I am only one world away from Yukinoshita.

Sagami still didn't raise her head; only faint sounds came from her direction.

The piece of paper in her hand seemed to have been crumpled even more.

"Who knows?" Kiyoyori looked at the seemingly still clouds in the sky with a puzzled expression. "I suddenly feel like blowing."

"It's over..."

But then I found that everything had changed.

"Unbelievable..."

Sagami gave her answer.

"Ah……"

Who said no.

P.S.: I'm late today, mainly because I was stood up by the doctor for more than an hour again, and I got home very late. I was shivering from the cold at the station, so tired.

Chapter 48, Section 271: Melodies of the Past

Kiyoyori had no liking for Sagami to begin with. She neither wanted to know what the other was doing there nor was she interested in why she was there. After a brief conversation, Kiyoyori focused her attention back on the euphonium in her hands, practicing the familiar melody over and over again like a beginner.

However, she could never be like Asuka.

The memories of learning the euphonium have been buried by the dust of time; it was so long ago, it can even be traced back to when I first met Asuka.

Almost all of them, I can't remember.

Slightly numb lips, somewhat stiff finger movements, and a mind adrift, seemingly without direction.

Aren't you going to ask me?

Sagami, with his head bowed, interrupted Kiyori's playing.

Kiyori stopped playing and looked at Sagami, who hadn't changed his posture. "What do you want?"

Sagami didn't speak, but awkwardly shifted his body, shrinking himself into a ball, as if this would allow him to avoid Kiyora's sharp gaze.

Kiyoyori stared at Sagami for a moment, then looked away, feeling bored. His distorted reflection was mirrored on the silver euphonium, every tiny expression magnified into an exaggerated grotesque face.

Compared to the quiet rooftop, the cultural festival activities on the ground were still in full swing. The noise and bustle would occasionally drift on the wind to the open-air passage where there were only two people, like mosquitoes that could not be driven away in summer, constantly circling around the ears.

However, the closer it gets to the end of school, the closer it gets to the end of the cultural festival.

“I have no interest in ‘why Sagami-senpai is here’ or ‘what Sagami-senpai is doing here’,” Kiyoyori leaned against the wall, his gaze lightly sweeping over Sagami, “I have no interest in ‘why Sagami-senpai is here’ or ‘what Sagami-senpai is doing here’.”

Without paying any attention to the other person's actions, Kiyoshi continued speaking, "The cultural festival is about to end. According to the usual custom, the president needs to go on stage to give a speech and announce the final voting results."

This is an unwritten rule of the Zongwu High School Cultural Festival: an audience voting session arranged to arouse everyone's interest. Although the prizes are just symbolic and not really a prize, they can still arouse everyone's competitive spirit as desired. Because social groups participate, the voting results must be announced on the spot during the festival, otherwise it would lose its meaning.

The results of this vote were known only to the chairman of the committee, Sagami.

Although she wasn't actually in charge.

"Still loitering around here at this hour? Has Sagami-senpai forgotten his job?"

Although the other party wasn't wandering around, they were just sitting there.

"Can't we just leave those kinds of things to Yukinoshita-san?" Sagami forced a mocking laugh from his throat, seemingly trying his best to cover up his trembling voice. "Anyway, Yukinoshita-san can do everything perfectly, so the committee and all that are unnecessary for me!"

Sagami's roar echoed across the empty rooftop, but Kiyoyori seemed unmoved by it.

She disguised herself as an abandoned stray cat, yet still insisted on clinging to that ridiculous, dispensable dignity.

“Indeed,” Kiyotaka shifted his position and hugged the euphonium tighter, “it’s just a vote result. If it were me, I could just forge one. Anyway, no one would know. Such a result is just a gimmick. As long as the goal is achieved, I don’t care about the process.”

In this results-oriented society, the process is not as important as one might imagine. People tend to focus more on successful people than on those who shout "I tried" but failed.

"I tried my best," but that's all in the past.

“However,” Kiyoyori changed the subject, his words revealing a hint of helplessness towards that person, “Yukinoshita-senpai would definitely not allow it, after all, that’s the kind of person she is.”

"Then why not just let Yukino be the student council president?!"

Sagami finally raised his head, and Kiyora also caught a glimpse of the other's reddened eyes. "When you offered yourself, you pretended to refuse, and then accepted my request. Were you deliberately trying to make a fool of me?!"

"Sagami-senpai!" Kiyoyori unconsciously raised his voice, but lowered it again after seeing the other's startled expression. "Whether or not to volunteer to become the president is a personal choice. Yukinoshita-senpai did not force you to be the president. Whether or not to come to the Service Club was also Sagami-senpai's choice. And you came to the Service Club because you hoped that Yukinoshita-senpai would accept the request, didn't you?"

Sagami was speechless. She clutched the note in her hand tightly, her lips trembling slightly.

"Her goal is to make this cultural festival a success, which has nothing to do with whether she is the president or not."

The cool breeze of early autumn still carried the lingering heat of late summer, but Sagami felt that even the sound of the wind blowing over them was mocking them mercilessly.

Yes, Yukinoshita was right. Wasn't this something she already knew?

Kiyoyori glanced at the slip of paper Sagami was clutching in his hand. "Is that the election result?"

Sagami glanced at his hand instinctively and hid it behind his back. "I'm not going to the auditorium! If you want results, take this paper!"

Kiyoyori paused for a moment, then looked at the other party's insincere behavior. "Of course, then please give me the voting results, Sagami-senpai. I will deliver them to Yukinoshita-senpai."

Sagami paused, seemingly surprised that Kiyori would agree like that, and a conflicted expression immediately appeared on her face. "I..."

“Ha…” Kiyoyori, who could tell at a glance that Sagami was being hypocritical, did not press the matter further. He withdrew his outstretched hand and firmly held the heavy instrument. “Sagami-senpai, if you really want to hide, don’t go to a place where you can be easily discovered.”

After a long silence, Sagami suddenly asked, "What was the name of the tune you just played?"

"Sound! Euphonium"

"Can I blow it again...?"

"Extremely happy to."

As the melody played again, vague images appeared before Kiyoyori's eyes:

At dusk, the lawn swayed in the evening breeze, and the river water was dyed orange by the setting sun. The warm afterglow fell on two small figures sitting side by side on the riverbank. Intermittent syllables were mixed with crisp laughter, a euphonium was being held tightly in someone's arms, and there were bright eyes behind those red-rimmed glasses.

The unrestrained smile on their lips back then was a past they could never return to.

I don't know when, but Sagami had already left.

The door to the passageway opened again, revealing Asuka leaning against the wall with a smile on her face.

"You've regressed."

She crossed her arms, her expression obscured by the shadow cast by the eaves.

"I'm sorry, I touched Asuka's instrument without permission."

Asuka is a very territorial person, and Kiyoyori has always been well aware of this.

"Didn't Kiyoyori see it? I'm replying to your message."

Upon hearing this, Kiyoshi took out his phone, and as soon as he opened it, he saw his conversation with Asuka.

The message I sent has been marked as read, and a short message follows immediately below it:

"Sure."

P.S.: It's already December before we know it, and this year is almost over. I hope 2021 will start with a peaceful year~——A wish from a working stiff who doesn't want to work overtime in the hospital.

Yes, I've been really busy lately...

Chapter 49, Section 272: The Celebration of the Afternoon Festival

The cultural festival ended without anyone noticing. Kiyoyori didn't know what happened in the auditorium, nor did she care whether she went back to Sagami. Only she and Asuka were left in the empty music classroom. During this time, Takigaki, who was attracted by the sound of the wind instruments, came by once, but he only mentioned "rest day" and left.

When I came to my senses, the school building had become quiet, and even the once lively pre-festival had ended.

Kiyoyori declined Asuka's suggestion to attend the after-night festival with the others and headed towards the Service Club with his bag.

Although she hadn't contacted Yukinoshita or Hachiman since noon, and given their aversion to crowds, they certainly wouldn't be attending any gatherings, Kiyoyori had a premonition that even so late, she would still run into them here—

The door to the clubroom was indeed open, and the conversation inside could be heard even from outside the door; Yuihama's laughter had a magical power that could penetrate walls.

"Sorry to bother you."

The people inside turned to look at Qinglai at the door.

"Oh dear! Kiyoshi hasn't come home yet!"

A glint of light flashed in Yuihama's eyes as she looked at Kiyoyori as if she had seen a savior.

"Ok?"

There was clearly something in the other person's eyes that Kiyotsugu needed to capture, but having just arrived, she obviously didn't understand what Yuihama was trying to convey.

"Yo, good evening."

Hikigaya waved to Kiyoyori with the hand that was still holding the pen. There was also a notebook next to him, so he was obviously finishing up the rest of his work.

If even Hikigaya, who was in the logistics department, had left work to do, then Yukinoshita was even less likely to. She simply looked up and nodded to Kiyori before quickly returning to work, placing the documents in front of her into the neatly stacked pile of documents on her right.

"Hey, Kiyoshi, don't you think we should go celebrate today?"

Kiyoyori walked to his seat and sat down, looking at Yuihama with a strange expression. "What are we celebrating?"

“Really! Of course it’s to celebrate the successful conclusion of the cultural festival! And—” Yuihama held her teacup and leaned closer to Kiyori, “Today is the cultural festival! It’s a cultural festival that only happens once a year!”

“Ha…” Kiyoyori smiled and leaned back. She quickly glanced at Hikigaya and noticed his furtive gaze, then quickly looked away.

Presumably, since Yuihama-senpai couldn't persuade the other two to attend the after-night festival, she grabbed him to help.

but……

Kiyoyori looked at Yukinoshita, who was diligently working on the documents, with a puzzled expression.

Generally speaking, Yuihama's coquettishness is unstoppable even under the snow, and the other one doesn't seem to have completely rejected the suggestion either.

"Ahem," Yukinoshita gently reminded Yuihama, "Tachibana-san has also had a busy day. If she wants to go out and celebrate, she can do so anytime, but it's just the few of us..."

"Huh? But didn't Yuki just say that as long as Kiyora agrees—"

Kiyoshi blinked in surprise. "Sure."