I am only one world away from Yukinoshita.

She was certain that she had returned to school that afternoon to see someone, but Qinglai could hardly recall anything about that person or their conversation; all that remained in her mind were fragmented images and scattered words.

I'd like to ask... a senior colleague to step in...

【why? 】

[Middle...Ancient...Concerned...]

They are willing to... meet special people...

Kiyoshi tried desperately to recall, but could only remember that person's face, darkened by the sun, with no smile on her lips, her hair blowing in the cool breeze, and her familiar fragrance.

【Telephone……】

[Number not in service...]

Kiyoshi's head was throbbing with pain. The anxiety and fear over the memory gap tormented her nerves. She had forgotten something very important, as if she had placed her hand on the doorknob to open the door to the truth, but she didn't have the strength to open it.

The deep euphonium playing beside him suddenly stopped, but Kiyoyori seemed not to hear it and continued to immerse himself in his own little world.

"Sigh." Asuka sighed as she looked at Kiyori, who seemed lost in thought.

It seems today's practice session is ruined; Kiyora's condition is simply not suitable for highly concentrated practice.

"Alright, Kiyora, stop thinking about those things," Asuka said, placing the euphonium upside down against the wall. "Let's go get some dessert and change our mood."

"Dessert?"

Kiyoshi was forcibly pulled up from his seat and followed Asuka to the entrance with a puzzled look on his face.

“That’s right,” Asuka picked up the small leather bag that was placed by the entrance hall, “It’s my treat today, so eat as much as you want.”

"Eh... Won't I get fat...?"

It was very hot outside. The sun was high in the sky, and the scorching sunlight could almost scorch the Qinglai.

"I only eat here occasionally. Qinglai is already so thin, why is she still trying to lose weight? It's a new restaurant that my friend and I found before. They're having a promotion, and it's not far away."

Seeing Kiyori's "what a hassle" expression, Asuka grabbed an umbrella without saying a word, then pulled Kiyori by the collar and headed for the door.

"Don't always stay at home on weekends, you're practically rotting away."

"I go for a morning run every day..."

"Shut up and come with me."

"Yes Yes……"

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

It wasn't until they entered the air-conditioned dessert shop that Kiyora felt like a fish thrown back into the water, and she could finally relax and breathe a sigh of relief on the cool table.

"It's so hot..."

The dessert shop was filled with a sweet aroma, mixed with the fragrance of tea. The people sitting around were either couples or groups of girlfriends who had come to enjoy desserts. The small shop was quite crowded, but the air conditioning was on full blast, so it didn't feel stuffy.

"I recommend the cheesecake and strawberry cake here. What would you like to eat, Xiao Qinglai?"

"Cheese~".

Kiyoshi pressed his bare skin against the iron tabletop.

"Who was it that was just saying they were afraid of getting fat?" Asuka walked toward the counter with her wallet. "Sit properly. That's very rude of you."

"Yes, ma'am." Kiyoshi straightened up and sat down in his seat with a serious expression, like a child waiting for a meal.

Asuka chuckled and started ordering.

The shop assistant was quick, and after a short while, placed two cakes in front of the two of them. Kiyotaka cut off a small piece of cake and put it in her mouth. The sweetness of the cream and the saltiness of the cheese blended perfectly on her tongue, like instruments playing a harmonious duet, making Kiyotaka squint her eyes in bliss.

Asuka, sitting opposite her, smiled indulgently, picked up a strawberry from her cake with a small fork, and fed it to Kiyori. Although Asuka often fed Kiyori like this when they were little, she was getting older…

Kiyoshi turned her head away a little embarrassed. She could feel the gazes and whispers coming from the table next to her.

"Strawberries are the soul of this cake," Kiyoyori said, gesturing for Asuka to eat it herself.

"Haven't I given you my 'soul' to eat countless times?" Asuka smiled, still holding up her hand. "My hand is sore, hurry up and eat."

Indeed, when they were little, Kiyoyori always liked to eat different cakes with Asuka, and then he would beg and plead with this older sister who was three years older than him to give him the fruit on top.

Qinglai blushed as she bit into the strawberry; it was sour, but very sweet.

Asuka then began to eat her own cake.

"Asuka?"

A slightly familiar voice came from behind Qinglai, but it was calling the person sitting in front of her.

"Eh? Asuka, you're here too? I invited you today, but you refused."

"This is a date with kids, why bring two third wheels?"

Asuka said with a mischievous grin, her words laced with teasing.

"What nonsense are you talking about..."

Kiyoshi turned around to explain, but saw two girls he had never seen before.

Is she Asuka's classmate?

One person was dressed in a slightly mature-looking women's shirt and jeans, with short hair and a beret, and a beauty mark under her eye. The other person was wearing a flowing dress and had two braids.

"Hello, I am Kaori Nakagami, nice to meet you—"

"what--!"

The once quiet dessert shop was suddenly filled with Kiyora's painful groans.

Thank you, Yukino... classmate...

"Well!"

The tables and chairs screeched as they scraped against the floor, and Qinglai's sudden action startled everyone in the shop.

Everything before his eyes was blurry, and he felt as if he were suffocating. He couldn't even support his body any longer.

"This guest!"

"Chiang Lai!"

As Asuka hurriedly stood up and walked towards him, Kiyoyori's vision went black, and he fell to the ground.

……………………………………………………………

"I would like to invite Tanaka-senpai to attend tomorrow's meeting, which will be held in the Service Department."

Chapter 39 Hero Saves the Beauty by Leaping Over the Wall

"I would like to invite Tanaka-senpai to attend tomorrow's meeting, which will be held in the Service Department."

Since the brass band club had temporarily suspended its activities, Kiyoyori found Asuka, who had not yet left school, before the school was completely dismissed.

"why?"

The still-blinding sunlight shone on the two of them. To keep their conversation confidential, Kiyoshi took Asuka to the open-air corridor next to the music classroom. From there, they could hear the sounds of all the school clubs in full swing, the shouts from the sports club on the playground, and the performances of other music clubs. However, the brass band was quieter than usual.

Asuka leaned against the wall at chest height, her back to the sunlight. The wind blew from behind her, scattering her beautiful hair. Kiyoshi couldn't see her expression because her face was shrouded in shadow.

Asuka simply gazed quietly at Kiyori standing opposite her. Sunlight fell on her face, and the wind blew her hair, revealing her long, fair neck.

why?

Asuka didn't need to ask Kiyori why, just as Kiyori didn't need to ask Asuka why. They both knew perfectly well.

This was merely a test of the other party's behavior.

Kiyoyori knew that the reason Asuka could see everything so quickly, even though she was standing at the very edge of the incident, was simply because—

"Nakashiko-senpai, Tanaka-senpai cares about her, doesn't he? Is she different from the others in your heart?"

Asuka countered, "Yukinoshita-kun, why are you so focused on Kaori?"

Kiyoshi lowered his eyes. "Someone as gentle as her, so hopelessly kind, is hard to forget."

Someone like her, who takes all the blame even when it's not her fault... how can she erase her from her memory?

It's best for this kind of person to "disappear" as soon as possible.

"Kaori isn't someone without a temper, you know. Even Yukinoshita can misjudge people sometimes."

"Really? That's wonderful."

The wind carried away Qinglai's light laughter, dissipating the bitterness into the air.

“But for them, Tanaka-senpai is a special person, and they would be more willing to listen to his opinions,” Kiyoyori returned to the previous topic, “If Tanaka-senpai could cooperate with me, that would be great.”

What good will this do me?

Asuka's tone was so cold it could shatter ice crystals; she didn't care at all about the outcome of these events, whether the sender was exposed or not.

"If I had to say, Tanaka-senpai should have already received some benefits."

After a moment of silence, Asuka chuckled softly, "I really can't do anything with you, Yukinoshita-san. I'll help you out for Kaori's sake."

"Goodbye, Yukinoshita-kun. One last thing to remind you," Asuka said, leaning against the door and turning to Kiyori with a smile, "Kaori isn't anyone's substitute, don't get confused."

A hint of surprise flashed in Kiyoshi's eyes, and his fists clenched unconsciously.

"Thank you for the reminder, senior."

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

"Well--"

Kiyoshi squeezed out a groan from her throat. The fluorescent light in front of her swayed blurrily. She heard hurried footsteps and a blurry figure appeared in front of her. The figure's mouth opened and closed, and words floated to Kiyoshi's ears, but they were only intermittent syllables.

"Mother……"

As his vision gradually cleared, Kiyoshi saw Touko's worried expression. She grasped Kiyoshi's hand, seemingly wanting to transfer her strength into Kiyoshi's body through their clasped hands.

The doctor who was called in immediately examined Qinglai, who was still in shock, and left the ward only after confirming that everything was alright.

It turns out this is in a hospital.

Kiyoyori was helped to the headboard by Touko. Apart from feeling a little dizzy, she felt fine. Her memories gradually returned to her mind. She remembered that she and Asuka went to a dessert shop, and then... then Asuka ran into someone she knew, and Kiyoyori suddenly fainted.

acquaintance?