I am only one world away from Yukinoshita.

Hachiman stared at his phone, now that the screen had gone black, for a while before putting it back in his pocket.

"I know."

But he didn't do that.

Gentleness is poison; if you can't give something, it's best not to give it in the first place.

Kiyoyori understood Hikigaya's implication. "Is that so? That's a real shame."

"Ah, what a pity..."

"Let's go, Hikigaya-senpai. I imagine the two seniors are already getting impatient over there."

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

"Yuigahama-san?"

Yukinoshita, carrying an apron with Mr. Pan's logo, belatedly walked up to Yuihama and asked, "Have you contacted Hikigaya yet?"

Yui quickly composed herself, turned around, and flashed her usual bright smile. "Yeah! I already called him. He and Xiaoqing are hanging out together and will be here soon."

"With Tachibana-san?"

"Hmm, something must have been holding me up."

"Is that so..."

Yukino bowed slightly and hung the apron back on its original rack.

Chapter 41 The Past Reappears

The group did not linger in the surrounding shops for long. Qinglai only bought a Mr. Pan bracelet as a token gesture before leaving.

It had been a long time since I'd been to an amusement park, and I noticed that as time went by, the rides that remained in my memory had changed to some extent. Thanks to Yuihama's tireless promotion, Kiyoyori gradually began to enjoy this rare time. However, the conversation between Haruno and Hiratsuka Shizuka that I overheard not long ago still weighed heavily on my mind like a heavy stone.

The dark passageway, the crowded people, and the snail-like queue made it difficult for Qinglai, who was not used to crowds, to breathe.

"There's not much of a Christmas atmosphere here, so it can't really be used as a reference."

Looking around from under the snow, it was just like any other place, simply simulating the scenery inside a stalactite cave, allowing tourists to enjoy the view from small boats, and therefore without any festive touches.

"What reference?"

Unlike Yukinoshita, which she had visited many times, everything here was new and exciting to Yuihama.

"Student council work."

Yukinoshita still has no intention of going into further explanation regarding this matter.

"Hmm..." Yui Hama rested her chin on her finger, "Then let's go look at other places later and put this matter aside for now!"

"Fine..."

Kiyoshi leaned against the railing, silently listening to the hushed conversations of his seniors. In this relatively enclosed environment, even the slightest sound would be amplified, let alone in a bustling amusement park. There was no requirement to be quiet here, and even though everyone was allowed to lower their voices, the whispers still made Kiyoshi feel dizzy. Those positive emotions, full of anticipation and joy, felt like sharp blades piercing Kiyoshi's heart.

If one day your happiness becomes someone else's misfortune, can you accept that kind of happiness?

“Senior,” Kiyoyori patted Yukinoshita’s shoulder, then turned his face to the side, hiding his pale face in the dim light of the room, “I’m a little uncomfortable. Seniors, you go ahead and have fun. I’ll wait for you at the exit.”

Before anyone else could react, Qinglai pushed through the crowd and walked out.

After leaving the passageway, the air suddenly became much fresher. Although the noise of the amusement park remained the same, she had a chance to catch her breath. After taking a few deep breaths, Qinglai suppressed the sudden soreness in her chest and walked towards the exit.

"Wait a moment."

A familiar voice came from behind her. Kiyoyori turned around and found that Yukinoshita had chased after her.

“Senior…” Kiyora stopped, unsure of what to say for a moment, “Why…”

"Are you feeling unwell?" Yukinoshita subconsciously stepped forward. "There's a medical room here, would you like to go see a doctor?"

As the other person drew closer, Kiyoyori suddenly took a step back, and Yukinoshita also stopped, her face showing undisguised surprise.

The two were speechless for a moment.

Realizing his earlier rudeness, Kiyoyori spoke first, saying, "No need for trouble, I'm just a little uncomfortable."

But they didn't get any closer.

Yukinoshita wasn't exactly a proactive person, but she could clearly see that Kiyora had intentionally distanced himself just now—a silent rejection. Of course, she wouldn't cling to him again.

For some reason, I felt a pang of sadness in my heart.

They walked in silence to the exit, the atmosphere somewhat awkward, neither knowing how to break the silence.

"That day," Kiyori instinctively turned to look at Yukinoshita the moment she spoke, but quickly looked away when she looked back, "Did my sister say anything to you?"

Yukino had no evidence, but she just knew that Kiyori's abnormality must be related to Haruno.

"They didn't say anything."

"You're a terrible liar, Tachibana-san."

"...I'm not lying."

Indeed, Kiyori and Haruno did not have any further conversations. Apart from the "I'm sorry" that Kiyori couldn't understand, Haruno, who was drunk that day, was like a silent lamb, seemingly enduring some kind of pain, but without making a sound.

"What...is your relationship with your sister?"

Yukino didn't see Lai clearly; she just stared at the water under the bridge.

Kiyoshi was taken aback. "We're just acquaintances."

She was certain that her feelings for Yang Nai had long since changed and could never go back. She no longer held any special feelings for that person, nor would she place any extra expectations on him.

Yang also didn't give Kiyoyori a chance to understand her.

So, we just got to know each other, that's all.

But why...?

Yukinoshita glanced quickly at Kiyori and muttered something under her breath.

“I used to come here often with my sister,” Yukinoshita couldn’t explain why she brought up her relationship with Haruno to Kiyoyori. Perhaps it was the shared experience of being teased, or perhaps it was something else. “But I was always bullied by her, so I stopped coming often.”

"My sister is always ahead of me, always so capable and at ease, so I..."

Very envious.

"I don't know when it started, but I began to want to have the same things as my sister, but later I realized that was impossible."

She was always chasing after a certain figure, but no matter how fast she ran, that figure always kept its distance from her.

Later, I—

She wanted what her older sister didn't have.

Their eyes met in mid-air. Yukinoshita subconsciously swallowed those words, while Kiyori instinctively clutched her chest, trying to suppress the sudden sharp pain. She leaned against the railing, trying to steady herself.

Even though I'm no longer in a crowded indoor area, why do I still feel dizzy?

Was it because of what Yukinoshita said, or because of the other person's overly similar face?

The silent standoff was interrupted by a group of people who happened to appear from the exit. The two tacitly composed themselves and left with them. Afterward, neither of them mentioned it again.

Before we knew it, it was getting late, and the much-anticipated parade was about to begin.

The square was crowded, and the music of the floats could be heard from afar, seemingly approaching slowly. The flow of the crowd became more frequent, and the group that was already walking loosely together was unsurprisingly separated by the crowd.

Qinglai seemed a bit absent-minded. He was pulled back in time by someone while the staff were clearing a path for the parade, preventing him from falling.

"Are you alright, Xiao Qinglai?"

Yuihama looked at Kiyoyori with some concern.

But because of this, Yuihama was unable to greet Yukinoshita and Hikigaya, who were walking at the back of the group, in time.

The passage was quickly cleared, and the people on both sides were thus separated by the parade. Kiyoyori stood at one end and could see Yukinoshita at the other end.

My heart suddenly started racing, and for some reason, the parade music in my ears all turned into the sounds of cars and insects honking on the roadside, and the heat waves generated by passing vehicles hit me in the face.

It was a hot summer day.

She seemed to be standing on the street, at a traffic light intersection, staring blankly at the beautiful figure that shouldn't be on the other side.

"Ching Lai."

The man called out.

"Xue...senpai..."

As if bewitched, she reached out her hand.

"Little Qinglai?!"

"Guest, this is dangerous!"

The person's forward steps were blocked as the parade floats arrived as scheduled, accompanied by deafeningly cheerful music, obscuring the figure.

The summer heat has subsided, and a cold wind is blowing.

what,

It's winter now.

Chapter 42 Redemption

Yuihama received a call from Yukinoshita. The person on the other end seemed to be asking her something anxiously, but Yuihama just glanced at Kiyori, who was still somewhat lost and disoriented, and comforted the person on the other end of the phone.

"Yes, she's fine."

"Then... shall we go to the next project first?"

"Xiaoxue and Xiaoqi will be coming to find us later."

"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her."

Yuihama chuckled, then hung up the phone and sternly addressed Kiyoyori, "Kiyoyori, how could you suddenly run over there like that! It was dangerous!"

Kiyoshi was clearly still in a daze, staring blankly at a corner of the ground.

"Are you even listening to me?"

“I’m sorry, Yuihama-senpai,” Kiyoyori’s voice was a little hoarse, “I don’t really want to talk about this right now.”