Green plums cannot become lovers.

Hanami Anzu didn't believe it, but she didn't dwell on it too much.

He can listen to whatever he hears, as long as he doesn't overhear her and Hua Lian's plans.

Volume 1: Chapter 279 Ji Liao

The mountains were quiet at night.

There were no city traffic noises, no people's chatter, and no laughter from variety shows on television. Only the rustling of the wind through the bamboo forest and the gentle murmur of a stream flowing over stones in the distance.

A lamp was lit on the eaves, its dim, yellowish light just illuminating the small wooden plank underfoot, while the rest of the space was lost in the night.

Above us was a complete starry sky, unobstructed by tall buildings and free from light pollution. The Milky Way stretched from the northeast to the southwest, like a river paved with crushed diamonds, neatly slicing the sky in two.

Anhe Feiniao sat on the edge of the veranda, one foot on the wooden floor and the other dangling out, his toes almost touching the moss in the yard.

He looked up at the Milky Way, lost in thought. In Tokyo, he would occasionally look up at the sky, but he could only see a few of the brightest stars, and the moon was always hazy, as if seen through frosted glass.

Unlike here, every star is crystal clear, and even the tiny, densely packed points of light in the Milky Way can be distinguished with the naked eye.

Two soft footsteps sounded behind him. The wooden planks creaked lightly underfoot, and then two figures sat down on either side of him.

"Why aren't you asleep so late?" An and Asuka didn't turn their heads; their gazes remained fixed on the Milky Way.

Aren't you the same?

Anzu's voice came from the left, carrying a hint of languor from having just taken a shower. Her hair was still damp, exuding a floral scent of shampoo, which was carried by the night breeze to Anzu and Asuka's noses.

An and Asuka smiled and said nothing more.

Seeing that Anzu had stopped talking, Hana sat to his right, as quiet as a cat curled up on a windowsill, even her breathing was very soft. The three of them sat side by side like that, looking at the starry sky, and no one spoke.

Sometimes, it's harder to stay silent than to speak.

Not speaking means you don't need to fill the silence with your voice, it means there's a tacit understanding between you and the people around you that doesn't require words, it means you feel good just by sitting there.

Have you decided where you want to go to university?

An and Asuka suddenly asked, their voices not loud, but clearly audible in the quiet night.

"I've thought it through." Anna answered quickly, as if she had prepared the answer long ago.

"We plan to apply to universities in Tokyo," Himegami Karen's voice came from the right.

An and Asuka turned their heads and glanced at them.

Both girls gazed at the night sky, their expressions calm, but the curve of their lips betrayed their seriousness. He suddenly realized that this wasn't a spur-of-the-moment idea, but a plan they had considered for a long time and made long ago.

I didn't get to live in the same city as him during my three years of high school, and I don't want to miss out on college with him again.

“Tokyo…” He turned his gaze back to the Milky Way overhead, “It’s going to be tough.”

"Hmph, don't underestimate us." Anna's voice rose slightly. "We're quite formidable too."

"Ishibuki High School's deviation score is not low," Himegami Karen added, with a rare hint of pride in her voice. "Although it may not be comparable to the best high schools in Tokyo, it is one of the top schools in Aichi."

An and Asuka thought about it and agreed.

Ishibuki High School has consistently ranked highly in Aichi, and every year many of its students are admitted to top universities in Tokyo. This is no exaggeration.

"Then I'll wait for you in Tokyo."

"Mmm," the two girls responded simultaneously.

Then, his left and right shoulders sank simultaneously—Anna Hachimi and Karen Himemiya rested their heads on his shoulders at the same time. The pressure was neither too heavy nor too light, like two cats who had found their nests, each taking up a comfortable spot.

An and the bird did not move; they remained in the same position, looking up at the Milky Way.

A breeze blew up from the valley, carrying the fresh scent of bamboo leaves and the sulfurous smell of hot springs, ruffling the hair on his forehead. The lamplight from the eaves fell on the three men, casting their shadows onto the wooden door behind them, overlapping like a quiet silhouette.

That night, the two girls did not make a move.

They simply leaned on his shoulder, sitting quietly, occasionally exchanging a word or two, but mostly just listening to the wind, gazing at the stars, and feeling each other's warmth. Sometimes, the deepest intimacy doesn't need to be proven by actions. Just being there, being together, is enough.

The next day, sunlight streamed through the cracks in the window, drawing thin, golden lines on the floor. An and Asuka opened their eyes, stared at the ceiling for a few seconds, and then remembered that they were in a hot spring inn.

The smell of tatami mats, the smell of wood, and the faint sulfur smell left on his skin after soaking in the hot spring last night all reminded him that this was not Tokyo.

I got up, washed up, and changed my clothes. When I stepped out of my room, Anja Hachimi and Karen Himemiya were already waiting for me in the hallway.

Both of them changed into clothes that were easy to move in.

Anna Hanami wore a white T-shirt and dark shorts, with a pair of casual sneakers on her feet; Karen Himegami wore a light pink long-sleeved light jacket and beige trousers, her hair tied in a low ponytail, revealing her clean profile.

"Good morning." Bana saw Anja yawn, her eyes still a little sleepy.

"Good morning." Himegami Karen's voice was clearer, but there was a faint bluish mark under her eyes, indicating that she probably hadn't slept well last night.

"We're going hiking today," An and Asuka said. "There's a shrine on the mountain that's said to be very efficacious."

"How did you know?" Anna asked.

"The boss said it last night."

The three of them ate a simple breakfast at the inn and then set off. The mountain was just behind the inn, and a stone path led up to it, lined with tall cedar trees whose trunks stretched straight towards the sky, their canopies blending together to filter the sunlight into dappled patterns that fell on the stone steps and on the three of them.

The air was cool, carrying the scent of pine resin and moss, exactly the same as the night breeze last night.

The stone steps weren't steep, but they were long. After walking for a while, Anna started panting.

"How much further?" she asked, bending over and supporting herself on her knees with her hands.

"Half, I guess." An and Asuka glanced back.

"Half?! I feel like I've lived a lifetime already."

"What about your stamina?" An and Asuka couldn't help but laugh. "Aren't you the athletic type?"

“Being athletic and mountain climbing are two different things!” Anna straightened up, hands on her hips. “I’m good at sprinting, not endurance running.”

Himegami Karen chuckled softly beside her, not exposing her. Her breathing was more steady than that of Hachimi Anna, but a thin layer of sweat also appeared on her forehead.

An and Asuka slowed their pace and walked beside them, neither urging nor rushing them, accompanying them step by step uphill.

As we neared the summit, the stone steps narrowed, and the stone walls on either side were covered in damp, cool moss. Sunlight streamed down from above, making the moss appear like patches of green velvet.

Seeing Anzu walking ahead, Bana suddenly stopped, pointed to a small flower by the roadside, and said, "Look, this flower is so pretty."

The flowers are small, purple, and have fine lines on their petals, as if they were drawn with a brush.

Anhe Asuka glanced at it and said, "Gentian."

Wow, you even know that? That's amazing!

"Could you compliment me with a little more emotion?"

"hey-hey."

The girl chuckled, revealing a set of bright white teeth.

Upon reaching the summit, the view suddenly opened up.

The city at the foot of the mountain has become a collection of small buildings, and the river, like a silver ribbon, glistens in the sunlight. In the distance, the mountains rise in layers, the deepest layer turning bluish-gray, blending into the sky, making it impossible to distinguish where the mountain ends and the sky begins.

The wind blowing was cooler and cleaner than the air down the mountain, carrying the unique crispness of the air at high altitudes.

The shrine was small, a wooden building with some peeling paint, but it was very clean. A pair of stone lions stood at the entrance, one of whose ears were worn shiny, probably from being touched so much.

The three men walked to the front of the prayer hall and rang the bell. The bell rang crisply, like someone tapping a glass in the distance.

Hana saw Anzu with her eyes closed, hands clasped together, and lips moving slightly, as if she were making a wish. Himegami Karen stood beside her, also with her eyes closed, her expression serious.

An and Asuka didn't close their eyes. They looked up at the dark space inside the worship hall, thought for a moment, and said to themselves: "I hope they can all get into universities in Tokyo."

After making their wishes, the three strolled around the mountaintop for a while. Bana saw Anna pulling Himegami Karen to draw fortune slips. An and Asuka stood by, watching as one drew "Good Fortune" and the other "Moderately Good Fortune," both very happy, folding their slips and putting them in their pockets.

Then, disregarding An and Asuka's wishes, the two forced him to draw a lot.

"Wow, that's great luck!"

On the way down the mountain, Himegami Karen walked in front, An and Asuka in the middle, and Hachimi Anna at the back. The stone steps were still slippery from the morning dew, so they had to walk carefully. An and Asuka took a few steps, glanced back at Hachimi Anna, and turned back again after making sure she was alright.

Then he heard Himegami Karen softly say "Ah".

The sound wasn't loud, but it was clearly audible in the quiet mountain forest. An and Asuka saw the girl crouching on the stone steps in front of them, one hand bracing against the stone wall beside her, the other clutching her left ankle. Her expression was pained; her brow was furrowed, and her lips were tightly pressed together.

"What's wrong?" An and Asuka quickly walked over, squatted down, and asked.

"I stepped on some moss..." Himegami Karen's voice was a little strained. "I slipped and twisted my ankle."

Seeing that Anzu had caught up and was squatting on the other side, Banai anxiously asked, "Does it hurt? Is it serious?"

Himegami Karen tried to move her ankle, her brow furrowing even more. An and Asuka reached out and gently grasped her ankle, supporting her heel with their other hand, and carefully rotated it.

Himegami Karen gasped, but didn't make a sound.

An and Asuka touched it a couple of times before letting go. "It's twisted quite badly; you can't walk anymore."

"What should we do then?" Banami looked around at Anzu. The stone steps were still very long, and there was still at least halfway to the foot of the mountain.

“I’ll carry you.” An and Asuka turned around, their backs to Himegami Karen. “Get on.”

Himegami Karen hesitated for a moment as she watched his retreating figure.

Seeing Anja beside her, Hana nudged her, "Hurry up and go up, stop dawdling." Himegami Karen bit her lip, reached out and wrapped her arms around Anwa Asuka's neck. Anwa Asuka supported her thighs, stood up, and steadied herself.

"Is it heavy?" Himegami Karen asked softly.

"not heavy."

"That's a lie."

“It’s really not heavy.” An and Asuka turned their heads and glanced at her. “You’re much lighter than apricot.”

"Wow, you dare say that? I'll beat you up!"

Hana saw that Anzu was somewhat unconvinced.

Himegami Karen paused for a moment, then chuckled softly.

The path downhill was more difficult than the path uphill. An and Asuka carried one person on their backs, taking each step carefully, afraid of slipping again. Seeing Anza walking ahead, Bana helped him watch the path, pointing out cracks in the stone steps and areas with lots of moss.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the tree canopy, casting flickering light on the three people. The cicadas' chirping was quieter than in the morning, probably because they were too tired from the heat.

Himegami Karen lay on An and Asuka's back, her body initially tense, her arms wrapped around his neck, hesitant to tighten her grip. After a while, she slowly relaxed, resting her chin gently on his shoulder, her breath brushing against his ear, carrying a faint scent of mint.

An and Asuka could feel her heartbeat through the two layers of clothing, one beat after another, mixed with his own footsteps, making it impossible to distinguish which was which.

"Birds," she whispered.

"Ok?"

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

She was silent for a moment, then said something. Her voice was too soft and was carried away by the wind. An and the bird didn't hear her clearly, nor did they ask.

It was already noon when we got back to the hotel.

An and Asuka placed Himegami Karen on the tatami mat in the room and let her sit down. They then went to the front desk to borrow a first-aid kit and ice. When they returned to the room, Hanami Anna had already taken off Himegami Karen's shoes and socks. Her ankle was swollen, and there was a bluish-purple tinge under the skin.

An and Asuka squatted down, opened the first aid kit, took out an ice pack, wrapped it in a towel, and applied it to Himegami Karen's ankle.

She flinched, but didn't dodge.

"Apply ice for twenty minutes, then I'll massage it for you."

"Ah."

While applying ice, Hanami Anzu went to the front desk to inquire about nearby pharmacies to see if they sold bandages and anti-inflammatory drugs.

Only An, Asuka, and Himegami Karen remained in the room. Sunlight streamed in through the window, falling on the tatami mats and on Himegami Karen's bare feet.

Her feet were small, her skin was fair, her toes were rounded, and her nails were neatly manicured and coated with a thin layer of clear nail polish, which shimmered slightly in the sunlight.

An and Asuka looked at it for a few seconds, then looked away.

Twenty minutes later, he removed the ice pack. Himegami Karen's ankle had subsided somewhat, but the purplish-blue bruise was still quite noticeable. An and Asuka placed her foot on their laps, covered it with their palms, and began to gently massage it.

Start by pushing from the instep to the ankle, then down the calf. Apply just the right amount of pressure, somewhere between painful and comfortable.

Himegami Karen's face slowly turned red, not the kind of red that comes from the sun, but a blush that emanates from within, tinged with shyness.

Her fingers gripped the edge of the tatami mat tightly, her knuckles turning white. When Anwa Asuka's fingers pressed against her ankle, she gasped softly. It wasn't pain, it was an itch. Not a skin itch, but a tingling itch that seemed to seep into her bones, making her want to pull her foot away yet unwilling to.

"Bear with me."

“…Mmm.” Her voice was muffled, as if she was holding back something.