I am only one world away from Yukinoshita.

I received a reply almost instantly after sending it.

"Okay, I'll wait for your reply. Good luck!"

It was accompanied by a cheering emoji.

Kiyoshi sighed with a headache.

Although she wasn't to the point of fainting under the snow, she really didn't like going to crowded places. In the past, Asuka would drag her there, but since Asuka went to high school, Kiyoyori hadn't participated in these kinds of activities with her much anymore.

"What's wrong? You look so worried."

Reina reached out and poked Kiyoshi's cheek. She put the trumpet in the storage room and walked with Kiyoshi toward the classroom.

"Ah..." Kiyoyori waved his phone, "I was invited by my senior."

"Today's festival?"

"Ah."

Reina nodded. She wasn't used to participating in festivals or similar events. Most of the time, she either attended after-school tutoring classes or went to the mountains with Kiyoyori to play music together.

"Are you planning to go?"

"It's not decided yet." Kiyoyori shrugged. "What about Reina? What are the plans for this year? Same as always?"

"I haven't decided yet."

The two moved through the corridor. "Which senior invited you? Yorozuka-senpai?"

"How could that be? It's a senior from the Service Club."

Mizore-senpai doesn't seem like the type to join in the fun, but Kiyoyori suddenly remembered a second-year student he had met before.

“I suppose so. Senior Yorozuka doesn’t seem like that type,” Reina nodded. “Wouldn’t it be nice to attend once in a while? It’s a prefectural festival.”

"What? Reina isn't already planning to go, is she?" Kiyoyori looked like he'd been abandoned by his ally. "Wait a minute, you're not going to invite Taki-sensei, are you?!"

"He was rejected; he has patrol duties tonight."

Her tone was as bland as plain water, just like Reina's mood, which had initially been boiling with anticipation mixed with nervousness, but had turned into a slight chill.

"No way...really...?"

Kiyotomi rolled her eyes from an angle that Reina couldn't see, and mentally marked Takigatsu with a big X.

"Why don't you invite Huang Qian? She seems really eager to get on your good side."

As long as it's not with Taki, it's fine.

Why is her name here?

“Aren’t you also interested in her? Why don’t we take this opportunity to get closer to each other?” Kiyotaka thought it over and over and thought it was a good idea. “You’re usually a bit serious at school, but outside of school, wearing casual clothes gives people a different impression. And it’s a festival, so Huangqian shouldn’t panic as soon as she sees you, right?”

Kiyoshi glanced at Reina, who looked sullen, with a teasing look. She really wanted to talk to Huang, but for some reason, Huang would run away like a mouse seeing a cat whenever he saw her. He would usually run away after only a few words. The most they ever talked about was when he praised her on his own, and then, as always, he ran away before even hearing her reply.

Seeing Reina begin to think about the matter carefully, Kiyoshi gave himself a thumbs up in his mind.

That's so true to me.

Takigaki and the like should just stay out of the way!

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

Today at noon was ensemble practice. Although the practice time was not as long as the club activities in the afternoon, Takigaki's grueling practice was enough to teach these mischievous monkeys a lesson and make them behave.

Even so, it could not stop the budding romantic feelings of young men and women.

"What are your plans for today, Senior Mizore?"

Kiyoshi glanced at Mizore, who was wiping her forehead with a wet wipe.

"plan?"

The other person tilted their head cutely.

"Aren't you going to the prefectural festival with Yoshikawa-senpai?"

Kiyoshi knew that this taciturn senior was a classmate of Yoshikawa Yuko, a senior in the trumpet club, and they seemed to be good friends. Yoshikawa's attitude towards Mizore was obvious, but Mizore's reaction was a little subtle.

"Yuko and Natsuki are going to the festival together. I have plans at home today."

Yorizuka is an uncommon surname. As far as Kiyoyori knows, Mizore's family is also very wealthy, and she is a true young lady. However, the name Yorizuka does not seem to appear often at gatherings of large families.

"Those two are really close."

At this very moment, Yoshikawa and Nakagawa are playfully bickering in the classroom, just like a pair of bickering lovers.

"Yes, they get along very well."

Mizore nodded, her eyes revealing an envy and...sadness that Kiyora had never seen before.

"what……"

"Ok?"

“Over there,” Mizore pointed slightly to the door, “Asuka-senpai is calling you.”

"Huh?"

Kiyoyori saw Asuka waving excitedly at her from the doorway.

"What?"

Asuka pulled him down to bend over, and he and the other person crouched down in the corner. Not far away were Huang and Tsukamoto talking.

If I remember correctly, Tsukamoto went to the same school as them in junior high.

"Look at Tsukamoto's expression before he invited Kogo!"

I am bored……

Kiyoshi, whose arm was being shaken, showed a helpless expression.

However, Huang Qian seemed quite troubled. Did he not want to go with Tsukamoto?

The most exciting part was yet to come. Hazuki stepped out and launched a direct attack on Tsukamoto, instantly turning the scene from a two-person comedy into a classic love triangle. Just as Tsukamoto was pressing Ogi for answers, she grabbed Reina's hand as she was about to go to the restroom.

A battleground is about to erupt.

But the expected plot did not happen. Tsukamoto left with Hazuki, while Oumae held Reina's hand tightly and watched the two leave.

How long are you going to hold my hand?

P.S.: Surprisingly, someone knows the AHO meme. Why isn't anyone commenting on the purple Argentina? Has no one watched K-ON?

Hmm, if I remember correctly, this should be the last wave of sweetness in this volume? It's okay, anyway, you'll see their sweet interactions after they get together when the volume comes out next month.

Chapter 55 You are so beautiful

"Here! Here!"

Kiyoyori heard the energetic call as soon as he walked to the shrine not far from the festival.

Standing before the long staircase was Yuihama, dressed in a cherry blossom-colored yukata adorned with flowers. Her hair, which was similar in color to the yukata, was not tied up on her head as usual, but hung loosely around her neck. Underneath her tied hair, sparkling earrings were visible, which were especially dazzling in the dim evening. She carried a plain and elegant little bag in one hand, and raised the other hand high, waving it in the air. With her movements, the wide sleeve of her yukata slid down from her wrist to her arm, revealing her fair skin.

"Good evening, Yuihama-senpai, you're here early."

Qinglai jogged closer and stopped a few steps away from the other party.

"Yuigahama-senpai looks really beautiful today."

"Eh? Really? Hehe..." Yuihama's eyes lit up, then she shyly twirled a strand of hair with her index finger, glancing at the floor tiles and then at Kiyora. "Kiyora isn't wearing a yukata today."

"Wearing a yukata makes it inconvenient to move around, and I'm not used to it."

Kiyoshi's outfit today was no different from usual: white casual pants and a gradient T-shirt tucked into the cuffs, revealing a tasseled belt that accentuated her slender waist.

"But he's also very handsome!"

"Handsome?"

Kiyoshi looked at his clothes, somewhat taken aback by Yuihama's unexpected praise.

"Ah, I wonder when Yuki will be back," Yuihama said, her wooden clogs lightly tapping against the floor tiles. "Yuki said she'll be wearing a yukata today too, I'm so excited!"

Kiyoyori blinked, puzzled. "Is Yuigahama-senpai really looking forward to Yukinoshita-senpai's yukata?"

"Hmm! I always think that Xiaoxue would look really good in a light-colored yukata."

"You mean cool colors, right, Yuihama-senpai?"

"Yes, yes, cool colors! Blue and such match Xiaoxue's eyes very well."

“Indeed,” Kiyoyori pressed his index finger to his lower lip, picturing the other person in a yukata in his mind, “but I think violet would suit Yukinoshita-senpai very well, with plum blossoms embroidered on it or something…”

Kiyoyori glanced at Yuihama's flushed cheeks and slightly lowered head, then realized her feelings and smiled knowingly.

"However, Hikigaya-senpai doesn't seem like the type to wear a yukata."

Yuihama immediately looked up. "Yeah, I even asked Hachiman today if he would wear a yukata, and he told me very directly that he definitely wouldn't wear such a troublesome thing. Although not many boys wear yukatas, it's true that yukatas always go better together..."

Her voice trailed off, as if she realized she had inadvertently spoken her true feelings.

"Ah, no!" Yui waved her hand at Kiyoyori, trying to cover up her misunderstanding. "I meant, it sounds like it would be really nice if everyone in the Service Club wore yukatas together! It's not that I wanted to..."

"I see. I realized I wore the wrong clothes today. I should have worn a yukata."

Kiyoshi noticed the other person's embarrassment and took the opportunity to continue the conversation.

"No, I'm not blaming Kiyora. Everyone has their own way of dressing." Yuihama took a few steps toward Kiyora, looking somewhat lost. "Actually, I'm happy as long as we can all be together."

“Ah,” Kiyoyori turned his gaze to a man and a woman walking towards them from not far away, and took a step forward imperceptibly. “It seems that the other two seniors have also arrived.”

Yuihama followed Kiyori's gaze and saw Yukinoshita and Hikigaya walking side by side towards them. The two were at a distance that was neither too close nor too far, but they seemed to be talking about something. Hikigaya looked at Yukinoshita, while Yukinoshita had a faint smile on her lips.

She gripped the rope tightly in her hand.

"Hey there, Yuki, Hachiman!" Yuihama ran up in her clogs, her bright smile making even the lanterns at the roadside stalls pale in comparison. "You've finally arrived!"

"Good evening, Yuihama-san," Yukinoshita said, still not quite used to the other person's enthusiasm. "Good evening, Tachibana-san."

Under the snow, she wore a deep purple yukata, with white plum blossoms blooming like resilient flowers in the cold winter wind, adding touches of purity to the deep background, intertwining with the dark blue air of summer. She neatly coiled her cascading black hair at the back of her head, the intricate bun pressed against the pillow, a silver hairpin with tassels at the end inserted in her hair, dangling beside her white neck.