I play the wind instrument in Hokkaido.

Page 137

"What do you mean by that...? Do you take Kitahara-sensei for, your bodyguard?"

Kuno Tachibana, head held high and chest puffed out, said:

"I think Kitahara-sensei, who is surrounded by beautiful underage girls, is the one who is getting a great deal. This is practically a reward!"

No, only a small, special group of people would consider this a reward.

Kitahara Hakuba glanced at her chest, which was barely perked up, and couldn't help but laugh out loud:

"I'm not alone."

"It's okay, I have a good relationship with Shinomiya-nee, she won't say anything."

Kuno Tachibana clasped his hands together and said sincerely,

"Please, we are all very grateful to Kitahara-sensei. We see that you are always so tired, and we wanted to invite you to go out and have fun together."

Kitahara Hakuba felt a warmth in his heart. Kuno was sometimes disrespectful, but at least she treated people sincerely.

"alright."

"Yes! Go report the news!"

Having received permission, Kuno Tachibana happily got up and left the music classroom.

For some reason, Amemori also hurriedly followed him out, leaving only Nagase Tsukiyo and Kitahara Hakuba in the classroom.

"How are you feeling?" Kitahara Hakuba asked.

Nagase Tsukiyo tilted her head slightly, her smooth black hair cascading down her shoulder, her beautiful black pupils seeming to encapsulate all the darkness in the world:

"Are you referring to the atmosphere or something else?"

"You could say that."

"fine.....

4

Nagase Tsukiyo avoided his gaze and began to murmur as she played with her fingers.

"But it may take some time for them to integrate."

"Teacher Kitahara!"

Another impassioned voice rang out in the classroom, and Sayaka Akamatsu walked in, pulling Sakurako Yukawa along with her.

Sakurako Yukawa kept trying to back out, repeatedly saying things like "I've thought about it and decided against it" and "I'm not going, I'm not going."

Behind them were Yuka Isomoto and Yoshie Suzuki.

"What's wrong?" Kitahara Hakuba asked.

Could it be... again?

"Minister Yukawa said he wants to invite Kitahara-sensei to the port festival!" Akamatsu Sayaka excitedly raised her hand and said.

"Um...no, this..." Sakurako Yukawa was so nervous that her mouth opened and closed like a goldfish.

What if Kitahara-sensei directly rejects me...?

Yuka Isomoto blushed, racking her brains for something to say, and finally blurted out:

"Teacher Kitahara, come with us! We want to celebrate the port festival with you."

"Oh! How dare you!" Sayaka Akamatsu clapped her hands and laughed.

For Kitahara Hakuba, the difficult choice was one thing, but he was naturally happy inside. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do; he couldn't split himself in two.

If a person is struck by a sword, they will die.

"I really wanted to go with you, but I've already made plans with Kuno and the others," Kitahara Hakuba said apologetically.

"Shout! That damned one-year gang!"

Sayaka Akamatsu rolled up her sleeves, revealing her fair arms. "Sakurako, Kitahara-sensei, wait for me a moment! I'll be right back!"

"Where are you going?" Yukawa Sakurako asked, grabbing her arm.

Sayaka Akamatsu said seriously:

"I'll go kill all those first-year students right now, so that Kitahara-sensei can come with us."

“If that really happens, the place we’ll go together will probably be the police station,” Kitahara Hakuba said with a smile.

"What are you saying!" Yukawa Sakurako said, both annoyed and amused. "Well, there's nothing we can do. Since Kitahara-sensei already has an appointment, we'll just have to do it next time."

"There won't be a next time."

Suzuki Yoshie hugged Yukawa Sakurako from behind, resting her chin on her shoulder, and said...

"We're already in our final year of high school, unless you want to repeat a year."

Sakurako Yukawa then came to her senses, realizing that the final year had already passed without her noticing.

Yuka Isomoto turned her gaze to Tsukiyo Nagase and said with a smile:

"Let's go together under the moonlight."

Nagase Tsukiyo's face flushed slightly, and the word "okay" was about to come out of her throat, but she suddenly stopped herself.

"Would you like to come with me to the fireworks festival?"

Saito Harutori's words came to mind. If she went with her, Saito would probably be all alone.

The thought of her friend of so many years being all alone at the Hong Kong Festival made her feel terrible.

“Sorry, I already have plans,” Nagase Tsukiyo replied with a smile.

"Is it with your boyfriend?" Sayaka Akamatsu asked curiously.

"No...

"Really?"

Seeing her eyes glaring at him, one big and one small, Nagase Tsukiyo had no choice but to continue nodding and saying:

"of course it's true."

“Are you swearing to the Hakodate City Electricity? If you’re lying, the entire line will go off the rails,” said Sayaka Akamatsu.

Nagase Tsukiyo would never make such a childish vow:

"It's Saito-kun."

"I see. Then why don't we just call Saito over as well?"

Sayaka Akamatsu's seemingly clever remark caused a subtle change in the expressions of both Tsukiyo Nagase and Yuka Isomoto.

"No, it's more like a gathering of two families," Nagase Tsukiyo said with a slightly embarrassed smile.

Wow, rich people are different, it's a family gathering!

"Hehe... Sorry."

"It's fine."

Sakurako Yukawa's face showed obvious disappointment. For her, the fact that everyone was not together at the last year's port festival made her sad.

Kitahara Hakuba was watching from the side when he noticed out of the corner of his eye that a small face was peeking inside through the transparent square window of the classroom sliding door.

He went outside and found Kanzaki Eri standing in the doorway, holding an oboe in her hand. Her ears, visible through the gaps in her hair, were incredibly white.

"What's wrong?" Kitahara Hakuba closed the door behind him, his voice involuntarily softening.

Kanzaki Eri stood gracefully, raising her beautiful face as she said:

"I want to go to the port festival with Kitahara-sensei."

Kitahara Hakuba was completely stunned. Why had everyone in the brass band come to him?

"Aren't you going with Nagase-san and the others?"

Eri Kanzaki looked away and said in an almost breathless tone:

"Being with them is suffocating."

Her words sounded completely truthful, and Kitahara Hakuba said helplessly:

"I'm sorry, Kanzaki-san, I already have plans with other people."

"Does this mean you can't talk to me?"

The barely audible murmur startled Kitahara Hakuba, who glanced at her in surprise. The latter tilted her head slightly, and the sunlight streaming through the window illuminated her profile.

Just a sad little expression made him feel guilty, thinking, "Kitahara Hakuba, you're a fucking inhuman!"

"Is it Wakuno-senpai?" Kanzaki Eri asked.

Kitahara Hakuba could only nod.

"Then I'll go find her and ask her to come with me, is that okay?" Kanzaki Eri asked, blinking her thick, long eyelashes.

"...That should be fine." Kitahara Hakuba nodded.

But will it really work? Given her communication skills.

Kanzaki Eri stared intently at Kitahara Hakuba, her thin cherry lips remaining perfectly still.

"What else?"

"No, I feel very safe standing next to Kitahara-sensei."

The young girl gently brushed a strand of hair with her jade-like fingers, and softly pursed her lips as she spoke.

"I want to be together for a lifetime."

Kitahara Hakuba slightly furrowed his brows, suddenly realizing that he might be favoring the girls in the brass band too much.

Whether it was Yuka Isomoto or Eri Kanzaki, he considered himself to be merely fulfilling his duty as a teacher and could not simply ignore them; he did not fantasize about having anything happen between them.

Okay, I admit it. Although I had fantasized about having a little sex with a beautiful girl, my professional ethics brought me back to my senses.

But things seem to be getting a little off.

In order to make Kanzaki Eri happy as soon as possible, he did everything she asked, and even said "forever".

However, two months have already passed, and she seems to have truly remembered "a lifetime".