I am only one world away from Yukinoshita.

What was destroyed can never be recovered from that moment on.

"Why bother..."

Hiratsuka Shizuka had never seen Haruno with such a confused expression, yet there was a hint of determination within that confusion. It was as if she could only see the figure lying on the bench, but through that figure she could see other people. "I don't know, Shizuka."

Recalling Hino's request earlier, Hiratsuka Shizuka sighed helplessly, "I'll go in first."

She intentionally gave Yang Nai some personal space and took the lead in lifting the curtain and entering the store that Jingchan Guanglin had visited.

In just a moment, Yang Nai put away her previous expression and put on her usual smiling face again. Then, with her high heels making a crisp sound, she approached step by step. However, the person in her eyes did not react at all, and did not even change her movements. Through the openwork back of the chair, Yang Nai could only vaguely see the person who remained lying down.

"Little Qinglai..."

Subconsciously, Yang Nai stopped speaking, retracting the characters that were about to be revealed between her teeth. The breeze carried her voice away, leaving only the tinkling of the flowing water and the rustling of the leaves.

In the still slightly chilly morning, under the starlight filtered through the lush foliage, the girl fell asleep, her sun-protective coat crumpled into a ball and placed behind her head without any pity. One hand was placed on her stomach, and the other on her forehead. Her lips were slightly parted, and her long eyelashes trembled slightly with her breath. Her face was flushed, and her childlike sleeping posture was that of the well-behaved girl I hadn't seen in a long time.

The girl would chase after her with a guitar in her arms, and they would discuss the joy of composing music together with pencils in hand. When she finally ate the ice cream she had been longing for, she would show an undisguised smile, so sincere, so dazzling, and so distant.

The girl said that it was she who made her fall in love with music again, it was she who took away the pain that music brought, it was she...

The past, like a calamity locked in Pandora's box, swept over my unsuspecting heart the moment it was opened, devouring everything, leaving nothing behind but devastation.

The girl seemed to have had a terrible dream; her brows were furrowed. Yang Nai wanted to reach out to touch her, but the other girl's hand blocked his way.

That's true, the other party no longer needs her.

A low sob escaped from the girl's lips, "HA...HARU..."

spring?

Do not……

Yangna braced her hands on the back of the chair and slowly brought her face closer to the girl's face until the face in front of her became blurry. Their calm breaths intertwined, and Yangna could even smell the scent of the other girl's shampoo. The warmth was right on her lips. If she got just a little closer, she could take back the future that once belonged to her.

but--

This is no longer her future.

With his lips pressed tightly together, Yang brought them close to the girl's ear.

"Kiyoshi, you're going to be late."

Goodbye, Kiyoshi.

This time, please hold her hand tightly.

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

Qinglai had a dream in which she was herself, yet unable to control herself. She saw herself acting coquettishly towards someone whose face she couldn't see, smiling at her, crying at her, embracing her, kissing her, just like another version of herself in another world. That version of herself wouldn't reject others' approach, wouldn't lock herself in her own little world. She was dazzling, like a protagonist. She was being teased by that faceless person, yet also being loved.

Is that... Yang Nai...?

She knew it was a dream, because it was too unreal. The dream, so beautiful as to be like a fairy tale, was nothing but a cruel mockery of the past for Kiyotaka. It was not a beautiful dream that could intoxicate one, but a complete nightmare.

A hazy call rang in my ears, a voice both familiar and unfamiliar, warm yet elusive, drifting away on the wind.

Only a gradually cooling warmth and humidity.

"Well!"

He sat up abruptly from the bench. It was quiet all around, with few passersby and no extra noise. Qinglai rubbed his slightly stiff neck.

I accidentally fell asleep...

Because the meeting time was later than usual today, Qinglai went out for a morning run, but because the breeze by the river was so comfortable, she fell asleep on the deserted roadside.

Kiyoshi accidentally touched the dampness on his face and looked at his wet fingertips in surprise.

Did she just cry?

Kiyoshi only knew that he had a dream, but he couldn't remember anything about it.

Forget it...

I glanced casually at the watch on the bowl.

"Damn it! I'm late!"

P.S.: Tomorrow I'll be inserting a belated Qixi Festival bonus chapter, which will be in the bonus chapter volume. Please find the right spot. It's a short bonus chapter of about three chapters, with some sweet moments and some heart-wrenching ones. It's related to the timeline, including this chapter. Please take a closer look.

Chapter 43, Section 207: She said "Ah."

Kiyoyori stood by the main venue of the fireworks festival, carrying a leather box containing his oboe. Although it wasn't the location where the fireworks were going to be launched, it was a place filled with stalls, just like a temple fair or festival. It was at the foot of Mount **. Pedestrians dressed in beautiful yukatas came and went in twos and threes, making Kiyoyori, who was standing alone by the roadside, seem quite lonely.

She glanced at her watch; the wide sleeves slipped from her wrists to her elbows, revealing her fair skin. There were still five minutes until the agreed-upon time. Although Qinglai knew the other person wouldn't keep her waiting, she harbored a strange hope that she could wait a little longer, as if—

That way, they can be even.

Kiyoyori agreed to this so-called "date," whether due to coercion or enticement, or because his heart was swayed by Hiratsuka Shizuka's words. Inexplicably, he agreed, even promising to bring his oboe and wear a yukata when he went out.

Moreover, this yukata was bought on short notice.

So, she's a hypocrite too...

She could be swayed by a few words; perhaps she wasn't that determined to begin with.

I happened to see a pink figure walk through the crowd, her arm intimately linked with that of a boy whose face clearly showed his displeasure. The pink figure seemed completely oblivious, and continued to excitedly weave through the crowd with the other person.

That's Yuigahama-senpai, right? Why don't I see Yukinoshita-senpai?

Kiyoshi looked in that direction, but couldn't see the figure that had once amazed her.

Kiyori did not receive an invitation from Hihama. Not to mention an invitation, after the Service Club left the resort, Kiyori did not receive any messages from any of her three seniors. The email she sent to Yukinoshita remained unread, which made Kiyori wonder if the other party had been kidnapped.

It seems this is a date for two without a third wheel.

With no intention of disturbing them, Kiyoyori didn't even want to meet the two of them again.

"Shimizu-kun, what are you looking at so intently?"

A clear, melodious voice suddenly rang in my ears, accompanied by a fragrance mingled with her breath.

"I'm just looking for Shiwa-senpai, who seems to be late."

Perhaps because he had been frightened so many times recently, Kiyotaka had developed some resistance to this and did not show his panic. He simply brushed it off lightly, and the hands on the watch face were exactly at the agreed time.

"Then it seems I'm sorry to disappoint you, Shimizu-kun. I'm always very punctual."

Kasumigaoka wore a different yukata than before. Although it was still a black yukata, it was decorated with bright plum blossoms. It was not a contrast between black and white, but an interweaving of black and red. The red plum blossoms bloomed against the black background, both flamboyant and understated. Her long black hair was casually tied up with a hairpin, with a few strands falling down. Her white and slender neck contrasted sharply with the black collar, and even in the evening, it radiated a dazzling light.

"Good evening, Shiyu-senpai." Kiyotaka paused, hesitated for a moment, and then swallowed back the words that were about to come out.

Kasumigaoka remained calm, seemingly oblivious to everything, but narrowed his eyes slightly as he scrutinized Kiyori, who was dressed completely differently from usual. "Good evening, Shimizu-kun. The yukata suits you very well. You look beautiful tonight."

Perhaps the role reversal made Kiyoyori feel a little uncomfortable. Kasumigaoka's undisguised admiration and straightforward praise made her feel somewhat awkward. Only after realizing the other party's intention did she sigh helplessly, "Utaha-senpai is also very beautiful tonight."

Kasumigaoka finally smiled with satisfaction, "So, Shimizu-kun, you like me..."

"This outfit?"

Kiyoshi's exaggerated panting, almost like a prank, made her tense even though she knew it was intentional. Perhaps she didn't yet have the courage to face the issue that both of them knew the truth about.

"Ahem, the yukata suits you very well, Shiha-senpai."

Kiyotomi turned her face away, avoiding Kasumigaoka's gaze, and clenched the handle in her hand. "Senpai Utaha also received an invitation from the organizers, right? We have to go to the main venue for an event later, so let's go take a look around first."

Yes, Kasumigaoka also received an invitation from the organizers of the fireworks festival, and even invited Kasumi Utako to write a short promotional message for the festival. The reason she received the invitation was not only because of Kasumi Utako's identity as a famous light novelist, but also because of a remark by Kiyoyori that had somehow been leaked before.

【SHE'S MINE】

This may have led to Shizuka being labeled as Spencer, which, while getting rid of some troublesome things, also attracted some unwanted attention.

"I will follow Shimizu-kun's arrangements."

The seemingly soft and boneless hand actually locked onto Kiyoshi's elbow joint and wrapped around his arm, leaving Kiyoshi with no chance to escape while also successfully making him break out in a cold sweat.

Because of tonight's fireworks display, the brass band's training has been suspended, which means that in this not-so-spacious place, Kiyoyori has a very high chance of running into people he knows, or even the brass band's instructors.

Somewhat absentmindedly, Kasumigaoka and I wandered through the crowd, but surprisingly, the other person didn't seem angry.

"Has Shimizu-kun had dinner yet?"

"Not yet," Kiyoyori replied quickly, as if she hadn't been distracted at all. "Would you like something to eat, Shiwa-senpai?"

"What would you like to eat, Shimizu-kun?"

Kasumigaoka did not answer Kiyori's question, but instead returned the same topic to Kiyori. His overly gentle gaze made Kiyori purse his lips.

Takoyaki?

"Okay, I'll go buy it. Shimizu-kun, wait here for a moment."

Kasumigaoka casually released Kiyori's arm and then leisurely walked to the takoyaki stall where the vendor was hawking his wares.

Kiyoshi looked at the retreating figure with a puzzled expression, then touched his own arm, a sense of doubt rising in his heart.

Could this be...?

A trap?

A sense of vigilance arose suddenly, and she felt as if a blazing gaze was about to burn her to ashes behind her. But when she turned around, all she saw was a sea of ​​people.

Nothing special.

"Shimizu-kun".

Qinglai turned his head in response.

"Ah~"

A takoyaki ball covered in sauce and sprinkled with bonito flakes is held up in front of you.

"Um……?"

Perhaps because they were in public, such intimate actions were quite eye-catching, and passersby did not hide their stares at the two of them. Even Qinglai, who was not usually shy, could not help but stare.

A warmth quietly welled up from the roots of my ears.

"Ah~"

Kasumigaoka remained unchanged, still smiling at Kiyoyori, but there was a hint of force in that smile that said, "If you don't eat it, I'll force it into your mouth."