I am only one world away from Yukinoshita.

Ahhhhh!

Qinglai kept nudging the pillow with his head, like a maggot.

She belatedly realized that their position was very inappropriate, and Yukinoshita did not resist. Suddenly, the string in her mind snapped. She wondered how she left the apartment and how she got home.

Kiyoshi can't remember anymore.

But the previous conversation was crystal clear, as if it had been rewound.

I want to forget! Please let me forget!

It must be a dream! I must be dreaming!

Qinglai started rolling around again, making a mess of the blankets.

"What are you doing……"

The sudden sound startled Kiyoyori, and before she could react, she fell off the edge of the bed and made intimate contact with the floor.

"Ugh—!"

Are you an idiot?

Asuka, unable to bear it any longer, went into the room and pulled Kiyori up from the floor. "Has Kiyori become such a little idiot after only a short time apart?"

He habitually used his hands to tidy up Qinglai's messy hair, and didn't forget to straighten her messy collar.

"So, what happened?"

Just like before, the two lay on the bed back to back. Asuka kicked Kiyoshi with her foot, but he kicked her back defiantly.

Kiyoshi didn't answer, but awkwardly shifted his position.

"I heard about Soubu High and Toyonosaki High collaborating on a Christmas event," Asuka said, changing the subject instead of pressing the matter. "It seems to be a collaboration between their drama club and brass band?"

"Hmm..." Kiyoyori turned to look at Asuka, but only saw her long hair. "Where did Asuka hear that?"

"Yuko told Kaori."

"I see."

"You must be very busy lately, running back and forth. Yuko told me that you were the one who went to strengthen communication with the Toyonosaki Drama Club."

"It's alright, the student council must be more tired."

Asuka paused, sensing something, and asked, "Isn't the person on the other side responsible for liaising with Kiyoyori Kasumigaoka?"

"It really is Utaha-senpai. Asuka even knows this?"

"Guess."

There was a moment of silence between the two.

"So, it's related to Yukinoshita-san, right?"

"what?"

"The one from just now."

Asuka still didn't turn her head; she just stared quietly at the photo of the two of them on the desk. "If you like someone, why don't you say it? Could it be that Kiyori is waiting for Yukinoshita to make the first move?"

"Huh? That's not how it is at all!"

Kiyoshi sat up, staring at Asuka's back with a look of surprise, as if she had said something incredible.

"Isn't that so?"

Asuka turned her head slightly and glanced at Kiyori out of the corner of her eye. "Isn't Kiyori just like that? Like a turtle, he won't move forward unless someone provokes him. He shrinks into his shell as soon as something happens and pretends that nothing has happened."

Qinglai had no reply and could only lie back down dejectedly.

"Look, it's turned into this again."

This time, Kiyoshi curled himself up into a ball, and after a moment, he finally spoke in a low, muffled voice.

"Asuka thinks..." She paused, as if searching for the right way to express herself, "If a very outstanding person suddenly appeared in your life, would you involuntarily look at that person?"

"Maybe, it depends on what kind of person the other person is."

"Exactly, she's excellent in every way, and she has qualities that particularly attract you..."

"Is he even better than Kiyora?"

"...Yes, better than me."

Asuka paused, as if seriously considering the question, and then she slowly sighed.

"But in my eyes, Kiyoyori is already the best one. And whether or not I pay attention to someone is not determined by how good or bad they are."

"but--"

“Let me ask you something,” Asuka turned around and looked earnestly into Kiyori’s eyes, “Is Yukinoshita-san good?”

"excellent."

"What about Kasumigaoka-san? Is she outstanding?"

"Of course, why ask that..."

"Then why does Kiyoyori only see Yukinoshita? Kasumigaoka is excellent too, isn't she?"

Moreover, in Asuka's opinion, Kasumigaoka is more suitable than Yukinoshita, and more suitable for Kiyoyori to get along with.

This is not a matter of whether something is good or bad.

Of course, Asuka didn't intend to tell Kiyoyori about this.

"Because...because..."

Qinglai couldn't explain it either.

“So…” Asuka reached out and gently patted Kiyori’s head as always, “As expected, Kasumigaoka is more suitable for Kiyori.”

Asuka didn't let Kiyori hear her final sigh.

"I'll try to go see the Christmas events when I have time."

"It's okay if you're too busy to come."

"That won't do, of course I have time!"

"Um, thank you..."

………………………………………………………………………

Thanks to the efforts of the two clubs and the student union, they finally completed all the tasks in the limited time. Everyone was exhausted, but the stage effect after the first rehearsal was unexpectedly good. It can only be said that hard work pays off.

Kasumigaoka's script is tight and full of climaxes. The appropriate addition of brass instruments at the turning points further promotes the development of the plot and enhances the emotional atmosphere, making it a perfect script.

The subsequent performance received unanimous praise from the audience, and the innovative musical came to a close amidst cheers.

Not only that, the rumors that Yukinoshita was "unworthy of her position" that had been circulating for a long time disappeared, and the freshman student council of Soubu High School became more cohesive as a result.

This is probably what they mean by "killing many birds with one stone".

During this time, Kiyoyori seemed to be deliberately avoiding Yukinoshita, and Yukinoshita also tacitly kept silent about what happened that night.

Everything seemed to have returned to its former calm and tranquility.

Chapter 50 More Than Just Dislike

What are your plans for the holiday?

Just before class was about to start, Reina suddenly turned around and asked Kiyoshi, who was tidying up her class materials.

"Have a holiday?"

“Winter break, huh?” Reina poked Kiyori’s forehead with her finger. “Does the Kiyori family have no travel plans this year?”

Thanks to his two mothers' love of travel, Qinglai usually spends his holidays either at home or traveling with them. However, this year, he seems to have made no mention of travel at all; instead…

"No."

When it comes to spring break, Qinglai doesn't seem to be as excited as everyone else.

Because of the meeting I had arranged with the Yukinoshita family, it was scheduled for the winter break.

"If I could, I would rather not have a holiday."

Kiyoshi muttered to himself in a low voice.

Reina seemed to want to say something more, but her homeroom teacher, Hiratsuka Shizuka, had already walked up to the podium. Looking at the group of students below who were barely able to hide their excitement, she naturally knew their eager anticipation for the upcoming winter break.

"The holidays are almost here. Although you are all still first graders and your studies are relatively easy, you will all be second graders next spring and will soon have to consider things like college entrance exams. Even if you are in Class J, you can't let your guard down, understand?"

Such very official, classic teacher's quotes are like words that go in one ear and out the other.

Having been forced to learn second-grade material in first grade, she wasn't worried about her studies the following year.

Kiyoyori was clearly more worried about the upcoming dinner with Yukinoshita's family than about the difficulties he might encounter in his studies.

Will Yukinoshita-senpai be there? Will they talk about Haruno and her in front of Yukinoshita-senpai?

Everything caused Kiyoyori great distress.

While Hiratsuka Shizuka continued giving instructions on stage, Kiyoyori's thoughts had already drifted far away until her phone vibrated. It vibrated almost continuously, as if someone was constantly sending her messages.

Apart from the first message from Kasumigaoka reminding her to attend the Winter Comi that would be held at the start of the holidays, almost all the other messages came from Aki Tomoya.

Speaking of which, Aki's game is nearing its end. A few days ago, when Kiyoyori and Kasumigaoka were working on the script, they would go to Aki's house to meet up with other members and work on both at the same time. Some of the interludes they wrote for the musical can also be appropriately interspersed in the game, making the best use of them.

The game must be in its final stages, so Kiyora naturally put the exhibition attendance schedule into his plans early on, and deliberately arranged to separate the days of the exhibition from Carol's.

Before Kiyoshi could even open and read Aki's message carefully, the chat box would keep popping up with the latest information.

"Kiyoshi, can you get in touch with Eriri?"

"That guy has been absent from school for the past few days."

"She said she was going into seclusion to draw, but I don't know how her progress is."

Speaking of which, Kiyoyori remembered that she had invited Eriri to see their Christmas musical, but Eriri just kept saying she couldn't go. Kiyoyori didn't think much of it at the time, but now she realized that Eriri had gone into seclusion.

“I could contact her every day just a few days ago, but starting yesterday she stopped replying to messages and answering the phone.”

“I’m very worried about her condition! Her voice sounded off the day before yesterday.”