I am only one world away from Yukinoshita.

But not long after, they stopped, seemingly exhausted. The two of them collapsed onto the tatami mat and fell asleep without any regard for their image, as if nothing had happened.

The center that was originally contested, Aki, was picked up by Kato, who had remained silent until now.

But none of these things concerned Qinglai.

The person behind her was also quiet, as quiet as a fragile doll, as quiet as if she were not the usual person she was.

Sometime later, the hands that were wrapped around her waist loosened and hung limply at her sides. Kiyoyori felt the pressure on her back increase, and Kasumigaoka fell asleep in this awkward position.

The pressure was immense. Despite having broken free of constraints, Kiyoshi felt it was even more suffocating than stubborn coercion.

This was one she was once very familiar with.

Freedom called love.

P.S.: Senior sister!!!

By the way, there won't be any updates before the weekend, unless I still have the energy on Friday... I'm completely exhausted... When I'm this tired, I actually feel a kind of excitement that makes me want to keep working, but then I get even more tired again. Today was crazy busy...

Chapter 21, Section 360: The Correct Choice

The weekend break did alleviate Qinglai's anxiety to some extent, but it also added another source of trouble.

The three men, who had acted out of control while drunk, seemed to remember nothing when they woke up the next day. Regardless of whether they genuinely forgot or it was a tacit understanding between them, the men, who had been sober, breathed a sigh of relief.

In conclusion, this spontaneous trip successfully achieved its original purpose.

But life must go on.

In particular, when Kiyoyori received an email from Hikigaya saying that Yukinoshita was absent from the Service Club that day.

Sitting in the practice room, Kiyotaka didn't know how to behave. She just stared at her phone with a gloomy expression, lost in thought.

It seems that ever since Yang Nai said those words, what was about to happen has become a certainty in the future.

Yukino Yukinoshita is a person who refuses to admit defeat, especially when the challenge comes from Haruno, who knows this better than anyone else.

"Speaking of which, isn't there going to be a re-election for the student council president this year?"

It was during a break from practice when Kiyora overheard the members of the brass band talking about the student council president election.

"I checked the school's website before, and it seems like only one first-year student has registered?"

"A first-year student? Is it alright to leave her in her care?"

"This kind of thing has nothing to do with us, and besides, I doubt many people would want to do such a demanding job as student council president."

Several girls chatted about this topic casually.

"I thought the Ice Queen from Class J would run for election. I really thought she had a good chance!"

"You mean Yukinoshita? Indeed, if it's Yukinoshita, everyone would feel at ease leaving this kind of matter to her."

The speaker seems to be Yukinoshita, a student from Class 2-J.

"So, you just like Yukinoshita's looks, right?"

"Haha, we've been exposed!"

"But to be honest, the Snow Queen is so beautiful! And she's not even wearing makeup!"

Then the topic veered off to something completely unrelated: makeup.

What was said in jest was taken to heart by the listener. Kiyoshi, whose mind was already in turmoil, felt even more uneasy.

If we don't do something, Yukinoshita will be gone.

Soaking the reed in a small cup of water, Qinglai pressed the silver keys of the oboe haphazardly, somewhat agitated.

"Is Yukinoshita going to run for student council president?"

Sitting next to Kiyoyori, Mizore quietly struck up a conversation with him.

"I do not know."

Mizore nodded thoughtfully. "I think Yukinoshita is more suited to the Service Club."

Kiyoshi paused, "Why?"

"Hmm..." Ying tilted her head, seemingly thinking about the question seriously. After a long while, she finally answered, "I don't know."

"But Kiyoyori doesn't want Yukinoshita-san to run for student council president, does he?"

"Huh?"

"You looked very troubled the whole time."

Although it was an ambiguous answer, it inadvertently gave Kiyoyori a boost. "Thank you, Mizore-senpai."

"Hmm, you're welcome?"

Mizore didn't know what Kiyori was thanking her for, but she saw Kiyori stand up briskly and prepare to leave. "Where is Kiyori going? Training is about to begin."

"bathroom!"

Mizore watched Kiyoyori's retreating figure disappear quickly into the practice room.

Are you in such a hurry to go to the toilet?

………………

Kiyoshi rushed down the stairs, forgetting all about the school rule against running in the corridors. Perhaps it was the dizziness from going down the stairs too fast, but Kiyoshi instinctively grabbed the handrail and stopped.

For a moment, it felt as if the entire space was spinning.

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

"Yukinoshita, is there something you need from me?"

Hiratsuka sat quietly at her desk, looking at the student who should have been in the Service Club activity room instead of the teachers' office. She noticed the paper the student was holding and understood what was going on, but pretended not to know.

"Hiratsuka-sensei, I'd like to know something about the student council president election." For some reason, Yukinoshita hid her hands behind her back, but of course, this little gesture did not escape Hiratsuka Shizuka's eyes.

She sighed, not knowing why, "No one else has signed up yet. If this continues, Isshiki will very likely become the new student council president."

"Is that so..."

Yukinoshita tightly gripped her right wrist with her left hand behind her back.

After much deliberation, she realized that becoming Isshiki's "rival" was indeed the best option. She was almost 100% confident that she could win the position of student council president, which would perfectly resolve Isshiki's request. However, in return, the Service Club would collapse.

Although the Service Club currently has four members, Kiyoyori is practically a ghost, and Hikigaya only stayed in the Service Club because of his previous "battle" with her. As for Yuihama...

A chill ran through Yukino's heart.

If she was somewhat bothered by the fact that her older sister, Haruno, had once served as the student council president of Soubu High School, what made her even more upset was that the Service Club was going to be disbanded because of her decision, and that the bonds that had been painstakingly built up through the Service Club would also disappear.

Compared to all of this, the confrontation with her sister seemed less important.

At this moment, she still couldn't make a final decision because she didn't know what the right choice would be.

Perhaps, from the very beginning, there was no such thing as a right choice.

Looking at Yukinoshita, who seemed lost in thought, Hiratsuka Shizuka could only sigh silently.

She wasn't unaware of what had happened between the two Yukino sisters that day. To be precise, Haruno had taken the initiative to ask her for drinks that night, and they drank until the next morning. Haruno even got drunk, which was unusual for her. Thanks to this drunkard, Hiratsuka Shizuka felt dizzy and disoriented the day before. As a result, she learned a lot of things from Haruno that she didn't really want to know.

It's related to my younger sister Yukino, and also to another child, Kiyoyori.

Hiratsuka Shizuka undoubtedly felt sorry for Haruno. Even though she didn't know everything that had happened to Haruno, she could sense that Haruno was different from the Haruno of the past.

It's not growth, it's vicissitudes.

That kind of profound, heart-wrenching suffering.

This shouldn't happen to a young man of Yang Nai's age at all.

But that's exactly how it happened.

It was as if the gods were playing a trick on us.

“Under the snow, there are some things you should think through before making a decision,” Hiratsuka Shizuka carefully chose her words, “so you don’t regret it later.”

Yukinoshita remained silent for a while, then handed over the paper she had hidden behind her back. "Hiratsuka-sensei, I've decided—"

Yukinoshita, who had been standing ramrod straight, suddenly swayed. Hiratsuka Shizuka instinctively reached out to support her. "Yukinoshita, are you alright?"

The other person looked rather pale, and their breathing was somewhat disordered. Their eyes held an undisguised surprise and bewilderment. Hiratsuka Shizuka almost picked them up and rushed them toward the infirmary, but Yukinoshita grabbed her sleeve.

That was a completely different look in his eyes than before.

"Regarding the student council president election, please allow me to think about it some more."

P.S.: I have two shifts to work next week, so updates will likely be even less frequent. Also, I have a very important exam in less than a month, and another crucial exam this year. These two exams could significantly impact my career. I originally planned to finish before the exams, but the recent workload has exceeded my expectations. I can only say I'll try my best.

Chapter 22, Section 361: Choosing Yang Nai

Hiratsuka Shizuka was clearly taken aback, and unusually, she was speechless.

"Under the snow, you..."

It's as if he suddenly became a different person.

Under the snow, no, Kiyori, steadying himself with Hiratsuka Shizuka's hand, took back the application form that had become crumpled from being held in his hand for so long. "Regarding this matter, I think it's still necessary to discuss it with everyone."

Yes, Yukino didn't tell any of the Service Club members about her decision. Perhaps what she wanted wasn't discussion, but just a cold, impersonal notification.

Kiyoshi would not accept this outcome, even though she had long been accustomed to it.

“Alright, we should have told them about this anyway,” Hiratsuka Shizuka didn’t object much. Although she was still a little confused about Yukino’s sudden change of mind, she didn’t press for details. “Yukino, whatever choice you make, your teacher will support you.”

She is truly a good teacher.

Kiyotomi Hiratsuka bowed before leaving the teachers' office.

She hadn't gone far when she bumped into Yukinoshita, who was hurrying down the stairs. Her face was flushed and her breathing was rapid, clearly indicating that she had run down the stairs. Unfortunately, she was too late.