I am only one world away from Yukinoshita.

There is still a glimmer of hope, namely the new advisor. Kiyoyori mentioned this at the end of the record, but Yukinoshita chose to withhold her opinion on this point, giving others unrealistic hope. This is a worse approach than the worst possible outcome of a direct trial.

"I hope you can understand that this is the choice they made."

Saito lowered her head, burying her face in her hands. Ogasawara half-embraced her trembling shoulders, saying nothing.

Chapter 37 At the end of the road filled with blooming flowers

"So, Yukinoshita's next move is to take advantage of the large number of first-year students dropping out of the club to maximize her benefits," Asuka said, as always unconcerned about the state of the first-year students. "Is that so?"

"Maximize?" Saito sniffed and asked, puzzled.

“As Tanaka-senpai said, in order to resolve the email incident and at the same time fulfill Nakazeko-senpai’s request—‘to resolve the incident without finding the sender,’ in other words, ‘to resolve the incident without revealing the sender’s true identity,’” Yukinoshita looked at the expressions of the seniors, or more precisely, Saito and Ogasawara, “only Nakazeko-senpai and I know the sender’s identity.”

Even Nakashiko turned his surprised gaze over, but Asuka seemed to have seen through everything all along.

"Yukinoshita-san, you've already found out?"

“Of course, Kaori,” Asuka said with a grin, spreading her hands. “If she hadn’t found out the other party’s true identity, she wouldn’t have come up with such a solution, nor would she have explained your request in another way.”

“That’s right, I’ve already found it, and,” Yukinoshita turned around, took out the resignation application form that Kiyori had carefully placed in the notebook yesterday from her bag, and placed it on the table while it was still folded in half, “This is the sender’s resignation application form.”

Ogasawara instinctively reached out to look, but Asuka, who was sitting next to him, held his hand down.

"Since Kaori and Yukinoshita don't want anyone else to know, let's just pretend we don't know anything about it."

"Could it be..." Nakazeko suddenly realized, "Yukinoshita-san, you're going to use..."

“Yes, we’ll use the resignation incident of the first-year students, led by Kasaki, to cover up the handling of the sender,” Yukinoshita briefly showed the resignation application before quickly putting it back in her notebook. “If we simply handle the email incident, then no matter how far we go, we will not be able to avoid revealing the sender’s identity to all members, whether it was voluntary or forced.”

Not everyone present was a fool; they quickly realized what was happening.

Such a blatant breach of discipline cannot go unpunished. The worst punishment for any member of the club would be expulsion. However, it is impossible to keep the sender's identity secret while imposing expulsion. Anyone who pays close attention to changes in the club's personnel can quickly deduce the sender's true identity, rendering all their previous efforts futile.

Conversely, when a large number of club members of the same grade want to leave the club voluntarily for various reasons, if the sender is mixed in, it becomes difficult to investigate the specific reasons for each person's departure. In other words, unless someone in the know speaks out, this matter will remain a secret forever. For Akira Kambara, she only needs to tell others the same reason for her departure as Kasaki and the others, and the matter will be forgotten.

"Isn't this lying...? Although the sender's method wasn't entirely correct, their intentions were good. If they had honestly told the other members..."

It's understandable that Saito-senpai thinks this way, since Nakazeko-senpai wouldn't reveal that Kambara Akira was being bullied, and only three people, including Kiyoyori, know about the sender's information.

A lie is only a lie when it is exposed. As long as it maintains its superficial appearance, it appears to be the truth to those unaware of the facts.

This is the second least favorite sentence in Yukinoshita's record of Kiyoyori. She disagrees with it, but cannot deny it.

No one can live a life without ever lying, nor can anyone live a life entirely in the truth. A lie whose truth cannot be verified cannot be called a lie, and similarly, such a truth cannot be called the truth.

But Yukinoshita still retains her understanding of this statement.

“Senior Saito, what you know is not the whole truth either. Senior Nakazeko and I only chose this approach after obtaining the sender's consent. That person was not prepared to face everything, otherwise we wouldn't be sitting here discussing this matter.”

"We have our reasons for making this choice, and these reasons include things that we don't want you seniors to know. Please understand."

"I'm sorry, Haruka, Aoi..." Nakaseko apologized softly.

"Kaori has nothing to apologize for, it wasn't your fault..."

Ogasawara hurriedly waved her hand, believing that Nakashiko was the one who had been most wronged in this incident.

"So, did Yukinoshita call us here to vote on this option, or is it something else?" Asuka rested her chin on her hand and looked at Yukinoshita, a faint smile playing on her lips.

“If the seniors are willing…” Yukino sighed, “but no matter the outcome, it will not change my decision.”

“Hmm,” Asuka smiled, narrowing her eyes, “Then, I’ll cast my vote first, in favor.”

She casually raised her hand, as if simply stating what she wanted for dinner.

“Of course I agree.” Nakazeko first glanced at Asuka, then nodded firmly at Yukinoshita.

“Then I agree. I trust Asuka and Kaori’s judgment,” Ogasawara also raised his hand. “Since leaving the club is inevitable, let’s make the most of it, as long as it means one less person gets hurt…”

The group turned their attention to Saito, the only one who hadn't made a decision yet. She closed her eyes and pondered for a moment:

"Then let's do it this way, since Asuka agrees."

She spoke softly, her tone revealing no other emotion.

Yukino glanced at Hiratsuka Shizuka, who simply nodded in silence.

"Then, the commission is over, and the email incident is over. Please do not disclose the conversation that took place here to anyone else, for the sake of the band you cherish."

"At the same time as the first-year students leave the club, Mr. Hiratsuka will announce the results of the investigation into the sender of the email incident to all members of the brass band. Of course, the sender's identity will be kept completely confidential."

Yukino bowed to the seniors present, saying, "Thank you for your help, seniors."

She glanced at Asuka, who still wore a smiling expression. Despite being on the outermost layer of the whole affair, Asuka saw things more clearly than anyone else.

"Thank you for your hard work, Yukinoshita-kun."

The seniors left the Service Department after saying this.

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

next day

"Yo, Yukinoshita."

Amidst Yukinoshita's silent accusations, Hiratsuka Shizuka swaggered into the Service Club and placed a stack of papers in front of Yukinoshita. With a gentle flick of her hand, she saw Kambara Akira's name among the pile of identical papers. On the top layer, her resignation application was neatly written "Kasaki Nozomi." The paper was not flat and had a few slightly creased areas.

Yukinoshita touched the spot where the writing was clearly blurred with something with her fingertips.

"I lost this job completely."

This was a duel between Yukinoshita and the brass band, a duel between Yukinoshita and Hiratsuka Shizuka, and a duel between Yukinoshita and Kiyori. No matter who she faced, she couldn't defeat them.

No, this is your victory.

Hiratsuka Shizuka took Kasaki Nozomi's resignation form, while Yukinoshita looked at her with a puzzled expression.

“Not all stories end with a happy ending, and this is far from over,” Hiratsuka Shizuka said, taking a cigarette but not lighting it. She gazed at the bright sunlight streaming through the window. “You’ve successfully planted a seed in their hearts. With constant nurturing and sunshine, that seed will eventually take root, sprout, and bloom into a beautiful flower. Can’t you see that, Yukinoshita? But I, your teacher, see it very clearly—”

"At the end of this road, the mountains and fields are covered with brilliant flowers."

Chapter 38 Confusing Memories and Intersections

"Chiang Lai?"

"Little Qinglai?"

A soft hand reached out to Kiyotaka, whose eyes were vacant but who was still in the posture of playing the oboe, and then pinched her relaxed cheek with its fingers without any politeness.

"Ouch—" Kiyora suddenly felt a pain spreading across her face, "Miri-ka..."

What are you daydreaming about?

Asuka brought her face close to Kiyoshi's, holding her beloved euphonium, and looked at Kiyoshi, who was covering one side of his face and looking at her resentfully.

"It was Kiyori who invited me to practice with you, yet you've started daydreaming," Asuka hooked her foot on the stool leg and moved closer to Kiyori, making a jarring noise as her foot scraped against the wooden floor. "Could it be... love troubles!"

"Come tell your sister, who does Xiao Qinglai like?"

Asuka leaned against Kiyori's shoulder in a nonchalant manner, then poked Kiyori's cheek with her finger.

"No, that's not true..."

"No?" Asuka grinned mischievously. "Heh heh, I know all about it, you know, the drawings your cousin made, and also, her tweets from before—"

Asuka picked up her phone from the ground and was about to open the photo album.

"Wait a minute, how do you know about Eriri!?"

"Huh?" Asuka looked puzzled. "Weren't you there that day too?"

That day?

Could it be the day Yukinoshita-senpai mentioned Asuka?

Qinglai frowned subconsciously, not wanting to talk about that day anymore. She picked up the bottled water at her feet and let the sweet taste flow down her throat, relieving the thirst signal in her brain.

"Wasn't that pose the two of us doing together?" Asuka found Eriri's highly-rated original yuri illustration, which was none other than the one that almost caused her social death, although the original illustration on Twitter had been replaced by a new one.

"puff--!"

Kiyoshi was caught off guard and spat out all the water in his mouth.

"Cough-cough-!"

Her face was flushed as she bent over, her violent coughing almost squeezing all the air out of her lungs.

They were all set up together?!

The senior didn't mention this at all!

Asuka helplessly wiped her wet face with her hand, walked to the counter, took a tissue, and handed it to Kiyoshi.

"Honestly, Xiao Qinglai will be a high school student next year, how can he be so immature?"

She casually wiped the water off her face with a tissue, then wiped her phone screen.

"I'm...sorry..."

Qinglai covered his mouth with a tissue and coughed silently.

“So,” Asuka tightened the cap on the mineral water bottle, “the other main character in Eriri’s manga is Kiyoyori, right? No, the one he was just spacing out with? I think she’s based on a beautiful young female writer?”

"Wait a minute, you seem to have slipped up with something very serious."

"Hey, don't worry about these unimportant things. Tell your sister quickly, and she'll teach you how to win her heart."

“No need…” Kiyoyori pushed Asuka’s face away from his neck. “Besides, I’m not troubled by this.”

"So what are you thinking about?" Asuka blinked. "Studying? I can teach you, you know."

"No, it's just that I feel like I've forgotten something..." As he spoke, Kiyoshi frowned and began to ponder.

Upon realizing that it wasn't a topic she was interested in, Asuka immediately retreated to her seat and began practicing on her own.

However, there has been no progress on Qinglai's side.

Unlike the complete memories from the weekend, this time there were fragmented memories, just like the first time. It was as if someone had dug out a part of a complete memory, a part about a certain person or a certain event.

She remembered rushing to the orchestra after hearing some news, remembering meeting a girl who also played the oboe there, but then it seemed like she forgot something, and then from returning to the classroom to start class until meeting Yuli...

What was it again...?

However, the conversation with the Kanbara sisters at the shrine the next day was still clear, but everything became blurry after parting ways with Yukinoshita Haruno.