Green plums cannot become lovers.

Her voice lowered, like a beach after the tide has receded, quiet enough to make one uneasy. "I don't want him to feel like he owes me anything. I want to tell him that I'm happy, that I'm content, even without him."

But I can't... I can't smile in front of him, I can't speak without my voice trembling. I just can't.

An and Asuka listened silently, and he understood.

"So you want me to be your boyfriend temporarily, so your childhood sweetheart can put aside his worries about you, is that right?"

The roasted salt lemon lowered its head and softly murmured, "Hmm."

She knew the idea was despicable, that she was using An and Asuka, and that she was using one lie to cover up another, but she couldn't think of any other way.

She didn't want Mitsuki to continue living with guilt, nor did she want to become a scar in his memory. She wanted him to feel that she was doing well too. That she also had someone she liked, and that she was liked in return. She wasn't alone.

"Why did you choose me?" An and Asuka asked.

The roasted salt lemon remained silent for a while.

“Because… Anhe is very outstanding…” Her voice was soft, filled with unspeakable shame.

Yes, this boy is very talented.

He's famous, talented, good-looking, and has a pleasant voice. If it were him, Koki would definitely be fooled, since he's so oblivious and never doubts what others say.

"Do you know that I'm Anja and Karen's boyfriend?"

“I know…” The voice of the roasted salt lemon grew even softer.

How could she not know?

During the training camp, anyone with eyes could see how the three of them got along. Hachiman saw Anzu leaning on his shoulder, Himegami Karen feeding him, and he wiped their mouths, handed them plates, held an umbrella over them, and covered them with blankets.

She wasn't unaware of those scenes, but she didn't know how to define that kind of relationship. She didn't quite understand the affection between the three of them, but she respected their decision.

"You knew that, yet you still contacted me? Do you want me to be punished by Anja and Karen?"

"No, no." Upon hearing this, Salted Lemon quickly looked up, her eyes red-rimmed but earnest. "I didn't mean to ruin your relationship. I just..."

She couldn't continue. She knew her request was unreasonable, that she was causing trouble for others, and that she had no right to ask anyone for help.

But she really didn't know what to do. She thought about it all night, tossing and turning, until her head ached and she couldn't sleep, until finally she could only think of this one solution.

She looked up and saw the boy's slightly upturned lips.

"I can help you with this. But I can't guarantee what will happen."

The roasted salt lemon was stunned.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say thank you, to say sorry, to say she wouldn't cause you any trouble.

But the words stuck in her throat, and she couldn't utter a single one. She just stood there, looking at the boy in front of her, at the faint curve at the corner of his mouth that she couldn't tell if it was a smile or something else.

Sunlight streamed down from behind her, casting her shadow on him. A breeze blew by, carrying the coolness characteristic of late summer and a hint of impending doom.

Volume 1: Chapter 275 This is my boyfriend

An and Asuka agreed to help the girl cover it up.

"What exactly do you need me to do?"

He asked very practical questions. There were no unnecessary guests; solving problems required speed, accuracy, and decisiveness.

With her head down, Shao Yan Ning twisted the strap of her handbag, her voice so soft it sounded like she was talking to herself: "Just... just go out and have some fun together once, so that Guangxi can see us together."

"When exactly?"

"Tomorrow...is that okay?"

An and Asuka thought for a moment and nodded.

"it is good."

The man with the salted lemon raised his head, his eyes still red, but a less forced smile finally appeared on his lips.

"Thank you, Anhe."

Her voice was a little hoarse, but much steadyer than before, "Really... thank you."

"You're welcome." An and Asuka paused. "However, I have one condition."

The roasted salt lemon paused for a moment, looking at him nervously.

"Don't call me Anhe anymore, just call me Asuka. Since we're pretending to be a couple, being too distant will make it easier for them to see through us."

Shao Yanle opened her mouth, the two words swirling on her tongue a few times, but she couldn't get them out. Her face flushed slightly, not from shyness, but from nervousness.

She was used to calling him "Anhe classmate," and suddenly having to change it felt like asking her to change the way she walked—it just didn't feel right.

“Fly, fly bird…” Her voice was as light as a feather, falling on cotton, making almost no sound.

“Okay.” An and Asuka responded, “See you tomorrow then. You decide on the time and place, and send it to me when you’re ready.”

After saying that, he turned and left, his shadow stretching long in the sunlight as he walked away step by step, unhurriedly.

The salted lemon stood there, watching the figure disappear from sight.

She looked down at her hands—her palms still seemed to bear traces of yesterday's tears, and were slightly warm. She clenched her fists, then released them, clenched them again, and released them again. She repeated this several times until her fingertips stopped trembling.

She took out her phone and scrolled to Ayano Mitsuki's chat window.

Their last conversation was yesterday morning, when he asked her what time she would arrive and where they would meet. Scrolling back further, there were even earlier, scattered fragments of everyday, trivial, and unimportant things.

The words lay there quietly, like a dried-up riverbed; the water had flowed away, but the stones remained.

Her finger hovered over the screen for a long time before she started typing—久另陆—?咝?|琦吧兒覇字.

Salted Lemon: Mitsuki, let's go out again tomorrow. It's on me this time, and I'll also show you my boyfriend.

After sending the message, she turned her phone screen upside down, unable to look at it.

Her heart was pounding so fast she could hear the blood rushing through her ears. She didn't know what she was nervous about—was she afraid he would refuse, or afraid he would agree? She couldn't say.

Her phone vibrated once, then vibrated again. She waited a while before turning on the screen.

Ayano Mitsuki: Huh? Boyfriend? When did this happen?

Ayano Mitsuki: Who is it?

Shao Yan Lemon bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, then edited another message and sent it.

Salted lemon: You'll find out tomorrow.

Ayano Mitsuki: So mysterious... Okay, see you tomorrow. Chihaya's coming too, is that alright?

Shao Shiozaki stared at that line of text for a long time. Chihaya was going too... Of course she would go. Since they were a couple, it was perfectly normal for them to go out together.

She took a deep breath and replied with three words.

Salted lemon: It's okay.

She put down her phone, leaned back in her chair, and unconsciously recalled her childhood with that boy.

They used to catch fish together in the stream, where the water was so clear that you could see the stones at the bottom and the little fish swimming around; they used to run freely on the grass, where the grass was lush and green, and the wind would create waves of green; they would spend the night at each other's homes, whispering secrets until dawn.

They had many wonderful memories from that time, memories that she could never forget.

But now these beautiful memories are about to fade away as feelings change.

the next day.

The weather was lovely; the sunlight was gentler than yesterday, but no longer as scorching as in the height of summer, feeling warm and comforting on the skin. The sky was high and blue, with a few clouds drifting lazily by, like white kites flown in the sky.

The agreed meeting place was in front of the station.

When the roasted salt lemon arrived, An and Asuka were already waiting there. He was wearing a light blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms and dark trousers, looking more formal than usual, but not too deliberately so.

The sunlight fell on him, making the color of his shirt appear soft, like a fragment fallen from the sky.

The salted lemon watched him from afar, and her steps unconsciously slowed down.

She suddenly realized that she had never really looked at this boy properly before. Or rather, she had never looked at him from this perspective.

He stood there, not playing on his phone, not looking around, just standing quietly like a sturdy pine tree, neither hurried nor impatient, neither humble nor arrogant. Occasionally, passersby would walk by, their gaze lingering on him for a moment before moving on. He didn't pay attention, nor did he deliberately respond to anyone's gaze.

She took a deep breath and walked over.

"Good morning." Her voice was still a little strained.

"Good morning." An and Asuka turned around and glanced at her. "You look beautiful today."

Salted Lemon paused for a moment, then her face flushed red. She opened her mouth, wanting to say "thank you," but the words swirled in her throat and finally turned into a mumbled "um."

An and Asuka smiled and didn't tease her any further.

"What about them?"

"Not yet."

"Then let's wait a while."

The two stood side by side beside the fountain, sunlight streaming in from behind, casting their shadows in front of them. Salted Lemon looked down at their two shadows.

One was a little taller, the other a little shorter, very close, but not touching. She quietly moved half a step to the side, and their shadows touched; her heart started beating faster again.

It's not real... she told herself. It's fake, it's acting, it's a lie, so she doesn't need to be nervous, doesn't need to have her heart racing, doesn't need to care whether the shadows are touching.

But her heart wouldn't listen to her.

"lemon."

A voice came from afar, and Shao Yan Ning Jiu Qi Liu Jiu Yi (Three) Ba Liu Meng raised his head.

Ayano Mitsuki stood at the other end of the square, her short white hair gleaming softly in the sunlight. She wore silver-rimmed glasses, and her eyes behind the lenses were slightly wide open, filled with surprise.

He was wearing a white T-shirt and khaki trousers, looking clean and refreshing, with a quiet, artistic air about him. Standing next to him was a girl with long brown hair; her forehead was a bit large, but her whole face glowed when she smiled.

Chihaya Asagumo, Mitsuki's girlfriend. She was wearing a light-colored dress and carrying a small wicker bag. She looked gentle and radiant, like someone who had stepped out of a magazine.

As the two approached, their gazes fell upon An and Asuka. Ayano Mitsuki's expression shifted from surprise to disbelief, while Asagumo Chihaya's eyes widened slightly.

"This, this isn't..." Ayano Mitsuki pushed up her glasses, as if trying to make sure she wasn't seeing things.

“Asuka.” Asahi Chihaya continued, her voice filled with surprise, “Is it that Asaka? The one who sang ‘Summer’?”

Salted Lemon nodded, trying to make her voice sound natural: "Yes, my boyfriend, An and Asuka."

"Hello." An and Asuka smiled and nodded, extending their hands. "Ayano-san, Asahi-san, Lemon often mentions you."

Ayano Mitsuki held his hand, still feeling a little unreal.

This is Asuka, the most popular musician among high school students today. Almost every song he produces is a classic. Many students at his school are his fans, including himself and Chihaya.

The word "often" that Lemon used also surprised him. He and Salt Lemon had grown up together since childhood and talked about almost everything, but he had never heard her mention the names An and Asuka, let alone talk about him, her boyfriend.

"Hello."

Asahi greeted them politely, her gaze shifting between Anwa Asuka and the roasted salt lemon, still looking incredulous.

"Shaoyan, were you joking with us yesterday?"

Yesterday, she said such bold things to Mitsuki in front of her, and today she has a boyfriend, and it's that 'Asuka' too. It's hard not to suspect that this girl was deliberately making fun of them yesterday.

But her appearance at the time didn't seem to match.

Upon hearing this, Shao Yan Ning's face flushed a little more, and she lowered her head, pretending to adjust the strap of her handbag.

The four people chatted for a while in the square, and then began to walk slowly along the street.

Salted Lemon walked beside An and Asuka, while Ayano Mitsuki and Asagumo Chihaya walked ahead. The sun was shining brightly, and the breeze was gentle. Shops lining the street gradually opened their doors—some selling flowers, some sweets, and some miscellaneous goods.

Asahi Chihaya linked arms with Ayano Mitsuki, occasionally turning her head to say something to him, and he listened with a faint smile on his lips.

As Shao Yanle watched their retreating figures, that pent-up feeling in her heart resurfaced. It wasn't pain, but a dull, heavy, suffocating sensation.

She took a deep breath, trying to suppress that feeling.

"Are you tired?" An and Asuka's voices came from the side.

She paused for a moment, then looked up. An and Asuka were looking at her, their gazes carrying just the right amount of concern—not too much, not too little, just the right warmth a "boyfriend" should have.

"No, I'm not tired."

An and Feibiao didn't ask any more questions, but he reached out and gently took her hand. His hand was large, his palm warm, and he enveloped her hand completely. It wasn't the kind of grip where fingers interlock, but a natural grip, like leading a child. The pressure was just right, making her feel safe without feeling restricted.

Burning Salt Lemon's mind went blank. She could feel the warmth of his palm, the strength of his fingers, and her heartbeat gradually accelerating.

She knew she should cooperate, should return the handshake, and should act like "we're a couple." But her hand froze there, like a frightened little animal, completely still.

An and Asuka didn't urge her or let go. He just held her hand and walked on at a leisurely pace.