Green plums cannot become lovers.

She waved to the roasted salt lemon.

Then she pushed open the door and went inside. Her sandals were laid out in the entryway, next to a larger pair—her father's. The sound of her mother chopping vegetables came from the kitchen, a steady, rhythmic thud. The aroma of miso soup wafted out, mingling with the steam from the rice, filling the entire house with its warmth.

"I am back."

"You're back?" Her mother's voice came from the kitchen. "Lunch will be ready soon, go wash your hands first."

"Ah."

Komari changed her shoes, went upstairs, and opened the door to her room.

The curtains weren't drawn, and the room was still a bit dark. She walked to the window, pulled back the curtains, and sunlight flooded in, illuminating the entire room.

On the desk lay the unfinished manuscript from before the training camp, the pen cap undone, rolled to the corner. Next to it sat a half-open book, spine up, the one Shintaro Tamaki had recommended to her.

She looked at the book and remained silent for a moment. Then she went over, closed the book, and put it back on the shelf.

It's not that I'm not going to watch it anymore, it's that I don't want to watch it now.

She pulled a new book from the top shelf, one she'd bought with Anna Hanami when they went to the bookstore last time, but hadn't had time to read. She opened the first page; the paper was new, the ink still smelling fresh. She leaned against the window, sunlight falling on the pages and on her lowered eyelashes.

She read a few lines, then looked up and gazed out the window.

The sky was blue, the clouds were white, and in the distance an airplane was passing through the clouds, leaving a long contrail.

Summer isn't over yet. Jiuling? Lu? is Lu? Qi? Shaba.

By the way, when did that person leave?

Volume 1: Chapter 268 He's Different

An and Asuka thought they could rest for two days after the training camp ended, but the girls called them out again on the second day.

The sunlight was bright, streaming through the coffee shop's glass windows and casting warm dappled patterns on the wooden floor. The air conditioning was blasting, keeping the outside heat at bay and leaving only a quiet coolness. As An and Feiniao pushed open the door, the wind chimes tinkled, and the clerk behind the counter looked up and nodded at him.

He looked around and quickly spotted the spot in the corner.

Anna Hanami and Karen Himemiya sat side by side, each with a half-empty iced drink in front of them. Opposite them stood a figure with her head down and fingers twisted together—Chika Komari.

He walked over, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

What activities are planned for today?

Hanami Anina put down her straw and got straight to the point: "Komari has something to tell you."

Xiaoju Zhihua's face flushed instantly, from her neck down to her ears, and then down to her cheeks. She opened her mouth, as if to say something, but the sound seemed to be stuck in her throat, only managing to utter a muffled syllable.

"Hachi, Hachimi-kun..."

An and Asuka looked over with some surprise. Komari Chika was wearing a light-colored dress today, her hair was combed neater than usual, and her bangs were clipped behind her ear with a small hair clip, revealing half of her smooth forehead. She had her head down, her eyelashes casting a small shadow on her cheek, and her fingers were intertwined, her knuckles slightly white.

"Xiao Ju, is there something you need?"

His tone was very soft, as if he was afraid of disturbing something.

Will what happened the night before last leave her with any psychological trauma? An and Asuka wondered with some concern.

After all, so much happened that night—the confession, the rejection, the escape, and the long, drawn-out tears at the beach. Although she seemed much better in the morning, some wounds don't heal in a day or two.

"I, I..."

Komari Chika's voice trembled. She could feel the gazes of three people fixed on her: Hanami Anna's was encouraging, Himegami Karen's was gentle, and Anwa Asuka's was concerned. Those gazes weren't heavy, but they weighed on her, making it difficult to breathe.

She took a deep breath. Then she took another.

"I... I want to thank you."

After saying that, she almost fainted. Her chest heaved violently, and her face turned bright red, as if she had just run 800 meters.

"Thank you, thank you for your guidance that night..."

Her voice grew softer and softer, almost drowned out by the hum of the air conditioner.

"And...and also...take me back to the guesthouse..."

The last few words were squeezed out of his throat, as light as a feather falling on cotton.

An and Asuka looked at her, who was on the verge of fainting, feeling both helpless and amused.

"Okay, I appreciate your thanks." His voice was gentle. "Take your time, there's no rush."

He was really afraid that the girl would faint.

"Well......"

Komari Chika was aware of her embarrassing state and lowered her head slightly. Her fingers were still twisting, but not as tightly as before.

She could feel her heartbeat slowing down little by little, as if something warm was flowing through her chest, gradually easing the tension and panic.

The afternoon sun streamed in through the glass window, falling warmly on the table and on the back of her hand resting on it. The cool air from the air conditioner blew down from above, mingling with the warmth of the sunlight—just right, neither too hot nor too cold.

Banana saw Anna and Himegami Karen exchange a glance, both of them chuckling softly. However, they suppressed their laughter, knowing that if they did, the girl might actually faint.

So no one spoke, and they waited quietly for Xiaoju Zhihua to recover.

A gentle breeze drifted in from afar, slipping through the crack in the door, carrying the scent of summer and the aroma of freshly baked bread from the street. The background music in the coffee shop was a soothing piano piece, its melody soft and flowing like a gentle stream.

Komari Chika lowered her head, staring at the back of her hand. Sunlight fell on it, turning the fine hairs golden. She suddenly remembered that night at the beach, when the moonlight had fallen on her hand in the same way. The difference was that the light that night was cold, while the light today was warm.

She breathed slowly, one breath at a time. The tightness in her chest seemed to have lessened a little.

It took her a while to recover.

"Are you feeling better?" An and Asuka asked with concern.

“…Hmm.” Her voice was still not loud, but it was much steadyer than before.

An and Asuka nodded, not pressing her about her emotions, and naturally changed the subject.

"By the way, how's your novel coming along?"

"It needs further polishing."

Seeing Anzu resting her chin on her hand, her tone slightly troubled, "It still feels a bit lacking. I can't quite put my finger on what's wrong, but it just doesn't feel right."

"Do you need my help?" An and Asuka asked with a smile.

Although writing novels wasn't his forte, that was only compared to his other skills. He had at least supported himself and three girls by writing, so how could he possibly lack any talent?

However, Anna refused, which was unusual for her. She knew that the boy also had his own things to do, so she didn't want to bother him too much.

"No need, you go ahead with your work." She waved her hand, her tone light. "Anyway, I'm just writing this to appease the student council, as long as it gets done."

An and Asuka were not discouraged, and looked at Himegami Karen again.

"Hua Lian, what about you?"

"I'm fine too." Himegami Karen winked playfully, glancing to the side. "You should ask Komari."

An and Asuka followed her gaze and looked at Komari Chika.

"Little Ju, do you need my help?"

"I, I..., I'm still young, I'm like Qi's dad, I'm 6 years old..."

Xiaoju Zhihua tensed up again. Her fingers twisted together once more, and her knuckles began to turn white again.

She was having an internal struggle.

Her novel was indeed praised by the minister, who said she wrote it very well. She also felt it was fine when she was writing it. She had carefully considered every word and pondered every sentence. The emotions that flowed from her pen were, in her opinion, fluent and natural.

But yesterday afternoon, she sat by the window and read the manuscript from beginning to end. As she read, she noticed that something was amiss.

It's not a typo, not a grammatical error, but something indescribable, a vague sense of unease. It's like a painting where the colors are right, the lines are right, but something's missing.

She couldn't quite put her finger on what was missing. She considered asking the minister or deputy minister, but hesitated, remembering what had happened the night before. She didn't know how to face Shintaro Tamaki, how to face Koto Tsukinoki, or how to casually discuss the novel in front of them.

Therefore, it is true that she needs help.

"Hey, Xiao Ju, don't be so polite with him."

Anzu's voice pulled her out of her dilemma, "Don't worry about Asuka's level, he definitely won't let you down. He was the champion of our junior high school writing competition!"

Upon hearing this, An and Asuka thought for a moment and realized they truly didn't know when they had won the championship. They knew without a doubt that the girl was making it up again.

However, he did not deny that although he had never won a championship himself, he had taught "Shizuka," who won first place in the Grand Prize. He had read every draft of Shizuka Kuze's debut novel, from the first draft to the final version, and had given his opinions on every chapter.

He watched that girl grow from a newcomer into a sought-after writer.

Komari Chika looked up and glanced at An and Asuka. The boy's expression was calm, with a faint smile on his lips. He didn't urge her or expect anything; he was simply waiting for her to make her own decision.

She lowered her head again as if she had thought of something, but soon her fingers slowly loosened.

“…Okay.” Her voice was soft but clear. “Thank you for your help.”

An and Asuka smiled.

"No trouble at all. Tomorrow morning, still here?"

"Ah."

"Then bring the manuscript with you."

"it is good."

After saying that word, Xiaoju Zhihua suddenly felt that the tightness in her chest had shrunk a little. It hadn't disappeared, it had shrunk. Like an ice cube slowly melting in warm water, little by little, without any rush.

Pigeons flew past the window, their wings shimmering silver in the sunlight. In the distance, cicadas chirped in waves, as if singing their final song for summer.

Hanami Anzu picked up her iced drink and took a big gulp, the ice cubes sloshing around in the glass.

"Then it's settled!" She put down her cup, her eyes curving into crescents. "Xiao Ju, with Fei Niao helping you, there won't be any problems."

Himegami Karen nodded, "He's really capable. You can leave him to him without worry."

Seeing the two girls' confident expressions, An and Asuka sighed helplessly.

These two guys are totally treating themselves as free labor.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, falling on the table in front of the four people. Water droplets slid down the sides of the iced drink glasses, leaving a small, damp mark on the wooden tabletop. The sky outside was a clear, bright blue, as if it had been washed with pure water.

The four of them sat for a while longer, casually chatting about the latest topics.

Komari Chika sat quietly beside her, listening without interrupting, but the smile on her lips never faded.

She watched Anna Hanami speak animatedly, watched Karen Himegami add details, and watched An and Asuka occasionally ask a question or smile. She suddenly felt that sitting here and listening to them talk was a very comfortable thing.

No need to speak, no need to perform, no need to worry about saying or doing the wrong thing. Just sit, listen, and be enveloped in this warmth.

The background music in the coffee shop changed from a piano piece to a guitar solo. The melody was light and cheerful, like someone cycling along a tree-lined path on a summer afternoon. The wind chimes rang again, someone pushed the door open to enter, and then someone else pushed the door open to leave.

Time flows by unnoticed.

"That's about enough." An and Asuka glanced at their phones. "Time to go back."

"Mm." Seeing Anja stand up, Yamamoto stretched. "See you tomorrow!"

"See you tomorrow." Himegami Karen also stood up and picked up her bag.

Xiao Juzhi stood up and gently pushed the chair back to its original position. As she walked to the door, the wind chimes rang again. Sunlight streamed in from outside, shining warmly on her face.

She glanced back.

An and Asuka were standing at the counter paying, their profiles softly illuminated by the afternoon light. Bana saw Anza and Karen Himegami standing at the door waiting for him, huddled together looking at their phones, seemingly engrossed in something.

She withdrew her gaze, pushed open the door, and stepped into the sunlight.

The next morning, the sun shone brightly, as if it had been carefully wiped clean.

An and Asuka arrived at the agreed-upon coffee shop on time, and the wind chimes tinkled as they pushed open the door.

He chose a seat by the window, where sunlight streamed in through the glass, casting a warm golden glow on the wooden table. The street outside was bathed in sunlight, and the distant chirping of cicadas drifted in intermittently, not noisy, but rather creating a sense of tranquility.

He ordered his food, placed his backpack on the chair next to him, and waited quietly.

A short while later, the coffee shop door was pushed open again.

Xiaoju Zhihua stood at the door, holding a stack of papers in her arms. The papers were neatly stacked, with the edges carefully aligned, and a light blue clip was placed on top. She looked around, saw An and Fei Niao by the window, paused for a moment, and then walked over with her head down.

Today she was wearing a light-colored short-sleeved shirt, and her hair was tied up in a side ponytail with the ends slightly curled.

Sunlight streamed in from behind her, casting a soft glow on her slender figure.

She sat down opposite An and Asuka, carefully placing the manuscript paper she was holding on the table as if it were something fragile.

"I, I'm here." Her voice was soft, but steadyer than yesterday. "Please, please."

An and Asuka nodded slightly. Just then, the waiter brought over what he had ordered in advance—two cups of black tea and two cakes. The cakes were cheese-flavored, sprinkled with finely chopped nuts, and glistened enticingly under the light.