Green plums cannot become lovers.

"Have a cup of tea to soothe your throat first," he said, pushing a cup of black tea and a piece of cake in front of Xiao Juzhihua.

Komari looked down at the steaming cup of black tea and the delicate cake in front of her, her fingers twisting together on her knees.

"Um...that..." Her voice was tinged with embarrassment, and a faint blush slowly crept onto her cheeks. "I..."

An and Asuka noticed her hesitation.

"Consider it my treat."

"no!"

However, the usually timid girl became quite assertive on this issue. Her voice wasn't loud, but her tone was very serious, so serious that it made An and Asuka pause for a moment. She looked up at An and Asuka, her eyes showing a determination he rarely saw.

"I can't owe you any more favors," she said softly, but every word was clear. "I already owe you enough."

An and Asuka looked into her eyes and remained silent for a moment. He could sense her seriousness; it wasn't just politeness or shyness, but a genuine desire not to accept any more kindness.

He understood that feeling—owing others too much makes you uneasy, like carrying something heavy on your back as you walk.

He thought about it and didn't insist any further.

"Then consider it a debt you owe me. We've already ordered, so we can't let it go to waste. Keep the bill in mind, and you can pay me back when you have the money."

Komari opened her mouth as if to say something, but looking at the cup of black tea slowly steaming in front of her and the cheesecake that had begun to melt slightly, she finally nodded.

"......Oh well."

She picked up the black tea, blew on it gently, and took a sip. The tea was at the perfect temperature, neither too hot nor too cold, and it slid down her throat, leaving a warm feeling.

She scooped up another small piece of cake and put it in her mouth. The rich cheese and nutty aroma melted on her tongue, sweet but not cloying. She ate it in small bites, very slowly, as if she were savoring it, or as if she was delaying something.

An and Asuka didn't urge her. They quietly drank their black tea and watched the occasional passersby outside the window.

As Xiaoju Zhihua was eating, she suddenly felt her eyes getting hot. It wasn't that she wanted to cry, but rather a feeling of being filled with something.

She has been so withdrawn since childhood, with no friends and few people willing to accept her.

It wasn't until she entered high school, joined the arts club, and met Tamaki and Tsukinoki that she truly experienced the feeling of being cared for by friends.

As more and more people joined the literature and art department, she made more friends.

This was something that made her very happy and warm.

Those once unattainable warmths have become a natural and readily available presence in her life.

She thought that having everyone in the Literature and Art Department was enough for her in this life, but she never expected that she would meet the boy in front of her in this ordinary but hot summer.

He also brought her a lot of warmth, a warmth different from that of everyone in the Literature and Art Department.

He always did things so naturally: he would invite her for tea, bake her cakes, and chase after her to the beach when she was at her most vulnerable, sit next to her, and say things that left her speechless.

It's always the same; before she can even say thank you, he's already moved on to the next topic.

She lowered her head, stuffed the last piece of cake into her mouth, and chewed for a long time before swallowing it.

After finishing their black tea and cake, the two finally got down to business.

Volume 1: Chapter 270 When are you leaving?

"Let me see your manuscript."

Komari Chika slowly pushed the stack of manuscript papers over. Her hand paused on the papers for a moment, as if saying a final goodbye, then released it, pulled it back, and placed it back on her lap.

An and Asuka took the manuscript and began to read it carefully.

He read very slowly, not because he was a slow reader, but because he would stop and think after each paragraph, occasionally furrowing his brow slightly or nodding gently. Sunlight streamed in through the window, falling on his lowered eyelashes and his fingers as he turned the pages of the manuscript; the whole scene was as quiet as a painting.

Xiao Juzhi sat opposite him, not daring to look at him, yet not daring not to look. Her gaze shifted back and forth between the manuscript and his face, her heart pounding as if she were waiting for exam results.

Actually, it didn't take long. After all, it was supposed to be a novel, but it was only the beginning of a little over 20,000 words. An and Asuka finished reading the last page, closed the manuscript, and put it back on the table.

What parts of your writing do you think you could improve upon?

He didn't give a direct evaluation, but asked her first.

Komari Chika paused for a moment, then lowered her head and thought for a while.

"In front, ahead..."

Her voice was hesitant, as if she was organizing her thoughts, "Starting from the part where the female lead transfers schools... the pace seems too fast. She hasn't had time to adjust to the new environment before we jump straight into the main storyline. We should... we should write more slice-of-life scenes."

An and the bird listened and nodded.

"Also... the supporting characters have too little presence."

Komari Chika continued.

An and Asuka nodded again.

"And... there's more... the ending twist was too sudden..."

Komari Chika talked about many of her problems. Only after she finished speaking did she cautiously raise her head and look at An and Asuka.

“Very good.” An and Asuka nodded, their tone carrying a hint of approval: “The questions you raised are all very accurate.”

Komari Chika breathed a sigh of relief and slowly loosened her grip.

"Now I'll tell you what I saw."

An and Asuka flipped open the manuscript and pointed to a section, "The scene where the female lead, Yuri, is arguing with her mother is emotionally engaging, but it lacks a breaking point. You could try adding a more direct line, like 'I never want to come back,' something like that."

Xiao Juzhi listened attentively and took out a pen to write in her notebook.

"And here, in the scene where the male protagonist appears, you can add more details. What clothes is he wearing, where is he standing, what expression is he making when he speaks? These details don't need to be many, just a sentence or two is enough, but having them will make the reader feel the scene more vividly."

Xiao Juzhi wrote it down again.

"In addition, your dialogue is very well written, natural and not stiff."

An and Asuka turned to the next few pages, “But some parts could be simplified a bit more. Real people don’t speak in complete sentences. Sometimes omitting the subject or conjunctions makes it more realistic.”

As Xiaoju Zhihua listened, she nodded, her pen moving rapidly across the notebook.

She hadn't expected the boy to be so insightful. She hadn't held out much hope, since even the minister hadn't noticed or raised some of the issues. When Shintaro Tamaki read the manuscript, he mostly praised it, saying things like "This part is well-written" and "That part has a great feel to it," but he couldn't quite articulate exactly what was good or why.

Tsukinoki Koto can point out problems, but her suggestions are sometimes too sharp, making Komari Chika panic and feel that her writing is worthless.

An and Asuka are different. When he points out problems, it doesn't make you feel negated; when he talks about strengths, it doesn't feel like he's just being polite. His tone is always calm and unhurried, like a cool breeze blowing in your face on a hot day.

Xiaoju Zhihua's eyes grew brighter and brighter.

She watched An and Asuka's fingers turning the pages of the manuscript, watched his serious profile as he pointed, and listened to his unhurried voice. Suddenly, she felt that discussing novels with this person was a very pleasant thing.

There's no need to worry about saying the wrong thing or asking naive questions, because he won't laugh at her or give her a perfunctory answer. He'll just think about it seriously and then answer it earnestly.

Time slips away unnoticed.

The sunlight outside the window moved from the east to overhead, then quietly shifted a little to the west. The black tea on the table had gone cold, the cake plate was empty, and the manuscript paper had been turned over several times, its edges slightly curled.

"That's about it." An and Asuka closed the manuscript and said, "That's all for today. Go back and revise these few places, and we'll look at it again next time."

"Okay, okay." Xiaoju Zhihua put the manuscript paper away, clipped it back on, and hugged it to her arms.

The two stood up, ready to leave.

Just then, it suddenly got dark outside the window.

It wasn't the kind of gradual darkening; it was as if someone had drawn a gray curtain, and in an instant, the whole world lost its color. The cicadas stopped chirping, the wind stopped, and the air became stuffy and oppressive, making it hard to breathe.

Then, a torrential downpour began.

Raindrops pounded against the window, making a pattering sound, like someone was pounding on it. The street outside was instantly shrouded in mist, distant buildings became blurry gray shadows, and nearby trees were blown about by the wind.

The two stood at the entrance of the coffee shop, staring blankly at the rain outside.

There were no convenience stores or shelters nearby, and the nearest bus stop was several hundred meters away. If I ran there, I would definitely get soaked.

"Let's go back." An and Asuka turned around and walked back to their previous seats.

Xiaoju Zhihua hesitated for a moment, then sat back down as well.

The waiter came over and asked if they wanted a refill. Anhe and Asuka ordered two cups of hot tea, and then asked Kokoro if she was hungry.

After all, the two of them had been talking for several hours since morning, and he was getting a little hungry.

However, Komari Chika shook her head, "I'm not hungry."

No sooner had she finished speaking than her stomach let out a loud "gurgle."

The sound wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet coffee shop.

Xiaoju Zhihua's face turned bright red instantly. She lowered her head, burying her face behind the manuscript paper, wishing she could disappear into a crack in the ground.

An and Asuka suppressed a laugh and didn't look at her.

"Then I'll order two servings of omelet rice," he said to the waiter. "Thank you."

The waiter nodded and left.

Komari Chika peeked half her face out from behind the manuscript paper, her lips moved as if she wanted to say "No need," but then her stomach growled, and she pulled her face back.

When the omelet rice was served, the golden egg skin shimmered softly under the light, and a smiley face was drawn with ketchup, crooked and messy, looking a bit clumsy but very carefully done.

Xiao Juzhi picked up the spoon, hesitated for a moment, then scooped up a spoonful and put it in her mouth. The egg skin was very tender, and the rice inside was distinct, mixed with the sweet and sour taste of tomato sauce and the salty aroma of chicken—it was delicious.

She ate slowly, but one bite after another, without stopping. An and Asuka sat opposite her, quietly eating their own portions, occasionally glancing up at the rain outside the window.

The rain was still falling, showing no sign of stopping. Rainwater streamed down the glass window, forming thin trickles that splashed delicately on the windowsill. The world outside was blurred by the mist, as if someone had erased half of the lines with an eraser, leaving only a hazy gray-white expanse.

The two of them sat by the window, quietly watching the rain and listening to its sound.

The background music in the coffee shop changed to a soothing piano piece, the music deep and gentle, like someone whispering in your ear. The air conditioning was blowing cool air, mingling with the coolness outside the window, creating a perfect balance of temperature.

Xiaoju Zhihua finished the last bite of her omelet rice, put down her spoon, and took a sip of her black tea. The tea wasn't very hot anymore, but it still smelled delicious. She leaned back in her chair, looking out the window, and suddenly felt that this afternoon was very peaceful.

It wasn't the deathly silence of someone not speaking; it was the quiet that didn't require words. The two of them sat there, each doing their own thing, occasionally glancing at the rain outside the window, occasionally sipping tea, without needing to find topics to talk about, without fear of awkward silences. This quiet made her feel very comfortable.

I don't know how much time passed, but the rain finally subsided.

First, the downpour turned into a moderate rain, then into a light drizzle, and finally, only a few raindrops remained, pattering softly on the glass. A crack appeared in the clouds, letting sunlight stream through and fall on the wet streets, making the puddles glisten.

"It's stopped."

"Mm." Komari nods.

The two packed their things and went to the counter to pay.

An and Asuka paid, took the receipt, and glanced at it. Komari Chika stood beside him, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke.

"Um... how much money do I owe you?"

"It's four thousand yen in total." Anwa Asuka handed her the receipt.

"Huh?" Xiao Ju Zhihua was stunned.

She took the receipt and looked down at it. It clearly stated: two cups of black tea, two slices of cheesecake, and two servings of omelet rice. She added up the numbers, then added them up again; yes, it was indeed four thousand.

"The cake and black tea cost three thousand, and the omelet rice cost one thousand."

Komari Chika stared at the receipt in silence for a long time.

Four thousand yen.

This is not a small amount for her. She carefully budgets her allowance every month, as it's for stationery, books, and occasionally meals out with friends.

Four thousand yen is enough for her to eat lunches for a week.

She looked up at An and Asuka. The boy was looking at her, his expression calm, a faint smile on his lips. He didn't seem to be pressuring her to pay back the money, nor did he seem to be asking for a free meal; it was more of a "you figure it out" kind of expression.

Xiaoju Zhihua folded the receipt neatly and put it in her pocket.

"I...I will pay it back." Her voice wasn't loud, but it was very earnest.

"No rush, Yin Ling, Qi Si Wu?"

“No, no, debts must be repaid.” She zipped up her pocket and patted it. “That’s a principle.”

An and Asuka couldn't help but laugh at her serious expression.

"Okay, then remember it yourself."

The two walked out of the coffee shop.

The air after the rain was fresh, carrying the scent of earth and grass. Puddles on the road reflected the sky, the clouds were slowly dispersing, and sunlight filtered through the gaps, casting moving patches of light on the street. In the distance, the mountains emerged from the mist, a deep blue, as if freshly painted with ink.

Komari Chika walked beside Anwa Asuka, head down, looking at her toes. Her fingers were in her pocket, touching the neatly folded receipt. The paper was a little stiff, and the edges poked her fingertips, causing a slight pain.

Four thousand yen.