I am only one world away from Yukinoshita.

“Because every day is one—!!” Kiyoyori couldn’t finish the last word because she had already seen Kasumigaoka beside her, who seemed to be possessed by a demon.

A fair hand grabbed her collar. Kiyoyori wanted to escape but was afraid that her yukata would be ruined and fall apart on the spot. After all, she was only wearing underwear underneath!

"They're just seniors and juniors in the club!" Kiyora didn't dare to go too far away, so he covered his collar with his hands to prevent himself from being exposed, but he couldn't help but feel the Category 12 typhoon in front of him that was comparable to someone's Siberian cold wave.

Utaha-senpai's hair is all blown around!

"Is it just that the seniors and juniors in the club get together every day?"

"Even seniors in the same vocal range can't do anything about it..."

Feeling the collar tightening around him, Kiyora turned his head away, unable to look at the approaching face.

"The same voice...? Could it be that Shimizu-kun has been staying with this B-classmate during his vacation at the resort?! Eating and sleeping together every day, the distance between them has gradually closed. As Shimizu-kun gradually learns about B-classmate's past, he has developed the idea of ​​wanting to protect her. So, while he is struggling with how to resolve this request, he also doesn't want to hurt B-classmate. However, after discovering that B-classmate has a crush on A-classmate, Shimizu-kun has no choice but to bury his feelings deep in his heart and come to me for comfort?!"

"No way!" Kiyotaka shouted, disregarding his image, his embarrassed and angry voice echoing across the empty mountaintop. "Please, Ms. Kasumi, put your damnably brilliant imagination into something more useful!"

"Also, why does my love story always end in tragedy in Shiyu-senpai's imagination?!"

My last "love story" with Reina also ended in such a tragic way...

"Of course, Shimizu-kun's heroine can only be one person~."

The near-collision of their noses and the deep affection in their eyes startled Qinglai.

P.S.: To be honest, it's hard not to be attracted to someone like Senpai. She's good at flirting, knows how to keep things in check, and doesn't push too hard. She's a mature woman or a cunning one, but she also has her gentle side. Hehe, since Kiyori has Yukino, then Senpai is mine!

Chapter 46, Section 210: A Little Closer

"Um... is it okay if you let go of me now?"

As the two struggled, the opening at the neckline of their yukata widened. Although the suffocating feeling subsided, an even more serious problem arose.

Kasumigaoka gave a soft snort and loosened his fist. Kiyori immediately turned around and straightened his yukata, but the once crisp yukata now had an unsightly crease in the most conspicuous place.

Chiang Lai: "..."

If that woman, Yukino Yukinoshita, sees this, I'll get teased again.

Kiyoyori smoothed out the wrinkles with both hands, trying to make himself look less bad, while reminding Kasumigaoka, "What does Utaha-senpai think?"

“Hmm…” Kasumigaoka dragged out a long nasal sound until Kiyori put down what he was doing and couldn’t help but turn around to look at her. “Although the information that Shimizu-kun brought is that B-classmate hates A-classmate because of her leaving without saying goodbye last year, this kind of love-turned-hate drama is quite common.”

“Love turned to hate…it can’t be that serious…” Kiyoyori muttered softly.

“I really don’t understand, Shimizu-kun,” Kasumigaoka looked at Kiyori with a regretful “hopeless” gaze. “There is a type of girl who would rather destroy what she cannot have than allow others to have it. Simply put, she is a yandere. Underestimating the possessiveness of such a person will lead to great losses.”

Seeing the other person's slightly eerie smile, Kiyorai nervously swallowed, tightened his arms, and hugged his knees. "That's really... a terrible attribute..."

“But B is probably not that type,” Kasumigaoka said with a triumphant smile, having successfully tricked her. “According to Shimizu-kun’s overly detailed description, B’s true nature is probably as simple as her appearance. She is more like a girl who keeps everything buried in her heart. Because she is not good at hiding things, Shimizu-kun can easily see through her.”

"Doesn't Shimizu-kun find it strange? If B really dislikes A, then why would B secretly observe the voice part that A originally belonged to?"

“But her reaction to classmate A was also very strong,” Kiyoshi frowned, which was where the contradiction lay. “Her physical aversion to classmate A didn’t seem fake.”

"'Dislike'? Has Shimizu-kun noticed his own preconceived notions?" Kasumigaoka pointed out the problem incisively. "All of Shimizu-kun's guesses are based on the assumption that B dislikes A, which is why there are contradictions."

"But Student B undoubtedly cares a lot about Student A."

“That’s right, I care,” Kasumigaoka rested his head on his knees, observing Kiyori from the side. “According to Shimizu-kun’s description, B is an introverted girl who doesn’t like to talk, so she has very few friends. On the contrary, A is an outgoing person who is popular. To put it bluntly, she’s a social butterfly.”

For some reason, a wave of malice washed over him, but Kiyoyori recalled Nakagawa's description of Kasaki.

sun.

A warm yet distant existence.

"Let's assume student A's personality is more like a central air conditioner—"

"Wait a minute, why has A's character suddenly become so terrible? The malice is just pouring out... A isn't a character created by Shiyu-senpai."

Kasumigaoka clicked his tongue dismissively, "It's just that this assumption makes it easier to understand, Shimizu-kun. The 'central air conditioner' persona will make you feel B's feelings more directly."

Kiyoyori gradually understood what the other person meant. "Does Shiwa-senpai mean that B's reactions to A were not out of disgust?"

“If you think about it carefully, you’ll understand. Student B and Student A are complete opposites. The popular Student A has many female admirers, just like someone else,” Kasumigaoka said, narrowing her eyes suggestively, “but Student B is all alone. Under these unequal conditions, the two of them already maintain an unequal, precarious relationship, but just at this moment—”

Kasumigaoka gently tapped Kiyoyori on the head with her oboe. "Student A left without saying goodbye. How is Student B supposed to understand that?"

"Abandoned..."

Qinglai gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.

"You got it right, Shimizu-kun."

Kasumigaoka moved closer to Kiyoyori until their body temperatures began to intertwine. "I think B might not dislike A at all. All her reactions might be because she cares too much about A. In her eyes, A is everything to her, while she is just a passerby that A can discard at any time."

"But Umbrella—Student A doesn't think that way..."

“Shimizu-kun said that A-kun is someone who smiles but exudes sadness. Perhaps A-kun is actually a two-faced person, unlike B-kun,” Kasumigaoka reached out and took Kiyori’s fist in her hand. Warmth was transferred between their skin through the touch. “It’s because neither of them is good at expressing themselves that this misunderstanding occurred. B-kun doesn’t hate, but is afraid. Because A-kun left without saying goodbye, as long as she doesn’t talk to A-kun and doesn’t get a clear answer from A-kun, she can pretend that she has never lost A-kun. That’s why she is so afraid to face A-kun.”

Because they are afraid of getting answers, they choose to ignore them and pretend to be oblivious.

It felt as if a spear had pierced his heart, blood gushing out, the wind rushing into his empty heart, making a sound like a lament.

"Senior Shiwa... are you afraid of getting answers you don't want?"

Kiyoyori dared not look at Kasumigaoka, and even wanted to run away from the other person, but the hands that were only lightly covering her fists felt so heavy.

She was met with a long silence, followed by a complex sigh, "Afraid, of course I'm afraid..."

“But, Shimizu-kun,” Kasumigaoka took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled, the gentleness carried away by the wind, “if you keep stopping because of fear, nothing will end, and nothing will begin.”

"Maintaining the status quo is nothing but a self-deceiving lie."

Those familiar eyes held emotions that Kiyoshi couldn't decipher.

"Will Shiha-senpai dislike me?"

"That's hard to say."

Kasumigaoka gave a gentle smile that was the complete opposite of what she had said.

Will Shiha-senpai abandon me?

No, it won't.

This time, the answer was affirmative.

"If you don't want me to leave, why don't you keep me by your side?"

An aura that didn't belong to him approached again, and this time, Kiyoyori couldn't escape.

"I can't..." Kiyotaka's voice was hoarse. "I'm sorry... please give me a little more time..."

"I just can't do anything with you."

Their lips were just inches apart; any closer and they would be able to touch.

……

"Good evening, you two over there. What shady things are you doing hiding in a secluded spot?"

P.S.: I need to write three chapters today. The drafts for Volume 3 are almost finished; hopefully I can finish them by tomorrow so I can smoothly move on to Chapter 4. Don't you guys have any rewards for my hard work?

Chapter 47, Section 211: The King of the Minefield

Startled by the sudden voices, Kiyoyori snapped back to his senses and reflexively distanced himself from Kasumigaoka.

Meanwhile, Kasumigaoka, who had been disturbed, narrowed her eyes in displeasure, but as if she hadn't noticed that there was a third person there, she continued to say to Kiyori, "What you do next is up to you, Shimizu-kun. It all depends on what you think."

Unlike Kasumigaoka's composure, Kiyoyori, upon realizing what had happened, naturally recognized the identity of the other person who had spoken earlier. Who else could it be but Haruno, the one who had coerced and lured Kiyoyori to the scene?

On the mountaintop where there were no streetlights, Haruno hid in the shade of the trees, only half of her body showing. "Shimizu-kun? That's quite a unique nickname, little Shimizu."

Her voice was cool, carrying a chilling sarcasm, but it quickly disappeared. "Ah!" Yang clapped her hands as if she had just figured it out. "Could this be Kiyorai's girlfriend? If I remember correctly, this is the famous Kasumi Shiko-sensei?"

With a smile, Haruno approached the two people who were still sitting on the stone steps. "Nice to meet you, Kasumi-sensei. I am Haruno Yukinoshita."

Kasumigaoka stood up leisurely, slowly straightening the wrinkles in her clothes. "Miss Yukinoshita, nice to meet you. I am Kasumigaoka Utaha."

It was as if some unseen sparks were igniting between their smiles, and their evenly matched auras made Kiyoyori not even dare to breathe loudly.

However, Kiyoyori clearly prefers to face Kasumigaoka rather than Haruno.

“Shiwa-senpai,” Kiyoyori stood up, breaking the silent standoff between the other two, “this is one of the people in charge of this fireworks festival.”

"Oh dear, I didn't expect that Ms. Kasumi Shiko and Kiyoyori were so familiar with each other. You should have had Kiyoyori invite you earlier. Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Yang immediately pointed his gun at Kiyoyori, but at the same time he continued to fire arrows at Kasumigaoka.

Kiyoyori pursed his lips silently, not wanting to pay any attention to Yono's seemingly friendly behavior, which was actually an attempt to drag Kiyoyori into the mess.

Please, have some decency!

"Is that so?" Kasumigaoka replied nonchalantly, as if she were the complete opposite of the person who had just been angry because Kiyoyori's description of B was too detailed. "I should be the one feeling embarrassed. If I had known that Yukinoshita-san and Shimizu-kun were acquainted, I would have agreed without hesitation."

Chiang Lai: "..."

She was like a ball, kicked back and forth by the two women, or like a gun in their hands, firing at each other without hesitation.

Clearing her throat as if to make her presence known, she asked, "The banquet at the main venue should have started by now, right? Don't you (Note 1) need to go back?"

This is what Kiyori said to Yono.

Such an impolite form of address is rarely heard from Kiyoshi, especially when Kiyoshi, as a junior, addresses Haruno, as a senior, in this way. Haruno and Kiyoshi, as the parties involved, naturally know that there is a reason for it, and Haruno is already used to being addressed like this by the other party. However, when Kasumigaoka hears this sentence, it has a different kind of intimacy.

She quietly approached Kiyoshi without leaving a trace, then reached out her fingers and pinched the skin under the yukata bit by bit.

Kiyori's calm expression faltered for a moment, but she quickly hid it. She didn't know why she had inexplicably provoked Kasumigaoka again, and continued to say to Asahino, "Are you okay here? Or don't waste your time on two unimportant people."

Yang Nai raised a finger and shook it, "For me, the only guest today is Xiao Qinglai."

The fingers behind his back tightened their grip even more.

Qinglai involuntarily tensed the muscles in his back.