I am only one world away from Yukinoshita.

Arriving at school right on time, just like last week, I could hear the sparse sounds of instruments being played as I approached the building where the brass band was located. As I climbed the stairs to the top floor, I happened to see Asuka washing her mouthpiece at the sink with her back to the stairs.

Hearing footsteps behind her, Asuka didn't turn around, but continued what she was doing, though the sound of the water lessened.

"Good morning, Yukinoshita-kun. You're here earlier than most of the club members even though you're not one."

Yukino stopped in her tracks. "Good morning, Tanaka-senpai. Senpai, you're here to practice so early?"

Asuka's long hair, which reached her waist, swayed slightly with Asuka's soft humming. For no reason, Yukinoshita thought of Asuka, who was close to Kiyori. Perhaps it was because the two looked too alike and spoke in a similar way, but how could one person appear in two places at the same time in the same world?

Yukino suddenly thought of Keigo Higashino's novel "The Doppelganger".

Ha, how could that be... It's not a science fiction movie.

Yukinoshita smiled and shook her head.

Asuka shook the water off the mouthpiece of her horn, turned her head to the back, looked at the end of the corridor, and put the mouthpiece to her lips. A deep but loud sound echoed in the empty corridor. It was a fragment of the "Orfeo in Hell Overture" in a different key. Since a single mouthpiece cannot produce a variety of notes, it would be impossible to hear it unless one was very familiar with the piece.

Yukinoshita was able to recognize it because she had been studying the piece recently.

"Do you know this piece?" Asuka put down her trumpet, seemingly speaking to Yukinoshita.

"The Orpheus in Hell Overture"

Yukinoshita noticed the mouthpiece in the other person's hand, which was almost identical to the mouthpiece of the row of brass pipes placed in the Kiyoyori family's practice room.

“Bingo, that’s surprising.” Asuka looked at Yukino and suddenly smiled. “This piece was originally adapted from the story of Orpheus and his wife. Although it was adapted into a play by a playwright, and the melody is full of light and cheerful tunes, it is actually a very sad story. One day, Orpheus’ wife Eurydice was bitten by a poisonous snake and died while playing in the fields. Orpheus was heartbroken and went to the underworld to ask Hades and Hades to return his wife to him. The Hades and Hades, moved by his plight, agreed, but made Orpheus promise that he would not look back at his wife before leaving the underworld, or he would lose her forever. Orpheus agreed and embarked on the journey back to the world of the living with Eurydice’s soul. However, when he was almost there, he couldn’t help but look back at his wife, and because of this, he lost Eurydice forever. Orpheus was plunged into endless regret.”

What is Tanaka-senpai trying to express?

Yukinoshita didn't think that Yukinoshita would say these things to her for no reason.

Asuka, however, turned her gaze to what was behind Yukinoshita. "So, don't look back."

"Huh?"

Noticing Asuka's gaze, Yukino turned around and saw another person standing behind her at some point.

"Don't look back, Kaori."

Asuka stared at Nakaseko, as if she wouldn't look away until he agreed.

Nakazeko pursed her lips with a complicated expression, then suddenly laughed, "What are you saying so early in the morning, Asuka? Did you listen to this song to sleep last night?"

"Oops, we've been exposed."

Asuka made a cute gesture of tapping her head with her hand and sticking out her little tongue. Nakazeko also walked towards her with her bag. It seemed that the strange conversation between the two had never happened. That was their code, which Yukinoshita was unaware of.

Good morning, Yukinoshita-kun. It's nice to be at school so early. Thank you for coming.

As Nakashiko passed by Yukinoshita, he nodded slightly to her with a gentle smile, like the warm sun in winter.

Good morning, Senior Zhongshigu.

Yukinoshita glanced at Asuka, who was clinging to Nakazeko. Asuka was smiling and talking to Nakazeko, seemingly being affectionate, while Nakazeko just affectionately tapped her head with his index finger.

Just as the two were about to head to the classroom, Asuka deliberately lagged behind by half a step, walking behind Nakazeko, while Asayuki gave her a meaningful smile.

"Thank you for your hard work, Yukinoshita-kun."

Knowing she probably wouldn't get anything from them, Yukino turned around to go down the stairs. Another member of the brass band, wearing indoor shoes of the same color as her, brushed past her, giving her a barely perceptible nod as she passed.

"Good morning."

Before Yukinoshita could return the greeting, the girl turned and went into the trumpet class.

Just as Yukinoshita was about to leave, she heard the familiar sound of an oboe. Out of curiosity, she followed the sound and saw a girl with loose hair, also a first-year student. She was sitting on a stool facing the window, with sheet music in front of her, practicing as if no one else was around.

This was the girl who had played the duet with Nozomi Kasaki that morning. Because Kasaki was so captivating, she hadn't really paid attention to this girl; she seemed quiet and not very talkative. Just as Yukinoshita was about to approach her, a hand grabbed her. It was a blonde girl with slightly exaggerated headwear—Yuko Yoshikawa.

“Yukinoshita-san, right? Don’t bother Mizore now. She’s not good at communicating. Even if you ask her, she won’t say anything,” Yoshikawa seemed a little nervous, clearly not wanting Yukinoshita to bother the girl. “Especially about Kasaki Nozomi, don’t bring it up in front of Mizore. If you have any questions, you can ask me.”

Yukinoshita raised her eyebrows knowingly and nodded in understanding.

"Well then, Yoshikawa-kun, you can come find me at the club or in the classroom when you have time. Goodbye."

Yukinoshita withdrew her hand and walked in the opposite direction.

Thanks to Qinglai, she gained a better understanding of wind instruments and learned that very few students played the oboe, not only because it was very difficult to learn, but also because of its high price. In contrast, the flute, a high-profile instrument that offered opportunities for performance and was affordable for ordinary families, was the most popular instrument.

Therefore, this first-year student named "Mizore" was never on the same path as Nozomi Kasaki from the very beginning.

Chapter 22 Snow Underneath and the Bickering Couple

noon

Yoshikawa carried the packed lunch to the door of Class 1-J and cautiously peeked inside. This was the international class, mostly filled with students who intended to study abroad or had previously studied abroad. It was the top class in Soubu High School. Yukino Yukinoshita was the best of the best because she consistently ranked first in her grades and was aloof. She was jokingly called a "high-mountain flower" by her classmates, including upperclassmen.

And she, Yoshikawa Yuko, is now going to this elite class to find that unattainable beauty.

Yoshikawa took a deep breath, about to grab a student from Class J for questioning, when he suddenly felt a chill beside his ear:

"You idiot, Yuko."

"Wow!"

Already a little nervous, Yoshikawa almost fell over at the entrance of Class J. She turned around angrily and saw the culprit holding a sandwich and milk from the school store, with one hand on his hip and grinning at her.

"What are you doing sneaking around here? Do you even know anyone from Class J?"

"Natsuki Nakagawa!" Yoshikawa stomped her foot, but the person in front of her was much taller than her, so she could only tilt her head back and put on an "I'm angry" expression. "Hmph, I'm not Natsuki, just a student in Class J..."

"Hmm? Is it really okay to say something like this in front of someone's classroom?" Nakagawa half-covered his lips with his hand, but couldn't hide his mischievous grin. He nudged Yoshikawa with his shoulder, indicating that the two girls who had just walked out of the classroom were looking at Yoshikawa with curious eyes as he spouted nonsense.

"Ah!" Yoshikawa's face suddenly turned bright red. Annoyed, she punched Nakagawa in the chest with her free hand, only to be met with his unrestrained laughter. "It's all because of you! Get out of my way!"

So the two, like bickering lovers, started arguing outside someone else's classroom.

Yukinoshita, who was about to leave the classroom to go to the Service Club for lunch, also noticed the commotion at the door. Looking through the glass window near the corridor, she saw Yoshikawa, whom she had met that morning, and another girl she didn't recognize, but Yukinoshita knew the other girl's name.

He's probably here to see her.

Yukino sighed softly, picked up her lunchbox, and walked towards the door.

"Yoshikawa-san," Yukinoshita said, standing behind Yoshikawa, "you came to see me, right?"

Nakagawa, who had been playfully fighting with Yoshikawa, noticed Yukinoshita's presence earlier. Yoshikawa, noticing that Yukinoshita had stopped, then noticed her behind her and quickly straightened her clothes.

"Greetings, Yukinoshita-kun!"

Before Yoshikawa could finish speaking, Nakagawa burst out laughing, seemingly mocking her choice of words.

Yoshikawa glared at Ogawa and continued, "I did come to see you. Regarding the topic from this morning, I think if you want to continue investigating, I have to tell you something."

Having clearly anticipated the other party's intentions, Yukinoshita quickly agreed and invited Yoshikawa to dine with her.

“If Yuko is going, I’ll go too,” Nakagawa, who had been silent until now, suddenly said.

"What are you talking about? Hurry up and go back to class."

Yoshikawa seemed to want the other person to stay, so he quickly gave Nakagawa a wink, but the other person pretended not to see it.

After thinking about it for a moment, Yukinoshita agreed to Nakagawa's request, since Nakagawa was also a member of the brass band.

While Yukinoshita led the way, Nakagawa leaned close to Yoshikawa's ear and whispered:

"How do you know Yukinoshita? I didn't know you had such social skills, Yuko?"

You should know that under the snow is a self-propelled refrigeration machine that can freeze most people's desire to strike up a conversation at least five meters away.

"Don't talk much while you're eating your sandwich, just listen."

Yoshikawa had no intention of explaining.

Nakagawa could only shrug and continue walking forward with an indifferent expression.

Upon reaching the Service Department, Yukinoshita unlocked the door with her key. The classroom, which hadn't been ventilated for a weekend, had a strange smell, and dust filled the air. Yukinoshita quickly walked to the window, where fresh air rushed in, blowing up the curtains and dispersing the dust in the classroom.

Please make yourself at home.

Most of the tables and chairs in the Service Department were stacked together, except for one long table and three chairs, which were moved out by several seniors when they came to ask them to. Thinking that there might be other guests, Yukinoshita did not put them back.

Ignoring the other two guests, Yukinoshita took the kettle and walked straight out, while Yoshikawa and Nakagawa exchanged a silent glance.

"She's just as aloof as the rumors say."

Nakagawa leaned back in his chair with a nonchalant air, putting his hands behind his head. "'Service Club,' so what does that have to do with Yuko?"

Although the words on the signboard might evoke negative connotations, it is, after all, a club founded by Yukinoshita, so it's unlikely to be just what the words mean.

"She has been entrusted by several senior colleagues and is currently investigating related matters."

Yoshikawa placed the lunchbox on the table, but sat upright, clearly waiting for Yukinoshita to return before eating.

"A commission? You mean that email?"

“No…” Yoshikawa paused for a moment, “Haven’t you heard? Aoi-senpai and Haruka-senpai came to ask Yukinoshita for help regarding the first-year students leaving the club.”

"Ah—," Nakagawa immediately showed a pessimistic expression, "This matter, they actually went to the trouble of—"

Nakagawa's words were interrupted by approaching footsteps, and she did not continue.

Yukino plugged in the kettle and sat back down in her usual spot. As she sat down, Yoshikawa and Nakagawa also started eating their lunch.

An awkward silence spread among the three of them. Normally, if it were just Yoshikawa and Nakagawa, there would never be an awkward silence, but unfortunately, even two little suns couldn't keep up with the high-powered operation of the refrigeration unit in front of them.

The silence continued until the three finished their lunch. It wasn't until Yukinoshita left to make tea that Yoshikawa and Nakagawa relaxed to a visible degree.

Yukinoshita placed disposable paper cups in front of the two of them. "Well then, let's begin."

Nakagawa immediately nudged Yoshikawa in the waist with his elbow, signaling her to speak up quickly.

Yoshikawa impatiently pushed Nakagawa's arm away and cleared his throat:

"Let me introduce you first. This is Natsuki Nakagawa, also a first-year student in the brass band, belonging to the bass section and playing the euphonium."

"Eulogy?"

After studying for these days, Yukinoshita learned that this is a very unpopular instrument because it is inconspicuous, and its sound is not as characteristic as that of the trumpet or trombone, nor as deep and thorough as that of the tuba.

“Yes, just like Asuka-senpai.” Yoshikawa nodded.

Nakagawa, however, added nonchalantly, "But it's a terrible exaggeration."

Yukinoshita couldn't help but show a surprised expression. Tanaka Asuka actually played the euphonium? If people are like musical instruments, then Kiyoyori in her mind is almost synonymous with the oboe, while that Tanaka-senpai is completely different from the euphonium.

"I'm here today to tell you something exactly."