I am only one world away from Yukinoshita.

"To be precise, we hope to have her join the Service Club and participate in its activities. We also hope that the other members of the Service Club can help her with some of her problems, but the activities of the Service Club should not affect the training of the Wind Ensemble."

Takishiro calmly presented the unacceptable conditions.

"Isn't this a bit too unreasonable?"

Before Yukinoshita could speak, Hikigaya took the lead, "Although the Service Club isn't as busy as the Brass Band Club, it's not right for the teacher to decide a student's destination so casually. Putting aside whether Hiratsuka-sensei would accept such a domineering clause, did the teacher ask the student's opinion first?"

“I didn’t ask her. If I had, she wouldn’t have agreed.”

Yukino frowned. "Although this was a request made by the teacher, I don't see any connection between solving that student's problem and the teacher himself. If even the person who made the request is unaware of this, then I'm very sorry, but we have to refuse this request."

Taki smiled nonchalantly. "Before coming here, I had already talked to Hiratsuka-sensei about it. She said she had a way to help her. Oh, I forgot to mention, she's Tachibana Kiyoyori from Class 1-J."

Yukinoshita showed a moment of surprise, while Yui and Hikigaya beside her also showed complicated expressions at the same time.

"Tachibana Kiyori...that's not..."

Yuihama made a special trip to find that "helpful citizen" after that day, but she didn't actually need to ask around. She met him at the freshman speech during the opening ceremony.

“I think it must be Tachibana Kiyoyori, the one you’re thinking of. As for our relationship… Tachibana’s playing level has declined slightly compared to before. Perhaps she has hit a bottleneck. If she can’t overcome this, the Soubu High School brass band will lose a major advantage,” Taki said earnestly, looking at the three students in front of him. “It’s no exaggeration to say that Tachibana’s playing level is no lower than that of the top brass band schools, and may even be a notch above them. But right now, she can’t bring out her full potential.”

“But,” Yuihama said, a conflicted look on her face. On one hand, she wanted to thank Kiyori, but on the other hand, she felt she couldn’t help, “We don’t understand music either…”

"As Yuihama said, we are not particularly skilled in music, so why doesn't the teacher take the lead?"

“Her problem isn’t technical, it’s emotional, Tachibana-san…” Taki hesitated for a moment, “Kiyoshi keeps herself on the outside of people. She seems to be able to get along with anyone, but she doesn’t give anyone a chance to get close. People who know her well are fine, but for those who can’t get her approval, they can’t get close to her at all.”

Yukinoshita and Hikigaya keenly sensed the bitterness in their teacher's tone when Takigawa changed his form of address.

"Unfortunately, she categorized me in the 'unapproved' category." Taki gave a helpless, bitter smile.

"If it's convenient, could you tell us about the relationship between the teacher and Tachibana?"

“She’s like a child I’ve watched grow up, my… wife, with whom I have a close relationship, and my mentor is her mother.” Takigaki put away his extra expression. “I can’t tell you the details because some things happened that made my relationship with her grow colder and colder, so,” he said, bowing to the three students in front of him, “I ask Yukinoshita to accept my request.”

Yukinoshita clasped her hands together, thought for a moment, and asked, "May I ask, is Taki-sensei making this request as an advisor to the brass band, or as Tachibana-san's elder?"

“I think it’s a combination of both,” Taki said, glancing toward the playground. “I don’t think my wife would want to see her like this either.”

Hachiman paused, holding the disposable paper cup, for a moment, before finally placing it back on the table.

I'm sorry.

Yukinoshita answered.

“No, that should be me saying it. I’m sorry to have disturbed your meal.” Takigaki resumed his smiling demeanor. “So, this request…”

"One more question: why did the teacher specifically seek out the Service Club? Wouldn't it have been more convenient to directly entrust the task to a member of the Wind Ensemble who knew her?"

Hikigaya glanced at Yukino and asked before she could speak.

“Precisely because you don’t know her, you are the best choice,” Taki said with an unchanged smile. “Yukinoshita-san?”

“We accept,” Yukinoshita said, looking at Taki with a serious expression. “Please convey this to Hiratsuka-sensei, Taki-sensei.”

"Thank you."

Taki glanced at his watch. "Then I'll take my leave."

The Service Department returned to calm, or rather, an eerie quiet.

"Um, why did Xiaoxue say 'I'm sorry' just now?"

Yuihama took a sip of black tea with a puzzled look on her face.

Yukino sighed helplessly.

“Because that teacher’s wife has passed away.” Hachiman leaned against the long table, his head turned towards the sliding door, and said while drinking tea.

"Furthermore, it's likely that Taki-sensei's wife's death was also related to Tachibana-kun."

P.S.: The story of Taki and Kiyoyori will likely be written in more detail a while later, so I'll just mention it briefly for now. The appearance of Haruno, and why Kiyoyori harbors such resentment towards her, are also somewhat related to this. Up to this point, Volume 2 hasn't had any dull moments, so all the characters seem more cheerful than in Volume 1, as the environment isn't as oppressive.

The author is actually a girl?! Actually, I'm a cross-dresser, lol.JPG. I already said I'm the author's mother. Sweetness? Soon, really soon, just be patient.

Chapter 10, Section 67: After all, she resembles a young girl, a pig, and a horse.

"Senior Yorozuka's bento is quite lavish."

Kiyoyori compared the two-tiered bento box in Yorozuka's hand with her own small bento box, and she couldn't help but wonder if the other person could really eat that much.

For some reason, the brass band seems to have an unwritten tradition of eating together as members of the same section, which is said to promote harmonious relationships between seniors and juniors.

But looking at Yorizuka, who was holding a luxurious bento box in front of him and only nodded or shook his head no matter what he was asked, Kiyoyori suddenly felt that this might just be an urban legend.

Then, the black and gold lunchbox containing the seemingly golden bento box was handed to Kiyoyori.

"Ok?"

"eat."

"Huh? Does that mean I should eat it?"

Kiyoyori glanced at Yorizuka, whose expression remained unchanged, but was surprisingly cute, like an angel.

Kaizuka, seemingly a beat slow to react, nodded. "A thank-you gift?"

Kiyoshi blinked.

Was it a thank-you gift for taking her to the infirmary? By the way, why is it a question...?

"Then... I won't stand on ceremony?"

Kiyora, who was unwittingly led astray, also started using interrogative sentences for some reason.

“Yes,” Yorozuka nodded vigorously, “Naoko, it’s delicious.”

Naoko...?

Not knowing what Yorozuka-senpai liked to eat, Kiyoyori suddenly felt a little hesitant to start eating. She paused her chopsticks above the hamburger patty and quickly glanced at the other person's expression.

Facial expression failed to load. Oh well, I'll just eat it anyway.

Qinglai just brought the hamburger meat to his mouth.

"Wow! You two are really hot!"

Startled by the sudden sound behind him, Kiyoyori dropped the precious hamburger patty he had taken from Yorozuka onto the dusty playground.

Kiyorai, Kaizuka, Asuka:...

The petrified Kiyoshi remained in the same position.

"The three-second rule!" Asuka poked her fluffy head out from Kiyori's shoulder.

"Three seconds my foot!" Qinglai picked up a large piece of carrot from his bowl and stuffed it directly into the person's mouth.

"Waaaaah!"

"what--"

Tachibana Kiyori, the carnivore, stared tearfully at the golden legendary meat that had fallen to the ground—no, I mean, the hamburger patty.

What a waste!

Qinglai shoveled the white rice from the lunchbox into his mouth.

A pair of chopsticks suddenly appeared in front of Qinglai, with a whole hamburger patty on them. "Here, have some."

Without batting an eye, Yorozuka placed the last remaining hamburger patty into Kiyoyori's bowl, while he picked up other dishes for himself.

I hereby declare! From this day forward, Mizore Yoroizuka-senpai is my angel!

Kiyoshi showed the adorable expression of a child receiving a beloved toy.

"Ah! Kiyorai doesn't want me anymore after she got Mizore-chan!"

Kiyoyori's smile immediately crumbled into a headache. "This Asuka-senpai, the bass section is over there. Please don't keep coming over to bother me and Mizore-senpai."

But Asuka didn't care at all. "So you're 'Mizore-senpai' already? Kiyora, you're so heartless," she said, reaching for the hamburger patty in Kiyora's lunchbox with her chopsticks. "I won't be polite~"

"This is mine!"

"Hmph, now it's mine~."

Watching Kiyora and Asuka arguing over a hamburger patty, Mizore tilted her head and asked, "Asuka-senpai and Tachibana-san, are they close?"

"Well," Asuka mumbled, stuffing half a hamburger patty into her mouth, "because it looks like a blue pig."

"Swallow your food before you speak, hey..."

"Because we're childhood sweethearts!"

Asuka used her chopsticks to pick up some cauliflower from her bowl and fed it to Kiyora, saying, "Exchange."

"That's too cheap!"

“That’s nice…” Yorizuka said softly.

The chaotic lunch break flew by as if someone were speeding up the process. Putting aside their carefree and playful demeanor, everyone immediately immersed themselves in focused training.

"Everyone, pay attention to the distance between each step!"

"The French horn sounds a bit off, pay attention to the rhythm!"

"When turning, be sure to align yourself with the person next to you!"

"Put the instruments aside, and let's do the movements again!"

"First-year students who are new to musical instruments need to memorize the dance steps clearly!"

The midday sun relentlessly unleashed its heat, and Kiyotaka helped Mizore, who was almost floating, to the shade of a tree where the bass section was resting.

"Ying, are you alright?"

Natsuki Nakagawa, also a second-year student, quickly stepped forward and took Mizore from Kiyoyori's hand.

"It's really tough..." Huang Qian slumped down under the tree. "It's so hot..."

Everyone tied their long-sleeved jackets around their waists and, disregarding their image, tugged at the collars of their white short-sleeved shirts, trying to let the cool breeze carry away their sweat and heat.

"Indeed, it's already quite hot in this kind of weather."