I am only one world away from Yukinoshita.

Although Kiyoyori knew Eriri's area of ​​expertise, she hadn't actually had much contact with her. The things Eriri sent her were usually not the most important ones, and the level of exposure wasn't high. After all, she wasn't a professional; she usually just did some sketching. Obviously, this job was beyond Kiyoyori's capabilities.

Qinglai immediately made a phone call back.

I didn't answer.

continue!

It wasn't until the third phone call that Eriri's slightly hesitant voice finally came through the receiver:

"What's wrong? I'm very busy here. Don't keep calling and bothering me."

"Who on earth is being disturbed?!" Kiyoyori rarely lost his temper. "I never expected you'd ask me for this kind of favor! And what's with this painting? Where's your sense of shame? Has it been eaten away?!"

"Even if you're Kiyora, you can't insult my beloved anime and manga! What did this doujinshi do to offend you? Apologize to it right now!"

Eriri's high-pitched voice involuntarily reminded Kiyora of the fear he felt when she explained anime and manga, especially visual novels, to him as a child, so he habitually:

"sorry."

"Okay, I forgive you. Please continue."

"So how could I possibly—wait a minute! Why should I apologize to you?!"

Once he realized what was happening, Kiyoshi yelled back at Eriri.

"Kiyoshi~, please help me this once~, it's really going to be too late!"

Eriri's voice carried a sob, whether it was feigned or not, and Kiyoshi helplessly moved the phone away from his ear.

"Also, this time it's a yuri (lesbian) book!"

The alluring, devilish voice of the blonde loser crept into Kiyoshi's ears, swirling in her cochlea, and then churning her brain into a jumbled mess along her nerves.

"Wh...what..."

Qinglai wavered.

The plan is in place.

Eriri, on the other end of the phone line, revealed a sly smile. Although she had wanted to drag her cousin into the world of visual novels since she was a child, Kiyoyori was a tough nut to crack. Eriri had been trying to win her over for ten years without success. However, she never expected that Kiyoyori would fall into the yuri (lesbian) pit by chance. Perhaps it was because of Kiyoyori's two mothers, but from then on, Kiyoyori became a complete yuri fanatic.

On the surface, he is gentle and serious, but inside he is a yuri fanatic who gets incredibly excited when he encounters yuri.

Surprisingly, it has some cute aspects too...

Perhaps we could use Kiyoyori as the heroine for the next original story trial...

Excellent creators need to have a keen eye for observation and make efficient use of all available resources around them.

"So? Are you willing to help now?"

"Hmph, trying to lure me with lesbian themes? I'm not so easily fooled. There's absolutely no lesbian element in this painting. I don't believe it!"

"The main event is yet to come. If you're willing to help me, I can draw the most amazing yuri doujinshi that will leave you wanting more! With a top-notch artist by your side, aren't you excited?"

Eriri has already grasped Kiyori's weakness.

Kiyoshi really liked Eriri's brushstrokes and art style. If most of Eriri's works weren't somewhat embarrassing to talk about, she would definitely have asked for Eriri's original artwork and put it up in her room.

It seems like we have that opportunity now...

"Alright, I agree, but don't forget what you promised me: I still want your special autographed edition."

"No problem, leave it to me!" Eriri smiled with satisfaction, her cute little fangs peeking out. "Then turn on the video later, and I'll tell you how to apply it. Anyway, it's the weekend tomorrow, so you can sleep in a little later, right?"

"I think what you're implying is, 'It's okay if I don't have to sleep tonight, right?'"

Kiyoshi held the phone between his ear and shoulder, resignedly packed up the oboe, and left the practice room.

"You finished practicing so quickly today?"

Yuanzi happened to pass by and glanced at the clock on the wall; it was only 8:30.

Qinglai waved his hand, "My sister needs my help."

“Ah,” Yuanzi smiled knowingly, “Don’t stay up too late, you just finished having a fever.”

Qinglai gave an "OK" sign and strode upstairs. "I'll turn on my computer right away. We can talk on video later if you need anything."

"Okay, by the way, I'll be coming to your house tomorrow afternoon. I need your help with something."

Upon hearing the other person's words, Qinglai paused, a strange sense of unease rising within him. "What are you going to do?"

"Hmm..." Eriri hesitated a little, her gentle tone revealing a hint of shyness, "Ah, you'll find out tomorrow anyway, it's like, a research trip...maybe."

"Come over tomorrow... Aren't you in Chiba? How are you coming over tomorrow...?"

Helping one person is helping, helping two people is also helping, and Qinglai doesn't think there could be a more shameful favor than what she's about to do.

"I've been in Kyoto lately, so I can just take a train here."

Eriri answered as a matter of course.

"Kyoto? Don't you have classes?"

"Just ask for leave; of course, we should get through this difficult time first."

Because the other party was so unreasonable and arrogant, Qinglai could only reply with silence, "I understand, see you online."

This time, Kiyorai didn't give Eriri a chance to hang up first and locked his phone first.

Tonight will be a sleepless night...

That's what he said, but Kiyotaka still managed to ram his head into the graphics tablet at the very last second before he was about to finish drawing.

Chapter 12 The Weekend of Exchange, The Battleground of Exchange

When Kiyotomi woke up again, she was no longer in her familiar spot, nor was she awkwardly sleeping on her desk with her head on the ground. Instead, she was comfortably curled up in her warm bed, wearing that familiar panda pajamas.

Once you've experienced it the first time, it seems you won't be so surprised anymore; humans are truly creatures that easily get used to things.

Thinking about Yukinoshita facing this Saturday as herself, Kiyoyori couldn't help but feel worried for her, and also marveled at how timely this exchange was.

I feel very sorry for Yukinoshita.

Although I woke up peacefully in bed, my body still seemed to be lacking sleep. Could it be that Yukinoshita also stayed up all night yesterday?

After yawning for the fifth time, Kiyotori wiped away the saline solution seeping from the corner of her eye with her finger. She threw off the covers and walked to Yukinoshita's desk, where a notebook lay open, with messy drafts on the paper that were unlike her usual style. It wasn't until she turned back to the previous page that Kiyotori found the reason for the other person's insomnia.

The requests regarding the brass band are becoming increasingly complicated, like a snowball rolling downhill until it becomes uncontrollable and crashes straight into the large rock at the bottom. Now, the challenge facing the two is to figure out how to stop this snowball on the slope and maintain a delicate balance.

Yukinoshita wrote a very detailed record of the commission. Kiyoyori opened his phone according to Yukinoshita's instructions and saw the email that had become the trigger.

This is absolutely the worst possible development.

Yukinoshita had clearly considered many things. With Nakazeko directly refusing to find the sender, the shortest path to a solution was obviously blocked. She wrote the word "reconciliation," but obviously, Yukinoshita or Kiyori alone could not achieve this. So, they could only rely on external forces. How could they get the teacher involved without alarming him? Kiyori thought of diverting attention, and Yukinoshita also wrote this down.

The only event that can rival the email incident and garner the same level of attention in the brass band is the regional competition in a month. In other words, they need to find a way to shift the members' attention to practicing and preparing for the competition. But this brings them back to square one, because the third-year students' unwillingness to cooperate with practice led to this series of events.

"what--"

Qinglai scratched his head; this weekend had been tough for both of them.

Kiyoshi casually flipped through his notebook and unexpectedly found a line of words written in red pen at the end of the messy notes:

"The wrong answer has been corrected, and the solution process has been recorded on a mobile phone. Please check it. By the way, I have found some similar practice questions for you to reinforce your understanding. Please complete them in time, and I will check them."

Next to the notebook was a cute arrow with a drawing of a panda biting a bamboo leaf. Several workbooks were placed in the direction the arrow pointed. Kiyoyori picked one up and flipped it open. Each page with a folded corner had a red pen mark, clearly indicating that these were the problems Yukinoshita had asked Kiyoyori to complete.

Kiyoshi suddenly burst out laughing; the panda that had been fierce in her eyes suddenly seemed adorable.

Actually, Yukino is surprisingly a gentle and considerate person.

Kiyoshiro opened the video section of her phone's photo album. Yukinoshita's phone was terribly empty. Not only were the videos almost completely blank, but the photo album was also almost empty except for cats. Her life was like that of an ascetic, reading books and attending classes. Perhaps the Service Club could be considered one of the pleasures of her life.

Opening a recently recorded video, Yukino Yukinoshita's clear, cool voice came from the phone. The video was slightly shaky, probably because it was being held in her hand, but her problem-solving process was very clear. Her writing was effortless, and formulas appeared one after another under her pen. Even Kiyoshira, a third-year middle school student, could understand what she was trying to say. However, Kiyoshira was still involuntarily drawn to the voice in the video. This wasn't the first time she had heard this voice; it was the voice of a girl named Yukino Yukinoshita.

She seems to be a little different from the Yukinoshita Yukinoshita she had imagined.

I suddenly felt an urge to learn more about Yukino Yukinoshita.

Kiyoyori sat down at the table, picked up his pen, and prepared to listen carefully to Yukinoshita's explanation once again, but then he heard his stomach protesting.

Hmm, let's eat first.

With practiced ease, Kiyoshi found the pre-ground coffee powder in the kitchen cabinets of Yukinoshita's kitchen. The packets were neatly packaged in filter paper, small, exquisite, and convenient. Kiyoshita had no resistance to such delicate little things.

The aroma of coffee paired with soft white bread and a fried egg with a yolk that hasn't fully set is simple yet satisfying. The coffee's initial taste is distinctly sour, followed by a rich and mellow bitterness that lingers on the lips and teeth. The final aftertaste is a subtle sweetness, like coconut milk, which, while not completely masking the initial bitterness, still lingers on the tongue.

Like a mature yet charming and lovely woman.

A bright, smiling face suddenly appeared in Kiyoshi's mind, and his hand holding the coffee cup trembled abruptly.

Why did I suddenly think of her...?

I have a bad feeling about this.

Qinglai shook his head violently, picked up the fried egg with his fork, and put it in his mouth. The smooth, slightly salty egg white broke between his teeth. The moment his teeth bit into the yolk, the smooth, runny yolk flowed down his tongue and into the depths of his mouth, and a hint of sweetness bloomed in his mouth.

As expected of me, I can make even a simple fried egg taste this good.

I was just hungry.

Kiyoshi tore off a small piece of bread and put it in his mouth. It was a little dry, but if paired with coffee, the softened white bread absorbed the bitterness of the coffee, leaving behind the sweetness unique to the bread.

Kiyoshi squinted his eyes contentedly and took a small sip of coffee.

Suddenly, the sound of a key being inserted into the lock echoed from the entryway.

"Yukino, are you awake?"

Before she arrived, her voice preceded her. There was also the sound of high heels being carelessly kicked off.

"puff--!"

Kiyoshi, who was enjoying breakfast, suddenly spat out the coffee in his mouth.

I really shouldn't have thought of that woman so early in the morning...

The woman, as white as coffee, appeared in the living room in slippers, just in time to bump into Kiyotaka, who was wiping the table. "Hmm, is Yukino having breakfast? I haven't eaten yet either. Is there anything left?"

Kiyoshi used her fingers to hold up a tissue and gently wiped her lips. "Please stop joking, sister. If you want to eat breakfast, please make it yourself."

To hide his wildly beating heart, Kiyoyori took another sip of coffee. But the coffee, which looked too much like the woman in front of him, suddenly tasted less delicious. Instead, it tasted like popping candy from his childhood, jumping wildly on his tongue and constantly stimulating Kiyoyori's fragile nerves.

"Hmm~" Haruno took a deep breath. "This coffee smells so good. Is it the one I gave to Yukino before?"