Green plums cannot become lovers.

The cicadas' chirping didn't return immediately, as if they were still testing whether the rain had truly stopped. After a few seconds of silence, a cicada's call came from afar, then two, three, countless—the cicadas' chirping after the rain was even louder than during the day, as if they had finally found an outlet for all the energy they had been gathering throughout the day.

"The rain has stopped." Salted Lemon was the first to notice, peering out the window.

The outside world had been washed clean by the rain; the leaves were a vibrant green, and the water stains on the flagstones reflected the light under the streetlights. The distant mountains emerged from the mist, their deep blue color as if drawn with an ink brush. The air was filled with the scent of earth and grass, mixed with the coolness of the rain, seeping in through the cracks in the window, making one want to take a deep breath.

"So comfortable." Salted Lemon leaned against the windowsill, burying his face in the cool air after the rain.

Hanami Anna also lifted her head from Himegami Karen's shoulder, rubbed her eyes, and looked out the window.

Tomorrow should be a sunny day.

"How did you know?" asked the roasted salt lemon.

"Based on experience," said Anna, speaking mysteriously.

"...It feels like I just guessed."

"If you guess right, it's not called guessing blindly."

Unable to argue with her, the roasted lemon turned and continued looking out the window.

An and Fei Niao closed the book, stood up, and walked to the door. The door opened, and the damp night breeze rushed in, ruffling his hair. He stood on the porch, looking at the rain-soaked flagstones in the courtyard, at the gleaming green leaves in the corner, and at the gradually dispersing clouds overhead.

A crack appeared in the clouds, and moonlight leaked through the gap, falling into the courtyard and onto the wooden floor at his feet.

Tomorrow should be a sunny day.

The next day, as expected, was sunny.

An and Feiniao were awakened by the light. Sunlight squeezed in through the gaps in the curtains, falling on his bedding in a golden streak that stretched from his pillow to his feet.

He opened his eyes, stared at the light for a few seconds, and felt that today's light was brighter and warmer than yesterday's. There was no rain outside the window, but the cicadas were chirping again, louder than after the rain, as if celebrating the long-awaited sunny day.

He tiptoed out of bed, folded the blankets, and opened the door. The corridor was quiet; all the sliding doors were closed. From the next room came the even breathing sounds and the occasional soft rustling of someone turning over. Everyone was still asleep.

While washing up, he looked at himself in the mirror. He had slept well last night; there were no bruises under his eyes, and he felt refreshed. He splashed cold water on his face, tidied his hair, and then headed to the kitchen.

The kitchen still smelled of last night's meal, though the traces of cooking oil had been cleaned up. He took out eggs, milk, toast, and some vegetables from the refrigerator, and then a frying pan and bowls from the cupboard. Sunlight streamed in through the small kitchen window, falling on the stove, the edge of the sink, and on his fingers, turning his nails a translucent pink.

He cracked four eggs into a bowl and whisked them with chopsticks. The egg mixture swirled in the bowl, its color changing from dark yellow to light yellow, and a layer of fine foam rose to the surface. He added milk and a pinch of salt, continuing to whisk at a steady, unhurried pace.

The frying pan was heated, and the butter was slid in, melting upon contact with the heat and spreading a thin layer of gold on the bottom. The moment the egg mixture was poured in, the edges solidified immediately. He used a spatula to push it from the outside in, layer by layer, until the egg mixture slowly turned into a fluffy, pale yellow at the bottom of the pan.

Footsteps sounded behind me.

It was very light, as if afraid of waking anyone, but the sound of slippers stepping on the wooden floor was still clearly audible. An and Asuka didn't turn around and continued pushing the eggs in the pan.

"Birds".

Her voice was soft, slightly hoarse from just waking up.

It is Himegami Hanako.

Volume 1: Chapter 265 Who Am I in Your Eyes?

An and Asuka turned around and saw a pink-haired girl standing at the kitchen door, wearing a light-colored nightgown, her hair loose and not tied up, with a few strands of pink hair hanging down beside her cheeks, which were softly illuminated by the morning light.

Her eyes were still a little sleepy, but she was trying to open them wide.

"Hua Lian, so early?" An He Fei Niao turned down the fire. "Have you rested enough?"

"You're the one who's early." Himegami Karen walked in, her gaze sweeping over the ingredients on the stove and the scrambled eggs in the pot. "Let me help you."

An and Asuka did not refuse and stepped aside to make room for each other.

"Then you can toast the bread. Preheat the oven for two minutes, then put the toast in and toast it until the surface is slightly golden brown."

"it is good."

Karen Himegami took the toast out of the bag and arranged the slices one by one on the baking tray. Her movements were slow but careful, and the spacing between each slice of toast was roughly the same.

Once the oven was preheated, she put the baking tray in, closed the oven door, and squatted down to watch the toast slowly turn golden brown through the glass.

The kitchen fell silent, save for the sizzling of eggs and the soft hum of the oven. Sunlight streamed in through the window, falling on the stove and into the air between the two, making the tiny dust motes sparkle.

"Be careful, don't get splashed with oil." An and Asuka flipped the fried egg over, and a few drops of oil splashed out and landed on the edge of the stove.

"Hehe, I'm not that stupid," Himegami Karen said with a laugh.

As soon as she finished speaking, a drop of oil from frying eggs in the pan splattered and landed squarely on the back of her hand as she reached for the salt shaker.

"Ouch," she cried softly, pulling her hand back. "It splashed...it hurts."

It wasn't a sharp pain, but a burning sensation like after being scalded, slowly spreading across the back of her hand. She looked down at the small spot where the oil had splattered, a small red patch already forming on her skin.

"Give me your hand." An and Asuka quickly turned off the stove and moved the pot aside.

Himegami Karen reached out her hand, and An and Asuka grasped her fingers, turned them over to look at the red dots on the back of her hand, then turned on the tap and pulled her hand under the cold water to rinse it.

The water was cool, flowing over her fingertips and absorbing the burning sensation of the scald. Himegami Karen stood there, one hand held by An and Asuka, the other hanging at her side, quietly watching the jet of water wash over the back of her hand.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, falling on their hands and the thin stream of water, the droplets shimmering in the light.

"Be more careful next time," An and Asuka said, their tone devoid of blame, only genuine concern.

"Hmm..." Himegami Karen responded, her voice a little softer than before.

This is what Hanami Anna saw when she stood at the kitchen door.

She was wearing a thin coat, her hair was messy, and her face still looked sleepy.

Her gaze first fell on the breakfast that was almost ready on the stove, and then moved to the two people standing in front of the tap.

An and Asuka held Himegami Karen's hand, the two of them very close, the sunlight shining in from behind, gilding their silhouettes with a soft gold.

Seeing that Anzu remained silent, leaning against the doorframe and watching, Banai noticed that Anzu didn't say anything. Her expression was calm, showing no surprise, no displeasure, not even a twitch of her eyebrows. After watching for a while, she yawned and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Is breakfast not ready yet?" she asked, her voice hoarse from just waking up.

An and Asuka turned their heads, saw her, and released Himegami Karen's hand.

"Almost done, go and wake everyone up."

"Okay—" Bana said, drawing out Anja's words before turning and leaving.

The footsteps faded into the distance in the corridor, then came the sound of her knocking on the door.

"Lemon, Xiao Ju, wake up, the sun's already high in the sky!"

Then came a muffled response from a burning salted lemon and the rustling sound of blankets being turned over.

The kitchen fell silent again. An and Asuka turned off the tap, took a band-aid from their pants pocket, tore open the packaging, and stuck it on the red dot on Himegami Karen's hand.

"All right."

Himegami Karen looked down at the band-aid; it was a light skin tone, almost invisible on her skin. She curled her fingers, causing the band-aid to wrinkle slightly against her skin before smoothing it out again.

"Thank you."

She withdrew her hand and turned to look at the oven. The toast was baked, golden brown on the surface, with slightly charred edges, and exuding a aroma of wheat and butter.

An and Asuka restarted the fire, took out the fried eggs, and poured the chopped vegetables into the pan to stir-fry. Salt, pepper, and a little soy sauce were sprinkled from his hands, the amounts just right, as if they had been measured.

Hanami Anna returned quickly, this time with changed clothes and her hair tied up, looking much more energetic.

She went into the kitchen, looked at the dishes on the stove, then at Anwa Asuka and Himegami Karen, and then naturally picked up the bowls and chopsticks to help set the table.

"Hua Lian, what happened to your hand?" She noticed the band-aid.

"I got splashed with oil." Himegami Karen showed her the back of her hand. "It's okay, it doesn't hurt anymore."

"Oh dear, how stupid of me."

"You're calling me stupid?" Himegami Karen tilted her head.

"What's wrong with me saying that?"

"Who was it that came to my house and made an overly salty fried rice before?"

Hana noticed that Anzu's movements froze for a moment.

"That was an accident, my hand just slipped!"

"Do you want another surprise today?"

"Himeko Karen, you've gone astray!"

The two bickered, but their hands didn't stop working. They set out the bowls and chopsticks, pulled out the chairs, and even folded the napkins into small squares and placed them in the center of the table.

An and Asuka brought the dishes to the table: scrambled eggs, pan-fried vegetables, toast, a small dish of butter, and a pot of freshly cooked miso soup. The soup was still steaming, tofu cubes swayed gently in the broth, and bright green scallions floated on the surface.

"It smells so good..." The sound of roasting salted lemons came from the hallway. She ran over in her pajamas, a few strands of hair sticking up, her nostrils flaring. "I smell miso soup!"

"Go wash up first." When Banai saw Anja stop her, "You're not allowed to sit at the table if you haven't washed your face."

"I'll just take a look!"

"Not even a glance is allowed."

The salted lemon was pushed towards the bathroom, still muttering to itself.

Komari Chika followed behind her, already changed her clothes and her hair was neatly combed. She glanced into the kitchen, her gaze lingered on An and Asuka for a moment, then looked away, the tips of her ears slightly red.

Wenshui Kazuhiko walked over from the other end of the corridor, nodded towards the kitchen as a greeting. He looked like he had finished washing up; his hair was still damp and shimmered darkly in the sunlight. Tamaki Shintaro and Tsukinoki Koto also came out one after the other, one yawning and the other rubbing his neck, both saying they had slept well last night.

Everyone sat around the dining table, sunlight streaming in through the window, falling on the tabletop and into everyone's bowls, making the food look even more appetizing. The steam from the miso soup rose in the light, like a thin veil of white gauze, drifting gently away.

"I'm starting to eat."

The chopsticks moved, and the clinking of bowls and spoons was crisp and frequent. The salted lemon was eaten the fastest, and the toast spread with butter was swallowed in a few bites before reaching for the second slice.

Komari Chika sipped her soup slowly, occasionally picking up a piece of fried egg and chewing very slowly. Tamaki Shintaro ate while looking at his phone, when Tsukinoki Koto tapped his hand with his chopsticks.

"Eat properly and stop looking at your phone."

Hanami Anzu sat to Anwa Asuka's left, picked up a piece of scrambled egg, put it in her mouth, chewed it, and nodded with satisfaction. Himegami Karen sat to his right, quietly eating her toast, occasionally picking up her soup bowl to take a sip. The distance between the two was neither too close nor too far, just as usual.

The sunlight outside the window grew brighter and brighter, and the cicadas chirped incessantly.

The bluestone slabs in the courtyard had dried in the sun, but the marks of the rain were still there, line after line, like wrinkles on the earth. Water droplets still clung to the clump of green leaves in the corner, shimmering in the sunlight.

An and Asuka picked up the miso soup and took a sip. The tofu was very tender, the green onions were very fragrant, and the soup was at the perfect temperature. It slid down their throats, feeling warm and cozy.

“Anhe-kun,” Komari Chika suddenly spoke up.

"Ok?"

"Are you... making dinner again today?"

An and Asuka paused for a moment, then laughed.

"What would you like to eat?"

"Mapo tofu!" Salted lemon was the first to raise his hand.

“Curry!” Anna Hanami chimed in.

"Either is fine," said Himegami Karen.

Komari lowered her head and whispered something. Her voice was so soft that it was drowned out by the cicadas' chirping.

"What?" An and Asuka asked.

“…shredded pork with green peppers.” She repeated it, her voice still not loud, but this time everyone heard her clearly.

"Okay." Anhe Feiniao nodded. "Then let's have shredded pork with green peppers."

Komari Chika lowered her head, a small smile curving her lips.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, falling on her lowered eyelashes and the corners of her slightly upturned mouth.

# Chapter 266 A Summer Night's Confession and Escape

“…shredded pork with green peppers.” She repeated it, her voice still not loud, but this time everyone heard her clearly.

"Okay." Anhe Feibiao nodded with a smile, "Then it'll be shredded pork with green peppers."

Komari Chika lowered her head, a small smile curving her lips.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, falling on her lowered eyelashes and the slightly upturned corners of her mouth. The smile was faint, as if she were afraid of being seen, yet also as if she couldn't hide it any longer.

Seeing this, Anna Hanami nudged Karen Himegami, who was standing next to her, with her elbow.

Then he whispered, "Hey, do you think Xiao Ju might...?"

"No way." Himegami Karen replied in disbelief, "Don't overthink it."

"Okay." Seeing Anja nod, Bana straightened her posture.