighter than the sparks.

He had seen her countless times at school—in the hallways, in the classrooms, and at the cafeteria window. She always had that same smile, and she could chat with anyone and become friends with anyone.

He thought that was all she was—a cheerful, bright girl, like a little sun.

But now, he sees a different her.

She would quietly rest her head on An and Asuka's shoulders, give him the first bite when eating, and smile instead of getting angry when her plate was taken away. In front of that boy, she seemed to put away all her sharp edges, becoming soft, quiet, and even somewhat obedient.

He had never seen Anna Hanami like that before.

He wanted to know why.

"Okay, let me think about it." An and Asuka didn't expose the boy's thoughts and pretended to think for a moment. He flipped the meat on the grill to make sure it wasn't burnt before slowly speaking.

"It must have been when I was in elementary school, in a small park on a summer day..."

He paused, as if sorting through fragments scattered deep in his memory, and then spoke haltingly in a slightly nostalgic tone.

"Later, we went to the same junior high school and formed a light music club..."

He smiled.

"Although they didn't know anything at first, and they didn't learn many complete songs even after I taught them, I still have a lot of happy memories of the time spent in that activity room."

Wen Shuihe listened quietly.

"Then came graduation and parting ways."

An and Asuka watched the blue figure setting off fireworks in the yard.

Wen Shuihe remained silent for a long time.

He looked down at the string of green peppers in his hand, which had gone completely cold, and suddenly asked, "Does Banami play musical instruments?"

“Bass,” An and Asuka said. “We learned it together in junior high. Although she’s not very good at it, she knows the basic fingering and rhythm.”

Wen Shuihe remained silent.

He and Anna Hanami were classmates for two years, but he didn't know she played a musical instrument. The way she acted at school and the way she acted in front of An and Asuka were like two different people. It wasn't a deliberate pretense; rather, some things only surfaced in front of certain people.

A cheer erupted in the courtyard as a large sparkler was ignited by burning salted lemons, shooting golden sparks high into the air and illuminating the entire yard. Anna stood beside the sparkler, her hands covering her ears, but her eyes crinkled into crescent moons with laughter. Karen Himegami stood behind her, still clutching two burnt sparklers, the slender sticks retaining a trace of warmth.

An and Asuka looked at them and smiled.

"Warm Water classmate."

"Ok?"

"Thank you."