I am only one world away from Yukinoshita.

"Because I don't want you to get hurt."

Kumiko's voice was unusually calm. She didn't know when she had learned to pretend like Asuka-senpai.

“I know, Kumiko, you’re actually quite similar to Kiyori in some ways…”

Unsurprisingly, Kumiko heard Kiyoyori's name and clenched her fists.

"But even so, I hope you can tell me."

Nobody likes being overdue, especially Reina Kousaka.

"Sorry……"

A sour taste filled her nostrils, and Reina felt her vision suddenly blur, even Kumiko, who was standing not far away, became blurry.

She clearly cared so much about Kumiko, so why could Kumiko deceive her so easily? She cared so wholeheartedly about the other person, so why could she still apologize so calmly at this moment?

She turned away, unwilling to look at Kumiko any longer.

"It was the first time I realized how vulnerable I was."

The sobbing could no longer be concealed.

"When I found out he had a wife, I was really shaken."

step.

"She even took her anger out on her mother..."

One more step.

"It's her fault for not telling me until now..."

Kumiko paused slightly, withdrew her hands from the sobbing figure, and walked to Reina's side.

"This is really terrible..."

“But I know I have to focus on the national tournament right now,” Reina sniffed sharply, “so I called you out today to make things clear and then forget about it for a while.”

After that, she had to find out.

To clarify this matter, there is also—

My true feelings...

"Ah."

Kumiko answered in a low voice.

"Although, if I say this, you'll probably say I have a bad personality again."

It's unclear what she was feeling when she said those words.

"But I still have to say it."

I gently placed my hand on Reina's. Unlike my warm palm, Reina's skin was cool, like an ice cube. It looked cold from a distance, but when I held it in my hand, it melted into water. I was overjoyed, thinking that I had melted the iceberg, but the water flowed away through the gaps between my fingers.

His wife has passed away.

Kumiko didn't dare look at Reina's expression, but she knew her own expression would be as expressionless as a poker face. If she didn't put on that expression, she would definitely give herself away, exposing her most vulnerable inner self to the person she cared about most.

Therefore,

Even if you're criticized for being wicked, you should still keep this shameful feeling hidden.

otherwise,

Even the courage to hold hands that are so close at hand is about to disappear.

"I,"

She was right.

"I support you."

I still like Reina...

Subconsciously, he clenched his hands, which were intertwined with his own, greedily drawing in the warmth from Reina's body.

"forever,"

just,

"Standing beside you."

My heart is dead.

It's late at night, and the wind is cool.

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

Reina first met Takigatsu one evening after school. His tall figure in a white shirt, his slender figure holding a trombone, and his handsome face with a warm smile were the white moonlight that was etched in her young heart.

They met simply because their fathers were acquainted, and this man, who was nearly twenty years older than her, became Reina's idol.

They didn't communicate much, and they only met when the other was invited by his father. Most of the meetings were between the two families, and she knew almost nothing about his social circle.

In their few private conversations, Takigaki mostly just commented on her playing, offering some advice as a senior.

"This sound seems to extend infinitely, reaching straight to the clouds. Your playing contains the desire to become better and to go further."

"I believe the idea of ​​moving towards a lofty goal is more valuable; to fly further, one must fly higher..."

The only time she received a gift from him was a sheet music. It was a tune that Reina had never heard before, yet it sounded strangely familiar. But at the time, she was so overwhelmed by the joy of being praised that she didn't think about it carefully. Now, looking back, it was probably because the tune was similar to one that Kiyoyori would occasionally play.

just like--

They were composed by the same composer.

if--

"Keep your voice down, it's too faint, we can't hear you at all."

His criticisms, as always, were incisive and to the point.

"sorry."

"You're not concentrating at all. Do you even want to continue the game?"

"think."

"Then pull yourself together right now."

"Yes."

Those are all things of the past.

P.S.: Ugh, I accidentally hurt my hand today... It was a little sore when I wasn't fully awake...

Chapter 88: Past Events I Dare Not Recall

"Rena, can you come with me for a moment?"

After the ensemble practice ended, Kiyoyori called out to Reina, who was preparing to practice alone.

Reina stood at the door, clutching her trumpet tightly. Her gaze towards Kiyoyori was hesitant yet filled with longing. "...Yes."

Leading Reina to a small storage room where few people passed by, Kiyoyori put the oboe aside, walked to the window, and took a deep breath. "Reina already knows from Huangqian about Taki-sensei's wife, right?"

"...I don't want to hear it now."

That unfamiliar panic returned, and Reina tried to rush out the door, but Kiyoshi grabbed her wrist tightly.

"Rena is really concerned about this right now, isn't she? Let me tell you."

"Then why didn't you say so before!?"

“Because I wasn’t ready,” Kiyoyori reached out and grabbed Reina’s shoulder, their eyes meeting in a mixture of determination and panic. “Because I didn’t know how to tell you this, because I was afraid of reopening that wound again and again, because I didn’t want to face that guilt!”

Taken aback by Kiyoyori's unusual assertiveness, Reina stopped struggling. "Then why can you say it now?"

“If we don’t get to the bottom of this, Reina won’t give up, will she?” Kiyoyori released her hand. “Besides, I think now is the best time to tell you.”

Kiyoshi took a step back and leaned against the wall.

"Rena should know that my oboe teacher was one of my mother's students."

"Ah."

Back then, when she learned that Kiyotsugu had started learning the oboe, she was extremely surprised. Especially after that, Kiyotsugu mentioned his teacher almost every other sentence, which made Reina feel even more strange. However, to this day, she has never seen that mysterious teacher, nor does she have a photo of him, and she doesn't even know his name.

“Chihiro, Taki Chihiro,” Kiyoyori chuckled, “She was Taki-sensei’s wife, but that was a long time ago.”

"She and Taki-sensei were both my mother's students, as were Hashimoto-sensei, who always guided us, and Niiyama-sensei. They used to be in a band, but I haven't heard from them since they passed away."

Kiyoshi's voice was calm, as if he were telling someone else's story.

"What kind of person was Kiyoyori's teacher...?"

"Chihiro-sensei..." Many words could be used to describe a teacher, but Kiyoyori chose the simplest one: "She's a very optimistic, energetic person with a warm smile. She loves sports and is always full of energy..."

"But later, when the doctor told me I didn't have much time left... really, it just happened in the blink of an eye..."

Kiyoshi didn't know how to describe her current feelings. She felt like a passerby watching a movie, sitting in front of the screen watching those scenes that had once torn her heart apart.

It's not that it doesn't hurt, it's just that I'm numb.

Taking a deep breath, she sorted out her thoughts again. "From the very beginning of my oboe learning journey, I've been learning from Teacher Chihiro. Whether it was participating in competitions or performing with the orchestra, she would always accompany me. She was even more attentive than Touko's mother."

“She’s a radiant person,” Kiyoyori turned to look at Reina. “Reina, you can definitely understand how I feel about liking someone like her.”

"Ching Lai..."

“However, not long after, Chihiro-sensei told me that she had found the person she wanted to spend her life with,” Kiyoyori shifted his gaze to the table where his oboe was placed. “At that time… my reaction was even stronger than Reina’s.”

"He's still just a child."

As Kiyoshi spoke, he himself began to laugh.

"However, their wedding date still arrived as scheduled. At least, the smile that the teacher had was one that I could never give her."

Even now, Chihiro's image in her wedding dress is still deeply etched in Kiyoshi's mind. Even though those memories have been sealed away and gradually faded, that smile is still like a ray of sunshine, warm and comforting, becoming clearer and clearer as he flips through the album of memories.