I am only one world away from Yukinoshita.

This is... Yukinoshita's house?

Kiyoshi covered her eyes with one arm, her tired body sending the signal "I want to sleep" to her brain. However, being in the dangerous area of ​​the Yukinoshita Otaku, with its constant flashing alarms, forced Kiyoshi to get up. Just as the two forces were fighting within her body, something seemed to move in the other side of the blankets.

Is this the room beneath the snow?

Kiyoshi's drowsiness was instantly chased away by the bulge next to him. The soft touch of his limbs through his pajamas was transmitted to his cerebral cortex as his consciousness gradually cleared. It seemed as if his arm was being pulled by something and his calf was being held by something, as if he were being used as a pillow.

isn't it...

On the left side, near Kiyoyori's neck, was a black, furry head with messy hair peeking out slightly. The person had buried their face in the blanket, but Kiyoyori already had a premonition. With trembling right hand, she lifted a corner of the blanket and revealed the person's face.

It really was her...

Haruno tugged at Kiyori's pajamas, resting her forehead against Kiyori's shoulder. Her breathing was long and rhythmic, indicating that she was still fast asleep. She seemed to be muttering in her sleep, and Kiyori could see her rapidly moving eyeballs through her eyelids.

Am I dreaming?

Kiyoyori tried to pull his arm away, but unexpectedly, the other person pulled him closer, as if protecting a beloved toy. The two of them exuded the same fragrance, and such close contact made Kiyoyori a little shy.

This woman can be so adorable.

Kiyoshi looked around the room. The general furnishings were not much different from the room next door. However, compared to her younger sister's little hobbies, the older sister's room had a more mature, womanly feel. There were fewer panda plush toys and more cosmetics. Speaking of panda plush toys, there were some in the room. There was only one two-hand-sized doll on the bedside table. It looked quite old, with loose threads coming out of the seams, but there were also obvious signs that it had been repaired by its owner.

It's easy to guess that this must be the gift that Yukinoshita gave to her older sister Haruno, but Kiyori doesn't know how many years ago it was.

Yes, this is Yukinoshita's room, but it's actually Yukinoshita Haruno's room.

It seems the body swap period has been extended. Last time it was only one day, but this time they didn't swap. However, what's exciting is that she can return to her apartment in Yukinoshita today.

Kiyoyori glanced helplessly at Hinano, who was still fast asleep beside him.

Last night, after Haruno asked the question that left Kiyoyori speechless, she fell asleep leaning against Kiyoyori's back. Whether it was the effects of the alcohol or the comfort of the bubble bath, Kiyoyori felt relieved, but it also left her with a real challenge.

Although it was a good thing that the other party wouldn't ask any more questions, how to get Haruno, who was obviously much taller than him, back to her room was another problem. So Kiyoshi used all his strength to carry Haruno out of the bathtub, then washed the soap off her unconscious body, dressed her properly, and then carried her back to her room.

The whole process took nearly an hour. Kiyoyori didn't expect that Yukinoshita's physical condition was so poor that she had to pant after only taking two steps while carrying Haruno. Thanks to her, Kiyoyori still felt a slight pain in her arms.

The distance from the bathroom to Haruno's room was less than ten meters, but Kiyoyori felt like he had walked ten light-years. Everyone says that drunk people are heavy, but Kiyoyori didn't expect him to be this heavy. So, after successfully delivering the goods to their destination, the courier and the goods collapsed at the delivery location.

So strictly speaking, encountering this situation in the morning is truly a case of Qinglai reaping what he sowed.

I wonder if Yono will still remember what she said last night. If she forgets everything that happened after she got drunk last night as promised, then Kiyoshi will keep those words as her secret. But if the other party has even a little memory, she must tell Yukinoshita everything that happened last night.

So, Kiyoyori glanced at Haruno and forcefully freed the other half of his body from her grasp.

"Don't make me the bad guy."

These words should not have been uttered by Tachibana Kiyoyori, whether to Yukino Yukinoshita or Yukinoshita Haruno.

Kiyoyori carefully walked out of Haruno's room, closed the door, and turned around, only to almost bump into a woman in a gorgeous kimono.

Good morning, Yukino.

Snow Mother placed her hands on her waist, carrying a small handbag and a folding fan, seemingly unsurprised that her youngest daughter had sneaked out of her eldest daughter's room that morning.

Wait a minute, why does this sound like a yuri (lesbian romance) story about Eriri's sister?

"Good morning, Mother." Kiyotaka immediately composed herself, managing her jumbled thoughts and pounding heart. Even though she was wearing pajamas and nothing underneath, she still maintained a good facade.

Standing next to Xue's mother was Xue's father, who was wearing a suit. His expression was clearly not as calm as his wife's. He seemed to be surprised that his two daughters had reconciled and were even sharing a bed.

Something's strange.

Noticing Yuki's father's gaze, Kiyoyori awkwardly turned her face away. She didn't have any men her age who were close to her. Apart from the men she would meet at school, the only relative Kiyoyori had was Eriri's father. Although he was her... Kiyoyori had to admit that she still felt a little awkward around him.

"You must have had a hard night taking care of Yang Nai. Is she alright?"

Kiyoyori thought that no matter what the Yukinoshita sisters did, they could not escape their mother's watchful eye.

She's still asleep.

They omit unnecessary details; all they need to know is the result. Sometimes the process isn't important. As long as they get the desired result, any necessary means are acceptable.

“Your father and I are leaving now. Please take care of the rest of the arrangements yourselves. The driver will be on standby to take you back to your apartment,” Yukino’s mother paused, then gently patted Kiyori’s shoulder with her folding fan. “Don’t disappoint me, Yukino.”

After saying that, she left with small, quick steps. Xue's father seemed to want to say a few more words, but he was stopped by a look from her. He then followed his wife and disappeared at the end of the stairs.

Kiyoshi touched the shoulder that had just been tapped. It was just a casual gesture, but Kiyoshi felt an unusual heaviness in it.

Yuki-no-mother had certain expectations for Yukinoshita, but for some reason, those expectations seemed to become more tangible in Kiyori, who was not the real Yukinoshita.

Kiyoyori looked back at Yono's door and sighed helplessly.

In fact, she had already noticed that there was a hook on each door, but there was nothing on the hook. Obviously, something that was originally hanging on it had been taken down by someone. Besides the doorplate, there was nothing else that could be hung on the door. But as for the reason, Qinglai did not want to investigate it.

Can't this family's way of showing concern for others be a little less awkward?

Actually, Yukinoshita's house was warmer than she had originally imagined.

Stopping dwelling on these irrelevant issues, Qinglai went downstairs to prepare breakfast, or rather, brunch, since it was already 9:30 and she had never slept this late before.

Kiyoshi had originally only planned to make his own brunch, but then he remembered what Haruno had said from the bottom of her heart yesterday, and suddenly he couldn't bring himself to be ruthless towards her. Was it because he was inside Yukino's body? Did he have a physical dependence on his older sister? But Yukino herself didn't seem to have this problem.

After taking care of everything, Kiyoyori sat in the living room waiting for Haruno. Once she confirmed the last thing, she could return to her apartment with peace of mind.

Yang Naicai arrived late, just as the clock was about to strike eleven.

Good morning, sister.

Kiyoyori held the paperback edition, not even glancing at Yono, and simply turned the pages in his hands.

“Hmm,” Yukino seemed a little surprised by the words, “Good morning, Yukino.”

"I thought Yukino had already gone back to her apartment."

"I just need to confirm one more thing." Kiyotaka turned another page in her book, but she hadn't actually read anything. "Your lunch is ready, but it's cold. Heat it up yourself."

He spoke in the coldest tone, yet said things that made people feel warm.

But Yukino didn't seem to care and picked up the cold side dish with her chopsticks. "Yukino, you don't have something to ask of me, do you?"

Judging from her condition when she woke up this morning, she must have been taken care of last night. There are only four people in this house. Excluding herself and her parents, even if that answer is the most surprising, it is still the truth. Yang Nai can almost imagine Yukino's disgusted expression but having no choice but to help her clean up.

I thought she wouldn't want to talk to me anymore, but I was surprised to see her at home this morning.

"I can't really say, I just need to confirm something."

Kiyoshi closed the letter and stated his purpose directly. Asking indirectly would only arouse the woman's suspicion, which would be counterproductive.

"What does Yukino want to ask?" Haruno, wearing hot pants, stretched out her perfect body without a care in the world.

How much of your memory of last night do you have?

Yang Nai raised an eyebrow. "Which part are you referring to?"

Kiyoshi's heart was in his throat, but this was just the first step in testing each other. "I don't know who suddenly barged into the bathroom and made such a racket last night. They not only made a mess of the bathroom but also disturbed my shower and increased my workload. And you still have the nerve to ask which part it was?"

"Oh, isn't it nice to bathe with my sister? She was always clinging to me when we were little~."

Yang Nai smiled, her beautiful face even more stunning in the sunlight, but in Qing Lai's eyes, she was incredibly irritating.

"How could you have such filthy thoughts about your own sister's body? No wonder mosquitoes don't want to suck your blood."

Mosquitoes are starting to get rampant this season. Just last night, while Haruno was sleeping soundly, Kiyoyori was suffering from mosquito bites.

Yukino's smile remained unchanged. "Although Yukino's body is very flexible, overall she still doesn't have the same figure as her older sister. Don't you think Yukino should try harder? I can help you."

Kiyoshi picked up the paperback on his lap with a blank expression, revealing his phone underneath. "I've recorded what you just said. I'll send it to the police and my mother now, hoping that my sister can reflect on her problematic behavior while in prison."

At this point, Yukino's expression became somewhat strained. Although she didn't think Yukino would hand the recording over to the police, she couldn't be sure about her mother's side.

Yukino has actually learned to use her mother to pressure me, which is surprisingly interesting.

"Okay, okay, I admit it, I don't remember anything. Can Yukino let me off the hook now?"

Kiyoyori then revealed a bright smile, "No~no~!"

"Just because a criminal claims to have lost their memory doesn't mean they can deny the existence of the crime, however..."

Kiyoyo glanced at Yono, knowing that the other person would understand.

"Then consider it a favor that I owe Yukino. What does Yukino want from me? Don't go too far, okay?"

Yang Nai was able to move forward thanks to her being a hidden sister-complex, but crossing that line would be bad.

"I haven't decided yet. I'll tell you when I do," Kiyotaka said, putting the book into his bag and walking towards the door. "Then I'll take my leave."

Watching Kiyori leave the Yukinoshita residence with his head held high, Haruno chuckled softly with amusement.

Chapter 21 My Curiosity About You, My Desire to Know More About You

next day

Early on, Yukinoshita was sitting at the dining table, enjoying breakfast while reading the notes Kiyori had left over the weekend:

[I spent the first day of the weekend at home in the snow. I had a brief conversation with your parents. Your mother seems to have learned about the Service Club and the request through some means. I suspect it's related to your older sister, and let's assume she's also aware of it. My thoughts are the same as my senior's: without finding the sender, the only way to resolve this is to shift our focus. Seeking advice might be a good approach, but I think it's unlikely. It's something we can try.]

[One more point: Although Nakazeko-senpai requested that the sender not be identified, it doesn't mean our thinking should be limited. In other words, she doesn't want others to know who the sender is, thus protecting their identity. Therefore, as long as we ensure their identity isn't leaked, we can investigate independently. However, even if we find the sender, to protect her personal reputation and the brass band's reputation, we can't take more substantial measures. Here, I can only offer one possible approach.]

To resolve this email incident, there are only two paths: a swift resolution or letting it fade away over time. However, we don't have much time. We can't guarantee that the third-year student won't do anything worse, nor can we predict the sender's next move. Therefore, we have no choice but to act quickly. Senior Nakashiko is clearly hiding something. Please be careful, Senior; someone like her might do something unexpected.

[Note: The assignment given by the senior has been completed. Please check it.]

[P.S.: The night we stayed at the Yukinoshita residence, your older sister got drunk, and I took care of her. However, she doesn't seem to remember anything about being drunk. Senpai, just knowing that this happened is enough. She promised me a condition as compensation; she can use it anytime if Senpai has something reasonable. I'm a little curious about Senpai; is there anything you can share with me?]

This person has good handwriting and a clear mind. Based on just one day of observation and their own notes, they were able to deduce the current situation of the brass band and the possible developments. With Kiyoshi's prompting, she also realized her own preconceived notions: not finding the sender's request was essentially a way of avoiding exposing them. So, as long as they weren't exposed, that would be fine. While she couldn't do anything to the sender, finding them would allow her to effectively control the situation, such as making them abandon this ineffective threatening behavior.

Yukinoshita tore the bread into small pieces and put them in her mouth, her fingers covered in breadcrumbs as she turned the pages of the book back.

More than the commission, she was concerned about what had happened to Kiyoyori in her master's house, and what kind of people her mother and sister were. Of course, she knew them better than Kiyoyori. Judging from the words, Kiyoyori was a person who knew how to conduct herself and acted meticulously. However, she was a year younger than her and probably not qualified to face her mother. More importantly, there was the relationship between her sister, Yono.

The message and video received on Saturday morning made Yukinoshita uneasy. The person in the video was clearly herself, or rather, her body controlled by Kiyori's soul. It was her music room at home, so the person who recorded the video could only be Haruno. In other words, the seemingly disdainful "woman with a terrible personality" contact name, which actually indicated that the relationship between the two was not simple, was Yukinoshita Haruno.

Therefore, Tachibana Kiyori and Yukinoshita Haruno, or rather, the Tachibana family and the Yukinoshita family, have a connection that she is unaware of.

This realization left Yukinoshita somewhat bewildered. Anyone who had witnessed Yukinoshita Haruno's brilliance would not have seen Yukinoshita Yukino hidden in Haruno's shadow.

Thinking about it this way, Kiyoyori's last words also take on a deeper meaning.

Yukino sighed. Breakfast tasted bland. The bread and milk that had been sweet suddenly tasted bitter.

However, if we look on the bright side, has Kiyoyori, who labeled her sister, who was so good at putting on a show, as having a "terrible personality," already discovered Haruno's true colors? Thinking about it this way, the two might still be on the same side.

The simple Western breakfast has become delicious again.

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