I play the wind instrument in Hokkaido.

Page 174

Her last words sounded like an apology.

Looking at the girl's slightly rosy cheeks, Kitahara Hakuba took a deep breath and nodded with a sense of empathy.

Chapter 152, page 151: This feeling may never come again.

Her words immediately resonated throughout the music classroom, as if they had struck a chord with everyone. Some of them wore embarrassed expressions, as if their selfish motives had been exposed.

The current Shenxu Brass Band is not the same as the Shenxu Brass Band of the past.

The remaining members all wanted to climb the ranks and get a solo performance. Sakurako Yukawa, sitting in the seat closest to Kitahara-sensei, was overwhelmed by Tatsuka Kuno's imposing presence and couldn't utter a single word.

Even the usually carefree Akamatsu Sayaka was at a loss for words.

After Mr. Kitahara decided to select the A-section and soloists based on their abilities, the atmosphere within the club became increasingly tense.

Because the goal is set, everyone will be swept up in this wondrous vortex and move towards the deepest part.

Kitahara Hakuba looked around at the members in the room. The noise from before had long since dissipated, and it was time for him to speak.

"I have said before that as long as you feel that you have the ability to move up, you can bring it up. After all, the band competition is a stage to showcase your achievements, and I will not discourage you."

Sakurako spat out a mouthful of saliva. Kitahara-sensei's words were actually quite clear: he agreed with Kuno Tachibana's idea.

He also indicated that this was not a matter of favoritism, but rather an idea he had proposed long ago, only that Kuno Tachibana was the first to implement it.

She looked at Nagase Tsukiyo, who remained seated without making a sound.

The girl's eyes shone like moonlight on the night, only her fingers, resting on the keys, trembled slightly.

Kitahara Hakuba's gaze fell on Nagase Tsukiyo's gentle and charming face, then glanced at Kuno Tachibana:

"Nagase-san, Kuno-san, since tomorrow is the three-day holiday for the Obon festival, time is tight. If there are no objections, the selection will begin in the auditorium this afternoon."

Kitahara Hakuba didn't ask Nagase Tsukiyo if she agreed, because she had no choice but to agree; there was no room for negotiation.

Kuno Tachibana took a deep breath, puffed out his chest slightly, and his eyes shone with unwavering determination:

"Yes!"

Nagase Tsukiyo stared straight ahead and finally uttered the first word:

"Yes."

Sakurako Yukawa gently bit her lip. The members of the Shin-Asahi Brass Band wouldn't dislike a hardworking child, and she wouldn't dislike anyone either.

Now that Kitahara-sensei has made her decision, she only has one thing to worry about.

"Teacher Kitahara, how should we decide the outcome?" Sakurako Yukawa asked, somewhat troubled.

Rain Guard, who was sitting and watching from the side, spoke up directly:

"Didn't we say before that the decision to replace them was entirely up to Mr. Kitahara? His judgment is never wrong. This time, the trumpet not only has a solo, but also a Soli with the oboe. They've already performed on the main stage, which is no small matter."

What she said was perfectly correct; giving Kitahara Hakuba all the options was the safest approach, and every member of the club agreed on this.

For them, the issue of choosing club members through a unanimous vote is a thing of the past, just like Saito Haruka said.

"That's settled then. If there are no other issues, we can dismiss everyone. Meet in the auditorium at 1:30 PM."

The members all stood up.

They didn't want to stay in the stuffy classroom at all; they had been sitting there for so long that the fabric against their skin was starting to stick to their skin.

It's really upsetting.

"Kirishima-kun, please stay behind."

Just as everyone else breathed a sigh of relief, Kirishima Mai was suddenly called down by his special name.

.yes."

Kuno Tachibana glanced at her, but didn't ask Kitahara Hakuba what it was about.

The club members left the first music classroom one by one, leaving only Kitahara Hakuba and Kirishima Mai.

The girl clasped her hands in front of her, and her ears beside her hair were small and delicate.

"Teacher Kitahara, is something the matter?"

"Kirishima-san, do you not like playing solos?" Kitahara Hakuba asked, holding the sheet music in both hands and looking at her with a serious expression.

Kirishima Mai's lips parted slightly as she glanced at the sheet music in his hand, a short excerpt of Soli for oboe and trumpet.

"Okay."

Kitahara Hakuba brushed his tongue against the roof of his mouth, sighed softly, and said:

"Kansaki-san isn't here right now, but I can still tell you the truth: you deliberately let go of details during the audition because you already knew Kuno-san couldn't do the solo, so you gave up the opportunity?"

Kirishima Mai's eyes widened slightly.

She did indeed overlook details during the audition that she would never normally make mistakes in, and she had considered that Mr. Kitahara might notice this.

But to her utter surprise, Mr. Kitahara was so perceptive that he even revealed her motives.

If Kuno Tachibana hadn't played the trumpet solo, but instead played the oboe solo, how would her relationship with Kuno have changed?

Kirishima Mai didn't want to let a solo performance that she didn't care about cause a knot that was hard to untie to grow between them.

"No, I didn't think that way. It's just that Kanzaki-senpai is stronger than me, so I hope I can work harder next time."

Even though she was right, Kirishima Mai didn't intend to admit it, but she also didn't want to offend Kitahara-sensei.

Kitahara Hakuba carefully observed the girl's expression. Unlike Kanzaki Eri, she was much more shrewd than Eri, even though she didn't talk much.

Do you think Kuno is better than Nagase?

"what?"

When asked such a matter-of-fact question, Kirishima Mai was caught off guard and couldn't answer.

She already knew the answer in her heart, but she didn't feel the need to tell Kitahara-sensei, so she just frowned to express "I don't know".

A subtle silence fell between them. Kitahara Hakuba suddenly asked:

"Kirishima-kun, have you chosen your path?"

Kirishima Mai was somewhat confused, not quite understanding why he was asking this again.

In the first year of high school, the school will distribute career path survey forms.

But most first-year students didn't fill it out. After all, they've just entered high school and don't know where they should go, and the teachers won't urge them.

"I don't know," Kirishima Mai said, blinking her beautiful eyes.

"So why did you start playing the oboe?"

1.

My relative gave me an oboe, and my mom said it would be a waste to just leave it there if I didn't play it.

What a casual reason.....

Kitahara Hakuba forced an awkward smile and tilted his head in a half-give-up manner.

This girl is so "pure," as pure as plain water, with no impurities visible to the naked eye.

He suddenly raised his hand and placed it on Kirishima Mai's shoulder, saying comfortingly:

"Kirishima-kun, if I told you that you could become a master oboe player in the future, would you work hard to show your talent?"

Through the thin uniform, Kirishima Mai felt the warmth emanating from her shoulder, and said with a slight frown:

"I'm sorry, Kitahara-sensei, I don't think I'll ever become a master."

Don't you even want to consider the "what if" scenario?

"

Looking at her teacher's gloomy face, Kirishima Mai felt strange. Why was he so earnest in telling her all this?

After careful consideration, the girl finally came to an answer.

Because Kitahara Hakuba is a brass band teacher, it is his duty to bring out the strength of the members, and everything he does is to strive for the highest honor, the National Tournament Gold Award.

Unfortunately, she didn't care about the brass band at all, nor did she have any expectations for the national gold medal.

Except for that one whale, which can capsize a whole school of small fish.

"Will you need me for the oboe performance this afternoon?" Kirishima Mai asked.

Kitahara Hakuba shook his head and said, "No, let Kanzaki-san handle it."

"Is there anything else?" the girl asked.

"...It's alright now."

Kitahara Hakuba pondered that even if he asked, Kirishima Mai would still have an "it doesn't matter" attitude.

The girl bowed to him at a 70-degree angle, put on her shoes at the door, and left.

Kitahara Hakuba pursed his lips as he gazed at the girl's thighs beneath her skirt. They were fair with a rosy tint, looking exceptionally beautiful, like an onion with its outer skin peeled off, fresh and tender.

What a pity, what a real pity.

Of course, it's a pity that she can't reach Kirishima Mai's thigh, but that her oboe growth potential is S, but she doesn't have the same "ambition" as Kuno Tachibana.

Kitahara Hakuba likens himself to a gardener tending a flowerbed, naturally hoping that every flower in the garden will bloom in its most beautiful and vibrant form.

But one of the flowers said, "Let whoever wants to bloom, bloom. I don't want to bloom."

Common varieties of flowers are fine, that's respecting the flower's wishes, but this is an extremely rare flower species, and its blooming day will surely amaze everyone.

Even a gardener like me feels anxious and regretful.

? >

Washbasin.

Nagase Tsukiyo was holding a horn and cleaning every corner.

Whenever water flows over the smooth surface of the nozzle, a thin film is always formed.

Keep your hands low, otherwise they will splash onto your clothes—this is an experience she learned when she was very young.

"Moonlit night."

She heard a voice beside her and turned to see that it was Kawai Sakurako. The girl's three braids always gave her a gentle and graceful temperament.