I am only one world away from Yukinoshita.

The people queuing up were mostly in groups of two or three, including groups of parents and children, as well as groups of students of similar age.

"Sister, I'm scared..."

A little girl at the front of the line hugged the leg of the girl next to her and rubbed against her affectionately.

The girl picked up the girl and gently comforted her.

"Don't be afraid, your sister is here."

Soon it was their turn, and the girl sat at the entrance of the slide with her arm around the girl.

Then they disappeared.

Yukino stared intently at the entrance to the slide, her fist clenching so tightly that a faint crescent shape appeared on her palm.

"Yuki?" Yuihama looked at Yukinoshita with concern, as if something was wrong. She cupped Yukinoshita's fists in her own hands. "Shall we go down? Maybe Kiyori has already arrived. Let's go find her first?"

"It's alright," Yukinoshita replied quickly, snapping out of her daze.

"Is Xiaoxue really okay?" Yuihama opened her mouth as if to say something but hesitated.

"no problem."

Yukino shook her head.

Yuihama wanted to say something more, but was interrupted by a sudden voice from behind her.

"Yukinoshita... classmate?"

P.S.: The term "kun" can be used to address someone of the same or a junior in Japanese. When used to address someone of the same junior, it sounds more intimate than "san," at least that's how I feel. Obviously, since the senior is Kiyoyori's senior, it's appropriate to use "kun" when addressing Kiyoyori.

I can't be lazy today, I have to write something... sigh...

Chapter 12 You Changed My World (Section 173)

"Kanahara-san...?"

With difficulty, Yukinoshita superimposed the unfamiliar yet familiar short-haired girl in front of her with the delicate girl in her memory who lay sobbing on the bed. Back then, the other girl had long hair, and her small face was mostly covered by thick bangs, making her pale and sickly appearance even more delicate. In contrast, the girl in front of her, Shinbara Akira, had short hair that reached her ears, with her bangs swept to one side to reveal her full forehead, looking clean and refreshing.

"Yes, it's been a long time."

If the other person hadn't called out her name so accurately and on such a familiar voice, Yukinoshita would hardly have recognized who she was.

If it's not surprising that a fellow alumnus would call out the name of Yukino Yukinoshita, a famous figure at school, then the fact that the usually low-key Kanbara was called out by name made the gossipy girls around her sense something unusual.

"No way, Akira, you know Yukinoshita?"

"You're really something, Jing!"

The girls around Shinbara nudged her waist with their elbows.

As the unattainable beauty of Soubu High School, not only boys but also many girls yearn for such a snow-covered figure.

Asayuki Kambara, being shoved by her friend, gave an embarrassed smile.

Beneath the snow, there was a rare moment of mental daze.

She could hardly believe her eyes until Shinbara waved to her and slid down the slide with his friends, and only then did Yukinoshita come to her senses.

"Was that Xiaoxue's friend?"

Having been by Yukinoshita's side for several months, Yuihama had never seen anyone elicit such an expression from Yukinoshita with just a simple greeting.

“We’re not friends,” Yukinoshita had clearly returned to her original self, “we just had some interaction before.”

"Really……"

Yui nodded as if she understood, but did not continue the topic.

...............................................................

After leaving the thrilling water slide, Yukinoshita made an excuse to temporarily leave Yuihama's side, and Yuihama happened to run into her classmate who came to play in the pool at that moment.

"Kamihara-kun," Yukinoshita said, walking to a shady spot where someone was sitting. It was Kambara Akira, whom she had met on the platform earlier. "It's been a long time."

“Yukinoshita,” Kanbara said, hugging his knees and tilting his head slightly to look at Yukinoshita’s face backlit by the light, “my friend was a little excited just now and disturbed you and your friend. I’m sorry.”

"If Kanbara-san hadn't greeted me, I probably wouldn't have recognized you."

Kanbara smiled and said, "Then I'll take this as a compliment from Yukinoshita."

"That's a compliment, Kanbara-kun."

The smiling face before her was truly unfamiliar. Although Yukinoshita and Kanbara had only met once before, their conversation had not been pleasant. It was rather strange that they were able to sit together and talk so calmly now.

Perhaps, in Akira Kanbara's eyes, Yukino Yukinoshita was the culprit who ruined her perfect plan.

"Please sit down, Yukinoshita-san," Kanbara gestured invitingly. "Yukinoshita-san, you've come to see me because you have something to say?"

As if things had reversed from a year ago, Kambara Akira now firmly grasped the rhythm of their conversation.

"Kamihara-kun's transformation is astonishing."

Yukino sat down next to Kanbara, and although they were under the same tree, they seemed to be far apart.

"thanks to you."

With a friendly smile, Kanbara released his arms and straightened his legs from their bent position.

"If Kaori-senpai hadn't found Yukinoshita-san, and if Yukinoshita-san hadn't been so persistent, perhaps the future I would be facing wouldn't be like this." Kanbara stretched, a relieved smile on his face.

Perhaps from the moment she learned of that plan, perhaps from the moment she began to carry it out, perhaps from the moment she told Nakazeko Kaori about it, she had been waiting for someone to rescue her from that plan.

And Yukino Yukinoshita appeared at that moment.

While she was still indulging in self-sacrifice, Yukinoshita had already seen through her cowardice.

"I really have to thank Yukinoshita-san, thank you."

Kanbara's seriousness made Yukinoshita feel a little shy.

"I just did what I was supposed to do."

He hurriedly turned his head and looked into the distance, only to unexpectedly see Kiyoshi and Kasaki in the pavilion.

“‘Things that should be done,’” Kambara repeated Yukinoshita’s words in a low voice, then suddenly laughed, “I heard that Yukinoshita wants to change the world.”

Is there a problem?

“No,” Kambara’s eyes crinkled into a smile, “there is no problem at all.”

Yukinoshita looked at the smiling Shinbara with suspicion; she had never imagined that this girl would show such an expression.

"But I've noticed that Yukinoshita's plan is progressing slowly." She swung her toes, her cheerful demeanor like that of a naive high school student. "You've changed me."

"From that day on, my world was changed by you, Yukinoshita."

Yukinoshita stared straight at the girl in front of her, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"No, it is you who chooses to make the change."

"Perhaps!"

Kanbaru tilted his head.

"Kanbara-kun," Yukinoshita said, looking at Kiyoyori and Kasaki talking in the distance, "you didn't tell anyone about what happened before, did you?"

If she remembered correctly, Akira Kambara and Nozomi Kasaki, who were sitting next to her, were classmates.

Kambara's smile faded. "No."

"I...maybe I still don't have that courage."

Upon hearing this, Yukinoshita suddenly turned her head, her eyes sharply fixed on Kambara Akira. "Does Kambara-kun still have that photo? Could you show it to me again?"

Completely bewildered by the sudden request, Kanbara nodded blankly. "Um, I still have the photos... Is there a problem?"

She kept that photo so she wouldn't forget, but lately, she's hardly thought about it at all.

Taken from her backpack, Akira Kambara pulled out her phone and showed the photo.

"Give."

But Yukinoshita next to him seemed to suddenly freeze, and even the way she looked at him changed.

"Yukinoshita-san?"

"Ah, it's nothing."

She seemed a little lost.

"The photos..." Kanbara looked at Yukinoshita, whose gaze was shifting, with a puzzled expression. "Do you want to see them again?"

"Photos?" She then noticed the phone screen that Kanbara was holding. "Of course, thank you."

She took Kambara's phone and immediately saw the contents of the photo. It was an unedited photo that honestly reflected the story of a girl being bullied. She frowned. The bullied girl in the photo was obviously Kambara Akira beside her, while the other people in the photo were teenagers from different schools. Among them, the ones wearing Soubu High School uniforms were the most conspicuous.

"This photo...?"

Since the main character is Kambara Akira, then who took the photo...?

Suddenly realizing what was happening, Akira Kambara stared at the person in front of her in surprise. "That person didn't mention you before...?"

"That person?"

"Um..." Akira Kambara smiled apologetically at her, "I'm sorry, I made an agreement with that person that I couldn't tell you about this unless Yukinoshita found out herself, but—"

"That person said, 'Xiao Jing is still a bit too weak as an enemy.'"

hum-

It was as if something suddenly rushed into her brain.

"Yukinoshita-san? Yukinoshita-san!"

...............................................................

"Tachibana-san? Tachibana-san!"

A pair of hands shook Qinglai's body. She opened her eyes and saw—

My own face.