I am only one world away from Yukinoshita.

some type of……

"Is it necessary for the actor playing the tree to show his face as well...?"

Kiyoshi strongly rejected the suggestion. Not to mention having to stick her face out of the hole and stand on the stage, what she found even more unbearable was the flesh-colored bodysuit she had to wear to play the role of a tree.

Who came up with this idea?!

"There's nothing wrong with it, is there? Kiyora has a great figure, doesn't she look good in tight clothes?"

Reina said with a sly smile.

Many people in the classroom were already secretly glancing at Kiyoshi, who was wearing a tight-fitting bodysuit. It was because Kiyoshi had a tall and curvaceous figure and exercised regularly that she became the center of attention.

The intense gaze pierced her back, and even Qinglai found it hard to bear.

"It would be better to just act properly..."

"Okay, hurry up and try it!" Reina excitedly wanted to put Kiyoyori's face into the hole of the prop, but Kiyoyori resisted the action wholeheartedly.

"Hey! Get away from me!"

In the end, they still couldn't stop it.

When I saw Kiyoshi's indifferent face embedded in a cartoon-style tree.

"puff."

Rena couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"That's enough, I don't want to do this anymore."

"It's so cute!"

Reina managed to coax Kiyoyori after much persuasion.

The class performance was scheduled before lunch, which was one of the later events in the morning schedule. However, the brass band's stage performance followed immediately after the opening act. It was said that this was specially arranged to promote the excellence of the school's brass band.

After changing out of that damn bodysuit, Qinglai put on his school uniform, picked up his oboe, and headed towards the auditorium.

It's almost time for the event to begin. The person in charge isn't Sagami or Yukinoshita, but Shiro, the student council president. However, Sagami still has a speech to give, and it's uncertain whether he'll mess things up at the last minute.

Passing by a food stall, Qinglai casually bought a mixed grill. Although the taste was just average, it had an inexplicable deliciousness, perhaps due to the cultural festival.

There were many students wearing Chiba Prefecture junior high school uniforms on campus, especially from some schools with well-known brass bands. It seems that Sobu High School's brass band has made a name for itself this time.

"Shimizu-kun, answer the phone."

"Shimizu-kun, answer the phone."

Because he was holding a mixed grill, Qinglai couldn't answer the phone in time, and the embarrassing call notification quickly attracted the attention of passersby.

She quickly stepped aside to answer the phone, "Senior Shiyu?"

"Shimizu-kun, we've arrived at your classroom, but we can't find you."

"Them?"

On the other end of the phone, I could almost hear a few familiar voices.

"Yes, they are members of Blessing Software."

Kasumigaoka's voice sounded somewhat gritted.

"So, Shimizu-kun, where are you right now?"

"Ah..." Kiyoshi looked around while holding up his phone. "I'm on my way to the auditorium now. The brass band's performance is right after the main show."

Along the way, there were also boys from the wind instrument ensemble diligently pushing carts, transporting large musical instruments.

Tsukamoto, with his sharp eyes, spotted Kiyoyori making a phone call and waved to him, to which Kiyoyori nodded in response.

"Then, shall we move towards the auditorium now?"

"Yes, it should be marked in the brochure, right? The opening ceremony of the cultural festival is in ten minutes, followed immediately by the performance by the wind band."

Qinglai glanced at his watch and quickened his pace toward the auditorium. Just then, another phone call appeared on his phone screen.

It's Asuka.

"I'm sorry, Shiyu-senpai, I'll call back later."

"Okay, I'll contact you again when I arrive."

After hanging up Kasumigaoka's call, Kiyoyori quickly answered Asuka's call, "Asuka?"

"Kiyoshi, have you arrived yet?"

"Not yet, it'll be here soon."

"Hurry up, the committee is ready to start, and we need to begin counting the people too."

The background noise from Asuka's side was a bit noisy, with hurried footsteps coming and going, indicating that they had already arrived backstage.

"I see."

Hanging up the phone, Qinglai quickly stuffed the slightly cooled assorted stew into his mouth and strode towards the auditorium.

As soon as the heavy wooden door was pushed open, Cheng Hui's energetic voice rang out from inside the auditorium, and the stage lights turned on in response.

"Students, are you participating in the cultural festival?"

A chorus of echoing shouts came from below.

"Chiba's famous products are dancing and—?"

"Festival!"

"If we're both idiots, let's dance together, meow!"

"Sing a Song!"

P.S.: I'm posting a chapter from my drafts today to let everyone know I've been discharged from the hospital successfully! I'll be resting at home for a while, and I'll gradually start writing again. However, it's only been a week since the surgery, so rest is still my priority. Actually, it might take some time before I can resume daily updates, but—

I'm back, please don't worry.

Also, if Shuichi doesn't pay his club dues again, this might be your last appearance (lol).

Chapter 35 A Small Favor

The deafening cheers made Qinglai grimac uncomfortably. She looked at Cheng Hui, who was full of energy on the stage, and for the first time marveled at how naturally a person could have such two different sides.

Perhaps Kiyoshi's preconceived gentleness deceived her.

Kiyoshi walked slowly towards the backstage area, keeping close to the edge of the wall. As the volume gradually increased, Kiyoshi also saw many committee members bustling around in the darkness, each with a walkie-talkie hanging on their ear.

Suddenly, the stage was bathed in colorful spotlights, followed by loud and energetic dance music. The school cheerleaders danced to the music, their flowing hair and swaying waists as eye-catching as the golden bouquets in their hands.

The rousing music vibrated Qinglai's eardrums, causing her to frown uncomfortably. Although she didn't particularly like such lively occasions, the audience clearly enjoyed them. The opening medley of dances ignited the passion of all the audience members, and when the music ended, they were still in a state of lingering excitement.

Clearly, everyone's enthusiasm was aroused. The opening dance was just an appetizer, which made the audience even more eager for the performances to come.

As the music was about to end, Kiyoyori vaguely saw Hikigaya wearing headphones walking to the designated spot, and he seemed to be making some kind of gesture towards the stage.

The music stopped abruptly, but a loud and enthusiastic applause erupted from the audience. Amidst the applause, Cheng Hui brought out Sagami, whose face was filled with a heavy expression.

This is the time for Zhang, the management committee member, to speak.

When Sagami walked onto the stage, the audience was completely silent. Everyone was looking at the executive committee chairman they didn't know. Even though their gazes were full of goodwill, it was still an ordeal for Sagami.

Sagami clutched the small note she had written earlier tightly in her hand. She couldn't deliver a speech without notes like Shiro, nor could she give a speech with the same emotional depth as Shiro. Her hands were trembling, her lips were trembling, and even her teeth were chattering involuntarily, like a physiological reaction brought on by the cold winter wind. At this moment, however, all that brought her was fear.

The more she tried to tell herself to calm down, the more she couldn't.

In short, you should speak first; you can't let the conversation fall silent.

With this thought in mind, she began, "Everyone—!"

She didn't know if she was just having bad luck, but even the equipment seemed to be working against her.

Sagami's hard-won courage was blown away as the microphone emitted a sharp and piercing sound, like a balloon that had been inflated to its maximum size. Even the smallest stimulation, like a needle prick, would cause her courage to vanish in an instant.

Scattered laughter rose from the audience, but it was by no means malicious mockery, nor would anyone deliberately make fun of them. Equipment malfunctions are unpredictable, and it all depended on how the people on stage reacted.

If Sagami had been resourceful enough, she could have easily turned this little mishap into a source of laughter and glossed over it, but she chose the worst possible course of action: silence.

As if his mind had wandered elsewhere, Sagami simply stared blankly at the dark audience below.

She stood on the high stage, all the lights focused on her, but now she wanted to return to the darkness where no one could see her face. It was a feeling of humiliation, even though no one was laughing at her.

Sagami wants to be a good committee member; she wants to be admired and recognized, but not in this way.

It's all Yukino Yukinoshita's fault.

She gripped the microphone tightly in her hand.

She hypnotized herself in this way.

A stiff smile appeared on her face.

But deep down, she knew that this was just an escape from reality.

If these "sins" are not all handed over to Yukino to bear, how can she possibly endure them...?

Seeing that the atmosphere was about to reach a stalemate, Shiro returned to the stage and introduced Sagami again in an encouraging voice, "Well then, let's do it one more time! Executive Committee Member Zhang, please!"

Sagami then realized what was happening and took the note out of his hand, but unexpectedly the note fell out of his hand and gently floated onto the stage, causing another burst of laughter from the audience.

These laughs were so jarring.

Even though the note was only inches away, it seemed to be mocking her incompetence.

Sagami squatted on the ground, not daring to raise his head at all.

She was just a hair's breadth away from getting the note covered in writing, but her legs felt like they were made of lead, and she couldn't move an inch.

The laughter around me gradually faded away.

Someone, please save me...

I beg you……

"She took too long..."