I am only one world away from Yukinoshita.

"what--"

A heavy sigh broke the silence.

"How many times do I have to tell you before you understand? This formula isn't used here, and why would you make a mistake on such a simple calculation?" A red pen slammed into the test paper, leaving a dark red dot. "Is your brain only the size of a teaspoon?"

On the other side, a person with a head of rough brown hair lowered his head and did not react to these words at all.

"If you keep going like this, you won't even be able to see Reina's back, let alone catch up with her!"

Perhaps it was the approaching night that allowed their usually suppressed words to surface, or perhaps the recent pressures were making them feel suffocated.

This sentence was like a fuse, quickly igniting the two barrels of explosives that were already at a critical point.

"I've already tried my best, what more do you want from me?!"

The person who had been hanging their head suddenly slammed their hand on the table, the wooden chair scraping against the floor with a screeching sound, and the mug shook from the sudden impact.

"If you're putting in the effort, is that all the results you've achieved? Is this what you call hard work?"

The paper flew through the air as it was forcefully flung out, then landed in a neglected corner as if it had been discarded.

Those bloodshot eyes stared fiercely at another person who was equally exhausted and angry. Perhaps stung by the helplessness and hatred in that person's eyes, Kiyoyori stood there stunned for a moment.

Kumiko, standing opposite her, was experiencing violent chest heaving. Her already unruly curly hair bristled like a cat's fur standing on end. Her face was pale, and although she looked furious, she seemed ready to cry at any moment.

As if something was stuck in his throat, Kiyoyori swallowed the sarcastic remark that was about to come out of his mouth.

She knew that Kumiko had been having a tough time lately, with the pressure of preparing for her high school entrance exams and the upcoming Kanto Grand Prix for the brass band. And at this critical juncture, her solo performance was rejected. The ever-troublesome brass band members seized the opportunity to demand a re-selection, much like a classic reenactment of the solo auditions in their first year. Only this time, the protagonists were no longer Reina and Kaori, but Kumiko and this year's transfer students.

Speaking of Reina, she had a fight with Kumiko.

Because of Takigaki.

At this moment, the clock has already struck midnight.

This war without gunfire erupted in silence, unknown to anyone, and ended in silence as well.

Kiyoshi sighed and gathered up the messy exam papers. "Let's call it a day. We all need to calm down."

"Sorry……"

Kumiko apologized softly, then slumped helplessly into a chair like a puppet that had lost control. She curled up into a ball, her shoulders trembling slightly.

He opened his mouth helplessly, but didn't know what to say to comfort her. All his words turned into a heavy sigh. Kiyoshi left the table and went to the kitchen. With his back to Kumiko, he turned on the tap and splashed the cold water on his face, trying to calm himself down.

She wanted to comfort Kumiko, but felt powerless to do so.

Kumiko wasn't the only one with problems.

Lately, Qinglai has been tormented by the same nightmare almost every night. This overly realistic dream is frantically pulling at her nerves and destroying her sanity, until she can't sleep at night.

She longed so much to hold that person studying in Tokyo tightly in her arms.

The sound of rushing water echoed throughout the empty living room. In this large villa, there were only two young people, each with their own troubles.

The phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated, followed by the melodious sound of an oboe coming from the speaker. Qinglai wiped the water off his face, took out his phone, and strode towards the garden outside the living room.

It was a sound similar to Kiyoyori's playing style yet completely different, and it wasn't the playing style of any member of the brass band that Kumiko knew. But she knew that the person on the other end of the phone (edited) was also her former senior.

………………

"Hey, Yukino?"

Kiyoshi pulled the sliding door shut and shuffled out in his slippers. Unlike his outburst when he yelled at Kumiko earlier, his voice was as gentle as water.

"Why aren't you asleep yet?"

The voice on the other end of the phone was one that sounded so longing it brought tears to my eyes. The words, though seemingly reproachful, concealed a deep, unspoken heartache and helplessness.

"Isn't Yukino still awake?"

Kiyoshi also felt sorry for her, knowing that Yukino had been busy with a very important project recently.

"I'm about to go to sleep, where's Kiyorai?"

"I'm almost asleep too."

Even with such trivial conversations, as long as she's on the other end of the phone, it's as if they can never talk enough.

"Did you eat properly?"

Kiyoshi noticed that Yukino sometimes forgot to eat when she was busy, and she even developed a stomach ulcer because she didn't eat on time before.

From that time on, Kiyoyori developed the habit of checking up on Yukino's meals.

"Yes, isn't it a bit too late to ask now?" Yukino's slightly hoarse laughter came from the other end of the phone, gaining a magnetic quality through the speakerphone. "Kiyoshi, what happened?"

Even without seeing her lover's face, Yukino could sensitively sense that something was wrong with his emotions, as well as the weariness in his voice. Perhaps Kiyori himself hadn't even noticed that the frequency of his sighs had increased dramatically recently.

"It's nothing, just a small matter."

Kiyoshi didn't want to add to Yukino's burden, nor did he intend to tell her about his nightmares.

"Wind Ensemble?"

After a moment of silence, he said, "Well, I guess so."

Knowing she couldn't force Kiyori, Yukino considerately changed the subject, "Is Kumiko at Kiyori's house today too?"

“Hmm,” Kiyoyori turned around and looked through the glass floor-to-ceiling window at Kumiko, who was still in a withdrawn position in the living room. “It just ended.”

There was an eerie silence on the other end of the phone for a long time. "Is she staying here tonight?"

Yukino knew perfectly well that Kiyori wouldn't send Kumiko out at such a late hour.

Upon hearing this, Kiyori secretly grinned, but didn't let out a sound of laughter. "Is Yukino jealous?"

This silence lasted even longer, and after a long while, a voice barely audible could be heard, "So what..."

That embarrassed, blushing face seems so vivid in my mind; ah, even his ears must have turned red.

"Yukino, you're so cute."

Perhaps Kiyori's teasing went too far, because Yukino hurriedly said goodbye and hung up the phone.

As he watched the screen in his hand gradually darken, and saw the two smiling faces on the screen looking at the camera, Kiyoshi let out a breath.

Goodnight, Yukino.

P.S.: I got the swimsuit version of the Great Dragon Girl in one pull today. The woman who hit all my xPs, this mature woman lover is completely satisfied, and immediately maxed out her limit break!

This side story takes place in the third year of Kyushu, the year they were supposed to win the gold medal. For those who haven't read the original work, after their failure in the second year, Taki started to select members to please the competition, including adding members to the bass division. A very important character appeared in the third year of Kyushu: Mayu, who transferred from Tachibana University. She was very strong and even defeated Kumiko in the second selection to win the solo spot. However, because of her personality, she wanted to transfer the solo spot to Kumiko. The atmosphere in the club was similar to that in the first year, which made Kumiko very upset. In the original work, there was indeed a fight between Reina and Kumiko, which was because of Taki. It was because of these problems that Kumiko went to see Asuka and discovered that Asuka and Kaori were actually living together. Hehehe.

I originally intended to write a sweet side story about living together in college, but after much thought, I finally chose this time. It consists of three chapters. Please enjoy.

Please see the announcement if you have any questions.

Chapter 205 Extra - Qixi Festival 2

Here again.

Kiyoshi looked at the empty apartment. It wasn't the apartment she was familiar with, but it was filled with a familiar atmosphere. The furnishings were simple, and the items were arranged neatly. Although all the necessities of life were available, she didn't know why it always lacked a sense of life.

She'll be here soon.

Kiyoshi turned to look at the entrance hall, and the next second, he heard the sound of a key turning in the lock.

The heavy door was slowly opened, and a tall and slender figure appeared in front of Qinglai. The mature woman held a mobile phone in one hand and a black leather box under her arm while bending over to take off her high heels. Her black pencil skirt made her legs look even whiter, but Qinglai had no time to appreciate it.

Her long, flowing black hair cascaded down with her movements, obscuring her slightly pale face.

"Yes, I just got off work," the weariness, though hidden, still showed through the cracks in her eyes, despite her best efforts to conceal it. "I ate well, so don't worry about me."

It was unclear who she was talking to on the phone, but a faint smile played on her lips.

"It's alright, not too busy."

Kicking off her shoes, the woman carried the leather box steadily into the apartment.

That familiar face was the one Kiyokawa had been longing for day and night.

Yukino...

Qinglai opened her mouth, but found that her throat was as if it were being choked, and she could not make a sound. She reached out to touch the person walking towards her, but the person seemed to pass through her body without noticing anything.

Still the same.

Clenching her fists, Qinglai looked at the person so close to her, her heart aching as if it were being squeezed by a hand. She couldn't call her name or touch her body; it was like torture. The person she longed for was clearly within reach, yet the greatest distance separated them.

Yukino held the phone between her shoulder and cheek and continued talking to the person on the other end, while opening the dinner she had brought home from somewhere. "I won't be going abroad anytime soon, I'll be in Tokyo. Um, no need..."

It sounded like she was being affectionate with someone; Yukino's voice was soft, and her eyes were gentle.

Suddenly, the person on the other end of the phone seemed to say something, which startled Yukino.

"I will not give up, I will not give up."

As if giving herself a hint, Yukino kept repeating this sentence in a low voice.

The call ended, but Yukino seemed lost in thought.

She mechanically picked up her chopsticks, took some food from the boxed lunch, and put it in her mouth. There was no pre-meal prayer, no enjoyment of the meal; she simply filled her stomach with a tasteless feeling.

Watching her feed herself bite by bite, Kiyora could only anxiously circle around her.

Don't eat it! Don't eat it!

Please stop eating!

Watching his hand pass through Yukino's eyes again and again, Kiyori felt a desperate urge to cry.

Suddenly, Yukino stopped moving. She forcefully threw away the chopsticks, and Kiyori's heart shattered into pieces along with the discarded chopsticks.

She could only watch helplessly as Yukino stumbled to the sink, vomited painfully until it turned into stomach acid, and until she collapsed weakly onto the kitchen floor, clutching her lower back.

Yukino! !

Suppressed groans escaped intermittently from between her teeth, and Yukino almost curled herself up like a shrimp.

Kiyoyori knelt helplessly beside Yukino, tears streaming down his face.

"Ching Lai..."