I am only one world away from Yukinoshita.

Kiyoyori breathed a sigh of relief, her consciousness gradually clearing. She used her hands to support herself on the bed and struggled to push herself up from her lying position. Her arms were trembling slightly, and her body was unusually weak. Her nose was blocked, and her mind was foggy. Kiyoyori then realized that Yukinoshita was probably sick.

How convenient!

Qinglai moved to the edge of the bed with a wry smile.

It was Yukinoshita-senpai who made herself sick, yet she was the one who suffered this pain.

Belatedly, he felt a surge of hunger. In the quiet room, he could even hear the sounds of his intestines moving. The signal was transmitted to his brain, frantically telling Kiyoshi, who was already in a daze, to eat.

Kiyoshi staggered out, leaning against the wall. A vague dizziness and discomfort forced her to stop every now and then.

In a daze, I seemed to smell the aroma of food.

She's not the Little Match Girl.

Kiyoshi chuckled at her own fantasy. She flung open the door, only to be blinded by the glaring incandescent light. She stood there for a long time, leaning on the threshold, before she could recover.

The aroma seemed even more real. Kiyotaka could not only smell the aroma of ginger and chicken, but also hear the short, rhythmic sounds of the knife blade striking the cutting board.

Someone is in the kitchen.

This is not a fantasy.

The person busy in the kitchen only showed Qinglai their back. The cute apron was tied into a pretty bow behind the person's mature dark silk shirt. The bamboo green choker was faintly visible under the person's short hair, perfectly matching their fair skin. She seemed to be humming a little tune, the ends of her hair swaying gently. Her movements were skilled and neat. She cracked an egg on the edge of a ceramic bowl, then skillfully opened the eggshell with one hand, while gently shaking the frying pan with the other. The moment the oil and egg white came into contact, a short "crackling" sound rang in her ears.

Kiyoshi instinctively slipped on his slippers and headed towards the kitchen.

The man seemed unaware of Kiyoyori's approach.

Kiyoshi leaned against the dining table, lost in thought.

The person seemed to sense something and turned around, showing no surprise at seeing Kiyotaka standing blankly by the table. "Yukino, you're awake?"

Kiyoshi didn't react for a moment, while Yono took off her apron and walked towards the dining table, carrying a small casserole in her hand.

Are you hungry?

She lifted the lid of the pot, revealing a rich, simmering ginger and chicken porridge inside. Qinglai couldn't help but move her dry throat.

So fragrant...

Seemingly too hungry to think about why Yang Nai was there, Kiyoyori scooped up a spoonful of thick white porridge under the other's gaze, eagerly wanting to put it in his mouth.

"Wait a moment."

Perhaps unable to bear seeing her "little sister," who had become dazed due to her illness, burn her own mouth the next second, Haruno gently grasped Kiyori's wrist, "Return—"

hot……

Unwittingly, Yang Nai stumbled into those familiar yet unfamiliar eyes, and it seemed as if she recalled some memories that she had long since sealed away.

what……

Yang sighed.

Should I say you arrived just in time, or not so timely...?

"It's ready to eat."

A moment later, Yang released Qinglai's wrist and said nothing more.

Qinglai ate very politely, without making any noise. She pursed her lips and took small sips of the cooled porridge from the spoon. Perhaps because she had a cat's tongue, she always ate porridge very slowly.

It's different from when we're rushing to train on weekdays.

Yang Nai rested her chin on her hand and quietly watched Kiyoyori eat with his head down, completely absorbed in his food, a faint smile playing on her lips.

For a moment, the only sound in the quiet living room was the soft clinking of the spoon against the pot.

Thank you for your hospitality.

Setting down the white porcelain spoon, Qinglai clasped his hands together and whispered his thanks.

"Is it tasty?"

"It's delicious."

Even if the other party is Haruno, Kiyori will not hesitate to praise him at this moment.

After her meal, Kiyotaka regained some of her usual self. She was like a battery that was half-charged, but at least she had enough power to maintain her posture.

"I just love... Yukino's straightforwardness~."

Yang Nai's eyes curved into a smile, and she had a very satisfied expression.

Faced with such a straightforward "confession," Kiyoyori remained unmoved. "So why, Yo, cough cough, is my sister here?"

Even if the surface appearance is perfect, the inside of a half-charged Kiyoshi is still a mess.

For example, they might make such basic mistakes.

Yang Nai's smile widened. "Of course I've come to visit Yukino~ to see if you're trying to be strong again, forcing yourself to do things you can't do."

Words that seem to express concern may actually conceal a dagger.

Kiyoshi wanted to refute, but couldn't find any rebuttal to say for the time being.

Admittedly, Yukinoshita even made herself sick from exhaustion.

Kiyoshi frowned and gently closed his eyes.

“If you’re here to kick me when I’m down, there’s no need for that,” Kiyotaka said, her fingers interlaced. When she opened her eyes again, her gaze was clear. “Because I will make this cultural festival a success.”

This is Yukino Yukinoshita's true heart, and also Kiyori Tachibana's determination.

At that very moment, she decided to accept the request that Yuihama had given her.

Out of her own consciousness.

I glanced at the clock on the wall; the hour hand had already crossed midnight and was moving toward the next day.

"It's getting late, please go home soon, sister."

Despite being bluntly told to leave, Qinglai forced himself to stay awake, his back taut despite the overwhelming drowsiness and discomfort.

"Huh? It's so late, isn't Yukino going to let her older sister sleep here?"

Yang Nai looked at Kiyoyori with a captivating gaze, feigning sadness. Her long eyelashes fluttered slightly, and her misty eyes seemed ready to well up with tears at Kiyoyori's heartless rejection.

Chiyorai:......

She felt that Yukinoshita would agree at this point, and leaving someone to take care of Yukinoshita's health would definitely be the best choice. Kiyoyori herself was very unwilling to spend the whole night in the same space as Haruno.

The words of refusal were already on the tip of my tongue.

"Well, what if Yukino doesn't agree?"

Yang brought her lips close to Kiyoyori's ear and whispered words that made one feel as if they had fallen into an ice cave.

"I can't guarantee that Yukino will be able to continue living here,"

“Enjoy 'freedom'.”

P.S.: I had my pre-operative consultation and final check-up today. The surgery is scheduled for the 15th, and I'll need to stay in the hospital for at least two weeks. I estimate I'll be admitted next week. During my hospital stay, I'll try to find an opportunity to post some drafts I've saved up. However, I'll have to stay in bed for the first two days after the surgery. I'll issue another announcement then.

This chapter has already made it quite clear, hasn't it? Hehe~

Chapter 19, Section 241: A Hard-to-Find Friend

In the end, Yang Nai was able to stay in the apartment as she wished. Fortunately, she didn't push her luck and readily agreed to spend the night on the sofa.

Kiyoshi didn't know what happened next, because when she woke up again, she was back in her own body.

On his way to school, he ran into Asuka after a long time. For some time now, the two of them had missed going to school together for various reasons.

There's clearly no more time to waste.

Good morning, Qinglai!

Asuka raised her hand to greet Kiyori, looking much more energetic than yesterday.

"Morning, Asuka."

Unlike Asuka, Kiyoyori only raised her hand slightly in greeting, and then, as expected, the other person grabbed her neck and, smelling the familiar scent on her, Kiyoyori gently closed her eyes.

"What's wrong? Didn't you sleep well?"

Before me was Asuka's magnified face, her eyes behind her glasses gleaming with undisguised concern.

"Um……"

I'm physically very well rested, but mentally I'm incredibly tired...

On one hand, she was spending the night in the same space as Yang, while on the other hand, she was suffering from general discomfort caused by her illness, especially the annoying stuffy nose, which made it difficult for her to sleep.

"I suppose so."

Seeing Kiyori's troubled expression, Asuka laughed, "What kind of answer is that?"

"...Who knows?"

Infected by the other person's smile, Kiyoshi also laughed out loud.

This scene, for some reason, felt somewhat familiar.

"Is it really okay to get up so early today? What about the teacher—"

Before Kiyoshi could finish speaking, Asuka interrupted him by gently pinching the soft flesh on his cheek.

"Absolutely no problem!"

"Oh……"

Asuka released Kiyori and strode forward alone. Just as Kiyori was still in a daze, she turned around, her long black hair drawing a beautiful arc in the air. The wind brushed past the corner of her lips, carrying away that unseen bitterness.

"We're going to go all over the country."

Asuka's clear voice carried on the wind into Kiyori's ears.

"How can I relax at such an important time?"

She was smiling, but she was more serious than ever before.