I am only one world away from Yukinoshita.

"what?"

Suddenly, a familiar voice reached my ears, and then someone playfully blew a wisp of hair around my ear.

"call--"

"Waaah!"

Startled, Kiyoyori jumped up from the stool, covered her ears with her hands, and turned around to see Asuka with a mischievous grin.

"He actually called my name secretly in such a romantic place!" Asuka cupped her hands around her heart, her face exaggeratedly blissful. "Kiyori, could it be that I've always—"

No.

"Eh~ So cold~!"

Asuka extended her index finger and gently poked Kiyori's shoulder.

"Asuka, what are you doing here?"

"Huh? I just saw Yuko and Mizore walking out from this side. There seems to be a nice place around here, so I came over~."

"Ah, is it..."

"But I didn't expect Kiyotaka to be here too. That saves me the trouble of going to your room to look for you."

Asuka's bright, sparkling eyes were like shining stars, an indelible radiance adorning the deep blue night air.

"Looking for me? Is there something you need?"

Kiyoshi frowned in confusion and casually adjusted his glasses with his knuckles.

Suddenly feeling a sense of tension that he was being discovered for participating in Kasaki-senpai and Nakagawa-senpai's request, Kiyoyori steadied himself.

"Fried noodles! Fried noodles! Didn't you promise to make them for me?"

"...Oh, I'm sorry."

Oh, so that's what it is...

P.S.: Why yakisoba? Because Asuka's voice actress is Minako Kotobuki, and she also voices the rich girl in K-ON who is obsessed with yakisoba but can never get any and is even ridiculed by the official team. So it's just a reference.

Chapter 25 Girl's Talk (Section 186)

After Asuka's appetite was satisfied and they returned to the room, the group had transitioned from playing games to engaging in an exciting conversation.

"Ah, Kiyoyori, why did you take so long?"

Hazuki lay on the bed, propping her head up with one hand, while gesturing to Kiyoyori, who was leaning against the door frame, with the other.

"I ran into a few senior colleagues and chatted with them for a while."

Entering the room, Qinglai casually pulled the wooden door shut, cutting off the air conditioning inside from the outside. He placed his shoes at the doorway, then walked barefoot across the bed that his roommates had already made up to the only remaining spot in the room.

That was the spot closest to the door; they probably left it in this most convenient spot because they didn't know when Kiyotsugu would return.

Rectangular pillows were placed on the bed, and they were even clustered together so that everyone could snuggle up in the blankets and whisper secrets.

What are you talking about?

Qinglai crossed his legs on the quilt, supporting his ankles with his hands, and leaned forward slightly.

"A secret girls' conversation at night," said the tiny Kawashima, sprawled on the blanket, her little feet still dangling in the air, "of course, we have to start with the most classic love topics!"

As one of the most essential nighttime entertainment activities in the training camp, the most important topic among the girls is romance. As an indispensable part of the training camp, this has always been an enduring topic that the girls love to talk about.

Kiyoshi sighed softly.

"Over there!" Kawashima pointed at Kiyoyori's knee. "Don't look so obviously uninterested! This is proof that our friendship has grown even stronger!"

"I think this is further proof of Little Green's gossipy nature."

"Kumiko-chan!"

"Yes Yes."

Huang Qian adopted a gesture of surrender, turned to the side and pulled the bedding over himself, then wrapped himself up.

"As punishment for arriving last, Kiyoyori, say something first!"

Kiyoshi's eyes widened. "Are you sure?"

"Agreed!"

After exchanging glances, Huang Qian and Ye Yue immediately raised their hands in agreement.

"Can't I say?"

Although I was prepared to be rejected.

"Sure."

But to my surprise, they agreed.

"Huh?!"

"Isn't it?"

Seemingly having heard some big news, Huangqian and Hazuki immediately crawled out of bed, and even Reina looked at Kiyoyori with great interest.

"Ahem," Kiyoyori pretended to make a fist and put it to his lips, "If I really have to say something..."

"If I really have to say something—?!"

The gossip-loving group had practically shoved their heads close to Kiyoshi's face, staring intently at his lips, waiting for the words he uttered to be put into sentences.

"The oboe is like my lover."

Several sounds of dejection immediately came from the room. The group of people who had been eagerly awaiting the answer collapsed weakly onto the bed.

"Cut~"

"So that's how it is..."

"Kiyoshi, this is cheating! How can you use the oboe as a shield!" Kawashima accused Kiyoshi of being cunning, but then his mind raced. "Wait a minute, could the oboe be some kind of metaphor?! Is the person Kiyoshi likes actually related to the oboe?"

"Little Green...it's best not to think too much..."

Huang Qian waved his hand dismissively, but inadvertently caught a glimpse of surprise and panic in Qing Lai's eyes.

"No way……"

"That must be it! Midori's love radar is definitely working!" Kawashima pointed to the ahoge sticking up on his head with both fingers. "Could it be?! Yoroizuka-senpai!?"

"No, no, no, no..."

Huang Qian didn't know how to make a comment, and even Qing Lai rarely put on a look of being both amused and exasperated.

"Little Green, I think this guess is very unreliable."

Even the usually eccentric Hazuki couldn't help but criticize Kawashima's wildly imaginative guesses.

"Is that so..." Kawashima rolled over, kicking his legs and puffing out his cheeks.

"Oh, right..."

Kawashima suddenly sprang up from under the covers and brought his fluffy head close to Kiyori's face. "Are Kiyori and Niizan-sensei very familiar with each other?"

"Ok?"

For a moment, Kiyoyori, who was in a daze, was a little caught up in the rapid change of topic, but a gaze as sharp as a sword piercing through the room made him straighten his back.

Why are you suddenly asking that?

"Because Teacher Johor Bahru took special care of Ching Lai during his guidance."

"Isn't Kiyoyori in charge of the oboe solo? It's not surprising that he's getting noticed by the teacher, is it?"

Hazuki hugged her knees and blinked.

Having inadvertently learned some inside information, Huang Qian remained silent. She looked in Qing Lai's direction, but could not discern anything from Qing Lai's unchanging expression.

"But Mr. Shinzan seems to be very familiar with Kiyoyori's playing style."

One has to admire the other person's keen observation and her passion and understanding of music. Perhaps to others, this might just be Kiyoyori being unlucky as a soloist, being forced by his teacher to practice his solo countless times. But Kawashima astutely noticed the difference in how Niizan guided Kiyoyori.

“I wouldn’t say I’m familiar with her,” Kiyoshi shrugged indifferently. “Teacher Shinzan was my mother’s student, and my playing is bound to be influenced by her. Rather than being familiar with my playing style, I’d say I’m familiar with my mother.”

Rather than saying they were familiar with Kiyoyori, it would be more accurate to say they were familiar with the person they had all been infatuated with.

Kiyoshi did not say those words aloud.

Unlike the others who showed an "I see" expression, Reina looked puzzled.

"Wait a minute!" Kawashima had clearly discovered another blind spot. "Kiyori and Taki-sensei are very familiar with each other, Taki-sensei and Niiyama-sensei are friends, and Niiyama-sensei was Kiyori's mother's student, which means—"

"Taki-sensei and Niiyama-sensei are very likely both students of Kiyoyori's mother! They had a friendship back in their student days! Or even a romantic relationship that started in their student days!"

Kawashima interlaced his fingers over his heart, as if he could immediately imagine an entire epic love story spanning from student days to adulthood.

"Xiao Lü, you could develop your career as a detective..." Huang Qian glanced at Rena, whose eyes had lost their sparkle, "...investigating extramarital affairs..."

Kiyoshi chuckled and pinched his earlobe. "You're right about one thing, but Taki-sensei and Niizan-sensei aren't—uh!"

Before Qinglai could finish speaking, a hand suddenly reached out from the side and grabbed her collar hard, then shook her violently, making her vision blur.

"Qinglai, explain yourself!"

“Rei… Nai…”

Kiyoshi struggled to pry Reina's hand off, but unexpectedly, Reina's grip was much stronger than he had imagined.

Kiyoshi, whose collar was being grabbed, suddenly felt that even the ceiling in front of him was starting to blur.

"Gasping, I can't breathe, I can't breathe..."

Seeing Reina getting closer and closer, almost sitting on her, Kiyoyori slapped her arm hard.

Huang Qian tactfully withdrew his hand, which he had wanted to use to stop him, his eyes darkening slightly.

P.S.: Today is a special day. It's the special day my boss notified me to report for work next week. Luckily, I passed my driver's license test. I don't know the work schedule yet, so evening updates might be a bit irregular. As long as I don't have a night shift, I'll generally stick to the usual times. I'll do my best after starting work!