I am only one world away from Yukinoshita.

At Soubu High School, the musician closest to the center is the lead musician.

Standing next to Mizore is a member of Group B. She was specially invited by Taki to help with timing, as the performance time was limited and they had to allocate the performance time for the two pieces.

"Then let's begin."

……………………………………………………………

During the afternoon class, Kiyoyori seemed a little absent-minded. She was thinking about what Nozomi Kasaki, whom she had only met once, wanted to talk to her about, while also trying to think about the solo part. Her fingers started moving involuntarily, while Reina, who was sitting in front of her, was also moving her fingers rhythmically.

After class, the two headed towards the brass band as usual.

After class, the club activities began with everyone practicing together as a group, followed by individual practice in groups A and B. Gradually, the members who were getting used to Taki's high-intensity practice stopped complaining as before and instead listened attentively to Taki's instructions, occasionally jotting something down on their sheet music.

The powerful and resonant music was almost deafening in the classroom, even causing the windows to vibrate. The loud ensemble music leaked out from the cracks in the windows and echoed throughout the empty campus.

Taki's hands danced in the air, sweat dripping from the corner of his chin. The members, who were fully focused on the ensemble, stared intently at his hands. As he deftly pulled his fist back, all the instruments stopped at the same time.

"3 minutes and 25 seconds!"

Taki smiled and nodded. "Let's proceed with the assigned piece at this pace. The performance time for the competition is 12 minutes. Of course, our performance time cannot exceed this limit, but ruining the piece because of this is a big no-no. Please remember the pace we just discussed, so that we can complete the performance within the allotted time."

"Yes!"

"Well then, let's call it a day."

Thank you for your guidance!

“Oh, right,” he added as if he had just remembered something, “if you have any blankets at home that you don’t need, please bring them to school. I’d like to borrow them.”

Many members looked puzzled.

"What is this going to be used for?"

Hazuki asked her direct superior, puzzled.

Pear simply smiled gently, "Please look forward to it tomorrow."

The members began to leave one after another.

Because he was thinking about his promise to Kasaki, Kiyoyori was in a bit of a hurry to leave after training.

"Ching Lai."

But then someone unexpectedly called out to him.

"The new chapter of the manga was released today, want to go to the bookstore together?"

Since discovering that Mizore is a hidden otaku, the two have had other topics to talk about. Some time ago, in return for the autographs from Kashiwagi Eri and Kasumigaoka, Mizore gave Kiyoyori a model kit.

They would also occasionally go to the bookstore together to look at comics and recommend the latest light novels to each other.

The selection process did not create any discord between the two. Mizore behaved no differently than usual, which even made Kiyori feel that the other party was completely indifferent to the election results.

"Ah, sorry, Mizore-senpai," Kiyoyori said, clasping her hands together. She suddenly remembered that today was the release date of Eriri's new manga chapter. "I had plans with someone after school today."

"Hmm..." Ying tilted her head. "Then next time."

"Okay, I'll treat you to a Coke next time."

Kiyoshi picked up her suitcase and walked out, while Mizore gave her an "OK" sign.

Kiyoshi hurriedly passed by the bass section, said goodbye to Asuka, and left the classroom, naturally unaware of the whispers that followed her departure.

P.S.: I've been writing too many sweet stories lately, I feel like I'm forgetting how to write about stomach remedies.

Chapter 67 (127) - Getting Angry

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, Kasaki-senpai."

Kiyoshi hurried toward the school gate, where Usaki, carrying a bag, seemed to have been waiting for a long time.

"It's okay, I just got here too."

She shook her head without hesitation and gave Kiyoyori a friendly smile, to which Kiyoyori politely returned the greeting.

"Let me buy you something to drink, it's very hot."

Kiyoyori was about to refuse, but Kasaki didn't give her the chance. "After all, I'm the one who needs to talk to you. I have to thank Tachibana-san for taking the time out of her busy schedule."

For some reason, it was hard to refuse this senior, and it was also hard to imagine what would happen between such a senior and Senior Mizore.

Kiyoshi frowned unhappily, suddenly realizing that he might be involved in some troublesome matter.

They happened to run into Huang Qian and Nakagawa, who were walking out of the school together. Before they could say hello, Nakagawa waved in Kasaki's direction.

"Nozomi!"

“Xia Ji.” Umbrella Tree smiled and waved to the other person.

There was no further interaction; it seemed to be just a greeting between familiar friends. Nakagawa turned around and walked in another direction first, with Huang Qian following behind her.

Nakagawa didn't seem surprised that Kiyoyori and Kasaki were standing together, which made Kiyoyori even more concerned.

"Tachibana-kun?" Kasaki patted Kiyoyori, who was still looking in another direction.

"Let's have a Coke. There are vending machines in the park over there."

Kiyoshi's sudden answer left Kasaki stunned for a few seconds, but the fleeting look of surprise on her face was quickly wiped away.

"Okay, let's go get a Coke then. Carbonated drinks are perfect for summer."

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

Inserting coins into the vending machine, the sound of coins rolling down can be clearly heard. Umaki's slender fingers tapped the button labeled "Cola" twice, and two cans of Coke rolled out to the dispenser.

These are hands perfectly suited for playing musical instruments.

Kiyoshi thought for no reason.

"Give."

The icy temperature of the aluminum can spread from my palm, and my fingers quickly became cold and numb.

"Wait a while before opening it, or a lot of bubbles might come out," Umbrella Tree kindly reminded her, pressing the cola to her cheek and squinting her eyes. "It's so cool..."

Umbrella Tree looked up at the lush leaves above her head, and dappled sunlight fell on her shadowed face, revealing a hint of loneliness.

The two sat leaning against the iron railing next to the vending machine, which happened to be under the shade of a tree. On the other side of the bushes was a small park.

"What can I do for you, Kasaki-senpai?"

The summer heat inevitably made Qinglai irritable.

"Well, let's first congratulate Tachibana on winning the oboe solo opportunity."

The other person's expression was so sincere that Kiyoshi could not discern any other emotion.

"Thank you."

An awkward silence spread between the two.

"It should be open now." Umaki opened her can first, the sound of foam bursting rang in her ears, and she brought the rim of the can to her lips.

"Was it Nakagawa-senpai who told Kasaki-senpai?"

Umbrella stopped drinking her cola, blinked blankly, then smiled as if she had realized something.

"How did Tachibana-san know?"

“I just ran into Nakagawa-senpai at the entrance. She wasn’t surprised that you and I were standing together. Also, Kasaki-senpai mentioned something about Mizore-senpai.”

“‘Nakagawa-senpai’ and ‘Mizore-senpai’.”

Umbrella Tree pursed his lips and nodded.

"Is it about a solo performance?"

"Not really," Kasaki shook his head with a wry smile, "I just wanted to know how Mizore is doing after the selection?"

“Mizore-senpai?” Although Kiyori had wondered if there might be some rift between her and Mizore because of the selection, the other party seemed completely unconcerned. “Nothing different from usual.”

"Really?" Kasaki seemed a little surprised. "Mizore really likes music. I thought she might be a bit down or something..."

Kiyoshi looked at Kasaki with a puzzled expression, as if there was a strange sense of unease, but Kiyoshi couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Does Mizore really like music? Then why was she indifferent to the election results? Does she not like music? Yet she was always the first one to arrive at school to practice every day, almost without exception. The music she played could not have reached that level without consistent daily practice.

However, Kiyoshi could not agree that this was Mizore's dedication and love for music.

"Wasn't Kasaki-senpai a member of the brass band before? Why did she leave?"

Umbrella's smile froze. "Something happened last year."

"It's the same old story again..."

Qinglai muttered to himself in a low voice.

What happened last year?

When Kiyoyori pressed him for details, Kasaki refused to say more, saying, "Tachibana-san doesn't need to know these things. You just need to focus on your current practice."

Kiyoshi didn't know why almost all the upperclassmen kept quiet about it or even deliberately avoided it. From Kasaki's eyes, she knew she wouldn't get any answers.

"Excuse me for asking, what is Kasaki-senpai's voice part?"

"A flute."

When she picked up the flute, Kasaki's voice finally carried a touch of youthful energy befitting a young girl.

flute……?!

Kiyoshi suddenly realized what was happening.

Perhaps what Senior Mizore was looking at and caring about was not just those two pufferfish kept in the fish tank.

Kiyoshi opened his mouth as if to speak but hesitated, only to overhear a conversation in the neighboring park that was not being deliberately kept quiet and could even be described as emotionally charged.

"I just heard the members talking about it."

Kiyoshi recognized the voice; it belonged to Yoshikawa Yuko, a second-year student in the trumpet club.

"Yuko...?"