I am only one world away from Yukinoshita.

Asuka smiled and, as usual, patted Kiyora's fluffy head, while Kiyora, who was looking down, saw Asuka's trembling legs.

"Asuka...?"

Just as Kiyoshi was about to raise his head, the hand on his head forcefully pressed it down again.

"If you dare to look, I curse you to never find a girlfriend for the rest of your life."

The malicious words, spoken with a slightly nasal tone, sounded unusually pleasant at that moment.

“Hey, Kiyoshiro, say it again.”

"I do not want."

"Say it again~".

"Um...I...I like you..."

Say it again.

"Ugh! You're so annoying! I like you!"

“Yes, I like Kiyori the most too,” Asuka pulled Kiyori’s head into her arms and whispered in her ear, “as family, as a partner.”

“Oh…” Kiyoshi grabbed Asuka’s school uniform by the waist.

"Um... I'm sorry to bother you..." Saito stood awkwardly by the window, his eyes darting away, not daring to look at the two people embracing tightly downstairs.

Kiyoshi pulled away from Asuka's embrace as if he'd been electrocuted, while Asuka clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction.

The atmosphere is completely ruined...

"Asuka, Mr. Ikeda wants to see you. It's about the mock exam..."

Asuka's playful expression vanished, replaced by a serious one. "Excuse me, Kiyoyori, I need to leave for a bit."

Before Kiyoyori could answer, Asuka hurriedly ran into the teaching building.

Kiyoshi lowered his half-raised hand and belatedly felt ashamed of his bold behavior.

"what--"

What did she say...?

Kiyoshi covered his face with his arm, but couldn't help laughing.

P.S.: Okay, that's enough angst. Actually, Asuka is still the one who understands things better.

Chapter 85 Heavy Rain (Section 323)

After school that day, Asuka unexpectedly returned to the brass band with her euphonium in her arms. Kiyoyori was later told that Asuka had made a deal with her mother: if her overall ranking in the mock exam was high enough to get her into Tokyo University, her mother would allow her to return to the brass band and participate in the national competition.

The reason for keeping it a secret was to prevent others from having hope only to be disappointed.

She has always done a very good job in this area.

Life seemed to have returned to its most mundane state. Although Kiyoshi was somewhat shy about facing Asuka for a long time after they had talked things out, Asuka always found a reason to be with Kiyoshi, and over time, she got used to it.

..................................................................

"Has Asuka-senpai's matter been resolved?"

Kiyoyori felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around to see Reina holding a bento box. He then moved to the other side of the bench.

"Isn't Reina having lunch with Huang Qian today?"

Reina paused for a moment as she opened the bento box, then slowly said, "Kumiko has been eating in the bass section these past two days."

"Hmph~" Kiyotaka put the hamburger patty into his mouth, trying to hide the upturned corners of his mouth with the chewing motion. "Is this jealousy?"

Upon hearing this, Reina glared at Kiyora, who was smirking, and cleared her throat. "'I've always liked Asuka the most!'"

"puff--"

Kiyoshi was caught off guard and choked on the water. He coughed awkwardly while looking at Reina, who was calmly eating lunch.

"Why... cough cough, Reina—cough!"

"Who knows?"

Reina then gave a mischievous smile. "Kiyoshi can say things like that? It's rare to see him so honest."

Qinglai choked until his neck turned red, but when he heard those words, he suddenly paused, as if he remembered something, and fell silent for a moment.

"Chiang Lai?"

"Speaking of which," Kiyoyori said, feeling a bit better, as he continued eating after being interrupted, "I also have to thank Reina for this. Without Reina, I probably wouldn't have had the courage. Thank you."

Reina blinked in surprise, "Kiyori was unexpectedly straightforward today."

“Now we can finally enter the National Tournament in our best form,” Reina took a deep breath. “If Kiyoshi carries that unmotivated and depressed attitude into the National Tournament and causes us to perform poorly, I will not forgive you.”

Reina was still the same as before, but Kiyoyori was worried for some reason. He didn't know where this worry came from or what it was about.

...............................................................

"It's raining so hard outside today."

Having just left the practice room, Asuka and Kiyori walked into the kitchen one after the other, took out a pair of brand-new mugs, poured in freshly brewed coffee, and the slightly bitter aroma immediately filled the entire living room.

Asuka walked to the French windows and quietly watched as large raindrops pounded against the glass, making a dull thud. Kiyora, on the other hand, leaned against the wall, staring blankly out the window.

"Are you alright?" Asuka walked over and pinched Kiyori's cheek with her fingers. "It's that time of year again."

"While it's nice to be able to rest during a heavy rain, it's still more convenient to go out on a sunny day."

Asuka said meaningfully.

Qinglai shook his head.

"The flowers have changed."

Following Asuka's gaze, Kiyoyori saw the Italian white sunflowers in the vase placed in the center of the dining table.

“Ah,” Kiyotaka chuckled, “Mom bought these. She brought them home yesterday. I think she found an old photo album while tidying up the cupboard yesterday and couldn’t resist buying the flowers.”

"Aunt Yuanzi today..."

Knowing what Asuka wanted to ask, Kiyoyori simply shook his head. "It seems a former student invited her to a party, and she went to Tokyo today."

"Doesn't Kiyoyori need to go?"

"Hmm? Tokyo? I don't know many of Mom's students."

“No,” Asuka put the mug aside and crossed her arms, “the cemetery.”

"Didn't you used to make time to go often?"

Kiyotomi held the mug, her eyes flickered, and then she showed a relieved expression. "I haven't thought about you, teacher, for a long time."

"I can hardly remember even her smiling face anymore."

"Asuka, am I being a little heartless?"

Asuka stepped forward and gently hugged Kiyori. "That's good."

“To be honest, I was surprised by myself,” Kiyoshi said. He was a little shorter than Asuka, and could just rest his chin on her shoulder. “Forgetting, it turns out, is such a simple and quick thing.”

"If only I had known sooner."

“Besides,” Kiyoshi took a deep breath, making his voice sound more relaxed, “today is the wedding anniversary of Teacher and Noboru. I shouldn’t interfere on such a day.”

Why weren't you this self-aware before?

Asuka maintained her embrace of Kiyori, protecting him with her hands.

"It's a kind of obsession; I can't let go of it, and I can't forget it."

"now what?"

"The teacher has passed away..."

Even if you can't let go, you should learn to let go.

Since you can't forget it, then remember it in your heart.

"If Aunt Touko knew that Kiyoyori thought this way, she would be very happy."

Asuka patted Kiyora's head, walked to the sofa and sat down, stretching out her limbs freely. Just then, Dango came over, and Asuka scooped it up and placed it on her lap, stroking it intermittently.

"What about Kosaka-san? You've kept this from her for so long, isn't it time to tell her the truth?"

Not many people around Kiyoshi knew Chihiro, especially not those who knew that Chihiro was Takishiro's ex-wife. Kiyoshi once regarded it as an untouchable scar in his heart, and very few people would bring it up.

“Hmm,” Kiyotaka felt a slight sting on his skin from holding the mug for so long. He put the mug aside and rubbed his hands together gently. “Let’s wait until after the National Tournament. The National Tournament is just around the corner. Telling Reina about this will only make her waver.”

Asuka didn't stop petting the cat. "But I have to remind Kiyoshi that the feeling of being told something voluntarily and being forced to tell someone is completely different. Someone like Kousaka probably has a lower tolerance for deception and concealment than the average person."

"By the way, Kousaka cares a lot about Taki-sensei, doesn't she? She even stood up for him before."

Asuka abruptly changed the subject, veerging towards gossip, "She wouldn't—!"

Kiyoshi suddenly fell silent, as if remembering something. "It's probably just ordinary admiration. After all, Taki-sensei is very talented in music."

"Hmph~?" Asuka's mischievous gaze made Kiyori involuntarily look away. "I think so too, after all—"

"Our euphonium player is also very eye-catching."

P.S.: I'm on duty tomorrow, so no updates. I had a lucky day today, hehe!

Chapter 86, Section 324: Goodbye First Love

"Huh? What does Reina look like?"

One day at noon, Kiyoyori, who was unexpectedly caught by Huang Qian in the oboe club, was suddenly asked strange questions.

"Hmm..." Huang Qian pressed his temples with his fingers in distress. "How should I put it... she just doesn't respond when I talk to her, and she always refuses when I ask her to go home together. I haven't done anything lately, or rather, I've hardly spoken at all, but I don't know why... it seems like I've upset her."