I am only one world away from Yukinoshita.

Qinglai lowered her head, knowing that her expression must be terrible. She never imagined that her scars would be exposed in public like this.

"Wait a minute, Hyodo!"

Eriri quickly glanced at Kiyori's face, and even anxiously wanted to stand up to stop her from saying that name. Although her relationship with Kiyori was more like that of close friends than sisters, she still cared a lot about this younger sister.

Kato clearly realized something too. Being a perceptive person, she felt a little guilty for bringing up the topic so abruptly. "Hyoudou-kun, that was a long time ago—"

"I remember now!"

"Yunoshita Haruno!"

Bingtang shouted the name out loud, only then realizing that the atmosphere at the dinner table was a bit strange. "Huh...?"

Kasumigaoka realized what it meant the moment it heard the name:

Why was Kiyori so familiar with the young lady of the Yukinoshita family on the day of the fireworks festival? Why did Kiyori make no attempt to hide his dislike for Haruno? And—

Today I saw Haruno leaving at the department store, and later I saw Kiyoyori looking distraught.

Eriri braced herself on the table with both hands, maintaining a stiff posture. The awkwardness in the air made even the thick-skinned Aki feel suffocated.

Kiyoshi gently put down the bowl, took a sip of his drink, and said, "Yes, I was in a band in junior high school, but I didn't last long before I quit."

Her description was very understated, neither denying nor mentioning what happened at that time: "My mother was a wind instrument player, and I found that I preferred the oboe, so I gave up continuing to participate in that band and went back to the school's wind band to continue practicing."

The reason is reasonable. Young people's enthusiasm is always limited and short-lived. There are many things they cannot persist in, which is not surprising.

"Is that so? That's a real shame."

Bingtang didn't say anything more, "But I will definitely write even better music!"

Kiyoshi gave a suitable smile. "Of course."

The atmosphere at the dinner table seemed to have returned to harmony, and with Kasumigaoka and Aki's deliberate guidance, the conversation became relaxed again.

But only Kiyoshi herself knew that at that moment, the food tasted like wax to her.

However, it is not colorless or odorless.

Instead, it is a mixture of bitterness and spiciness.

P.S.: Even more unbearable than physical exhaustion is mental exhaustion. The upcoming exams this year are truly mentally draining and anxiety-inducing. Sigh...

Chapter 15, Section 353: Don't Let Her Lose You

After finishing their meal, the group insisted on visiting the surrounding streets, apparently because there was some kind of event going on. The road outside the hot spring inn was filled with orange lanterns, creating a lively atmosphere like a summer festival.

Kiyoshi wasn't used to such liveliness, so she quietly followed behind the crowd, looking somewhat dazed.

The warm light, like ambiguous shadows, dragged her into the cage of memories.

Without realizing it, Qinglai stopped in her tracks and discovered that she had already left the bustling crowd behind.

She found a relatively quiet place to sit down and listened quietly to the sound of the wind. In the past, Qinglai would always enjoy this moment of solitude, but now she always felt that something was missing.

So she's also afraid of being alone...

Kiyoshi lay down on the grass, staring blankly at the sky, a dark blue dotted with scattered points of light, as if he could see clouds drifting by, obscuring the only source of light.

There was only endless blackness and absolute tranquility.

Kiyoshi closed his eyes, trying to clear his chaotic thoughts from the day.

"Ching Lai."

"Waaah!"

Being called by name unexpectedly in a place where almost no one passes by, Kiyora felt his heart suddenly race and his adrenaline surge as he prepared his muscles to run away.

I opened my eyes, my pupils contracted, and I could finally see the person in front of me clearly.

It was an upside-down face, with short hair falling from the other person's ears. The two were so close that they could almost feel the hair brushing against their skin. In those eyes, which were usually as calm as an ancient well, Kiyoshi seemed to see a hint of apology.

"Senior Hui...?"

Kato was clearly squatting above Kiyoyori, her arms wrapped around her knees, quietly crouching on the grass, and it was unclear how long she had been there.

The two remained in that position for a long time, stunned. Kiyoyori dared not make any rash moves because the other was too close, while Kato seemed to be in a daze.

Kato is a person who is both easy to understand and difficult to understand, because she almost never hides her emotions, and also because she has almost no emotional fluctuations.

At this moment, Kato left Kiyoyori completely bewildered as to what he was thinking.

Kiyoshi thought she was probably apologizing for bringing up the band at the dinner table.

But there was no need for that; Kiyoyori didn't feel embarrassed or sad about having his past brought up.

I just feel useless that I still can't let go of that past self.

Kato was the first to move. She slowly moved to Kiyori's side while maintaining a half-squatting position, and sat down casually, hugging her knees and curling herself up into a ball.

Why did Qinglai come here?

With others around, Kiyoyori couldn't afford to show his relaxed side any longer, so he sat up and sat on the grass like Kato.

"I'm just a little tired, and I'm not really good at crowded places."

Kato paused for a moment, then said, "I'm sorry."

Her voice reached Kiyoshi's ears clearly. Although her tone was similar to before, Kiyoshi could hear a slight difference.

"I shouldn't have brought it up during dinner just now."

Although Kato has always known that she is not good at livening up the atmosphere, and she always stays quietly on the side, she has never done anything to embarrass others. This is the first time she has attracted attention in such a unique way.

So it was for this very reason.

Qinglai sighed inwardly, "It's alright. After all, Senior Hui isn't in the know either, and I don't really care that much."

I don't care if others bring it up unintentionally, but I am still unable to let it go.

So, this doesn't count as lying, right?

Deceiving.

Kato thought this to herself, but she wisely refrained from continuing the topic. Although she had many questions, she knew it was better to keep them to herself.

"That person..."

To her surprise, Kiyoyori opened his mouth and turned to look at him. Knowing Kiyoyori as she did, she knew he wouldn't easily talk about himself, especially not to someone she didn't know well.

The evening breeze was a bit chilly for Kiyoyori, who was only wearing a yukata and a haori, but what was even chillier than the breeze was her tone of voice.

"It's someone I used to have a crush on."

Kato opened his mouth slightly in surprise, seemingly unaware of how different his expression was from usual.

Just from the words "in the past" and "unrequited love," Kato could guess how difficult or painful it must have been for the person involved.

"Then something happened between her and me."

Kiyoshi's words came to an abrupt halt. She offered a brief explanation, yet it seemed as if she hadn't explained anything at all.

Kato noticed Kiyori's gaze, which held a hint of inquiry, and his alarm bells went off.

"Let's exchange information, Senior Hui."

At this moment, Kiyori's smile looked like a little devil in Kato's eyes.

"When did I ever agree to exchange information with Kiyori?" Although Kato always presented herself as mild-mannered and harmless, it didn't mean she wouldn't resist. "Isn't this just Kiyori's one-sided idea?"

Kiyori laughed heartily, "I just wanted to inquire a little, since there's been absolutely no progress with Eriri."

Kato gave him a puzzled look, as if to say, "What are you talking about?"

"Senior Kei and Eriri are good friends, right?"

Eriri, who always presents herself as an outstanding young lady, has many admirers and a few close friends, but almost no one understands her as completely as Megumi Kato does.

Aki is one, and Kasumigaoka is another.

Eriri has very few friends. She longs for someone to accept her completely, but at the same time, she is afraid to show her whole self to others.

In this social circle of ordinary people who are resistant to otaku culture, Kato is one of the few who can accept Eriri. Whether it is Aki, Kasumigaoka, or Kiyoyori, they are all more or less members of otaku culture.

Kato guessed what Kiyori was going to ask, but even so, she answered the question without hesitation, "I think so."

Eriri is a special girl, at least in Kato's eyes. Although she is a bit awkward and not very frank, Kato really wants to be Eriri's best friend for life.

and so--

Please don't hurt her.

Kiyoyori pleaded in a low voice, "I know that saying this will put Megumi-senpai in a difficult position, but of course, I don't mean for you to give up on Tomoya-senpai."

Kato hugged her legs tightly, burying half her face in her knees. Her short hair near her ears covered most of her profile, preventing Kiyoshi from seeing her expression.

"Eri is not as strong as she seems, and she actually has very few friends."

“If Eriri is destined to never receive a response from Tomoya-senpai, then at least,”

Please don't let her lose you.

P.S.: I got home a little late.

Chapter 16, Section 354: I Just Want to Hold You Tight

Kiyoyori sat there for a long time, so long that he didn't know when Kato had left, so long that his gaze at the night sky became somewhat blurry, as if he were spinning, and the dizzying starlight seemed to be within reach.

The distant voices still echoed in his ears, and he was still gazing at the same sky, but Qinglai suddenly realized that he was not lying on the grass, but holding a simple little purse in his hand.

This wasn't hers; the purse was printed with pink cherry blossoms, just like the kimono she was wearing.

Kiyoshi suddenly understood something. She walked to the lakeside in her heavy wooden clogs and, under the warm light, saw her reflection in the lake.

Her long black hair was neatly coiled at the back of her head, revealing a section of her fair neck. The hairpins adorned with tassels swayed with her movements, and her blurry face undoubtedly belonged to a girl named Yukino Yukinoshita.