I am only one world away from Yukinoshita.

At noon, Qinglai went to Class 2-F.

Hikigaya was in the classroom, but Kiyoyori didn't see Yuihama. Under the strange looks of the other second-year students, Hikigaya followed Kiyoyori out of the classroom.

"Just how unpopular is Hachiman-senpai?"

"You're so annoying..."

Kiyoyori chuckled softly, "Does Hikigaya-senpai know where Yuihama-senpai went?"

"Hmm?" Hachiman looked into the classroom and, as expected, saw that Miura and the others were not in their seats. "They probably went to eat with Miura and the others. If you want to find her, you can just use your phone, right?"

"No," Kiyori shook his head. Perhaps it was her absence that made Kiyori feel relieved. "This matter was originally asked by Hiratsuka-sensei to convey to the two seniors. I will tell Hikigaya-senpai, and then Hikigaya-senpai will convey it to Yuihama-senpai."

"Hiratsuka-sensei?" Hikigaya's first reaction was that something troublesome had happened again.

"It's about Yukinoshita-senpai."

"Yukinoshita? What happened to her?"

Hikigaya's voice suddenly became serious, although his expression didn't change much.

"Yukinoshita-senpai has a fever and is resting at home today. Hiratsuka-sensei hopes we can visit her in her place."

A flicker of surprise crossed Hachiman's face, but it quickly turned into helplessness. "Just like her..."

Does Yukino Yukinoshita get sick too? Just like an ordinary person, but perhaps it's precisely because of this that Yukino Yukinoshita feels more real.

"Is the committee's workload heavy?"

“Ah,” Hachiman pinched the back of his neck, “everyone who could skip work has done so since that day, including—”

He gestured slightly towards the classroom, and Kiyoyori saw Sagami sitting in his seat, laughing and joking with his classmates.

"In short, those who stayed basically took on work far beyond their job descriptions. Yukinoshita was the most overworked, as she essentially ran the entire committee."

Hikigaya often saw Yukinoshita staying in the classroom alone to work on documents after everyone else had left. Occasionally, when they left the classroom together, he would see her stuffing a stack of documents into her already cramped shoulder bag.

It seems she brought all her work home...

"Is she working on documents at home right now...?"

Hachiman inadvertently revealed what was on his mind.

Kiyoshi vaguely recalled the white papers he had seen scattered on the table in the living room yesterday.

"It's not impossible."

Kiyoyori suddenly had an urge to rush into Class 2-F and confront Sagami, but she didn't.

"I'll trouble you to tell Yuihama-senpai about this," Kiyoyori bowed slightly to Hikigaya. "I'll finish training early today, and we'll meet at the school gate."

"I see."

Kiyori, having delivered the message, was about to leave when Hachiman called out to him from behind, "Tachibana, you—"

Are you just going to stand by and do nothing?

"Hachiman-senpai," Kiyoyori turned around and looked at Hikigaya not far away, as if he knew what the other party was going to ask, "I think you will know the answer to this question soon."

P.S.: Have you guys already started fattening up the series...? Subscribed but no comments... *crying*

Chapter 21: Things Only You Can Do

In the past, whenever the band left, the campus would always be quiet, and the once bustling playground would be deserted. Perhaps because of the cultural festival, even at this time, many people were still at school preparing for the festival activities. Qinglai could hear the noisy sounds coming from the teaching building from afar, which was quite lively.

After a brief farewell to Mizore, Kiyoyori carried his oboe toward the school gate. From a distance, he spotted a man and a woman standing at the gate. They were a little distance apart and didn't interact. The man was carrying a bag and had his back hunched, while the woman had her hands behind her back and was using the tips of her shoes to pick up stones from the ground.

Qinglai paused for a moment, then quickened her pace.

"Yuihama-senpai, Hikigaya-senpai," Kiyoyori said, stopping behind them and announcing his arrival in a volume just loud enough for them to hear. "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

Yui waved her hand hastily, "It's okay, Kiyorai, let's hurry to Yuki's apartment!"

She made no attempt to hide her worries, seemingly oblivious to everything else. Kiyoyori had expected to be reprimanded, but Yuihama didn't mention it at all.

"Yes, we just arrived too."

Hachiman took a small step toward the two girls, but still maintained a certain distance.

The three of them fell silent for a moment, as if they had been forcibly brought together, leaving only an awkward silence.

"Let's go."

Even Kiyoshiro couldn't stand the silence. "Yukinoshita-senpai's apartment isn't far away."

"Does Kiyotomi often go to Yuki's apartment?"

When faced with Yuihama's question, Kiyoyori had several answers in mind.

"Not often."

"Is that so..."

Yuihama's voice noticeably lowered, and Kiyoyori's heart sank.

"It's nothing, it's just that when I went to Yuki's house last time, I saw a mug with Kiyoyori's name on it," Yui stopped, which made Kiyoyori, who was walking in front, and Hikigaya, who was following behind, also stop. "Yuki is actually a very thoughtful person."

Kiyoshi understood immediately. "That's right, it's the cup I brought myself. It was originally a gift for my senior as a thank you for tutoring me, but she just used it as my personal water cup."

Although he sensed something was off, Hachiman wisely refrained from saying anything and simply moved his lips slightly.

"Huh? Is that so?"

Yuihama looked surprised.

“‘Since it was given to me by you, I should be the one to decide how to deal with it.’ That’s what she said.”

Of course, this wasn't a lie. It's just that Kiyori's thank-you gift wasn't a mug, but a limited-edition cake from a well-known cake shop. Since there was only one left, Kiyori gave it to Yukinoshita, who then cut the cake in half and gave the other half to Kiyori.

If you were to keenly sense Yuihama's unusual mood and then say something like, "That mug was a gift from Yukinoshita to Kiyori," then today's visit to the hospital would probably not end well.

"I'm sorry, I think I'm a little..." Yui sniffed hard, her head down, avoiding looking at Kiyora and Hikigaya, "I'm really envious of Kiyora and Hikigaya..."

"Yuihama-senpai..."

“But,” Yuihama clenched her fists, her tone still gentle, but for some reason, a hint of anger could be heard in her voice, “I’m very angry, very angry.”

She repeated it twice.

“I’m angry at Xiaoqi for not helping Xiaoxue, and I’m angry at Xiaoqinglai,” Yuihama took a deep breath, “but I’m even angrier at myself for being unable to do anything…”

"Am I really that bad...?"

Kiyoyori and Hikigaya were at a loss when he heard her voice trembling with emotion.

“Instead of worrying about things you can’t do, think about things that only you can do,” Kiyoyori said, taking out a tissue. “Especially things related to Yukinoshita-senpai. There are some things that neither Hikigaya-senpai nor I can do.”

Yuihama took the tissue and smiled through her tears, "Thank you, Kiyora."

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

As the weather gradually turned cooler, we officially entered the season of shorter days and longer nights. By the time we arrived at the apartment building in Yukinoshita, night had already fallen.

This is an apartment building with excellent security, and it is also owned by the Yukinoshita family. That's why they feel so comfortable letting Yukinoshita live here alone. The doors in the lobby also use a combination of password and key card security. If there are any visitors, they must obtain permission from the owner before they can open the door.

Since the body-swapping phenomenon began, Kiyoyori has been told the door code and even received the guest key card. If they swap bodies without having to pretend to be each other, they will meet at the apartment until the swap ends.

To be precise, it means ensuring that the other party will not use their body to do anything unreasonable without authorization.

Perhaps due to some minor accidents during a few exchanges, Yukinoshita always felt that Kiyori would use her body to do some strange things, to which Kiyori could only feel helpless.

Therefore, Qinglai always carries his access card with him when he goes out.

However, she wouldn't take it out at this moment.

The three of them passed through the automatic sliding doors and entered the spacious lobby. The lobby was decorated simply and elegantly, without any complicated design. However, the paintings that were difficult to understand and the golden frames hanging on the pale gold walls immediately elevated the atmosphere, exuding an air of wealth. Cameras were installed in the four corners of the ceiling, monitoring everyone who entered or left the apartment from all directions.

Of the three, only Hachiman hadn't been here before. He looked around with great interest and thought to himself, "This is what rich people are like."

Yuihama and Kiyoyori walked together to the walkie-talkie next to the second door.

Yuihama skillfully entered the room number of the Yukinoshita apartment onto the monitor, which was also decorated in gold. After a notification tone similar to a busy signal on a mobile phone, the other end of the line sounded as if the call had been answered.

"Hello?"

A slightly tired, hoarse female voice came through the microphone.

It was clearly transmitted to the ears of the three people.

"Xiaoxue? Are you alright?"

"Yuigahama-san...?"

Yukinoshita on the other side was clearly surprised, seemingly never expecting anyone to come and visit her.

What are you doing here?

"Of course we're here to visit her! How is Xiaoxue feeling?"

"'We'?" Yukinoshita repeated in confusion, "I'm fine, I'm much better now."

They showed absolutely no intention of opening the door.

The two of them actually started chatting back and forth on the walkie-talkie.

Unable to bear it any longer, Kiyora cleared his throat. "Yukinoshita-senpai, could you please open the door?"

"Tachibana-san?"

Before Yukinoshita could finish her surprise, Hachiman also leaned over to the walkie-talkie and said, "Alright, open the door now."

"How come even you..."

A heavy sigh came from the other end of the walkie-talkie. "Please come in."

The large door next to it opened with a click.

P.S.: Yesterday's new subscriptions were so high! I thought I wasn't wearing my glasses when I opened the webpage. I hope this many people will read it every day (dreaming.JPG).

Writing the Cultural Festival arc is truly exhausting... Hachiman goes on a rampage, and I still have to give Kiyoyori a sense of presence. It's been a real brain drain. Maybe things will get better once I finish the Cultural Festival arc and return to the Sound! Euphonium main storyline? But after glancing at the outline of the upcoming Sound! Euphonium plot... I might just explode on the spot.