I am only one world away from Yukinoshita.

"Is that so..."

Looking at the lights in his home, Qinglai gently placed his hand on the car door handle.

"So, just how much do you hate me?"

Yang Nai's eyes widened slightly, and she chuckled, "Probably a little less than what Xiao Qinglai thinks."

"Oh."

Kiyoshi opened the car door, leaving behind only a "goodnight" that was blown away by the wind.

P.S.: I wanted to sleep in, it's so painful to get out of bed in the morning, I kept yawning during rounds.

Chapter 54, Section 277: Words That Cannot Be Spoken

"Didn't sleep well?"

Looking at Kiyori, who was walking beside her and looked exhausted, Asuka tapped her dark circles with her finger.

"I guess so..." Kiyotaka covered his mouth with his hand, gave a delicate yawn, and his eyes were slightly moist. "Sorry."

"Kiyoshi didn't attend the after-festival last night, could he have taken the opportunity to go on a date with some girl?" Asuka teased him, but reached for the shoulder bag that was about to slip off Kiyoshi's shoulder.

Kiyotomi dodged to the side, "No, I didn't."

Asuka didn't insist and withdrew her hand, letting it hang at her side.

"Asuka didn't participate either."

Kiyoshi knew that Asuka never participated in any after-night festivals.

"I went yesterday!"

"Huh?"

Kiyoshi blinked in surprise.

She knew why Asuka didn't participate: it was because Aunt Aso didn't allow her to come home too late, and also because Asuka preferred to spend that time practicing the euphonium. However, Kiyoshi didn't know whether Aso disliked Asuka coming home late more or was just so focused on practicing the euphonium.

"Hmm~" Asuka gently curled the corners of her lips, "After all, it was Haruka and Kaori's enthusiastic invitation~ and the after-night festival was surprisingly good."

"Hmm." Qinglai raised an eyebrow knowingly.

I don't know what exactly made it "surprisingly good".

"You seem to be thinking about something rude?"

Asuka brought her face close to Kiyori's, as if she could see through Kiyori's subtle expression and know what he was thinking.

"nothing."

"So," Asuka nudged Kiyori lightly with her shoulder, "why didn't you sleep well last night?"

Kiyoyori let out a sigh, “...It’s nothing.”

Ever since glimpsing some of the truth behind Yukino's disguise, Kiyoyori found her mind seemingly crammed with the words "Yukinoshita." Even after peeling back the outermost veil, Kiyoyori still couldn't understand what role she played between those two seemingly complicated sisters. Reason told her she should retreat as usual, until she reached a safe distance, but—

Her body didn't seem to obey her as much as she had imagined, and neither did her mind.

So Qinglai couldn't sleep until the clock struck midnight and the sky began to lighten.

Perhaps she should stay away from people with the surname Xue.

Qinglai pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers in distress.

"It doesn't sound like 'nothing'," Asuka glanced deeply at Kiyori's worried face, then didn't press further. "The end of the cultural festival doesn't mean we can relax—"

“I know, the national competition.” Even though worries kept swirling around her, Kiyoyori still clearly saw the most important goal in front of her: “The gold medal.”

Mentioning playing instruments seemed to recharge her previously exhausted body. "Having come this far, I can't leave with any regrets," Kiyoyori clenched her fists and took a step forward. It was as if something was pushing her from behind. She took a deep breath. "Asuka, if we win the gold medal this time, can you—"

She turned her head to look at Asuka walking beside her, only to find that Asuka had been left behind.

"Asuka?"

Asuka stood a step behind Kiyoshi, one hand gripping the strap of her schoolbag, the other hanging naturally at her side. The wind gently brushed her hair, scattering everything. Kiyoshi had never realized that the other person's figure was so frail. The euphonium she carried on her back was so heavy, as if it could crush Asuka's body.

The words stuck in my throat could not be uttered.

She suddenly felt that it was a cruel thing to ask the other person to do something impossible.

That's selfish.

The eyes hidden behind the lenses held too many emotions that Qinglai couldn't understand, like the evening tide, soaking her ankles, drowning her chest, and devouring everything about her.

It made it impossible for her to breathe.

Asuka...

Kiyori turned around, intending to walk in Asuka's direction.

Her sun seemed to be getting further and further away from her.

Please don't leave me, please don't abandon me, please don't—

She pleaded so earnestly.

"Asuka..."

"Kiyori," Asuka didn't move; she simply stood there, staring straight at Kiyori.

"Don't come any closer."

Please don't look at me like that, please don't turn around, please don't come closer to me.

That's it, let me just watch your departing figure from afar.

"tomorrow--"

"We're almost at school, do you still want to turn back?" As if nothing had happened, Asuka strode forward, passing Kiyori, and naturally took Kiyori's hand, who was still in a daze. "Could it be that you've gone stupid from lack of sleep?"

Kiyoshi opened her mouth as if to speak, but looking at that familiar figure with flowing long hair, she swallowed all her words.

That's fine.

That's good...

"Oh, right," Asuka suddenly turned her head, causing the unsuspecting Kiyori to bump into her. The moment their noses collided, both of them let out a painful whimper.

"Well!"

"Honestly, how old are you and you're still so clumsy?"

The unexpected incident made both of them burst out laughing.

"sorry."

"I can't see any sign that you feel sorry."

They looked at each other and laughed, then covered their noses and made muffled sounds.

"If Asuka hadn't suddenly turned around, I wouldn't have bumped into her."

"Huh? Is Xiao Qinglai turning the tables on me?"

"Hey, hey, that's my line, isn't it..."

"Well, at least now Kiyotaka is definitely not sleepy at all."

"Thank you so much."

It seems that everything has returned to normal.

"Oh, right," Asuka lowered her hand from her nose, the tip of her nose still faintly red, "did Kiyori want to say something just now?"

Looking at the other person's smiling expression, Qing Lai felt a lump in his throat.

"what?"

"Just now, didn't Kiyora say something like, 'If we win the gold medal, Asuka, could you and I—'?"

Asuka mimicked Kiyori's tone in an affected manner, then crossed her arms and looked shy, "Kiyori isn't going to confess to me, is he? Like, 'If we win the gold medal, we'll be together!' or something!"

If they weren't on the side of the road, Kiyora would have loved to slap the other person's backpack in the face.

But the coldness in Asuka's eyes that he inadvertently caught made Kiyoyori feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

"If that's what I'm going to say, what should Asuka do?"

"Of course~" Asuka glanced at Kiyori with a teasing look, "I'll do everything I can to win the gold medal in the national tournament~"

“Pfft,” Kiyoyori couldn’t help but laugh out loud, “Liar.”

"Hmm~ In this respect, Kiyoshi and I are the same."

She smiled like a fox, which was her usual style.

"You'll be late if you don't hurry!"

Asuka took Kiyori's hand and jogged towards the school.

Please don't say it out loud, Qinglai, please don't say it out loud.

Because I'm afraid I won't be able to resist agreeing to your request, because I'm afraid I'll only be able to give you the most disappointing answer.

and so--

So I won't ask.

Because I know this is just a cage I use to imprison you.

Please forgive me.

………………

Asuka, if we win the gold medal this time, could you—

Wait for me at the music university.

P.S.: The National Tournament arc has officially begun. Please be mindful of the extent of the pay-to-win elements. Let me make it clear first: Asuka and Kiyoyori will not end up together, regardless of the "what if" scenario. I've hinted at their ending from the very beginning of this book. This arc may include side stories about Kiyoyori and Asuka's childhood. Also, any side stories within the main story volume will have some connection to the plot; side stories in side story volumes are generally just lighthearted treats.