area51novel Page 191
Page 191
Kitahara Hakuba frowned in confusion, then gradually relaxed and said:
"Don't let your mind wander to other things. Now that you're back in the brass band, you need to focus all your energy on winning the gold medal and going to the national competition. That's what you want, isn't it?"
As if to suppress her inner concerns, Kitahara Hakuba took off his pen cap, squatted down, and wrote a few words on the blank space of her sheet music: "Goal: National Gold, Good Luck."
.
Nagase Tsukiyo watched as he wrote those encouraging words, but she couldn't feel happy at all.
Chapter 163, Section 162: He's Already Taking on the Shape of a Minister (4K)
Kitahara Hakuba answered without hesitation, while Nagase Tsukiyo could only quietly look at the sheet music, her long eyelashes trembling as if she were running away from something.
His words reiterated his purpose for returning to his unit, leaving her no room for further questioning.
With these days of intensive practice, I've mastered the trumpet's melody; I can play it perfectly even without looking at it.
But Nagase Tsukiyo could only deliberately exaggerate the flaws in a few places to embellish the lie that the trumpet needed more practice.
As nine o'clock approached, the members of Division A, carrying their instruments and music stands, gradually arrived at the first music classroom.
The once spacious classroom was immediately filled with girls in uniforms.
Amidst the clamor behind her, Nagase Tsukiyo could faintly hear Kuno Tachibana's usual cheerful laughter.
"They always say things like, 'Everyone, pay attention, listen to me for a moment,' or 'Although...but...'..."
Who are you imitating?
“The lovely Minister Yukawa.”
"It doesn't look like it at all. At least you need to grow your hair long and then braid it into a three-strand braid."
"That's just a superficial resemblance; true imitation is about capturing the essence."
Kuno Tachibana and Nagasawa Miyabi's almost routine conversation attracted the attention of many club members in the classroom.
After the preliminary selection, the former did not come to practice in the afternoon, and many people believed that the girl's Dao heart had been shattered by Nagase Tsukiyo.
Unexpectedly, after the Obon festival, Kuno Tachibana was still as energetic as ever, showing no signs of dejection.
Kuno Tachibana sat down next to Nagase Tsukiyo, tilting his head slightly like a respectful junior, and said:
Good morning, Nagase-senpai. Did you have a good time during the Obon festival?
Nagase Tsukiyo watched as her short hair slid down her shoulders, and smiled faintly in response:
There's nothing to be happy about, but there's nothing to be sad about either.
Kuno Tachibana put on an indifferent smile and said:
"That's a very moderate answer. Well, it's just a routine way of greeting my senior. It's fine even if you don't reply."
As the girl spoke, she bent down, picking up dust from her socks with her fingertips, muttering to herself—
"...That's strange, when did I get this on myself..."
Her attitude changed so drastically, she seemed completely enlightened, and Nagase Tsukiyo immediately realized something.
At this moment, Sakurako Yukawa, who was sitting in the principal clarinet position, stood up, clapped her hands, and shouted:
"Attention everyone! Look over here! Although the Obon holiday is great, please focus on your practice now!"
"What did Sakura go on vacation?"
"I didn't play anything... I just stayed at home looking at my phone."
"You'll never get a boyfriend if you stay home all the time."
...Hmm, I don't think I'll ever find a real boyfriend if I start living a "socially active" life right now.
"Why don't we pick from the brass band? How about Jia Hui? She's got a lot of curves." Akamatsu Sayaka smiled maliciously.
"Don't act like we ever dated!" Suzuki Yoshie glared at her with great force.
Just as Yukawa Sakurako was wondering why this topic had suddenly come up, Kitahara Hakuma opened the door to the music classroom and walked in.
"Stand up!" she shouted almost instinctively.
Immediately, the members of Squad A stood up and stared at Kitahara Hakuba.
Kitahara Hakuba smiled, spread his hands, and said:
"Good morning, everyone. The Ghost Festival has ended, and there are only three days left until the All-Dao Assembly. Please be sure to devote yourselves fully to your practice."
His voice was gentle and clear, yet it made everyone take a deep breath.
Shenxu Private High School Wind Ensemble has failed to win the championship every year. For the second and third-year students, it's another year of the championship, and this year is the closest they've ever come to winning the gold medal.
This might be the last time.
Kitahara Hakuba's face swept over the girls' youthful and pretty faces one by one, and he said with a smile:
"nervous?"
The excitement brought on by nervousness made one girl say in a trembling voice, like a rollercoaster:
"Nervous..."
"
The girl's trembling voice made many people chuckle softly.
Kitahara Hakuba remembered her. Mizuno Kaze, who played the clarinet in her second year, was the first to stand up and criticize herself, but afterwards she obediently worked her way into Class A.
"But I will unconditionally trust everyone who went through the audition. I have seen everyone's hard work. So let's start practicing the ensemble. Please give me your guidance."
The members of the wind instrument ensemble shouted in unison, "Please give us your guidance!"
Kitahara Hakuba turned around, picked up the sheet music, and murmured:
"Selected composition...:::. Selected sheet music...::. Here, we will now begin 'The Tears of Princess Kinada of the Hii River.' I will first play Bb, and everyone please tune your instruments while listening."
"Yes!"
Inside the first music classroom, the sound of a B note from a brass and woodwind instrument filled the air.
Then, under Kitahara Hakuba's direction, they practiced the piece from beginning to end several more times.
Many people's sheet music has become tattered from constant use, so they have to wrap it in a thin film for protection.
Even in the audiovisual classroom, the B group, under the direction of Haruka Shinomiya, began a free-form ensemble performance of "East Coast Scenery".
For the members of Division B, the All-Road Conference had reached its climax.
However, a large portion of them were unwilling to stop at the level of the whole path. Kana Eto and Kami Takahashi were among the most hardworking.
As the ensemble ended, Kana Eto shouted:
"stand up!"
The chair recoiled slightly as the legs straightened, making a harsh sound on the floor.
"Thank you for your guidance, Professor Shinomiya!"
Three minutes later.
"Hey...senpai, listen to me! Although Shinomiya-sensei is beautiful, I didn't expect her to be just as gentle as Kitahara-sensei when it comes to training."
During their lunch break, Eto and Takahashi took the opportunity to pour out their grievances to Yukawa Sakurako and the others.
"Unlike Kitahara-sensei, Shinomiya-sensei, when practicing, will say things like 'It sounds awful,' or 'If you keep playing like that, I'll stop.'"
The constant refrain of "You play it alone" creates a lot of pressure.
Kana Eto raised her hand, grabbed a handful of her radiant hair, and said:
"Hmm... Actually, this is quite good. I can feel that Shinomiya-sensei is still very strong."
She didn't dare say much. In her mind, Shinomiya-sensei's teaching ability was definitely not as good as Kitahara-sensei's. The two were even worlds apart.
But for the members of Squad B, it was more than enough.
After all, the A group is the main force of the wind band.
Sakurako Yukawa simply smiled noncommittally, her gaze falling on Kana Eto as she said:
"Kana, have you encountered any difficulties while leading the B-group these past few days? Have any of the third-year students given you any challenges?"
Regarding Nagase Tsukiyo's previous reminder that "the candidate for next year's department head needs to be decided in advance," Kawa Sakurako approached Eto Kana.
After much gentle persuasion, she was told to first go and familiarize herself with the leadership team, Section B.
Akamatsu Sanoka also laughed and said from the side:
"Tell me if anyone causes you trouble, and I'll teach them a lesson."
Kana Eto quickly explained:
"No, no! Everyone in Squad B is great. After all, they don't have as much pressure as the seniors in Squad A, so they're all very peaceful."
"Don't worry, Minister. Kana is so cute, no one should want to bully her," Takahashi Kami said with a smile.
Sayaka Akamatsu smiled and put her arm around Kami Takahashi's waist, saying meaningfully:
"I see you bullying her all the time. You're the most cunning one among the B editors."
Kami Takahashi instinctively curled up, her skirt swaying with the movement of her thighs, a smile she couldn't hide on her face:
"I was just reenacting what Captain Akamatsu did to Senior Suzuki. How can that be called bullying?"
"Is it because you, like me, cherish beautiful girls?"
"It's about cherishing!"
The two exchanged a smile, as if they had reached some kind of agreement.
Kana Eto felt itchy all over, like a frog being stalked by a snake. She instinctively hugged her arms and then said to Sakura Yukawa:
"Minister, good luck at the National Tournament! I will practice my oboe even harder and do a good job with the logistics."
Sakurako Yukawa smiled gently and said, "Mm."
"Take us to the national competition! Actually, I'd like to perform on stage with my senior classmates, even though the competition for the oboe is fierce..."
Kana Eto strolled to the window and looked up at the tranquil sky.
A southerly breeze carrying the scent of summer ruffled her hair, and the air was filled with the chirping of birds.