I am only one world away from Yukinoshita.

"Um..."

After leaving the music store, Asuka didn't go home. Instead, she went to her secret practice spot, which was under the bridge by the riverbank. It was a place her mother didn't usually go, so it was safe for her to practice there.

As always, she sat in the shade under the bridge, where she was perfectly shielded from the scorching sun.

Clumsy notes flowed slowly from the euphonium.

Indeed, as Makoto said, the piece recorded in the sheet music that was sent to her home along with the euphonium was still too difficult for Asuka at this point.

"Hey……"

Suddenly, a black figure darted out from the side. It was a child with short hair, a face covered in dirt, and a white T-shirt covered in dust. He looked as dirty as if he had just crawled out of the bushes.

The child quickly ran to Asuka's side, curled up into a ball, and squatted down next to Asuka, close to the wall.

Just as Asuka was frowning and about to dodge, she saw the dirty child hurriedly waving his hands, then putting his hands together in a "please" expression.

Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that the child was quite pretty, with some baby fat still lingering on his cheeks, and a pair of bright, sparkling blue eyes that seemed to hold the stars and the sea.

"Where did that guy go?!"

The shouts of other children could be heard from the road along the riverbank.

"Boss, she looks like she ran that way!"

The disordered footsteps sounded like they were heading towards the bottom of the bridge.

Asuka watched the children make a shushing gesture, and for some reason, she silently shielded them behind her, blocking the children's view.

Only after the group had walked away in a long, orderly fashion did the child peek out.

"Hehe, thank you, big sister," the little child said in a sweet, childlike voice that made everyone want to dote on her. "Big sister, you're so pretty!"

Asuka, whose practice had been interrupted, looked at the other person's innocent smile, and for a moment, the words of blame stuck in her throat.

"Sister, what's your name?"

"Asuka, Asuka Tanaka."

For some reason, looking into those deep blue eyes, Asuka couldn't feel a trace of dislike, even though the other person was dirty and had disturbed her practice.

"Asuka," the little girl said, her voice slightly lisp. She grinned, revealing a bright white tooth with a missing one, looking a little silly, "and the pretty lady's name is pretty too!"

"My name is Kiyoyori, Tachibana Kiyoyori!"

"I'm going to become Ultraman and defeat the big bad guy!"

Eh?

Asuka blinked.

This little guy,

Doesn't it look kind of cute?

P.S.: Your sweet little angel Kiyora is here! There are four chapters of Kiyora and Asuka reminiscing about their childhood, which are considered side stories, but also related to the current main story. In short, Kiyora is very cute in these chapters, so please cherish them.

Chapter 73, Section 310: Fragments of the Past (Part Two)

Why were they chasing you just now?

Asuka, holding the euphonium, moved back slightly.

Kiyoshi seemed completely oblivious to her intentions, and reached out his dirty hand to touch the silver euphonium.

"Don't touch it!"

Clutching her precious euphonium tightly to her chest, Asuka glared at Kiyori, using her eyes to stop her from getting any closer.

"How stingy," Qinglai said without pressing the issue. "I have so many at home, all sparkly. I know what they are, they're euphoniums!"

Compared to instruments like the flute and trumpet, the euphonium is not well-known, and even people who don't study wind instruments might not know that such an instrument exists.

This child seems to be more than he appears.

How do you know about the euphonium?

“What’s there to not know?” Kiyoyori seemed quite dismissive of it. “By the way, sister, do you have any money with you? I lost my wallet, could you lend me some?”

Children's thinking is very jumpy. One second they are talking about musical instruments, and the next second they are talking about borrowing money.

"What do you need the money for?" Asuka instinctively clutched her pocket. "Wait, you haven't answered my question yet."

“I have so many musical instruments at home! I’ve seen the same ones you have, but they’re all gold,” Kiyora pressed closer to Asuka, “Big sister, can I borrow some money? I’ll pay you back next time~”

Asuka then noticed that the girl had one hand covering her chest, and there seemed to be a bulge under her thin white shirt.

"What did you hide in your clothes?"

"Huh? You mean it?"

A fluffy head popped out from Kiyoyori's collar. The white fur was without a single blemish. It was a kitten that looked like it hadn't been weaned yet. Its eyes were half-open, and it meowed softly at Asuka.

For a moment, Asuka suddenly felt that the two little ones in front of her had a strange resemblance.

But she quickly realized, "You shouldn't have hidden the kitten in your clothes. What if you have an allergic reaction? The kitten might have fleas, what if they get on you!"

Without saying a word, Asuka grabbed the kitten by the neck and pulled it out of Kiyori's clothes.

Kiyoshi blinked his big eyes, seemingly not understanding what she was saying.

With a silent sigh, Asuka reached out and pulled up Kiyora's stretched collar. "Is this why he was being chased?"

"They're going to bully the kitten!"

Is the kitten hurt?

“No,” Kiyoyori tilted his head and thought for a moment, “I rescued the kitten before they could bully it!”

The girl puffed out her chest, seemingly proud of it, "But it's hungry."

Asuka couldn't help but smile, handed the kitten back to Kiyoyori, and then packed up her euphonium. "Alright then, I'll take you to buy some food for the kitten. After we're done, you have to be a good girl and go home to take a bath."

"it is good!"

Asuka carefully wiped Kiyora's hands and face with a tissue before taking the child's hand and walking toward the convenience store with satisfaction.

Do you know what kittens eat?

"milk?"

"No, this kitten's stomach isn't big enough for milk. It will vomit. It can only drink formula."

Kiyoshi followed behind Asuka, listening to her rambling on about the precautions for taking care of kittens, but he let it go in one ear and out the other, his mind filled with thoughts of how beautiful this older sister was.

He's also very smart.

After feeding the kittens, it was almost time to finish eating. Asuka and Kiyori hurriedly found a place that sheltered stray animals, and only after confirming that the staff there could take good care of the kittens did they leave reluctantly.

Oh no, I forgot to visit the new neighbors!

Asuka was a little anxious, but she couldn't just leave the little guy following behind her on the side of the road.

"Sister, come to my house to play. My mom will cook lots of delicious food."

"Sister, I haven't paid back the money I owe you yet. Come home with me, and I'll have my mom pay you back."

"elder sister……"

"elder sister……"

The little boy behind her kept talking like a machine gun. Asuka turned around irritably and reached out to pinch Kiyori's lips with her fingers.

"Say that again and I'll sew your mouth shut!"

"Waaaaah—!"

Asuka reluctantly released Kiyori's mouth, "What exactly do you want?"

"My house has so many musical instruments! And a soundproof room! It's huge!"

Kiyoshi drew a circle with his short arm to indicate how big his practice room was.

Asuka was a little tempted. Based on Kiyoshi's knowledge of musical instruments and her talent for humming along when she accidentally saw her own sheet music, she was certain that the little kid was telling the truth.

But I haven't finished the task my mother assigned me yet, what should I do...?

"I'll take you home first."

Let's get this nagging little guy home first...

Along the way, Asuka seemed to get used to Kiyoshi's nagging and would respond from time to time. She asked Kiyoshi to lead the way, but found that the surrounding scenery was becoming more and more familiar. It wasn't until the little boy pointed to his house number and said that he was home that she realized that the Japanese-style building next to her was actually her house.

So this little guy is the neighbor's child who just moved in?

Isn't this visit a bit too casual? Besides, the gifts Mom asked for are still at home!

Before Asuka could even think of what to say, Kiyoshi had already rang her own doorbell. She gripped Asuka's hand tightly, giving her no chance to escape.

The door was opened, and a blond, blue-eyed foreigner appeared in view, speaking fluent Japanese.

"You little rascal! Where have you been running off to again?!"

Asuka watched as Kiyori's soft cheeks were mercilessly pinched by the foreign woman's fingers.

"Waaaaah!"

"Look at yourself! Do you act like a girl at all?!"

Kiyoshi confronted Carol with a snarling grin, showing no sign of yielding.

"Um...Ms. Tachibana?"

Carol then noticed the slightly older girl holding Kiyora's hand. "Carol, Carol Spencer, who are you?"

“Hello, Ms. Spencer, I’m Asuka, who lives next door in the Tanaka family.” Asuka was a little nervous meeting a foreigner for the first time, but she still greeted Carol calmly and subtly hid Kiyoyori behind her back. “It’s like this, I met Kiyoyori by the riverbank earlier. She got dirty while protecting the kitten. Please don’t punish her.”

Carol looked at the girl in front of her who was pretending to be calm, and then at her daughter who was hiding behind the girl and secretly peeking at her.

"It seems that Kiyotaka went out to do some chivalrous deeds again today. Thank you for taking her home. Why don't you come in and sit down? Since we're neighbors, we'll definitely be spending a lot of time together in the future."

Carol's voice was very magnetic, completely unlike the tone she used when she was reprimanding Qinglai.