I am only one world away from Yukinoshita.

The vehicles on the road stopped steadily behind the white line under the guidance of the traffic lights. The light on the other side of the road, which indicated that it was safe to pass, lit up. The human-shaped light made up of small lights seemed to be moving forward, but in fact, it was stuck in place.

"Let's go, senior."

Holding Yukino's soft, slender wrist, Kiyotaka walked steadily towards the other side of the road.

The sound of traffic seemed to fade away at that moment, and the warmth in my palms gradually disappeared.

The warmth that had been gently held in my hand vanished as the traffic light turned red again.

P.S.: Today was my company's annual party. I spent the whole afternoon splashing around in the water, it was so much fun!

Chapter 51, Section 274: The Sisters' War

When I left the restaurant, it was already late, but the still bustling streets were not as quiet as they were under the cover of night, especially with an older single woman clinging to a bottle of liquor at the entrance, refusing to leave.

"I can still drink!"

As if afraid that people wouldn't hear her clearly, Hiratsuka Shizuka shouted at the top of her lungs, as if she were relaying a message to someone on the other side of the mountain.

Her face, flushed from the alcohol, rested on Hinano's shoulder, which was supporting her, and she gazed unsteadily at the students' location.

"Xiaojing, you can't drink anymore, you have to go to work tomorrow~"

With one hand supporting Hiratsuka Shizuka's waist, Yang Nai quickly dialed a number on his phone and instructed the person on the other end to come and pick up Hiratsuka Shizuka.

"Going to work, going to work... Damn it! That boss—"

Hiratsuka Shizuka muttered to herself, completely losing her usual composure at school; she was utterly devoid of any semblance of dignity.

Although she doesn't usually care much about her image, otherwise she wouldn't—

"Hey! Tachibana over there!" Although Hiratsuka Shizuka's eyes were unfocused, she somehow still maintained a keen sense of awareness. "Were you thinking something very rude just now?!"

Qinglai waved his hands frantically, "No, no."

"Hmph?" Hiratsuka Shizuka shook the sake bottle with only a sip left in her hand. "Never mind! Tachibana, you take Yukinoshita home later."

"what?"

Kiyoshi glanced at Yukino standing beside her. She wasn't standing next to Haruno, and her gaze wasn't on Haruno either. Instead, she stared blankly at the sign of an izakaya (Japanese pub) not far away.

"Yukinoshita-senpai's apartment is in the opposite direction from my house, and there's a Haruno—" Kiyoyori suddenly paused, unable to pronounce Haruno's name completely. It was not hard to tell from Yukinoshita's attitude that she was somewhat averse to Haruno, while Kiyoyori was quite certain that Haruno liked her younger sister very much.

What is it?

"Ah, no..." Kiyoyori was unsure whether he should get involved in the sisters' relationship. "Yukinoshita-senpai's older sister is here too, wouldn't it be more convenient for her to take senpai home?"

Yang didn't speak, but stared intently at Kiyoyori with a mysterious smile.

Hiratsuka Shizuka sighed, her eyes seeming to rebuke Kiyori's unusual stupidity, "Tachibana, you really don't know how to seize an opportunity!"

Is she genuinely slow-witted or just pretending?

Hiratsuka Shizuka began to doubt her initial assumptions.

"By the way, Hachiman and Yuihama, you're both taking the train home, right?" Since Hachiman was with his younger sister, Hiratsuka Shizuka didn't want him to take Yuihama home. Totsuka and Zaimokuza, on the other hand, went back to school to get their bicycles since they rode their own bikes to school.

The cool night breeze seemed to transform her from a drunken, older single woman back into a reliable teacher. "Then you should all go home early. Send me a message when you get home."

As a teacher, protecting students is her duty.

“Understood. Well then,” Hikigaya nodded to Hiratsuka Shizuka and Haruno, “we’ll take our leave now.”

Although only four women remained after he left, he wasn't worried, after all—

Compared to these four people, his combat skills are probably the lowest...

He then turned to Yukinoshita and Kiyori, "See you at school tomorrow."

After saying goodbye, the three of them gradually disappeared into the night.

"Would Yukino like to come home with me?"

The atmosphere seemed to freeze instantly. It was unclear which word in the sentence had touched a nerve, but Yukinoshita's once healthy rosy cheeks turned deathly pale under the neon lights, and Kiyoshiro, standing next to her, also felt her body stiffen.

A second seemed to stretch to infinity; Kiyoshi could even hear the drawn-out trailing sound of the second hand on his wristwatch.

"Since my sister has also had a drink, there's no need to trouble her."

If it weren't for the word "older sister," Kiyoyori might have thought that Yukinoshita was talking to someone she didn't know well, like a polite scene between two people after a dinner party in the workplace.

"It's okay, I can have a driver pick us up."

Yang Nai smiled and took out her phone, deliberately waving it in front of Yukinoshita.

"It's so late, don't bother the driver. I can go back to my apartment by myself."

She emphasized the word "apartment".

This awkward conversation made Kiyori want to turn around and run away, but Hiratsuka Shizuka's gaze remained fixed on her, as if an invisible force was suppressing Kiyori's restless desire to escape, forcing her to stay in place.

Like a rabbit being eyed by a lion, Kiyoshi suddenly felt that the autumn evening breeze was as cold as the northwest wind.

I want to go home...

Compared to the one-sided "battle" on this side, the Yukino sisters' side has a trend of "either erupting in silence or perishing in silence." In their silent confrontation, Haruno is clearly superior, but Yukino also has a tenacity that is no less than her opponent's.

Kiyoyori looked pleadingly at Hiratsuka Shizuka, whose eyes had cleared, but all he received was a helpless shake of her head.

These two sisters seem to dislike each other, but in reality, they can't let go of each other at all, whether it's Haruno's almost twisted way of liking someone or Yukinoshita's persistent pursuit of her sister's back.

As the culprit, Haruno needs to start with the one who tied the knot to clear up Yukino's misunderstanding of her.

From an angle out of sight of Yukino and Kiyori, Hiratsuka Shizuka gently patted Haruno's back, signaling her to stop.

Yukinoshita Haruno is like that, not only towards her younger sister, but also towards Kiyori.

The misunderstanding between them couldn't be cleared up in just a few words.

"I'm here to take you home, senior."

After hesitating for a moment, Kiyoyori gave his answer.

Yukino turned her head in surprise to look at Kiyoshiro, not expecting him to compromise.

"There's no need to force yourself, Tachibana-san," Yukinoshita said, not wanting to trouble this junior who disliked trouble, as she couldn't see the other's expression clearly. "I'm not a child. I can manage to go home by myself."

Does someone who gets lost even walking from school have the right to say that?

Of course, this was just Kiyoyori's inner rant.

“It’s not forced, it’s just the best decision we’ve made considering the current situation,” Kiyoyori said, looking away from Yukino’s clear eyes. “It’s getting late, and Hiratsuka-sensei has been drinking and is waiting for someone to pick her up. So we need someone to take care of her until she’s picked up. Haruno is the best choice, but it’s not a solution for us to keep waiting here.”

“Furthermore,” Kiyotaka paused, “my mother seems to be having dinner at a hotel near Yukinoshita-senpai’s house. I can go home with her later.”

"Is that so?" Yukinoshita narrowed her eyes, seemingly wanting to expose Kiyori's clumsy lie.

"That's it."

Kiyoshi's tone was calm, making his lie seem flawless.

P.S.: The Cultural Festival storyline is almost over, and the upcoming National Tournament might be a bit bittersweet compared to the sweet Cultural Festival. I've been really looking forward to writing about this part, but I'm having some writer's block right now. By the way, Asuka and Kiyori are the main characters in the National Tournament storyline; Yukino's appearances will be significantly reduced compared to the Cultural Festival. After the National Tournament, the focus will be on Yukino's story. If you're concerned about this, you can wait until I finish writing about the National Tournament before reading. But don't forget to subscribe automatically while you're waiting for more chapters to unfold!

Chapter 52 Her Selfish Motives (Section 275)

Walking on the quiet street, only the sound of their footsteps and their shadows, sometimes long and sometimes short, could be heard.

Kiyotomi walked slowly beside Xuexia, keeping a distance that was neither too close nor too far, on the side closest to the road. The angle from her slightly behind allowed her to shamelessly admire her delicate profile. Unfortunately, on this night with only the cold moonlight, she could only appreciate that fleeting beauty by the dim light of the streetlights.

Perhaps such a gaze was a bit too blatant, so Yukino turned her head slightly and glanced at her junior who was clearly in a daze behind her.

"Have you seen enough?"

Unable to bear it any longer, Yukinoshita spoke up to remind her, her clear, cold voice like a cool evening breeze.

A strange shyness crept into her heart. This wasn't the first time she had been looked at like this. Rather, she had become accustomed to the gazes of others. Yet, for some reason, even the slightly cool autumn breeze couldn't dispel the heat gathering around her ears. Yukinoshita awkwardly brushed her long hair behind her ear.

Unable to hear Kiyoshiro's reply for a long time, Yukinoshita turned around unhappily, only to see Kiyoshiro stop and look back, but there were only occasional passing vehicles and nothing special there.

"Tachibana-san?"

Kiyora then looked at Yukinoshita as if she had just realized what was wrong, senpai.

It seemed that this person hadn't heard her speak, and Yukinoshita felt a sense of relief for some reason.

"Is it okay for you not to go home so late?"

Yukinoshita knew that Kiyori had only agreed to travel with her to help her out of a predicament, but she couldn't discern the dubious pretext. Kiyori was a master liar, and if it was a lie, Yukinoshita preferred to believe another explanation; she felt uneasy about harboring such thoughts.

Kiyoyori Tachibana's request is proving to be more demanding than I've imagined.

"It's okay, I already messaged my mother."

Perhaps this time is just the beginning of the night for adults, but it is indeed a bit late for students who have to go to school the next day. However, Kiyoshi, who often accompanies Carol to parties, is already used to it.

"Thank you."

Kiyoshi paused for a moment, then gently curled the corners of his lips, "The third time."

Upon hearing this, Yukinoshita also stopped in her tracks.

“I just did what I wanted to do,” Kiyoyori said with a slightly mischievous smile as he looked at Yukinoshita. “I am flattered by your thanks, senpai.”

Realizing she was being teased, Yukino immediately showed displeasure. "It's just normal social politeness."

"Yes Yes."

Kiyoshiro shrugged indifferently and walked side by side with Yukino towards the apartment. The two chatted casually, deliberately avoiding Haruno, who was a sensitive topic for both of them.

"Has the time and location for the national competition been confirmed?"

“Yes, it used to be in Nagoya, but this year it’s supposedly moved to Kyoto. It should be in early October,” Kiyoyori recalled the firsthand information he got from Touko and the mysterious smile on Touko’s face when he asked about it. No matter how he thought about it, something seemed fishy. “Are you very interested in the National Tournament, Senpai?”

"That's it."

Yukinoshita nodded without denying it.